The Seahawk

     Sometimes there is drama in everyone’s lives, but would not a drama class be more fun!

     In high school Mr. Scott Burnett did a lot of sports, but by accident he got into drama. In high school and at the community theater Burnett acted in around 20 plays, some included Shakespeare.

     In college Burnett said, “I did some drama, but mostly [I] concentrated on academics.” Burnett attended Brigham Young University and the University of Washington. Burnett has directed plays since 1993. His first play was You can’t take it with you. Burnett is starting his 55th play, The Wedding Singer. He cast parts for this musical which take place 1980s.

      Burnett said, “80 students tried out for singing parts for the musical with only 30 spots available.” One of the students, Madison Campbel,l landed part as the bad ex –girlfriend. Other parts were available for students who could dance. 

     Burnett said, “[He] enjoys what he does because he gets to work with the most interesting students who are focused and excellent. He feels “so lucky to work with students like these.”

By John Campbell

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                Imagine racing to school, learning for seven hours, coming home, doing homework, going to tennis practice, and then returning to school to perform in a play. Seems near impossible, does it not? This hectic routine is the typical daily process of senior Atalie Oesch and juniors Julia Cox and Madison Campbell.

                Campbell explains, “Right now is overwhelming because it is finals week [which] is another thing to worry about. On the other hand, I am more focused on getting done with the play, so tennis is not in the front of my mind.” These three girls have been working extremely hard the past three months with rehearsal after school almost daily. They are all exceedingly talented both on the stage and on the court.

                Between all these activities the girls describe how they try to relax. Cox says, “I will take any chance I can to relax! A lot of times that means sitting down at my piano and playing for a while to just let everything get off my mind. Photography and music are also great outlets for me to relax.” Campbell adds, “I try to find time to relax, but I do not come across it very often. When I do though, I usually play MW2 (Modern Warfare 2) on my Xbox.”

                Schoolwork is very important, although, not always the top priority for teens at Anacortes High School (AHS). Oesch describes, “It is actually very tough to keep up with schoolwork. I generally get home pretty late, and with all my AP (advanced placement) classes, it is really hard to keep up. It can get pretty stressful and overwhelming sometimes, but is all worth it. It is a lot to juggle, but is a really fun experience, and I never get bored!”

                Campbell agrees with Oesch, stating, “At the end of the day, I feel very accomplished. Seeing the finished works of things I am in the progress of doing is the reason I keep coming back for more. Whether it is the performance of the play or a match, the euphoria from doing well always makes me sign up again and again.” 
                So, be sure to come watch these energetic girls in The Wedding Singer (which is this Thursday-Sunday) and out on the court (next Wednesday at 3pm) to see these girls in action!

By: Taylor Egbers

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                Many, many hours of preparation and hard work have been put into the new school play “The Wedding Singer” in the past few months. Now that a week of performances has gone by, nothing but good, well, great reviews have been received. Students who are involved in the play have spent countless hours rehearsing and preparing for the opening night of the play which was last Thursday night, March 6^th at 7:30 P.M.

                Some of the student athletes involved in the play have had to miss parts of their new spring sport. Soccer players for example, senior Anders Rodin and sophomore Mason Cole, two of the lead roles in the play, missed out on almost two hours of every practice the first week of performing. Senior Torrey Merritt, who is in the band for the play, also missed out on some practice time.

                Balancing a sport and the play in one day for weeks on end could have an effect on people’s performance; however, for those in the play, they seemed as if they were as prepared as they could possibly be on opening night. “The play was just absolutely awesome, couldn’t have been better!” Senior Alex Weygandt said. “I was really surprised at how funny it was too,” she continued.

                Even just listening to the discussion in the hallways about the play, nothing but good comments are said and students say they want to go and watch it again. It seems that both casts of the play have had equal amount of applause and good reviews. The students and the community were very impressed with the performance The Wedding Singer.

By: Daniel Codd

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               3.14159265358979323846… On Sunday March 14^th, math teachers everywhere will celebrate the holiday known as Pi Day. What is pi day? Well, to Ms. Lynette Brower, a math teacher at Anacortes High School (AHS), Pi Day is, “A sweet, sweet marriage between the culinary arts and mathematics.” March 14^th pays homage to the very important, very quirky little symbol which denotes the value that is derived from dividing the circumference of a circle by its diameter.

               Upon hearing that a holiday is devoted to the symbol and value of pi, many scratch their heads and wonder, how could someone possibly think that the world needed another holiday, let alone something so simple? Brower believes that Pi Day was invented by, “very clever high school students [who] talked their math teacher into celebrating.” Did Brower’s family celebrate this random little holiday when she was a youngster? “Absolutely not!” exclaims Brower with a giggle.

               Brower’s husband is also a teacher at AHS. But not just any teacher, Mr. Mike Beemer is also a math teacher. So being math teachers, Brower and Beemer celebrate by, “typically only [eating] round foods.” Modern calculators make calculating pi much easier, so Brower does not have pi memorized the way some mathematicians do. No, of her calculator, she says, “I love my pi button.”

By: Melissa Franulovich

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                “My friends are fighting right now and they won’t talk to each other, and they are trying to get me to pick sides. What should I do?”

Dear Monkey-in-the-Middle,

Nearly everyone will find themselves in the exact same predicament you are in now at some point in their lives. Although it may be difficult, try to remain neutral in the situation. Joining either party will hurt your other friend, but just waiting out the argument will protect both of them. If the three of you are true friends, I cannot imagine the fight lasting long. However, if it does, just remember that you have complete power over which friends you choose to spend your time with. Do not allow your friends to monopolize you, because controlling one’s friends is certainly not a gesture of camaraderie.

                “All my friends are either dating someone right now, or have dated someone before, but no one has asked me out yet. What’s wrong with me!?”

Dear Unasked,

Nothing is wrong with you! Though it may seem as if every other student except yourself has found someone special, this honestly is not the case. Many, many people go through high school solo. Do not worry about this; high school is a very short period in life. Before you know it, you will be moving on to bigger and better things, and both new opportunities and new people will come your way. High school may not be your time; perhaps you will find your niche later in life, and I promise you people will pay more attention to you then!

Staff

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                Painting the Rock at Anacortes High School (AHS) is a time-honored tradition. Used to advertise plays, ask people to homecoming, and make students laugh, the rock has been at AHS for as long as anybody can remember. Possibly the only school-owned property that students can get away with vandalizing, many recall their adventures of sneaking onto school grounds dressed in all black and humming the Mission: Impossible theme song, which makes the whole event a lot more fun for anyone interested in showing their artistic skills.

                “I have lots of spray paint and no hobbies,” says Scott Calvert, a senior at AHS who is ironically involved in the student-led weekly film, The Rock. “I felt really bad after [I painted the rock].” Though many students know they can get away with such tom-foolery, others still have yet to attempt any rock sabotage. “I haven’t yet, even though I’ve been at this school for a long time,” Monica Kohl, a senior, states. “I want to before the end of this year though!”

                Of course, it takes a lot of time and effort to have a successful rock design. Ample amounts of spray paint are needed, along with artistic friends and a well-planned canvas. Then, plan when exactly to get down to the painting. “3 AM is probably the best time,” Calvert adds. “[Don’t] do it right when lunch starts. [Otherwise] Barribault (AHS’ security guard) will tell you to stop.” Though vandalizing is a serious crime, painting the rock at AHS is just innocent fun to students and teachers alike.

By: Katheryn Duarte

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                New students to Anacortes High School (AHS) may find themselves wondering what they should do for an extracurricular activity.  Some choose clubs and volunteering while many others choose to compete in an athletic program.  For freshman Melanie Martin, she chose girls basketball as her winter sport and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The season has just ended but the excitement of their victories still linger.

                Even though the team did not make it to state this year, Martin was really excited for making it to districts because their team is so young. Although, she has high hopes for the future.  Feeling like you belong is a huge part of any team. Martin says, “The best part of our team is the chemistry, we goof around and have fun.”  Bonding is also a key part of being a team, and after waking up for a few Sunday practices, these teammates have learned to live harmoniously and accept each other. 

                Before each game, Martin warms up her fingertips while Coach Welk is gives the pre-game speech (which definitely helps get the team focused and prepared for the game ahead.)  Martin did not feel too intimidated by the teams she had to face but “depending on the team would be how intimidated I was, but I knew I had to fight through it to finish the game.”

By: Kourtney Breckenridge

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            The lights dim, a sudden hush subdues the audience. The curtain opens to reveal a neon colored set complete with elaborately costumed actors. For approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, Anacortes High School (AHS) will present the community with a show that shall not be forgotten.

                As of now, “The Wedding Singer” an AHS 1980s inspired musical, will be presented for different showings until Sunday, March 14^th. Opening night of “The Wedding Singer” occurred on Thursday, March 4^th. Thus far, the student reaction to the musical has been phenomenally positive. Junior Kylee Bowker says, “[‘The Wedding Singer’] was so awesome. It was really funny and was never boring! Everybody did a good job.” Lindsey Cole, junior concurred with Bowker, saying, “I really liked the play, and the singers were good. Anders [Rodin (senior)], was so hilarious!”

                AHS has long possessed a talented theatre department, with a thorough balance of acting and vocal skills. With that being said, for all who wish to spend their evening being entertained and musically enlightened, “The Wedding Singer” is a must-see! From comedy to drama to plain-old entertainment, “The Wedding Singer” never fails to deliver. Never shall a dull moment cast a droop upon thine eyes. So go watch “The Wedding Singer.”

By: Alison Farley

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               The halls of Anacortes High School (AHS) are lined with beautiful lockers painted purple and filled with school spirit. But some students think that they may just be a waste of valuable hall space. After all, each passing period is spent pushing through a crowd of peers much like salmon attempting to travel upstream. Would it be better just to do away with these hunks of purple metal?

               “I usually don’t use my locker at all,” Tyler Calles, a senior at AHS, states. “If I do, it’s just to shove old papers I don’t need and gets things out of my way.” The lockers have been gracing the halls of AHS for many years, and some suffer extreme damage. Lockers are dented, scratched, written on, and used as storage for old food and waste. Many, like Calles, would rather do away with the lockers and use the hall space for students.

               Still others use their lockers on a daily basis. Monica Kohl, a senior at AHS, thinks they should stay where they are. “I use my locker almost every day. I usually put my tennis bag in there and it’s an easy way to keep in contact with my locker buddy, Lahmi Kim (also a senior).” The issue remains however: should the lockers stay, or should the staff at AHS make room for new improvements?

By: Katheryn Duarte

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