TROY INVOICE Volume 44, Senior iSSue

JUne, 2013Auburn High’s Student Voice Since 1969 253.931.4880 │mwasserman@auburn.wednet.edu

The Auburn High School

Mr. Morrow offers post high school adviceBy now, many seniors are on the

verge of finalizing their 12 years of free public education. They’ve struggled though four years of math, slept through countless his-tory lessons, and labored through novels such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird. It’s final-ly time to graduate. For some, this marks the entrance into the so called “real world” of college or work. To assist those entering their freshmen year of college this fall, Auburn High’s career and college coun-selor, Mr. Morrow, clears up some questions on that first decisive year.

On schooling… A college educa-tion is much different from a high school education, most notably in the fact that it costs money, and a lot of it. “You are paying for your education in a college, whereas the taxpayers in our state pay for high school. Each class at a community college in our state costs approxi-mately $105 per credit hour, while the same at a typical state univer-sity in Washington costs more than twice as much. The stakes are high-er. The expectation is that the stu-dent wants to be there, unlike high school where you have to be here, so there is an assumed motivation. I would say that students in our Ad-vanced Placement AP classes and those who take Running Start class-es at the local community college have a pretty good idea of the rigor.

“Generally there is more reading and fewer measurements that go into your final grade. It is not un-usual for a final grade to be based on a couple of tests (mid-term and final) and maybe a project. Quizzes don’t happen as often. The toughest thing for most who transition to col-

lege is time management. There is an assumption that for every hour in the college classroom, two hours of study outside of class is expected. To prepare for tests, it’s the same as in high school, take good notes and review them, read texts, quiz with a friend, use flashcards, etc.”

On where to live…When in high-er education, students have the abil-ity to choose where to live, either in dorms, an apartment, or staying at

home. The best option for each per-son depends, says Mr. Marrow. “At-tending college close to home poten-tially leads to large money savings, whereas living in a dorm typically costs between $8-10,000 for a school year. Fraternities and sororities can be cheaper and include social and philanthropic opportunities. Most students live off campus eventually (apartment or co-op) and can save a lot of money with roommates.

“Each of the options mentioned come with different life experienc-es. Living in a dorm is very differ-ent than living at home where you may still receive help with laun-dry, food prep, etc. A dorm expe-rience forces you to be more inde-pendent and comes with a dining hall, and family stays at home.”

On social life… Mr. Morrow was quick to acknowledge that “Grow-ing socially is one of the best parts of

a college experience, but is partying with alcohol, etc. inevitable? NO! College is all about choices—choic-es about how you spend your time, about who you hang around with, and about how you spend what lit-tle expendable cash you might have. But you, and your family who is sup-porting your college adventure, have to live with the consequences (good or bad) of the choices you make.

“Making friends depends on

your personality and the choices you make to take healthy risks to meet new people. You will work hard throughout the school year, but there is a lot of extra time. The key is to have your priorities in order, to know when to work on school and when to socialize. Students who work part-time while in college tend to manage their time well and get better grades. Last time I checked, most of these college students also had plenty of time for friendships.

“With social media it is prob-ably easier now to stay in touch with old friends then when I went to college. But in general, I would say that growing apart is inevi-table for most. There are excep-tions of course, but the thing that keeps most of your fellow gradu-ates together in high school is high school! Once you graduate, the independence that comes with it

sends you on your own adventure. “Maintaining a romantic rela-

tionship depends as well. I know of at least one AHS graduate couple that not only continued their re-lationship in college, but are now married and have a child. In gen-eral however, I don’t recommend continuing a HS relationship after graduation…there is so much to life and so many new friends to make that it would be a shame to lose out on the opportunities that abound in college. Maintaining a relationship is a lot of work and requires a lot of resources (time, money, etc.), espe-cially if geographically separated.”

On money… “It is essential that students pursue all sources of scholarship and financial aid pos-sible. That means applying for scholarships, filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Stu-dent Aid) in January each year, sending our graduation announce-ments, finding a good summer job, among other things. Don’t forget that one of the best ways to lessen the financial burden of college is to look for ways to cut cost. For example thinking, “Could I live at home?”, “Could I survive with a reduced dorm meal plan?”, etc.

“Working in college isn’t neces-sarily a bad thing. Not all students want to work, although more prob-ably should due to the rising costs of college. Remember that the real reason you attend college is to gain knowledge and skills that will lead to better pay in the workforce over your entire working life. It is very helpful to have something else in your personal resume when ap-plying for/ interviewing for your first significant job after college. If you can find a way during col-lege to connect to a paid experi-ence that complements your de-gree pathway, you will look that much stronger to a prospective em-ployer once you have the degree.”

The first year of college is a new adventure many Auburn seniors will experience this fall. Regard-less of major, economic or living situation, or social life, freshman year comes with a new sense of independence and responsibil-ity. Most welcome opportunity.

liliana oceguedaREPORTER

College and Career Counselor John Morrow is the best person to go if you have any questions regarding college, scholarships, or standardized testing.

News….........2-3Superlatives... 4-5

Features.... 6-7Prom............ 8INDEX

Seniors, check out the

results from the superlative

votes on pages 4&5!

Troy InVoice

news JUNE 2013PAGE 2

Established in 1906, Auburn High School has been holding numerous traditions for over one hundred years. When word got out about the possibility of ending one of Auburn’s lon-gest traditions, some students got a little worked up. Admin-istrators have been discussing moving graduation off of the Sunday following seniors’ last day. Before even hearing the reasoning behind this possible change, underclassmen were al-ready voicing their opinions.

“My mom graduated from AHS on a Sunday, my dad did, my brother did, even my grandma did! So I’m going to graduate on Sunday!” said Senior Josh Tate.

The problem that admin has noticed is that having gradu-ation on Father’s Day re-

sults in less staff involvement. “My father is 86 years old, and

I’d like to make sure I spend ev-ery Father’s day I have with him,” said athletic director Bob Jones.

Bob Jones wasn’t the only one. In general the Auburn faculty wants to spend Father’s day with their family, but are conflicted be-cause they want to see their stu-dents receive their diplomas too.

After countless board meet-ings and brainstorming sessions, admin has come up with a few alternatives. One idea is to move graduation to Saturday, instead of Sunday. The problem with Sat-urday is there are two other grad-uation ceremonies already being held on that day: Auburn River-side and Auburn Mountainview.

“Trying to fit three cer-emonies in one day could get chaotic,” said Bob Jones.

The ceremony itself lasts about 1.5 hours, so the spacing of three

different graduations would have to be 11am, 3pm, and 6pm. Plus, construction has just started, and will get worse in the next couple years, leaving space limited to the new parking lot by the pool—fitting three schools worth of family and friends into 80 park-ing spaces would create havoc.

A second alternative would be to move graduation to the previous Friday. At first glance this seems the better of the two options. Only one ceremony and not on Father’s day—per-fect! However, after more con-sideration this option became harder to plan. What time would they set the ceremony?

“Parent’s are getting off work and heading home in Friday traffic,” said Jones.

Setting a time that allows all relatives to make it to the start of the ceremony would be dif-ficult. Seniors would have to

rush getting ready because they get out of their last day of school at 2:35. They’d have to head home, get cleaned up, and get back to school to practice.

Another downside to a Friday ceremony would be the start of Grad Night. Grad Night is a se-nior school function where se-niors are loaded onto a bus and are surprised with a night of fun activities. If the Friday ceremony has to start at around 7:00 PM to accommodate traffic and work, seniors will get a shorter Grad Night starting at around 9:00 PM.

Staff will be surveying the ju-nior class in the following month, and if there is any interest in a date change, they will sur-vey the parents in a mail-home style ballot. However, if there is no interest they will be able to say they tried and leave Au-burn’s tradition as is, on Sunday.

Admin team considers graduation date change Rylee Lewis

REPORTER

TROY INVOICE PHOTOGRAPHERAlan Munoz

REPORTING INTERNSAustin LaneJuana PradoJorge EscutiaRylee LewisCody Sage

Neko ReynonBryan Saldona

EDITORIAL STAFF

Co-Editor ….......…..…................Holly LaneCo-Editor ….............. .…..…..Justina BrownAdvisor..........................Michael Wasserman

REPORTERSStephanie Masterman

Samara ChapmanGabrielle DozierMonica SaneriLibby Herrell

Liliana Ocegueda

EDITORIAL POLICYTo maintain a high standard of journalism, the Troy InVoice adheres all AP news writing standards. All members of Troy InVoice staff have agreed to this policy, and it will remain posted in the newsroom throughout the year. The Troy InVoice will strive toward excellence in every issue. It will aim to be a vital part of Auburn High School’s student body, and staff.

Auburn Senior High800 Fourth St. NE, Auburn, WA 98002

Newsroom: 253. 931. 4880 ext. 1309Fax: (253) 931-4701

I came into high school with the mentality that I hated it. I hadn’t even begun, and yet I made up my mind that I detested high school. The re-ality, it turns out, wasn’t as bad as I thought. As freshman year wore on the dense fog of loath-ing started to lift. I started enjoying school more. At first, I didn’t want to come, and I didn’t want to be a part of anything the school offered. You could say that I had a very introverted per-sonality. But thanks to great teachers like Mrs. Pratt, I was able to get through freshman year with a more positive attitude towards the end.

By sophomore year, something came upon me and I was filled with school spirit and I was all about getting into AP classes. I was suddenly hit with this passion to do my very best, because teachers were showing me how much poten-tial I had and they kept pushing me harder and harder. Although I wanted to do AP classes, that never worked out for me—not because I wasn’t smart enough to get into them, but because I re-alized that I was content learning at a normal speed. And had I not come to this realization, I never would have met my now favorite teacher, Mr. Wasserman, who I had for 11th grade English.

In the middle of sophomore year I was invited to a youth group here in Auburn called The Exit. From there on, my life completely changed. At this

time in my life my parents had moved to Kent and I moved in with my aunt and uncle so that I could remain at Auburn High School. My perspective on school changed and my view of life changed once I started attending the youth group. I made friend-ships that I know will last a life time. I no longer hated school, but rather realized that school was an opportunity denied to many. And I slowly started to figure out who I was, what kind of passions I had, and what my values were. It’s hard to overes-timate the positive influence this group had on me.

By junior year I was volunteering every month at the South Sound Dream Center, had almost straight A’s, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life after high school. This was a bother to me. I’m the type of person that likes to plan ahead, who’s always prepared for what can go wrong. So not having a plan for my future was a great stress for me. I had a lot restless nights throughout my junior year.

By the beginning of senior year, I got a bad case of senioritis. Yes, it is a real thing. And please remember that senior year does still af-fect your GPA. Side note and a little advice: Don’t let senior year apathy get a hold of you.

And if there are things that I would choose to do differently in high school, I only wish I wouldn’t have been so scared. I wish that I wouldn’t have been afraid to put myself out there and do things that make me uncomfort-able, like running for ASB or even little things like stepping up to be a leader in class. Some-thing my uncle always told me that really helped me open up was, “Do things that are challenging, because it’s the challenges that we learn from.”

I’m graduating in a short time and to be honest I still don’t have much of a plan for my future. I’m moving to Idaho and I am going to community college over there while I figure out a plan. To some, winging it like I am wouldn’t be an option. This lack-of-plan wouldn’t have been ok with me two years ago, but now I real-ize that life only happens once. This isn’t to say I thought life happened more than once two years ago, but rather that I didn’t fully grasp then the singular aspect of life. There is no need to rush anything. Not knowing what I want to do opens doors for different opportunities and it forces me to be spontaneous and adventurous.

All in all, high school has been a long, trans-forming, adventurous experience. I’d never do it again, but I know it is something that had to happen to move on to the next step in life. A word of advice I wish I would have listened to is to be your own “you,” because it’s no fun to be the same as everyone else. I remember a quote Mr. Wasserman used to tell us all the time: Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.

Monica SanseriREPORTER

Senior

Reflection

Troy InVoice

featuresJUNE 2013 PAGE 3

Seniors offer advice to lower classmenMany memories have

been made over the course of the past four years for us se-niors. Friendships have been made, and broken. Grades have been up, and grades have been down. Tears have been shed; laughter has been. . .uh. . .shed too. With all of this high school drama now largely behind us, us seniors would like to pass on some advice to our fellow classmates. Call it wisdom. Or call it something else.

The most important thing you can do in high school is the most obvious. You have to actually do the work. You don’t have to be a genius, but you do have to possess a certain steadfastness. Look, sometimes it’s just a matter of putting your head down and grinding it out. You don’t have to love it, or even like it much, but you need to get ‘er done, as Larry the Cable Guys says. You’ve heard it a hundred times

from teachers you prob-ably ignored. But they were right: if you don’t do your work, you will not graduate.

“Every year some poor senior fails my class and doesn’t graduate because they ignored all the warn-ings I issued about their graduation status,” said English teacher, Mr. Was-serman. “You’ve got to do the work. It’s as sim-ple as that, which doesn’t mean it’s easy,” he added.

Thalia Kirst, a senior, concurs. “Do your work, be-cause one day, you’ll look back and regret all of the times that you slacked off.”

Agreeing with his class-mate and Mr. Wasserman, senior Tylor Cooper added, “Don’t procrastinate. It just hurts you in the long run.”

Also important is to not put off the very things that can make “beyond high school” possible. Scholar-ships are a huge part of your senior year. It’s important to keep in mind that if you

don’t apply for scholarships, you will be paying thou-sands of dollars out of your own pocket that could pos-sibly have been avoided. Of course, the first point of do-ing your work is very much linked with the whole schol-arship thing. But assuming you’ve done what you need to do, look for scholarships. Mr. Morrow in the Career Center is a great resource.

“The harder you try, the more scholarships you get. So, if you want to save a butt load of money, you should actually attempt to give a crap,” said se-nior Maggie Akervold.

Also keep in mind that high school in a larger sense is about getting your pri-orities straight. Sure, school work isn’t the only thing worth caring about, but neither is your social life. These two things can co-exist harmoniously, as Irma Noriega Arenas is quick to point out. “Don’t lose yourself and make positive

choices for your future,” she said. “The real world is nothing like high school, so live in light,” she added.

Yep, being yourself is a huge part of making it through high school. If you can stick to who you are the entire four years, you’ll make it far. Senior Olaf So-merlik said, “Participate in the community, and take chances doing things you might normally not see yourself doing.” So true. It’s always good to step out of your comfort zone, transcendentalist style. If you always stay in your little box, you might miss out on something fantastic. Take chances, take risks.

And then there’s love. Sami Balander had some great advice for high school couples.

“Making out in the hall-way looks gross, especially when they look like a baby,” she said. Public displays of affection aren’t bad, but you need to know how

much affection is too much.Fashion isn’t to be ig-

nored either. Balander was quick to voice her frustra-tion with the fact that people do not follow the dress code.

“Wearing only a bra instead of a ‘bando’ thing doesn’t make you look mature,” she said.

Keep in mind that even if the weather gets hotter, you should still follow the dress code. Many students do not, and that can lead to a staff member calling you out on your clothes, and sending you home to change. Avoid the embar-rassment of being talked to, and follow the dress code when you get ready for school in the morning.

Having gone through four years of high school, the senior class has seen a lot. Take what they say serious-ly, because they know what it’s like to be an underclass-man. Don’t go through high school living in your own world –– make a difference.

Samara ChapmanREPORTER

Most spirited: Rylee Lewis and Adam Luk

Senior Superlatives

Most athletic: Anna DeCarteret and Tyler Flannery

Best hair: Reshma Ampallor and Danny Velasco

Most likely to succeed: Anna Starr and Bran Olsen

Worst Senioritis: Emily Fitzgerald and Spencer Fisher

Best dressed: Sydney Johnson and Adam Luk Biggest klutz: Nicole Schwoch and Demontra McNealy

Most changed: Alan Munoz and Gabie Lane

Compiled by: Riley Lewis

Most spirited: Rylee Lewis and Adam Luk

Senior Superlatives

Teacher’s Pets: Pett Khongkhan-gam and Brennan Wallin

Best to take home to parents: Taylor Vicente and Hunter Stone

Best Twitter feed: Taylor Hardin and TJ Muao

@taylorhardin1

@thatkidteejayy

Biggest klutz: Nicole Schwoch and Demontra McNealy

Most changed: Alan Munoz and Gabie Lane

Troy InVoice

Features JUNE 2013PAGE 5

My high school experience didn’t start out very pleasant. My journey began as a fresh-man at Auburn Mountainview. I live on Lea Hill, technically I’m supposed to be attending Mountainview according to the boundaries for the different schools. I felt like a stranger walking the halls of their school, I didn’t be-long. I made a pros and cons list of the school I was currently attending, and the school that I wanted to attend. Finally, I sat down with my parents and an advice principal to get my transfer in order. At the start of second semes-ter, freshman year, I transferred to Auburn Se-nior High. For the first couple of weeks, I felt out of place; but only because I was new to the school. I made friends quickly, and shortly af-ter, I felt like I belonged. I’m beyond relieved that I made the decision to switch schools. In my sophomore year, I made a friend for life. High school was a tough journey, even though you gain friends, you can lose some as well. As a sophomore, and as a junior, I had to watch some of my closest friends graduate and move on in their life. I couldn’t wait to do the same. Now that I am a senior, and gradua-

tion is around the corner, it feels weird know-ing that I’m not coming back the next year.

I’ve changed a lot through my years at Au-burn High. I’ve gone from being the girl who wears a sweatshirt every day, who sits quietly in the corner and doesn’t talk to anyone if she isn’t approached, to being the girl that likes to

dress up for the day, who isn’t afraid to be the first person to start a conversation. Though I can still be shy at times, I’ve come out of my shell

a bit. I learned to be comfortable with myself. I have naturally curly hair, which I used to de-spise. I could never get my hair under control, I always made it straight. One day, someone told me that they liked my curly hair better. Once I started wearing my hair naturally, I couldn’t stop. I would get compliments, and that made me feel better about how I looked with curly hair. I began to dress more my age, rather than a baggy sweatshirt and jeans. I’m proud to say that I have changed for the better. I might have some regrets looking back, but happily, I can say that I’ve never veered off into the “par-ty” crowd. I stayed true to myself, someone who enjoys reading, watching movies, and being around my loving friends and family.

Although being a senior is exciting, it can be frightening. I know what I want to do as far as my career goes, but I’m not sure what I’m doing come September. I’ve told people that I plan to take a year off amd save up my money for school so that I’m not completely in debt. When I was younger, I watched my brother graduate. I always said that I would fill out as many scholarships as possible to prevent the impending doom of debt. Well, I never did. I didn’t take the time out of my day to fill out any scholarships, not one.

That is my single regret throughout the en-tire four years of being in high school. I wish I would have taken college more seriously.

Samara ChapmanREPORTER

SeniorReflection

Graduation trips loom large for antsy seniors

As graduation looms large, many seniors are preparing them-selves for the trip of a lifetime. Call it just desserts for a job well done.

Ruben H. Plascencia, a senior at Auburn High, explained that “After having four years of High School with all the stress, I’m proud of myself and I believe I deserve a trip to Miami Florida. I love the hot weather, and Florida will be a trip

that I’ll remember for a life time.” Heading for the sun seems to be a

common theme—a perfect climate to better enjoy a little relaxation.

Maria Garcia is opting for the turquoise waters of Hawaii and then the Bahamas for her special trip. “I’m super excited because I love the beaches,” she gushed.

Garcia was quick to mention what kept her head in the game. “Thanks to my family who mo-tivated me to keep moving for-ward and not giving up I’m fi-

nally getting a break from all the hard work I had during school.”

Guadalupe Martinez is both relieved that the long haul is over and excited for her trip, a kind of reunion for her.

“I’m finally happy that the day has come where I’m finally go-ing to graduate after working so hard. I’m headed to Mexico, to visit my family members that I haven’t seen in years,” she said.

And then some seniors, like Courtney Frostad, are keeping it a

bit more low-key. “I’ve been in most states,” she explained, “so I am just headed to California to visit some family members and have fun at the beach to feel free from all the stress of school before real life comes.”

Frostad knows that her trip is only a temporary reprieve from the demands of the real world. “After-wards I am headed towards col-lege to start my career,” she said.

And what looms be-yond high school is no doubt the biggest trip of all.

Juana PradoREPORTer

High school: how will it change you?As children we are told that

we will continuously change throughout our lifetime, but it’s only when we are grown that we’ll really notice the changes. High school is a time in our lives where we are con-stantly changing friends, styles, dreams, and more. When we think about where we were when we started this journey, freshman year, to where we have ended up now, senior year, we are better able to re-flect and see just how much we have transformed in four years. Here at Auburn High School there are students that, from their perspective, feel they have changed for the better.

Senior Maggie Akervold, for one, feels she has experienced a dramatic change during her time

in high school. Her transforma-tion went from dark to light in a matter of a few short years.

“Basically, freshman year I was the band t-shirt type of girl with her bangs in her and face and heavy metal always blasting in my ears,” she said.

Now that Akervold is a se-nior she says her life is to-tally different, though she didn’t really notice the shift.

“It just kind of hap-pened” she said.

But is she happy with the change? She told me that “…it helped a lot because I ac-tually began to care about school and my future.”

Even though high school only lasts four years, each year is a new journey, with different experiences, and new mindsets. Undoubtedly, there are many students in our school that

will go through a change like Maggie, where they suddenly realize that their life is theirs and it’s up to them to care about it rather than walking through these halls not caring.

For senior Alan Mu-noz high school was a time of transformation as well. Walk-ing through the halls freshman year Alan had no idea what he wanted. He played basket-ball, but other than that he was lost. As the years of high school went on he slowly began to re-alize what is that he wanted. He went from playing basketball to working out in a more gen-eral sense and is currently re-ally into photography, both of which he says are really impor-tant in his life now. As Alan says he grew a little taller, like we all do, and he got a little more ma-ture, but what’s really impor-tant and what he says makes

him unique is that he started to figure out who he was. Like Jim Morrison, the lead singer and song writer from the band The Doors once said, “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are; it’s got to happen inside first.” Like Jim Morrison, Alan realized that he needed to figure out who he was. This, in turn, made him much more mature, and gave him a stronger mindset.

“I had no idea what I wanted freshman year, but now I do. And I’m trying to get it,” Munoz said.

Maybe you are going through a change right now. Many other seniors like Maggie and Alan can tell you that changing is just a part of the high school experi-ence. And almost any adult can attest to the fact that we never really stop changing. Change is part of life. It’s our decision to embrace it or run from it.

Monica SanseriREPORTer

Senior PromJune 8th9 p.m.The Space Needle Tickets (for couples): $50 w/ASB $55 w/out ASBEarly pictures: AHS 5-7p.m.Pictures also available at Space Needle

Do you have dinner plans?Samara chapman

REPORTER

With prom coming up in only a few weeks, many people are won-dering where they should eat din-ner. Some people will go to restau-rants that have been recommended to them, and some will return to restaurants that they have been to in the past. Before you make your choice, take a few of your peers’ suggestions into consideration.

For senior Cecelia Grogan, the International House of Pancakes, or, IHOP is the place to go. “I re-ally, really like breakfast foods,” she said. “It’s cheap, but not Mc-Donald’s cheap. It’s cheap, classy, and IHOP is life.” Before you dis-miss IHOP as better suited to a lazy Sunday tracksuit than tuxes and gowns, The International House of Pancakes can be a great place to go eat for prom. For those on a tight budget IHOP has great prices, large portions, and lots of choices. Grogan, however, had only one menu item on her mind. “Their pancakes are the busi-ness,” she gushed. The one down-side to going out to a breakfast restaurant is that there is going to be syrup. Be careful not to get anything sticky on your clothes.

Or maybe switch things up and go enjoy some sushi. “I love su-shi!” said senior, Sami Balander. She was quick to offer a particu-lar restaurant. “People should go to Trappers for prom,” she sug-gested. “You pay twenty bucks, sit at a bar, and you get unlim-ited sushi. It’s a lot cheaper than paying nine bucks for a roll.”

Senior Leon Buchanan said that he wasn’t sure about din-ner, but that he and his date are going out after prom for a midnight snack. “My date de-cided that she wanted to get ice

cream, and not many places are open at midnight, so we’re prob-ably just going to McDonald’s.”

If money is really tight, instead of spending money by going out to eat before the dance, an inexpensive solution is to have dinner at home.

“We have a big group for prom, so we are going to have a BBQ at someone’s house,” senior Riley Yager said. “It’ll be fun.” By hav-ing dinner at home, less money will be spent. That money can go towards other things, such as pic-tures at the dance, or even an ac-tivity to do before or after prom.

There are many different choic-es for dinner on prom night. You can go for the usual choices, or try something new. Whatever choice you make, remember to soak it all up for the sake of mem-ory—it’s a big night, after all.

Stephanie MastermanREPORTER

The senior prom extravaganza is back! Seniors have, and will, en-dure extraordinary distress dealing with the jitters of finding the per-fect prom date for the perfect prom night. Getting a date maybe the most intimidating aspect of the prom ex-perience. So, if you are running out of ideas of how to ask your guy or girl to prom, take note of what your fellow classmates have done!Early one Saturday morning, senior Dale Morford executed a charming arrangement to ask his girlfriend, ju-nior Katie Wagner, to prom. “I woke her up really early and made her get dressed up. Then I blindfolded her and helped her to the car,” Dale ex-plained. Katie was in for a long ride of anticipation; their destination was Alki Beach, more than 30 minutes

A date?

away. When they got there, Dale left Katie waiting in the car while he laid out five big posters in the sand with the words written, “Will you go to prom?” Then, he helped Katie out of the car and attempted to lead her to the beach. “He came to get me out of the car and was leading me somewhere, then, out of nowhere I tripped and fell!” Katie said. “Oh my god! I forgot to tell you there’s stairs!” Dale re-sponded after she fell. Once con-quering the stairs, Dale left Katie standing alone and disappeared into the sandy beach. “I heard him shout. ‘You can take off the blindfold now!’ ” Katie said, “I took it off and I couldn’t see him anywhere so I started walking to-ward the water.” At the end of the signs, Dale stood with flowers and a smile. Katie gave him an excited, “YES!” and then the two were off to the Seattle Aquarium, since she’d been begging to go for so long.A romantic walk on the beach is a great way to go, but nothing says surprise like, “At first I thought he was a hobo!” as Katie Porter thought. One morning before school, senior Andrew Hardy convinced Katie Porter and her best friend, also se-niors, to meet him under a graffiti covered bridge in Black Diamond. At first when they approached the bridge, Katie thought she was looking at a stranger but when they came close, she saw her friend Andrew. “When the girls showed up, I instantly pointed to the wall where I had spray painted the night before,” said Drew. On the wall, in shimmering gold paint were the words, “Katie will you go to prom with me?” Below that, he had set up some candles around a gift for her; a painting of a gi-raffe and some exotic flowers. “Of course I said yes!” Katie said. Then the three seniors blew out the can-dles and made their way to school.Surprising your date when under a bridge is a good way to begin the

morning because you can only go up from down there, or you might try getting her sent to her room.After hanging out with his girl-friend Ivyanne Patton all day, James Gough took his girl to the grocery store to help him find the perfect Mother’s Day gift. James let Ivyanne choose the flowers and chocolates that she liked the most. “I grabbed some jelly beans too so she wouldn’t suspect anything,” said James slyly. Afterwards, they hung out at Ivyanne’s house un-til about 9:45pm. “I told her I had to go home but really I just drove round the corner and waited for a few minutes then texted her mom the queue.” And Ivyanne, oblivi-ous as could be, sat texting James when her mom came up to her and said, “Ivyanne who are you texting?” Ivyanne told her mom she was texting her boyfriend and her mother shouted, “If I find out anything else you’re in trouble! Go to your room!” She must’ve been really confused, but she went to her room anyway. That’s when, “I scared the crap out of her and asked her to prom,” said James, “I heard her yell ‘Mom someone’s knock-ing on my window!’ ” Then she came to the window and her be-loved boyfriend was staring up at her with flowers, chocolates, and a familiar smile. “I think she was shocked because she hesitated for a minute before saying yes,” James said, “but she was really happy to see me.” There’s the modern day Romeo and Juliet story played out in our very own high school. There are endless creative ideas of how you can create good memo-ries asking your date to prom. Whatever way you decide to ask, be whimsical with it! And don’t forget, that’s just the first thing to cross off of your prom checklist before you are having the time of your life, and you’ll be able to say, it happened at the Space Needle!

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