The Falcon Flyer

2 Meet the
Contents
The Falcon Flyer

Press News Pg. 4

Co Editors-in-Chief Tolo allowed with administrative rule and style changes
Cynthiann Heckelsmiller
HSPE replaces WASL in Washington
Christine Rushton
Op-Ed Editor Hospital to definitely appear in Covington
Alyssa Ryan
A&E Editor
Mike Lydon
Sports Editor
Holly Pirret
Student Life Editor
Yasmin Abubakar
Op-Ed Pg. 5
Business Manager
Kayla Maletich Racism still prevails: are we doing enough to banish it?
Webmaster Government regulations cause college tuition to spike,
Spencer Transier unfair for average students
Copy Editors Juniors polluting senior lot offend class of 2010
Brendan Cescon
Palin proves a good candidate for 2012 presidential election
Daniel Tadeo
Photographers
Megan Rogers
Melissa Pitchford
Michaela Mandala
Kaitlyn Miklancic A&E Pg. 9
Staff Reporters
Brian Benshoof
Keith Bolender
The 82nd Academy Awards
Kelsey Bolton Harry Potter learns mythology
Sarah Cubine Smith sacrifices wit for laughs
Matthew Davis Wolfman a howling good time
Michala Dymond-Shaw Scorsese, DiCaprio reunite
Kierra Elfalan
Craig Heffner
New vampire series may revive genre
Jerel Henderson
McKenna Herron
Jason Hirschey
Erin Hunt National News Briefs
Jacob Langholz
Jordan Middelton
Ryan Snyder USA won more total medals than any other country before in the 2010
Kiley Throop Olympic Games which took place from Feb. 12-28. Apollo Anton Ohno
set the record for total career Olympic medals in the winter games. No-
dar Kumaritashvili of Georgia passed away in a fatal luge crash during
a training run before the start of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Kentlake High School
Phone:253) 373-4900
Fax: (253) 373-4908
Principal: Diana Pratt
Adviser: Susan Best
TheFalconFlyer.com Mexico’s telicom mogul Carlos Slim ousted Microsoft master-
mind Bill Gates as the world’s richest man, according to Forbes’s
The Falcon Flyer is an open forum, annual report. Slim is worth $53.5 billion, $500 million ahead
produced by students in the
journalism class at Kentlake High of Gates.
School. Its mission is to provide
a thought-proviking, informative 500 million
and high-quality publication for the
Kentlake community, adhering to
strong journalistic principles.
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.
Two independent research groups have recently successfully de-
The staff welcomes signed letters coded the entire genome of a few patients. This will allow them
to the editor. The Falcon Flyer
reserves the right to edit letters, al- to pinpoint the exact causes of their diseases. Later, this will help
though every attempt will be made pinpoint causes of major diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes.
to preserve original content. Letters
should be sent to thefalconflyer@
gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter
and Facebook. Cover art by Kiley Throop
 Contents
The Falcon Flyer 3
Kentlake News Briefs March: what not
The Powderpuff Seniors versus Juniors game will be held at French to do on a date
Field on March 12 at 7 pm. There will also be a tailgater before from
4:30-6:30. All students are welcomed. There will also be an opportu- • Be Cheap. This should
nity to see the rare male cheerleaders made up of Kentlake falcons. truly be second nature,
aren’t you trying to im-
press them?

Seniors Cory Shiraishi and Chelsea Hogan were hon- • Act like someone else.
ored on March 2 by the Kent Rotary. They represented It is cliché but true. You
Kentlake in their talents and accomplishments in the won’t act like that for-
academic areas of science and math. ever.

• Change your diet.

Guys do not think girls
Next week from Tue. the 16 to Thurs. the 18 school will begin are cuter eating a salad.
at. The Sophomores will be testing the Reading and Writing
sections of the district mandated HSPE. The Seniors will be- • Change your look.
gin their first round of Culminating Project Presentations, a They said “yes” already
requirement for graduation. before you got a make-
over.

• Use the pick-up lines.

You’re past that stage
Features Pg. 10 and picking up other
hotties on a date isn’t
Adventures of a real life superhero the norm.

• Use profane language,

Student Life Pg. 15
Pots of gold and little men
Olympians in the family
Rhodes, more than meets the eye
EPIC save environment
Pennywhistling phenom
because everyone knows
that is perfectly accept-
able.
• Emit a foul aroma. An
excessive amount of co-
logne or perfume always
is a turn on, we prom-
ise.

• Say “I love you.” Ev-

Sports Pg. 18 eryone definitely wants
to hear that on a first
Junior and senior girls face-off
Tragedy and triumph define winter games
date.
Athletes spring into shape
Danica Patrick disgusts • Mention all the babies
you want to have.
4 News
The Falcon Flyer
Tolo allowed with administrative rule and style changes
Erin Hunt
Staff Reporter

Despite long negotiations over changes to make to dance rules, the leadership
class and administration have finally come to an agreement on Tolo. The latest Tolo
proposal was approved on March 1 and intends to “give Kentlake’s Tolo a different
look,” as stated in the document, with several notable changes from past dances.
Following the excessive amount of disrespect and dirty dancing at Sadie’s in
January, administration has been reluctant to allow another dance. The main com-
ponents of the approved proposal have circled around stopping grinding and disre-
gard for warnings when students are caught.
According to junior treasurer Becca Peterson, “It was frustrating trying to com-
municate with the administration. They rejected two proposals before accepting
our third.”
According to Vice Principal Cindi Perez the struggle with reaching an agreement
was mainly “getting a solid plan so that [the administration] could have faith that
students would follow through with expectations for appropriate dancing.”
The approved proposal offers insight on the changes that will be made to Tolo
which fit with the above problems outlined by administration. Perez said, “Students
will have to sign a contract to go into the dance.” Along with the contract, upon
entry students will be asked to where a bracelet. If a dance chaperone sees inappro-
Photo by Megan Rogers
priate dancing, they will cut off the bracelet, which represents a first warning. Upon
the behavior continuing, the students will be asked to leave and be unable to attend Kelsey Drotning and Becca Peterson working on the logistics of the new proposal for Tolo.
the next dance. For seniors, the next dance means prom. likely not be on the Tolo playlist. Replacing that will be NSYNC, Backstreet Boys,
Other changes include alternative activities to dancing and changes in music. and Brittany Spears, as according to the approved proposal. Also playing will be
According to the approved proposal, written by junior secretary Kelsey Drotning, songs with popular dances, such as “You’re a Jerk,” “Stankey Leg,” and “Soldier
“One activity [besides dancing] would be a movie in Cascade Hall…Another option… Boy.”
would be board games…such as Apples to Apples, Scrabble, and Clue.” Leadership Despite changes to the overall dance atmosphere, having Tolo is a noteworthy
hopes this will “incorporate a wider spectrum of the Kentlake student body.” victory for the junior class. The junior class has less than 100 dollars with prom
Music adjustments will include a list of music that implies clean dancing. “Get only a little over a year away. Drotning said, “We are happy the proposal was ap-
Low” and “Cyclone,” both considered songs that encourage students to grind, will proved ... We are working hard to ensure it will be fun even with new rules.”

HSPE replaces WASL in Washington Hospital to definitely appear in Covington

State Department of Health describing the
Cynthiann Heckelsmiller Jason Hirschey plans and they will also provide reason a
Co Editor-in-Chief Staff Reporter new hospital is needed in the community.
To counter MultiCare’s idea, represen-
Beginning with the class of 2013, Washington State high school students tatives from the Valley Medical Center, a
are required to pass the entire High School Proficiency Exam (HPSE) be- MultiCare, a local health care operation nonprofit health care organization based
fore graduating, instead of the WASL. founded in 1882 in Tacoma, announced in South King County, met with Coving-
This test will replace the WASL as Washington’s required examination. plans to build a hospital in Covington on ton city officials alongside MultiCare rep-
As a result, students who have already passed the WASL do not have to Nov. 23. The new hospital will be adja- resentatives on Nov. 24 to discuss the fu-
take the HSPE. Those who have failed certain sections of the WASL will cent to the preexisting MultiCare center. ture plans. Valley Medical’s intention is
have to pass the corresponding section of the HSPE before graduation. The hospital is planned to feature many to build a 24-hour emergency room on a
The classes of 2010-2012 will be required to pass the reading and writing new medical services including emergen- 10-acre property behind Safeway and next
portions. cy medical care, a women’s and children’s to Covington Elementary.
State testing is required by the federal government to measure the prog- center, a labor and delivery department, Due in part to the fact that the pro-
ress of American students. After his inauguration in 2009, Superintendant and expanded surgical ser- jected MultiCare hospital
of Public Instruction Randy Dorn set about instating an updated testing vices. A 24-hour emergency needs approval from the
system. The WASL, formerly the standard test, was considered by many in center with 34 or 58 inpa- State Department of Health,
the community as a faulty measure of students’ skills. tient beds is also planned. the project will take longer
The new test is supposed to surpass the WASL in quality. The HSPE will The emergency center will than the proposed idea of
be shorter, with reading, math, and science tests taking one day each, and not take place of the Urgent Valley Medical to open the
writing taking two. Essay questions in science and math will be replaced Care center of the MultiCare emergency department in
by multiple choice problems, so that the student’s writing ability is con- clinic that fields over 30,000 2011. Both representatives
fined to the reading and writing sections. patients a year, but will pro- Photo by Megan Rogers from MultiCare and Valley
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has guaranteed vide a place for the seriously in- Medical stated that their ideas were not in
that it has made an effort to remove any racial or cultural bias in both the jured or maimed. competition of each other. Valley Medical
questions and formatting of the test. This was a debated issue with the The plan and specific timeline for the did not rule out the possibility of expand-
WASL, which showed significant rifts in scores between races. build has not been set but is expected to ing their idea to a full hospital once the
Also, instead of grading the students compared to the scores of their take about seven years to complete. The center is built.
peers, the HSPE scores will be measured in relation to a panel-decided emergency department with the women’s Swedish Medical Center, a nonprofit
statewide standard. Test results will be reported on a one to four scale, with and children’s departments will be the health care organization based in Seattle,
one being below basic, two basic, three proficient, and four advanced. first phase of building, and the labor and has propsed the building of a 50,000-
Another change to the usual testing procedure is the switch to online delivery room are intended to be the sec- square-foot medical clinic in Maple Valley
testing. Online forms will be phased in over the next few years, beginning ond phase. near Four Corners. The Maple Valley City
with sixth through eighth grade reading and math this spring. Testing for The new hospital will allow for mini- Council passed a 6-0 vote to change the
high school begins with the reading section March 16, and writing March mally invasive surgical services in ortho- zoning area for the business park which
pedics, general surgery, urology, etc. Mul- will allow Swedish Medical Center to pur-
16-18. Testing will resume April 13 with math, and science is on April 15.
tiCare will file a certificate of need to the chase land and develop the building.
 Op-Ed
The Falcon Flyer
5
Racism still “The games were great. I just
wish I could have watched
prevails: them instead of crappy
are we doing enough coverage about seals.”
-Cynthiann Heckelsmiller,
to banish it? Co Editor in Chief
“Canada cheated.”
Brendan Cescon
Copy Editor
-Daniel Tadeo,
With Diversity Day and Black History Month fresh in our minds,
Copy Editor
many leaders in the student body have stepped up with the intentions of
ousting racism and discrimination. Poetry, posters, and presentations
have all been similarly themed, hoping to initiate a paradigm shift in
the way students think about each other and their differences. This at
first seems all well and good; however, when it comes to racism, it is
a brutal, uphill battle that’s been going on for centuries. This is true to
some degree, but is it still necessary? Our president is black, some of
Hollywood’s finest actors are black, and a black guy even won American
Idol. This is clearly not the racism laden society it was 60 years ago, yet
groups continue to fight, but for what? For the hope of a stereotype/bias
free world.
I have always considered myself an open minded, racially bal-
anced citizen who looks upon all groups equally without discrimination.
That is, until I stumbled upon the Implicit Association Test (IAT). This
test compares your preference towards certain groups and your subcon-
scious associations with each one. For example, in the Race IAT there
are two categories: African American and European American. An image
of a black or white person will appear and you must categorize it as fast
as you can. Then the categories change. They become “good” and “bad.”
Words like “joy,” “pleasure,” or “angst” appear and you must categorize
whether or not these are good or bad. Then the categories change yet
again, becoming “African American or Bad” and “European American
or Good.” Negative words and images of black people go under the first
category, and positive words and white people go under the second cat-
egory. Now it gets tricky: The final categories are “African American or
Good” and “European American or Bad.” This requires you to catego- Editorial cartoon by Keirra Elfalan
rize positive words and African Americans under the first category, and
negative words and European Americans under the second.
When I took the test, I found it extremely difficult to perform
the last task. It seemed every time a negative word appeared, I wanted “Sean White is
to associate it with African Americans. I found myself answering ques-
tions much slower, yet still getting them wrong. This surprised me, for the next “Mogul
I whole heartedly believe in equality and the atrociousness of racism.
When I completed the test, it said that I had “a strong automatic prefer-
Michael skiers must
ence for European American compared to African American.” This was
essentially saying I was a subconscious racist. I am not alone, though.
About 70% of people who take the test have a preference towards Euro- Phelps.” have knees of
pean Americans, compared to only 17% who are neutral.
The most mysterious part of this test, however, is wondering
-MikeLydon, steal.”
how this unconscious association manifests itself in our behavior. How
do I act differently around different races? This thought scares me,
A&E Editor -Christine Rushton,
thinking that I have been blindly biased without any knowledge of my
state. So maybe all the poetry, posters, and presentations are necessary, Co Editor in Chief
given that most of the population is still racist. But then again, maybe
not. Some scientists theorize that racism may be genetic to some degree,
evolving from tribes being kind to those within, but weary and hostile to
outsiders in a constant struggle for survival (www.dimaggio.org).
This information shines new light on Diversity Day, Black His- “The Norwegian
tory Month, and all other anti-racism oriented endeavors. Maybe all
our conscious efforts to eliminate bias and social discrimination are
outweighed by its subconscious and genetic foundation in our minds.
curling team had some
Because of this, we cannot believe that all the time and money spent
funding this cause is truly making a difference. Our current efforts are pretty cool pants.”
blinded by our egos. As Robert Frost wrote, “Most of the change we
think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor.” -Holly Pirret, Sports Editor
6 Op-Ed
The Falcon Flyer
Government regulations cause college
tuition to spike, unfair for average students
Matt Davis
Staff Reporter
A massive amount of money floating
out the window to land in a bonfire is not
what one would consider a lovely image.
In fact most individuals, young and old
alike, would find it atrocious. Sadly, that
is exactly what some families are doing
because of the ridiculous cost of college.
Paying for tuition has always seemed a
daunting task, even with all of the finan-
cial aid opportunities, and it is going to
be more difficult due to increases in tu-
ition, the bias in scholarship opportuni-
ties, and extra fees. The federal govern-
ment expects too much of the average
student, and colleges demand payment
that students cannot provide.
According to the College Board, the
organization that administrates the
SAT and the AP tests, costs for a four
year public school rose 6.5 percent from
last year and are expected to rise even
higher. “…most students and their fami-
lies can expect to pay, on average, from
$172 to $1,096 more than last year for
this year’s tuition and fees, depending
on the type of college,” said reports from
the College Board. However, even with
the tuition increase, the College Board
believes that tuition is still very afford-
able for everyone, which is not true.
Supposedly scholarships are an easy
way for students to pay for their ex-
pensive tuition. “There is more than
$168 billion in financial aid available,”
said the College Board, but they do not
take into account that not everyone is
eligible for all of that money. Minori-
ties and those of the lower class sup-
posedly receive more financial aid, and
that, naturally, those of the upper class
can practically pay any amount for tu-
ition. What vast demographic does that
leave though? Middle class, Caucasian
*28% increase of debt for higher-income
students who graduated in 2003-04 compared
to students who graduated in 1989-90.
*51% by which expenses have risen at
private four-year colleges and universities since
1990.
*59% by which expenses have risen at public
four-year colleges and universities since 1990.
Statistics compiled by Kayla Maletich, from www.finaid.org/loans.
students are left behind because they do
not qualify for much of the federal finan-
cial aid and because the schools are not
In the 2007-2008 National Post Secondary
willing to provide certain scholarships
that minorities would receive. Because
Student Aid Study (NPSAS), the median
of affirmative action laws, colleges must cumulative debt among graduating 4-year
meet racial quotas concerning the over-
all population of the school. undergraduate students was $19,999; one
Also, with all of the students apply-
ing for federal aid and private scholar- quarter borrowed $30,526 or more, and one
ships, how can one expect to receive the
amount they truly need? In the 2007 to tenth borrowed $44,668 or more.
2008 school year, the average student
pursuing an undergraduate degree only
received around $9,100 total in aid.
This includes scholarships, grants, and
other forms of financial aid. The average
“Supposedly scholarships are
student also had to take out a $7,100
loan and parents a $10,800 one. The
an easy way for students to pay
College Board even acknowledges that
20 percent of students attend a college
for their expensive tuition [...]
with tuition and fees totaling $36,000
or more.
but they do not take into ac-
Beside this, there is another thing
that the College Board does not take
count that not everyone is
into account. Many colleges are adding
a surcharge for tuition, which can raise
eligible for all of that money.”
the cost of a single semester quite sub-
stantially. The average surcharge from
2009 to 2010 for students who went to
an out-of-state four year public college
WS
was $11,528. Not to mention that some
UW
schools require students to room on
campus in their freshman year, which
raises the total tuition cost even fur-
ther.
U
Paying for college truly is a daunt-
ing task, but it is attainable if paying
off loans years later is something stu-
dents are willing to do. It is especially,
ironic that the government, which priz-
es education as a means to alleviate the
job market, does not do more to help de-
serving students pay for this education.
Sadly, there is nothing a single student
can do to dramatically change the issue.
All one can do is just hope that things
will be different for future generations.
 The Falcon Flyer
Op-Ed 7
Juniors polluting senior lot offend class of 2010
Mckenna Herrron Although worse than before, this has been a prob-
Staff Reporter lem since the era of Kentlake began. Younger stu-
dents seem to feel that they have some type of au-
For three years, to the class of 2010 the word “Senior” sim- thority over the seniors and therefore can park in
ply meant “Great… we hold absolutely no value in this school”, their parking lot. Oh, wait, that’s not how you feel?
“Awesome, anything we say will be marked as completely point- Well, tough luck, because that’s the answer seniors
less” and, “YES! I love the bottom of the food chain!” will interpret from your actions. Truth be told, a lot
We endured it for three years; we dealt with senior tables of our seniors aren’t the shiniest needles in the hay-
and senior cheating during Falcon Night. We weren’t fans, but stack. They won’t even attempt comprehending the
we understood. However, there seems to be a slight difference convenience of parking closer to a class room. They
between this year and the ones only take note of one thing: juniors are in their terri-
before: students aren’t able to tory.
grasp this idea of “senior superi- “Our senior year is Thanks to those shiny brains of
theirs, seniors look at this situation as
ority” when it comes to parking.
The younger classes don’t our last, and a very easy excuse for trashing cars.
mind being spiritedly-owned It really does not matter why you
during pep assemblies. They after being parked there. Morals do not play a
deal with the unfair advantages part and cooperation is a word that’s
seniors gain in school events, so underclassman for been thrown out the door. Honestly, I
can not put more emphasis on the fact that
why doesn’t this concept apply
to the senior parking lot? It falls
three years, it’s nice they truly do not care what your perspective
in the same category as all of the
other privileges the upper class-
to get some type of is. Trashing cars is fun-filled activity for se-
niors when they have nothing better to do. I
men receive. The majority of the reward.” advise you not to encourage it.
Besides to the joy some people get out
junior class always responds to
this with, “What’s the big deal?” of terrorizing others, what does the ongo-
Well, here’s the thing: the actual ing rebellion bring? Do the juniors really
parking taking place is not; it doesn’t mean seniors will be de- get anything out of it? The school is not going to rename the
prived of a spot, but it disrespects them. So they say, “Why on parking lot, if anything they’ll present you with a pretty little
earth would seniors deserve respect?” It’s common courtesy; ticket. Seniors may get in trouble for their actions, but it’s
our senior year is our last and after dealing with all the nega- not going to stop them. How hard is it to walk a few extra
tive aspects of being an underclassman for three years, let feet? It would solve the entire problem if students would
alone being a student in general, it’s nice to get some type of simply accept this senior privilege. I suggest trading in A menacing senior poses with
reward. this massive revolt for a little calf muscle… it won’t kill you. plastic wrap as a warning to
juniors who park in the senior lot.

Palin proves a good candidate for 2012 presidential election

Jacob Langholz
Staff Reporter
Since her nomination as the vice
presidential candidate for the repub-
lican party in 2008, Alaskan Governor
Sarah Palin has been the central target
for political attacks. Insults have varied
from make-up covered swine to being
intellectually lacking. Yet now she “is
one of the most requested speakers in
America today,” according to NRA Ex-
ecutive Member Wayne LaPierre.
Her success has been great since aid-
ing John McCain in his campaign for the
presidency. Since then Palin has been
on a glorious conservative crusade for
America. Palin formed a political action
committee to support the movement for
America to have energy independence.
It is recorded that the PAC has raised
over $1,000,000 to date. Palin has also
written a not quite award-winning au-
tobiography. The success of which took
her to 11 states and into multiple televi-
sion interviews, which has been a major
accidental promotion of the Republi-
can party. Though it may have brought
cynical criticisms and laughs, it was a
certain success. The most recent of her Just where she has lived has given her she said, “I wasn’t to blame for losing
proud accomplishments include being a an innate ability to form foreign policy. the race, just like I wouldn’t have got-
main speaker at the Tea Party conven- As Palin once said, “[Russia is] our next ten credit for winning the race,” and by
tion and being invited to speak at the door neighbor. And you can actually see this logic, she will not be responsible or
139th annual NRA meeting. Russia from land here in Alaska.” to blame when she single-handedly gets
Her success in the limelight implies This once unknown governor is a the help of everyone she can to help her
one undeniable thing; America supports great candidate for the Republican Par- attempt to win the election.
Sarah Palin. America is falling for this ty in the 2012 presidential election. As
intelligent, exciting woman, and there is
no roof for her in sight. Many would not
be surprised if this key figure of modern
day conservative politics ran in the 2012
presidential election.
She has many traits going for her to
be our country’s leader. She is a woman
of family. She loves her daughters and
sons, and will stop at nothing to pro-
tect them, even if they decide not to use
protection. The problems that she has
faced over the past couple years prove
that she is just like any other American,
and has to deal with the same sort of dif-
ficulties. The fact that she is just like the
rest of the country’s people set her apart
from other politicians, who cover up
their problems because they are flaw-
less people.
Yet, just because she is like the aver-
age American, does not mean she isn’t
special. Her personality, both on and off
the political battlefield, is like no other. Photo courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk
8 Op-Ed
The Falcon Flyer

Illegal downloading a norm:

commonplace part of society
downloading is unquestionably an easy outlet to obtain practically
Daniel Tadeo anything you want with just a couple clicks. More importantly, it is
Copy Editor cheap if not free.
Enjoying such devilish content is just as effortless. A simple mod
or hack on a videogame console opens up the multitude of possibili-
At the turn of the millennium, the World Wide Web catapulted ties to take pleasure in pirated games or movies. Even more com-
itself into one of mankind’s greatest inventions. Despite constantly mon, portable mp3 players (iPods and Zunes) allow conspirators to
being plagued with petty annoyances such as spam, spyware, and take their guilty pleasures “to go” like fast food. However, does the
viruses, the internet became a staple in everyday society, a gateway RIAA’s speculation have any backbone to it? And furthermore, if
leading to a world of infinite knowledge (Wikipedia of course) and teens are the true online addicts, are we the ones to blame? Well…
entertainment (youtube); kudos for the internet. Unfortunately, this no, actually.
gift bestowed upon us simultaneously brews the poison for many According to Nielson Soundscan, the official method for tracking
things illegal; scams, identity theft, wiring of drug money, etc. sales of music and music videos in the U.S. and Canada, in 2009,
With a continuingly growing quantity of internet users, an ail- digital music sales increased by 8.3 percent to 1.16 billion songs
ing economy, and a myriad of ways to share files, many speculate downloaded. To put this number into perspective, iTunes just re-
illegal downloading is even more prominent now than it was a de- cently achieved its ten billionth download. The study also revealed
cade ago, days otherwise known as the Napster years. Although the that digital downloads account for a whopping 40 percent of all mu-
term is so extraordinarily self- sic purchases and that for the eighth
explanatory that “even a cave- year in nine, CD sales fell. This thus
man” comprehends it, for all “With the creation of music demonstrates that the RIAA’s views are
those Neanderthals who are still streaming sites and online ra- complete hogwash.
confused, illegal downloading Furthermore, studies have shown
is downloading content without dios such as Pandora, Groove- that illegal downloading is actually
properly attaining it, such as ac- slowing down. How can this be possi-
quiring that new Black Eye Peas shark, and Imeem, users can ble you might ask? Surely the benefits
album off Limewire or Windows override any harsh punishment that
7 from one of many torrent sites easily obtain the music they never really happens right? The idea
(thepiratebay.org). love without paying a dime.” of having music on demand for free
One strong supporter is the is something people desire. With the
Recording Industry Associa- creation of music streaming sites and
tion of America (RIAA). Unsur- online radios such as Pandora, Groove-
prisingly, they blame the music industry’s dismal CD sales and our shark, and Imeem, users can easily obtain the music they love while
depressing economy on illegal downloading. To be honest, that no- at the same time, discovering other artists with similar sounds with-
tion isn’t to tough to swallow. In fact, because society has deemed out paying a dime…except of course for internet.
us teenagers the generation of technology, such a claim is in a way; Is illegal downloading ever going to stop? Probably not. Teens
expected. will always have that urge to fill that 160 gigabyte (40 thousand
Teens cannot go a minute without their iPod, hours unoccupied songs) iPod no matter what. I highly doubt someone would really
by a cell phone, and days devoid of their precious video games. Don’t spend that much money on music, movies, or games if they had the
believe me? Look around the room, better yet, check your pockets, chance, and in any case, it isn’t even as damaging as everyone
I dare you. In these tough times where funds are limited, illegal believes.

IFPI states that in

40 billion songs
2008, 95 percent
were shared 1 in 4 P2P
of all music down-
illegally in 2008 file-sharers typically
loads were illegal.
spend nothing on
music
 Arts & Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer
9
The 82 nd
Academy Awards
Winners of the four most coveted awards on Oscar night

Best Picture
Winner--The Hurt Locker
“As the war in Iraq continues, Staff Sgt. William
James carries out one of the most dangerous of all
military assignments: bomb defusing. While
James thrives on the job’s risks, the head of
Best Director
his support team, Sgt. JT Sanborn, becomes
increasingly worried by what he feels is a Winner--Katheryn Bigelow
growing recklessness in James’s behavior.”
(for The Hurt Locker)
“I would not be standing here if it wasn’t for Mark Boal,
who risked his life for the words on the page and wrote
such a courageous screenplay that I was fortunate
enough to have an extraordinary cast bring that screen-
play to life. And Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Brian
Geraghty. And, I think the secret to directing is collaborating
and I had truly an extraordinary group of collaborators in
my crew.” ~Katheryn Bigelow

Best Actor
Winner--Jeff Bridges
(for Crazy Heart)
“Thank you, mom and dad, for turning me
on to such a groovy profession. Oh, my dad
and my mom, they loved show biz so much. I
remember my mom, getting all of us kids to
Best Actress
Winner--Sandra Bullock
entertain at her parties. You know, my dad
sitting me on his bed and teaching me all of
the basics of acting for a role in Sea Hunt.” (for The Blind Side)
~Jeff Bridges “Did I really earn this or did I just wear you all
down? I would like to thank the Acad-
emy for allowing me in the last month
to have the most incredible ride with
rooms full of artists that I see tonight
and that I’ve worked with before and I
hope to work with in the future, who inspire me
and blaze trails for us.”
~Sandra Bullock
 Adventures of
A Real life Sup
An ESAR resuer braves snow drifts.
MEANWHILE... ESAR rescuers extract a victim into a heli-
copter. This “bird” will fly the unfortunate hiker to safety.
Erin Hunt will come to the aid of any lost or troubled ad-
Staff Reporter venturers.
The only Kentlake student who participates
in this life saving program is Allyn. He regularly
The ringing of the phone broke volunteers his time and energy to rescuing lost
the silence of the peaceful night. hikers, along with an assortment of other ESAR
An elderly man was missing in Auburn. Known to duties. His unit searches for lost hikers, which
be struggling with Alzheimer’s, the old man had is a surprisingly regular occurrence, particularly
left earlier for a walk, and could be anywhere in during sunny weather. “In
the swiftly darkening area. Senior Matthew Al- addition to searches,” said
lyn answered the call. Swiftly, he reported to his Allyn, “we do pack outs, in “Yet, one sh
Emergency Search and Rescue (ESAR) unit in which someone breaks a leg, ing in the g
Auburn to begin the search. Many people, includ- falls off of a cliff, or just can’t
ing trainers with search dogs, were called upon walk.” Many would compare hind the sc
to find the missing walker. With the quickening this “grunt work” to super- incidents, w
darkness, evening became night; soon the team hero work. Life saving is the
had been searching for four hours. The dangers main component of both jobs. save live
of downtown became apparent. But still the lost ESAR members also partici-
had not been found. Finally, after five hours, the pate in evidence searches.
man was discovered, disoriented but safe. Of course, Allyn did not simply sign up to save
ESAR works throughout missing person cas- lives and start searching mountains the next
es; mostly day. Participation requires rigor-
focusing on ous training, consisting of several
people lost “Community service can be courses including first aid, compass
in the wil- more than a grueling task. It work, and search and rescue tech-
derness. The nique. The most challenging aspect
woods can can be a lot of fun.” of training is located at a Boy Scout
turn deadly camp in Monroe: the infamous
in a mo- Course Two. “[It’s] one of the hard-
ment. An -Matthew Allyn est courses in the US,” said Allyn.
unexpected Course Two involves compass runs
fall or a step and locations problems. “The rea-
off the path can escalate into a severe injury or son it is difficult,” said Allyn, “is be-
lost hiker. Yet, one should not fear dying in the cause during compass runs you go into a swamp
great outdoors because behind the scenes of all – which is up to my chest in some spots.” Another
outdoor incidents, working tirelessly to save challenging aspect is navigating through a heav-
lives, are rescuers. In the Kentlake area, the King ily wooded ravine, which Allyn describes as, “not
County Emergency Search and Rescue (ESAR) fun.” Despite the unpleasantries, Allyn is quick to
LATER IN TRAINING... Rescuers practice a “pack-o
carrying supplies and a victim miles through dense for
Photos courtesy of Matthew A
 f f
n d-o
per Hero up e r So u
point out how rewarding ESAR is and encourages
S “I want to fly, so I can
anyone interested to sign up. “Anyone can sign get places faster.”
up for ESAR,” said Allyn, “you have to be really -Bryan Ng
dedicated to pass the entry tests…[But] I strongly
suggest people do this – especially if you enjoy
hiking.”
However, the chance to hike while searching for
missing outdoor adventurers is not the only ben-
efit of ESAR.
“I really like
hould not fear of dy- finding people
great outdoors, be- because when
they are found
cenes of all outdoor they always
working tirelessly to say ‘I’m so
happy you’re
es, are rescuers.” here!’ and re-
ally appreciate
that you found “Jesus Christ is my
them,” said Allyn. ESAR has also taught Allyn im-
portant life skills including teamwork, medicine all-time hero.”
knowledge. “Community service can be more “My mommy is my hero.” -Don Whitsett
than a grueling task, “said Allyn, “it can be a lot -Libby Riehl
of fun.”
Obviously, ESAR is not for the faint of heart;
even these real life superheroes cannot save ev-
eryone. “[The hardest part] is the finding the
lost person initially. Some people have been out
there for a day or so and are delusional from de-
hydration, etc. and are just wandering around,”
said Allyn. And the worst result is unthinkable.
“Sometimes the people you find are dead,” said
Allyn, “You [can be] just a little too late.” Why,
with such emotional strain, would anyone want
to join ESAR? Allyn offers the simple, true an-
swer, “I joined this organization because I like
helping people.” And that simple reason is what
makes Allyn a real life superhero.

out,”
rest. “[I’d] leap tall buildings in “My parents [are heroes] for
a single bound because I’m putting up with me.
vertically challenged.” [I want] super strength!”
-Jarred Mullikin
-Bill Heglar

Photos by Kiley Throop and Spencer Transier.

Allyn. Photo illustration by Cynthiann Heckelsmiller.
 12 Arts&Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer

Harry Potter learns mythology filmmakers had intended. Instead of

Brendan Cescon
Copy Editor
Chris Columbus has had his fair share
of success in the movie business. From
Gremlins to Goonies, Home Alone to
Harry Potter, Columbus has dominated
the silver screen with blockbusters
and classics alike. His newest film,
Percy Jackson and the Olympians:
The Lightning Thief, is also doing
well, second at the box office behind
Valentine’s Day on opening weekend.
Las Vegas, the Underworld, as well as a
plethora of other fantastical locations.
In the process he fights shape shifting
janitors, beheads Uma Thurman, and
banters with an African American goat.
First, I must note that this film
does not in any way feel like
Harry Potter movie. It has
a completely different aura,
one with more humor and less
Hagrid. It is certainly comparable,
however- guardians hiding a secret
about the boy’s parents, the occasional
centaur, and how the main protagonists
but what can you expect when Pierce
Brosnan has a horse’s rump? This bitter a mythical adventure, it was a cheesy
combination of okay-special effects and comedy, but one that I enjoyed. I have
average-acting blended into a fantasy not laughed so hard at a movie in so
unknown to me until now. It was odd long. Because of this, I have vowed to
and unexceptional, but something see the sequel. On a side note, the boy
about it hooked me. with the titular role (Logan Lerman) is
Percy Jackson and being considered for the role of Peter
the Olympians: Parker in the 2012 reboot Spider-Man,
T h e an upcoming 3D experience sure to
Lightning infuriate hardcore fans of the last saga.
T h i e f What does this mean for Lerman? It
did not means he has quite a future swinging
become his way.

Despite the appearance of another
Harry Potter knock off, Percy Jackson
has an entirely difference ambience,
audience, and adventure, though not
terribly original (another cliché quest).
On a field trip to a Greek and Roman
art museum, Percy Jackson’s teacher
transforms into a bat-monster thing
and attacks him, attempting to retrieve
the lightning bolt, a mystical object
used by Zeus to control lightning. It
is then revealed that Percy is the son
of Poseidon, and that all the gods are
searching for the object and assume
Percy took it. He maintains his
innocence, and proceeds to go on a lofty
adventure through Nashville, New York,
/5
consist of two guys and a girl (replacing the movie
Ron with a Chris Tucker wanna-be). t h e
But Harry Potter is darker and more
intimidating. Percy Jackson is just a
fun family flick with a medusa and a
hilarious black guy. Of course, then
there is the lotus scene where Percy
Jackson and the gang somehow go to a
casino, get drugged up by accident, and
cannot stop giggling, but hey,
you have to entertain the
adults somehow, right?
The special effects were
sub-par, but acceptable.
Compared to Avatar, it was
like night and day. Acting was Photo by imdb.com
nothing impressive either,

Smith sacrifices wit for laughs

Keith Bolender a wealthy, arrogant second husband (Jason Lee) who is offering to pay for the
Staff Reporter daugher’s wedding. Played by Michell Trachtenberg, the daughter is asking Monroe
to pay for a $48,000 wedding, making her more of a villain than the drug gang.
Cop Out is a buddy cop flick that fits as many genre references as it can into the The detectives apprehend an amateurish burglar (Sean William Scott), who
ceaseless banter between Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. proves to fit well with Morgan’s energy and style. His schtick here is a mimicking
Willis and Morgan play our paired police- game that, with Morgan, turns into a Bugs Bunny
detectives Jimmy Monroe and Paul Hodges, routine-the movie’s best laugh (allegedly).
respectively-and they might as well have Other people make brief appearances: Adam
come from different worlds. Willis, a veteran Brody and Kevin Pollack as unnecessary rival
of cop films like the Die Hard series and most police; Fred Armisen as a Russian lawyer;
recently Surrogates, is our unmistakable Susie Essman as a gun-toting suburban mother
straight man. Get this, he actually tries to whose five minutes cackle brilliantly with the
solve crimes…how charming. implication of foul language. The violent gang
Hodges is a complete parody. Realism is leader Poh Boy is played by Guillermo Diaz in
nowhere in the picture whenever Morgan is a part that should have been more of a comedic
on screen. He plays every character more like role than menacing.
a cartoon than a real human. Director Kevin Cop Out does a good, not great, but a good job
Smith gives Morgan, the former SNL cast combining action with comedy. Written by Robb
member and current 30 Rock co-star, room and Mark Cullen, it originally had Will Ferrell
to let loose. He is the kind of comedian who and Mark Wahlberg attached. They will instead
is naturally funny; bottling would have been release in August their buddy cop film The Other
foolish. Guys-likely more of a full blown comedy.
For better and worse, Cop Out is his film. For those looking for an original film that goes
Morgan rattles off movie quotes during an Photo by imdb.com by the books, this is not for you. For the movie-
interrogation, disguises himself in a cell goer that wants some great laughs and enjoys
phone costume, wildly vacillates emotionally, Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis try to recover their baseball card in Cop Out. great comedic acting, this is for you. Cop Out is
uses cute words like “nincompoop” and the funniest movie currently in theatres, and,
occasionally spouts comically lucid definitions like a human Wikipedia. hands down, the funniest movie since Zombieland. As movies go, I would have to
The plot is relatively simple. Hodges and Monroe, partners for nine years, are give a 2/5 or a 2.5/5, but it was so hilarious I almost peed my pants.

/5
Brooklyn detectives who encounter a Mexican drug gang. Following an incident
(involving the previously mentioned cell phone costume), their badges are revoked
for a month by their captain (Sean Cullen). A valuable baseball card of Monroe’s is
stolen and traced back to the gang. This plot mixes with the one involving Monroe’s
daughter’s impending wedding. Divorced, his ex-wife (Francine Swift) has found

Wolfman a howling good time
The film’s stylish allure reinvents an old and exhausted horror monster
Craig Heffner
Staff Reporter
Walking down the hallway I happened to stumble
upon a conversation between several freshmen. The
one of the boys who was barely tall enough to make
my peripheral vision said, “Man, wouldn’t it be cool
to be a werewolf?” I nodded my approval at this valid
statement. However, to my horror he followed it up
by saying, “Then I could look just like Taylor Lautner
and get all the girls!” Luckily for him I was too busy
choking on vomit which suddenly materialized in my
throat, or I may have verbally destroyed him. Is that
what really comes to mind when one hears the name
Werewolf? Taylor Lautner? Excuse me while I go die
in a corner.
Werewolves have been terrifying people since the
time of the ancient Greeks. When the original film,
The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney Jr., appeared in
1941, the audience ran screaming from the theater;
apparently Americans found the film scarier than World
War II. When I heard that Joe Johnston was doing a
remake of that film I was intrigued how the classic tale
of a man gripped by a bestial curse would handle a
21st century upgrade. After viewing my assessment is
that The Wolfman certainly doesn’t disappoint - but it
doesn’t have much bite, either.
After receiving word that his brother
has gone missing, Lawrence Talbot
(Benicio Del Toro) a traveling
actor returns to his ancestral
home in England after
decades spent in America.
Talbot arrives at the
family estate in ever-
foggy Blackmoor to
learn from his cold,
creepy father Sir John
(Anthony Hopkins) that
his brother has been
found brutally murdered
out in the woods. Believing
that he is searching for
some crazed lunatic killer
hiding out in
the
Arts&Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer
13
moorlands, Talbot begins his hunt for the murderer.
Little does he know that in reality he is the one being
hunted. Soon enough after a series of unfortunate
circumstances, Talbot is attacked by a savage creature,
yet manages to survive by the skin of his neck (literally).
Only to be forced to endure a horrible fate far worse
than death; isn’t that just some howling good fun.
All bad puns aside, I’m a sucker for gothic horror.
From the dense, dark forests to the misty eyed view
of a quiet London it all looked magnificent. The
depressing atmosphere of the film was perfect. The
never ending fog helps disorient the audience
between night and day, and adds to the
mystery. The brooding Del Toro fits right
in with the bleak gloomy cinematography.
He looks the part and delivers the dialogue
in a relatively concise fashion, unburdened
by long explanations or ruminations on
man’s animal nature and the like. Hopkins,
as usual, pulls off of a stunning and suitably
creepy performance.
The supporting cast may be the real life of
the film. Emily Blunt pulls off a surprisingly
real performance and Hugo Weaving
always keeps things interesting on the
screen. It’s been many moons since we’ve
seen a mainstream horror film starring
actual adults and not the usual casting
assortment of untalented Hollywood
teenagers (yes I am referring to
Taylor Lautner and friends).
The dialog may not be
the strongest element
2010
of the film but I felt
that it fit in well
with the overall
scheme of things
rather well. What
makes this movie
stand out in my
mind is the action;
the movie goes for the doesn’t just bite people or claw them; he disembowels
throat with the action - literally. them, dismembers them, and decapitates them all at
There are more gouged out hearts the same time. Somehow in the span of two seconds
and steamy intestines strewn on the the Werewolf manages to rip apart some hapless
ground than people in England. The villager into about twelve different pieces leaving
werewolf the audience in a state of shock and awe. Good stuff.
The feeling that comes across is that this movie was
meant to be truly an epic spectacle. Yet, because of over
editing, deep cuts, and production issues which pushed
it release date back a few years, the film seems choppy
and awkward in many spots. The final showdown of
the film comes across comedic instead of tragic and is
almost laughable. The film is still decent but there’s
no English fog thick enough to conceal all of its flaws.
If there is one aspect the film missed it’s what makes
werewolves such compelling monsters in the first
place. The answer is, besides the inner savage nature
of the beast, there is always a good man as well.
1941 /5
All photos by imdb.com
 14 Arts & Entertainment
The Falcon Flyer

Scorsese, DiCaprio reunite entailing illegal experiments and ex-Nazis. However, sometimes the things you see
Daniel Tadeo are deceptive.
Copy Editor Shutter Island is definitely not a movie that comes up to par with some of Scorsese’s
other works; however, it is one of those rare films that keep you guessing until the
The dynamic duo of legendary director Martin Scorsese (The Departed) and actor very end. As expected, DiCaprio displays his uncanny ability to “get into character,”
Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic) team up once again in an attempt to make yet another portraying Teddy Daniels with ease. Despite the countless changes in tone he had
classic. From The Aviator to The Departed, the team has been acknowledged as one to make, DiCaprio successfully carried the essence of his character throughout the
of Hollywood’s most successful partnerships, satiating all expectations that may movie. This excellence is displayed by the rest of the cast as well. Ruffalo’s nuance
come their way. This time around they tackle probably their most daunting project character, Chuck Aule, paired well with DiCaprio, while Kingsley’s Dr. Crawley kept
yet, Dennis Lehane’s everything secretive
bestselling novel, Shutter and mysterious.
Island. Michele Williams, who
Scorsese’s film follows plays Teddy’s deceased
the story of Teddy wife, may give the
Daniels (DiCaprio) and film’s most haunting
his new partner Chuck performance, no pun
Aule (Mark Ruffalo), intended.
two U.S Marshals who Sure,
are sent to investigate the ending may leave
the mysterious viewers utterly
disappearance of a dumbfounded; people
murderess from a who have read the book
federal prison for the countless times are
criminally insane located left just as perplexed.
on Shutter Island. Right Yet, this is exactly
from the get go, Scorsese what masterpieces
slams audiences with do; it leaves audiences
a sinisterly dark tone, questioning what they
using creatively eerie Photo by imdb.com have just watched,
music to pair with the making them beg to
morbid weather of the Leonardo DiCaprio descends deeper into a world of deleruim and paranoia in Shutter Island. know what they just
opening scene. As the saw. Shutter Island
boat transporting our fearless Marshals approached the island, I couldn’t stop undoubtedly takes moviegoers on a ride that is just too dense for one sitting, and it
thinking that they were simply being lead to their inevitable doom. Imagine that can quite possibly be more enjoyable watching it a second time. The film is indeed
boat ride to King Kong’s island and you pretty much get the picture. dark, moody, and to a certain extent, haunting, yet, it takes us to place that some
Once on the island, to our characters’ dismay, nothing in their investigation may not want to go. But then again, no one escapes the island.

/5
ever seems to go right…ever. From the dismal cooperation of hospital workers such
as Dr. Crawley (Ben Kingsley), the mastermind behind island operations, to the
hurricane-like weather which supposedly cut communications from the mainland;
it appeared that everything was going against them. Daniels soon questions the
validity of the island, ultimately believing that the whole thing is a conspiracy

New vampire series may revive genre Though there are many similarities between the the fact that she is a vampire all while everything is
Kaitlyn Miklancic books Twilight and The House of Night the two series starting to happen. Now it is up to Zoey to go to Kalona
Photographer are very different. The House of Night is about a sixteen and fix things. She better go or else everyone close to
year old girl who had gotten marked. her will suffer.
The House of Which means Now we are
Night is a thrilling that she had “...the way the author used left with the
series about become a questions,
vampires and vampire and descriptive words helped to will Zoey have
humans living in because of form a perfect picture in my the courage
a world together. this she had to do the
Written by Kristin to attend mind of...what was going on.” right thing?
Cast and PC Cast The House of Will she risk
this collection of Night school. everything to
books is unique While there, she meets a save someone?
and interesting boy named Erick and their Not only was the story line great in this novel, but
because it is story grows deeper, as many the way the author used descriptive words helped to
unlike any other events happen and things get form a perfect picture in my mind of what everyone
vampire series out twisted which all leads up to looked like and what was going on. Personally this was
there. The House the sixth book. my favorite book yet because of all the action and the
of night is about This book is titled Tempted drama. I could not put the book down once I started
Vampires and and it came into stores October reading it. Now I just cannot wait for Burned which
humans actually 27th 2009. Of all of the books will be coming into stores April 27. I am sure that this
living together and this one may have been the book will be even better then Tempted and all of the
Photo by booksvariety.com
yet fearing one most exciting one yet. Zoey other stories put together. So be sure to check this
another. has to juggle three guys and great series out soon.
 StudentLife
The Falcon Flyer
15
Pots of gold and little men
Kierra Elfalan
Staff Reporter

Photo by Kaitlyn Miklancic
“It’s stupid when peo-
ple pinch you.”
– Sandy Soto
Photo by Kaitlyn Miklancic
“It’s the only time that
I can actually go lep-
rechaun hunting.”
– Luke Jacobsen
With spring rapidly approaching, it is coming to that time again when flowers
start to bloom at the glimpse of sunlight, bears roll out of their cozy caves in search
for food, Leprechauns stretch their arms at the wonderful scent of spring air…..oh
right leprechauns, this can only mean one thing, St. Patty’s Day is just around the Photo by Megan Rogers
corner. The day filled with crazy superstitions, twisted legends, verdurous cloth-
ing, and shamrock shaped sugar cookies. The day that people celebrate for fun, but Photo by Megan Rogers
know almost nothing about with the exception of legends that have been fantasized
and greatly twisted over the centuries. The origins, the stories, and the culture all “It’s pointless.”
date back to ancient times and to the birth of a walking legend that industrialized
the modern world as we know it today. – Justin Martin
St. Patrick was born in about 390 A.D. in Great Britain (he was not truly Irish
but he later inherited their culture). St. Patrick’s goal in life was to spread the idea
of Christianity. He was a well known patron who traveled great distances and spoke
freely for what he believed in. He continued to fulfill his goal until he died on March
17, 461 A.D., a death not in vain. From then on the day was known as St. Patrick’s
Day in honor of St. Patrick. The people of Ireland adopted him and this holiday
as their own. This does not seem very exciting. Maybe that is why over time the
holiday altogether became based off of legends and myths. The stories have been
so twisted that it has become hard to tell the difference between fiction and facts.
Although, there are some things that people can be certain are fiction.
When people think of St. Patrick’s Day, most think leprechauns, pots of gold, and
rainbows; myths that make this holiday so much more fun to celebrate. The idea
of a short little guy, with red hair, and pointy ears, that is dressed as a shoe maker
in green seems to be what comes to mind. Perhaps everyone has heard the legend
of the tiny leprechauns (also known as Irish fairies). They enjoy making shoes, but
certainly do not enjoy encounters with the human species. Legend is, long ago hu-
mans were the ones that always tried to steal the leprechauns’ gold being the greedy
species that humans are, but humans rarely succeeded because the leprechauns
were known for their craftiness and speed. Perhaps everyone has heard different
versions of this legend, but they all fall somewhere along those lines.
Other things that come to mind are the superstitions, a tear producing pinch for
the children who forgot to wear green, a long face for those who have failed to reach Photo by Megan Rogers
the end of the rainbow before the leprechaun has already ran off with his pot of
gold, the warm comfort of luck for someone fortunate enough to find a four leafed “It’s a joke.”
clover. All the wonderful things that can be associated with this holiday.
St. Patrick’s Day may have been changed overtime but it is this holiday that – Dakota Lobdell
people love to celebrate no matter how real the idea is. Here are a few tips just to
be on the safe side so everyone has a good St. Patrick’s Day, wear green because
nobody wants to be that person who walks around like a paranoid zombie avoiding
physical contact for fear of an eye watering pinch. Also, do not try running to the
end of a rainbow because, first of all, one has to run back, and also, the only thing
most people will come back with is loss of breath and the nickname, “idiot,” because
anyone could have like, taken a bus or something.

•St. Patrick was actually born in Britain.

•St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland.

Did you
•Every year on St. Patrick’s Day the Chicago River is dyed green.
•Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish.
•Blue was originally the color associated with St. Patrick’s Day.

know? •Until the 1970’s, all pubs in Ireland closed on St. Patrick’s Day.
•The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place in 1737 in Boston.
•On St. Patrick’s Day 13 million pints of Guinness are consumed.
•The highest number of leaves found on a clover is 14!
 16 StudentLife
The Falcon Flyer
Olympians in the family
Tony Benshoof speeds down the track.
Michala Dymond-Shaw
Staff Reporter
In attempt to get a taste of the 2010 Winter Olym-
pics, traveling to Vancouver is not the only option. In-
stead, talk to sophomore Brian Benshoof. He is related
to Tony Benshoof, an accomplished luger who com-
peted in the Men’s Singles competition in this year’s
Olympics.
Though exciting, the 2010 Olympics are not a new
experience for the Minnesota native. T. Benshoof com-
peted in the 2002 and 2006 Olympics as well. While
Rhodes, more than meets the eye
Kiley Throop
Staff Reporter
Photo by Megan Rogers
Henoc Rhodes moved from Togo in Au-
Photo from creativecommons.com
he only came in 17th place in the 2002 Olympics, he
came remarkably close to a bronze medal in the 2006
Olympics; only .156 of a second came between him and
a medal. This is a remarkable feat, since the US has
never placed in Men’s Singles before. In this most re-
cent competition, T. Benshoof came in 8th place.
Although he was not entirely successful in the winter
games, Benshoof’s family is amazed with his achieve-
ments so far. “Even though he didn’t place, he was still
able to go, which is an accomplishment in itself,” B.
Benshoof said, “Still, it’s too bad that he isn’t coming
home with a medal.”
Although Olatoby Henoc Rhodes may seem to
blend in with the crowd, it quickly becomes clear
that this student is much more than the average
everyday person.
Rhodes first moved here from Togo in August,
where he had lived for the first fifteen years of his
life. Although it is much different here culturally,
according to him, it was not hard to make the tran-
sition, “I went to school and I wear my sweater,
that’s all,” said Rhodes.
Rhodes previously attended Blaise Pascal High
School in West Africa and said there was not much
of a difference, excluding the size. The school was
much smaller and had students from all grades.
At Rhodes’ former school, he studied French,
German, and English. In addition to fluently
speaking each of those languages, Rhodes also
speaks three African languages. “It was never dif-
ficult [to learn all of that,]” said Rhodes, “Only
German [was difficult] because I didn’t like it as
much.” Rhodes says he plans on learning a few
more languages and stopping after that. “It’s
easy,” said Rhodes.
Back home, Rhodes played in a soccer academy
for three years, however, he has not quite gotten
back into his usual routine. “[When I first moved
Despite his shortcomings, Benshoof’s family is glad
that he came home safely. “When we heard about the
death of that other luger, it got a little scary,” said B.
Benshoof. “You don’t realize how dangerous it is until
something bad like that actually happens.”
Dubbed the ‘laser’ by his Olympic teammates for his
precision on the sled, T. Benshoof lives up to his title.
He is the all-time leader in the US for the number of
international singles medals won; a staggering num-
ber of 37 to date.
Despite his talent, T. Benshoof claims that the 2010
Olympics will be his last. Due to three herniated disks
in his back, the luger will have to undergo back surgery.
Because of his injury, the sport causes him great pain.
Still, his family remains supportive until the luger of-
ficially calls it quits. “We’re all really proud of him. It’s
cool to see his hard work pay off,” said B. Benshoof.
Photo by Kaitlyn Miklancic
Brian Benshoof’s cousin competed in the luge Men’s Singles
event at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
here] I waited about four months before I played.
It was so bad for me,” said Rhodes. He does not
currently play for any clubs, but is practicing and
trying out for the school team. “Even after this, I’ve
got to go and practice some more,” said Rhodes.
As for his plans after graduating, Rhodes wishes
to pursue a soccer career. “I want to go to college,
find a soccer academy, and become a profession-
al,” said Rhodes. For right now, however, he is just
starting out. “I like school and I like to work hard,
that’s all,” said Rhodes.
By rising above the average student’s lack of
motivation and ambition, Rhodes continues to
strive towards his goals in the best way he can. “I
want to play for big teams in Europe, the U.S., […]
or for my own nationality,” said Rhodes.
Although Rhodes misses Togo, his former soc-
cer field, and his friends back home, he is enjoying
his experience here so far. “I like [it] down here.
It’s very good having good friends,” said Rhodes.
Rhodes’ easy-going nature makes moving to a
foreign country, and speaking six languages, seem
so easy. Either he has some secret method or is
simply just an extraordinary person; after having
a few quick conversations with Rhodes, however,
the latter is evident.
 StudentLife
The Falcon Flyer
17
EPIC saves the environment Pennywhistling phenom
Melissa Pitchford Keith Bolender
Staff Reporter Staff Reporter
Every once in a while one meets a person that just grows on them. Annoying at
first, sophomore Josh Bowen tends to grow on whomever he meets. One tends to
notice certain quirks about him, the most obvious being his incredible skill as a
pennywhistle player. He also revels in unfashionable fashion.
“Last Christmas my sister just found and picked up a pennywhistle, and started to
play quite poorly. So I said, hey I’m going to play poorly too, but I was actually pret-
ty good, and just kept playing,” said Bowen. Bowen has mastered his instrument
in a short amount of time, about one year.
“I sat on my roof with my elf hat and just
played all day,” said
an Irish folk band
“I sat on my Bowen. He has joined
named “Heartstring”
and has made quite a roof with splash. Bowen has col-
lected many different
and he can play in 25 my elf hat and whistles, 19 to be exact,
different keys. Those
who have ever seen
heard him play a
just him, have probably
jaunty tune.
As far as his fashion played all is concerned, he likes
to dress in unusual
will come to school
day” ways. Sometimes he
in a bright yellow get up
that he has dubbed
is not his only odd
- Josh Bowen the “Banana Suit.” This
get up. “I also really like
Fedoras…like, a lot,” said Bowen.
For those that do not know Bowen, he may be recognized from the drama depart-
ment’s last production, Pamalot. Bowen may have also been seen in the pep band,
playing his saxophone and yelling with the rest of the group.
So when someone sees Bowen in the hallways, they should go ahead and say “hi.”
He is not shy and would love to make friends. Believe it, he can not be missed. Let’s
just say he stands out, a lot.

Photo by Melissa Pitchford

EPIC club president Oliva Sobczyk does her part by recycling.

Going Green is the new thing. The Earth Protection is Cool club is doing their
part by not only helping Kentlake but, making the community become more aware
about the environment. Every Wednesday EPIC meets in Mrs. Finley’s room. (1504)
They then discuss upcoming projects and brainstorm who they can help next.
EPIC started in 2007 when some of Finley’s students wanted to start the club.
“They came and asked me to be their supervisor, I thought it was a worthy en-
deavor,” said Finley, “I was really hopeful to try to be able to impact Kentlake in a
positive way.”
Last year the club put up environmental reservoir signs at Clark Lake to make the
public aware of the wetlands, they also worked around the park taking out scotch
broom. This year, the club plans on making Kentlake “Go Green” based on King
County’s new requirements. President Olivia Sobczyk’s plans for this year include
working on the road near Lake Morton that the club has just adopted and getting
recycle bins put in more convenient places.
This year the club is selling t-shirts for Earth Day. Throughout previous years,
EPIC has sold shirts and reusable water bottles. “In the fall next year we want to
sell reusable bags, like the ones you see at Safeway,” said Finley, “So far we’ve been
most successful with fundraising.”
Kentlake is slowly becoming greener, with the health classes recycling weekly and
recycle bins in every class room. Included on each bin is a list of what is acceptable
to recycle. “Kentlake’s knowledge on recycling isn’t completely horrible, but I think
we could do a lot better,” said Sobczyk. “It’s good that recycling bins are easily ac-
cessible but if there were bins in the lunch room that would be way better.”
During lunch, the majority of students fail to be as eco-friendly as possible. In
fact, most do not even know what is and is not recyclable. “I hate seeing all the re-
cyclables being thrown away [during lunch],” said Finley, “So many kids buy water
bottles everyday and instead they could be using one made out of recycled materi-
als.”
Participating in EPIC not only helps the environment, but boosts some personal
morale. “My favorite part is the prospect of something bigger than myself. Maybe
we haven’t stopped global warming [but] at least we’re trying.” said Sobczyk. So
Photo by Kaitlyn Miklancic
save that Dasani bottle and refill it, ‘brown-bag’ it instead of buying a lunch with
Styrofoam trays, and always aim that paper airplane towards the blue recycle bin. Josh Bowen with his pennywhistle and signature fedora.
18 Sports
The Falcon Flyer

Junior and senior girls face-off

Sam Kier: Quarterback Ryan Snyder
Staff Reporter
A typical football game sets
several overly large males
against each other, but on March
12 the annual Powder Puff foot-
ball extravaganza changes this
trend. It is here that the women
of the junior and senior classes
face-off in mankind’s most sa-
cred sport-excluding NASCAR
of course.
Junior Nicole Parks said, “[I]
joined the team because [I] have
never played football before and
thought that it would be fun
to try.” As a representative of
the junior team, she also said
the team’s strategy for winning
Nicole Parks: Receiver “is to run our plays correctly
and have fun.” Another junior,
Brittney Bynum said “[I hope
the team can] catch every pass,
hit as hard as [we] can, and run
like the wind.” Preparation is
a vital part of achieving goals.
Parks said “to prepare for the
game our team will practice as
often as we can.”
Jake McKinzie was asked by
the girls and accepted the po-
sition of coach. What he likes
most about the game is that the
girls get to have fun. His main
good time. “The girls are work-
ing hard, and they are having a
Seniors
good time. That’s what it’s all
about.” McKinzie said.
Senior Kelsey Meyer said “I
joined because I played last year
and I enjoy hanging out with my
friends and we all have a pretty
good time together.” The seniors
have a similar strategy as the ju-
niors. Meyer said, “[Our] strat-
egy for winning would be to give
everything we’ve got and hope
for the best. To prepare, our
team is going to practice hard
and touch up our plays so that Courtney Stewart:
we can play to our best ability.”
Mark Gunderson coaches the Quarterback
senior team because he enjoys
it. The best thing about it is “see-
ing girls that have never played
football actually play. Some are
really good!” said Gunderson.
A personal strategy for Gunder-
son is to make sure the team can
score more touchdowns than the
juniors. “It has been a fun ex-
perience [coaching the team]!”
said Gunderson.
On the horizon is another glori-
ous sporting event that beckons
Falcon fans to cheer it up. Make
sure to put on bedazzled Falcon
garb, don fresh red and black
face paint, and pack the stands

Juniors strategy for the game is to just of the showdown at French Mai Kue Lor: Linebacker
let the girls go out and have a Field. 7:00 pm. Be there.
Photos by Megan Rogers

Tragedy and triumph define Winter Games

Brian Benshoof
Staff Reporter
What began in tragedy with the accidental death of
a Georgian luger ended in brotherhood and unity as
the flames were extinguished in Vancouver on Feb. 28
as the 2010 Winter Olympics ended.
When the world comes together to compete against
each other, there is always heartbreak and tears. On
this occasion, emotions were felt from a different loss;
Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died when he
lost control of his sled on Feb. 12. At 89 mph he flipped
his sled and hit a pole off the track. He was the fourth
Winter Olympian in the history of the Games to die
while preparing for the competition.
After the track was shortened and declared safe,
the Games began. America sadly got their buttocks
whooped in the luge competition. Germany won five
medals, taking first in luge. Christian Niccum and
Dan Joye placed sixth overall. Additionally, Tony Ben-
shoof, competing in his second Olympic Games, placed
eighth.
Curling is the most exciting and action packed sport
of choice by any Olympian. The ‘ice-sweeping’ began
on Feb 16. Canada took gold in the Men’s Final. Yet
the real upset in a sport of true serenity was the Nor-
wegian’s shocking fashion statement. Sporting a red,
white, grey and blue diamond pattern on their pants,
they were the envy of every broom-pusher in Vancou-
ver. Norway won silver medals in the competition,
with gold in fashion.
The Double McTwist 1260. The tricks title itself
screams gold-medal worthy, and it was. Shaun White
annihilated his competition in the Men’s Halfpipe,
with a score three points greater than silver medalist
Peetu Piiroinen of Sweden. Seth Wescott won gold in
Men’s Snowboard Cross, and Hannah Teter in Wom-
en’s Halfpipe.
Evan Lysacek is possibly the number one figure
skater in the world, and he once again proved that ti-
tle. Appearing at the Games for the first time, Lysacek
stunned the world as he won back America’s gold in
Men’s singles.
As Sidney Crosby put away the overtime goal in
Men’s Hockey Final’s, the entire stadium and coun-
try of Canada was thrown into a state of ecstasy and
delight. Both Canada and America stood on the podi-
ums receiving gold and silver medals. Both Men’s and
Women’s concluded with the same standings: Canada
(gold), USA (silver), and Finland (bronze).
While the country of Canada hugged and high-fived
over their victories, the recently medaled women de-
cided to celebrate in another way. After the stadium
was cleared, the team decided to revisit the scene of
their greatest moment. The Olympians, the athletes
that should best represent their respectable countries,
broke out on the ice with champagne and cigars. Af-
terward apologies were sent out from the Canadian
team.
Seattle’s own Apolo Ohno took home silver in the
short track speed skating 1500 meter dash, finishing
only .365 seconds behind South Korea’s Lee Jung-Su.
Sung Si-Bak and Lee Ho-Suk, of South Korea, crashed
into each other on the final lap, lost their footing, and
slid into the wall. This gave Ohno, who was previously
in fourth, the opening he needed to medal. J.R. Cel-
ski, Ohno’s teammate, placed third behind him. Ohno
is now the most decorated short track speed skating
Olympian, with six medals.
In the Women’s competition China took gold in ev-
ery speed skating event with the help of Wang Meng,
who holds the record of the most medals in a winter
Olympics career.
Although NBC’s coverage of these Games glorified
America’s athletes, the true victor was the home team.
Canada finished with 14 gold, seven silver, and five
bronze, totaling 26 medals. America only won nine
gold, 15 silver, and 13 bronze, with 30 in all.
When the ceremony concluded the athletes departed
Vancouver and returned to their home countries with
pride and beaming smiles.

Athletes spring into shape Danica Patrick disgusts
Freshman Victoria Lanza practices hurdling for the upcoming
season.
Erin Hunt
Staff Reporter
From the days of cutting
through the baseball fields
on fitness day at Cedar
Heights to dreading the
weight lifting run days at
Kentlake, most teens strive
to avoid excess sprinting.
However, this upcoming
track season
participants
welcome the “The track motto is,
athletic chal-
lenge;
they do not
and ‘Train and compete
plan to cut
corners. With like champions.’”
a young but
well rounded
team, track
-Jami Weinbrecht
anticipates
a successful and fun 2010
season.
Coach Jami Weinbrecht
gives a fitting outline for
the season, she said, “We
have a pretty young team,
we want everyone to have
a fun time but be competi-
tive.” She continued to ex-
plain that the track motto
is, “Train and compete like
champions.” Captains and
coaches hope this motto
will lead to state partici-
pants and a winning re-
cord.
Senior captain Sean Ca-
vanagh said, “[We are ex-
Photo by Michaela Mandala
pecting] to win majority of
our meets.” Along with the
meets, the team hopes to
send a large group of indi-
viduals to the state meet.
“I think we should send
more people then last year
to state,” said senior cap-
tain Bryan Cavanagh.
According to S. Cava-
nagh, “Last year [the track
team] was ok-not the very
best-but ok. The boys won
more than the girls. We’d
like to have the girls win
more often this year.” An-
other season hope is to
have an increased amount
of girls turn out to the
track. Senior captain Erin
Collins said, “[We’re hop-
ing] to get more girls on
the team because [last
year] the girls team was
very small.” Also, the team
faces a recovery from a
loss of several key seniors.
Junior captain Alex Straus
said, “We lost a lot of se-
Captains
Alex
Straus
Bryan
Cavanagh
Christi
Blanton
Erin
Collins
Sean
Cavanagh
nior athletes, like Zach
Smith, Cody Arp… and
Jordan Powers. So we’re
trying to rebuild our team
and be competitive for the
season.” Straus continues
to explain that track “is a
numbers game” and that
“the more people you have
the more likely you are to
get points and points lead
to winning.”
Winning
does seem to
be a possibil-
ity with the
anticipated
turn
Weinbrecht
out.
said, “We’re
going to have
a good group
of throw-
ers and hurdles…Also, we
have a good core of sprint-
ers.”
Straus agrees with his
coach, he said, “We are
going to be a pretty well
rounded team this year.
We have at least one good
person in each event.” Col-
lins said, “I think long dis-
tance will do fairly well.”
Clearly, a variety of events
have the potential to suc-
ceed. With competition
just around the corner, the
track team is hard at work
preparing for the upcom-
ing season.
The Falcon Flyer
Sports
Excessive media attention undeserved
Jason Hirschey
Sports Opinion Writer
NASCAR has yet to find a solid fan
base in the Northwest even with the
likes of Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle,
two fulltime drivers from Wash-
ington State. However, this season
NASCAR welcomed its most antici-
pated rookie driver, Danica Patrick.
She is a notable IndyCar driver ac-
cumulating only one win in 81 starts.
However, Patrick may best be known
as a “Go Daddy Girl” as seen on sev-
eral racy and controversial commer-
cials. This season Patrick joined the
notorious JR Motorsports team for
the NASCAR Nationwide Series and
part-time drives the number 7 Chevy
sponsored by GoDaddy.com. Patrick
drives the media crazy. A woman
racing in NASCAR is unheard of. It
seems nothing of this magnitude has
ever happened.
False. The first woman to race
in NASCAR was 61 years ago; her
name was Sara Christian. She cur-
rently holds the record for the only
Top Five finish
“The media
by a woman in
NASCAR his-
tory when she
finished fifth in
1949 at Heidel- makes such
a big deal
berg Raceway.
Since Chris-
tian there have
been 14 women
to race in the about her, it
NASCAR series.
is sickening.”
So what makes
Patrick so spe-
cial? Simply,
she was the first woman to win an
IndyCar race when she dominated
the 2008 Indy Japan 300. No other
woman has ever won a major race
in recorded history; except Shawna
Robinson. She won three races in
the now defunct NASCAR Dash Se-
ries. Clearly, Patrick is only racing to
prove she can race with the men.
Patrick has competed in a total
of four NASCAR races, one ARCA/
Remax Series race and three Nation-
wide races. Her first race was Feb.
6 when she drove in the ARCA/Re-
max race at Daytona. She qualified
twelfth and finished sixth. Wow, she
finished in the Top 10 at Daytona
International Speedway, a racetrack
where drivers literally step on the ac-
celerator the entire race. She proved
nothing except she can step on the
gas.
Her second race was the Nation-
wide race at Daytona. Here she quali-
fied fifteenth but failed to finish after
being caught in a 12-car wreck. The
crash was simply not her fault. She
19
tried to avoid the wreck by skirting
down to bottom of the track but was
just nicked on her front right bumper
which sent her into the outside wall
off of turn four. It is difficult for any
rookie to learn the dimensions of the
car and have the ability to recognize
where a wrecked car will end up and
Patrick was just in the wrong place at
the wrong time. The next week she
shall surely redeem herself.
Wrong. Patrick qualified only thir-
ty-ninth with a speed of 172.989 mph
in the Nationwide race at California.
She started the race thirty-sixth and
drove with all her heart, and finished
thirty-first. During the race six cars
did not finish. Therefore, for all the
cars that finished the entirety of the
race, Patrick moved backwards one
position to finish thirty-first. Also,
she finished three laps, six miles, be-
hind the leader.
Now on to the Nationwide race at
Las Vegas. Here Patrick qualified the
forty-third fastest speed but started
the race thirty-seventh. Maybe this
will be the week where she really
shows what she
can do, maybe
now is her time.
Well, after hav-
ing only raced 82
laps, she crashed.
Driving on the
low side, she was
hit by Michael
McDowell on her
right side which
sent her into the
wall. McDowell
took the blame
for the incident,
but honestly, he was just being chiv-
alrous.
After Patrick’s first three Nation-
wide races, her average finish was
thirty-fourth and she only ran an
average of 64 laps a race, a terrible
showing. The media makes such a
big deal about her, it is sickening.
Commercials and magazines post
her as a sex icon when in reality,
she is not attractive in the slightest.
Maybe people think she looks hot
when her hair is blowing in the wind
behind her as she comes in last.
Patrick is not a great racer and
with her attitude she will not get very
far. She is a whiney little girl who
complains about the track and the
other drivers. She needs to grow up
and prove that she can race before
fans should even acknowledge her
existence. Just be glad that Patrick
is taking a four month leave of NAS-
CAR to compete in the IZOD Indy-
Car series, because educated society
simply disapproves of Danica Patrick
and the media hype that follows her.
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