Freshman, Julia Holder, is excited to play on this year’s team.  Holder tells the Olympus, “We have a great team and I’m ready to do my part and help this season’s team succeed!” Working hard at their practices everyday after school, the team was disappointed when the first match was cancelled due to rain but are excited to see what competition the other schools may bring.

Although at first glance it might seem like a simple sport of hitting a ball over a net, tennis is much more than that. Unlike basketball, where players can often go to them gym to shoot hoops, tennis players have multitudes of altercations standing in the way from the necessary practice. In the fall, Oly’s boy players take the courts, barely cutting the season short enough to avoid the incoming wet season. With winter comes rain, making our school courts a not-so-enjoyable venue for practice. Living in Olympia, the rain can stand in the way for months so the girls barely have time to squeeze in a few practices before it’s time for tryouts. Holder found a way to work through this problem, along with many others on the team, by practicing at local athletic clubs. “They’re the perfect places to practice in a nice area with great people,” she told us.

The girl’s look forward to another successful season on the courts and hope to luck out with the weather, avoiding another rained out match.

Salads are something that I eat everyday and though a little time consuming, they are worth it. There are many fruits, vegetables, proteins, and roughages that you can include in salads. I have to say, I HATE going somewhere and just seeing fatty ranch dressing on bagged lettuce; there’s no nutrition in that whatsoever. If you want nutrition in your diet, do some research before you or your parents go grocery shopping. It’s not hard to add some apples, peppers, nuts or avocados to a shopping list. It’s a simple change that can make a big difference in your eating habits.

Salads can offer a complete balanced meal. For example, a salad that includes: lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, chicken, apples, avocado, peppers, feta cheese and chopped almonds. It sounds like a lot for one salad but it is the most delicious and nutritious salad ever. Mix things up, whatever you can find in your fridge that is vegetable, fruit or protein can be put into a salad! I tried beats the other day. They protect against coronary artery disease and stroke, lower cholesterol levels within the body, and have anti-aging effects. They tasted like dirt when they were plain but once you mix it with everything else in your salad they aren’t that bad!

Having steak tonight? If there are leftovers, dice it up and add it to a salad for your lunch tomorrow. DO NOT (as good as it is) just save it for mashed potatoes and sautéed onions because that is a dinner, with a lot of calories. A really tasty salad to try is a grape, spinach, steak, and goat cheese salad. A perfect salad that is so simple but super yummy and so appropriate for and type of picnic or lunch.

Dressings are something I’m really picky about, personally. I make my own dressing out of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Good Seasons Salad Dressing and Recipe Mix. It’s not fancy; it’s all at Fred Meyers or Safeway. This dressing makes every salad I try it on unbelievably delicious, you can’t stop eating it. I highly recommend trying infused olive oils and vinegars from Olympia Olive Oil because it can take a salad to another level of greatness.

Another tip: if you want to have salads for lunch but you don’t have time in the morning, make it the night before. That way you aren’t rushed and you can appreciate what is going into your body and feel good about yourself while you’re making it.

In the winter, news rocked the school that beloved English teacher and baseball coach Todd McDougall was diagnosed with a brain tumor and later given a limited time to live. Since then, our community has pulled together for events such as runs to raise funds to help support McDougall and his family while still showing we care. “It’s really cool to see all the support given not only from the students and faculty members, but also parents and community members that care,” Senior Jenn Harper said. Couch McDougall has just been selected as the Narrows League 3A and 4A coach of the year and the baseball team has made it to state.

At the end of February, the school was again shaken to receive the news that band director and CP coordinator Rodney Pierson had passed away. Pierson had directed the bands at OHS for many years and played in many symphonies around the city. The bands were preparing for a concert and the Chinook Region Music Festival hosted every year at OHS. “Getting over obstacles and performing at such an incredible level proves what an amazing family we are; always looking out for each other,” Senior Alex Carlson said. Junior Katie Scott noted, “This year has been really hard for a lot of people, especially people in band. Mr. Pierson was such a big part of our lives and his passing showed us how close we really are.” Pierson suffered from depression for most of his life that he was not able to overcome.

Through spirit assemblies and STAND retreats, OHS has worked to strengthen the feeling of OHANA among the students. “This tough year has brought us together and showed us that we are not alone,” Scott added. “And I couldn’t be more thankful for all the people that came together to get through these difficult times.”

The weather during this year’s trip was better than anyone could’ve asked for; warmer than expected and with rain only on one day and it was a shower that didn’t even demand a coat.  The hikes were great (wading through puddles only made the hike more fun for the campers) and Angel Falls was a spectacular highlight.  A personal favorite of many of the campers was constructing a fire with just material gathered from along the riverbed and eventually, after many failed attempts and many broken matches, roast marshmallows to stuff between two graham crackers with a hunk of Hershey’s.

Being a camper myself when I was in fifth grade, I felt the pull to become a counselor to insure that this year’s batch of fifth graders had as much fun as I did when I was a camper.  Fellow counselor and Junior Aiden White had this to say about this year’s retreat; “It was a blast for sure!  It was great getting to know all the other counselors and hanging with all the kids!  It really teaches responsibility.”

The entire camp went through without hitch or incident, besides a few tics here and there.  No fights beyond the obligatory pillow “raids” and no hurt feelings when teams were picked for the constant games of capture the flag or fire-in-the-forest.  The only tears were the ones shed when the campers had to leave the camp to the tune of “I’m Leaving on a School Bus.”  I even got a message from one of my campers a week or two after the camp saying, “I’m sleeping in my sleeping bag tonight so I can pretend I’m back at Cispus.”

Counseling at Cispus is a really fantastic opportunity and one that is really just as much fun for the high school counselors as it is for the fifth grade campers.  A new set of fifth graders come annually, all demanding that their camp experience is just as grand as the last year’s.  Counselor and Senior Heather Mah said, “It’s such a great experience.  The campers really look up to you and think you are amazing.  Although there are times when the kids are frustrating or stressing you out, it’s a lot of fun giving them a memorable trip they’ll never forget.”

The idea that music can help a student’s studies originates from “The Mozart Effect,” in which small children were subjected to Mozart to induce focus in academic activities. However, a meta-analysis was done on all the studies of the Mozart Effect and it was discovered that music by Amadeus Wolfgang Mozart did not improve IQ. Mozart merely induces “Enjoyment Arousal” lasting barely fifteen minutes. This effect simply gives a bump to spatial reasoning and short-term memory.

One teacher in Vancouver, Kelly K., conducted a study based on the Mozart Effect for her senior thesis in college. With 112 participants, she found that students score 90% on spatial reasoning tasks in comfortable silence. While exposed to classical music scored 83%, and 72% while listening to popular music with lyrics. Kelly K. reasoned that, “Your choice of music could affect your GPA by a whole letter grade! One of the reasons for this may be that, due to a person’s capacity for attention, lyrics inhibit ability to focus.”

However, music is not completely written off as a concentration inhibitor. Certain types of music, similar to those works of Mozart, can aid in concentration and short-term memory if listened to before a student sets to work on their school work. CNN Health Writer Elizabeth Landau wrote in an article on music and its affect on a student’s studies, “Other studies have found a ‘Schubert Effect’ for people who like the music of Franz Schubert and the ‘Stephen King Effect’ for people who like a narrated story by that author. The explanation for all of this could be that when you hear something you like, it heightens your arousal and mood, which improves performance.” Later in her article, she notes that this research suggests that classical music listened to before hand can provide a pep talk of sorts for a student, and that after they are “aroused,” they can perform quite well in silence.

So, when it comes to silence vs. sound, silence is always best.

“This is the first year in forever I’ve been doing the Procession!” Gushes Allie Milburn, a Junior at Capital High School. She’s planning on wreaking some havoc as a bat, her favorite animal, “I love animals more than people so it’s right up my alley. I live all the way in Steamboat so it was difficult before to get involved but this year I’m totally committed!”

The Procession of the Species is the creative love child of Olympian Eli Sterling. Sterling holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from The Evergreen State College, where he founded the annual Rachel Carson Environmental Forum in 1991. That same year, Sterling created Earthbound Productions as a community non-profit organization committed to advancing effective environmental education through creative cultural events and community partnerships. From 1991-1995, Sterling produced over 130 community radio and television programs that engaged area-wide leaders on a broad range of environmental and social issues.

“The Procession I think has had a great impact on our community,” Tourtillott says, taking a labeled box of variegated color pencils from the shelf in the Procession of the Species workshop. It spills hued tubes all over the table, gouged with vibrant scars where past procession artists have left their mark. “It’s like all these colors,” she reflects “If every pencil here was a different person with a unique background, from all of over the world, maybe even a different species, the Procession is a way that we Olympians can celebrate our basic similarities.” She gathers the pencils in her hands and places them gently back in the box.

According to their website, “The Procession seeks to bridge the arts, the environment, and our local community. As a celebration of art, it involves citizens in a creative process affirming art’s place in the forum of public expression. As a celebration of species, it awakens public sensibilities to the issues surrounding environmental awareness and protection.” They attempt to bolster community by celebrating by engaging and connecting local government, local schools, small businesses, and civic organizations.

“It’s their nineteenth anniversary!” enthuses Milburn “The Luminary Procession is on Friday, April 26^th at 9:00pm and the Procession of the Species is on the 27^th at 4:30pm! The studio is open all the time and it’s across the street from the Bread Peddlar so there’s, like, major opportunity for food!”

“Everyone should do the Procession!” Proclaims Tourtillott, “It kicks butt!”

Out of 11 or so girls that applied this year, Kelson was chosen to represent OHS and will be attending all Lake Fair events like similar parades, Lake Fair itself, Arts Walk, volleyball tournament on the Capital lawn, and also have the opportunity to speak at events on behalf of our community. The final Lake Fair Court this year is led by Queen Katherine Nguyen from Capital High School along with six princesses. Kelson describes her personal relationship with the court “I love our court!  I couldn’t be happier with the girls I get to experience this with. We all get along and have personalities that mesh and complement each other.” Outside of the glamorous life of a princess, Kelson manages to keep busy with Varsity volleyball and tennis, leadership program and choir while still finding time to pursue her passion of reading, and spending time with her family and friends. Kelson, strongly encourages anyone to fill out an application to become a Lake Fair princess and possibly queen next year, stating “it’s a great experience so far, there’s nothing to lose, and I would highly recommend putting yourself out there and applying.” You can catch the Lake Fair court this year at Lake Fair July 17^th-21^st, come support!

A unique twist to the average vacationing is a tree house resort: A Treesort! Treesort’s are a mix of camping and staying a hotel, where visitors stay in a house in the trees, getting the full Swiss Family Robinson feel, without the shipwreck and doom. While vacationing at one of these resorts the perfect opportunity to welcome your nature side opens up. Great activities offered at most Treesorts in the Northwest are painting, reading, writing, exploring and more! Often times massages and/or yoga are offered as well!

If looking for a more traditional take on vacationing, Washington has many great campsites, lakes, and more! A great, in-state place you’ll love, according to Freshman, Lauren Rightmier, is Lake Chelan! The water is clear, the camp sites are beautiful, green grass everywhere and lots to do! “I go to a cute little drive in restaurant by the lake every time I go!” Rightmier also adds, “You can also find great beach spots to lay out in the sun! There’s something for everyone!” She goes every year and would highly recommend the vacation, just remember to book your spots early to get your favorite!

Other great vacations are a trip to Spokane for shopping, biking, hiking, Silverwood and more! Or, if looking to travel farther than the surrounding cities and states, many students recommend Hawaii, California, and/or Florida for the tropical, good weather, eventful or relaxing vacation!

Don’t forget our good old Seattle and Wild Waves water park either, the perfect day trips to spend with friends or family!

Coppelia is a love story full of comedic mishaps and romantic festivals, as an engaged man, Franz, mistakenly falls for a beautiful, life size, mechanical, doll. The doll, by the name of Coppelia, sits in her window all day ‘reading’, for this is where her toymaker, Dr. Coppelius, had placed her. Franz loves to admire her beauty. It doesn’t last long, however, as his heartbroken fiancé, Swanhilda, soon realizes his love is for someone other than herself and takes matters into her own hands. The plot unravels with disguises, potions, and more.

Senior, Nicole Carson, plays the sassy, snotty fiancé, Swanhilda and loves stepping into a character role and making it her own. In Carson’s eyes the months of training all finally pays off the moment she steps on stage. “There’s something about being under the lights in costume and full stage makeup as I do what I love that is intriguing and fulfilling,” she remarks. Carol Davis, another performer, agrees saying, “My favorite part is the challenge of finding a way to connect with my character and with the story.” Davis tries to use her personal life experiences to express each of the required emotions. “I am constantly challenged to step out of my comfort zone and be true to myself as an artist and a person.”

Compared to other extracurricular activities, ballet is about both the mental and physical struggle. Dancers must remember their choreography while trying to reach their leg in unnatural angles, turn fast as lightning numerous times, and jump through the air creating a flying illusion. Not only must they do these things but the performers must act making facial expressions accurate to their character. The few minutes of a dance on stage is merely a blur of the countless hours of struggle,

endurance, rehearsing, and energy put into making the production the best one yet.

For Carson, Davis, and their fellow performers, they only get one weekend to give a piece of their heart and passion to the audience in hope to make it the best. Coppelia will be Carson’s last chance as a high school student to reach her goals as a talented ballerina. “I’m blessed to have attended an awesome studio with excellent and encouraging teachers as well as amazing friends these past four years. All glory goes to God.”  She looks forward for Coppelia and Studio West Dance Theatre hopes to get the community out at the show this upcoming May 3, 4, 5. Tickets are available on Olytix.org and the performance will take place at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts over at SPSCC. Come on out and support your peers in the performance.