Volume XIII, Issue VI

21401 SE Falcon Way Kent, WA February 12, 2010

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2 Meet the
Contents
The Falcon Flyer

Press News Pg. 4

Co Editors-in-Chief Tech Expo allows district to boast advanced technology
Cynthiann Heckelsmiller
Flautists own regional contest; bring on state competition
Christine Rushton
Op-Ed Editor District board member resigns due to time commitment
Alyssa Ryan Kentlake falcons a rug cutting success as members of Allegro Dance
A&E Editor With hopes of a new look, Eastern Washington University plants fake color
Mike Lydon
Sports Editor
Holly Pirret
Student Life Editor
Yasmin Abubakar
Op-Ed Pg. 6
Junior class deficit to grow without Tolo
Business Manager
Kayla Maletich Bipartisan State of the Union promises big plans
Webmaster New bill gives corporations undeserved freedom
Spencer Transier New technology from Apple: IPad or I-Pathetic?
Copy Editors Kentlake’s technology sub-par in providing education
Brendan Cescon
Technology dependant society: are we passing by the simple pleasures in life?
Daniel Tadeo
Photographers Famous for being famous? America’s obsession spirals out of control
Megan Rogers Over publicized inquiry: werewolf or vampire?
Melissa Pitchford
Michaela Mandala
Staff Reporters A&E Pg. 12
Brian Benshoof
Keith Bolender
Kelsey Bolton
Ex-Beatle reaches creative mediocrity
Sarah Cubine Murdered children have a lot to look forward to
Matthew Davis Mad Max tackles evangelism
Michala Dymond-Shaw Will the world ever get tired of ending?
Kierra Elfalan A unique experience in Covington dining
Craig Heffner
Jerel Henderson
Frasier going through Extreme Measures to save his career
McKenna Herron
Jason Hirschey
Erin Hunt
Jacob Langholz National News Briefs
Nicole Luce
Amy Reiter
Ryan Snyder As the death toll approaches 200,000, Haiti is forced to ask exiled
Kiley Throop
scholars and engineers to return to help them recover. Haiti is also ac-
Steven Weier
cusing a Baptist Church who rescued 33 children of child abduction.
Kentlake High School
Phone:253) 373-4900
Fax: (253) 373-4908 Toyota has recalled a number of their cars for faulty accelera-
Principal: Diana Pratt tor pedals. Also there is an investigation going on involving a
Adviser: Susan Best faulty brake system on the Prius as well.
TheFalconFlyer.com

The Falcon Flyer is an open forum,

produced by students in the
journalism class at Kentlake High
School. Its mission is to provide
a thought-proviking, informative Google has turned to the National Security Agency for help fighting
and high-quality publication for the
Kentlake community, adhering to Chinese cyber-hackers, though they approach it timidly as they want
strong journalistic principles. to keep Google from being government regulated.
Editorials which appear in the Flyer
represent the opinion of the named
author or authors, or if no author
is credited, the opinions of the
Editorial Board.
The staff welcomes signed letters
to the editor. The Falcon Flyer At the state of the union address, President Obama proposed a $10,000 tax
reserves the right to edit letters, al- credit for families with kids attending college. Also he proposed many more
though every attempt will be made
to preserve original content. Letters job opportunities for Americans.
should be sent to thefalcon.yer@
gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter
and Facebook. Cover art by Kiley Throop & Holly Pirret
 Contents
The Falcon Flyer 3
Kentlake News Briefs Hook hotties
After weeks of text voting and desperately trying to gain the in February
support of the school for the KZOK School of Rock competi-
tion, the judges at the station placed the Kentlake band in fifth • Do you have any raisins?
on Monday. The final judging was based on sound and little No? How about a date?
on video. The band will get a pizza party from The Rock Wood
Fired Pizza as an award. Puyallup High School placed first. • Oh, I’m sorry, I thought
that was a Braille name tag.

As of Feb. 8, the quite delicious student store is serving • Lets make like fabric soft-
breakfast. The store will open at 7 in the morning and close at ener and Snuggle!
7:25. They have new items and are encouraging the student
body to try the fresh approach. • Are you an Alien? [No,
why?] Because you just ab-
Principal Diana Pratt recently decided that the spring dance, Tolo, will be ducted my heart.
cancelled until further negotiations with the ASB leadership team. This oc-
cured because of the dancing problem at January’s Sadie Hawkin’s dance. • Can I borrow your library
At Sadies, the lights had to be turned on because the dancing was consid- card? [Why?] Cause I’m
ered inappropriate by the administration and chaperones. With regards to checking you out.
this, Pratt is willing to discuss the reinstatement of the dance.
• Is your father a thief? Be-
cause I’ve been wondering
who stole the stars from the
skies and put them in your
eyes.
Features Pg. 10
• If I could rearrange the
Pick up your hoe!
Getting down and dirty alphabet, I’d put U and I
together.

• Do you know what’d look

Student Life Pg. 15
Sparks fly in February
Love is in the air...or not
Want the girl? Read the guide
Falcons fess up for Valentine’s Day
Sadies receives mixed reviews
Kelsey gains more than self-defense through tae-kwon-do
Students weigh benefits of honors and core classes
Diversity club reveals winners of Poetry Slam
good on you? Me.
• Please help the homeless.
Take me home with you...
• I’ll let you cast a spell with
my wand, if you know what
I mean.

Sports Pg. 18 • You know how kryptonite

makes Superman weak?
Well, you’re my kryptonite,
VS
Winter Falcon Frankenstein
Saints secure well deserved Super Bowl victory and I’m him.
Ski club provides tons o’fun
Netball and rugby for Leua
• I want to be your deriva-
tive so I can be tangent to
your curves.
4 News
The Falcon Flyer
Tech Expo allows district to boast advanced technology
“I think it’s really
Michala Dymond-Shaw great that we can bring
Staff Reporter this awareness to the
entire community, to
Hundreds of Kent School District students, parents, show the power of tech-
and teachers assembled at the ShoWare Center Jan. nology, and how it’s
27 to participate in the districts’ The Future Is Now changed the way we live
Technology Expo. The district put together the elabo- and work and play. In
rate event in attempts to persuade voters to approve schools we’re helping
the 2010 technology levies. to make sure that all of
While at the Expo, students of all ages demonstrated our kids are prepared,
how modern technology is used in classrooms today. and know how to use
Among these students was Panther Lake Elementary’s technology wisely,” said
Shande Samuel Mengsteab. He shared with booth visi- Vargas.
tors his love of technology in the classroom. According to Var-
“It helps us with many, many projects and it gets gas, the use of technol-
things done faster,” Mengsteab said. ogy is already making a
Mengsteab, along with his fellow classmates, created dramatic difference in
a video story which he then presented to interested on- classrooms today. “The
lookers. A video story is similar to a digitalized essay, access to information
with synchronized pictures running behind it. 24/7, digital learning
Several teachers also took time out of their day to projects, being able to
assist students. These teachers hoped to demonstrate manipulate content and
how they incorporate technology into their curricu- create your own publi-
lum. cations; it’s awesome,”
First grade teacher Maureen Akins from Sawyer Vargas said. Photo by Christine Rushton
Woods Elementary School said, “I thought that people Also, although there
should know that technology is being used in the early have been great strides Aiyana Hickey, Matt Davis, Russ Ballard, Ian McFeat, Kelsey Wagner, and Kendall Walker
primary grades, and that we’re getting them ready for in terms of technology, at the Kentlake Physics booth at the Tech Expo.
their futures.” there is still improve- The levies which the District hopes will be approved,
Kent School District Superintendant Dr. Edward Lee ment for the future. “Well, I would [hope to see it] con- are an extension of the technology levies of 2006,
Vargas came to show his support as well. He walked tinue to expand, continue to adapt as new technologies which expire this year. These levies are responsible for
around the center, immersing himself into the com- become available,” Vargas said. “So again, learning be- a great portion of the modern technology seen in class-
monly used technology of classrooms today. comes 24/7, anywhere, anytime.” rooms today.

Flautists own regional contest; bring on state competition

The piece they chose is an intricate French piece called Air du Fat Puni by French
Michaela Mandala composer Francois DeVienne.
Photographer “It kind of melded together our sounds because I play the theme and he plays
the background, and then we switch. The switch occurs multiple times in almost a
Seniors Christine Rushton and Chris Wood are making their way to the Wash- weave of sound. It is also a slower piece and is more based off of musicality rather
ington State music competition to than technicality,” said Rushton.
test their abilities in a flute duet for a The practice time Rushton and Wood put into the piece was worth the final
panel of three judges. After winning result. “It was only about a month [of practice]. We practiced it a lot more indi-
Regionals on Jan. 30 at Kentwood vidually because we didn’t always
High School, the two now have the have the time to get together,” said
opportunity to compete statewide at Rushton. When
“We’ve played together they did prac-
the competition in Ellensburg the tice together it was for about 6-7 years and about making it
weekend of April 24. as flawless as pos- know each other pretty sible.
Playing duets together every year “We practiced
for the past five years, Wood and hour a day just go-
well, so we decided to do for about an
ing through and
Rushton were pleased to finally suc- working out the kind of an annual duet, rough spots;
ceed. “We have never gone to State making sure each kind of like a tradition.” other sound
before. We have been alternates, but good,” said Rush- ton.
as seniors it is really good to finally go Although they where unable to
to State,” said Wood. practice a lot out- -Chris Wood side of school
The results where given at the end together, they had the benefit of
of a long day, but was more than worth knowing each other’s sound from years of experience.
the wait. “We have played together for about 6-7 years and know each other pretty well, so
“Our duet had been at about 9:50 in we decided to do kind of an annual duet, kind of like a tradition,” said Wood.
the morning. I came back and waited Congratulated by many, Rushton and Wood are seen clearly as commendable
from about 3-4pm for the results,” by their music teacher, Chuck Stowell. “Chris and Christine are two very talented
said Rushton. “A lot of people left, but senior flute players and [are] very deserving of this,” said Stowell.
I stayed there to see how we had done He has been teaching music many years, and he knows the effort and talent it
Photo by Leslie Rushton
and who was going to State for small takes to go to State. As to what State is going to be like, Wood has an idea, but he
ensemble. When they wrote that we Christine Rushton and Chris Wood playing believes in their abilities to do well.
were going to State on the board I their duet at the Regional competition. “I assume the competition is going to be really competitive, and a lot of people are
looked around for people to be happy going to be there going for the same thing, but hopefully we will do well. We have
with and there was nobody there. It was sad but at the same time really exciting.” the confidence to do it,” said Wood.
 The Falcon Flyer
News 5
District board member resigns due to time commitment
however it is taking more and more of my time away sibility and can give
Matt Davis from my family and other responsibilities including the time necessary on
Staff Reporter the school board,” said Davies. a daily basis to pro-
Davies feels that he cannot perform his duties well vide the support that
Kent School District Board Member Chris Davies enough while trying to be a father and husband, and the District and our
declared his resignation during the Jan. 13 board he feels he is doing a disservice to the KSD Board. community needs,”
meeting. After two years of service, Davies decided he The job of the board members is to support the said Davies.
needs to spend more time with his family, and serving students and staff of the school district in addition to Davies is glad for all
on the board is exacting too much time. He will still other duties. “We lobby our legislators and other poli- the support he has re-
maintain the position until Feb. 11. ticians for the betterment of our District,” said Davies. ceived while making
“This is all about family and my desire to spend as The five board members of the KSD work to provide this difficult decision,
much time at home as I can,” Davies said in his resigna- the maximum amount of benefits for the district while and he is not trying to
tion letter. He has been balancing the time consuming only using the minimum amount of funds. betray his colleagues. Photo by Kent School District
job and family activities since 2007 and now wishes to These tasks require a strong devotion and a full- “I look at you all not
devote more of that time to his two children. time commitment beyond that of a regular job, which only as my professional board “mates” but also as
As a board member, he has seen success in areas Davies says he cannot grant. “If we want to be the best friends. I will always be here to support the District
including his tax program. “My tax practice is fortu- District in the state then we need to have five board and you as you continue on the mission we have set
nately experiencing rapid growth, a very good thing, members that are dedicated 100 percent to the respon- out on,” said Davies.

Kentlake falcons a rug cutting success as members of Allegro Dance

themselves,” she said.
Steven Weier Among the many trophy winners is freshman Brenna Benson, who has been
Staff Reporter dancing at Allegro for 10 years. She has been a part of the PURE hip hop perform-
ing group for four years, and competing in
Hitting the stage for the first time this the lyrical category for three years. Bensons’
season, dancers from Auburn’s Allegro solo, “Dark Angel,” won first place in her
Performing Arts Academy brought home age group’s lyrical category, and “Stole Her
a sense of achievement to their studio. Soul,” one of her large group lyrical perfor-
Competing against 23 other Washington mances, also won first place in its category.
schools and roughly 1,000 participants, Part of the solo involves a difficult move
Allegro dancers swept the competition at called an aerial, which Benson described as
their tournament on Jan. 15-17 at Highline a “no-handed cartwheel.”
High School. Gormley called Bensons’ solo routine
The dancers won double platinum (first “beauteous.” At the tournament, Benson
place) trophies for their performances in ranked number three in the overall group of
tap, lyrical, jazz, and hip hop. One of Alle- dancers.
gro’s tap numbers, “Nothin’ But Strings,” “There’s a lot of contributing factors,”
was chosen as the overall best act in any said Gormley. “We focus a lot on our tech-
category. nique, we work together well, and the dance
For the 12-14 year-old division, in the Photo courtesy of Allegro Performing Arts Academy teachers push us to do our best.” With their
category of large groups, Allegro won all of Allegro Performing Arts Academy dancing to the jazz number Here for Now. hard conditioning and focus, Allegro was
the trophies in first through fifth place. voted the number one dance studio in Western
A myriad of awards were also won for solos, duos, trios, and small groups in all Washington, and named in the top 50 studios in the nation.
areas of dance. Freshman Jordan Gormley, a student at Allegro, has seen many Goodwillie said, “Our students danced hard and had a lot of fun. After the
of her friends’ routines and knows the level of dedication that went into their per- success of this first competition, we are planning on keeping up our hard work to
fecting. “I didn’t get to see [the competition], but I know they should be proud of continue to do well at the competitions coming up over the next few months.”

With hopes of a new look, Eastern Washington University plants fake color
college football. Boise State University has blue turf the blue turf had been a symbol of their university
Jason Hirschey affectionately named Smurf Turf, at Bronco Stadium since 1986, and New Haven would be disgracing that
Staff Reporter in Boise, Idaho. symbol.
Boise State was the first stadium to introduce a dif- New Haven defended those claims stating their field
The Eastern Washington University football pro- ferent colored turf in 1986, when then athletic direc- was to be blue and gold, the New Haven team colors,
gram announced plans on Jan. 28 to install new red tor, Gene Blaymeier, decided that if the school was to whereas Boise State’s is blue and orange. Boise State
turf at Woodward Field in Cheney, Washington. The spend $750,000 on new turf, he wanted something still did not agree, but they did not file criminal or legal
school officials hope the proj- special. The blue turf has been a charges.
ect will be completed by the “Boise State University unique icon of Boise State since. Now, Eastern Washington hopes to create its own
2010 season. The University of New Haven image; red. Former Eastern Washington star Michael
Since its opening in 1967,
has blue turf affectionately
out of West Haven, Connecticut, Roos has pledged $500,000 to the project in hopes
Woodward Field has had named Smurf Turf ...” also plays on artificial blue turf. others would donate. Also, the university will also save
natural grass; the turf will be They added the turf when their around 300,000 gallons of water because they will no
the first artificial surface at the stadium. The red color football program was reinstated in 2009 after being longer be required to water the field.
will be the first in the nation, but not the first colored cut in 2004 due to insufficient funds. Officials also believe that the new field will be a
turf. When New Haven announced plans to install the useful tool in recruiting as new prospects will see the
The idea of differently colored turf is not new to blue turf, Boise State was not accepting. They claimed advances the university is making.
6 Op-ed
The Falcon Flyer
Junior class deficit to grow without Tolo
Christine Rushton
Co Editor-in-Chief
After the January Sadies debacle,
hopes of gaining money from Tolo are
dashed for juniors, however what did
they do to deserve such a slap in the fi-
nancial face? Although the seniors could
probably name a few striking reasons,
all in all they really haven’t done much,
quite literally. Unfortunately for them,
dancers at Sadies were apparently a
little too lets-have-sex-in-public that
lovely Saturday in January.
Principal Pratt stated straight to lead-
ership that she is willing to negotiate the
possibilities of Tolo, but as of right now
there will be no dance. The administra-
tion was shocked at the vulgar dancing
that occurred the night of Sadies, ini-
tially showing their disappointment by
turning the lights on during the dance.
The threat of no Tolo is considered pun-
ishment for the rule-violating dancing
styles.
The spring dance, better known as
Tolo, quite possibly will cease to ensue
this year. Sadly what that means is the
Bipartisan State of the Union promises big plans
Jerel Henderson
Staff Reporter
Unlike any previous state of the union
address in history, President Obama ac-
tually remained committed towards a
bipartisan Congress. Meanwhile, he did
have a few choice words to say about the
democrat’s recent struggle in Massachu-
setts and their loss of the super-majority
in the senate. Obama also chastised the
Supreme Court for the recent ruling on
campaign fi-
nance. The
economy, the
war in Af-
ghanistan,
g l o b a l
w a r m -
ing, and
healthcare
were
all dis-
Photos courtesy of creative commons.com
ladies of the night will not have one of
their few chances to wear the pants, not
literally because that would be a fash-
ion nightmare, and step out to ask the
guys. It also means that unless you are
a senior or very lucky underclassman
cussed in depth, resulting in an over-
done, ninety minute proclamation of
the new United States envisioned by
Obama.
The President opened with his
thoughts on the bank bailouts, showing
his humorous side. He exclaimed that
nobody liked the bank bailouts, least of
all him. However, something had to be
done to deal with the already unstable
banking industry or else the economy
would surely crumble. Likewise, he
promised the American people that
the banks would pay back every dollar
they owed, and that the government
would use these surplus funds to give
small businesses tax breaks. Former
debt money from the banking industry
is supposed to stimulate job opportuni-
ties here in the USA. Favorable to many,
Obama’s plan ensures indebted Ameri-
cans will not be forced to spend their tax
dollars bailing out billion dollar banks.
Other topics up for discussion in-
cluded infrastructure, healthcare, and
republicans.
It was obvious through-
out the address that Pres-
ident Obama was displeased
with Congress’s lack of prog-
ress on his proposed health-
care legislation. In a borderline
whining tone, Obama cried foul at op-
ponents of his “Obamacare.” Likewise,
the president challenged all naysayer
republicans to come up with a more effi-
invited to prom, dances are finished for
you this year.
Although various students will be an-
gry at this punishment, it’s the juniors
who should be panicking at the cancel-
ation; all the money made from Sadies
Editorial Cartoon by Keirra Elfalan
cient healthcare bill than the one he has
proposed. Conversely, Bipartisanship
seemed to be the name of the game as
Obama rambled about how he believed
that the American people should come
before the lobbyists and interest groups
in government.
The Supreme Court was abruptly
awoken from their dull slumber when
President Obama chose to comment on
their recent campaign finance ruling on
Jan. 21. Obama said, “They [Supreme
Court] had reversed 100 years of previ-
ous legislation with their ruling.” Under-
standably so, the President showed his
frustration regarding how large compa-
nies could successfully “buy” elections.
Like myself and many other
Americans, Obama believed
that the Supreme Court’s
ruling was a step in the
wrong direction for
democracy.
With all of
these issues to
deal with, the
question I ask
myself is: Can the
President deal
with all
of these
problems
at once?
E v e n
with a su-
per-ma-
will go directly into their budget. With
barely even $100 in their budget, the
prospect of having prom in the com-
mons becomes greater, and yet another
fundraiser falls through for them. Hope-
fully they will start their negotiations
with Pratt soon as the date Tolo would
be approaches.
To the students who are angry at los-
ing another chance to grind the night
away: please try and control your rag-
ing hormones because students with
their hormones in check might prefer to
have a little dignity and their virginity
left when they leave a supposedly enjoy-
able night. To the administration who
is shocked at these strange and foreign
moves, remember that is how your ad-
ministration and parents felt when you
danced in high school. Also, removing a
dance completely is overkill, and second
chances with maybe a few more regula-
tions might be better received by the stu-
dent body you are trying to lead. Finally,
to the poor juniors who are so lacking
in money, try praying to whatever God
suites you because at this point with
your senior year knocking on the door,
you should be looking for a miracle.
jority, the democrats could not pass
“Obamacare” in the Senate. With elec-
tions coming up in November for many
Congresspersons, the next few months
will determine a large amount of seats
in Washington D.C. If the President
wants to get anything on his vast agen-
da completed, he needs to sway mem-
bers in both parties to compromise on
issues. Bipartisanship sounds good on
TV, but when push comes to shove, will
the democrats and republicans work to-
gether? If nobody in Congress is willing
to give up ground, Obama may see the
same gridlock that is prevalent in Con-
gress now. However, if Obama can face
the circumstances and persuade both
parties to a common
solution, he may
find himself in
office for an-
other four
years.
 The Falcon Flyer
Op-ed 7
New bill gives corporations undeserved freedom campaigning; they simply corrupted the whole point behind it. Campaigning is de-
Mckenna Herron fined as a systematic course of aggressive activities for some specific purpose. The
Staff Reporter purpose? To get elected. Why people elect a specific candidate should be based off
the goals and ideas that candidate possesses, not how cleverly they’ve crafted their
As if public opinion isn’t swayed enough already, citizens are now receiving help speeches in order to win the votes of every person out there. Of course, there is no
from corporations to warp their political views. hope for eliminating this method, but the government doesn’t have to encourage
On January 22 the Supreme Court opted to remove restraints on corporate it.
check-writing. This means that a company has the ability to support or soil the rep- The new law takes unyield-
utation of a candidate by using large amounts of money. The only advantage linked ing advantage “With the lack of po- of the existing
to this new law is that politicians sharing the same beliefs as certain corporations lack of politi- litical knowledge most cal knowledge
will obtain endless funding for their campaigns. in America; when citizens
However, there are numerous drawbacks associated with the new law. First of don’t com- Americans hold, how pletely compre-
all, if a corporation is capable of aiding a politician in his race to candidacy, they are hend what on earth will they be they’re taking in,
definitely capable of promoting obstruction towards it. Companies who disagree they’re not able to respond
with a candidate’s political views could potentially spend thousands of dollars in in a way that able to distinguish a reflects their be-
attempt to destroy his/her reputation.
In addition to the corporations’ newly granted freedom, the citizens’ per-
liefs. Thanks
Court, people
bankroll idea from a to the Supreme
will now have to
spectives have to be taken into consideration as well. With the lack of political discern a pol- legitimate one?” itician’s garbage
knowledge most Americans hold, how on earth will they be able to distinguish a from a corpo- ration’s. And for
bankroll idea from a legitimate one? Americans will no longer be voting for a politi- those who are educated enough
cian, but for a corporation; whatever the corporation desires, they shall have. If not, assimilate their own opinions with politics, a potential candidate that would receive
they can always fiscally bash the candidate until he either changes his mind or is out their vote could be terminated if a corporation didn’t like them.
of the running. Will Americans be able to grasp what exactly this enticing new law At the least, the Supreme Court could apply restrictions to the law.
could do to them? Maybe the small percentage who keep tabs on the political world, For many of the noted reasons, the upcoming elections will suffer enormously.
otherwise, they’re finished. The odds of public opinion being persuaded by a stingy Politicians won’t even care what they’re standing for as long as they get elected. In
company are higher than rain in Washington. return, voters won’t know what they’re voting for. It will be interesting to see how
The Supreme Court did not make a wise decision to assist politicians in their dramatically this change affects future campaigns.

New technology from Apple: IPad or I-Pathetic?

Brian Benshoof
Staff Reporter
If you think you are the cool-
est kid on the block with your
new iPod that fits into your
pocket, wait until that kid next
door is strutting down the cul-
de-sac with his brand new iPad,
three times the size of your
outdated, and now, completely
obsolete piece of technology.
On January 27th, CEO of
Apple Steve Jobs announced
the latest addition to the iF-
amily. If you could imagine
an iTouch stretched out to the
size of your common textbook,
then you have yourself an iPad,
a touch screen tablet with the
slogan of the “most advanced
technology in a magical and
revolutionary device.”
During the iPad’s keynote,
an Apple presentation of its
latest and greatest product(s),
Jobs said, and I quote, “[an
iPad sells for] as low as $499.”
Now, as a frequent Apple user,
I have spent my fair share of
lawn-mowing and birthday
money on their products, but
never a cent over $299. Yet this
gigantic iTouch is supposed to
convince me to cough up an
additional two-hundy? Nice
try Steve.
Using this device to intro-
duce Apples newest money
making marketplace, Jobs an-
nounced the iBook Store that
will accompany the iPad, or
more correctly entitled the
Kindle Killer. Now my view on
an electric book is that it should
feel like a legit book. With my
copy of War and Peace, I can
hold it in one hand, I can ‘dog-
ear’ the pages, and toss it into
the fire after page twelve. The
Kindle fulfils this need, as it
is sturdy and thick, with the
weight of a real book (although
burning it is not recommend-
ed). But the iPad falls short,
only half an inch thick and 1.5
lbs, it is like holding a twig that
is destined to snap. Oh by the
way, that twig cost you $499.
Throughout the entire iPad
commercial, viewable on Ap-
ples website, Jony Ive the Se-
nior Vice-President of Design
focused his attention on how
easily the iPad feels to hold and
its ability to surf the web and
fire off an email with superb
ease. Except a tablet at that
size is in no way simple to hold.
The additional inch border ap-
plied to avoid incidental typing
and touching would appear to
help, but it truly does not. In
reality, the bulkiness of the
large screen would get in the
way of any task you are trying
to accomplish, because it is the
iTouch, just on ‘roids.
It is arguable I am being a
bit hard on the iPad. The 9.5”
LED screen is very powerful
and brilliant, which will cre-
ate a video experience like no
other. Games can be expected
to be quite intriguing, although
still practically the same.
If I had been able to give
Job’s a small recommendation,
it would have been this. To sit
on the iPad for a few years. The
straight facts are that America
is not ready for a device like
this. Just three years when
Amazon released its Kindle,
our minds were blown. Now a
larger and more advanced ver-
sion, I would not even know
what to do with it, it would
never leave my house. If in-
stead of the iTouch software,
it was preloaded with Macin-
tosh’s Snow Leopard OS, the
iPad would actually be revolu-
tionary device.
As experience has told me,
waiting out on any new prod-
uct from the ‘MP3 Gods’ is a
good idea. With time and time,
the device will becomes greater
and more affordable. The large
size makes it appealing for our
parents who squint just to see
billboards, but it is definitely
not worth it to purchase one
now.
8 Op-Ed
The Falcon Flyer
Kentlake’s technology sub-par in providing education
Ryan Snyder and vandalized. Then tragedy strikes as a classmate what technology lesson’s they need, because in a world
Staff Reporter trips over the power cord and the laptop goes blank, where smart phones and laptops with touch screens are
losing your precious project. Remember to save. becoming the norm, a little know-how with one can go
A teacher fumbling with a Smart board remote, The worst part of a computing experience is the a long way in terms of image and appeal. But consider-
students waiting 10 minutes in the computer lab for a wait; wait for it to start up, wait for it to ing though that
computer to start, a laptop’s battery dying, and etc etc log in, wait for it to open the internet wait smart boards
etc. These are frequent occurrences at our institution for it to load and so forth. Multiply this were first in-
of “learning.” Some say students benefit greatly from time by 10 and you have the average wait troduced in
this technology and that it is helping us prepare for our time on any given school computer. 1991; they are
future, but is it really? From the desktops, that seem Just about all our computers are still still new tech-
like they are about to “take flight,” to the laptops that running Windows XP, which is several nology to us.
barely hold a charge for 5 minutes; our electronic tools years old; something they did update how-
are outdated and slow at best and to top it off most ever is Office 2007, the newest office suite Technology
teachers barely know how to work them. from Microsoft. Having an old operat- is technol-
Chances are your teacher spends half of the class ing system coupled with a new version of ogy, what can
trying to figure out the smart board or another piece software can really cause some strains be- I say, it can
of technology in their cause the updated in most cases
immensely wired class- software will want be beneficial
room. Most Teachers run faster, but the to someone’s
have grown up without OS will not be able life, but not
technology in the palm of to handle it; over- necessarily in
their hands, something all causing slower Photo by Alyssa Ryan our situation.
most students couldn’t processing. With Because of its
last a minute without, the recent release condition and
and do not quite under- Photo by Alyssa Ryan of Windows 7, one can only status, Kentlake’s tech doesn’t provide us with the
stand how to work them. wonder if we will see an update tools we need as students to achieve our goals for the
Thanks to the always among school computers. future. Despite lack of sufficient technology, school
cheerful IT staff, teachers prayers and questions are Equipped in every classroom; smart boards are a alumni are doing fine in their own futures, but what
answered; after a week or so. practical and easy to use device. They continue to pro- will our upcoming classes face going into the world
Nobody can wait for the day the English teacher rolls vide early-works and do-nows with a fun and inter- with knowledge of lethargic laptops and terrible tech-
in the laptop cart; only to find them dead, missing keys active approach. These devices seem to give students nology.

Technology dependant society:

are we passing by the simple pleasures in life?
computers, music players, or cell phones. It was only
Brendan Cescon
for a weekend, though, so how hard could it be?
Copy Editor I woke up late on Saturday morning, lethargic and
lazy. I slowly drifted to the bathroom, where I took a
These days teens seem to live as virtual versions of long, hot shower, followed with breakfast. After this I
themselves- surrogates, if you will, in the cyber world. was slightly lost- like I had something to do but could
Hours are spent texting, instant messaging, and doc- not remember what. I shrugged off the feeling and
umenting their “lives” on Facebook, MySpace, and picked my guitar to sing a ditty or two. I got bored and
Twitter. Often times teens will plug in an iPod and needed something else to do, so I began to
tune out the real world. However, then they complain wander my house, searching for pos-
sibilities. It was about this time that
about not having enough time to finish homework
or manage extracurricular activities. This begs the I started craving everything for-
question “Is technology deterring us from our real bidden. My desire for a movie was
lives, or is it just a nice accessory?” I wanted to
find out. For one weekend I decided to go with-
stronger
during long
than my thirst for water
summer runs, more per-
out essential teen electronics- no TVs, sistent than a full bladder, and more
annoying than the high pitched
laughter of freshmen girls. It had lives, or is it just
merely been a few hours and I
was already having a devastat-
ing withdrawal.
Soon I found myself exam-
ining our bookshelves. Eagerly, I
piled up the books that grabbed
my attention, and transferred
them to my room, my for-
tress of solitude. I began to
read. It was as if I was in a
trance- a hypnotic state
co m fueled by Stephen King,
m ons. Dean Koontz, and Bilbo
co m
c r e ative Baggins. However, my
of
o u r tesy spell was broken when
tos c my dad barged in, asking me
Pho
to go to the store with him. Eager to see the real world,
and other human beings, I accepted his invitation im-
mediately. The store felt different, though, somehow. I
was not relying on a cell phone or Zune for entertain-
ment, so I actually observed the world around me. My
awareness was strong, unfuzzled by pointless cyber
chatter. I began to notice things that I normally would
not- a man purchasing a rainbow umbrella, the vast
variety of wines, the startlingly ugly pharmacist- all
things virtually
“Is invisible if you
were not paying
technology attention.
deterring us At first, my
weekend felt im-
from our real possible. I was
on the edge of
giving in and
a nice watching a mov-
accessory?” ie, or cranking
up some tunes
and playing air
guitar. However, I managed to control myself- and it
paid off. By Sunday evening I was at peace with myself
and had a new found respect for reality. Technology
dominates peoples’ lives and prevents them from ex-
periencing the world. However, technology is not bad.
It is a crucial and essential part of our society that we
should utilize, but we need to understand when enough
is enough. Think of all the time wasted watching Gos-
sip Girl, playing Mafia Wars, or texting. What could
you have been doing instead? The answer is simple-
you could have been living.
 Famous for being famous?
America’s obsession spirals out of control
Keith Bolender
Staff Reporter
How is it that someone can become famous for be-
coming famous? America’s obsession with celebrities
has spiraled out of control. Sometimes people are fa-
mous for knowing someone famous and just got their
picture on a magazine cover, Paris Hilton, Kevin Fed-
erline, Nichole Richie, and Kim Kardashian, just to
name a few. America…no, the western hemisphere is
enthralled with people in the entertainment industry.
Maybe they just like to identify themselves with a fa-
miliar face and this just gives people a chance to iden-
tify with someone in the public eye.
Let’s face it, celebrities are not special, but they still
put up with paparazzi and people constantly stopping
them on the street, and for what? Because, they were
“awesome” in a movie that they were in twenty years
ago. If someone were to walk up to you and ask for
your autograph you might be flattered at first, then af-
ter putting up with this for months on end you might
start to get sick of it. When the carpel tunnel sets in af-
ter about fifteen years of signing autographs, and you
have fractured your hand after you have successfully
punched out the nearest camera man, you might get a
little sick of it.
Some people make a living off of just following these
The Falcon Flyer
Op-Ed 9
people around, taking embarrassing photographs of to obsess over
them to sell to the tabloids. If one were to do this to a somebody just
“normal” person, it would be considered stalking. Yes, because they
celebrities have stalkers. David Letterman had the sing that
same woman break into his several times. one song,
Reality shows are even worse. This is when you take or Disney
your “average Joe” and turn him into everyone’s favor- decided to
ite celebrity. Shows like “The Bachelor”, “Survivor”, put togeth-
and “The Mole” have taken people that are not special, er a little
have no talent, and are frankly not that interesting and boy band.
thrown them directly into the public eye. If you wind Yes, I can be
up on “The Bachelor” you have six weeks to find your petty.
“soul mate” and afterword the entire nation will fol-
low your romance and inevitable divorce three months
later.
Oh! The rumors are quite grand as well. Does Jen-
nifer Aniston really want everyone to think that she’s
pregnant with the child of an immigrant migrant work-
er? Did you hear that Rob Schneider picks up Mexican
immigrants to choke him in the shower? Would you
believe anything that I’m saying? No. Do you want to
know? Because it’s all crap, but for some reason we
like to cook up these cockamamie tails of people in
the public eye just so that we have something to talk
about.
Granted, they will always be subject to this kind of
treatment because of the careers that they chose for
themselves, but it is not healthy behavior for someone Photos courtesy of creative commons.com

Over publicized inquiry: werewolf or vampire?

extensive comparison of origin, powers, weaknesses, decapitation and removal of the heart; that makes
Jason Hirschey and diet. Now, forget everything ever known about sense. What does not make sense is the misbelief
Staff Reporter vampires and werewolves; it is time to start over; do werewolves can be killed with a silver bullet. Unless
not be swayed by that Twilight garbage, this is the real a werewolf has their heart removed or is decapitated
Since deal. with silver, there is simply no way to kill one with a
the begin- Vampires cannot be harmed by conventional weap- silver bullet.
ning of ons, they never tire, and they heal themselves within Both vampires and werewolves feed off of blood.
time, one seconds. They are shapeshifting and can morph be- Vampires can only feed off of blood, nothing else will
question has tween humans, moths, owls, (wolves), and famously suffice. They are rendered defenseless if they do not
been left bats. Vampires are also hypnotists and posses the consume enough blood, whereas werewolves can stay
unan- power of mind control. To top it all off, the more a energized by normal human food. When werewolves
swered: vampire ages, the more powerful it becomes. Basi- take the shape of humans, they may act and feed as
w h o cally, there’s not much a vampire cannot do. humans. It is only in wolf form when blood and flesh
would To counter the seemingly endless number of pow- are the only foods that will sustain the werewolf.
win in a ers a vampire has, they have weaknesses. Vampires Finally, the moment long awaited, who would
real fight, cannot cross a body of water; they cannot win? After reviewing the
vampire withstand direct rays of sunlight and re- And if there is anything characteristics of vampires
or were- main in a coma during the day. Because and werewolves, it is a close
learned from Freddy vs.
w o l f ? vampires are antichrist, anything affiliated battle. As the opening bell
Sim- Jason (2003), no matter
with religion, especially Christianity, can sounds, the werewolf will at-
harm the vampire. To sum up, a Christian how imaginary or powerful tack right away; he will try to
houseboat in the sun away from land is a the two beings are, they will snap off the vampire’s head.
vampire’s worst nightmare. never die. The vampire will dodge the
Contrary to popular belief, werewolves attack and strike back bit-
do not need a full moon to activate their ing for the werewolf’s neck
powers. Werewolves may undergo lycanthropy (the and sucking the blood. However, no matter how much
ply, metamorphic change from human to wolf) whenever blood is sucked out of the werewolf, he cannot suc-
there is only they please. A werewolf has tremendous hand-to-hand cumb to blood loss. He will counter this attack with a
one way to combat abilities; their most powerful weapons are their slash from his claws. This will strike the vampire but
an- swer this. own fangs and claws. Werewolves, like vampires, heal do little damage. The vampire will attempt to hypno-
No, it’s not, themselves in seconds and cannot be harmed with con- tize the werewolf only to be slashed at again breaking
and never ventional weapons. Unlike vampires, they have very his concentration. This tradeoff of attacks would con-
will be, that sharp senses of sight, smell, and hearing; making it tinue for hours on end amounting to no predictable
Twilight series nearly impossible for others to hide from werewolves. solution. And if there is anything learned from Freddy
nonsense. The only Werewolves have reasonable means of being vs. Jason (2003), no matter how imaginary or power-
Photos courtesy of way is an in-depth and harmed. The two surefire ways to kill a werewolf are ful the two beings are, they will never die.
creative commons.com
 Pick up your hoe!
Getting down and dirty
Matt Davis & Cynthiann Heckelsmiller healthful, cost-savvy living. and share some delicious fresh produce from
Do-it yourself eating is good for the body. their gardens that can add that unique flavor
Staff Reporter & Co Editor-in-Cheif
Consuming organic and whole foods has to a classic meal. Instead of separating gar-
been increasingly recommended by health dens, some neighborhoods build communal
Take a cue from the First Lady: shopping officials. The food grown at gardens. This sense of com-
is out, gardening is in. home or bought from a local munity is needed during
Trading in slick Gucci pumps for sloppy farm is usually pesticide times of crisis such
garden clogs may sound like a drag, but con- free. Just being out as a period of eco-
sider this; according to the USDA Food Insti- in the garden can nomic decline.
tute, the price of food is climbing, and is pro- also help with So what
jected to go up 2.5 to 3.5% in the next year. depression. In if a garden
This may not sound like much, but group that a study done brings to-
with the ever-rising cost of gas, goods, and a by Christo-
limping economy and the and the numbers pher Lowry, “It is not your gether
families,
begin to add up. One way to remedy a tight a neurosci- c o m -
budget is to grow your own food. The aver- entist at the
age teen may not give a sack of compost, but U n i v e r s i t y
grandmother’s muni-
ties, and
popping a few seeds into the backyard can be of
beneficial for the whole family, health and in
Bristol
England,
breathing in
row-by-row mends
wallets?
Gardening
budget.
Take the first family, for instance. When bio-particles in
the Obama family moved into the White soil, such as the
mini-farm.” is old-fash-
ioned, dirty,
House last year, one of the first things Mi- dust you stir when and can be diffi-
chelle Obama did was plant a vegetable gar- turning a shovel, was cult. Today’s teens
den on the grounds. “I’m a big shown to have a simi- may be interested in
believer in community gar- lar effect on the brain to work, but they forget that
dens, both because of their Prozac, a powerful anti-de- gardening is above all, creative.
beauty and for their ac- pressant. Artistic students looking for a new medium
cess to providing fresh Homegrown veggies are inexpen- of design should play with the textures, col-
fruits and vegetables to sive to grow. Even small gardens ors, and scents of the garden. It does not
so many communities that do not provide a ton of pro- have to be your grandmother’s row-by-row
across this nation and duce are still helpful because ev- mini-farm. A garden is a canvas, the plants
the world,” said Obama. ery little bit helps lower the cost of a palate, and where else can art be so deli-
This is not new for a having to buy from a store. A packet cious?
first lady. Eleanor Roos- of seeds costs less than a dollar, and
evelt oversaw her Victory one packet can yield bushels (look up
Garden during World War II. that old-fashioned measurement for fun)
Hers was an example of self-reli- of produce.
ance to a warring and ration-bound nation. Gardening brings communities together.
Today, Obama’s garden serves as a model of Neighbors have the ability to lend a hand

Plant a Row for the Hungry is a charity program start-

ed in Alaska in 1995 designed to feed the hungry in communities
everywhere. It started when garden writers encourage their readers
to plant an extra row of produce each year and donate the surplus to
local food banks and soup kitchens. Since 1995, American gardeners
have donated over 14 million pounds of herbs and vegetables to feed
the local hungry.
 Put it together
In 3 easy steps
1 Site- Choose a location with lots of sun. A gar-
den can be as small as a single potted tomato or
a large plot. Before you plant in the ground, check
the soil for poisonous chemicals such as lead.

2 Design- What do you like to eat? What colors

do you enjoy? Try to use your space in an inter-
esting way, with concentric circles, zigzags, and
patchworks of color. See below for ideas.
Stawberries in pots are
hard to kill. Juicy and
3 Plant- Whether you use seeds or growing
good for beginners!
plants, be sure to give the whole garden plenty of
water, keep the weeds out, and use organic fertil-
izer. Now it is up to sunshine and patience.

Photos illustrations by Cynthiann Heckelsmiller

photos by wikicommons.org

Mix lettuce, carrot and

Place taller plants (pole
beans, berries, tomatoes,
etc.) on the north side of
the garden so they do not
block the light for the little
guys.
raddish seeds before
planting. The lettuce will
come up first and soften
the soil for the deep-root-
ed veggies.
The Debate Continues
Are tomatoes vegetables or fruit? Botanically, they
are the ovaries of the plant, therefore fruit. However,
according to a 1893 Supreme Court ruling, for tar-
iff purposes, tomatoes are vegetables. Ohio named
the tomato its official state fruit, while New Jersey
dubbed it the state vegetable. Arkansas rides the
fence, naming it both the state fruit and vegetable.
 12 Arts&Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer
Ex-Beatle reaches creative mediocrity are still enjoyable. In fact, the album’s however. When asked if Ringo was
Brendan Cescon single “Walk With You,” a duet with the best drummer in the world,
Copy Editor McCartney, is actually pretty catchy, John Lennon said “He’s not
and someone could easily listen to it even the best drummer in the

Ringo Starr is not often respected
for his songwriting, and this is not
without justification. He is the one who
wrote such poetic lines as “When I look
back, it sure was cool” and “We were
number one, and it was fun.” These
lyrics may make Mother Goose look
like Shakespeare, but that just adds to
Ringo’s innocent charm. I mean, he was
a Beatle, for God’s sake. Discrediting
him is like blasphemy to Rock n’ Roll.
But we can still have a little fun, can’t
we?
His new album is youthfully titled
Y Not, and consists of several guest
artists including Joe Walsh, Joss Stone,
Billy Squier, Edgar Winter, and Sir
James Paul McCartney. All the songs
were collaborations between Ringo
and another one of these artists (or of
several other professional songwriters
likely hired to turn his couplets into
songs). Y Not is nowhere near as good
as classic Ringo albums like Blast from
Your Past or Goodnight Vienna. It lacks
the excitement of fresh Ringo material.
Instead, it contains relatively new, yet
relatively familiar tracks. But these
/5
without cringing. The song begins with Beatles.”
guitars strumming and violins singing, Y Not is definitely a step up
and soon follows with Ringo on drums from his last album, Liverpool
and vocals. Paul harmonizes during 8, which was disappointing for
the chorus, providing listeners with anyone familiar with western
flashbacks of the Fab Four in their glory music. But Y Not is not likely to
days. go platinum anytime soon, nor is
The album features some relatively it going to be remembered
groovy rock beats, making the music as one of Ringo’s best
fun to listen to. Y Not does deviate works. It is simply Ringo-
from Ringo’s normal path, however, -the man who crafts songs
in the sense that the songs are more on drums like no other,
funk-oriented. This is exciting because but authors lyrics
it means that he is still exploring new that only William
musical ideas, and not settling for Hung would feel
cliché. Ringo has always been a creative comfortable
drummer, which is why this does not singing. He was
surprise me. Individual Beatles’ songs certainly the
are recognizable simply by their drum least poetic of
parts alone, thanks to his innovative the Beatles.
playing style. Drummers like John Sure, he is
Bonham or Keith Moon strive for speed, inexplicably
and try to fit as many notes as they can awesome, but
into a phrase- but not Ringo. Ringo he can only
approaches a song differently, intent on write songs
sounding unique and unlike all other with a little
rhythms, and he succeeds effortlessly. help from his
This talent was not always respected, friends. Photo by boston.com

Murdered children have a lot to look forward to Wahlberg), attempts to find her killer. He edges closer put together cast and perfect role selection. The film
Kelsey Bolton to figuring out who killed his daughter with clues that had its own composer which was a nice change from
Susie leaves him. Jack is certain he has figured it out, the usual playlist of pop songs. To top it off the special
Staff Reporter but he has no evidence which leads to some breaking effects were abstract and visually stunning. The swirl
From the man who brought The Lord of the Rings and entering. From there information regarding her of colors and constantly changing scenery was a treat
trilogy to life comes The Lovely Bones, the film adaption murderer unravels which provides answers about to watch. The special effects were like eye candy.
of Alice Seabold’s Harvey’s past. The pieces to the puzzle are slowly being Other than those few things this film was very
novel. Director unpleasant to
Peter Jackson wrote sit through. The
the script with distastefulness
Fran Walsh and is due to the plot
Philippa Boyens. which is not that
With Jackson as well developed.
the director, the Part of the
expectations run problem lies
very high. with the novel
Her name is the film is based
Salmon, like the off of which does
fish; Susie Salmon not translate
(Saoirse Ronan). She well from paper
was 14 when she was to the silver
murdered. Susie was screen. Those
approached by her that have read
neighbor, George the book prior to
Harvey (Stanley seeing the movie
Tucci), and was have a better
persuaded to go into idea of what is
a secret underground occurring on
clubhouse built for Photo by imdb.com screen. Everyone
the children in the else will most
Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon experiencing the fanciful landscape of the afterlife in The Lovely Bones. likely leave the
neighborhood. This

/5
is where life ends and death begins. uncovered. theater in a cloud of confusion.
Susie is in her heaven, but is caught in the ‘in The most enjoyable things about The Lovely Bones
between’ which means she is not in the real heaven. In are the phenomenal acting, the outstanding music
the after life Susie tries to come to terms with her death composed by Brian Eno, and the creative use of special
while back on earth her father, Jack Salmon (Mark effects. The marvelous acting was the result of a well
 Arts&Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer
13
Mad Max tackles evangelism
Keith Bolender for a good portion of the movie. The Book of Eli comes down to a face-off between
Walker and Carnegie for possession of the Book, the latter craving a short-term
Staff Reporter power base and the former wanting to preserve it for future generations.
The Book of Eli is a post-apocalyptic, action-drama in the style of a really preten- The casting director Mindy Martin has stuffed this film with familiar oddball
tious comic book: a lot of slow-motion attitude punctuated by sped up mayhem. faces. Fringe benefits include Tom Waits in the Walter Brennan role of the town’s
You can tell it means business because all of the colors have been bleached out to old cuss and Michael Gambon (Dumbledore in the Harry Potter series) as one half
create about ten thousand shades of brown to cre- of an elegant survivor couple with suspiciously
ate a burnished wasteland. It is quite breathtaking shaky hands. Toward the end, a chipper Malcolm
in sort of a diseased way. McDowell shows up in a white robe and wig, al-
Denzel Washington plays Eli Walker, walking most as if he joined some post-apocalyptic cult.
through the footsteps of those who have come The movie never wants to actually say what its
before him, Will Smith in I Am Legend, and Mel underlying theme is. When Eli is asked what the
Gibson in The Road Warrior. He has the Clint book’s gist is, he says “Do to others what you’d
Eastwood “man with no name” thing going on for want them to do to you”-which is true enough, but
him, not to mention having a little bit of samurai about as deep as one would expect from a movie
in him. In an early scene, a gang of roadside slea- that combines the continuance of Jesus Christ’s
zebags descend on him to steal from him and eat message of universal love with bone-crushing
him (yes, in the future they have resorted to can- violence and amputated limbs. But, hey: a little
nibalism). The camera pulls back to show their sil- something for everyone.
houettes doing battle under an overpass, it’s a lot The directors are brothers Albert and Allen
like if Quentin Tarantino tried his hand at shadow Hughes, who made a splash in the early 1990’s
puppetry. with gangsta fables Menace II Society and Dead
If that were all there were to The Book of Eli Presidents and have struggled to find their foot-
then it might be good, nasty fun. Walker is toting a
Photo by imdb.com ing since. Eli is their first feature since 2001’s
book with him, not just a book, THE book, a King Denzel Washington trudges through a post-apocalyptic society in The Book of Eli. brooding Jack the Ripper mystery From Hell,
James Bible, all of the other bibles having been de- and it references other movies and genres with-
stroyed in a fit of mob pique after the bombs dropped 30 years ago. Why those other out ever completely settling into its own groove. The movie’s certainly watchable,
bibles didn’t make it but Eli’s iPod has survived over three decades is a mystery for but it’s never quite convinced of itself, and so it never really convinces the audience.
the ages; at least he gets to chill to some Al Green, which is all he really needs. The Hughes put most of their creativity in to the action scenes, which crunch, spurt
The Book of Eli takes an interesting turn when Eli walks into a frontier town: and gurgle with panache. While not overly impressive, The Book of Eli is still worth

/5
Suddenly we are in a post-nuclear western, complete with a goodhearted saloon seeing.
girl (Mila Kunis), her shady mother (Jennifer Beals), showdowns in the street, and
a big bad boss, Carnegie (Gary Oldman). Washington seems as if he is on auto-pilot

Will the world ever get tired of ending?

our punishment was a flood; this time around, he the film were the awkward single character flashbacks
Daniel Tadeo chooses to send his Legion of savage Angels, hence the which provided unneeded detail to characters that
Copy Editor title, to possess humans to kill each other. Michael, on died ten minutes later. However, saving this movie
When most people think about angels, images of the other hand, has defied him and chooses to stay on from this humiliating and disgraceful plot, which ul-
majestically flying beings with halos are usually the our side. Great, one angel against an army, these odds timately made no sense in all seriousness, would be
ones that appear inside one’s head. According to first sounds so reassuring. Bettany’s mesmerizing portrayal of Michael. After his
time director Scott Stew- Meanwhile, at an ail- work in The Da Vinci Code, where he played the al-
art, this is simply not so “I didn’t expect Legion to blow ing diner in Paradise bino monk Silas, Bettany proved he can play the reli-
(and thank God, the movie gious role. Yet, in my mind, Legion finally illustrated
would not have been as ac-
my mind away, but it came Falls we are introduced the phenomenal acting abilities he possesses. In my
to owner Bob (Dennis
tion-packed), in his creative out exceedingly better than I Quaid) and his son Jeep mind, Bettany is clearly one of the best when it comes
cranium, angels are God’s
pictured.” (Lucas Black), both living to these types of roles.
fearless army of limitless in emotional and finan- Legion may contain a confusingly asinine plot, and
destruction doing his bid- cial instability. Working at times you may lose interest, but the archangel show-
ding. Add a chosen one and at this diner is Jeep’s love interest, Charlie (Adrianne down between Michael and Gabriel, packed with the
a rogue angel and you have this biblical thriller, Le- Palicki), a waitress who is eight months pregnant. And Call of Duty zombie survival game-like action scenes
gion. no, Jeep is not the father. Michael make this movie
The movie opens up with wingless archangel Mi- arrives to reveal that Charlie’s un- “...Legion finally illustrated the worth the eight
chael (Paul Bettany), yes, the very same from the Bible. born baby is the last chance for dollars. Sure, just
Landing in the lovely city of L.A, the city of angels, you the human race, and if it dies, so phenomenal acting abilities as in all religious
would think he has come down to carry out God’s will, do we. Armed with the weapons he movies, Legion
[Paul Bettany] possesses.” packs in their set
but alas, you would be wrong. In fact, he does the exact brought in from the city, Michael,
opposite. So why does he swiftly stash two duffel bags the stranded couple with their of morals, includ-
with machine guns and ammo and hightails out to the daughter, the lost traveler, and the ing “do not lose
desert? An act completely unexpected, but intriguing workers of the diner unite to fend off any possessed your faith,” or “do what is needed than what is asked,”
nonetheless for I have never seen an angel with a ma- humans until the baby is born. but then again, it just made the angels look more like
chine gun. The bottom line, society has lost their faith; I didn’t expect Legion to blow my mind away, but it savages, which is pretty fantastic.

/5
and therefore, God hates us… at least in this movie. came out exceedingly better than I pictured. Restrict-
Due to our incompetence and disrespect towards him, ing much of the action to the Paradise Falls diner gave
He has supposedly turned his back on humankind, the impression that the movie was cheap and ulti-
losing faith in us as well. The last time this occurred mately unworthy of a theatrical release. Also plaguing
 14 Arts & Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer
A unique experience in Covington dining cooking—hot, sour, sweet, spicy, and of the diner’s choice, and peanut sauce. diners should keep plenty of water on
Cynthiann Hecklesmiller bitter. Fresh rolls, a crowd favorite The flavors meld together in a way that hand for quelling spice-burned thirsts.
Co-Editor-in Chief appetizer, are a masterpiece of fresh is, in a word, tasty. As with all dishes, After all the fine artistry and flavor of
flavor. The sticky rice paper wrapping the customer controls the heat when the appetizers and entrees, it is better to
With its Red Robin, Applebees,
surrounds layers of crisp lettuce, Thai they order, based on a scale of zero (no head next door to Coldstone for dessert.
McDonalds, Covington’s food scene was
basil, cilantro, thin rice noodles, and spice) to five stars. Adventurous heat- The menu offers four dessert options;
typical, Americanized, and just good.
cold shrimp. Biting in to the roll alone freaks can also ask for extra spice, and two rice dishes, and two ice creams. The
But with the addition a few years ago of
is like tasting garden air, but dipping it will be presented with an assortment of first is a sweet sticky rice with mango, a
Benjarong Thai, it became great.
in the accompanying sauce makes the chili concoctions to scorch their little coconutty mass of white rice and fruit,
Entering this small restaurant, located
experience. The sauce is a sweet and sour hearts out. Second-timers should scroll delightful, but a little bland. The sweet
near Khol’s and Coldstone Creamery
peanut sauce, with a rich earthy flavor through the full menu for epicurean black rice pudding looks beautiful, but is
in downtown, diners are greeted with
and subtle spiciness that compliments jewels, from curries to soups and house a bit like oatmeal in flavor and texture.
warm tones of rich orange and royal
the fresh pop of the roll like nothing specialties. A perfect complement to The ice creams are coconut and mango.
purple. The décor is more upscale than
McDonalds ever thought of. After that a good meal: Thai iced tea. This tall They are sweet and true to their fruit,
Covington is used to, which makes it
symphony of flavor, it is time to order sweet drink is concocted of spices, but nothing to rave about. It would be
an ideal destination for date and casual
the main course. black tea, whipped cream, and coconut wise to split a dessert with a partner at
dance dinners.
First-time Thai eater should give milk. The one downfall of least once for the cultural experience,
The most important part is the food.
Phad Thai a try. This the tea is that it is but after that, it is up to the customer’s
Thai cuisine is often stereotyped as a
dish is comprised of too rich to drink ability to withstand rich and grainy
spicier Americanized Chinese food. At
rice noodles, egg, tofu, quickly, so textures.
Benjarong, the fare is far from the fast
chopped peanuts, meat With delicate and delicious
and spicy grease-fest that Panda Express
flavors, reasonable portions,
offers. Here, the focus is more
and polite service, Benjarong
traditional Thai (and more
is a lovely feather in the
delicious). Each dish is
cap of Covington
a showcase of fresh
dining.
ingredients and the
balance of flavors
consistent
in Asian

Photo by blog.tourismthailand.org

Frasier going through Extreme Measures to save his career
Jacob Langholtz
Staff Reporter
Glycogen storage disease is a powerful and terrible
illness. In Extraordinary Measures, Brendan Fraser
appears as a father trying to save his daughter and
son’s lives from the ailment, although for most of the
movie it is just the daughter that he talks about. In his
search and research he stumbles upon Dr. Stonehill
(Harrison Ford), who has a theoretical solution
to the disease. They go through many trials and
complications to attempt to make a drug to provide the
necessary enzymes to keep his children, and others,
alive.
Brendan Fraser and Harrison Ford return in this
mediocre film to tell the tale of John Crowley’s fight
to get a working drug to aid those with Pompe. The
story behind the film is inspiring and heart-wrenching.
Regrettably, the movie did not give the story justice.
Brendan Fraser did little more than just be Brendan
Fraser with a different name, which is typical of his
acting. Harrison Ford’s acting considered of yelling a
lot with quiet moments thrown in randomly.
Tom Vaughan, a little known director may be
finally gaining ground as a director, at least relative
to his prior works. Though this film may not be
extraordinarily successful, compared to prior works
of his, it is a masterpiece.
Extraordinary Measures is not worth the money to
see in the theatres, unless the viewer is a major fan of
popcorn butter induced comas and twinges in his/her
heartstrings. If one absolutely must watch this film,
then this critic would recommend that he/she wait
until it comes out on DVD or Blu-Ray and rent it, as
replay-ability is almost nonexistent.

Sparks fly
in February
Love is in the air...or not
Daniel Tadeo
Copy Editor
Believe it or not, every couple’s favorite holiday is near. Whether you are try-
ing to get your secret crush or impress your dearest friend, Valentine’s Day is the
opportunity for everyone to unlock their inner romance. However, not every-
one has that special someone, how unfortunate for those… maybe tragedy has
struck and your relationship just went south, what can you possible do? Spend-
ing the “lovely day” alone can be a real downer, but here are some tips to sur-
vive this crisis. Follow them and I will almost guarantee you success…good luck.
1)Keep busy
Just because it is a holiday does not give you the right to just sit around and be worthless.
The more you cry, the longer you will grieve. Go do some chores you have never done,
try out that new recipe, study for that next test to start off the new semester right, what-
ever you do, just make sure it keeps you occupied and shielded from anything “cupid.”
2)Survival is more likely with a group
Do not believe for a second that you are the only one that is alone for the evening,
because in reality, there are definitely more than you think. Instead of locking your-
self in the bedroom, get some of your single friends and go out to a movie, bowl-
ing, or maybe even mini-golf. Better yet, go shopping and create a new image for
yourself, a visual transformation may be all that is needed to turn your life around.
3)Completely scrap the holiday
Many people do not even realize that it is Valentine’s Day until the day
of, once you know, it is significantly harder to forget. Simply act as if it
was any normal day. Remember, do not watch any television marathons,
I guarantee you they are most likely geared toward stay-at-home couples.
4)Look on the bright side
If you are so desperate about your loneliness (after the second straight year it is per-
fectly acceptable), take the day to ponder about the causes of such a tragedy. Make a
plan and create some goals to achieve to guarantee success. Or, just think of all the
money you would save by going solo. On a study by the National Retail Federation
taken in 2008, men on average spend $163 and women a significantly lower $85.
5)Eat chocolate, seriously
Sure, chocolate is the perfect gift for your Valentine, but that does not mean
you cannot take advantage of the half price offers. Other than the sweet sensu-
al pleasure and satisfaction eating chocolate brings, chocolate has been linked
with the release of a chemical called serotonin in the brain, which is thought to
put one in a pleasurably happy mood, the perfect solution for an ailing heart.
Falcons fess up for Valentine’s Day
“You mean Single Awareness
Day?”
- senior Bryant Oxborrow
“Valentine’s day is like a
“From kindergarten to the present
cornucopia of booty call,”
I still call Valentine’s day, Valen-
- senior Erin Collins
time’s Day,”
- senior Leslie Ducay
“It’s sweet”
- sophomore Justin Martin “It sucks for singles, cute for couples”
- freshman Terra McGinnis
StudentLife
The Falcon Flyer
15
Want the girl? Read the guide
Craig Heffner
Staff Reporter
So, you like this girl huh? Valentines Day - the day of love is fast approaching.
The question now is how to woo her heart. If you are the typical male, the mere
thought of asking that special someone to be your valentine makes your stom-
ach get all tingly and you start to sweat in all the wrong places. Well, my friends
you are in luck. I happen to be an expert in seducing women and if you follow
my nifty little chart, you will hold her heart in your hands (not literally, I hope).
How to use my chart: The lower you go on the list of suggestions,
the greater your chances of getting the ever so seldom “yes” shall be.
The Loser:
Watch her via peripheral vision and try to build up the courage to ask
her. When you finally do ask, make sure to throw in cheesy one liners,
crude jokes, and twilight references. Rating: Not going to happen mate!
The Average Bloke:
Stalk her best friend until you acquire your special someone’s locker combination (The
best friend will ALWAYS know the locker code). Once you have obtained the combi-
nation leave a “cute” little note for her to find. Throw in flowers, chocolates, or some
sort of adorable stuffed creature in for greater effect. Rating: Reasonable chance!
The Man:
Show up at her house dressed in a suit with flowers, and other goodies. Look straight
into her beautiful eyes and recite a sonnet written either by you or William Shakespeare
in a sexy accent (I recommend Irish or Australian). Rating: Things are looking up!
The Beast:
Wait until the opportune moment then spring into action, steal the microphone from
Jener DaSilva during the Falcon Fever Friday events at lunch and serenade her with your
own rendition of “What Is Love” by Haddaway. Make sure to know your choreography;
bring backup dancers and the entire select ensemble choir. Rating: Guaranteed success!
The Romantic Lover:
Steal a hot air balloon that is shaped like a massive heart and hover over her house
dropping leaflets professing your undying love and devotion. Rating: Eureka!
The BOSS:
Travel the globe visiting every country attempting to find the perfect col-
or that matches her eyes. When realizing that this quest is impossible be-
cause nothing can match her beauty, walk 500 miles to get to her door
and announce your failure. A word of warning this will take a substan-
tial amount of time; so get on that now. Rating: THE DAY IS YOURS!
The Pimp:
Pay her. Rating: Depends on how much you pay her!
Disclaimer Note: I cannot be responsible for any disastrous breakups, awkward
moments, and/or restraining orders that may occur from the use of this guide.
“I think that it’s superficial and I
feel like it’s a Hallmark Holiday
and there’s a lot of unneeded pres-
sure.”
- sophomore Taylor Bouffard
“I think Valentine’s Day is a day
for everyone to show how much
they love each other.”
- senior Jordan Jacobson
“It’s stupid”
- freshman Jessica Smith
Compiled by Kierra Elfalan
Photos by Megan Rogers and Melissa Pitchford
 16 StudentLife
The Falcon Flyer

Sadies receives mixed reviews
Sarah Cubine
Staff Reporter
This year’s Sadies dance received dozens of negative reviews from attendees.
However, if somebody were to seek out the diminutive group of students who re-
mained until the end of the dance, they would hear a completely different response.
Sophomore Brett Kenney was part of this small group. “It was really fun. Really, the
best dance Kentlake has had,” said Kenny. Sophomore Bianca Zlavog also stated
that after unruly students departed, the dance was better. “[My favorite part] was
definitely the end. It was so cool. Everyone was being really spontaneous and fun,”
said Zlavog.
The dance started out normal enough. Girls clad in peek-a-boo shorts and barely-
Photo courtesy of Sarah Cubine
Students that remained to the end of the dance pose for a group photo.
there tops arrived with their dates promptly at eight o’clock that evening. Student
behavior escalated from bad to worse as the evening wore on. By 9:30, Sadie was no
longer a dance, but an enormous grind fest. Warning after warning was delivered;
but to no avail. Only impertinence was displayed in return. Finally the lights came
on. A mass of students threatened to leave, so the Commons was dimmed. Inap-
propriate behavior ensued immediately once again. The switches were flipped on
again, and Principal Diana Pratt encouraged students to leave by suggesting that
a different genre of music be played. Wrathful students exited Kentlake as Frank
Sinatra boomed from the speakers. The remaining forty students danced to old
hits such as “Sweet Caroline” and “L-O-V-E.” The last hour of that evening was
spectacular. The “cool kids of Kentlake” put on the strongest display of unity and
school spirit that this school has seen for a very long time. They joined together and
refused to allow other students to ruin the fun that can be found in a school dance;
even while abiding by the rules. While reflecting on that evening, the phrase “The
show must go on” comes to mind.
“You know, when we changed the music I didn’t really know how the kids were
going to respond,” said Pratt. “And when I saw the groups of kids start to leave…
it surprised me to see there were probably still thirty kids still up on the floor that
were dancing to Frank Sinatra… I was just really proud of the kids for doing that.”
Despite the unity, dances will no longer be the same. They are going to change; how
they will is still in question. “It was worse than it’s ever been. This is my ninth year
here… and it was very inappropriate, and so we have a responsibility to do some-
thing different,” said Pratt. Additionally, turnout for the dance was rather disap-
pointing. Leadership and staff are looking for other ways to get students involved.
“There were only two hundred kids that went to that dance. Out of 1,800 kids there
were 1,600 kids approximately that did not find it important or necessary to come
to that dance.” Now they are looking toward other ways to socialize, whether it is
by games, informal sports, or a movie; anything to provide a variety diverse enough
for the student body.
Overall, the dance was an event smothered with negativity. “I appreciate [the kids
that stayed], and the reason is that they turned something negative to something
positive. We didn’t do that. You know, they decided they wanted to dance and they
gave it a chance. So they had a great time. …It’s not a really positive memory for me
overall, although the way it ended at eleven o’clock did help to mitigate some of that
negativity, so I really do appreciate what they did.”

Kelsey gains more than self-defense through Tae-Kwon-Do

in the stomach she will be awarded one point. Kelsey says
Erin Hunt she loves the tournaments because “there is always a ton
Staff Reporter of people.”
Although Kelsey enjoys learning self defense from tae
After watching intense movie fight scenes ranging from kwon do, she also loves the feeling of confidence the sport
the Bourne Trilogy to James Bond, many people wish they gives. “[Tae kwon do] has given me confidence. I used to be
had the ability to defend themselves like action heroes. really shy and now I don’t care what people think. It makes
Of course, occasionally, some people decide to take the me more outgoing [and] not so quiet anymore,” said Kelsey.
steps to learn to fight like Jason Another trait Kelsey has derived from tae kwon do is mo-
Bourne. One such person is ju- tivation. “The sport makes me
nior Stephanie Kelsey who has “The sport makes me want to try harder. People have
achieved a third degree black belt
in tae kwon do and intends to
want to try harder. People aand goal to reach in tae kwon do
when you reach that it feels
continue this sport until she is a have a goal to reach like you can reach goals in the
ninth degree black belt. in Tae-Kwon-Do and rest of your life,” said Kelsey.
Kelsey has competed in tae Kelsey clearly has goals
kwon do for twelve years. “I
when you reach that for the rest of her Tae-Kwon-
take classes twice a week for an it feels like you can Do life. “I’m planning to get a
hour to an hour and a half,” said reach goals in ninth degree black belt,” said
Kelsey, “However; each year
Kelsey. Two major competitions
occur every year, one in Nevada the rest of your life” after you achieve a new de-
and one in Washington. “I used to - Stephanie Kelsey gree, you have to wait a certain
live in Arizona,” said Kelsey, “and amount of years to go the next
I would travel up to Washington degree.” For instance, Kelsey is
in order to compete in Tae-Kwon-Do.” For competitions, currently a third degree black belt, therefore she has to wait
people are separated into divisions based on level and age. three years before she can progress to a fourth degree black
“We compete in sparring, where the goal is to achieve five belt. Though the wait is long, Kelsey welcomes the com-
points,” said Kelsey. She went on to explain that points are mitment. Kelsey is obviously passionate about tae kwon do
awarded by hitting different zones on an opponent’s body. and everything about the sport makes her happy. “I like all
For instance, if Kelsey hits her opponent in the head she of it. It teaches self defense, it boosts your confidence, and Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Kelsey
will be awarded two points and if she hits her opponent the people are fun,” said Kelsey. Stephanie Kelsey in her formal Tae-Kwon-Do attire
 StudentLife
The Falcon Flyer
17
Students weigh benefits of honors and core classes
classes for the first time this year. “I didn’t take honors last year because I hadn’t
Michala Dymond-Shaw taken honors before, and thought it’d maybe be too hard,” said Fox.
Staff Reporter Surprisingly to Fox, honors did not provide all that he suspected. “There isn’t
really much of a difference, [although] it seems like
The debate between the benefits of honor and core there’s more people who seem more willing to learn
classes has been a never-ending battle. While some stu- “There isn’t really much [in honors classes],” said Fox.
dents stake their ground on one side or the other, sev-
eral are left in the middle, wondering if the classes are
of a difference, [although] it Though there may be some discrepancies on opinion
regarding work load, colleges tend to view honors and
really that different, and which one will help the most seems like there’s more AP classes with similar state of mind. For example,
in the long run. people who seem more the University of Washington says that it “encourages
Some students have troubles making the decision, and applauds students who have chosen Advanced
and switch to core classes from honors, or vice versa.
willing to learn Placement (AP) courses as part of their high school
An example is sophomore Carissa Payseno, who decid- [in honors classes]” curriculum.” Also, several studies show that to col-
ed that honors classes were not for her. “I signed up for - Kelvin Fox. lege admissions officers, AP classes and honors class-
honors the first time this year because my advisor told es carry more weight than normal classes.
me to. It was more work than I thought it would be, so Overall, the decision between honors and core
I’m attempting to switch out at semester,” said Payseno. Many are not prepared, or classes is a personal choice; there is no universal answer. Instead of wondering
willing, to undergo the extra work which honors almost certainly entails. which one is better all around, students should wonder which one they would ben-
However, quite a few feel just the opposite. Sophomore Kelvin Fox took honors efit from the most personally.

Diversity club reveals winners of Poetry Slam

The following poems are the first, second and third place winners of the third annual Diversity Club Poetry Slam. The theme for the poems was acceptance. First
place went to junior Kelsey Drotning, second place went to junior Yasmin Abubakar and third place went to junior Kayla Maletich. The winners recieved Jamba Juice
giftcards.
Our Fear
By Kelsey Drotning
I see him.
Sitting by himself in the cafeteria
He looks lonely
I have always believed no one should feel alone
Maybe he would like to sit at our table
I ask my friends
And watch as they shake their heads
Ashamed, I turn away.
You look at me.
With my books in one hand
Hurdling spikes in the other
I look at you.
Carrying your violin and drawing pad
Would you believe that some days,
I hold those things too?
Cliques.
We all know them
Even if we deny it
But where do I fit in?
Do any of these people really fit where we put them?
You. Me. He. She. They. Them.
We are not as different as we pretend
Our beliefs, opinions, experiences vary
But our fear is the same
We fear standing out
But we fear being forgotten
We crave that sense of belonging
The knowledge of our place
I don’t think we want categories
But categories are what we create
To form a definition of ourselves
A boundary to keep us safe
I choose to be me.
The edges of my definition are blurred
Tomorrow I will ask that boy to sit at our table
I will not live by the standards put in place by my
peers
I am not alone.
I simply choose to live the truth.
Why, when we all want the same thing
Do we run and hide
From diversity?
The Real Me
By Yasmin Abubakar
Do you see me?
Do you see the real me?
Do you see the girl who loves to sing
And dance the night away
The girl who reads almost anything Please?
And loves to sleep all day By Kayla Maletich
Do you see the girl who laughs out loud When I look at you,
At silly little thoughts Please do not just see
The girl who everyday is wowed The imperfections on my face,
By all the things she’s taught And the sweat on my palms.
Or do you just see what’s in front of your face When I look at you,
And none of what’s inside Please try to see
Do you just see the hair, the skin, the race The understandings in my eyes,
The things I cannot hide And the kindness in my smile.
Don’t just judge the visible me When I talk to you,
And leave all the rest behind Please do not just hear
Look for what you cannot see My nervous stutters and stammers,
And tell me what you find And awkward pauses.
When I talk to you,
Please try to hear
That I too have a voice,
And an opinion all my own.
Please do not just write me off as
A loser, a freak, a wannabe, or a nerd,
Rather, give me the opportunity
To show you who I am.
And please remember
No two people are the same,
And that it’s okay for some to be
different than you.
Photo by Megan Rogers
The winners from left to right, Kelsey Drotning, Kayla Maletich
and Yasmin Abubakar.
18 Sports
The Falcon Flyer

Winter Falcon Frankenstein

Gifted athletes from winter sports combine to create a conglomerate of ultimate falcon power

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Photos by Megan Rogers

Interviews by Spencer Transier, Jason Hirschey, McKenna Herron

Head Torso Left Arm Right Arm Legs

Athletes
 The Falcon Flyer
Sports
19
Saints secure well deserved Super Bowl victory
Peyton Manning by second-year cornerback Tracy appearance and victory in its franchise’s 43 year histo-
Kayla Maletich Porter that was run back for a touchdown and es- ry, but the first championship in any major sport for the
Business Manager
sentially put the game away. With just minutes of the Big Easy. After years of losing and being considered an
The New Orleans Saints’ Cinderella story got a hap- fourth quarter left, Manning was leading the Colts NFL embarrassment, it seemed that when Hurricane
pily ever after on Feb. 7 with a Super Bowl XLIV win down the field in what seemed to be a game winning Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans in 2005,
over the Indianapolis the Saints were done
Colts, 31-17. In one for. There was specu-
of the greatest quar- lation of relocating the
terback match-ups in team permanently to
Super Bowl history, San Antonio and giving
Saints quarterback the franchise a fresh

VS
Drew Brees marched start.
the Saints to victory However, the NFL
with two touchdown refused to desert the
passes and a record- Big Easy. The Saints
tying 32 completions, remained in New Or-
earning him the pres- leans, hired Payton,
tigious award of Most signed Brees, made it
Valuable Player. to the playoffs, and four
In respect to the and a half years post
game, there were Katrina, New Orleans
two plays in particu- got the championship
lar that decided the title they deserve.
Colts’ fate. First was Gone are the days of
the gutsy onside kick fans arriving to games
by the Saints to open wearing paper bags
the second half. This over their heads with
call by Saints’ head coach Sean Payton, was the first drive, when he uncharacteristically threw a pick. Who ‘Aints written across them. This team is an embar-
onside kick attempted in a Super Bowl game that was would have thought the biggest mistake of the game rassment no longer; this team is a source of pride. The
not in the fourth quarter. The conversion of this kick would have come from Manning, four time NFL Most New Orleans Saints franchise has successfully rebuilt
resulted in a Pierre Thomas touchdown reception, giv- Valuable Player and one of the greatest quarterbacks itself out of the destruction and devastation left behind
ing the Saints the lead for the first time. of all time? from Hurricane Katrina into a black and gold example
Second was the interception of Colts’ quarterback This game was not only the Saints’ first Super Bowl of what hard work and perseverance can accomplish.

Ski club provides tons o’ fun Netball and rugby for Leua
Ryan Snyder Nicole Luce
Staff Reporter Staff Reporter
Winter is the season for some of the best outdoor activities, including Track, cricket, netball, rugby and basketball-senior Meliame Leua plays them all.
skiing, snowboarding, and sledding. Members of Ski Club go up to Sno- After moving to the states, however, Leua picked up a basketball and joined the Lady
qualmie Pass almost every Friday in winter. “We have already gone up two Falcons.
times; we started on Jan. 8 and we also went up Jan. 15. We will go Jan. Although she now plays basketball, netball has been part of her life for much lon-
22, Jan. 29, Feb. 5 and Feb. 12, so it’s six dates total” said Ski Club advisor ger. Leua has played the sport ever since she was in elementary school in New Zealand,
Zoe Parkman. where she used to live. Netball is similar to basketball because the players shoot into
Sophomore Ben Burnett joined because “Austin Ferron told me he`d a hoop and they pass the ball around to their teammates. There are many differences
kill me if I didn’t.” Another sophomore, Jacob Manuel joined because “it’s between the two sports though.
a great way to spend Friday nights, and there are always fun stories to tell In netball there are seven players
[afterwards].” Burnett and Manuel both snowboard. Many members have on the court per “You can’t really hit them team, opposed to
basketball’s five.
participated in clubs like Ski Club here and at their middle schools. “This
is my third year; it’s a great way to kick it on a Friday night” said Burnett. hibits dribbling,
in public, so you got to Netball also pro-
unlike basketball,
Every week, students tell stories about their Ski Club adventures, “We but the players take them on the field and are allowed to
were going up the lift, me and my friends, and this guy who thought he pivot their feet for both sports
was really cool was telling everyone to watch him ski down the face. As he when in posses- show them hell” sion of the ball.
was going he crashed, his skies were flying down and he was rolling down The netball court -Meliame Leua is divided into
the hill, making an avalanche,” said freshman Danny Stockman. thirds and there is a goal circle on
If you are a beginner, there are lessons available, but Burnett said “don’t either end of the court. The goal
waste your time on lessons, let your friends show you what’s up.” Manuel circle looks like the three-point arch around the key on a basketball court; only four
also had some truly inspiring advice “always ride with friends and don’t players can be in the goal circle, “two shooters and two defenders” said Leua. Defend-
fall, because it hurts.” ers have to be three feet away from the shooters, when in basketball a player can be as
Parkman said, “Well, we have only been two times, and everything has close to them as possible without fouling. “There are a lot of rules, but when you start
been running really smoothly so far. It was pretty wet snow last week, the to play it’s actually really easy,” said Leua. The main thing she likes about netball is not
week before that we had icy rain, we haven’t had the best weather, but we only playing, but meeting new people.
are hoping for good conditions in the next four weeks.” Rugby is as popular in New Zealand as American football is in the states. Leua has
Ski club is a great addition to any school, because it provides a fun way grown up with rugby as well, and she is thinking about trying out for the Kent Crusad-
for friends to hang out on a Friday night, while doing an activity they en- ers. “I’ve been playing for a really long time,” said Leua. There are many things to enjoy
joy. Participants always have a good time tearing up the slopes and hang- about rugby, but Leua likes the fact that she can hit girls. “You can’t really hit them in
ing out with friends. Ski club is not just skiing, but a compilation of all public, so you got to take them on the field and show them hell,” said Leua.
snow activities, that’s what makes it so unique. “It’s too late to join how- Leua has a diverse background in sports, but she has fun playing whatever sport
ever anyone can go up on any given Friday for about 40 bucks.” Manuel comes her way. Above all, she loves playing the sports from her country, netball and
said. rugby.
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