The pedestrian demonstration involved an 80 pound dummy and a car. The dummy was suspended about 5-6 inches off the , a white car driven by a police force volunteer drove at about 32 miles per hour towards the “pedestrian”. The “pedestrian” was thrown about 3 feet in the air and landed on its stomach about 7 feet away from its original location.

The damage that the collision would have caused an actual human being would be immense involving head and spine trauma along with broken bones and the potential of internal bleeding  the car received a few minor dents and a crack in the bottom left hand corner of the windshield. An interesting fact about pedestrian collisions is that jeans, popular denim articles of clothing, leave a residue on a car if a person who is wearing them is hit. This residue can help investigators find out where on the car they were hit and can help them in hit and run situations.

According to Detective Al Baker, a speaker at the Driving at Home workshop, “Responsibility is the most important word in the dictionary pertaining to this” He believes the reason for many teen automobile collisions is, other than drugs and alcohol, is speed. Baker believes teens have too much horsepower and doesn’t understand why teens need the ability to go 120 miles per hour when police enforcement isn’t even able to reach the previously stated speed.

“What if I kill someone? A friend, relative, or an innocent person.” Someone in the United States dies in a car crash every 15 minutes. A topic that was greatly stressed was the fact that out of 6 million car crashes that occur every year in the United States alone less than 1 percent are accidents, caused by a factor that is completely out of the driver’s control.

There are things that can prevent deaths and injuries in accidents; car seats, and seat belts. On average it takes a person 3 ½ to 5 seconds to fasten a seatbelt which can be the most important factor in a car crash. In June 2010 there is going to be a tax of all Washington State residents that will be gathering money to pay back what is used each year in medical care for car related injuries.

In 2000 the total cost of automobile crashes in the US was $230.6 billion dollars which roughly equals $820 dollars per person living in the US. The general public pays at least ¾ of all car collision costs. Car crashes can happen to anyone so be aware of the situation and be responsible.

For more information on automobile crashes and how you can prevent car collisions visit.

http://www.wtsc.wa.gov/

http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=links

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During September of this school year there were three prowls and one car theft from the campus parking lot. In October three additional prowls occurred. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of car prowling and how to prevent oneself from becoming the next victim.

Students peered into the windows of each vehicle to see if items of value were in plain sight such as phones, stereos, sporting goods, and other electronic equipment. If any valuable items were seen they were checked on a flyer and left on the windshield to inform vehicle owners what a thief would have taken. If nothing was in sight a box of congratulations was checked for making their car uninviting to thieves.

On the back of the flyer were tips to follow in order to deter prowls. Advice includes always lock the vehicle, don’t leave valuables in the vehicle, record serial numbers of electronics, park in well lit locations, report suspicious activity, install alarm systems, and remove stereo faceplates.

Officer Froisland commented that “the most common item stolen is stereo faceplates and radios.” She stated “the knowledge of how to keep your valuables safe will help prevent theft not just on campus but anyone in the real world.”

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The abandoned gas station on 212th St. SW and 52nd Ave W. caught on fire around 6:15 p.m. on April 11. Firefighters from Fire District 1 and Mountlake Terrace police arrived quickly on the scene and subdued the flames. The smoke smelled strongly of sulphur. Photo by Megan Resler.

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“It was a celebration of diversity,” Kevin Phok co-host of the event said.

Admission was free, but all attendants were encouraged to bring a dish of food form their culture to contribute to the potluck.

Turnout topped 400 with diverse food from all across the world.

This is the first year in MTHS history the event has was hosted by non-ESL students.

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The market will be run by the Mountlake Terrace Business Association. Grant Davidson, manager of farmers’ markets in Lake Forest Park, Woodinville and Bellevue, has been hired by the Mountlake Terrace Business Association to run the market in Mountlake Terrace. Part of Davidson’s income will come from a fee paid each week as well as a fee from each vendor based on their profit.

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“The purpose of National Day of Silence is to give a profound visual of the silently oppressed gay, lesbian, transgendered and queer students,” GSA President Laura Karnoski said.

Nearly nine out of 10 LGBT youth (86.2 percent) reported being verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation, nearly half (44.1 percent) reported being physically harassed and about a quarter (22.1 percent) reported being physically assaulted, according to national surveys.

“I think that if everybody took Day of Silence as a serious movement to combat homophobic bullying and harassment, we could see a lot of eyes opened to how many people are affected and offended by these blatant but so common and unfortunately socially accepted acts of hatred,” Karnoski said.

GSA members have made posters and advertisements and set up the display case at the front of the school to spread awareness on the issue. Kim Phillio and GSA Vice President Alana Erkan have been especially helpful in the process of preparing for the Day of Silence.

Examples of homophobic bullying commonly seen in the MTHS community include the use of the word “gay” as a synonym for something negative, the use of “fag” as a slur, and the subtle mistreatment of somebody of a different sexual orientation.

“There is nothing wrong with a youth being able to embrace and not be ashamed of something so defining as a sexual orientation. The oppression and hatred that they will face because of this unchangeable aspect of themselves that is as much of one’s humane constitution as race, creed, gender, or disability status is unfair and completely preventable,” Karnoski said.

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The event was held at Key Arena for the 3rd year in a row. It was led by Derek Burkett and David Krienke, the Robotics team who won the Underwriter’s Laboratory Team Safety Award. The team managed  the distribution of safety glasses for the entire event, showed the team’s comprehensive safety plan, and posted safety posters around the event.

The Business Plan Award was also given to the MTHS robotics team for the second year in a row.

Our team was awarded for developing the best and most comprehensive business plan.  Brandon Crader and Tyler Baker worked to update last year’s plan, also an award winner, and received the award again this year.  As the regional event’s judges noted, this bodes well for our team’s growth and development in the year’s to come.

Emilie Woog finished the 2010 robotics season by receiving the top female engineering award for the entire Regional Event.

The “Dean’s List” award is given to the top male and female engineering students from all 64 teams present at the event, roughly 1000 students. This month Woog will travel to Atlanta, GA to compete for the National Dean’s List Award.

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That didn’t go over well, however, with school officials.

The dress expectations of the student handbook state that “as a matter of health and safety, everyone must be fully clothed, including shoes or sandals and shirts. Students who do not dress according to the dress code will be asked to change or be sent home.”

While shoes are specifically addressed in the MTHS dress code, the Edmonds School District policy does not require that shoes be worn during school hours, only that dress not “create a health or other hazard to the student’s safety or to the safety of others.”

However, ESD has developed a series of three steps outlined for individual school’s administrations to discipline students who violate the dress code. The steps include: If the student’s dress or grooming is objectionable under these provisions, the principal shall request the student make appropriate corrections. If the student refuses, the principal shall notify the parent and request that person to make the necessary correction. If the student continues to refuse, the principal shall take appropriate corrective action. Students may be suspended if circumstances so warrant.

“In fourth period, a classmate of mine wasn’t wearing shoes,” sophomore Hunter Goncalves said. “I asked why not, and he told me about the event to bring awareness to third world countries. I thought it was cool and took off my shoes. During second lunch, (educational assistant) Jerry (Myers) told me to put my shoes back on, I said okay and to hang on. A few minutes later Jerry and (Assistant Principal Scott) Morrison come by and take me to the office. I was sentenced to two lunch detentions.”

Morrison sent out an email to teachers asking them to remind students that bare feet are against the health and dress codes. It is difficult to determine the exact impact upon student awareness and empathy for impoverished nations, but not everyone was satisfied with the demonstration.

“My feet just got cold,” Goncalves said.

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The play attracted a plethora of audience members from MTHS, Mountlake Terrace, and neighboring communities, receiving wide acclaim by the unique plot and captivating characters.

But, the polished nature of the play gave no indication to the strain the department is currently under.

Due to rising costs, the Drama Department has struggled greatly to maintain its financial resources.

Although “Spelling Bee” was produced using a comparatively small budget, the department still had to pay for peripheral expenses, including the rights (permission to use the artist materials), royalties (the payment to the artist and publisher) and rental of the materials. Before the production could even begin they were required to make a payment of more than $3,500, about $1,000 higher than the average cost for a musical just five years ago.

“The publishing companies are very careful about maintaining copyright and will not release the scripts and orchestration of the music to the general population,” drama teacher Jeannie Brzovic said.

According to Brzovic, the world-renowned program is nearing its demise mainly due to continuously low audience turn-outs and, therefore, a lack of revenue. Since the program depends on its ticket sales to pay its bills and purchase set equipment and costumes, failing attendance will make it harder for the program to stay afloat during the current economic downturn.

“I realize that most people do not understand the financial aspect of this program, but this production, like most of the musicals, runs around $6,000 to produce. I used to think the failing audience was due to the division of our school into small learning community structures. However, we have not seen a return of our audience,” Brzovic said.

“Most people probably think our program is just a high school kind of theatre so they’re reluctant to come, yet last year it was selected as one of the top 10 drama programs in the nation,” actor Irving Garcia said.

Garcia has been part of the drama department for two years and has starred in such school productions as “Harvey,” “Once Upon a Mattress,” and “Spelling Bee.”

“A small house used to be around 250 people. Ever since the implementing of small schools a small house is now 75 people. I feel we are still yet to recover from them and become a whole community again,” Brzovic said.

Consequently, the Drama Department has been forced to employ more resourceful and thrifty strategies. They reuse bits and pieces of the sets over and over again. They also borrow furniture and set dressings from homes, and if purchases are necessary they shop extensively before buying.

“Our goal is to cover the expense of the shows in addition to continue to prioritize the quality of program and variety of selection and connections for curricular materials in English and social studies. If we do earn extra money, we reinvest it into the program by upgrading the old and outdated equipment,” Brzovic said.

With the many accomplishments the Drama Department and its members have achieved at both regional and national levels during the past year and earlier this year, the cessation of the department is a serious prospect.

“It will leave a gaping hole for the educational opportunity provided for the performing arts students,” Brzovic said.

Both Brzovic and Garcia said they believe that greater advertising and word-of-mouth as well as more support from the faculty would help the department increase its audience numbers.

Senior Alix Deenin, who played Marcy in “Spelling Bee” said, “It’s an amazing program. Everyone has some sort of vent, whether it’s sport, music, skateboarding, etc. Drama is ours. Without support from this community, we would lose this crucial part of our lives.”

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