The Viking Vanguard, Vol. 112, Issue 7, June 7, 2024

VIKING VANGUARD THE

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Viking Vanguard operates as an open forum for student expression. Student editors are responsible for determining the news, opinion, feature and advertising content of the media.

The Viking Vanguard’s duty is to expand student perspectives, maintain community relations and act as a student publication advocating voice. Besides providing an opportunity for the exchange of viewpoints, The Viking Vanguard serves as an academic tool by which students can voice opinions as well as highlight issues facing today’s students.

LETTER POLICY

The Viking Vanguard accepts unsolicited copy from the staff, students and community. Only signed and dated letters with addresses and phone numbers from community members or grade level from students will be accepted. Letters must be limited to 350 words and will be published as space is available. The staff reserves the right to edit any letter without changing its content. All letters are the sole opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent the opinion of The Viking Vanguard staff.

ADVERTISING POLICY

The Viking Vanguard publication staff accepts advertisements for most products available to the public. However, the staff reserves the right to reject, edit or cancel any advertisement at any time. Advertisements shall be free of implications that the staff deems offensive in light of normal public standards (WIAA 18.20.0 and 18.20.1). The staff will not accept advertising for products or groups which are racist, sexist or illegal for high school students. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views, endorsements and/ or positions of The Viking Vanguard, student body, faculty, administration or school board.

CORRECTIONS POLICY

The Viking Vanguard staff values accuracy and wishes to correct mistakes made in previous issues. If you believe we have made an error, please contact us at thevikingvanguard@gmail.com.

Editors in Chief

Grant Huson

Maddy Weaver

Multimedia Editor

JoAnn Laning

News and Features Editor

Katelyn Ervin

Opinion Editor

Reagan Jones

Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Editor

Ethan Barker

Digital Media Editor

Margo Hermann

Sports Editor

Sienna Hanson

Graphics Editor

Ezruh Hacker

Web Editor

Dylan Sandstrom

Staff

Hunter Ihlen

MiahRese Terlaje

Aiden Arthur

Paul Busching

Julian Guiterrez Iniguez

Enodia Harder

Brandon Harris

Madeline McDaniel

Eliana Powell

Madyx Reed

Katelyn Soto

Logan Tomer

Daniel Aponte

Jackson Hargis

Jason Ordonez Rangel

Judah Barrera

Brian Bates

Samantha Canion

Iris Diaz Venegas

Jack Murdock

Daniel Oh

Adelle Patton

Lola Woodburn

Anna Yam

Theo Pen

Mariela Garcia

Quinton Taute

Gloria Perez-Cruz

Adviser

Sandra Coyer, MJE

Vanguard Goals In Review

Starting the year with setting goals is important, but so is evaluating our progress at the end of the year and seeing where we excelled and areas we need to work on for future publications.

In the first editorial of every volume, The Viking Vanguard sets a number of goals for our publication to meet within the year. This year, we strived to create a nuanced brand of professional journalism, reflect the culture of our community to a high standard and ensured all content we publish will be carefully reviewed by student editors to ensure the highest quality of work for our audience.

Now, as we come to the final issue of Vol. 112, it can safely be said that The Viking Vanguard has met all of its goals set at the beginning of the year.

In creating a nuanced brand of professional journalism, we have covered stories ranging from the insightful advice from alumni, reporting on safety concerns such as break-ins and stolen cars from the student parking lot to reviewing Taylor Swift albums and giving each grade a breakdown of what they need to know, what they want to know and what they should know. This mirrors the stories covered by national and international news sources, while keeping our coverage local to the students and community surrounding Puyallup High School.

“

This year, we strived to create a nuanced brand of professional journalism, reflect the culture of our community to a high standard and ensured all content we publish will be carefully reviewed by student editors to ensure the highest quality of work for our audience.“ Our View

Another goal we met was to reflect the culture of our community to a high standard. Through our Hidden Gems series, student profiles and stories with figures of the community, we have revealed the history and culture of Puyallup. In combination with ensuring our interviews are conducted professionally and interviewees are quoted correctly, we are meeting this goal by both reflecting the cultures within our community and holding a high standard.

Our final promise was that all work published by The Viking Vanguard will be reviewed and edited by student editors. This has held true for many years in Washington state student journalism, as the New Voices law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2018, protecting the rights of student journalists to not be censored by school officials. To comply with this, we have our stories go through an editing spreadsheet, where stories are seen by three student editors and an adviser.

This has been The Viking Vanguard’s senior editorial board (Maddy Weaver, JoAnn Laning, Katelyn Ervin and Reagan Jones) for Vol. 112, signing off.

VANGUARD STAFF EXPRESS THANKS TO SUPPORTERS

To Mrs. Coyer…

For supporting us through every single deadline, interview, project, editing process, bearing with our constant questions about InDesign and being the most incredible mother we didn’t know we needed until we stepped foot into your classroom. No media post, video project or newspaper story would be possible without your sacrifices and your dedication to us as individuals and as a media group. Thank for you all these things and the things we cannot comprehend the words to express, your cherubs will always have your back.

To interviewees…

For answering all our questions in regards to your school and personal lives, your joys and pains, your quirks and interests, any and all recognition you received and events that you participated in. Your willingness to sit down with us and talk for upwards of thirty minutes (more or less) is what makes the production of the Viking Vanguard possible and for that we can never say thank you enough.

To Pacific Publishing…

For printing our paper year after year. Without your kindness of taking on printing a high school paper, the near 2,000 students at Puyallup High School would not be able to pick up the Vanguard and enjoy our stories.

To Mr. Coyer…

For letting us steal Mrs. Coyer every few weeks to stay late and help us create this beautiful publication. We see all the incredible qualities of her that light up this classroom daily, thank you for sharing that with us, we are forever appreciative for her and for you.

To the Yearbook staff…

For letting us use your incredible pictures throughout the year to make our paper visually pleasing to our readers around the community. With the use of your photos, we as a staff have been able to bring the pages of the Vanguard to life.

To the Washington Journalism Education Association…

For several years running inviting us to the state conference in March and allowing us to compete. Our staff that participated in the competitions thoroughly enjoyed this experience and took away many lessons to implement into creating our newspaper. Our staff is grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from this experience every year, without you the ability to develop as journalists would not be possible.

To the Student Press Law Center…

For allowing us to write and create stories we feel are important to tell the public about. Whether we need your services every publication or we find ourselves never needing to pick up our phone to call you, you are here for us, supporting us and providing us a cushion to fall back on during times of stress.

To our Local Gems…

For letting us tell the story of your business and why students should feel the desire to come and indulge in your place. As a staff, it has been a joy to work with you throughout the year and to learn about the high and lows of your business that got you and your team to where you are at today.

To the Students of Puyallup High School…

For being excited when we pop into your sixth period classroom to distribute our paper, it truly warms our hearts to see you all excited about the stories we so eagerly wanted to tell. And for being excited and willing if we came to pull you from class to interview you about anything. Your excitement about our paper and our passion for creating stories gives us hope for continued enthusiasm for years to come.

To our chaperones, Felicia Kern and Amy Taute...

For giving us the ability to take part in the nationals’ competition. Without you volunteering your time, this group of passionate media students would not have been able to learn and compete at the national level in Kansas City.

Legacy: The Next Chapter Of Women's Sports

As a little girl who craved the adrenaline that competition provided, I tried it all. Gymnastics, martial arts, softball, basketball, swimming, even pickleball. And as a young woman who found true love in lacing up a pair of fresh Nike basketball shoes and bouncing a beautiful burnt orange ball on the basketball court, I have clung on to college athletes that shared the same desire, specifically WNBA players and NCAA Women’s Basketball players.

I’ve watched them all.

The impactful career and footprint now WNBA Champion Kelsey Plum left on UW, two-time WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart paved her own path from UCONN to the Seattle Storm and now the New York Liberty, and even watch the first female college athletes receive their first NIL deals.

her senior year, forgoing her fifth year of eligibility and shortly after the NCAA WBB Championship game, she was selected the Number one overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Not long after, Coach Bluder announced her retirement and handed over the head coaching position to assistant coach Jen Jensen.

As a witness to this historic run Clark and Coach Bluder had, it leaves me with questions.

Will women’s college basketball ever have this type of high again?

Will the same type of viewership ever be the same?

Will a legacy of this type ever happen again?

What does the future hold for women’s basketball?

Watching an era, especially this one that had such an incredible impact on people all around the globe, it’s scary to watch it come to an end.

"I may not have all the answers to my questions about the future of NCAA Womens basketball, but I do have hope.”

But I am also witnessing a blossoming WNBA environment. Clark, along with other start rookies, have caused a huge surge in ticket sales and in viewership.

Yet nothing has quite compared to watching the dynamic coach and player duo of Coach Lisa Bluder and Caitlin Clark of Iowa Womens Basketball.

The remarkable career these two have put together over the last four years is something that is astonishing to have witnessed.

If you were one of the millions of people across the globe who paid close attention to not this duo, you know as well as I do that it was truly a treat to watch.

But all great eras must come to an end. Clark declared for the WNBA draft roughly halfway through

Being both the little girl who didn’t understand others saying, “the WNBA isn’t real basketball” and the young adult I am today watching people of all ages and genders get involved with women’s basketball is the most heartwarming feeling in the world. It also gives me hope as I leave behind the Lady Viks basketball team here at PHS. I hope the coaches continue to bring a positive environment to practices and games, that this year there will be more and more students showing up. I also have higher hopes now heading into the start of my college career, that as a young team will be able to bring in local fans and sponsors.

I may not have all the answers to my questions about the future of NCAA Womens basketball, but I do have hope. I have hope that little girls who have “ooed” and “awed” at this era will spread the word to their friends. I have hope that more and more opportunities will present themselves to female athletes around the world, opportunities that can lead to legacies like that of Clark and Bluder. I also know that I am not the only one that hold this same hope within them, I am not the only one willing to spew facts about women’s basketball players to anyone and I know that I am not the only one doing everything in their power to support not just Clark, but all female athletes.

Class Transforms Student Perspective

I vividly remember my computer having eyes.

I was 14 and I knew I needed to pick a credit for English. The options were so daunting, though and I could feel myself perspiring. I could pick the wrong one. I could pick the right one.

I loved English, but the options presented to me glared into my soul and provoked me until I could pick which branch of English I wanted to pursue for the year.

I ended up picking Sophomore Journalism. Storytelling seemed like a fair fit.

I had low expectations, but I was avoiding Debate or another standard English class about Fahrenheit 451 or Animal Farm. When I walked into the doors of my Sophomore Journalism class, my life was transformed. Very quickly, journalism swept me off of my feet.

I was entranced in a world of interviews, quotes, storytelling, editing and teamwork.

Journalism was an English credit. Newspaper, however, was not. Newspaper was not even a CTE credit. It was just an elective. I wasn’t really getting anything graduation-credit wise by

signing up for Newspaper. Alas, I did indeed sign up for Newspaper my junior year. I was honored to help produce Vol. 111 of The Viking Vanguard while also anchoring The Helm.

After a year of both internal wins as well as external validation through awards or recognition, I was exhilarated to begin my senior year.

In short, senior year had not lived up to my expectations. I was let down through the summer with the passing of my childhood dog and moving to a drastically new environment in Arizona. Like my thighs to a chair on a hot day, I was stuck and peeling away proved to be more painful than I had thought.

even find solace in the one place I had gone to previously, the media room, since it was several states away with all of my friends and personal belongings.

I thought moving back to Washington was good news.

It would be a smoother transition than moving to Arizona was.

If there was ever a time to hit a red buzzer labeled “incorrect,” in all caps, that would have been the time. I struggled. Like, a lot.

"I would not be who I am without Newspaper. But I also would not be who I am without having Newspaper ripped away from me and handed back in shreds.”

Katelyn Ervin News and Features Editor

With these new feelings of loss and guilt, combined with the weight of college applications, scholarships, financial aid, letters of recommendation and AP classes, I was exhausted. I could not

I love Newspaper. I don’t know how clear I can really make that. But in my transitional period, this was really put to the test.

It didn’t feel like mine anymore. I didn’t have any real authority to make decisions and help produce another year of a Newspaper that meant everything to me.

Next, I should write, “But it all ended up okay in the end and these feelings just went away eventually!”

While I’m not going to do that, the word “eventually” stands out to me.

Through time, I’ve coped with my losses. The feelings don’t go away, but they do get smaller. I do have a voice on the Newspaper, and though it may not have the strongest echo, Viking Student Media is a family and has shown that to me while I’ve expanded my hobbies and interests.

I want to offer a tidbit of insight about senior year; it’s incredibly overwhelming.

With a support system, consistent environment and time however, it gets easier.

I would not be who I am without Newspaper. But I also would not be who I am without having Newspaper ripped away from me and handed back in shreds.

This has been Katelyn Ervin with Viking Student Media, signing off.

Teacher Secretly Spreads Joy

It all started when AP art teacher Dorrie Coleman came up with the idea to see if she could be sneaky, but not in a devious way.

She wanted to get people to look forward to something, give them another reason to smile while roaming the halls at PHS.

And what gives students something to giggle about more than seeing rubber ducks and other bizarre items around

the school?

“I started with the ducks in August with staff,” Coleman said. “They were starting to find these things, and nobody could figure out where they were coming from, and I really kind of enjoyed that.”

Hiding ducks for the teachers and staff sparked an even bigger idea, to start hiding other trinkets each month for the student body to join in on the comedic hunt.

“People are now waiting for the next month, wondering what the next thing is going to be,” Coleman said.

Coleman has been finding obscure places to hide her items, and where the staff and students are finding them are far from ordinary hiding locations.

“I would float them in the ice bath where the cream cheese was or on top of the coffee maker or on top of Mr. Sunich’s computer, just really random and bizarre places,” Coleman said. Through the activity of cloaking her knickknacks, Colemon has discovered that sometimes things do not need to be hidden in hard-to-find places, but rather hidden in plain sight and nobody will notice.

“I found that while I am talking to you, I can place something down on the table and you’d never know that that’s what I was doing,” Coleman said. Coleman has found it amusing how easy it can be to hide items in wideopen spaces, and students don’t double take to find them there.

“It’s kind of funny,” Coleman said. “I can literally put them out while people are watching and they don’t even realize that that’s what I’ve done; it’s kind of great.”

PHS Music Represents at State

Band, Orchestra and Choir programs had many students compete on the April 26-27, for the WIAA/ WMEA State Solo and Ensemble Contest for musicians at Ellensburg.

Among the students that competed, the PHS Choir had a tenor duet place third in their category at State. Both being juniors, there are questions to be asked on what got them this success at State and what actions they will take in their senior year to compete again at Ellensburg.

Jack Murdock, choir and drama student, was one of the two students who placed third at State.

Murdock said he felt great about placing third in the tenor baritone duet category at the State competition.

“I’m happy that our placing at State may bring more attention and more opportunities to our music programs,” Murdock said.

Giacobbe Whitworth, another choir and drama student placed third at State alongside Murdock, stated that the experiences he had competing at State was the best of his high school career.

“It showed me that I was good at something I love doing. and it will add more opportunities for the choir program to be more of a voice in the Puyallup High School community,” Whitworth said.

Murdock felt that the biggest factor to the success he and Whitworth had at State was the choice of song they sang as well as the support they had within the choir.

“Specifically relating to Mr. Moon and how he supported us throughout the way,” Murdock said.

Whitworth said that in preparing themselves for competition at State, their choir director Mr. Moon had given them plenty of time in class to practice their

song.

“Which led to our success in the small TBB vocal group,” Whitworth said.

Whitworth felt that an improvement he would like to see for next year when preparing for solo ensemble, is to choose a longer and harder song to sing at State.

“I believe that with the efforts of Mr. Moon, he could help us in finding a new song for us to sing” Whitworth said.

Murdock says that the confidence he is building for himself isn’t limited to just him, but to the choir community as a whole.

“I think that our success is opening opportunities for more people to be able to consider joining choir,” Murdock said.

ing their songs in comparison to his guidance.

“I spent a bit of time with them working with them on it and giving them some pointers. I could tell them to do anything and if they didn’t put in the time and the effort to doing it, then it doesn’t matter what I do,” Moon said.

Moon claims that all his students kept a good mentality competing in solo ensemble.

“And a lot of people showed a lot of growth musically and personally. Seeing the amount of personal growth that a lot of students did was great,” Moon said.

I’m happy that our placing at State may bring more attention and more opportunities to our music programs. ”

Jack Murdock

Murdock believes that the biggest advice he has for students competing in Solo and Ensemble next year, is to be mindful in what song you choose to perform, as well as the effort you put into practicing.

“If you’re doing a solo, pick a song that you personally enjoy. if you’re doing an ensemble, pick people that you personally enjoy working with because having that friendship helped our voices grow together,” Murdock said.

Ethan Moon, Choir Director, feels amazing at having some of his student’s place third at the State competition in Ellensburg.

“The students all worked really hard at it, and they spent a lot of time and dedication. And so it was really because of their efforts that they managed to place at State,” Moon said.

Moon attributed his student’s success at State to be the result of their hard work and dedication to practic-

junior

A problem Moon ran into while preparing his students for solo ensemble was a lack of suitable sheet music for his students to practice with.

Fortunately, he had some help from previous PHS Choir Director George Gunther.

“But I still didn’t really know what was in those books. So, I would have liked to be able to give my students more of a focus, a suggestion of songs to sing, rather than suggest going on Google and finding something,” Moon said. Going into next year, Moon says he doesn’t want to change anything about the mindset he goes into solo ensemble with.

“I’m going to prepare the students the best I can and give them all the resources that I can to make sure that they have what they need to be successful,” Moon said. Moon believes that solo ensemble gives students a perfect opportunity to improve themselves and hear from different perspectives.

“I provide one perspective on singing and on music. At contest you will get judged by someone who may have their focus in a different place from me and it’s their expertise is greater in one specific area,” Moon said.

Summer Movies to Watch Out For

Barker,

“Inside Out 2” releases June 14. The film follows Riley as she turns 13, with new emotions Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edibiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) set to join the cast from the original film. The first was Pixar at its best, offering a mix of humor and heart and will likely draw families and fans of the original alike.

2024 has a great lineup with options for moviegoers of all tastes, from Pixar family films to horror to R-rated superhero comedies. If there's something you're excited to see, grab your popcorn and head down to the nearest theater

“A Quiet Place: Day One” is a prequel to the popular Quiet Place series, with Michael Sarnoski directing and releasing June 28. The film is set in NYC on day one of the alien invasion and follows “Black Panther” star Lupita Nyong’o and “Stranger Things” star Joseph Quinn. Fans of horror and monster movies are sure to enjoy the thrills.

"Deadpool and Wolverine" is the longanticipated return of the Deadpool series, starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth and releasing July 26. The film follows Deadpool as he is recruited by the TVA for a multiversal mission with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman). Cameos and crude humor are promised, likely creating one of the biggest films of summer.

Ayden Berg: Mr. Band

One of Puyallup High School representatives, treasurer of band as well as Mr. Band, president of chess club, a member of Key Club and Math Club, and now Ayden Berg has become one of Puyallup High School’s Top 20 Seniors.

Berg has a long list of accomplishments throughout his high school experience.

“My sophomore year, I was the band inspirational sophomore. So, I’ve done a lot for that program. I was selected as the treasurer this year,” Berg said.

lup High School’s Top 20 Seniors, this monumental achievement did not come as a surprise to him.

“I wasn’t particularly surprised, I felt like I was just living up to the expectations that I had set for myself,” Berg said.

Before Berg, his brother was one of the Top 20 Seniors too. His goal was to follow in his brother’s footsteps and receive that same achievement.

I wasn’t particularly surprised, I felt like I was just living up to the expectations that I had set for myself,”

“[I was] following in my brother’s footsteps, being one of the great seniors,” Berg said.

Berg believes he was selected for this award due to the large amount of work he has done with the school district.

In addition to his accomplishments in band, Berg has had a recognizable academic career.

“I’ve also gotten the AP Capstone diploma through taking Seminar and Research, being an AP Scholar with distinction,” Berg said.

When Berg was awarded the title of one of Puyal-

“I think that my work over this past year working with like the district and administration here at PHS on increasing access to scholarship information and other college readiness information, or like even beyond that, just like general post high plan ning, I think that was a big contributor to that,” Berg said.

One key reason that Berg says he keeps up his challenging schedule is due to his desire to help people.

“I want to provide for other people I want to be of service for other people so that they can do the best that they can do,” Berg said. “I think wanting to be there for other people and helping them [motivates me].”

While it isn’t easy, Berg manages with the support of his parents and siblings.

“My parents and my siblings have really helped me find what I want to do as well as encouraging me to do whatever I enjoy,” Berg said.

Berg will be attending the University of Arizona, majoring in architectural engineering.

A piece of advice that Berg has for his fellow students is to get involved and you never know if you don’t try.

“Get involved in everything that you

Roby Hooper: #Goals

Senior Roby Hooper, captain of the soccer team for two years in a row, an involved member in Math Club, who helps tutor his peers, a commended scholar for his PSAT and now selected by teachers and staff to be one of Puyallup High School’s Top 20 seniors.

“It was cool to know that teachers felt that I was a good student, and I could be a top 20,” Hooper said.

Hooper believes he was selected for this award due to his highlevel classes and involvement in sports outside of school. On top of his academic and athletic

involvement, he is also a commended scholar for the PSAT.

“I did math club and math tutoring for all my years at PHS and then I also played soccer for every year PHS too,” Hooper said.

Hooper must make time for sports, clubs and academics in his schedule.

“He manages it by following the advice of his teachers who told him to keep up with his work and not fall behind.

me that I could get through my classes if I did that.”

Hooper says a key person that has supported him throughout his academic and athletic career has been his dad.

“He helped a lot with my calcu lus math class last year and just supports me through soccer and everything,” Hooper said. “The biggest thing is him coming to all my games and being the loudest

It was cool to know teachers felt that I was a good student, and I could be a top 20,”

“I would say [a piece of advice] is to just stay ahead of your work and not to let things pile up too much,” Hooper said. “A lot of my teachers told

lege. He plans to play soccer and study computer science.

One piece of advice he gives

Hanna Vega: AVID Royalty

Students during their senior year can struggle to get involved in school activities and with their fellow classmates. But for this senior, it was her top priority to be involved with her school and there for her classmates.

Hanna Vega, an AVID student and one of the top 20 seniors, believes that the biggest highlight of her senior year was being on the Daffodil Royal Court at PHS.

“I got to meet a lot of people and put myself out there,” Vega said.

Vega said that her favorite teacher during her years at PHS was AVID teacher Cherokee Ainslie.

“She’s always shown me to push forward and try my best and supported me along the way,” Vega said.

Vega’s plans after high school includes going to Pierce College to get prerequisite classes done first.

“I’m planning to go to college and pursue a Bachelors of nursing to become a registered nurse,” Vega said.

During her time at PHS, Vega says that AVID was her favor ite class.

Shayna

Staying on many.

But for this and a social life

Immediately shocked, but off.

“At first, I couldn’t

“But then I was good feeling knowing Jones believes school.

Jones is a member

“I am involved dies and I was

Senior year before graduating Jones’ advice soon as they can

“I would say get done, just

High school

For Jones, her “I would say ther than what With all the

”It’s like a family and I’ve been able to learn a lot about college and getting myself prepared and ready for the real world,” Vega said.

Vega says she is proud of what she has accomplished in high school and considers her hard work to be her biggest achievement.

“Keeping up with pushing myself forward by taking AP classes and involving myself in my community,” Vega said.

The biggest challenge for Vega during high school was her mental health and the stress that school life provides.

““And I think we all just have to find our own way to get through it,” Vega said.

Vega said that her father had a big inspiration on her life and the drive she had to succeed in high school.

“I want to be able to prove to him that I can do great things with my life,” Vega said.

...don’t put school on the back burner, because it’s just as important in your senior year as it is right now,”

The biggest pieces of advice that Vega had for incoming seniors included getting involved with school.

”But I’ve been able to persevere through it,” Vega said.

Vega believes that a big motivator for students is that there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel with whatever you may be struggling with.

“And don’t put school on the back burner, because it’s just as important in your senior year as it is right now,” Vega said.

Every year, each high school in the district picks 20 seniors that they believe reflect the values of a Viking, a Ram or a Jaguar. Students can reflect those values academically, through sports or social involvement or by exemplifying themselves as a unique individual. This year, The Viking Vanguard picked five of the Top 20 to interview.

Shayna Jones: Club Hero

“Outside of school, I enjoy hanging out with friends and going to get a bite to eat. Just things to get our minds off stuff,” Jones said.

Looking ahead, Jones is planning on getting her degree in social work at PLU and then going into a career.

top of everything you are supposed to do during senior year is difficult for student, managing her senior year of high school, clubs and activities at PHS, life wasn’t too bad.

Immediately after finding out she was a Top 20 senior, Shayna Jones says she was then she realized that all the work she put in during and after school was paid couldn’t really believe it. I was like, ‘Are you sure this was me’?” Jones said. was really excited. I got to get recognized at the school board, so it was a really knowing that your hard work is recognized.” believes that she was chosen as a Top 20 Senior because of her work outside of member of multiple clubs at school and tries to get involved can.

involved in Black Student Union. I’m [in] Viking Knights and Lawas part of the Daffodil royal court. I’m [also] in National Honor Jones said. can be easy to ignore but there’s many steps you have to take graduating and moving past high school.

“

“After high school, I’m going to Pacific Lutheran University to study social work and then hopefully I will get my bachelor’s [de gree] in social work and then go out and do the job,” Jones said.

Countless memories are made throughout high school, but for Jones the small moments of kindness are the memories that last forever.

“I would say my first day of school here. I came here my junior year of high school, so it was very like culture shock to me, because I came from a school in SeaTac. So I’m like, ‘you guys have a pool that’s crazy to me,’” Jones said. “I was sitting alone at lunch and didn’t really know anybody [because] I’m new here.

I hope people would remember me as somebody who was involved in their community and really just gave back...”

advice for incoming seniors is to make sure they do their work as can to not get overwhelmed near the end of the year. say to stay on top of your stuff. If there’s something you need to do it. Because if you don’t do it, it’s gonna come at you all at said, school isn’t easy, it’s important to have people along the way to help you through her parents were her biggest supporters throughout High School. say my parents…they really do motivate me to succeed and want me to go furwhat they had an opportunity to go to,” Jones said. the stress from school and clubs, Jones likes to be with her friends in order to stress off her shoulders.

Shayna Jones senior

But a girl came up to me and she had basically invited me to sit with her, I will say that was a very good memory.”

Jones says she hopes to leave a legacy behind at PHS as someone who worked hard and helped out in the Puyallup community.

“I hope people would remem ber me as somebody who was involved in their community and really just gave back. So, I think that’s the legacy I want to leave,” Jones said.

Corban Smith: Track Star

There are plenty of school activities that students get involved in during their senior year of high school.

While it provides students with a chance to have fun in their last year of high school, it is important for them to stay on top of their studies to provide themselves with the best chance to succeed post high school.

This student can say that you can be heavily involved in school activities while maintaining excellent grades.

Corban Smith, track athlete and one of the top 20 seniors, said that the biggest highlight of his senior year was his 3rd period AP Government class with teacher Mychal Limric.

“I had a lot of fun with my friends in that class,” Smith said.

Smith said that his favorite teacher over the time he has been here, was the history teacher Will Walker.

“I really appreciate him as a teacher and as a person. I

had his APUSH class last year, and I’m his TA this year,” Smith said.

Smith’s biggest achievement throughout high school is maintaining his impressive academic record.

“I have a 4.0 GPA and I took a lot of AP classes. So, I would say I’m proud of my academic transcript,” Smith said.

Smith claimed that the biggest challenge for him was certain AP classes such as Calculus.

“Also, track was pretty difficult because I had some injuries and other stuff I struggled with, but overall, it ended well,” Smith said.

Smith said the biggest motivator for him to do well in school was in building the best future that he possibly could for himself.

”I wanted to have a good transcript so that I could go to college, as well as earn scholarships so that I could pay for college,” Smith said.

Just keep going until the end. It can get really hard to be motivated. So, try to keep pressing on so that you don’t lose your drive during senior year,”

competitive he is to be as good as her in school.

”Also, my parents. I look up to my parents, to see how hard they work, motivates me to work hard,” Smith said.

Smith’s most important piece of advice for incoming seniors is to not slow down with your academics as you get closer to graduation.

“Just keep going until the end. It can get really hard to be motivated. So, try to keep pressing on so that you don’t lose your drive during senior year,” Smith said.

Smith’s biggest inspiration comes from his sister due to how

Other Top 20 Seniors:

Ellie Fraumeni, Jet Hazen, Shiloh Hilditch, Reagan Jones, Hailey Kim, Joel Liu, Christopher Ma, Grace Mallory, Sarah Osher, Eugene Parks, Jocelyn Tapia Pascacio, Cheyanne Thompson, Monisha Uriti, Madeline Weaver and Rebecca Wilber

REVIEW: ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ FINDS BILLIE EILISH STRONGER THAN EVER

Crafting a release that improves on her nearly-universally acclaimed first two albums was likely no easy task, but Billie Eilish’s “HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” does so effortlessly. The album’s sound meshes the more up-tempo art-pop of her debut “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO” and the sparse, relaxed arrangements of her previous album, “Happier Than Ever,” sometimes even during the same song.

One of the things that grabbed me upon my first listen was how short the album was. There are only 10 songs, but that’s certainly not a bad thing. In an age of music where albums are often over an hour, the 44-minute runtime means the album is concise and no song overstays its welcome. And even though there’s only ten songs, the variety of musical styles flesh out the comparatively short runtime.

The instrumental aspects of Eilish’s music have always been just as important to the song as her lyrics. Other pop albums might focus more on the singer, but the instrumentals here,written with her brother and producer FINNEAS, grab the listener with some catchy hooks and a sound that often alternates between a softer finger-picked guitar and upbeat synth-pop.

“THE DINER” hooks listeners with a guitar drenched in vibrato that plays the same two-note riff throughout the song, hypnotizing us and pulling us into the

world of the stalker character at the center of the song. “L’AMOUR DE MA VIE” keeps with a slow, jazzy guitar riff for most of the song before abruptly transitioning to an upbeat synth-pop take down of an ex. For those who want more of the synth-pop style, Eilish released an extended version of that half of the song as a single. Vocally, Eilish is the strongest she’s ever been. She’s supplanted the whispery vocals of previous albums with a strong and clear voice, making the moments when she shifts to a softer voice that much more impactful. During “THE GREATEST,” the song starts with a simple muted guitar and the classic whispery vocals for multiple verses and choruses before a soaring high note from Eilish releases the song into an explosion of instruments.

Her lyrics here are subtle, more “Happier Than Ever” than “WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO.” The opener “SKINNY” is nakedly confessional, confronting body-image issues with lyrics like “People say I look happy/Just because I got skinny/But the old me is still me/And maybe the real me/And I think she’s pretty.”

On the opposite side of the spectrum, “LUNCH” is an upbeat, joyful bop from post-coming out Eilish about a hookup with a girl as she embraces her newfound sexuality. And for those who are fans of her darker music, ala “bury a friend,” “THE DINER” takes the perspective

of a stalker who sings “I memorized your number, now I call you when I please/I tried to end it all, but now/I’m back up on my feet/I saw you in the car with someone else and couldn’t sleep/If something happens to him, you can bet that it was me.”

The album is an encapsulation of Eilish’s career so far, and those who enjoy pop that’s a little offbeat will certainly enjoy this album.

“HIT ME HARD AND SOFT” is out now on all streaming platforms.

REVIEW: ‘FURIOSA’ THRILLS AUDIENCES WITH NEW ADDITIONS TO ‘MAD MAX’ UNIVERSE

To temper expectations – those who go into “Furiosa” expecting another “Mad Max: Fury Road” will be disappointed. You’re still getting epic car chases and stunts in a postapocalyptic Australia, but it’s less wall-to-wall action and more character-driven. That’s not to say it’s a bad movie at all, in fact, it’s one of my favorites I’ve seen this year. The acting is impressive, and while the effects are less practical and more computer-gen-

erated, the action sequences are still incredibly gripping.

The film follows Furiosa, the female lead from “Fury Road,” as she grows from a child kidnapped from an idyllic land called the Green Place to the formidable warrior we know from that film.

For the first two acts, she’s portrayed by actress Alyla Browne, and for the rest of the film, she’s played by Anya Taylor-Joy. She’s taken from the Green Place by a gang of bikers who work for Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) before she’s sold to the Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme). The rest of the film follows her as she seeks to return to the Green Place and take revenge on Dementus for killing her mother (Charlee Fraser).

The film was written as a part of the development of “Fury Road” and was

announced to film back-to-back before it was delayed and salary disputes between director George Miller and Warner Bros. caused the film to be pushed back repeatedly. Charlize Theron, who played Furiosa in “Fury Road,” referenced the “Furiosa” screenplay for her performance during filming, and the way the film builds around the world of “Fury Road” is a clear standout. Browne’s performance is one of the high points of the film, as we see her hardened by her experiences after being kidnapped from the Green Place. I wasn’t expecting her to be onscreen for very long, but her performance was surprisingly deep.

While it’s not ‘Fury Road’, almost all viewers will find something to enjoy in the film.”

And while Hugh Keays-Byrne, the original actor for Immortan Joe, unfortunately passed away in 2020, Lachy Hulme does an admirable job with the dual roles of Immortan Joe and Dementus’ second-in-command, Rizzdale Pell. While this film was more character-focused than “Fury Road,” the action was just as thrilling. One sequence features former members of Dementus’ gang attacking Immortan Joe’s War Rig with motorcycles that are towing paragliders, one of the most thrilling and visually stunning action sequences of all the Mad Max films. Another sequence has Furiosa and Jack ambushed at the Bullet Farm, one of the three fortresses of the Wasteland.

Interestingly, Miller used a technique throughout the film where he slowly blended Taylor-Joy’s face with Browne’s throughout the film as Furiosa ages, to the point where it took a moment to tell when Taylor-Joy takes over the role.

Taylor-Joy is another highlight with her role as a battle-hardened Furiosa, after years hiding as a mechanic for the War Boys. Some of her best moments come from the end of the film, where she perfectly mimics Charlize Theron’s performance in “Fury Road” and has an amazing extended sequence with Dementus.

However, her characterization of Furiosa as she becomes a warrior under the tutelage of Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) is where she really shines, adding more to the backstory only hinted at previously. While Jack is a clear stand-in for the absent Max, played by Hardy in “Fury Road,” we get attached to him for the relatively short timeframe he’s onscreen.

On the villainous side of the story, Hemsworth is having the time of his life playing Dementus. The character is gleefully evil and unhinged, making the returning Immortan Joe seem like the level head in the Wasteland by comparison. His biker horde is an intimidating threat, offering lots of visually interesting characters and sequences.

Only the Citadel was explored in “Fury Road,” and a key strength of the script is how it expands on “Fury Road” without moviegoers needing to see that film beforehand.

Unfortunately, one of the things this movie lost from “Fury Road” was the jaw-dropping practical effects. While the action is still great to watch, there’s a weight that’s lost with the CGI used here. It’s not bad, especially compared to something like 2017’s “Justice League,” but I found myself distracted by the idea of “What if this was filmed alongside Fury Road like planned? How much better would this scene look?” Even then, the classic Mad Max “dieselpunk” aesthetic is one of the best parts of the movie, immersing viewers in this post-apocalyptic wasteland. While it’s not “Fury Road,” almost all viewers will find something to enjoy in the film. The aesthetics, action, and acting are all top-notch, and Miller’s world is vastly improved by the new additions to the lore. While Miller has plans for more films, including one taking place between “Furiosa” and “Fury Road” titled “Mad Max: The Wasteland,” they haven’t been greenlit yet. Furiosa is in theaters now. It is rated R.

Boys Soccer Overcomes Mental Game

High school sports are like a poker hand: every year, you put all the cards back in, shuffle them up and hope everything turns out.

Coming into this season, the boys soccer team found it hard to measure themselves up to last year’s second place State finish.

For head coach Matt White, however, a season is more than its win or loss record.

“If you set your standards by plaques and trophies, you will always be disappointed. It’s got to be about humans. It’s got to be about the people,” White said.

And it was with this attitude that White coached. From the bench to the field, players like Riley Saxowsky and transfer athlete Braylon Bowie turned the game upside down.

““Riley was just happy for everybody. No matter what happened,” White said. “Braylon Bowie, wow. I mean, he’s a transfer. [He] couldn’t play one minute of varsity this year because he moved from another school, and yet the kid trained every day like he was starting varsity, like it mattered a ton. You see what someone’s real character is when they can do something like that.”

And this year, according to athlete Brody Smith, the coaches did a brilliant job teaching their players more than just how to kick a goal.

“Mentally, always telling us to pick our head up and keep moving on. Even if we win or lose, we just have to focus on the max,” Smith said.

Even the players themselves were able to encourage each other.

“Zach Robertson, definitely Roby Hooper, and Curren Coffield and Cameron. They all really stood out to me, and I think they all performed every game to their best,” Smith said.

And despite their shortcomings, as well as an inopportune loss soon after State began, the team is ready to come out blazing in the 2024-2025 season.

"I feel like we could have been better. There was a lot of stuff we could work on for next year,” Smith said. “I’m just waiting to move on to the next season.”

Our goals are always constant improvement and squad first. So, wherever you start, the goal is to get better from day one today.

Matthew White head coach

Curren Caufield, a ninth grader, is one of those hopes for the next season.

“Curren Caufield: he was our third leading scorer as a ninth grader. That kid is just gonna grow leaps and bounds,” White said.

And of course, there’s star players like Zack Robertson, who was every opposing team’s target for a foul.

Entering the main gym, students find an array of wooden bleachers, crinkled student section posters and the rows and rows of plaques that line the walls.

These plaques represent State and League wins, from both past and present seasons.

It’s easy to look at those plaques and use them to define the success of a sport.

“We won the league championship. There’s a plaque that goes up, and that was the year that you know that thing happened. But those plaques get hit by balls all the time and get knocked down in the gym. Does that mean that it doesn’t have value anymore? It’s got to be about something else,” White said.

“There’s nobody who worked harder for the squad than Zach Robertson,” White said. “It wasn’t just that he was our top goal scorer. He was our top assist guy. Anybody else who scored, most likely that assist came from Zack. [He] didn’t just try to score everything himself. He found the open guy who then got the goal.”

And just like they were scoring goals into the net, the team stood together to accomplish their mental goals.

“Our goals are always constant improvement and squad first. So, wherever you start, the goal is to get better from day one today,” White said.

Baseball Seniors Reflect on Season

As the spring sports season wraps up, senior baseball players Jackson Copeland and Michael Lejeune reflect on their final season as Vikings and their future.

Copeland says he feels there was more team hype and energy in the post season than there was at the start of baseball.

“During the regular season it’s fun and you still have to get after it, but the post season just brings a different level of intensity and brings more juice to the ball field,” Copeland said.

Lejeune feels the same energy spike out on the field as Copeland.

“There’s a lot more energy and everything is just clicking more,” Lejeune said.

Having it be their last year playing high school baseball and making it this far in the season, Copeland is proud of himself and the team.

“The post season just brings a different level of intensity and brings more juice to the ball field.

Jackson Copeland junior

“It feels great we took second in state sophomore year, so we are trying to come back now, I need one of those rings man. I need to get one for high school,” Copeland said.

LeJeune wasn’t surprised they made it this far.

“It feels great. I mean, we expected nothing less,” LeJeune said.

Copeland has decided to keep his baseball career going after High School.

“I’m going to Pierce to play college ball actually,” Copeland said.

LeJeune also has decided to continue on with baseball after High School.

“I’m going to Gonzaga to continue playing,” LeJeune said.

The following pages contain the names of each senior of the Class of 2024. The students were surveyed, listing their plans for high school and beyond. We wish each and every student a happy and prosperous journey into the future.

AAbello, Malcolm

Aho, Evelyn Pierce College

Aker, Evan Clover Park Technical College

Al-Tameemi, Hassan

Alegria, Anthony Washington State University

Alexander, Trent Washington State University

Allen, Kate Colorado State University

Allison, Chloe Pierce College

Alpert, Audrey Northwest College of Art and Design

Anaya, Ezekiel WyoTech Anaya-Ayala, Daniela

Andersen, Tannon Mission Trip

Anderson, Alicia Clover Park Technical College

Anderson, Emma St. Martins Anderson, Ethan Working Anderson, Natalie Western Washington University

Anderson Caffee, Anneliese Pacific Lutheran University

Andrus, Jiovan Tacoma Community College

Angel, Sofia

Ankney, Elijah Firefighter

Anthony, Kamsi Northwestern Antongiovanni, Luca Pierce College

Aponte, Daniel Washington State University

Apple, Cormac GAP Year

Archambeau, Grant Grand Canyon University

Aro, Kylie

Atkinson, Ava Clover Park

Technical College

Austin, Claire University of Washington

Avila, Elena Evergreen Beauty School

Avila Kolesnik, Daniel Clover Park Technical College

BBagniewski, Molly Arizona State University

Bainto, Justine’ Louie Pierce College

Bakumenko, Valentyna

Baldridge, Heather Tacoma Community College

Baltazar, Enrico Pierce College Barrera, Judah

Barta, Anneliese Western Washington University

Bartolome, Kaimana Bethune Cookman University

Bates, Brian Bates Technical College

Bates, Katy Missionary Trip

Beardsley, Zachary University of Washington

Beaver, Muttellokee Muskogee Creek Nation Tribal College

Behe, Sara GAP Year

Bell, Rashad Pacific Lutheran

University

Bench, Jessica San Diego State University

Beni, Lucas

Benson, Franceska

Benson, Nathaniel Digi Pen

Berendt, Treyson Pacific Northwest Christian College

Berg, Ayden University of Arizona

Berge, Brianna Pierce College

Bilostennyi, Oleksandr

Bishop, Jaimes Evergreen State College

Bloomquist, Keller

Blount, Hunter University of Washington-Tacoma

Blynov, Jessica

Bollinger, Kimber Boschee, Natalie

Bosshardt, Kylin Working Bottcher Pelton, Brandon National Guard

Bottcher Pelton, Savanna Pierce College

Bradley, Dylan University of Washington-Tacoma

Brasher, Aaron Braskamp, Isabel

Bratzler, Bayleigh Pierce College

Bready, Caleb University of Tennessee

Brieger, Ariana

Brinkopf, Skyler

Brookens, Zachary Working Brooks, Hallie

Brooks, Ryan University of Montana

Brown, Danielle

Brown, Kyle Highline Community College

Browning, Madison Career Brucker, Joseph Air Force

Burgett, Kendall Central Dental Academy Burrows, Alysa

CCaillier, Bianca Clover Park Technical College

Callanan, Brodie

Caple, Noah Arizona State University

Carbajal, Hugo Career Carpenter, Haliey Carrillo, Aldo

Casillas-Solorzano, Jazmine

Pierce College

Castro-Quinones, Isabel Pacific Lutheran University

Cearfoss, Troy Firefighter

Chaffee, Tyler Apprenticeship—carpentry Chambers, Auston Chambers, Ava University of Washington Chambers, Lexi Pierce College

Chege, Pauline Arizona State University

Christensen, Max BYU-Provo Clark, Isabella South Eastern University

Clark, Keegan University of Arizona

Clark, Logan Trade School

Clifton, Mason Pierce College

Cody, Andrew Whitworth University

Coffey, Chase Working Collins, Ella

Conder, Asher Mission Trip

Conradt, Nickolas Conwell, Tom Cook, Malia GAP Year

Copeland, Jackson Pierce College

Cornyn, Emmily GAP Year Coulter, Madison Tacoma Community College

Cox, Andrew

Crutcher, Ernest University of Washington Cruz-Orozco, Johan

DDannenbring, Joseph Oregon State University

Davis, Ariana Emory University

Davis, Sam Washington State University

Decker, Malakai Tacoma Community College

Decker, Nathaniel Decker, Tanner

Deckert, Sydney Travel Degraff, Danner

Dementev, Alexander Bates Technical College

Diaz Venegas, Iris Aria Beauty Institute

Dickerson, Marcus Texas State Tech

Dickman, David WyoTech

Dieguez, Eli

Dikeman, Ian Firefighter Dingane, Ai Temple University

Tokyo

Dixon, Allison Washington State University

Dolan, Allena University of Utah

Dominguez Pablo, Angel Drengson, Ella

Drury, Conner Clover Park Tech

Dymovski, Alyssa University of Washington-Tacoma

EEdwards, Hayden

Ervin, Katelyn Washington State University

Esparza-Crossman, Clara Esparza-Lascano, Estrella Estrada Vazquez, Brian

FFaccone, Luke Air Force Academy

Faulkner, Mackenzie Saint Martins

Ferguson, Malcolm Working Flansburg, Natalie Flores, Milana Montana State University

Fraumeni, Ellie University of Washington Fultz, Ryne

FungChenPen, Noah Whitworth Futch, William Washington State University

GGaddy, Saniya Seattle University

Gallentine, Zack Ganyard, Emma Gao, Han Feng Marines

Garbosa, Pedro Universidad

Federal do Rio Grande do SulBrazil

Garcia Salcedo, Citlali Cascadia Community College

Gardner, Emma Grand Canyon University

Gatterman, Drew Apprenticeship-electrician

Gaul, Samuel Pierce College Geiter, Anthony Working Gendreau, Julia Gettle, Zoe Tacoma Community College

Gilly, Jordyn Internship-Vann Studio Goins, Alden Apprenticeship-electrician

Gonzales, Leanar Career Gonzales, Alejandra University of Washington-Tacoma

Goode, Josiah Eastern Washington University

Goodman, Austin Grand Canyon University

Granados, Cody Working Grant, Grace Ann Montana State University

Grant, Shane Gross, Elliott

Guajardo, Isabelle Washington State University

Guieb, Allyson-Jeanine