Roberts will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City on June  27, 2010 in a youth choir with other high school kids from all over the country and Canada. The choir will be singing three classical songs, two musical pieces, one song from the Lion King, and one contemporary song.

Roberts was nominated by music teacher, Aimee Mell, and worked with his voice teacher Vicky Melton to make an audition tape. Roberts sang “The Turtle Dove” for his audition tape. Mell nominated Roberts because he is a natural talent who works really hard and has an innate understanding of music. Because Mell is unable to do extensive trips with her students, she is trying to find other ways for them to get these memorable experiences.

“I nominated him because he is an exceptional musician, and it’s every musician’s aspiration to sing in Carnegie Hall. It’s one of those defining experiences for a musician,” Mell said.

“This experience has really opened my eyes in terms of the choral world and all the opportunities that it holds,” Roberts said.

Roberts started singing in eighth grade when he joined his school choir. Roberts is also in the Tacoma Youth Choir who practices once a week and then has ten to fifteen performances per year. Roberts also gets voice lessons once a week. He started choir in eighth grade because he really liked the idea of all the different parts of the choir working together as one.

“Sometimes, I have a fire within me that I cannot express or get out in another way than singing,” Roberts said.

The performers will arrive in New York on June 23 and rehearse with the choir for five days and then perform on June 27. The performers will also get the opportunity to tour Juilliard School, the top performing arts school in the country and to watch either “The Lion King” or “The Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway.

“I think that the whole experience will be great because some artist wait their whole lives to perform at Carnegie Hall, and I get the chance to perform at 1s7,” Roberts said.

Roberts says that he definitely wants to continue performing after high school. He would also like to sing professionally, but he does not know if he will.

(Photo courtesy of eyesonobama)

The legalization of marijuana, also known as cannabis, pot, tea, grass, hash, or weed, is the subject of debate throughout the country.

Marijuana is made from the leaves and flowers of the Indian hemp plant, cannabis sativa, and it is usually crushed and formed into cigarettes for smoking. It is an anesthetic, antibiotic, and antidepressant drug that causes euphoria, visual hallucinations, dizziness, and mood changes. Consumption can also lead to difficulty in thinking and problem solving, an increase in heart rate, and impaired coordination. Serious problems will arise when one abuses the drug and takes it in excessive amounts.

Nevertheless, marijuana is not an addictive drug. The word, addiction, is used to describe a chronic desire to engage in a specific activity despite detrimental consequences to health. Drug addiction involves physical dependence that consists of painful withdrawal symptoms such as shaking and shivering, vomiting, increases in blood pressure, temperature, and the rate of breaking, and even death. Physical dependence can occur from small amounts of narcotics.

Scientists have realized that the brain makes its own pleasure-producing chemicals such as endorphins and enkephalins that fit into the neurons of the brain. However, narcotics contain chemicals that fit these neurons and produce feelings of happiness, so the brain stops the production of its own endorphins and enkephalins due to increasing use of narcotics.  As a result, these narcotics makes normal functioning of the body impossible unless the drug is present.

For marijuana, withdrawal symptoms are neither medically serious nor dangerous. Some symptoms include loss of appetite, anxiety, headache, nausea, inability to sleep, and increased aggression.

However, psychological dependence, does occur among certain types of users due to long-term use of marijuana. Although psychological dependence does not make one’s body physically dependent on a drug and is not life-threatening, it may cause people to have difficulties in limiting their use and alienate themselves from friends and families due to their focus on taking marijuana.

Cannabis psychosis, a mental illness that can cause serious damages in judgment and hallucinations, may occur, but this psychiatric reaction is caused by heavy, chronic use of marijuana.

The federal government and many state governments treats marijuana like other controlled substances, such as cocaine and heroin, by making the possession, cultivation, and distribution of marijuana, including medical marijuana, illegal.

“I find that if you classify marijuana as a drug, then cigarettes should also be [considered as a drug] because they are infinitely more harmful to people and addictive,” Nathan Fisher (’11) said.

In several federal cases, judges have ruled that medical marijuana cannot be used as a defense. Marijuana convictions are eligible for imprisonment and a sentence to jail depending on the amount of marijuana and past convictions. Low-level offenses may end up with probation and no jail time.

“A minor infraction from doing marijuana can follow you for the rest of your life and prevent you from obtaining jobs,” Jack Duchin (’12) said.

However Washington is one of the 13 states that has a medical marijuana law, which allows patients who have fatal or harmful diseases to have a 60-day supply of marijuana. Medical marijuana includes many medical benefits such as nausea reduction, increased appetite, and control of muscle spasms, seizures, and chronic pain.

However, problems have arisen in this law since it is illegal to purchase the cannabis plant or its seeds. Patients cannot obtain this drug through pharmacies; instead, they have to either grow this plant or obtain it from a designated care provider. A designated provider is a person who is at least 18 years old and has been designated to possess medical marijuana in writing by a qualified patient. Nonetheless, a designated care provider can only grow up to 15 plants.

Many people believe that marijuana should be legalized. In fact, in a Jan. poll of 500 adults in Washington by SurveyUSA, 56 percent of adults believed that legalizing marijuana is a good idea.  The national movement for legalization states that medical marijuana can relieve nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer and AIDS and reduce muscle pain associated with multiple sclerosis, a disease that injures the nerve impulses, to prevent epileptic seizures.

These supporters also proclaim that this drug is a mild hallucinogen that is not similar to addictive narcotics and believe that it would reduce crimes because drug dealers and terrorists would lose most or all of their business.

“If marijuana is legalized, then it can cut down crimes related to marijuana.  Also, it can take away the exciting aspect of marijuana because if marijuana is forbidden, then people want it more,” Ashley Williams (’10) said.

“Marijuana should be legal because most of the violence comes from it being illegal. If it was legalized, then police wouldn’t have to break drug cartels,” Max Faran (’13) said.

“Marijuana should be legal to consume and distribute because it is a harmless plant with numerous benefits that have been proven with scientific studies. [The legalization of marijuana will] cut out the shady people in between such as the people trying to make easy money by selling marijuana,” Mike Mayer (’10) said.

They also believe that the legalization of marijuana can provide economic support for the United States during the recession by taxing the sale of marijuana to solve budget deficits.

“The government can regulate and tax marijuana like tobacco. [We could use] the money from taxes [on marijuana] to help schools,” Ben Mishkin (’10) said.

“There was a study done in California where someone figured out that if they taxed marijuana at a certain amount, they could reduce, if not eliminate, California’s debt,” Fisher said. “Marijuana is actually not that bad for people and the government could probably make a lot of money off of taxing it.”

“I feel like a lot of people do [marijuana], so I don’t think [legalization] would be a big deal. [Usage of marijuana] is similar to drinking. So many kids drink alcohol because they want to be rebellious. However, in Europe, drinking is not a big deal,” Alex Bede (’10) said.

On the other hand, law enforcement groups and chemical dependency organizations believe that marijuana is morally wrong due to religious views, and legalization would make drugs more accessible to teenagers than it is currently.

“I think that the legalization of marijuana is going to corrupt everything,” Ivy Wakaba (’12) said.

They believe in the gateway theory, which states that marijuana will cause people to use more dangerous drugs such as heroin and cocaine because they will be interested in experimenting and finding a bigger excitement.

“[Despite its benefits], I don’t think marijuana should be legal because it a drug that is a step between a harder drug such as heroin or cocaine. Also, it increases chances of it falling into the hands of kids,” Devika Agrawal (’13) said.

“Marijuana is an illegal substance for a reason. It causes behaviors that aren’t healthy and shouldn’t be available to the masses in my opinion,” Julia Donner (’11) said.

One negative effect of legalizing marijuana might be driving under the influence under drugs, Unless a person has been smoking weed in the car, there will not be a distinctive smell as there is with alcohol. There is also widespread danger of secondhand smoke to bystanders since it increases the chances of people suffering the damage by inhaling the smoke. Some people believe that the legalization of marijuana would increase crime since people involved in illegal marijuana trade might turn to other crimes and prefer that marijuana offenders would go to jail to feel safe.

Sarah Johnson ('11) charges the net to volley a low forehand.

The girls tennis team is currently undefeated in league play, but will no doubt face tough challengers if they make it to playoffs and state.

“We really need to focus on our team motto ‘hustle, hit, and never quit’ because it really applies to every match and will take us far,” Sarah Johnson (’11) said.

While coach Reini Vanderheyd is varying the lineup for remaining league matches, the lineup for postseason matches will be:
First doubles: Sara Finkleman (’11), Megan Kelley (’10)
Second Doubles: Sarika Halarnakar (’11), Sarah Johnson (’11)
Third Doubles: Natalie Weyerhaeuser (’11) and Jackie Kirschner (’11)
First Singles: Jean Kim (’11)
Second Singles: Nicole Schmeidl (’10)

Austin Jung ('10), who was accepted to Yale, believes that reading about colleges is an important step for rising seniors

Getting accepted into college is perhaps the biggest concern for a high school senior, but is the process of securing a school for the next stage of one’s education really as nerve-wracking and time-consuming as it appears to be?

It depends. You might have heard people say that what you sow is what you reap, meaning that the more prepared you are, the less work you are making for yourself. While preparation might mean getting started early so you are finished early with time to polish, it can also mean simply having a plan. Everyone goes about applying to college differently, and some people might have a more strenuous workload than others.

Perhaps the first question to start out with is which schools you are interested in. As a junior, it seems that all of the colleges are vying for your attention, sending you emails, letters, and brochures. But ultimately, the purpose of their attention is to get you to apply to their school. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they will actually let you in. What you need to do is to decide which schools appeal to you, realistically appraise your chances of getting in, and make sure to add some “safety” schools and some “reach” schools to your list. A safety school is one you feel confident will accept that you would like to attend; a reach school is one you would really like to attend even though you might not be confident the school will accept you.

“Do your research and look at colleges in the summer [before senior year],” William Livingston (’10) advised.

Several other students agreed, stating that there is less time during the actual school year to decide on colleges and work on applications because of one’s academic and athletic workload.

Once you have a list of possible schools that you would like to apply to, you should decide on whether or not you want to apply early or regular decision.

Early decision means that you apply to a college early, and if you are accepted, you are promising to attend that college. If you are rejected, you are free to apply to other colleges. That said, early decision should probably only be for those who are absolutely sure that they want to attend a particular first-choice college. There are several benefits to applying early that regular applicants may not have.

“You’ll be stress-free and worry-free for the rest of the year while everyone else is working on their applications, but even if you don’t get in, you’ll have a wonderful opportunity to review your application to edit it in time to submit to other schools,” Austin Jung (’10) said.

Aside from early decision, some schools also offer restrictive and non-restrictive early action. Jung, for example, applied restrictive early action to Yale University, which meant that he could apply early and receive the school’s decision by mid-December, rather than in April, but he couldn’t apply to any other school early. Non-restrictive early action allows an applicant to apply early without restrictions.

Regular decision applicants usually submit their applications in January and hear from their schools in April. They then have to pick a college by May 1. Regular decision also offers a lot more choices to a more indecisive applicant and gives more time for deliberation.

“If you are not sure, you can visit and examine your options again if you apply regular decision,” Aimee Nguyen (’10) said.

Regular decision might also involve a lot more work, but this depends on which schools you apply to and whether they use their own application or the Common Application. The Common Application makes the application process very efficient. Applicants enter their information just once, online, and then have it sent electronically to all of the colleges they’re applying to.

However, some colleges require applicants to fill out an additional application supplements. Supplement questions might ask for an essay example from junior or senior year or short one-paragraph answers to questions specific to that school. In some instances, the supplements ask for the applicant to write additional longer essays.

Applicants who were able to use the standard Common Application without supplements had an easier time applying to college.

“I thought [the process] was going to be really intense and that I was going to have to write seven essays and [that college application was going to] consume me and that I’ll have no time for school,” Alex Jordan (’10) said.

Jordan ended up writing only one general essay for all of the schools she applied to thanks to the Common Application.

Other applicants, however, had a much heftier workload.

“I felt like applying to college was like another class because some of the supplements were really difficult, and in English class, they’ve always taught you never to use ‘I,’ but college essays are all about writing about yourself,” Bura Mwangi (’10) said.

College essays, as next year’s seniors will find out, are nothing like the analytical essays that English teachers usually have students write. Writing about oneself might seem easy, but in reality, it is a bit more challenging than one might think.

“You have to find a balance between making yourself look good and not sounding conceited,” Bailey Murray (’10) said.

Other important tasks in the application process include getting teacher recommendations and applying for scholarships. When seeking teacher recommendations, seniors are unanimous in offering two suggestions: ask early, and pick the “right” teacher to ask.

“I asked [for a teacher recommendation] at the end of junior year and reminded him this year. Pick someone whose class you are doing well in and pick teachers whose subjects are different like a history teacher and a science teacher,” Ben Mishkin (’10) said.

As for scholarships, seniors also recommend starting early—the summer between junior and senior year—as some scholarship deadlines are actually before college admission deadlines, and they also require a lot of work.

“Start early on everything, and you’ll appreciate it later. If you feel nervous about it and want to put it off, don’t. It isn’t as a big a task as you think. Once you start getting into it, you’ll start getting a feel for it,” Rebecca Bonner (’10) said.

Nate Mondou ('13) tries to reach the base before his opponent runs over it.

The boy’s baseball team has a record of 7–7, an improvement from previous years.

Colin MacLeod (’11) said that the season started out rough but that the team came back strong. The team has suffered some close losses this season.

“We have had some really tough matches this year, and bouncing back from those games has really been a challenge, but I think that we have done a good job,” said Harry Doumit (’10).

The boys hope to end the season by going to districts and hopefully state, but in order to do so, they need to win their last three games.

The boy’s soccer team is currently undefeated in league and has an overall record or 6–1.

The boy’s soccer team is currently undefeated in league and has an overall record or 6–1.

“One of our biggest challenges this year has been playing at a high level each and every game. But we just need to stay focused and play quick,” said Cory Barrett (’10).

One of the big changes in the line-up for the boy’s team was moving David Dennis (’10) from defense to goalie. Barrett says that Dennis has really surprised everyone on his ability to play goalie. The team also found a standout freshman in Justin Frey.

“I hope that we can end the season undefeated like we did last year and make a good run at state,” said Dennis.

Sophie Griot ('13) and her horse, Mozart, jump over the fence as practice for their horse shows.

For most, riding horses is a fun activity one might do on vacation, but for competitive equestrian Sophie Griot (’13), riding is much more.

Griot competes in horse shows on a regular basis and has participated in competitions with more than a thousand competitors. She rides in a category called the equitation division, which is a combination of “hunters” and “jumpers.” Together, the competitors of the equitation division are judged on the movement of the horse, the handling of the horse, the time on the course, and the number of faults they commit while doing so.

“I’m usually excited before a show. Sometimes I’m nervous if it’s a competition with more elite riders,” Griot said.

Griot has been riding horses since she was 5 years old and has been competing since she was 7 years old.

“Riding horses has been my passion since I was a little girl,” Griot said.

She has had her current horse, Mozart, for over a year. The 13-year-old horse stays at a barn in Lakewood called Starfire farm. To Griot, Mozart is “part of the family but my teammate at the same time.”

“I have to train five times a week and go through brutal workouts like any other sport,” Griot said.

Griot has ridden in a few major horseshows like Thermal, which is a six-week winter circuit in California. She participated in a showground school where she worked on the homework she was missing at CWA.

“It was definitely intimidating but a lot of fun and a really good experience,” Griot said.

Griot’s passion and dedication for horseback riding has become part of her life.

“I love being so dedicated to something and knowing that it is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Griot said.

Griot’s dreams for the future are to participate in the Maclay Finals, a national competition held on the east coast. To qualify, a rider has to have enough points from previous competitions.

“It’s one of the most prestigious junior riding shows. It’s like winning “American Idol.” If you win, your career is set,” Griot said.

She also plans to head to the United States Equestrian Federation talent search and someday go to the Olympics.

Dillon Truscott ('10) prepares to score a goal in the game against Life Christian Academy. The Tarriers won 9–0 against the Eagles on April 20.

For example, Johnny Shapton (’10) is interested in becoming a pediatrician since he loves children and wants to experience a career as a doctor. He will work at MultiCare with different types of doctors. In this hospital, he will explore various sections in the hospital such as the surgery and nursery room.

“I think [this internship] is a great experience for me to decide what I possibly might choose to do for my path,” Shapton said.

Like Shapton, Chris Wong (’10) will also intern in a hospital, the Virginia Mason Federal Way Clinic. He will help Dr. Mike Gass in the radiology department. Radiology deals with x-rays or nuclear radiation for medicine. He is interested in gaining ideas and gauging his interest in the field.

“I will be excited to test and utilize my knowledge of psychology and physics, not just in a textbook but real life. I want to understand what radiologists do and what I have learned from school,” Wong said.

Another person interested in a medical field is Shrina Patel (’10). She will participate an internship at an orthodontist office with Dr. Scott Drake. She will look at the patients and see the different types of teeth and braces. Her choice in this internship stemmed from her interest in anatomy.

“I think the best part is to look at the different types of situations patients might have and what the diagnosis might be,” Patel said.

Other seniors are attracted to food as a career interest, such as Bura Mwangi (’10), who wants to become an international chef and work for the Food Network. She has decided to intern with RAM Corporation to learn how to run a successful restaurant.

“I don’t know how this will work out in the future, but I hope everything goes well. But most importantly I want to learn if I would like to [pursue this career],” Mwangi said.

In addition, Nicole Schmiedl (’10) will intern at Capers Bakery, a small bakery in Tacoma. She believes that it would be fun to work in a small business and serve food.

“I could see myself doing business, and I am going to major in business at Loyola Marymount. I am most excited to learn and cook food, and the food there is really good,” Schmiedl said.

Some seniors such as Harry Doumit (’10) want to investigate the sports business. Doumit will help the vice president and director of marketing for the Tacoma Rainiers. He wants to see how the whole organization works and learn different aspects of the business.

“I’m excited to see how the business of sports works. I like the Rainiers, and I have been to a couple games,” Harry Doumit (’10) said.

Although most of these internships focus on businesses, a few seniors are interested in pursuing new kinds of careers.

For example, Kit Banko (’10) will be working at Griot’s Garage because he is interested in cars. He will work at the retail shop and will detail cars.

“The most exciting thing would be learning how a business operates and ways to make cars cleaner. My favorite cars would have to be old school or vintage cars,” Banko said.

Amanda Turner (’10) plans to pursue community service in Northwest Children’s Fund. Along with the board director, she will work at an auction to raise funds for the abused and neglected kids. Since she volunteered for this organization before, she decided to intern in this nonprofit organization.

“It will be interesting to learn how non-profit organizations work,” Turner said.

With a desire to improve her creative writing skills, Soraya Bodaghi (’10) will be taking a road trip with her older sister from Washington through Oregon and stopping at California. She plans to make a blog for people to read throughout the trip and got this idea from her English teacher and her sister who wrote a blog on her trip to Switzerland.

“I am really excited because it’s different and interesting. This is something I really like and I want to travel and write about my experiences even after my internship,” Bodaghi said.

Chris Peterson ('10) winds up for his backswing to drive the ball down the range.

At mid-season the boys golf team is undefeated.

The boys had high expectations to live up to this season with their predecessors having won second place at the state championships.

“Our biggest challenge has been losing eight of our best people after they graduated, so we have had to step up to keep our winning record going,” said Drew Pine (’11).

The girls golf team has a 4–2 record, having recruited many new underclassmen to replace last year’s graduates. The new players are still developing their skills.

“We need to work on staying focused and playing as a team and not letting one bad hole or bad stork get us down. Hopefully, we can end the season by letting as many people to go league and districts and hopefully state as possible,” said Stephanie Friend (’11).