Local high school activities heat up with the arrival of spring
April 24, 2012
Issaquah shines at AMP Night program
April 17 marked the second annual AMP Night at Issaquah High School, sponsored by the Issaquah Junior Class Council.
Samantha Garrard Issaquah High School
“AMP night is a great way for us to express our passion for music and get other people excited about music,” said Khalil Somani, a member of the group in the finale performance.
How to protect your online privacy
April 24, 2012
By Jacob Brunette Issaquah High School
In this day and age, everyone is connected to the Internet.
That means that everyone has some kind of personal information on the Web, and most of them will want to keep it private. This guide will give you a series of quick and easy steps that will let you create accounts for various websites while keeping your private life private.
1. Come up with a password. It should be easy to remember. (Example: encephalothapy)
2. Now, change all the e’s to 3’s, the o’s to 0’s, and the l’s to 1’s, and capitalize random letters. And type it backward. (Example: YpaHT01aHP3cN3)
3. This is your password. Don’t write it down, because if you do, someone could break into your house and log onto your Facebook account or something. You will have to memorize it.
Now that you have a password, it is time to fill out the remaining fields on the account creation screen. Let’s continue to the personal information section (name, address, etc.).
The myth of online privacy
April 24, 2012
By Kim Bussing Issaquah High School
From “keep out” signs swinging on our childhood bedroom doors to setting passcodes on our smart phones, personal privacy has always been regarded as something sacred.
While technological advances and judicial decisions further integrate privacy as one of our fundamental rights, it faces potential threats from the very devices and social networks that demand privacy.
Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook allow us to keep connected with relative ease and convenience. There’s no better way to get updates on homework, events and everyone’s spring break adventures than logging on to your preferred site; our lives are represented by timelines and tweets.
It can seem harmless, posting about the amazing ice cream you just had at the Ben and Jerry’s close to your house, or sharing your location when you head to Lincoln Cinemas to see “The Hunger Games.” And for the most part, it is. The likelihood of someone with malicious intent perusing your profile is slim, but updating statuses constantly or divulging personal information on one of these social media sites can undermine any efforts toward privacy.
The Hot List
April 24, 2012
Iman Baghai Issaquah High School
Movie: ‘The Avengers’
Set to come to the big screen May 4, The Avengers brings the S.H.I.E.L.D. agency to life. With a collection of Marvel’s biggest heroes: Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye and Black Widow all led by Nick Fury to save the world from the evil Loki. A movie with the star power of Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson can’t be missed by any action movie fan. Like with all Marvel movies, this should be a roller coaster ride that may be only worth it on the big screen, so get some of your comic nerd friends and go see the movie.
Music: ‘Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded’ by Nicki Minaj
“Roman Reloaded” came out with a bang —Nicki Minaj’s album debuted as Billboard’s No. 1 album. This latest album released by hair-color-changing fanatic Minaj is following up her debut album, “Pink Friday.” Minaj’s vibrant album includes a flurry of appearances from other artists and is headlined by her single, “Starships.” This CD will keep your car pumping for a bit — but only before we get sick of her new hairdo.
Teen Talk
April 24, 2012
Eastside Catholic High School
“I’m really private with my Facebook settings, and try to be careful with what I post and stuff.”
Michael Abraham, junior
“I try not to post too much personal info online.”
Nalani Saito, junior
Students at local high schools get inventive
March 27, 2012
Reid Malmquist is the king of ventures
By Iman Baghai Issaquah High School
When it comes to entrepreneurship, Reid Malmquist is king.
Before the tender age of 17, Malmquist has launched more businesses than most people do in a lifetime — and he’s been successful. Malmquist does an array of things that include website design, programming and photography.
Malmquist’s first venture was Voomo, a social networking site. A friend and Malmquist developed the site and then realized they didn’t have the capacity to truly get it to where they wanted it. They sold it for more than $500.
External factors can’t bar success
March 27, 2012
Lee Xie Skyline High School
As a girl living on the plateau, I have often heard that our affluent surroundings are why students in this area excel in their studies. While I am infinitely grateful for my fortunate circumstances, I also believe that with the right attitude, external factors cannot bar a person from achieving success.
This philosophy is largely a result of my own personal experiences, as I grew up in Queens, by no means an affluent neighborhood situated in New York City. I have no recollection of growing up with the resources that the Issaquah School District provides me with today; my teachers wrote on blackboards in chalk and our school library was a tiny room near the entrance of the school. What I do remember, and what I find most important still today, is the sense of work ethic and a love for learning that my mother instilled in me from a very young age.
I didn’t have a computer at home, so I went to the library with her every weekend. While she worked, I spent hours reading, taking advantage of the fact that this knowledge was free and available to all whom wished to receive it.
When my family’s circumstances became better, we moved to Issaquah, where I started second grade in a much different environment. But although I was provided with better resources, my academic success still stemmed from one thing: the can-do attitude I developed during my time in New York.
Can all work hard and succeed?
March 27, 2012
Olivia Spokoiny Skyline High School
“Work hard and you will succeed” is the age-old saying that young children are taught to live by as soon as they start school. But is it really true?
It is and it isn’t. Society’s idea of success is rigid. We are taught to go to school, take hard courses, challenge ourselves, get a job and persevere through life’s inevitable obstacles. After high school, we are expected to go to a four-year college and establish a career path right away. We are told that you can be whatever you want to be as long as you push yourself to the limit.
For some, the pressure becomes a burden that is hard to bear. The truth is, not everybody starts at the same place, and not everybody has to put in the same amount of effort to achieve his or her goals. We are not taught that how much you have and where you come from matters. Whether we like it or not, the system is not entirely equal.
In this day and age, higher education isn’t cheap. The price of college is high and climbing. Without college, it becomes incredibly difficult to get a job and live a comfortable lifestyle. When people lack resources, they view success as something that is almost impossible to attain. It is a vicious cycle, and that is the reason that the system remains unequal.
Society does not tell us that success is not the same for everyone, and that it cannot be so easily defined.
The Hot List
March 27, 2012
Movie: ‘The Hunger Games’
By Kim Bussing Issaquah High School
Suzanne Collins’ first novel in the three-book series debuted on the silver screen March 23, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne and Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark. The movie takes place in a futuristic North America, where society is divided into 12 districts governed by the Capitol, a sadistic government that annually forces two teens from each district to fight to the death in the Hunger Games. The film brews with romance, action and the struggle of Katniss as she is faced with a brutal decision: kill or be killed.
Book: ‘When the de la Cruz Family Danced’
By Donna Miscolta Donna Miscolta’s debut, “When the de la Cruz Family Danced,” spans several decades and experiences as Johnny de la Cruz faces the consequences of one impetuous encounter from years past. He is confronted by the now-grown son of his ex-lover and the already tumultuous relationship between him, his wife and three daughters is strained as Winston Piña installs himself among the de la Cruzes. The concept of family, the trials of a man caught between two worlds and the delicate subtleties of love are brought into question in Miscolta’s story. This is a lazy day, feel-good book.
Teen Talk
March 27, 2012
How do you get involved with March Madness?
Eastside Catholic High School
“I like to sit down and watch the games with my family. We eat pizza and cheer on our favorite team, Carolina!”
Mercedes Thompson, senior
“My dad’s a Kentucky alum! Go Wildcats!”
Macie Hudson, junior
