The Seahawk

               In February 2008, the Anacortes Lutheran Church (ALC) youth group organized the first annual Sweetheart Ball. The targeted audience for the event was the senior members of the church, but youth were more than encouraged to come as well. Today, the event is popular among high school and middle school students in the Anacortes School District.

                Starting the first Tuesday in January, a member of ALC, Daryl Holst, and his wife Mary, volunteered an hour and a half of their time to teach ballroom dance lessons to seniors and youth alike. “There are no dance police,” explained Mr. Holst who has been dancing for several years. While it is a an arduous feat to dance correctly, stepping on a partner’s feet is part of the fun. David Holzemer, a junior at Anacortes High School (AHS) is on his third year of attending dance lessons. Holzemer explained his favorite part about the dance is “All the ladies!” Many ladies attend the dance without a date which is perfect for the men who are looking for a dance partner.

                Along with knowing how to dance, what makes the dance even more exciting is the band that comes to play. The SeaNotes are a local “big band” band who has been hired to play the last two years and this year. The SeaNotes play tangos and waltzes for the dance attendees and even include an AHS teacher, Mrs. Ruth Backlund on keyboard. The dance is a semi-formal dance where men are encouraged to wear button-up shirts with nice pants, and ladies are suggested to wear a nice dress that is suitable for dancing. Junior Lauren Lane says she found the perfect dress and shoes for the dance. “The dress is all black, kind of ‘tango-y,’ and the shoes are black with a bow on them.” What an outfit, and a great example of what to wear to the dance. Holzemer also elaborated on his outfit, explaining, “I’m going to wear my dark blue wool pinstripe suit, with my red Italian silk tie,” yet another great example of how to dress for the ball.

                The Sweetheart Ball will take place in the Fellowship Hall at Anacortes Lutheran Church on “O” and 22^nd  Street at 7:30pm. Tickets will be sold for $15 at the door for anyone who would enjoy coming. Ticket proceeds will benefit Cystic Fibrosis in honor of Anna and Maddy Berenson. The dance will be a great time, and a time to dance and to laugh and meet members of the community while warming the hearts of Anacortes seniors who see the youth ballroom dancing, or at least attempting to.

By Katie McCarn

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               The Anacortes Wrestling Team has had its share of ups and downs. The team has won several tournaments, and many players have had success with first place awards, although some of the notable wrestlers hare recently injured. Hopefully, these events are just a minor blemish on an otherwise great season.

                Juniors Andrew Bolton, Paul Johnson, and senior Si Sharma all have their own injuries. Johnson says that the recent injuries have “had a tremendous affect on the matches. If we don’t have someone for a weight class, we lose a lot of points.” The injuries have put a damper on the team’s record. If not for the key player’s injuries, Johnson says the stats would look a lot better. These open positions could give the chance for a relatively unknown player to step up, unfortunately, “No-one has yet,” Johnson says.

                Some of the injuries are less restraining than others. Sharma says he should be back in a week or two. On the other hand, Johnson has a broken foot and will be out for longer. He is just thankful he has one more year of wrestling ahead of him.

By: Torrey Merritt

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               Picking up trash, tutoring younger students, and traveling out of the country to volunteer in 3^rd world countries are all community service opportunities that the students at Anacortes High School (AHS) have undertaken. One AHS student in particular has over 400 hours of community service. Senior Addie Cardon traveled to Africa in July of 2009 and volunteered at an orphanage for three weeks.

                Cardon worked on Guemes Island where she helped restore an old boat to raise money for her trip. “I really want to go back to the orphanage to see how everyone has grown,” said Cardon, who plans to return to Kenya after college. Cardon also volunteered at the Guemes Island Historical Society to transcribe interviews, and she knits baby hats for Skagit Valley College.

                Some popular places that students might enjoy volunteering at include the Red Cross food and clothing bank, trash pick-up through the Honors Society, or participating in certain youth group events like planning dances, or volunteering to babysit. Students do not have to travel to another country to volunteer, or learn how to knit. Volunteer work can be as simple as mowing a neighbor’s lawn, or walking a friend’s dog. The only rule is students cannot get paid and must have fun.

By Katie McCarn

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              This year, the Anacortes Seahawk Boy’s Soccer players will play one more season of soccer in their high school careers. Last year, the boys were 3 and 7. Now, the boys are going to try and regroup after losing Jon Sherman, Matt Cole, Shane Phipps, and Mike Olsen to graduation. To replace these vanished seniors, the Seahawks are having a few lower classmen step up to the challenge and play on Varsity. The returners from last year are seniors Anders Rodin, Emo Sortun, Scott Ericson, Casey Hsu, and Si Sharma.

               Nick Miles, a junior who played on varsity, explains the importance of the lower classmen: “The lower classmen have very good ball handling skills and a good sense of how to share the ball. The upper classmen  are very good leaders; they always give us helpful advice as far as ball handling, ways to kick the ball, and good passing techniques,” Miles explains.

               During the off-season the boys have been playing other sports to keep in shape and ran with the coach down at the track at the high school. The other workout sessions are playing indoor soccer in the gym to help keep a high tempo pace, but in a shorter playing field. The season is about to begin, so come watch the boys soccer games and cheer them on to victory.

By Si Sharma

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          Many students have been saying that Anacortes High School (AHS) is a poor school and that there are tons of problems that the school would be able to fix if it had more money. In reality AHS is not in that bad of shape. As head custodian Mr. Bill Faulkner will tell you, “This school doesn’t have as many problems as everyone thinks.” AHS has had a rat problem in the gym area, but Faulkner stated as of last Thursday, the exterminator is saying the rats are gone, and there is no need to worry. If there were still rats in the school, it could pose a serious risk for disease and sickness to be spread.

          Also, last year the school had to evacuate the Vocational Wing because of supposed “gas leaks,” which were really no leaks at all. Faulkner knows all that happened was one of the four gas fire units got blown out by the wind, and the other units suck in the fumes. In certain spots of the school there are brown stains on the ceiling that many question what were they made by? Faulkner pointed out that they could be caused by a variety of reasons such as water leaks, the roof leaking, when snow melts into the roof or when spring comes and the pipe fittings get loose and let out some water.

          As for the AHS breezeway ceiling, it is falling apart because of the strong winds, but the part that was blown off was replaced with sheet metal. The school would like to replace the whole ceiling, but then no light would be let in, and it can get very expensive. So, if there is talk in the halls of AHS falling down around us, please take the time to talk to a person and let them know that here at AHS, “We love our school and take the best care we can of it.”

By: Cody Hernandez

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          The semester is coming to an end, and many students are cramming to get everything turned in on time. For seniors, this will be their last semester of high school, so it is especially important for them to focus on their grads. Aliece Lofgren, a senior at Anacortes High School (AHS), explains her challenges of maintaining a good grade-point average: “Ever since I was a freshman, I’ve really made certain to get on top of my grades and stay at a decent grade-point average. What works best for me is by setting a goal for myself and not letting my grades get any lower than what I’ve set my standards to. This really helps me work hard at maintaining the grades I want.” The greatest part of completing work on time means everything would be less stressful. The more stress that builds up, the harder it will be for someone to catch up. When someone is being slow and procrastinating, their rushing to finish something that may not turn out to be their best of work. In the end, this would not be worth it.

          Another senior Jake Boyd emphasizes on his best advice to students who cram at the end of the semester: “I’ve always been the guy to turn things in at the very last minute or when a projects due I won’t finish it until the night before. This seems to be the routine for a lot of students in high school. But, trust me, it’s not worth it! It’s way too hard with all the pressure at the end of the semester. Make sure to plan ahead and just get your stuff turned in on time.”

          When continuing to stay organized, some may find it a whole lot easier to turn things in on the correct date that it is due. Students who keep themselves on top of their work realize how beneficial it is when it comes down to their final grades. By jotting down the specific criteria and deadlines, it becomes easier to make certain work will be turned in on time. No one wants to be cramming at the last minute before finals. Just take the time to stay organized and well prepared!

By: Andi Koals

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          A whistle, shoes streaking, the brut force of a pin. These things describe the exciting sport of wrestling. Anacortes High School recently had their senior night during the last home match of the year. Isaac Doane, a senior who is home schooled, has been wrestling for five years now and is excelling in this sport! While preparing for his match, Doane had no worries in his mind because he knew if he used his training and strength in unison, he would come out victorious. 

          Before the match started, Doane weighed in at a solid 170 pounds,but he was put into the 189 pound weight class because head coach, Mr. Jim McNally, knew Doane could handle the extra load. “I wasn’t too worried about my match. I knew that my opponent couldn’t handle my pace of wrestling.” That is a very confident quote from Doane. Confidence is something that will get you far in this sport, but  knowledge and physical training are needed to make a truly great wrestler.

          Wrestling has been a big part of Doane life since he began in 8^th grade. “It’s a love-hate relationship: at times this sport means the world to me, but sometimes its just too much, and I need a break.”  This is the last year that Doane plans to wrestle. He has had great times but does not think college level wrestling is what he should do. So, if possible, go watch Doane and the rest of the Seahawks fight their opponents before their wrestling career comes to a close.

By: Cody Hernandez

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          One of the most common childhood daydreams is to picture what it would be like to be trapped on a deserted island. To imagine what it would be like to be alone and only be able to have the option to bring three particular items with you, to sit there and ponder and imagine what it would be like. Picking some basic necessities are usually a bright thing to bring; however, some students  choose to think outside the box and come up with some of the most ridiculous things.

          “I would bring unlimited amounts of water, a gun, for protection of course, and…” after long thinking time, “oh! And a boat! So that way I could leave after I go tired of living on the island!” junior PJ Johnson exclaimed. He came up with one of the more clever ideas, but still his was not one of the craziest groups of items.

          “I would bring a spear, so I could hunt with my hands, a pan, so I could the food I hunted, and a bed, so I could sleep comfortably,” senior Darien Furgusen states. Many times he tried to narrow down what he would actually want to bring, but after many minutes of thinking, he started to get frustrated, stuck with these three things.

          Just imagine three things that are possible to bring to a deserted island, so many possibilities but only three choices. Go back to the childhood days and try, again, to think of the three things that would be the most important to bring!

By: Daniel Codd

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          This year’s Anacortes High School wrestling squad set their goals high and almost have them in their reach. The Hawks are hoping to send five wrestlers to State: Senior Si Sharm and Isaac Doane, juniors Andrew Bolton, Colby Wright, and Jordan Ferrior. The team is doing a lot better than last year, said Bolton. “We only won two matches last year, so it feels good to have finished with five matches won on the regular season.”

          The Hawks toughest match came against Sedro Woolley which is also sending multiple players to State. The easiest match for the Hawks came against Sehome. The Hawks had a fun Senior Night, according to senior Kyle Jones. Every senior won that night against La Conner, even though it is a 2b school,  having all the seniors put up a win for the last home match they will ever play at Anacortes High School wa an incredible feeling!

          The Hawks have a strong group of captions in Sharma, Doane, and Jones. The group is not only helpful on game days to underclassmen, but they also are very vocal at practice trying to get the best out of everyone. Jones’s best memory on the regular season was beating Mount Vernon. The Hawks were unsure of the match and barely squeezed out the victory by a margin of 33-32.

By: Braiden Darling

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