The AviATorDecember 2010 FREE

Hutchison High School3750 Geist Road

Fairbanks, AK 99709

In Brief:

Dylan Fullwood drinks a Rockstar during lunch Dec. 1.Photo by JUSTICE SOULE

Energy drinks stir up a buzzBy JUSTICE SOULE

Consuming energy drinks may be an occasional energy boost for some people but for others it’s a primary drink. Since energy drinks are new, it’s hard to tell what the long-term effects are. Meanwhile more than 500 new energy drinks have come out this year earning companies $3.4 billion, according to North Shore Health Department.

Energy drinks cans range from 16 ounces to 24 ounces, and can cost as much as $4. On the labels, cans advise you not to drink if you’re pregnant, because 200 mg or more of caffeine a day doubles the risk of miscarriage, according to the website Baby Center. One 16-ounce of Monster contains 160 mg of caffeine.

According to energyfiend.com, ingredients in most energy drinks include caffeine taurine, ginseng, inositol, and choline. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system. Taurine is an amino acid naturally found in

meats and dairy products. This stimulates the body giving that extra boost to be active. Ginseng, the root of a Chinese plant, is thought to give people a boost.

“I think energy drinks are oversized, over caffeinated, and overpriced,” said Hutch nurse Martin Becker. “Mostly the nutrition in energy drinks is in the form of sugar.”

Becker does not plan to try energy drinks.

Sophomore Josh Lundy can drink as much as eight energy drinks in one day. Lundy’s two favorite energy drinks are Amp and Monster.

“I drink it for the taste,” said Lundy

Another issue is over consuming energy drinks. The labels on the cans advise not to consume more than two a day.

Hutch assistant principal Daniel Domke thinks it’s disturbing to see kids consume 6-8 energy drink a day. Domke has tried Red Bull before, and

See ENERGY DRINK, Page 10

Correspondence offers students optionsBy KOLBY KELSEY

A senior is reaching the end of high school, has passed all the required classes and is enjoying the last year by taking some electives. Next thing the student knows the counselor has replaced one of the electives with Alaska Studies. Not wanting to give up the elective, the student has one choice. Take an Alaska Studies correspondence course.

Correspondence courses are classes taken online by request. They are taken for school credit in replacement of actual classes. Many students take correspondence courses

through Brigham Young University, BYU, or other colleges in order to free up their school schedules.

Recently however, many seniors are having no choice but to take Alaska Studies, a recently required class, in order to take all the other classes they want in school.

Career investigations replacement of Alaska Studies makes it a senior class instead of a freshmen class. Correspondence has become the means around that.

John Bungart, a Hutchison senior, has taken three correspondence classes, Algebra

2, Economics, and Alaska Studies. The freedom to work on it when you want is a plus, said Bungart, but the fact that you have a year to finish it makes it too easy to stop working on it, there should be more deadlines.

“I never really had a schedule,” said Bungart. “Sometimes I would work on it all week, other times not at all. It really depends on you. It is super easy to cheat so there’s a possibility you won’t learn a thing. On the other hand, I would recommend it to

See CORRESPONDENCE PAGE 10

NewsPages 2-3

-See how senior parking has stirred up seniors-Students also suffer from military deployments-Sean McKenzie featured-Funding cuts and their effect on Hutchison.

sporTsPages 4-5

-Meet Marcy Williamson, new boys basketball coach-Read about how the volleyball team improved-Hockey team hopes to repeat championship- New Hutchison rifle team excels

FeATures oNFAirbANks

wiNTers Pages 6-7

eNTerTAiNmeNTPages 8-9

-Delectable holiday treats from Emily Ahern- Chelsea’s Chuckles-Sudoku-Horoscopes-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1- Movie Review

opiNioN Page 11

-Mikayla Eager discusses Holiday’s treatment of high

school students-Letters to the editor

The AviatorPage Two December 2010

News

By MIKAYLA EAGERWhen Hutchison Assistant

Principal Daniel Domke an-nounced at the first assembly of the year that the school was no longer going to enforce senior parking there was a fair amount of objection from the senior class.

If you’ve ever driven to school, then you may be aware of the parking lot outside the small doors at the front of Hutchison. You may also know that this parking lot has, until recently, been reserved for the cars belonging to the senior class. This changed at the assembly when Domke announced to the school that the managing staff had been spending too much time worry-ing about who was parking in the senior parking lot and that from now on anyone could park there.

Many Hutchison seniors were upset by this decision. They felt that they should have the same parking privileges as the classes before them.

“My sister got to park there,” said Hutch senior Emily Ahern whose sister Tracy graduated from Hutch two years ago.

Others feel they have earned the privilege.

“I walked from the [student] parking lot in the cold… I’ve earned it,” said senior Chelsea Villalva who made sure to park

in the regular student parking at the west end of the school every day last year.

Even some lowerclassmen questioned the change saying that they would rather wait until they were seniors so that they could enjoy the exclusive park-ing lot.

Why then did the Hutchison staff decide to stop restricting the parking lot to only seniors? Domke explained that last year the underclassmen, many of them members of this year’s senior class, were parking in the senior parking. Some of these students were even given permission to park there by last year’s seniors.

“We were spending a large amount of time worrying about who was parking in the senior parking,” said Domke.

At the end of last year Domke, principal Jeannette Hayden, and Safety Monitor Joyce Jager decided that it wasn’t worth the time and stress.

Even though Domke believes that this was the right decision he regrets announcing the deci-sion to the entire school. This controversy probably wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the events surrounding that first Hutch assembly.

Hutchison was going to have a group of Japanese drummers perform for the school. But after all of the students had

gathered in the gym Hayden realized she had made a mis-take. The drummers were not scheduled to come for a few more weeks.

While the other teachers rushed to put together an assem-bly, Domke offered to occupy the school by going over the school rules.

“I talked about hats, and freshman leaving campus” Domke said, “I tried to cover everything in the planner. Then the senior parking came up and I just kind of blurted it out. It was a mistake.”

He explains that if it hadn’t been for that crazy assembly he would have probably only told the senior class.

However that mistake incited a lot of unrest from the senior class. Still, they didn’t take in-appropriate action. They didn’t key or tow cars; instead they put their complaints in writing. Within a couple of hours a stu-dent had turned in a three page, typed solution to the problem to the office. Within the week a petition had been started ask-ing for their exclusive use of the parking lot to be enforced again.

“I was very proud of the stu-dents,” said Domke. In fact, he encouraged it, telling students to write up solutions and turn them in to the office. Many solutions were proposed, vary-

ing from identifying stickers for the senior cars to assigned parking spots going by GPA or drawn randomly in a lottery. One student measured the entire parking lot and made a draft showing all the parking spots so they could be assigned.

A week after Domke’s announcement, he went to the senior class meeting and explained the problem and took suggestions from the crowd. One senior suggested that they organize a committee of seniors to take turns regulating senior parking. This solution was taken up and senior Josh Congleton was chosen to lead the committee.

Congleton said that the com-mittee is well on its way to solving the problem. The first meeting will be soon and any-one is encouraged to volunteer.

“We’re probably going to use paper passes to identify the se-nior cars, ones that hang off the mirrors,” Congleton said.

Congleton and the parking committee plan on making a different color permit for each year, so that the junior, sopho-more, and freshmen of today can enjoy senior parking when their time rolls round.

The “senior parking lot,” for lack of a better term, has been a mishap since the beginning of the year. First it was declared not senior parking, and then se-

niors decided it was still going to be and took vigilante action to make it so.

Not to mention the CTC students seem to favor parking in the senior parking lot rather than the one on the other side of the school designated for CTC. Needless to say senior parking is no longer senior parking and on some days it can get pretty full of cars. It doesn’t help when some cars are parked in the middle of parking spaces and sometimes not in spaces at all.

Snow covering the parking lines can make it difficult to see the parking spaces. However, when your parking is irregular then the cars parking to the left or right of you are going to be forced to park down a spot, wasting a space, or in between two spaces. This makes it dif-ficult for other drivers to reach the plugins and keep their engines warm, which is a neces-sity when it gets to be 20 below zero or colder.

Fortunately, here at Hutch there is an easy way to know where the parking spots are. Look at the plugin. If you are not directly in front of one, or the car to your right or left is not directly in front of one, then you are not in a parking space. Proceed to put your car in reverse and try again.

Parking issue stirs up seniors

Students suffer from deployments tooBy NICOLE WAYFIELD

A tour in the Middle East is difficult for any soldier, but often not knowing what is going on at home can be the hardest part. Being away from the people you love for a year or more, not knowing what is happening or if they are safe, it is a stressful time in a soldier’s life.

However, soldiers are not the only people who go through tough times and transitions during deployment.

The spouses and children also have trouble coping when a family member is deployed.

Home life for many military families is completely altered when a parent or both parents are gone for a deployment. For example, T.J. Bynum, a Hutchi-son senior, had to completely move out of his house and move in with his aunt when his mom deployed. Although still in Fairbanks, he had to adjust to a whole new way of life in a different home. The change af-

fected his grades. “I slacked off a lot,” said BynumHe said that his commitment to sports didn’t change,

but his mom being gone affected him mentally because his mom was always at his games.

A Hutchison teacher, Heather Johnson, said she no-

See MILITARY Page 3

NewsDecember 2010 Page ThreeThe Aviator

By BRENDEN COUCHHutchison Social Studies

teacher, Sean McKenzie’s classroom is arranged differently than most teachers’ rooms. Student tables surround his desk in a way that allows him to have conversations with students rather than only giving information in a formal way. Many students enjoy McKenzie’s tangents during his lectures.

During school McKenzie played soccer, basketball, and football. But all through high school he enjoyed snowmachining and riding three wheelers.

“I played basketball for 11 years but I hurt my knee and I got a snowmachine and a threewheeler in the same year and I had no regrets about not playing basketball,” said McKenzie.

From the time that McKenzie was very young he wanted to be a fighter pilot, however by the end of high school and the

beginning of college he realized he probably wasn’t going to be in the military due to military cutbacks. Since he couldn’t be a fighter pilot he decided that he would either be a rock star, race car driver, or a diplomat and in the worst-case scenario he would become a teacher.

“My jobs are going in reverse. First, I got the

teaching job then I got the band and next came the race car maybe I’ll be a diplomat when I retire,” said McKenzie.

McKenzie’s first teaching experience was while he was in middle school when he taught his history class about the Vietnam War. Most students who have taken his classes agree that teaching was a good fit even though it was his last choice for a career.

“He relates teaching to real world stuff,” said 11th grade former world history student Sheldon Adams, “Everything he teaches is interesting. Nothing is boring.”

“When Mr. McKenzie leaves and we get a sub I lose interest in the class,” said 10th grade World History student Justice Soule.

“He was born to lecture people on random stuff,” said 12th grade Alaska Studies student Mikayla Eager.

McKenzie was born in Tacoma, Washington where he spent his early years. When he was four his family moved to Fairbanks where his father got a job working on the Alaska Pipeline. He attended elementary school through high school in Fairbanks where he graduated in 1989.

McKenzie attended college at Arizona State University and was able to take part in an exchange program during his junior year in 1992. He spent six months in Grenada, Spain.

“I arrived almost 500 years to the day, after they kicked out the last moor after Spain became unified,” said McKenzie.

After living in Spain a country where not everyone speaks English he has come to enjoy traveling to places where English isn’t the first language.

“I like going to places where they don’t speak English now. Usually you don’t have to worry about what’s going on. Somebody will probably grab you if the buildings on fire and you don’t understand,” said McKenzie.

On McKenzie’s walls there is a Spanish Flag and different maps of Spain, evidence of his time spent abroad.

McKenzie’s room reflects style

Photo by DARIA DEMIENTIEFFSean McKenzie pauses while teaching world history.

MILITARY: Absences affect schooling ticed a change in a few students when their parent de-ployed. She said that usually right after the deployment, students’ assignments would stop coming in.

“Assignments aren’t the first thing on their mind,” Johnson said.

However, Johnson notices a more organized back-ground in the military students so they try to catch up after their initial grieving period. During this period Johnson said there are many behavior changes in the kids.

“Different behavior presents itself with different kids,” Johnson said.

She says some kids act out in negative ways while

others would keep to themselves more.Johnson does not think that Hutch is affected by the

deployments as much as other schools because the population of military kids isn’t as high as in schools such as Lathrop or Eielson.

Wherever they live or go to school the children and spouses of the deployed soldiers all have to find their own way to cope with having their loved one, not only gone, but also in danger.

Bynum said he coped with his mom being gone by keeping in touch with her. He sent letters and care box-es. He also used Skype along with some phone calls.

Xavier Dill, a Hutchison senior, had his mom deploy twice. The first time she left was for six months in Afghanistan, when he was 9. The second time was for a

year in Iraq during Dill’s sophomore year.Dill said that the deployment didn’t affect him as

much when he was 9 because he was living with his grandmother and his mom would call constantly. The recent deployment affected him more because he was more grown up and she couldn’t call him as much.

To cope with his mom being gone, Dill wrote a lot of poetry and played a lot of basketball. Dill said his grades weren’t affected because his mom would get emails from the school so if his grades were dropping she would know.

War affects people all over the world, but with tech-nology it makes it easier for families to handle being separated. Being able to keep in touch with the ones they love eases the emotional impact of being apart.

“My jobs are going in reverse. First, I got the teaching job then I got the band and next came the race car maybe I’ll be a diplomat when I retire.”

-Teacher Sean McKenzie

Continued from Page 2

Page Four December 2010

sporTsWilliamson has extensive experience

Photo by MICKINZE BARRETTEDavie Rhodes and Jessica King play volleyball at Hutch

WILLIAMSON

By NICOLE WAYFIELD The Hutchison boys’

basketball team will be led by a new coach, Marcy Williamson, this year.

“For me, the best part about coaching is the relationships you build with the athletes and becoming a family,” Williamson said.

Williamson came to Hutch because she was looking for a job in coaching after her husband got stationed at Fort Wainwright.

“I was just looking for a coaching job because basketball is my love,” said Williamson.

Williamson said that her goals for the season are to get better individually and as a team. She also said that she wants

the players to have fun because it isn’t only about success; it is about learning life lessons.

“The bond that you have in athletics is unlike any in any other

activity in life, and when you work together, sweat together, you get really close,” said Williamson.

Williamson said that she thinks that this season is going to be a great one and the players and the team are going to improve daily.

“I’m looking forward to being

the best leader I can for these guys,” said Williamson.

Xavier Dill, a Hutchison senior and a varsity basketball player, says that getting a new coach is good because the team needed a change, needed something new. He says he

likes her because she takes the time to ask what the players want and has an idea of what she wants.

Williamson had many years of coaching experience before she decided to come to Hutch.

After playing for her college basketball team she went on to coach a girl’s basketball team at a high school in North Dakota for a year.

She then went on to get her master’s degree at Chadron State College in Nebraska. While she was there, she was the assistant coach for the volleyball and basketball teams. After two years at Chadron, she went to Colorado State University to coach as the third assistant out of five coaches for

the women’s basketball team. While she was at CSU, the head coach resigned so she became the temporary head coach for

six months.When she left CSU, she went

to work with the WMBA in South Africa in partnership with a company called Future Inc.com. With this program she went around South Africa doing camps and clinics for boys and girls. They would bring all-star teams back to the United States so they could play here.

After that she went on to become the women’s basketball head coach at William Woods University in Missouri for two years. When she left there, she went to Alabama and became the basketball and volleyball coach at Wicksburg High School.

She also worked with University of Kansas men’s basketball coach, Bill Self, every summer since she started coaching.

“The bond that you have in athletics is unlike any in any other activity in life, and when you work together, sweat together, you get really close.”

-Boys basketball coach Marcy Williamson

Hutchison Basketball 2010-11

December

17, West Valley at Hutch

January

6-8, Grace Tourney at Anchorage13, Hutch at EielsonTuesday 18, Monroe at Hutch21, Hutch at Valdez22, Hutch at Glennallen25, Delta at Hutch29, Houston at Hutch

February

3, Galena at Hutch4, Glennallen at Hutch5, Valdez at Hutch10-12, Valdez Elk’s Tourney15, Eielson at Hutch

By KATIE HASBROUCKThe season for the Hutchison

varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams ended on a good note. And, although the teams came up short of their expectations, they felt good about the season overall.

According to coach Ken Dickey, both the varsity and junior varsity teams improved over the season. The teams were more balanced and individual skills picked up.

“There’s not just one player that’s the best. The team is balanced and improving as a team,” said Dickey.

The varsity season, overall, was a good season for the girls. With higher expectations for improving, the team was a lot more competitive. The varsity team beat both Lathrop and

Eielson during the West Valley Invitational. They also placed in the top five during the regional.

The junior varsity team also played well. The team was balanced and improved from the start. The JV team was even invited to the Nenana Invitational, which is normally a varsity tournament.

The JV team also won games against Eielson, Lathrop and Delta, which was a boost because Lathrop is a 4A school and Delta had won a game against Hutch, said Dickey.

“We started out a little rough but we’ve been getting stronger and closer as a team,” said JV player, sophomore Sydny Taylor Lammers. “Wanting to win and wanting to make varsity has kept us driven to work harder and give it our all.”

Young volleyball squads improve during season

sporTsPage Five The AviatorDecember 2010

Photo by ASHLEY NICOLAI

The Hutchison Hawks defeated Tri-Valley 1-0 on November 5.

Young hockey team hopes to repeatBy DARIA DEMIENTIEFF

Last year the Hutchison Hawks hockey team earned a state title, but this year’s new, young players are developing their own personality. The Hawks didn’t lose a game to any class 3A schools last season while compiling a 15 -1 overall record.

“This is a different level of hockey,” senior goalie Hayden Nilson said.

Nilson also pointed out that the team is playing a more defensive style this year. They have a strong defense line, and are more concerned about not letting in goals than they are about scoring goals.

“It’s hard to play with new players. Half of the old team is gone,” Nilson said.

Hutch’s hockey team last year had several seniors, most of whom had played hockey together for years, and played for Hutch’s hockey team since their freshman year. This year’s

team has seven freshmen and five sophomores on it.

“When you play a sport with people for a long time, you build up chemistry with the team, something you don’t have with new players,” junior Tyler Sands said.

“No real chemistry for the team yet, so we don’t really have a flow,” said Nilson.

“We are not as skilled as last year, but we still have the same kind of drive. We want to win state again this year,” Sands said.

“It’s a building year. All we can do is improve,” Nilson said.

“The guys are working hard,” head coach Keith Bartusch said. “As long as we can make a strong push to finish first in our league, that will give us good momentum going into state.”

As of December 10, the Hawk’s overall record was 4-5, but 3-0 in the Greatland Conference.

Staff reportThe first-year Hutchison rifle team concluded

its inaugural season strongly, finishing second in both small bore and air rifle at the Mid Alaska Conference championship at the E.F. Horton Range at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Patty Center in early December.

The Hawks finished second in both competitions to the West Valley Wolfpack, but defeated more established teams in Lathrop, North Pole, and Delta Junction.

Hutch freshman Gabe Stutz, the only Hawks shooter with previous competitive rifle experience, finished seventh in the small bore. Corey Upton (ninth) and Rosemary Messer (10th) were other Hawk shooters to finish in the top 10. Cayla Wagahoft (16th), Loden Dunham (17th), and Roscoe Beadles (21st) also competed in small bore.

Messer was the top Hawk in air rifle, finishing in sixth place. Upton (ninth) and Stutz (10th) also finished in the top 10.

Earlier, the Hawks concluded their first regular season by sweeping Delta Junction in the final match. The Hawks won air rifle 2,221-2,133, led by Messer’s personal-best 573. Upton and Dunham led Hutch in the small bore with 520 each, as the Hawks won 2,028-1,889.

First Hawks’ rifle team shines

Photo by JUSTICE SOULEFreshmen Max Delzer, left, and Gabe Stutz prac-tice shooting earlier in the year.

Hutchison Hockey2010-11

December

17, Delta at Hutch

January

8, Hutch at Tri-Valley 11, Monroe at Hutch 14, Hutch at Tok 15, Hutch at Tok 19, Hutch at Monroe 21, Hutch at Delta 28, Hutch at Glennallen29, Hutch at Glennallen

February

4-5, Greatland Playoffs 10-12, State Hockey

Baby, it’s cold outsideThe AviATor

Page SixDecember 2010

Baby, it’s cold outsideThe AviATor

December 2010

By KOLBY KELSEY

Winter in Fairbanks, Alaska, can be a trying experi-ence for anyone, and something you’re likely to never forget, especially if you’ve been here for a couple of them. Yet every year the freezing cold seems to sneak up on us.

In a matter of months, it goes from being 70 and sunny to -40 and dark. That’s a drastic change and one that’s not easy to prepare for, no matter how long you’ve lived here. Many people don’t even know what being prepared for an Alaska winter requires, and most of them don’t know what drastic consequences can come from their lack of vigilance.

Fortunately for all of us, there are some simple steps that can make your first, or eighteenth, winter in Fair-banks not only survivable, but enjoyable.

The first step is survival, because you can’t be happy if you’re dead. So be prepared, -40 degree weather can turn something as simple as your car breaking down into a serious crisis. Make sure you have the following items in or on your car from September to April.

The key to avoiding an accident on icy roads is hav-ing good traction. Equip your car with a decent set of snow tires for traction and stopping power. Driving on ice, in the dark, with a thick cloud of ice fog surround-ing you, takes much more concentration then driving during regular conditions. So slow down and take your time.

Being able to see out of your car is also important, so make sure to carry an ice scraper. Ice can build up on the outside of your car while it’s parked; this cre-ates a layer of ice crystals frozen to your windows that makes it impossible to see out. The ice scraper allows you to scrape off the ice so you can drive safely.

Leaving your car outside means that it will often be sitting in the freezing cold for hours on end, carry an extension cord to plug your car in with when it is zero degrees or colder, this will keep your engine block warm and your car in better condition to drive.

Also, if you can afford it, purchase an auto start, or remote start for your car. $600+ may be expensive, but you’ll consider it the best money you have ever spent when you climb into your car and it’s already warm.

Some older cars simply don’t like to start in the cold, carry jumper cables to allow someone to give your car the necessary boost it needs to get going.

Other necessities are a flashlight, first aid kit, and roadside flares. It’s usually dark when driving in the winter, and making sure you’re seen after a breakdown could prevent a multiple vehicle accident.

Surviving Alaska’s darkest months requires more than car safety however. The darkness and bitter cold of winter can have devastating effects on people’s moods and activities. Everyone feels it, some much worse than others, Seasonal Associative Disorder, SAD, is a seasonal depression created by the extreme conditions of Alaska’s winter.

There are ways to avoid the negative effects that winter brings, many of them are simple, easy to do, and could make the 9 month winter much easier. First, get out in the sunlight when you can. That’s often difficult in high school sense we spend most of the daylight hours inside, but during the weekend try to get out in the sun. Not only does it help your mental-ity, but any amount of vitamin D that your body can get from the sun can have positive effects chemically in your body, which can lighten your mood.

Second is company, be around others, particularly people you like to be with. Find excuses to be social and get together. Being alone can heighten the symp-toms of Seasonal Associative Disorder.

Try to maximize positive influences, this can be as simple as recognizing when you’re down and need to get out and do something.

Another way is to buy a sun lamp, otherwise known as happy lights in Alaska, sun lamps simulate sun light and can really lift you up emotionally just by sitting by one twice a day for about twenty minutes.

Winter in Fairbanks doesn’t have to be a miserable experience, remember that spring does come eventu-ally and there are plenty of fun things to do between now and then. Be prepared, know what you’re up against and you might even learn to love the winter time in Alaska.

Alaska winters test residents’ patience

By KOLBY KELSEY

The ice storm that occurred the week of Thanksgiving may have been a welcoming surprise for students, but it threw the school schedule into disarray.

Those high-school students who did show up to school on the Monday November 22 either turned around and left immediately, or were dismissed at lunch. The buses did not come until the regular time however, so students without rides home had to wait until the end of the day.

Every middle and elementary school was closed for the day, af-ter high school was already in session. School was then canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 23-24, due to the ice.

The November spring break may have been a nice break from

Ice storm forces change in school calendar

Buses go through an intersection during the recent ice storm.

Baby, it’s cold outsideThe AviATor

December 2010

Baby, it’s cold outsideThe AviATor

Page SevenDecember 2010

By KOLBY KELSEY

The ice storm that occurred the week of Thanksgiving may have been a welcoming surprise for students, but it threw the school schedule into disarray.

Those high-school students who did show up to school on the Monday November 22 either turned around and left immediately, or were dismissed at lunch. The buses did not come until the regular time however, so students without rides home had to wait until the end of the day.

Every middle and elementary school was closed for the day, af-ter high school was already in session. School was then canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 23-24, due to the ice.

The November spring break may have been a nice break from

school, but like economics teaches us, nothing is free. Every hour the school was closed due to weather has to be made up.

School districts have to have 180 student contact days, 10 of which can be service training days or parent teacher conference days. Teachers are also required to work four teacher work days in addition to the student contact days.

According to the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District memorandum on school closure, issued November 30, the school schedule will change in a couple significant ways.

February seventh will change from an in-service day, to a regu-lar school day. May 16 will be a full day instead of an early out. May 19 will be a regular school day instead of an in-service day, and will also become the last day of school for students.

Ice storm forces change in school calendar

By NICOLE WAYFIELD

The pollution caused by Fairbanks stays in Fairbanks because of the surrounding hills and lack of wind. During the winter the air quality gets worse due to the freezing weather, usage of wood stoves and boilers along with the everyday traffic.

The bowl that is created by the hills sur-rounding the Fairbanks area combined with the stillness of the air and cold weather causes the cold air to be trapped close to the ground with hot air on top. This can keep the pollution trapped in town for days or weeks at a time. These are the reasons why Fairbanks citizens are breathing some of the unhealthiest air in the nation. This is how the Division of Air Quality described the problem with Fairbanks air pollution on their website.

Levels of a fine particulate called PM 2.5 are too high and the federal government has given the borough until 2014 to lower the pollution. PM 2.5 is mostly caused by the use of wood stoves and has been linked to some health risks.

According to an article in USA Today posted on January 14, the states lack of affordable heat has forced many Fairbanks residents to start using alternative methods to warm their houses such as, wood stoves. When the weather gets colder people turn up their heat which, in turn, causes more pollution, which doesn’t go anywhere because of the geography of the Fairbanks area.

The Fairbanks Borough Assembly has proposed several plans, according to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner in an article released on October 14. None of their plans to lower air pollution and improve air qual-

ity has passed.According to the Juneau Empire on Febru-

ary 21, a plan that the borough proposed was that they would charge $300 to anyone who is using a wood stove that is excreting an excess amount of pollution into the air. The people of Fairbanks voted against that idea.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough Air Quality Improvement Program is offering a program which they call the woodstove exchange program. This program offers people the ability to exchange an unquali-fied woodstove with a qualified one, or to get your woodstove repaired so it doesn’t pollute as much PM 2.5, or to get your woodstove completely removed and heat your home with another alternative.

If you qualify, the program gives you money to do these things and you could possibly get a credit on your property tax. This is the way for the borough to try to encourage Fairbanks citizens to burn their wood more eco friendly so that the air pol-lution will lower.

According to the Fairbanks North Star Borough Air Quality website, in addition to the wood burning, the use of auto-starts has an effect on the air pollution. When it is really cold outside, people with auto-starts will start their car twenty or so minutes before they actually begin to drive. This causes pollution from the vehicles and then it doesn’t go anywhere because of how cold the air is.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough is continuing to produce plans to attempt and lower the pollution in Fairbanks. The ques-tion is, will the citizens of Fairbanks agree with any of these plans.

Fairbanks’ geographytraps polluted air during extreme cold

Photo by NICOLE WAYFIELD

Buses go through an intersection during the recent ice storm.

Page Eight December 2010

eNTerTAiNmeNT

Tidings, comfort, and joy are the delights for those who make homemade treats! Holidays are fast approaching for many, it is a time to bless others, and cherish the time with family. With all the family, friends, and significant others getting together, a fantastic idea for gift-giving is fill-ing their bellies with smooth and dreamy treats. Imagine: creating hot gooey cookies, silky pies, and rich candies that you can “test-taste” yourself while also blessing others! One of my favorite traditions to do while baking delicious treats is to sneak a swipe of yummy cookie dough or lick the brownie batter bowl sparkling clean. These recipes listed below are simple, quick, and easy to make for your loved ones.

MINTY GRASSHOPPER PIE1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk1 teaspoon peppermint extractgreen food coloring16-20 Keebler© Grasshopper Fudge Mint

Cookies, coarsely chopped1 (8 oz.) container frozen nondairy whipped

topping, thawed1 (6 oz.) Ready Chocolate Pie CrustThis recipe is a holiday tradition that is easy to

make and tastes delicious. Grasshopper pie is so called because the use of “grasshopper” cook-ies, and the green tinting of food coloring. Start by mixing cream cheese with mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Next stir in food coloring, peppermint extract, and crushed cookies. Fold in whipped topping afterwards. Pour the pie filling into the ready made crust and chill for at least 3 hours until serving.

WHITE CHOCOLATE DELIGHTS1 pound almond bark1 cup peanut butter crunch cereal1 cup rice crispy cereal1 cup colored mini-marshmallows12 oz. salted roasted peanutsNo-bake cookies with a decent amount of al-

mond bark is all that is required. My brother loves this sweet and salty cereal cookie. Start by melt-ing the almond bark, making sure no liquid mixes in. Then mix all the other ingredients in a large bowl, and pour the melted chocolate over top, making sure to mix it thoroughly. Immediately drop the mixture onto waxed paper and cool.

CATHREDRAL WINDOWS¼ pound butter (1/2 stick)2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate1 ½ cup powdered sugar

1 egg, beaten1 cup broken nuts2 cups colored miniature marshmallows1-1 ½ cups flaked coconutCathedral Windows look exactly like they sound with the colored

marshmallows swirled around with the chocolate and nut mixture. These are somewhat time-consuming candies, but are worth the ef-fort. Start by melting the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then stir in the powdered sugar and beaten egg. Cool slightly to room temperature, then fold in nuts and marshmallows, stirring until chocolate coats everything. Shape soft candy into 2 long snake-like rolls each onto waxed paper and coat with a layer of coconut. Wrap carefully with the waxed paper, and store in fridge until cooled and hardened. Once hardened, cut the long roles into ¼-inch slices.

By EMILY AHERN

Cathredral Windows

eNTerTAiNmeNTDecember 2010 Page Nine

SUDOKU

Aries (March 21 - April 19): A close encounter with bad mayonnaise will make it hard to have good attendance this month.

Taurus (Apirl 20 - May 20): Driving this month may become a challenge because for some mysterious reason you are having an urge to play chicken with your friends on the road.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20): Computer difficulties will become worse this month than usual. Your thumb drive could become fried and you will lose your huge English final.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22): Your signifi-cant other will be rather annoying to you this month, you will start to get annoyed with their lame jokes and stupid pickup lines, urging you to break up with them.

Leo (July 23 – Aug 22): You have achieved an incredible 200 words per minute in typ-ing class, only to find out that your fingers where resting on the bottom row of the keyboard.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22): You try to annoy your teacher by blowing your nose to the tune of Star Spangle Banner, Only to find

out she loved it and would like you to tag along on the music exchange trip.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22): Your moon is aligned with Uranus, so chances are things will go good for you this month.

Scorpio (Oct 23 - Nov 21): People will leave you hanging this month, but the worst part is finding out how to get back down.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21): You will appreciate courtesy this month, as you are asked politely to leave on many occasions.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19): This month you may be challenged with some hard questions from a partner or best friend, The answer is a blank face followed by the hokey pokey.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18): Talking to the person you have a crush on may be too hard this month, instead you are advised to leave love notes with no name in their locker.

Pisces (Feb 19 - March 20): Be careful what you eat this month, an upset stomach on an important test day is looking bright for you.

The newest edition to the Harry Potter was recently released into theatres on November 19th, 2010. This time the he-roic trio does not be return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a wedding that was crashed by Lord Voldemort’s servants known as Death Eaters, Harry and his friends are forced to flee and begin their quest. In the first part of the seventh movie, many of the events in the sixth movie are explained and justified.

The death of Albus Dumbledore in the previous book was a crucial plot point that is addressed in the first part of the seventh movie. Dumbledore leaves Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Herm-ione Granger a book called “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” that contains a story about three legendary magical objects. These objects include the world’s most powerful wand, an invisibility cloak, and a stone that brings back the spirits of the

dead. The Harry Potter series has captured

the minds of kids and adults for over a decade. In the seventh book J.K. Rowl-ing delivers action like never before. The first part of this two part movie was no different. The characters take part in a constant chase where each new action is unprecedented. Although no movie actu-ally follows the book it was based off of perfectly, the first part of the seventh movie followed the book pretty closely.

With the endless action of the story

and the mild violence, this movie should satisfy the cravings of people who prefer an action packed and creative movie experience.

Each new movie inside the series has given depth to each of the characters that were included in the books.

In the final movie the epic story is expected to wrap itself up with some interesting character twists.

The final addition to this, “event of a generation” will premier in theatres this coming July

Latest Potter movie true to formBy BRENDEN COUCH Movie Review

Are you AN ArTisT? CAN you mAke people lAugh?

you Could be our New ComiC sTrip ArTisT!briNg your mAsTerpieCe To mr. CoughliN

iN room 122.

The AviatorPage Ten December 2010

ENERGY DRINKS: Creating controversy thought it wasn’t bad.“Energy drinks have become the new soda,” Domke

said.“I’m old school, I drink water and coffee,” said

Domke.Additionally, alcoholic energy drinks are being

banned in several places throughout the U.S. The mixture of alcohol and caffeine can be really dangerous because alcohol is a depressant and when mixed with caffeine it covers up the symptoms of depression,

according to an article about energy drinks on gantdaily.com.

The Food and Drug Administration sent out letters to the energy drink companies that makes their product with alcohol stating that alcoholic energy drinks aren’t safe and they have 15 days to prove otherwise or they will be forced to remove their products from the shelves.

Taurine, caffeine and guarana are the main ingredients that are being looked at for removal from the alcoholic energy drink beverages, because they are

the main ingredients to simulate the body. Alcoholic energy drinks have been to blame for

several college students’ deaths. Because of over consumption of these energy drinks they have been involved in drinking and driving, over consuming, and attempted suicides.

“The problem is, in the States these energy drinks have been mistakenly sold to minors because they’re advertised with the nonalcoholic energy drink. But it hasn’t been an issue in Alaska so much,” Becker said.

Continued from Page 1

students who maybe aren’t doing so well in school. You’re not rushed while taking correspondence and you can review as much as you want.”

Hutch seinor Jessica Lundy took Alaska studies so she could have a free period. “I wasn’t as motivated during correspondence,” said Lundy. “In regular classes you have to do the work or you fail. During correspondence you can put it off for a year.”

“I’ve been working on it since February,” said Lundy

“I would recommend correspondence

if you’re motivated to get it done,” said Lundy. “If not, then you should save your $125. I found it super boring and a lot to read, but if you can get through it fast, then it is worth the school credit.”

Alaska studies became a required course four years ago. According to the counselors, the principal of Hutch at the time, Bill McCloud, decided that students would take Alaska Studies their senior year, allowing freshmen to take a year long career investigations course.

This changed the following year and now the seniors are caught in the middle. Seniors can take a semester in Alaska

Studies with a class full of freshman, or spend the money to take correspondence.

“I really wish Alaska studies wasn’t a required class,” said Cole Vanderbilt, a Hutch senior taking correspondence.

“I already know everything I’m being taught in correspondence,” said Vanderbilt. “I don’t feel like I’m learning anything and I wish I could have saved my money. I have sat down to work on it twice now and I am almost halfway done, so at least it’s easy.”

“I simply didn’t want to waste a semester taking it in school,” said Vanderbilt.

Jerrilyn Mclnelly, a Hutch counselor, listed three main reasons that students take correspondence classes. One, for credit recovery on classes they have previously failed, two, to avoid teachers, and three, to free up their schedule.

Councilors hate correspondence, because it takes up so much of the councilor’s time, said Mclnelly. With a seventy percent failure rate, correspondence doesn’t help as many students as it should, Mclnelly said. Human beings don’t work well without deadlines, and correspondence doesn’t have any.

CORRESPONDENCE: Classes offer flexibilityContinued from Page 1

Funding cuts shouldn’t hit HutchisonBy KOLBY KELSEY

The Fairbanks North Star Borough School District is losing $3 million in state funding. The cuts could affect Hutchison, preventing both technical and academic programs from receiving necessary funding.

The cuts could weaken programs such as the shop based career clusters which rely heavily on funding. Replacement of expensive equipment requires decent funding, without it the Hutch shops could soon be lacking necessary equipment.

Student enrollment in the FNSBSD is down almost 500 students than was projected. Apart from kindergarten, ninth and tenth grade, numbers are low across the district.

The drop in student enrollment is significant because with fewer students, the FNSBSD receives less funding from the state. Every student in the district brings $6,000 in state funding, multiplied by 500 students and that’s a

$3 million drop. Mike Fisher, chief financial officer for

the district, stated in a Fairbanks Daily News-Miner article that schools with a lot of military dependents seem to be impacted the most.

This possibility has left schools around the district wondering how they might be affected, even at Hutch, where funding has never been an issue in the past.

Hutch principal Jeanette Hayden said that if the school experienced a drop in budget, it would be up to the community to decide where to make cutbacks. However, Hayden is confident that with

Hutch being supported by its business partners and through federal grants, the school shouldnt be hit as hard as other high schools in the district.

“The community voted for Hutch,” said Hayden, “so our future depends on their support.”

Hutch’s student enrollment is higher than previous years, differing from the student drops in other schools throughout the FNSBSD.

However, federal support is also essential. Jeffrey Hamlin, networking and information technology essentials instructor at Hutch reported that most of the money for the IT department comes from federal grants. That includes the upgrade of the thin-client computers throughout the school last year, said Hamlin.

If the IT department was to experience significant funding cuts from the district, it would probably force the district to make staffing cuts, not in teachers but in assistant personal, said Hamlin, even as

high up as the networking department’s downtown.

Running a career-based tech school is more expensive than running a normal high school. With all the expensive equipment in the various shops and garages, Hutch was unable to acquire all the technologies it was originally designed for, reported Hayden. One of those technologies is distance education.

Distance education, or broadcasting the classes here at Hutch to remote sites in villages around the state, was an original design for the school, said Hayden. The wiring for the system is here, but funding is insufficient for the equipment and labor to make it a reality. If funding is cut further, this Hutch ideal may never be put into use in the state of Alaska.

If the FNSBSD is unable to supply Hutch with the necessary financial support, the school is going to become more reliant on federal grants and the generosity of business partner donations.

“The community voted for Hutch, so our future depends on their support.”-Principal Jeanette Hayden

opiNioNDecember 2010 Page ElevenThe Aviator

Customers should be treated like adults

If you don’t feel like eating cafeteria food and you have no car there are a limited num-ber of places a student can go for lunch at Hutchison High School.

You could go to McDonalds or the Borealis or you could grab a sandwich at Holiday. However, if you decide to go to Holiday then you will have to wait outside.

Like me, you may spend this time complaining about how ridiculous it is and how they shouldn’t be singling out high school students or assuming all teens are thieves.

Others may try to justify the procedure by calling on the old saying, “One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.”

Well, no it doesn’t. You don’t throw out all the apples because one is bad. You just throw out the bad ones. You can’t discriminate against an entire group of mostly honest costum-ers because some of them are idiots.

I don’t believe in stating a

problem without identifying a solution. So, how do you suggest they solve the theft problem?

They need to hire more help or kick out anyone they actually catch stealing, permanently. Or enforce the rules on everyone who comes in the store, not just kids that’s what really gets me.

What they are doing is not only bad for business, but it’s just wrong. Enforcing regula-tions on only teenagers is like enforcing regulations on only blacks. And we can all agree that that’s wrong.

Nevertheless, any adults who show up around lunch are allowed in. They don’t have to stand in line with the kids.

As a consumer reliant busi-ness what they are doing makes no sense. Why do you think they built across from a school? There isn’t exactly anything else in that area.

Their main consumers must be students. Shoplifting is a risk they took by making that busi-ness choice. And it’s stupid to discriminate against their main customer group.

I’ve seen the same thing hap-pen at McDonalds. For a time they were kicking kids out of the building as soon as they finished what they ordered.

There seems to be a wide misconception that all teens are delinquents ready to happen. They get away with regula-tion based on this assumption because teens are taught to obey anything an adult says and not to argue. They think we have no power.

What they don’t understand is that we do have power, if a passive power. I haven’t gone to Holiday at lunch since I real-ized that I was expected to wait outside.

The five dollars I don’t spend every day may not seem like much but I have spoken to other kids who don’t go to holiday at lunch anymore. And I’m sure it adds up to a much larger profit loss than they would lose from theft. So, Holiday, what’s the point?

On the article “Can PLC Wednesday be better spent?”, I think that they just need to stay the same It gives us students a time to chill and get the talking out of our system and wake up for school. But I also think that students should still get here at 7:55, like a regular day, so we can make sure we have things for class and hang out while we wait for class to start. There could be open gym while we are waiting. If you give us something to do then we won’t be roam-ing the halls or hogging the commons.

- Brittany Stallings

In response to “Can PLC Wednesday be better spent?”, although I love to sleep in on Wednesdays the extra hour of sleep I get messes up my whole day. I am just off the ball Wednesdays; forgetting papers, projects, and objects I promised my friend I’d bring. Most of my teachers hate PLC. They say it interferes with their first class. Teachers in middle school have the same amount of classes and they teach just fine without PLC.

- Taylor Jacobson

Letters to the editor:PLC Wednesday

Stand for the Pledge

Freshman restrictions

Brenden CouchReporter

Daria DemientieffReporter

AviATor sTAFF

By MIKAYLA EAGER

Mikayla EagerReporter, Page Design

Katelyn HasbrouckReporter, Page Design

Kolby KelseyReporter

Justice SouleReporter, Page Design

Nicole WayfieldReporter

Kevin CoughlinAdviser

In regards to the article “Students, stand and deliver allegiance to your country.” I have a similar problem I agree that all people should stand for the pledge, but not everybody should say it.

I am Jehovah Witness so I do not say the pledge but because I think America is a great country to live in I stand in respect for it. When the pledge is going on, though, I see many people that don’t stand because they are wrapped in a blanket or just too lazy to move.

- Taylor Jacobson

There are many responsibilitys expected of freshman students during High school. For instance, they must learn to drive by get-ting a permit. They also have a great deal of pressure to get their homework done on time. Yet the one thing not entrusted to fresh-men is the ability to leave campus during lunch.

Freshmen at Hutchison High School are not able to leave campus during lunch. However, they have never been given a real reason as to why they can’t leave. I have asked and was told it was because students were dodging trucks in front of the school a couple of years back. It is easy to think that the new freshmen were the only ones participating in this dangerous activity but I’m sure other grade levels were participating.

It is really unfair that the actions of students in years past are af-fecting students today. Is it fair to say that Hutchison High School is stuck in the same mass punishment procedures of the past? Maybe it is time for a change.

- Chase Burnett

The AviatorPage Ten December 2010The Aviator December 2010

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Page Twelve