AmplifierThe Independent Student Newspaper of West Linn High school

Published since 1921 June 2016 Volume 11 Issue 2

DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS

SENIOR MAP

FASHION LOVER

THE ACCEPTANCE GAME - page 14

the senior edition.

- page 3,4,5

Jacqueline Del Bene and her new life in Manhattan - page 10

ARTWORK BY RUTH JOHNSTONE

artist spotlight:

Editor note | 2

Freshman Ruth Johnstone considers herself a bit of a night owl.

“I’m kind of an insomniac. I paint mostly at night time, when I can’t sleep,” she said. “That’s when I feel the most inspired.”

Johnstone has been making art for as long as she can remember. While she prefers painting and drawing, it’s not so much the medium that matters to her, but the subject matter.

“I’m kind of low on supplies, so I’ll use whatever I can find. Book pages-- really whatever’s around,”

she said. “It depends on the mood I’m in.”

Her first year at West Linn has

been a drastic change from the Three Rivers Charter School, which she attended previously.

“We had like 17 people in our class, so this is very different,” she laughed.

By her senior year, Johnstone hopes to have taken more art classes to improve her skills, as well as become involved in the Theatre program.

More of her artwork can

be found on Page 6.

So this is it. All the football games, math tests, lunch

breaks scrambling back from Dutch. The nights spent studying, the books read, and the books SparkNoted. The twitter fights and groupchats, the drama and the making up. The car rides to nowhere in particular, the concerts that made us feel alive. Friends we’ve made. Friends we’ve lost.

This is the end of high school.

And although not all of us will consider our time here as the “best four years” of our lives, we have to admit it was something special.

No one we know is the same person they were when they walked through these doors in September of 2012, as scared freshman, desperately trying to look cool.

We’ve all been through things that have molded us into different, and hopefully better, versions of ourselves.

The most beautiful part is, there is time left to change. The new chapter begins now.

If there is a book you need to write, a song you’ve been meaning to create, a friend you should thank, or a person you need to tell “I love you,” the time is now.

As you read through this Senior Edition, learning more about your fellow classmates and what lies ahead, try to imagine who you want to become four years fom now—future you is waiting.

letter from the editors

on the cover

The Amplifier annually releases two print editions and regularly updates its website with quality news stories produced by a student-led staff. Opinions expressed in commentaries and editorials represent only the opinions of the writer and are not necessarily the opinions of West Linn High School, its administration, faculty, staff or student body. Go to www. wlhsnow.com for updates on community news.

West Linn High School, 5464 West A StreetWest Linn, OR 97068

Instagram: wlhsnowTwitter: @WLHSAmplifier; @WLHSnow

Amplifier

Editor in Chiefs:Nicole JoergerEmily ToppingAthletics:Madeline MarshallCurrent Events:Ji AnArts & Culture:Katharine KoehlerJulia MogenOpinion:Dillon Stoneking

People:Zoe CraigStaff Reporters:Nicola BittnerPhillip ChanEvan McKinleyBrooke McKelveyGrace NickasNick OlsonEleanor WilliamsAdvisor:Glenn Krake

-Emily Topping

PHOTO CREDIT: EMILY TOPPING

Staff:

Emily Topping

Nicole Joerger

SENIOR MAP2016:CALIFORNIA

Cabrillo CollegeEmma MertzVanguard UniversityKamelah NoelCal Lutheran UniversityChloe BarnesSoren CarrAlex ReesCal Poly UniversityGina ArnoneAubrey KraemerNate TrankKyle Vu

Pasadena City CollegeEthan Baugher-Poling

Point Loma Nazarene UniversityJill KottSophia McFaddenGlendale Community CollegeLorna WakeChapman UniversityKendall CallRyan GregerTyler JordanElliana Takano

Claremont McKenna University, Hailey BouchardDominican UniversityMaddie TurnerSan Diego State UniversitySkylar GrayStanford UniversityWilliam MatthiessenUniversity of Southern CaliforniaNatalie ByrneDavis HayterJoshua Sherman

PENNSYLVANIALehigh UniversityRyan KloseUniversity of PennsylvaniaChelsea LinTemple UniversityKerry PlunkettBucknell UniversitySam ChittyBlake Fletcher

OHIOMiami UniversityTaylor BossonXavier University

Zach Nelson

UTAHWestminster CollegeCailey ScottJacob TaylorDylan Tuor

TEXASBaylor UniversitySarah McKayUniversity of HoustonAmanda ElichLaura Laderoute

ALABAMAUniversity of AlabamaHailey HigginsPaulo Viteri

ARIZONAGrand Canyon UniversityMegan RiddleMadison WarrenArizona State UniversityWill AllardMadison StatenUniversity of ArizonaAnthony HladyMadison WilliamsNorthern ArizonaBrooks De Bisschop

COLORADOTuring School of Software DevelopmentSamuel LimUniversity of ColoradoJuliana GuthnerEmily JordanUniversity of DenverColin SquiresRegis UniversityColton HeftyEmily Karabeika

CONNECTICUTUnited States Coast Guard AcademyLydia VanWinkle

HAWAIIUniversity of HawaiiKylie NorrisBrigham Young University HawaiiAbigail Stout

MARYLANDJohns Hopkins UniversityAnna-Maria Hartner

MARYLANDJohns Hopkins UniversityAnna-Maria Hartner

MISSISSIPPIUniversity of MississippiLauren Wheelock

MISSISSIPPIUniversity of MississippiLauren Wheelock

FLORIDAEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityDaytona BeachPJ Carr

IDAHOBoise State UniversityRobin PingerGillian WhiteUniversity of IdahoGreyson Ollar

IOWAGrinnell CollegeKira DuffDePaul UniversityLiv Hancock

ILLINOISNorthwestern UniversityKayla Gadd

MAINEUniversity of Maine Honors CollegeJillian Emken

FLORIDAEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityDaytona BeachPJ Carr

MASSACHUSSETTSMassachussetts Institute of TechnologySarah Von AhnBoston UniversityKatie FillionMerrimack CollegeDean SwansonWheaton CollegeChandler MillerBerklee College of MusicEvan Shely

NEW YORKLIM CollegeJaqueline Del BeneManhattan School of MusicAmber Mitchell

NEW YORKLIM CollegeJaqueline Del BeneManhattan School of MusicAmber Mitchell

MICHIGANCentral Michigan UniversityHope Murray

Brigham Young University Hawaii

MONTANAMontana State UniversityJack BrennockNoah ClarkUniversity of MontanaSela Hardy

INTERNATIONALUniversity of British Columbia

Nicole Haye

Benjamin Sebastian

Quest University

Jack Mylet

La Trobe University

Rylie Uechtritz

New York University, in Shanghai China

Kyla Minato

OTHER PLANSGAP YEAR

Mikaela Burdett

Zach Buursma

Kyle Fulton

Kaylor MacLaughlin

Saki Nakai

Michael Seigneur

Wesley Seigneur

Rylin Smith

Olivia Soyk

Emily Topping

Missonary Work

Jay Cannon

Makenna Garnett

Preston Griffith

Mallory Mills

Emma Dean

Enlisting in Navy

Natalie Frahler

Working

Construction

Mason Hegardt

Americorps

Madison

Montgomery

Senior Map | 3

Indiana Earlham collegeMakena Buser

VIRGINIALiberty UniversityAlyssa Craig

Grand Canyon University

Arizona State University

NEVADASierra Nevada CollegeBreck Beishline

MASSACHUSETTSEmerson CollegeSam Dearborn

WASHINGTONUniversity of Puget SoundCaitlin MalvarDani MoscowPacific Lutheran UniversityBrianna PapishGonzaga UniversityMadeline MarshallNicholas WalkerWhitworth UniversityMaggie PetersRachel PorcheCole StocktonEastern Washington UniversityTroy CarverSeattle Pacific UniversityGrant StuartWhitman CollegeEmma HansenWashington State UniversityMegan ManleyUniversity of WashingtonOlivia SteeleWilliam WangClark CollegeHaven Fritts

Pacific Lutheran University

Eastern Washington University

Washington State University

MAP DESIGN: ANDI CASAD, NICOLE JOERGER

OREGON MAP:From state universities, to community college, to trade schools, the following students have opt-

ed to stay in Oregon to continue their education. There really is no place like home.

Senior Map | 4

Oregon Culinary InstituteJordan McFall

Central Oregon Community CollegeGriffin BrennerSamantha GallowayEvan KinzerGriffin McDonaldRaina Schutz

Pacific UniversityJanina BannikovaDana TenosoPortland Community CollegeAliza AhmedJulia AltmeierBrianna BorniaLauren CorbinNick DonovanSofia GeorgiadisVictoria KiddWarren LoweAshyln Miller-SandersWill OtosMarnie PrattDillon StonekingHillary StarkLogan SullivanOlivia SchaperEmily WareRachel SoloosAaron Woo

Portland State UniversityDaniel BobSierra ClarkBeck CheeversBryan CroissantNate DavisMadison FaheyAbeera KhanAshwin KrishnamoorthyAvery LawrenceAlisha PepperlingIzzy ReichnerJessica RoblesTegan RichardsAshlynn SteinbaughMonique TudoracheLogan Wahlstrom

Clackamas Community CollegeNick AbelEmmett AveryAndrew BossenCole BatemanEmma BellafrontoCheyenne Berry-YoungTaylor BrusaZachary CarrascoJordan CrapoWalter DimmLiam DonaldsonNick DonovanThomas HerrJessica MillerRobin PletcherJessica RegueraMatt RomineIan SnappKane SnappTyler SchneiderAnna WetherellJames WetherellGeorge Fox University:Kokanee EllingsonRyan JohnsonNathaniel ShiikiHaley Wagy

Linfield CollegeHayden Bell Sophie GuerreroAimee Minnick

Linn Benton Community CollegeMariah ColbertTrevor WellsSascha Zauner

Southern Oregon University:Maddie RichardsJennie Slominski

Southwestern Oregon Community CollegeMorgan Severson

Western Oregon UniversityCody CoppedgeMadeline GlassNicole JoergerJulia Webster

Willamette UniversityMadeline Davis Leah Olson

Lewis and Clark CollegeMark Figueroa

w

corvallis

eugene

Oregon State University

University of Oregon

UO vs. OSU:

Senior Map | 5

Jasmine AcordTanner Asher

Lucas BalsboughIreland Bell

Cassidy BoyleCameron Broberg

Drew CampbellKaitlin CampbellAndrea Casad

Aidan ClarkAudrey ClowEvan Clow

Mitchell CoronelRobert CzokajloDaniel FerrarioMatthew GefreJaydon Grant

Michael HaffnerEmily Hamel

Jakob HuanteKate Hudson

Micaela HoustonBrooke JamesBailee Johnson

Ciara KellyBrian KimElijah Kling

Kaylene LimMackenzie Miller

Jori MonihanBella Montgomery

Nina OlivierBrayden PeneMackenzie RayRaina SchutzMatt SchmitzJacob Shanks

Colin ShearmireKevin Sliniger

Zach SteinbergJaime SullivanJared Tence

Lizzie TorralbaMara Weeks

Ben WetzsteonSamantha Zito

Jacob AgcaoiliAudrey Belisle

Connor BerggrenDavid Baker

Caroline ClancyDhruva Chatterjee

Lauren CheeverAlexandria Chimienti

Emily ChanDrew Daugherty

Hannah DeebGrace EmersonJoseph Erickson

Jack FreeKevin Galloway

Conner HardwickJack Holland

Hailey KimMary Lyons

Dylan MartinsJulia Mogen

Samantha MarioniTaylor MaddenSarah OliverasJake Perkins

Payton PritchardVivek SharmaJack Weber

Krista WurscherJordan Vankeulen

Clark Honors College:Gracie ArnoneShreya Nathan

Western Oregon UniversityCody CoppedgeMadeline GlassNicole JoergerJulia Webster

Willamette UniversityMadeline Davis Leah Olson

MAP DESIGN: EMILY TOPPING

OSU Honors College:Garret HooverBrittany ParkConor Egan

While staying in state and in the country satisfies most, a handful of people look toward adventure and different experiences outside of the

nation; whether for education, cultural introduction, or for pure enjoyment.

For Nicole Haye, it’s for both education and fun. Haye has applied and been accepted to University of British Columbia, UBC, in Canada for her hockey skills. Her passion for ice hockey began when she

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PHOTO CREDIT: DILLON STONEKING

While some seniors look forward to a life of

partying and freedom in college, others are taking the opposite route. For those enlisting, the incentives of a free education and experience for future careers made the military the best option after high school.

“There’s more than one way to get a decent education,” Natalie Frahler said. “I just won’t have any

debt when I’m done.” Although she is

following in her father’s footsteps, Frahler never thought she’d find herself at sea traveling the world. She plans to join the United States Navy following the years after graduation as a cryptologic technician, an extended title that includes coding and decrypting computer information, allowing further access to enemy intel.

“To be honest I never

thought I’d want to do anything with computers,” Frahler said. “But once I heard about such a cool job description I couldn’t pass it up.”

With a wide range of incentives, the military is able to provide experiences that most young adults don’t have the privilege of doing.

“Being able to travel with covered living expenses isn’t necessarily something a normal college student my

age would be able to do,” Frahler said. “It doesn’t end there though, I’ll be able to continue a career working for the government after my service.”

Leaving for basic training Aug. 16 in Illinois, Frahler will spend two months training before transferring to Florida where she will receive basic technology and cryptologic technician training before being stationed.

“My dad was always

Feature | 6

BEHIND ENEMY LINES Natalie Fraher, Kyle Oswant and Bo Hyun An prepare for their new lives in the military.

journey abroad

The world beyond the United States calls to students looking for a different kind of

post-graduation journey

Nicole Haye plays in her Senior Nicole Haye plays in her Senior Hockey Night. She will be Hockey Night. She will be playing hockey at University of playing hockey at University of British Columbia next year.British Columbia next year.

was seven or eight, after both of her older brothers took up the sport. Before, she was figure skating for Rose City.

“I hated figure skating,” Haye recalls, laughing. “I told my mom that I wanted to do what my brothers were doing.”

And that’s exactly what she did. Throughout her high school career, Haye volunteered for the Rose City Hockey Club to inspire young girls interested in hockey. This teaching experience has improved and developed Haye’s skills as well as the kids she works with.

While touring multiple colleges on the East Coast, Haye kept in contact with the hockey coach at UBC who wanted her on the team. Haye decided to visit the campus and

-Dillon Stoneking

Feature | 7

able to travel and I was so jealous,” Frahler said. “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia.” Through the support of her dad, enlisting was a rather easy decision to make, though Frahler still faced complications with the rest of her family.

“My mom was really against it at first, but it’s easy to understand why,” Frahler said. “No one can just send their kid off like that.”

Frahler has spent nearly everyday in the weight room working on core strength in hopes to prepare herself for training.

“It can be really intimidating when half the football team uses the weight room after school as well,” Frahler laughed. “However I find it funny that I’ve managed to bench more than half the guys there. It’s important to know that no matter how small you are, you can always kick some butt.”

Kyle Oswant senior, will be following a similar path through the United States Army. Like Frahler, the idea

of enlistment used to be a distant one. However, his plans to become a criminal psychologist were recently put off after realizing how experience in the army could improve his future.

“Eventually I want be a criminal analyst,” Oswant said. “Serving in the military might help me learn the skills it takes to understand this line of work.”

Oswant departs for Oklahoma on July 11, where he will spend several months in basic training before transferring to Fort Huchuca, Arizona to become an intelligence analyst. Following his intelligence preparation, Oswant will wrap up his training in Fort Benning, Georgia-- then he begins active duty for four years.

Previous years of martial arts experience, including Fencing, Krav Maga, and Kali, will work in Oswant’s favor for life in the army.

“Martial arts are a great way to prepare for basic training, especially since a lot of the same techniques are involved,” Oswant

said. Other students joining the

military agree that previous experience is vital. Bo Hyun An, who will enlist in a Naval Prep Academy this summer, also spent years training in Martial Arts.

“I actually have a black belt in Taekwondo,” An said. “It took a long time but when I finally got it I was so happy. I had to prove to myself that I could do it.”

For students joining the military, incentives like preboarding passes in airports and retail discounts seem appealing, however the ability to attend college under military-funded scholarships following service appears to be the deciding factor. In a time when funding college is become more and more difficult, a full-ride to school in exchange for a few years of service seems like a pretty good deal.

“I’m actually going to school before I serve,” Bo Hyun An, said. “I’ll be attending a military academy in Maryland for four years studying engineering and physics before I’m required

to serve at least four years after, that way I can make up for the paid education.”

An spent a week last summer in a naval academy simulation, to experience the lifestyle she is about to undertake. The simulation is intended to prepare future officers for what lies ahead.

“That week only made me more excited,” An said.

To outsiders, the decision to enlist right after high school may seem like a dangerous one. But for An, Frahler and Oswant, it was more complicated than that. Their love for the country, drive to attend college, and love for their families led them to the path of the military.

For An, the inspiration to enlist in the navy came from her father, who served in Korean before coming to the United States.

“I’ve always looked up to my dad,” An said. “He has always done what was right to protect his family. I hope some day I could do the same.”

-Nicola Bittner

immediately fell in love with it. What sealed the deal for Haye was the on-campus hockey rink that she could go to anytime to practice or relieve stress.

“Now that I’ve been accepted, it’s been a huge motivation to keep up grades and performance,” Haye said. Haye hopes to study and major in environmental engineering, while playing for the UBC women’s hockey team.

Brothers Wesley and Micki Seigneur plan to take a cultural and religious approach after their graduation. Before four-year college, the Seigneurs will follow their sister, Rachel’s, footsteps of attending a bible school in Germany.

“We’ve been to Germany twice,” Wesley explained, “We have a lot of family that lives there.”

Although the school is not credited toward normal college academics, the students partake in charities, fundraisers, and will exercise living out their faith.

“We hope to expand our faith,” Micki added.

Both boys hope to do a lot of traveling and sightseeing for maximum cultural experience. They plan on returning to the United States next spring to start regular college at either George Fox or University of Oregon to major in business finance or marketing.

Environmental and humanitarian enthusiast, Kaylor Maclaughlin, is ready to travel out of the country and experience new horizons for herself. Through the International Volunteer Headquarters, IVHQ, Mclaughlin has

been given the opportunity to travel to the Philippines. In the Philippines, she will teach conservation biology to the locals.

“What I tell people is that it’s the only time in my life to do something for me,” Maclaughlin mused. She looks forward to learning about the culture of the Philippines the environment, and gaining teaching skills.

“I’ll be nervous, but when I get there, I know I’ll be okay,” Maclaughlin said. After her trip, she plans on attending Oregon State Honors College to major in biology, although her main passion is environmental science. Maclaughlin keeps pre-med open as an option as well, “This is my time to be selfish.”

Playing football for seven years, and then suddenly switching to golf

the night before the US Open, might not be the best strategy. For Tyler Jordan, senior, this is exactly what he went through with music.

A passionate musician since sixth grade, Jordan definitely feels comfortable with a bass clarinet in his hands. However, when entering the All-State High School band comwpetition, Jordan decided to try something new.

Rather than entering the competition with his bass clarinet, knowing he would do well, Jordan took a risk and entered on the bassoon, an instrument he learned only months earlier.

“I knew it was somewhat of a risk auditioning on a new instrument when I could have auditioned on bass clarinet and easily got in,” Jordan said.

Jordan was already able to play 10 instruments, so learning how to play the bassoon was just another challenge he was ready to tackle. He started playing in June of 2015, and after practicing four hours a week throughout the summer, Jordan sent in his audition tape in the fall.

With his audition, Jordan was the principal bassoon player for the second band, which means that he was considered third in the state.

“I’d say I was more

relieved than surprised,” Jordan said.

Even though Jordan knows his way around instruments, learning new instruments doesn’t come overnight. However, learning a second instrument can be a lot like learning a second language, where it helps knowing the basic structure of music.

“If you’re already excellent at one instrument, learning a second is a lot easier,” Kevin Egan, band director, said. “Since Tyler is so gifted musically, and works harder than anybody else, I wasn’t surprised how quickly he learned.”

When he isn’t playing or learning to play new instruments, Jordan composes pieces for small ensembles made up of woodwinds and strings. His music conveys his impressionistic style, in which each song attempts to describe moods and emotions, rather than depict a black and white scene.

Jordan plans to continue down the path of composing past high school. He will either attend University of the Pacific or Chapman University to pursue a major in music composition with the hopes of one day writing film scores.

“He has such a creative mind,” Egan said. “I think his goal of becoming a composer is very realistic.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER JORDAN

changing keys

-Brooke McKelvey

Mastering an instrument can be difficult, but starting over is something else entirely

Feature | 8

very year, stu-dents are given the chance to join the ranks of Andy Warhol, Sylvia

Plath, and Truman Capote. If they succeed, they are invited to Carnegie Hall in New York.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is in its 93rd year. Hosted by the nonprofit organization the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, they aim to find “exceptional artistic and literary talent and present their remarkable work to the world.”

Students across America in 7th through 12th grade are eligible. This year, almost 320,000 original works were submitted in 29 different categories of art and writing.

“It’s a way for students to put their work up with other student’s work,” art teacher Diane Gauthier said. “There’s a sense of accomplishment, because it’s quite a process.”

The art categories include drawing, painting and sculpture, but students can also submit clothing and video games.

Writing ranges from humor to essays, journalism to science fiction, and poetry to dramatic scripts.

In local areas like the Portland Metro Region, students can be awarded honorable mentions, silver keys, or gold keys. These students are invited to a ceremony in the Portland Art Museum’s Grand Ballroom, and gold key winners may have their work exhibited at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

Gold key winners are also eligible to win National Medals. Gold Medalists are invited to attend the ceremony at New York’s esteemed Carnegie Hall in June.

Winning works are also shared on display in Parsons School for Design and at Pratt Manhattan Gallery. Art is also exhibited at the U.S.

Department of Education and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, as well as a travelling tour across the U.S. Works are also published in “National Catalog,” “The Best Teen Writing” and numerous Scholastic publications.

Recognized in eight different regional categories, many of the 22 freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors received more than one award.

Kendall Call, senior, won a Gold Key for her pottery, despite her junior year being the first time she took ceramics classes.

“I fell in love with it,” Call said.

Shane Doran, senior, submitted a medieval helmet made of cardboard, which won him a Silver Key in fashion. Doran also does woodwork outside of school.

The photo “Arabian Nights” won Ryan Greger, senior, an honorable

mention in the region. Greger snapped the picture on a trip to Dubai. Despite his experience, Greger doesn’t aspire to photograph professionally.

“As a career, no.” Greger said. “But I’ll definitely continue photography as a hobby in the future.”

A Gold Key in sculpture was awarded to Madeline Glass, senior. Composed of papier-mache and covered in hundreds of beads, “Beading Heart” took a total of 12 hours. Glass has created a number of concentration pieces that cover anatomical parts with mixed media items, including a spine covered in nails and a liver covered in screws.

For these four seniors, this year was their first time submitting work to Scholastic.

“[Art teacher] Mrs. Garvey encouraged us,” Call said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF: RYAN GREGGER. MADELINE GLASS AND KENDALL CALL

-Philip Chan-Brooke McKelvey

Over twenty of our own students’ pieces were recognized by Scholastic Art Awards

Arts and Culture | 9

Ryan Greger snapped a photo of the cityscape while on a trip to Dubai. Greger called the piece “Arabian Nights.”

Maddy Glass created a sculpture composed of paper mache, and covered in beads. Glass titled her piece “Beading Heart.”

Kendall Call earned a Gold Key for her tea set created in her AP Ceramics class. Call’s piece is untitled.

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Navigating the chaotic streets of N.Y.C. last summer, Jacqueline Del Bene felt a nervous buzz in her chest. As she made her way down Broadway,

she took note of the strangers surrounding her, adorned in everything from fur coats and velvet boots, to baggy flannels and sneakers. Observing the hustle and bustle of the city, a sudden wave of reassurance washed over her -- after all, what better place to start a career in the fashion industry than New York?

This was not the first experience where Del Bene felt a sense of tranquility knowing the fashion world was where she belonged. It all started while walking through Nordstrom as a seventh grader, observing the porcelain mannequins, and the variety of clothing.

“There was just something about me being in that store that inspired me,” Del Bene said, “I know it sounds so ridiculous.”

From this point on Del Bene took every step possible to make her dream a reality. While scrolling through the internet last winter, she came across an opportunity for aspiring students to study in New York at LIM College for a month. She always had

Jacqueline Del Bene, senior, will be traveling 2,738.3 miles to further her education in the business side of fashion

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PHOTO CREDIT: EMILY TOPPING

Feature | 10

Jaqueline Delbene worked alongside a group Jaqueline Delbene worked alongside a group during her pre college summer program to during her pre college summer program to create this look labeled as “Modern Metallic.”create this look labeled as “Modern Metallic.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF: ADAM KLIMASZWSKI

-Nicole Joerger

an interest in the school, knowing that it was the best place to study the business end of fashion, and didn’t hesitate to take this chance.

In fact, Del Bene has spent countless hours researching the possibilities to fuel her craze of fashion.

“I’m very motivated, if I find something I’m interested in then I go out and find every aspect I can, and every opportunity that is available.”

During her short study at LIM College, Del Bene was able to take select classes. One class gave her to chance to work with a fellow group

of ambitious students on designing an outfit. Del Bene’s team of five came up with a look they labeled as ‘Modern Metallic.’

“We were going for more of a futuristic and electric approach to our outfit,” Del Bene said.

The group of style connoisseurs were then charged with the task of roaming around N.Y.C’s secondhand stores to find pieces to create their concept.

Del Bene immediately fell in love with the school, following her experience with designing, and after

immersing herself into the different approach the college has towards learning, living and creating. It’s just the environment she was looking for to serve as a vision for her upcoming blog. Del Bene has been playing around with the idea of having a blog for awhile now; when her website launches, she wants all her pictures taken in Central Park. Del Bene’s goal is to show how to have versatility in a modern wardrobe.

“That to me is what makes fashion so much fun and interesting, I can wear this same top five different ways

and it will look new and unique every time,” Del Bene said. “Which is the best part about fashion, I love how it’s so creative.”

Del Bene will be leaving in August to attend LIM College with the expectation to major in fashion merchandising, specializing in visual merchandising.

“I want to eventually become a stylist, can you imagine picking out clothes for celebrities to wear? That’s the dream.”

Not many teenagers can say they were able to balance three extra

curriculars and still own a skyrocketing GPA of 4.4, but Chelsea Lin, senior can. While attending Chinese school on the weekends, participating in the Portland Youth Philharmonic as a first violinist, and playing on the varsity tennis team, Chelsea also took a total of 15 advanced placement classes in her high school career.

The motivation behind her outstanding performance in and outside

school? Her parents. “My parents expected me

to do my best. But they didn’t push me to go to an Ivy League school,” Lin said.

Her parents, who both graduated from Yale, were her main inspiration to attend an Ivy League school. They highly praised Yale’s quality campus and education, and as a result, Lin considered applying to Yale early decision. However, she changed her mind to the University of Pennsylvania last minute.

“I chose Penn because it’s less stressful than Yale. Yale is one of the more cutthroat schools and Penn is more supportive because they have more counselors and programs for stress,” Lin said.

But high school wasn’t always smooth sailing for Lin, as some people may think. She also faced

friendship problems and falling grades. AP chemistry, she remembers, was her hardest class.

“I was kind of crazy for taking both AP chemistry and AP physics in one year,” Lin said. “And with all the friendship stuff going on, it made it harder for me to focus.”

However, those obstacles didn’t stop her from applying to early decision to the University of Pennsylvania. It was in Oct. when she applied, and late Dec. when the decisions of admittance were released.

Finding out whether or not she had been admitted answered the burning quesion if all she had worked for was worth it.

So when she opened the email, titled “Admission Results” and the University’s fight song began playing, Lin dropped to the ground.

“I was so happy of course,” Lin said. “I kind of had a meltdown on the floor.”

Now at the university, Lin will be majoring in English and minoring in math. She’s excited to re-meet her friends she’s made at Yale summer camps, and former WLHS student, Camille Collier.

“I know that it’s going to be fun but I’m also expecting a lot of late nights and crying,” Lin said, “but that’s part of the experience.”

For now, Lin is focusing on enjoying the rest of her senior year and she advises that the key to a good college application is the essay.

“Don’t make yourself a bunch of numbers. Be as human as possible, even though that sounds weird,” Lin said. -Ji An

PASSED THE IVYChelsea Lin accompishes her journey of earning a spot in the University of Pennsylvania class of 2020

Feature | 11PHOTO COURTESY OF: ADAM KLIMASZWSKI

PHOTO CREDIT: JI AN

--Eleanor Williams

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Fastest running twins in the state head to record breaking

speeds in college athletics.

Olympic athlete Dan Browne, class of 1993, set the WLHS

3,000-meter track record at 8:30. He went on to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, and be the only cadet to run a sub- four minute mile.

While at the academy he also set the West Point record for the 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000-meter, which remains unbroken.

Browne also was part of the 2004 US Olympic team, running the marathon and the 10,000 meter race.

Roman and Grayson Ollar, class of 2016, both broke Browne’s 3,000-meter record at the 2016 Centennial Invitational, Roman with a 8:25.6 and Grayson with a 8:25.8. This put them at 1st and 2nd place at the meet.

Since the beginning of their running careers in sixth grade, the Ollar twins have competed in races from distances of 800 meters, up to 5,000 meters and proved themselves as some of the fastest cross country and track runners in the state.

Grayson enjoyed running

from the start and embraced the sport. However, an early setback slowed his progression through middle school.

“I pulled something in my butt and I didn’t know what it was,” Grayson said. “I was out for a month but the pain didn’t fully alleviate until the end of eighth grade.”

After the injury, Grayson began stretching differently and more often. This worked for a while until he faced a hamstring injury during his junior year. In order to keep up with Roman, he had to work harder in the off-season.

“I strive to keep up with Roman during races,” Grayson said.

Grayson isn’t far behind his brother, either. They’re very close in performance, finishing within ten seconds of each other in the OSAA Cross Country State Championship race in 2015.

Roman has dealt with less injury throughout his running career. After tearing his hamstring in seventh grade, a quick recovery accelerated him back to the starting line.

“In the long run it didn’t

affect me much,” Roman said. “I have no other injuries.”

As the Ollar brothers transition to Division One level racing, they have to adjust to the new ten kilometer distance. The twins’ opinions contrast when it comes to long distance running. Roman wants to keep it between five and ten kilometers while Grayson is a distance runner at heart.

“[A marathon] will be better than short distance,” Grayson said. “The longer the distance the better.”

Grayson is also hoping to complete an Ironman race, a triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and ending with a full-length marathon.

Roman is excited to begin racing at West Point in the ten-kilometer distance, the same university Browne attended after setting the high school record.

“I’m going to try to beat [Browne’s] record there as well,” Roman said, half joking.

Grayson will be attending the University of Idaho. Neither of them are intimidated about the

transition because they both enjoy their new coaches. Their current high school coach, Jay Schrotzberger, has played a big part in their development.

“They’ve made me put a lot more work into my coaching,” Schrotzberger said. “I learned a lot in order to be able to push them harder.”

“Jay is a really good coach,” Roman said. “I really enjoy his coaching style. My new coaches are really nice and you can tell that they know what they’re doing.”

Participating in track and cross country doesn’t mean you just run all the time. The teams also get together to have fun.

“At the end of every season we have a food relay,” Roman said. “One year I was forced to eat an entire lemon, and another time one of my teammates ate an entire packet of Macaroni and Cheese powder.”

“I’ll always remember hanging out with the upperclassmen and building friendships. ” Roman said.

Roman and Grayson Ollar run the 3,000m race in Roman and Grayson Ollar run the 3,000m race in a track meet against Lakeridge.a track meet against Lakeridge.

SPRINTINGTOWARDS THE

FUTURE

Sports | 12

Sports | 13

At 4:30a.m. on a Tuesday morning, most students are still nestled up in

their beds, resting for the seven hour school day ahead of them. Yet this isn’t the case for Laura Laderoute and Robin Pinger who have already hit the pool for swim practice. This is just part of the daily routine for the duo, who have spent their last four years making a mark on the history of West Linn swimming.

Both started to swim at the age of six and have been competing ever since. Pinger was introduced to the sport by her parents, two former swimmers at the University of Miami.

Born in Canada, Laderoute grew up with a pool in her backyard and spent much time outside swimming. With a little encouragement from her mom she decided to start swimming competitively.

However the path to success hasn’t always been easy.

“When I was younger I really didn’t like swimming,” Pinger said. “I cried a lot during practice, but my parents pushed me to stick with it.”

Laderoute similarly

struggled with the sport at first. “My mom put me in swim lessons and I cried every day because I didn’t want to go,” Laderoute said. “I even quit for a little while.”

Despite a few initial tears, Pinger and Laderoute kept moving forward with the sport and working harder.

“When I was in middle school I had a really tough coach who pushed me, even though I didn’t always like it,” Pinger remarked. “He helped me become faster and I started enjoying swimming more. I began working even harder and when my hard work paid off it felt really good. That feeling of success is addicting.”

“It’s been challenging at times,” said Laderoute. “But it’s definitely opened a lot of doors for me. I also love the people.”

Besides being members of the WLHS Swim Team, the duo are also members of the Oregon City Swim Team, a competitive club organization.

“I’ve been so lucky to be on a club team with people I can be myself around,” said Laderoute, “they’re like family to me.”

With practice, training,

and meets taking up a large part of their schedules, Pinger and Laderoute have worked very hard to find a balance in their lives.

“Swimming and school have forced me to be really disciplined with my time,” said Pinger, “I count swim practice as a time where I hang out with friends, and when I get home from practice I finish my homework before I do anything else.”

“School does come first, but I really try to put equal effort into each as best as I can,” said Laderoute. “It takes a lot of late nights to finish homework because I’m spending my day time after school training.”

The hard work has paid off as Laderoute and Pinger have each earned multiple first place finishes at the OSAA 6A State Swimming Championship. In their four years at WLHS they have been a part of the 200 medley relay, claiming first place each year in the event, including this year, breaking the state record for the event with a time of 1 minute, 45.22 seconds.

Laderoute recently competed at the Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials and came up short of

earning a spot on the 2016 team. However, she still views it as a great experience. Pinger will focus on representing Germany for the 2020 team in Tokyo.

Laderoute and Pinger agree swimming is not just a physical sport; there are many emotional aspects as well.

“Swim practice is 90% physical and 10% emotional, compared to racing at 90% emotional and 10% physical,” said Pinger. “Sure, racing is really hard physically, but your body already knows what to do because you’ve practiced it so many times. It’s about control your thoughts to push you forward.”

As for next year, the two friends will head their separate ways into the world of NCAA Division I Swimming. Pinger will be headed to Boise State University, while Laderoute will attend the University of Houston. Despite not swimming as teammates, the opportunity remains for Laderoute and Pinger to compete against each other throughout their four years of college.

Two friends and their journey into becoming record breakers.

PHOTO CREDIT: BRITTANY PARK

-Madeline Marshall

Laura Laderoute signs her letter of intent to swim at The University of Houston

IN THE DEEP ENDRobin Pinger signs her letter of intent to swim at Boise State University.

Pinger dives into the pool in a meet against Tualatin.

PHOTO CREDIT: BRITTANY PARK

ARTWORK BY: RUTH JOHNSTONE

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Opinion | 14

High schoolers mesmerized by the prestigious allure behind Ivy League

colleges need to realize that acceptance is not just about excelling academically anymore. It’s about luck. After all, how can someone be better when everyone is already considered the best?

There is a slight problem with this idea of paralleled excellence. Ivy Leagues like Yale and Harvard University have roughly 17,000 students enrolled, but with some 35,000 new applicants a year, admissions officers choose who to admit based on uncontrollable, and sometimes random details.

“They take the nation’s top students with the highest test scores, perfect GPAs, great extracurriculars and make us all the same people,” Kaylor MacLaughlin, senior and 5th in her class, said. “There is no way to differentiate us.”

After meeting with representatives from Duke, Brown, Yale, and Stanford University, she found there was no foolproof way to be accepted.

“[The interviewers] all say the same spiel that everyone is so qualified that whether you are accepted is based on chance,” MacLaughlin, who was not accepted into any Ivy

League, said.Sure, no college is going

to reveal what specifics they’re looking for in future students, but the word ‘qualifications’ has lost it’s meaning.

“The process is a perfectionist’s worst nightmare,” Mick Metcalf, senior, and self-proclaimed perfectionist said. “There’s always more you could add or fix.”

It’s not enough to be a varsity captain, club president or student government leader, since most students you’re competing with have held the same titles at their high schools.

At Notre Dame University, for example, 34% of the freshman class were in the top one percent of their class, 35% were leaders of at least one student organization, 45% were captains of at least one varsity sport, and 50% were involved in drama, music, or fine art.

“If students want to get into top tier schools, they should stop creating a laundry list of achievements, and instead focus on one or two larger projects which they’re truly passionate about,” Metcalf said.

The fact that Ivy Leagues are money guzzling machines that prey on students seems pretty

sadistic. Most students seem to forget that like other large businesses, colleges are institutions out to make money.

Universities accept students who they believe will thrive on campus, but unfortunately, the acceptance game is also based on profit. 18 year-olds who pursue prestigious colleges often fail to recognize that while their degree might promise a high-paying salary, they could spend years paying it off.

If paying loans until you’re 30 doesn’t sound scary enough, you should know that student debt in the United States is reaching over the 1 trillion dollar mark.

With the idea of attending a four year university so engraved in our society, a lot of kids feel inadequate when their middle-class families are struck with the reality of financing college.

This collective and nearly idylistic expectation of higher education is due to the fact that when our parents went to college, private and public universities were three to four times cheaper (according to Goldman Sachs.)

If any Ivy League school sounds appealing to you,

go for it, but know that not being admitted to your number one choice doesn’t mean you won’t crush the college game. Perfection is impossible; and while Ivy Leagues may strive for students to be the ultimate scholar, athlete, and humanitarian, find a balance or niche that works for you. In the end, look for colleges that satisfy your not only your work ethic, but also your happiness.

“While attending a top tier school may make it easier for a student to achieve their dreams, this does not mean that students can’t be successful if they don’t attend these schools,” Metcalf said. “The effort that students demonstrate while in college is much more important than the college they attend.”

Metcalf knows what he’s talking about. Instead of an Ivy League, he’s attending Tulane University to enter their pre-med program and study Neuroscience. That’s right Neuroscience.

On a completely different, but equally impressive track, MacLaughlin will study Environmental Science at Oregon State University Honors College after attending a volunteer work program in Southeast Asia (see page 7 to read more.)

As college raises in prices and stakes, high schoolers find it increasingly difficult to be

accepted into their top schools.

-Julia mogen

the acceptance game

Opinion | 15

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senior spotlight:

Racing to Portland Community College after school to take math classes, then

out to the Rosemont softball field for a two hour softball practice, Sarah Von Ahn remains one of best students in the 2016 Senior Class.

An avid softball player since the third grade, Von

Ahn has played as the Varsity team pitcher for all four years.

“I’ve been playing for nine years,” Von Ahn said. “My favorite memory of high school softball would definitely be being a part of the first West Linn team to win the Three Rivers League.” Von Ahn still has her favorite moments of playing softball.

“I love it when one of my teammates hits a homerun,” Von Ahn said. “The whole

team runs out of the dugout and swarms the girl after she crosses home plate. It creates a lot of excitement and energy.”

Von Ahn will be continuing softball in college, playing for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“I will be a MIT engineer next year and I’m excited

for it,” Von Ahn said. MIT is one of the most prestigious schools in the United States, with an acceptance rate of 7.9 percent, famous for their engineering and science achievements. Von Ahn is still unsure what she will be majoring in while in college.

“I’m not sure what I want to do yet,” Von Ahn said. “I’ll probably major in some form of engineering, but I’m still exploring my options.” Being a student athlete is a very difficult job and Von Ahn has decided to continue the difficult task while at MIT.

“The hard part of being a student athlete is managing your time effectively,” Von Ahn said. “It takes a little practice, but I actually like prefer having a full schedule. I have distinct time blocks where I am 100% focused on

softball and some where I am 100% focused on school work. Even if I’ve felt like I had a lot to do I always manage to get everything done.”

Trying to stay on top of homework and keeping grades up can be the hardest part of being an athlete.

“My schedule is very busy so I don’t have time to procrastinate,” Von Ahn said. “I have to turn all of my work in on time. I also make sure that I understand the information I am learning well enough to teach it to somebody else before I take the test.”

“Honestly, advice I would give to student athletes would be make sure to get enough sleep,” Von Ahn said. “A lack of sleep will cause your academic and athletic performance to suffer.”

-Grace Nickas

A symbol of West Linn pride has weathered theft, careless handlers and senior pranks since 1959. Take a look at the history of our iconic lion statue:

history:

1959

1967

1969

1971

1989

2000

2001

After WLHS football coach John Jubb dies on the Arch bridge, a lion statue is commissioned and installed in front of the school as a memorial.

Girlfriends of football players decorate the statue and put an outhouse next to it, organized by the coach’s wife.

The statue is tarred and feathered.

OC students steal the lion statue. It is rumored that it was hung from the Arch Bridge.

The administration tracks down the culprits, the statue is returned, and the perpetrators apolo-gize to the entire student body at an assembly. The statue is moved inside to prevent future thefts.

The lion’s tail is broken and replaced.

During the remodeling of the school, the lion statue is scheduled to be moved out of the way. Due to the poor quality of its concrete, however, it is irreparably shattered.

The replacement lion statue is purchased from Saul’s and put into the Commons. It was later moved to the library.

A NEW HOME FIELD

2016

The statue is repainted for the first time in 7 years.

-Evan McKinley

EDITOR’S NOTE: After researching the life of the lion statue, a student reporter, Evan McKinley noticed it was in disrepair and decided to take action. McKinley is personally responsible for the final entry on the timeline.

Sarah Von Ahn, senior, heads to the Massachusetts Institute of technolo-

gy to play softball.