Fall Senior Night
By Kassandra Guzman
As the fall sports seasons came to an end, each sport celebrated their seniors. A lot of emotion comes with senior night because it represents their last high school home game and for certain kids, it's the last time they will ever play that sport for a team. For girls' soccer, most of their season was postponed due to smoke, and senior night was sadly not an exception. After some rescheduling, the girls played Oct 24th against Forest Ridge. There were 7 seniors on the team that will leave a massive hole to fill for next year. That same day, shortly after the soccer game, volleyball senior night started. With the team going to playoffs, this would not be their last home game ever, but it was the last league game. There were only 3 senior girls but that did not make it any less special. Tears were shed from parents, coaches and teammates. Football had 8 seniors. Many of which have played on the team together since freshman year and one being their manager. This year the Turks had a winning season and crushed their last game 28-6 against Bellingham High School. Let’s not forget the 2 wonderful senior cheerleaders that have supported every sport. Their energy is unmatched and we will be seriously missing them on our sidelines. As sad as senior night can be, it also means new beginnings and just honoring what the seniors left behind including the impact on their teammates and coaches. Go class of 2023!!!!
Grace and The Gentle Giants
By Kegan Thomas Aamold
Note: My girlfriend is so pretty, and I love her.
Grace Plummer is a very smart, elegant, overachieving, and awesome person. She participates in sports and clubs at this school, does running starts, and makes incredible pancakes that can give Gordan Ramsey a run for his money.
Grace is also my wonderful girlfriend, and she makes me happy every day I’m with her. Getting to know her was an amazing journey and is probably one of the most inspiring people I have ever met in my entire life.
One thing about my loving girlfriend is she loves the “Gentle Giants” (aka Giraffes). These beautiful creatures stand around 14-17 ft. tall for females and 16-19 ft. tall for males.
Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans—about 6 feet. These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances and cruise comfortably at 10 miles an hour over longer distances.
Giraffes only need to be drink once every few days. Most of their water comes from all the plants they eat, I don’t recommend that for humans, a quick disclaimer. Giraffes only need 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24-hour period! They often achieve that in quick naps that may last only a minute or two at a time.
Grace loves giraffes for how cute they look and the silly things they often do. Gentle is a great reason for my girlfriend to love giraffes along with how strong they are. This animal won’t take anything from nobody, a giraffe would win a fight against a lion. Notice that we said one giraffe would win against a single lion if they were both fully grown.
Some of you guys may know my girlfriend, and some might not know her, but either way, you learn about something very important to her and what she loves about these “Gentle Giant’s”.
From Drawing to Painting
By: Oakley Haney
In the last issue of Turk Times, we discussed the difference between woodshop and advanced woods. This issue, we will look at the differences, and similarities, between drawing and painting.
Now, the name obviously states what the classes are about, but what is involved? First, let's look at drawing. Drawing focuses on the basic principles of creating art. From learning general knowledge to applying your skills, there is an array of things to learn. Practice is one of the most important things about drawing. Some people are naturally better than others, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be successful. You have to “put effort into it” in order to succeed, says one student. Next, let’s look at painting. Painting is “probably my favorite” out of the two classes. They are very similar. Most of the basics you learn in drawing can be applied to painting. For example, “you have to draw your paintings before you paint”. Besides the obvious, the classes are very similar. Even when grading, “there is no difference in the grading criteria”.
What can students do to get the best grade possible? Well, making sure your painting has “lots of value” (making sure things such as shadows and light things are visible) as well as simply putting in effort will help your grade. As long as you spend time working on and improving your paintings/drawings you will get a good grade. Make sure you complete your work on time and do everything to the best of your ability. If expanding on your creative skills by creating drawings and paintings sounds interesting to you, you should consider taking these classes! (Note that you have to complete and pass drawing before you can take painting.) If you have any further questions, you can ask students who have previously taken the class as well as the teacher, Mr. Anderson!
Turkey Spirit Week
By Jacqueline Limon-Carrillo
The month of November went by fast, the week before thanksgiving break had a spirit week dedicated to thanksgiving! On Monday the 14th students had a family themed day, seniors were senior citizens, juniors were mid-age, sophomores were tweens and freshmen were toddlers. Some seniors went all out this day and had their grandma and grandpa outfits with wigs! Tuesday was a fun mismatch day! Students were seen wearing different shoes, different socks, outfits with colors that don’t coordinate. So many students dressed up for this day and it was so fun seeing everyone in their outfits. Wednesday was dress like a movie or show character. Staff and students both participated in this day and went all out. Ms. Gary dressed up as Mimi Bobeck and even Mr. Grady went all out and went Dwight Shrute. Thursday was dress like your type.
So many people had fun with this day, students dressed like their significant others or as people they would typically go for it. Casey Sifferman even wore his girlfriend’s dress! Students had so much fun on this day and their creative skills really came out. Friday was class color day! Freshman are purple, sophomores are orange, juniors got yellow and seniors are green! Juniors and Seniors are currently tied in points for this week. Overall though, Juniors are in lead with 240 points. Many students agreed that this spirit week was fun. In case students may not know, the class with the most points spirit week points for the first semester will receive Crumble Cookies! So, students, don’t forget to participate so you can enjoy a nice delicious one-of-a-kind cookie.
Staff Spotlight!
Angela Heath
By Maria Vazquez
As soon as we wake up and go to school there are things that come up throughout the day that can be quite unpleasant and make us feel stressed and overwhelmed. Sometimes we’ll walk into school not knowing what new book to read or we simply just have issues with our laptops. However, we are so incredibly lucky to have someone who works relentlessly everyday and shows kindness to absolutely everyone that come up to her. Everyday Mrs. Heath works so incredibly hard to ensure kids have what they need to get their stuff done. She writes down computer problems and reports them, organizes books, fixes problems, and is just all around a role model to every single individual that crosses her path.
Students are even allowed to go in during their lunches and eat or hangout in there, which in most cases is a big no-no from other librarians but NOT for her. She is kind and I’ve heard from others around that she’s understanding of kids and has intentions of helping them in any given way that she is able to. While I was asking her a few questions about her job you could see how incredibly passionate she is about her job and although it comes with various, harsh obstacles, she is so amazing that she views and pushes past those obstacles and turns every one into an opportunity for growth and development.
Shed mentioned that she “absolutely loves that she gets to help so many different students every single day”. Keep in mind that all I asked her was what do you like about your job and without hesitation she included a response that expressed how much she loves working with students everyday while she had this huge smile on her face. I also asked her the hardest part of her job is and she could have said so many things, but she mentioned that there simply” isn’t enough time in a day for her to do all that she wants to do to help our school and our students”. Other students have always mentioned that Ms. Heath is like our “school mom” because she treats us with so much kindness and respect, she understands that we are teenagers and have hard moments at times, so she gives us so much liberty and flexibility even when some kids aren’t being very nice.
The last thing I asked was how she managed to balance her work and personal life with so many things she has going on and she replied with “she doesn’t get enough sleep very much”. But although that’s the case she’s told me she loves what she does, and it makes her happy because she’s helping others.
Ms. Heath is only 1 of the many teachers in this school that makes school fun and helps students feel comfortable to ask for help. This was only a slight sneak peak of what she likes to do and why she chooses to do it and help students. Please feel free to go into the library whenever you have a chance and thank Ms. Heath for all she does!
Cross Country Season 2021-2022
By Logan Konicki
The first thing that needs to be noted about the cross-country season of 21-22 is that the kids progressed a ton from the first practice to the last meet. The short time that I spoke with Jeff Brumley (the coach) he said that some of the kids might not be the greatest runners but they most definitely improved and showed great perseverance throughout the season. Brumley said that a couple kids to note were Michael Knoop and Gavin Lasby. These two are both seniors and they were also the most improved throughout the season.
The season/meets were going good and steady until that was unfortunately interrupted. The Bolt Creek Fire which started Sept. 10. This fire brought unwanted smoke and ash into the air which then started to lead to canceling practices and then eventually the meets started to get postponed. Even though the meets got postponed, most of them went on to just get canceled entirely. Due to the fact that cross country is a strictly outdoor sport it was hard to relocate these practices. When I spoke with Brumley he briefly mentioned holding these practices in the gym but he said that would just be simply impractical. He also mentioned just having practice anyways but only if the runners wanted to and obviously not force them to run in the unhealthy conditions.
To wrap up the season there wasn’t much that we could really do. The air quality was just too poor to go on. We did have a few Turks that did make it to districts. That is the good news though and there is not much of that. The seniors did not see much of a season as their last year of cross country and the freshman also didn’t get to truly experience what SHS cross country is like.
WHAT’S COOKING IN THE KITCHEN?
Written by: Kassandra Guzman
The food in the SHS cafeteria has been seeing some changes and everyone is noticing. In the past it seems we have had the same rotation of food cycling throughout the year. This year we have seen some new things such as the baked potato bar and Mediterranean pizza. The delicious food is not limited to lunch, at breakfast time, kids line up to receive freshly baked, warm muffins. “I have really been enjoying the changes and am excited to see what other things they pull out that kitchen” said Ivan, a high school lunch enthusiast. Ms. Flores, Bradley, Sherrill, and Steele have been working hard in the kitchen to provide for all of us, so next time you see them, say THANK YOU!
Christmas is Around the Corner
By Kamryn Skeith
Christmas is coming up really, really soon! There are only a couple days left before Winter Break. Winter Break is one of the longest breaks of the year where we get to leave school for two whole weeks and enjoy spending time with our families. But there's more, you don’t just get to spend time with your family, but also your friends outside of school in the snow “do you wanna build a snowman, doesn't have to be a snowman” Anna from Frozen, for those who don’t know, this is the iconic phrase in the song. As the days pass by it comes closer to the 25th of December which is the best time of the year because it’s Christmas! Which is the day we all love because of presents and food. Especially those Christmas cookies! After getting all your new things from Christmas, there is another holiday coming, New Year's which is the holiday we get to say goodbye to this year and hello to the new year we hope to be better than the last. But before we can enjoy this lovely break; we have to finish these last couple days of school so let’s power through and get It done. Happy Holidays!
Kegan’s Fun Facts: Holiday Edition
1 in 3 men wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping.
The word 'Hanukkah' means 'dedication' The holiday celebrates the triumph of Maccabees in reclaiming their temple after it was desecrated by Syrian-Greeks.
"Jingle Bells" was the first song played in space.
Doughnuts Are the Most Popular Hanukkah Treat in Israel.
Kwanzaa is a weeklong holiday of African heritage and culture in the African American community in the United States that is observed from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.
Kwanzaa can be celebrated in different ways, but celebrations often include storytelling, songs, dance, and a large meal.
In Ukraine, spiders are considered symbols of good luck at Christmas.
Hanukkah is not a major religious holiday in the Jewish calendar.
Kwanzaa is reportedly celebrated by millions of people of African descent each year.
Ask Alex
Need Advice?
By: Ivan Acosta
Q: How do I get better grades in school?
A: If you want to succeed in school, you should make sure you have time for your homework and be paying attention in school. Don’t procrastinate your work, put your phone down every once in a while, and give yourself the quiet space and time to do so.
Macron In D.C.
By Cai Neigel
December 1st, 2022, Emannuel Macron, and his wife travelled to Washington D.C. to meet with President
Joe Biden and the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden for the first state visit of their presidency. Between tours of
various sites in D.C, Biden and Macron had many issues to discuss. Chief among the problems had to do
with discussions regarding the end of the war in Ukraine, and how that shall be negotiated. Both nations
have different policy with Biden planning to wait for Ukraine to make the first move, while Macron
intends to push for peace as soon as Ukraine’s terms are set. The two leaders also had room for praise for
each other with Biden claiming France as, “an unwavering partner” and the United States, “oldest ally.”
Which in turn led to remarks by Macron praising the current administration’s foreign policy with regards
to climate change and health. Also floating in discussion is the two nations' plan to coordinate issues in
the Pacific like human rights abuses and global issues like climate change. Not all talk was positive
though. Macron was strongly critical of the benefits the Inflation Reduction Act provided for American
EV manufacturers, which provided billions in subsidies. Macron claimed it as, “protectionist” as the law
serves as an incentive to purchase exclusively American vehicles. In response, Biden explained that there
were, “some glitches” in the law but that it’s open to change. Following this the Macrons’ toured D.C.
and New Orleans before heading back home to France.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/01/politics/biden-macron-state-visit/index.html
Winter Sports have Begun:
By Kamryn Skeith
Now that the winter season has begun things are now on the role for all our wonderful winter sports
teams. As all our teams have had their first games and tournaments these past couple weeks, they are
cruising along. The Girls Basketball team had a rough start to their season this year with two losses so
far against Kings and Cashmere. The Boys Basketball team has had a great start to their season this year
with a win against Cashmere. The Wrestling team had a good tournament on December 3rd where they
took 7th which was their first tournament of the year. As all our winter season sports continue this year,
we hope to see the Girls Basketball team get out of their slump, Boys Basketball continue to win their
games and see our Wrestling team improve every tournament they go to. But we also hope to see you
there, to cheer them on at every home event there is for all our winter sports this year. Go Turks!
SNOW IN NOVEMBER
By Maria Vazquez
LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOWWWWW!! Oh yes Washington state, the state that says you’ll get a sunny day and not even 2 hours later BAM! Rain, or the weather forecast says its going to rain and then BAM! You get hail, but something never heard of is Washington state having SNOW IN NOVEMBER?!! Tuesday November 29th, we began to see the snowflake icon pp up on our weather app and small itty-bitty flakes fall early in the morning. However around like 9:40am we started seeing HUGE FLAKES start hitting the ground and people going out to play in the snow going to 3rd period. All you could see were the huge smile and laughs filling the air with the joy and happiness we all felt seeing these huge indicators that Christmas is right around the corner falling from the sky and sticking to the ground, it covered the ground with a slight coat of snow and even the slightest coat was able to put the brightest smile on all our faces. As you walked around and came across all these students playing with snow and having these huge smiles on their face it makes you realize that Christmas is right around the corner and the snow in the air makes it all come together like a puzzle. While walking around the next day I had the chance to ask some of my classmate’s questions such as “how does the snow in November make you feel”? I had one classmate that came all the way from California say that it was “quite bizarre and rare to see any type of snow in California until later on so he was happy and excited to see that there was snow on the ground”. He also mentioned that once the snow was following on the ground he went outside with friends and began to build snowman’s and have snowball fights. Snow in November is unheard of here in the evergreen state and being able to have snow around this time of year is such a blessing, especially for those who are new to our evergreen state or are just visiting. Although we don’t know if we’ll get more snow later but, in the meantime, we are all super excited to see all this beautiful snow on the ground and are crossing our fingers for the snow to stick around for a little longer to give us a white Christmas. Although the snowstorm we got in November made it impossible for us to take our cars out and drive safely it made even the people that dislike the holiday seasons feel a little bit warmer inside. The gingerbread houses, putting up or trees, decorating, spending time with family, and snow are all part of the holly jolly Christmas spirit and its made us come even closer together as a community because now we are focused and determined on making more winter drives given the cold winter season to ensure that almost every person has at least a warm winter coat to spend time with during these cold time.