Meet Our Staff

By Grace Hansen

Maria Clark’s room is a creative blend of turquoise and orange.

“I really like decorating things, I want to be an interior designer,” Clark, sophomore, said.

That isn’t her only gift though.Clark has been playing volleyball for eight years and decided to give tennis a try this year.

“A bunch of my friends decided to do it, so I thought that I could give it a shot,” Clark said.

As an only child, Clark has two cats that keep her company.

“I love cats,” Clark said. “Gucci is grey and hyper, and Guene is white and just sleeps a lot.”

Clark, a girl who feels that there is no need for high school drama and gossip, admires her cousin Julia.

“She is nice to everyone and she is just focused on what’s really important in life,” Clark said.

Clark joined the Fox’s Howl this semester and has already been an asset to the team by contributing stories about fellow classmates and senioritis.

“English is my favorite subject because I enjoy writing,” Clark said.

Meet Our Staff

By Heather Ferdinand

When shy Erin Kelley is on stage her personality shines. With more than eight years in theater, she has been able to play a variety of roles such as Winnie the Pooh, a crazy old lady and a criminally damaged young lady.

“Being in theater gave me the chance to step out of my shell and gave me more confidence in myself,” Kelley said.

She started with small roles with only a few lines. Then she had a breakthrough. She was given the chance to play the lead role in Winnie the Pooh, as Pooh. She learned what is was like to be in the spotlight.

“My biggest moment during the productions was when a little girl gave me a jar of honey after one of the shows.It showed me how much of an inspiration and a mentor I could possibly be to a younger generation,” Kelley stated.

Even though Kelley no longer acts with the Brush Creek Theater anymore, she is active with Silverton High School's theater program. Along with the theater program Kelley has 4.0 grade point average, making her a top student.
It’s amazing what happens when a shy girl shows what talents are hiding inside her.

Meet Our Staff

By Adrienne Wilson

Elizabeth Rueda is 18 years old and a senior at Silverton High School. She is involved in many extra-curricular activities, which include National Honor Society, Connections, Link Crew, Interact Club, and Silver Masked Thespian Society.

“I like being part of the connections team and Link Crew, because I can help students feel comfortable at school, especially if they’re new,” Rueda said. She hopes that when continuing on to college she can be a part of a club that does the same thing.

Along with the school related activities, Elizabeth is also very spiritually active. She is a Christians and is developing her, “relationship with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Rueda has big expectations for herself, and plans on attending college next year. She is currently looking into studying social work as her major in college, because she likes people, and working with them.

Elizabeth loves music, but not the average music you hear on the mainstream radio every day. She loves to have a good laugh, and believes in the power that making others laugh can have on one’s life. Her family and friends mean everything to her; she’s do anything for them.

“They’ve been there for me when I needed them most, and I can’t thanks them enough”, Rueda said.

Elizabeth is a very outgoing person, and loves meeting new people. One day, she hopes to help change the lives in “whatever way God wills me to.” On weekends you will find her at any of the Mission of Hope outreach distribution sites, helping distribute food to those who are hungry.

Meet Our Staff

By Maria Clark

Silverton, Ore’s. Grace Hansen is often awakened by a guest banging on the door looking for his key or laughter and yelling from a youth group playing “Capture the Flag” in the woods. Hansen has lived at a camp her entire life. The Christian Renewal Center (CRC) is adjacent to the Silver Falls State Park; the creek that she spends her summers wading in trickles down into the Upper North Falls.

Grace Hansen’s grandparents founded the CRC 40 years ago. Her grandfather, Allan Hansen, was a Lutheran Pastor in California. He and his wife, Eunice, first started the Renewal House in California in the middle of the Jesus Movement, hippies and druggies alike searched for a deeper, spiritual meaning to life. They would stay at Allan Hansen’s Renewal House to learn about Jesus and Christianity.

While he was a pastor more people came to know the Lord in one church retreat than in years of his preaching, this led him to the hills of Silverton, where Grace’s grandparents built the Christian Renewal Center from the ground up. “The family camp is located on 40 acres of trees and has cable swings, a zip line, a mountain golf course, playground, half-size basketball court, dinning hall, creek, prayer huts and many nature trails,” Hansen said.

Grace Hansen’s father, Tim Hansen, chose to work at the camp and is now the director. Christians come to CRC sponsored retreats in the summer time or during holidays to hear speakers, eat home-baked meals, and have family time-all on a donation basis. Church groups also come for retreats year-round at an affordable price. The camp can sleep up to 100 people in seven different buildings.

“I work in the kitchen on the weekends and with the children during family camp in the summertime,” Hansen said.

There are ups and downs to living at a camp.

“Sometimes it feels like your home is open to the whole world. Especially when people just walk in because they think it’s just another cabin, but it’s a life that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Grace Hansen said.

Meet Our Staff

By Elizabeth Rueda

One of the most unusual things about Adrienne Wilson is her love for a “man’s sport”. Most people couldn’t guess that she would be into a hobby like hunting. “I like fishing because I grew up with it, Adrienne explains. “ My grandpa does it, his grandpa did it; It’s just been in the family forever.”

Wilson also has a big appetite and enjoys eating at buffets like Izzy’s. “How can you go wrong with an all you can eat buffet?,” she says. Some of her favorites include bagels, pasta, crab, and Mac and Cheese, because it’s the type of food that her family eats. “We go crabbing a lot, so I love seafood she explains. “Me and my dad went to this seafood restaurant once at Spirit Mountain Casino, and me and my dad spent about two hours there just eating.”

A girl of many interests, Adrienne loves to spend time with her family and friends. Whether she’s hanging out with her two best friends Shiree Hessel and Taylor Unger, goofing off, attending her sister’s basketball tournament, or eating out at restaurants like Happy Jing with her family in Silverton, she’s always up to something; except on Sundays of course.

On Sundays, Adrienne prefers to take the day off to relax, and catch up on her reading. Adrienne especially loves romance novels and historical fiction books like Cold Mountain, and anything by Nicholas Sparks because they keep my attention, and his stories never get boring.

However, Adrienne hates school.

“There is nothing worse than getting up early and spending all day at school, then coming home to do three hours of homework,” Adrienne remarks. Adrienne tries to stay positive about it though and claims that the one good thing about homework, is that she can watch a movie while doing it. Some of her favorite movies include “The Notebook,” “Cold Mountain,” “Titanic,” “Remember Me,” “The Patriot” and “The Longest Yard.”

Adrienne Wilson is your typical teenager, with a few exceptions.

Meet Our Staff

By Amanda Maddux

“I think the most important thing in life is to be inspiring and be a go getter, don’t let opportunities pass you by.” Loving to act, sing and dance, there’s no doubt Lindsey Elmore is a performer. Already being in a Pepperidge farm commercial, there is no stopping this passionate actress.

Lindsey plans on going to the University of Performing Arts in Los Angeles to earn her degree in acting, dancing and singing. Having to choose, Lindsey would rather be on Broadway than as a Hollywood actress. “You feel more accomplished and you get to hear your fans clap for you.” She says being in a play is less stressful than a commercial and she enjoys it more.

“If you see a goal in life and you want to reach it there is nothing stopping you but yourself.” Lindsey started her dream by auditioning in Seattle Wash. and in Portland Ore. In the beginning, Lindsey found out the hard way that auditions aren’t always true, “they sometimes are scams, and giving me a script then right after pushing me right in front of the camera without any practice.” Lindsey said, “They basically told me I was good, but not good enough. And that this will happen a lot.” She says that no matter what you hear you have to keep trying and pushing yourself. Lindsey is a very passionate student and is confident in herself on accomplishing her dreams.

Meet Our Staff

By Erin Kelley

Assistant Editor

Heather Ferdinand is a sophomore with many interests and goals, who hopes to make a difference in the lives of others. This year, Ferdinand joined Silverton High School’s cheer team.

“I cheer because I love it. I love the feeling of being in the uniform,” Ferdinand said. Outside of cheer, Ferdinand also likes to bake and read. She likes to bake because there are so many things to make. Ferdinand especially likes to make brownies. Reading whenever she can get the chance, Ferdinand likes mystery, horror, and romance books, because they keep her on the edge of her seat. “I read because it's like you are in your own little world,” Ferdinand said. Ferdinand also loves to listen to music, and listens to it constantly. She loves both country music and 80's music. Ferdinand especially likes songs that have a meaning behind them.

This summer, Ferdinand plans on going to both a church camp and a cheer camp. In the future, Ferdinand plans on attending college in order to become a second grade teacher or a freshmen english teacher. Her goal to become a second grade teacher was inspired by her own second grade teacher.

“She always pushed so hard for excellence. She always made us do our best,” Ferdinand said. Ferdinand loves to work with little kids, and she wants them to love school as much as she did. If that plan doesn't work, Ferdinand hopes to become a freshmen english teacher, because her freshmen english teacher, Mrs. Standlea was such a big inspiration to her.

Healthy balance of positive and critical thinking

By Jordan Dooley
Last year on New Year’s Eve, I made a resolution to myself to be positive and not to worry.

After the first of January, I woke-up everyday, looked myself in the mirror and repeatedly told myself positive confirmations.
A few weeks later as the first semester drew to a close and final exams quickly approached, I felt self-assured with my new mental paradigm shift.

Whenever worrisome thoughts arose like “I might want to study for my Spanish final,” I quickly dismissed them, promising myself I would ace my exam.

Well needless to say after bombing my Spanish final a few weeks later, my old thoughts reappeared.

My 4.0 GPA was gone along with my dream of being Valedictorian.

Obviously it wasn’t the end of the world, and it took little time for my heart to heal, but I did learn something important.
Looking in the mirror and repeating positive affirmations are not enough to make you as smart as Albert Einstein or as rich as Bill Gates, unless of course you are Albert Einstein or Bill Gates, which I am neither.

I began to think positive thinking isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be and it might actually be doing more harm than good.
Questioning positive thinking is as un-American as badmouthing baseball, apple pie and the free market.
Yet people fork over billions of dollars for seminars, books and life coaches. Do these tools make them happier, healthier or richer?

Maybe the ones selling the books, hosting the seminars and coaching others can answer yes to these questions, how about the rest of us?

I’m not suggesting positive thinking or positive people are evil and need to be condemned or banished, but isn’t there a better way of thinking?

With all the challenges we face in life as individuals, shouldn’t we be embracing “critical thinking” over simply “positive thinking.”

Positive thinking is different from being cheerful or good-natured, it is more believing by focusing on the good, the bad ceases to exist.

By critical thinking, I mean, thinking that clarifies goals, examines assumptions and evaluates evidence.
I’m not advocating for a society full of long faces or defeatist attitudes, as that does nothing to help society’s well being.

On the other hand, realistic curmudgeons may be more valuable to society than phony and deluded people who are unable to face the truth of their problems.

So instead I’m promoting a society full of critical thinkers, people equipped with the skills to face their problems and tend do their real emotions.

Inhabitants of the corporate world feel that the majority of their problems can be solved by positive thoughts, rather than dedication and hard work.

Public agencies like NASA have become so blinded by positive thinking that they ignored repeated warnings from their engineers in advance of the Challenger explosion because they were so busy envisioning a perfect blastoff.

Our society should recognize thinking critically would supply more happiness than will positive thinking.
We have to begin to look at our problems straight in the eye, without sugar coating them or fooling ourselves into believing they’ll go away.

Hopefully with that, we will find authentic joy and won’t have to short cut our way to being happy.

I challenge people to become a critical thinker, balancing between optimism and realism, finding a solution to a problem, and most importantly, being true to themselves.

RIE inspires students to do their work

By Amanda Maddux

Silverton High School sophomore Izaak Tobin missed some days of school due to wrestling tournaments.

Since he didn’t turn in assignments, he was sent to RIE or Remediation, Intervention or Extension.

“I like RIE a lot because you get to catch-up on the work you missed. I wouldn’t change anything about it because it’s the best it could be,” Tobin said.

Thursdays at Silverton High School are designated as RIE days - to help students who are behind in their work or need some assistance understanding material. Students also can use the time for extension projects such as choir, FBLA, band or ASB meetings.

RIE is about 70 minutes each Thursday, but students do not miss any classes. Instead, their classes are shorter and there is no Advisory Group.

History teacher Craig Rankin likes having RIE.

“It’s better than staying after school on Early Release days,” Rankin said. “Whether kids like it or not, they know it helps them.”
Every Monday, teachers submit a list of students they want to see during RIE or have assigned to study hall to work on missing assignments.

Ceramics teacher Banyon Boyd said RIE provides him the opportunity to “work with a smaller amount of kids one-on-one.”
Boyd has noticed his Advisory Group students’ grades are improving and “their missing assignments are going down.”

Sophomore Rochelle Schmidt hasn’t been requested to see a teacher but she finds the time useful.
She recently used RIE time to practice with the school’s band for an upcoming competition. She also uses the time to finish homework.

This will also be a time when students make appointments to begin work on college/ career exploration with members of the counseling staff. The school intends to run SAT/ACT preparation courses as well as schedule college visits.

Realizing students need an incentive to get their work done, the school’s staff has stated students with a 3.0 or higher grade point average, no missing assignments and are on track to pass OAKS and graduation, are not required to stay for the RIE time.

“Sometimes teachers don’t put your assignments in the computer so you have to stay,” sophomore McKenna Clark said, “Other than that I think it is a good concept, and the extra help to classes is useful.”

Dairy Farmers of Oregon name academic winners

The OSAA recently announced winners of the Dairy Farmers of Oregon Academic All State honors for winter sports.
At Silverton High School, competing against all 5A schools: the boys basketball team took second-place with a 3.74 GPA; the girls basketball team tied for fourth place with a 3.76 GPA; the boys swim team took eighth-place with a 3.40 GPA and the dance and drill team tied for seventh-place with a 3.48 GPA.