Viking Vanguard, Vol. 114, Issue 1, Oct. 17, 2025

Viking VANGUARD

Students Protest Safety

Expressing Concerns Students gathered at PHS Sept. 19 before heading downtown to Pioneer Park Pavillion as part of the student walkout. Photos by Autumn Pendleton.

Autumn Pendleton Yearbook Co- Editor

At the heart of the city of Puyallup, students gathered at Pioneer Park on Sept. 19 with a shared goal -- to bring awareness of gun violence across the district and nation.

Marching at the front of the line, you would see seniors Maricella Gonzalez and Talyah King leading 100 plus students along with student coordinators Jaylea Mills (11), Phia Barger (12), Emilia Lettiere (Alumni) and Wendy Fitz (12) with a passion and drive to bring change to the district.

The walkout lasted 77 minutes in memorial of the Uvalde shooting in Texas, lasting 77 minutes.

Senior Gonzalez was a key contributor and co-manager to the cause. She says her vision for the walkout was one of the essential parts of bringing it to life.

tion. During that competition we had an active shooter scare, and that was very, very traumatic,” Gonzalez said. “The fact that we all were afraid and immediately ran for our lives was really impactful on my thinking around [gun violence].”

Levi Kondowe, a junior at Puyallup High School, was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. He was one of 15 students who stood in front of the crowds to share his story. For Kondowe, Africa was a beautiful place to grow up, but now that he’s older he acknowledges it was not a safe place to grow up.

The purpose of the walkout was to bring awareness to school shootings, not only across America, but also acts of gun violence within our own district and our own state.

Maricella Gonzalez Senior

“The purpose of the walkout was to bring awareness to school shootings, not only across America, but also acts of gun violence within our own district and our own state,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez is a Student Board Member for the Puyallup School District. She has had previous experience with the topic through board meetings, prior to the planning and assembly of the walkout.

“I’m very aware of what’s going on within districts and what the policy is and what schools are doing in reaction to gun violence, but I think that the way we’re approaching it and the awareness that we have about it isn’t enough,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez further goes on to tell her experience with a potential active shooter at a national conference for an educational competition, and how this has swayed her opinions towards the topic.

“I was at the National Speech and Debate competi-

“Unfortunately, there was a lot of violence,” Kondowe said. “[I saw] people being shot down in the street and people dying on the sidewalk. I think I can say with confidence I’ve seen about six people dead in my life. It was very hard to grow up with that. My mom tried her best to shield me from it, and I’m always going to be grateful.”

Kondowe’s shares that his biggest concern while moving from South Africa was his little brother, Micah.

“When Micah was in his first ever drill, he had no idea that it was fake because no one explained it to him. He was panicking, and he messaged me [and said], ‘Levi, in case something happens, I love you.’ And that was one of the most traumatizing moments of my life,” Kondowe said. “I had no idea [what was happening], and his phone cut out, so I couldn’t call him. I was terrified.”

Principal David Sunich played a large role in the safety of the students attending the walkout and made multiple efforts to ensure the students would be safe.

“We recognize that students have a right for free speech and the right to assemble, and we’d love to encourage them to do it in ways that don’t cause them to miss school, but if the organizer and people that are

See “Student Protest” page two

A New Look Top: Demolition of the LSA Building started early July. Bottom: The new grass is kept safe with restrictive fencing. Photos courtesy Christy Galan.

DEMOLITION SUCCESSFUL

The summer saw a new look for back of school. Principal David Sunich answers some questions about what’s next.

Matthew Barker Staff

Q: How do you feel about the mostly empty space where the Library-Science-Art building formerly stood?

A: “I am glad they got the old, broken down, ugly building out of the way,” David Sunich said. “I am excited for that grass to grow in and [to] give us more space for kids to get out and do activities at lunch. I wish we had a new building to replace the classrooms that were there, but, for now, as far as the space goes, I think it’s nice.”

Q: Is there any plan on what the space will be used for?

A: “Right now, it’s pretty much just going to be an empty space with grass. We don’t have a lot of budget for installing anything in particular out there,” Sunich said.

Q: With the closure of the LSA Building that added six portables, is there going to be any solution on reducing the amount of portables or crowding at PHS?

A: We will probably remain with the same numbers of portables until someday when we can pass a bond,” Sunich said.

New year, new faces

Puyallup welcomes new staff members to the Viking family

Special Ed teacher

How many years have you been teaching?

“I have worked at two other schools,” Blount said. “I did substituting as a paraeducator and worked at Pope Elementary for five years.”

What do you do outside of school?

“I’m pretty busy with my family outside of school,” Blount said. “I have two boys who are teenagers right now so I have their sports and activites but I do like gardening and crafting whether it’ss sewing or making scrapbooks.”

What is your favorite thing about students?

“I love when kids come in and are respectful,” Blount said. “I like hearing when they have somethings happy going on and helping them if they’re having some sort struggle.”

How many years have you been teaching?

“It’s year six of teaching,” Bontemps said.

What do you do outside of school?

“I used to be a big wrestler Jiu-jitsu guy but now I’m 40 and I find it hard to get into the gym so now I host D&D games with other teachers and friends,” Bontemps said.

What is your favorite thing about students?

“Curiosity is my favorite quality in students,” Bontemps said.

Brandon McStephenson Robotics teacher

How many years have you been teaching?

This is my first year in teaching, but second year in education,” McStephenson said.

What do you do outside of school?

“My main hobby right now is rebuilding my Mustang,” McStephenson said.

What is your favorite thing about students?

“The willingness to learn; we’re not here for easy answers; we’re not here for easy success; we want be to be open to failure; we want everyone to learn from failure, if we expected students to come in every day knowing everything you wouldn’t learn much,” McStephenson said.

How many years have you been teaching?

“This is my 18th year teaching,” Gese said.

How many years have you been teaching?

“This is my 10th year of full-time teaching,” Nies said.

What do you do outside of school? What do you do outside of school?

“I like hiking and crafting things I also crochet,” Gese said.

What is your favorite thing about students?

“Kindness goes a long way,” Gese said.

“I am a bassoon player and I also love hosting D&D games as well as playing video games,” Nies said.

What is your favorite thing about students?

“I love students who are curious,” Nies said. “When they want to learn things that aren’t necessarily the point of the lesson.”

How many years have you been teaching?

“It is my 18th year as a paraeducator started in 2008,” Hite said.

What do you do outside of school?

“I really like nature and looking and picking mushrooms,” Hite said.

What is your favorite thing about students?

“I love growing bonds with kids with autism because every single one is really good at somethings and you have to bond with them to figure out what that thing is,” Hite said.

“Student Protest” continued from page 1

passionate about it feel [that] doing it during the school day brings more attention to the issue, we want to at least help make sure they know what our ground rules are, to make sure they’re following within the guidelines of how we keep them safe and do it in a way that’s not going to get anybody in trouble with the city,” Sunich said.

Sunich’s immediate response to the walkout was to identify who was organizing it, not to shut it down, but to inform himself of their plans and recognize what the protests’ goals were.

“In general, usually a

protest is a second step or a third step, when you’ve tried other things. If I had an issue with the dress code, for example, my first step isn’t to go to a protest,” Sunich said.

Principal Sunich says this wasn’t the first time students have protested school safety.

“The other time there was a walkout against school violence there was a huge gathering over at Pioneer Park. People even came from Rogers and Emerald Ridge and the junior highs. The topic and the message were still the same,” Sunich said.

Kondowe hopes the demonstration and his

perspective will shed light on the constant battle for students’ safety.

“I think the main idea with adults looking at this is [students] don’t understand what they’re talking about,” Kondowe said. “If people see how much those students care about the issue, then [adults] will understand, hopefully.”

Gonzalez says the protest’s focus was on awareness and steps taken.

“That’s why we should pay attention to what’s happening, how students are feeling,” Gonzalez said. “They deserve to have educational spaces where they can focus and feel loved, feel like they belong.”

VikingVANGUARD

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. Letters to the Editor may be submitted by emailing them to thevikingvanguard@gmail.com or mailing them to The Viking Vanguard c/o Puyallup High School, 105 7th St. SW, Puyallup, WA 98371.

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.

Editor in Chief Sienna Hanson

Yearbook Editors in Chief Autumn Pendleton

Gloria Perez-Cruz

Clubs Editor

Samantha Mowery

Student Life Editors

Mariah Geubelle

Ayden Falkey

Academics Editors

Layla Johnson

Neehla Gracia

Sports Editor

Madden James

People Section Editors

Casey Conor

Samari Simpson Staff

Camille Alva

Wilbur Anderson

Matthew Barker

Kolton Bagley

Oliver Brady

Kennedy Brandon

Keonnah Brown

Nikko Carter

Alliyah Choate

Z’Ryagrace Claggion

Keyalei Compton

Tyler DuCharme

Maya Finley

Damon Garcia

Bentley Gross

Timothy Hamburg

Kaelyn Heinze

Jackson Helle

Gurleen Hundal

Kora Jackson

Baylie Johnson

Jade Johnson

Elijah Jones

Chloe Keding

Daria Khramova

Ella Kim

Benjamin Lavea

Calla Lopez

Maizy Lopez

Lucas Loveland

STAFF SETS GOALS

This year marks the Viking Vanguard’s 114th year as a publication with a rich history and legacy that this media organization wants to continue.

The Viking Vanguard aims to uphold a standard of professionalism that supersedes the paper we use, the fonts we print or the ink we purchase. It is a code of conduct set by expert publications across the country and reinforced by our staff. We aim to respect every source, take responsibility for every printed word or image, and uphold the legacy of greatness that has existed for one hundred and fourteen years.

Every day, students are exposed to thousands of stories and opinions. Whatever happens, the Viking Vanguard aims to be a reliable source of news to the students that utilize its pages. We intend to provide the Puyallup student body with timely, valuable, and dependable information whenever issues are released.

that every year, the Vanguard improves its storytelling abilities. For the 2025-2026 school year, our goals are to print every issue with color so we are better able to design impactful graphics and photos.

Through this, we will do these things through the highest level of professionalism. We are not ‘just’ a high school publication; we are a publication that values its 114-year legacy.”

Our View

We, the Vanguard, believe that every voice has a unique story to tell, whether a student, staff, or community member. We value those stories and aim to tell as many as possible. It is our goal to not only update our readers with the news they need to know, but also what they want to know and should know. Student rights do not change once they walk through the schoolhouse gates, and we want to be another avenue of expression.

Jesse Martin

Jayla Mouth-Preap

Joys Mpeti

River Persky

Haley Pomeroy

Eli Pryor

Cadence Ranson

Jude Reed

Roman Resseau

Liam Rhodes

Phoenix Sargent

Aiden Sawicki

Talon Schultz

Sydney Shepherd

Hadley Skaug

Isabella Smith

Jaiden Smith

Elisa Spencer

Alexis Strong

Brooklyn Stuckey

Michael Susee

Khmera Swazer

Freddy Tausili

Eugenia Veremeykin

Beckett Warring

Rowan Woodburn

Ruby Woods

Hailey Wynne

Madisen Ziemer

Ryan Ziemer

The Vanguard consists of student editors, writers and photographers that review the work we publish to ensure it is the best it can be. In every stage of production, we are behind the ideas, the writing, the layout, and the storytelling. We control what we publish. We are Viking Student Media.

Every year, new opportunities and resources are available to us to better accomplish our goals. This means

The information we provide is freely available to all students. Extra copies are available outside of room 162 in the CTE building. If you would like to contact us about sharing your story or a concern, you can reach out to the staff via Instagram @vikingstudentmedia or through email at TheVikingVanguard@ gmail.com, and we will respond in as timely a manner as possible. You may also utilize the letter to the editor form on the next page. Once filled out, please drop this in adviser Sandra Coyer’s mailbox in the main office.

District Policy on Student Publications Continues to Guide

Student publications produced as part of the school’s curriculum or with the support of the associated student body fund are intended to serve both as a vehicle for instruction and student communication. Although substantively financed and operated by the district, student editors of school-sponsored media are responsible for determining the news, opinion, feature and advertising content of the media, consistent with chapter 28A.600 RCW.

Material appearing in such publications may reflect various areas of student interest, including topics about which there may be contro -

versy and dissent. When engaging with a controversial issue, student publications should strive to provide in-depth treatment and represent a variety of viewpoints. Such materials may not do any of the following: be libelous or slanderous; be unwarranted invasion of privacy; violate federal or state laws, rules, or regulations; incite students to violate federal or state laws, rules or regulations; violate school district policy or procedure related to harassment, intimidation or bullying; incite students as to create a clear and present danger of unlawful acts on school premises,

violation of lawful school district policy or procedure or the material and substantial disruption of the orderly operation of the school.

A school official must base a forecast of material and substantial disruption on specific facts, including past experience in the school and current events influencing student behavior and not on undifferentiated fear or apprehension.

Materials also may not be in violation of the federal communications act or applicable federal communication commission rules or regulations nor advertise tobacco products, liquor, illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

FAMILY EXPERIENCE SHAPES PATH

A seemingly-simple visit with family over the holidays gave one staffer a new direction in life.

Iremembered my excitement about meeting my uncle Andrew for the very first time. It was close to Christmas about four years ago.

Our bags were packed, and we were headed for Jamaica. I had never met my dad’s side of the family, so I imagined it in the most perfect situation possible. I pictured nice houses, clear blue beaches, palm trees, and paradise without poverty and suffering.

As the trip came closer, I began to hear stories of who my uncle really was and the experiences he had with my dad.

One of which was when they both had to take placement exams to get into high school. There were top prestigious schools compared to other schools that were deemed low level and were looked down upon.

“What do you know? Who passed for one of the highest schools in the country was Mr. Smartie Pants himself, while I passed for a no-name school,” said my dad.

The results for the placement test were published in the national newspaper, and so everyone on the island was able to see who passed and for which schools.

When the plane landed and we were ready to meet, I found out it wasn’t all butterflies and rainbows.

Keonnah Brown Staff

of how good he was at everything and how he was especially bright.

However, Andrew made some very bad choices in his early teens. Some of his choices caused him to develop a mental illness. Not only did he seem absent and distant during our time together, but later that night we found out he even got violent with my grandma.

This experience was a catalyst in my life. While I may not know the exact direction that I’m headed, watching...this chapter of my family’s story helped me realize that I wanted to help people.

Keonnah Brown

“ “

We finally met, hung out, and had a good time together. After passing the beautiful ocean, onto a rough and windy road, we pulled up to this tiny brick house with bars all around it. We walked in and couldn’t escape the smell of my grandma’s cooking.

The next thing you know, my uncle came out into the living room with a great big smile and welcoming arms giving everybody big hugs. Just the presence of my uncle filled the room with great love and joy.

The coolest part was hearing him, and my dad laugh together and talk in their native language Patoise [potwa] with their loud voices. It was a very pleasant time together, but as the day continued, we found out the real story of his mental illness.

Uncle Andrew at a young age was very smart, athletic, and engaged with others well. My father was jealous

As we were leaving Jamaica, my family had to find a facility to house him as it was no longer safe for him to live with my grandma.

I knew that something was wrong. I was sad and wanted to fix this problem and make it right.

That’s the kind of person I am. I genuinely care about other people, so I kept asking what they were going to do with him at the facility and if he could come to stay with us so we could take care of him.

This experience was a catalyst in my life. While I may not know the exact direction that I’m headed, watching and going through this chapter of my family’s story helped me realize that I wanted to help people and fix their sickness so that they can stay happy and together as a family.

I’ve realized that I’m the type of person that wants to help others, specifically children.

I feel like I am a good fit for this program as I care about the wellbeing of others and I want to help people and their sickness to recover and get better.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR FORM

Just fill out this form, sign your letter, cut it out and return it to Sandra Coyer’s box in the main office to be published either in the next print issue of the Viking Vanguard or online at www.vikingvanguard.com.

YADDA YADDA YADDA

Homecoming Week is upon us with Spirit Week this week and the dance this weekend, so we decided to ask...

What is your favorite part of Homecoming Week?

Skyler Decker senior “I like spirit week because it’s cool to dress up with my friends; I can look goofy and nobody can make fun of me for it.”

Cole Worthington senior

“I like the spirit it brings in and how it brings everyone together.”

Trinity McCardle junior

“My favorite part is going [to the dance] with friends, because it’s only a blast if you make it a blast. Dancing around and having fun is the best part.”

Korbin Farrell junior

“I like the spirit week and everyone getting together. I wish we did more spirit weeks here because I feel like that’d be really fun.”

Vanessa Murguia senior

“[My favorite part of Homecoming week is] getting dressed up and getting ready because it’s something you get to do with your friends and take pictures.”

BOOKSTORE OPENS NEW CHAPTER

The newest local business sensation is a 12-minute walk away from Puyallup High School located at 207 W Stewart Ave.

Page and Pine, a local bookshop owned by Emily Foster, had its hard opening on Aug. 23. The shop is now a warm and cozy place for locals looking for an enjoyable book.

Melanie Knoben, the Lead Bookseller at Page and Pine, says the bookstore has things that might attract local high school students. Some of those include multiple book clubs, seasonal events and hosted author signings.

“I see kids walking on the sidewalk after school gets over and the kids that come in here, always super nice, and they’re respectful,” Knoben said. “We’ve just started a teen book club so hoping to get some of you guys in here to read more books.”

According to the Page and Pine website the book club has its meetings on the last Tuesday of every month from 6-7 p.m. and the first meeting is Oct. 28 with their first pick being a YA fantasy “The Floating World” by Axie Oh.

“We’ll be doing blocks of everything, so we don’t just do romance or just do fantasy,” Knoben said. “We want everyone to find something they like and branch out if they haven’t branched out into genres they wouldn’t rather try.”

The bookstore is not only a host to book clubs, but it also has author events for both local and visiting authors such as book signings and meet and greets.

We want everyone to find something they like and branch out if they haven’t branched out into genres they wouldn’t rather try.

Melanie Knoben Lead Bookseller

“Our very first author event was actually with Amanda Knox, and she sold out two sessions and that was great; then we had some local author events,” Knoben said. “During out grand opening we had three authors here so they had a table over by the window and you could come in and get books signed by them and meet them take photos.”

Page and Pine hopes to continue doing more events in the future.

“We have a packed October and November already of events, author things and other things,” Knoben said. “We just got to keep doing that and bringing those authors in whether they’re local or not local.”

One of their next author events is with bestselling romance author Lexi LaFluer Brown on Saturday, Oct. 18.

Author events are a small number of the events offered by Page and Pine; they have an event for every season, with different books on offer depending on the seasons.

“Romance is really the one genre that they do season explicit things in,” Knoben said. “It’s a fall romance, it’s a Christmas romance, whereas, like a fantasy or a thriller, it’s more seasonal, so it’s like a thriller set in fall.”

Page and Pine also sell other seasonally-themed items such as stickers, bookmarks and stuffies.

Flying Shelves Page and Pine bookshelves filled with a variety of subjects from cooking to classical books and a cozy reading table.“We’re getting hundreds of books at a time,” Knoeben said. “And then you know the weekend happens and they’re flying off the shelves again.” Photos by Ruby Woods.

Be ... or

AP African American Studies offers source-based

Alexis Strong Staff

What are your thoughts on teaching AP African American Studies?

“I’m really excited,” teacher Britt Coleman said. “[AP African-American studies is] a class I’ve always wanted to teach. It’s exciting because it lines up with my college degree which is Bachelor of Arts, African American History, and African Latin History.”

How can you connect to this class?

“It was my course of study,” Coleman said. “It aligns with many things I had taught in Social Justice, as well as aligning with music I listen to.”

What makes this course most unique rather than any other AP course here?

not just history. It’s art, literature, music, government, and politics. Also, it tells the full scope of American history rather than having African Americans as a side note.”

Why should people take this class?

“I think people should take this class to get a better understanding of the country and forces that have shaped it into what it is,”

“I think it’s an interdisciplinary course,” Coleman said. “So, it’s

AP African American

Studies Exam

Thurs., May 7, 2026 at noon

WHY DID YOU SIGN UP FOR THIS CLASS?

Dental Assisting course increases medical

“I approach it in two different ways,” teacher Alyse Meyers said. “We have a lecture style, self-paced learning out of our textbooks and then we have a handson skills assessment. So, students get their hands on by taking temperature, radio pulse, and making sure patients can get in and out of a wheelchair. Then they’ll do instrument setup and tray setup but also making sure the students have the skills to do the hands-on in dental offices.”

How do you evaluate the process and performances of your students?

“They will get their assessment sheets for their skill test,” Meyers said. “It brings down every step for those skill tests. They, then, will practice those skill tests with a partner or two to three people multiple times. Once they are done, they test with me as a sign off for their final score.”

What experience do you have as a dental

I signed up for Dental Assist ing because it aligns with my future career aspirations,” Bat ten said. “I want to become an orthodontist.”

Shilah Batten Senior

assistant or

“I have 20 years creating content, eight years in learning boarding and training,”

Why are you ing?

“Twenty years of 20 years of experience can do what I did career.”

or Else

“I took AP African American Studies because I wanted to learn deeper history on our world that I can’t learn in other history classes.”

Kekona Hassard Sophomore

“What attracted me is they never really teach this side of history. I think it’s really interesting to learn about, especially when Black people are the main group of people who actually helped build America.”

Samantha Arviso Senior

medical offerings at high school level

or a teacher?

in dentistry. We did everything from learning and development, OSHA audits, to training and development for students. My learning and development, where I taught workshops, adults, ontraining,” Meyers said.

you interested in teaching dental assist

of passion and experience,” Meyers said. “I can combine both my experience and the teaching element all at the same time. So students did growing up and love it, then to make good money. It’s a great

AP Macroeconomics

Exam

Fri., May 8, 2026 at noon

I thought it was going to be a lot of [learning about] money, and economy stuff. I love learning about how the world works, the flow of cash and how different countries have different connections to other ones.”

Mary Rose

It’s based toward my major in college. I like economics in general, and I wanted to take a fun class senior year, so I chose to go with this one.”

William Chudecke Senior

AP Macro broadens students’ knowledge

Haley Pomeroy Staff

Why did you decide to teach this subject?

“It was brand new to the district and a chance for me to make it my own. I also teach AP Gov and they have some similar units. I love the challenge of AP content,” teacher Erin Montoya said.

What originally drew you to the study of macroeconomics?

“I wanted to be more informed,” Montoya said. “Casual conversations with friends, family and friends online--people are always whining or praising the economy, inflation and Stocks.”

What’s one thing about you that might surprise your students?

“It’s only my fifth year”, Montoya said.“I don’t have my undergrad degree in teaching and I really haven’t been teaching high school that long.”

What’s is the most rewarding part of teaching a subject that can sometimes feel abstract to students

“When students tell me about a time the content or idea came up in real life and they feel more confident in their ability,” Montoya said.

Coleman Conquers Spain

Social Studies teacher Britt Coleman spent part of his summer hiking and biking in the European country.

FOOT PATROL Social Studies teacher Britt Coleman travels the Alto de Perdon, the Hill of Forgiveness, outside of Pamplona. Coleman spent his summer hiking and biking through Spain with his wife. Photo courtesy Britt Coleman.

Madden James Sports Editor, VNN Executive producer

Walking and hiking aren’t for everyone, but for AP teacher Britt Coleman, it can create new experiences and adventures that can’t be forgotten.

This past summer Coleman took a trip to Spain, his first time in the country but he didn’t stop there; he spent over a week hiking and biking around the country accumulating a total of 550 miles walking and 112 on a bike.

“So, we’ve been thinking of doing [the trip] for quite a while,” Coleman said.

His adventure, Coleman says, is actually a real thing that others have done as well, just maybe not for a while.

“It’s called the Camino de Santiago, which is an ancient pilgrimage route that ends in Santiago de Compostela, a city in Spain,” Coleman said.

When trekking this trail, Coleman says he found multiple interesting memories, from the people he met to locations he hiked through.

“There were some pretty hairy descents,” Coleman said. “It’s still a trail but there were still some pretty rocky parts.”

This adventure also brought new food, new people, and new experiences. One of the experiences he walked through was the Running of the Bulls.

“There were lots of interesting encounters that happened on the trip,” Coleman said. “There were lots of cool people and [I] ate a lot of good food.”

[We thought] it was a wellworn path that people have been doing for thousands of years, but there were some days where it was just eight miles uphill.”

Britt Coleman AP teacher

Even though much of his time was spent in Spain, Coleman began his journey with his wife in France, where they spent two days there before walking their way to Spain.

While Coleman says he is a normal hiker, he said he wasn’t ready for the different kind of challenge that this trail presented.

“[My wife and I] go hiking a lot, but it was really walking village to village, so I wasn’t necessarily hiking in the wilderness,” Coleman said. “[We thought] it was a well-worn path that people have been doing for thousands of years, but there were some days where it was just eight miles uphill.”

In between the eating and conversing with others, Coleman walked nearly a thousand kilometers, with the trail itself not being the only part of the trip he walked.

“We had some days where we walked 28 miles a day, and then we walked another 80 kilometers [about 50 miles] to get to the coast,” Coleman said.

If you thought that nobody could make the whole trip without injury, you’d be right.

“It was very taxing; I hurt my leg,” Coleman said.

The long trip wasn’t just through Spain but Coleman said the flight there was also an adventure.

“It was just hours of being uncomfortable sitting down,” Coleman said. “We flew from here (Seattle) to Iceland, and then Iceland to Barcelona. On the way back we flew from Barcelona to Chicago, and then back to here (Seattle).”

‘LONG WALK’ LEAPS INTO HEARTS

REVIEW: Stephen King’s

Thriller Fails to Disappoint

Family Fun Local attraction, Maris Farms, operates almost year-round and has something for everyone. Photo by Bailey Johnson.

Fall Heralds in Pumpkin Vibes at Various Farms

One of our staffers spent some time at local favorite Maris Farms and asked some of the employees and owners about the Maris Farms experience.

The latest movie adaptation of a Stephen King’s novel, “The Long Walk,” brings an interesting take on the novel, leading the viewer along the miles that the contestants walked. The realism and engagement leave the viewers’ eyes attached to the screen throughout its runtime.

Lionsgate announced the adaptation of the film in 2023, and a trailer later followed at CinemaCon in April 2025, where its release date was revealed.

This film follows the story of Wayne Garraty (Cooper Hoffman) as he lives in a future American dystopian society and must enter a dangerous competition ran by the government regime. Fifty contestants must walk for miles on end until there is one contestant remaining.

This film brings grueling realism and makes the viewer

feel that they are in competition with the characters. From gruesome deaths to gut-wrenching monologues, this film truly lets the viewer walk out of the theater feeling like they took the journey the contestants did. The performance by supporting characters Peter McVries (David Jonsson) and Hank Olson (Ben Wang) bring the impact and true grit to what makes “The Long Walk” special.

However, with realism comes an abundance of foul language, with some moments in the movie creating distractions due to the obscenities. With hot-headed characters like Collie Parker (Joshua Odjick) and Gary Barkovitch (Charlie Plummer) brings the story away from the heart of the film and adds an odd taste.

Overall, this movie brings a great take on King’s novel, with twists and turns that make you regret taking bathroom and snack breaks.

“The Long Walk” leaves the viewer with empathy and sorrow, creating a great impact on its theatrical debut.

The Long Walk is in theaters now.

Baylie Johnson Staff

The farm (25001 Sumner Buckley Hwy) was bought in 1983 as a dairy farm by owner Jenny Helm’s father, but about 26 years ago they started doing all the Maris Farm’s activities. They do sunflowers and flowers U-Pick event. In their fall season, they do pumpkin patches, the Haunted Woods, ducks and pig races on weekends. There is also a gift shop, a Sweet Shop and several food establishments. This year they have added a tractor named Zac that sings.

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Maris?

A: “My favorite part of Maris is that I get to work with my family and have fun. I like to say if we can’t have fun, what’s the point,” owner Jenny Helm said.

Q: Why should people come to Maris?

A: “It’s a great quality day with the family, to experience fun things,” partial owner Joanne Templeman said. “It’s not like anything you would normally experience.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Maris?

A: “My favorite part of Maris is the family, friends and great memories we get to create,” said maintenance and manager of the Haunted Woods Matt Maitland.

Other farms to check out

Sterino Farms

6006 52nd Ave St. E

Puyallup, WA 98371

Hours: Open daily 8 a.m.-6 p. m.

Picha Farms

6502 52nd St. E

Puyallup, WA 98371

No admission fee but special activities cost money.

Hours: Weekends: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.,

Weekdays: 3-6 p.m.

Maze closes to new entries at 5:30 p.m. daily

Spooner Farms

9710 State Route 162 E.

Puyallup, WA 98374

Open daily: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

A Tale of Two Swifties

With the release of her 12th album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Oct. 3, Taylor Swift fans of all ages raced to get their hands on her new songs. Vanguard staffers Oliver Brady and Madisen Ziemer share their thoughts on the artist and her new album.

Oliver Brady & Madisen Ziemer Staff

Background as a Swiftie:

“ I went to her tour in Vancouver. Extreme Swifie, first time I’ve been out of the country. Been listening for 5 years,” Ziemer said.

“I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift for about three years. I’m such a Swiftie that I’m almost annoying,” Oliver Brady said.

Favorite song of all time:

“My favorite song of all time is “Invisible String” because it tells a story about how you meet people unexpectedly and they become a big part of your life, changing it for the better,” Ziemer said.

“Probably ‘Wildest Dreams’ or ‘This Love’ from 1989, which (before this new release) was my favorite album,” Brady said.

Thoughts on the new album:

“I really like the new album, I think it’s different than what she has done before. I definitely think that it fits the title of the album “it’s a showgirl” because Taylor Swift is definitely a showgirl because she puts on these big elaborate concerts that Swifties love. Concert tickets and merchandise sell out like crazy,” Ziemer said.

“Every single song is just amazing. She wrote TPD when she was really sad and now, with this album, she captures the joy that is in her life,” Brady said. “It’s my favorite album that she’s ever made. Nothing can beat it.”

Favorite song:

“Opalite because it is a fun catchy tune and the video I saw of the song is about making your own happiness and you don’t have to rely on other things to be happy; you take what you have and make it your own happiness, in hard times too,” Ziemer said.

“The Fate of Ophelia because of the beat of the song, the lyrics referencing Ophelia in Hamlet and the amazing vocals. I especially like the final chorus of the song with the background vocals are just amazing,” Brady said.

Least favorite song:

“Cancelled because I don’t think it’s a terrible song. I feel like it doesn’t follow up too much with the rest of the album and it feels like it belongs to Reputation or another album,” Ziemer said.

“Honey doesn’t really stand out as much as the others,” Brady said. “I don’t hate it, it’s not the worst song, it’s not my go-to.”

Should people (especially non-Swifties) listen to the new album

“They should listen to the new album; this album is so different than her previous albums that maybe some non-Swifties might find that they like it,” Ziemer said.

“Yeah, but they probably won’t listen because there’s a lot of hate out there because of what they hear about the album,” Brady said.

Jaws provides less scary alternative

Roman Resseau Staff

Originated as a book and turned into a film, the 1975 classic Jaws is a great movie for its age and isn’t as scary compared to what we get nowadays. The movie’s pacing can be bit slow for a two-hour movie, but it makes the run-time worth watching.

The film was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Roy Schnider as Police Chief Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as marine biologist Matt Hooper and Robert Shaw as shark hunter Quint. Together they go out to sea in search of the Great White that’s eating locals close to shore. Mayor Vaughn, played by Murry Hamilton, refuses to close the beaches for tourists during their 4th of July holiday weekend.

The leaves are turning colors and the air is getting colder, a perfect time to grab your favorite blanket and watch a scary movie. The Viking Vanguard staffers brings you some to choose from.

Classic horror hits every time

Maizy Lopez Staff

Babadook is an ideal example of a horror movie that sticks with you. This unrated film induces psychological terror for any

escaped a children’s book.

A piece I liked specifically from this movie was the independence this film seemed to create. It wasn’t a group of people fighting one supernatural presence, but a mother with nothing after her husband died in a car crash. Her son communicates with this evil entity, Babadook, first taking over his dreams to taking over his body.

If you’re someone who doesn’t scare easily I recommend this movie, its quiet and chilling embrace will keep you awake for nights.

What makes the movie likeable are the main characters and the kills. The Jaws theme is iconic, and the main characters are the only logical people on the island. As the movie progresses, each death gets better and gorier than the previous death. What I don’t like about the movie is the character of the mayor because he’s greedy and selfish and both the townsfolk and tourists don’t seem to have a logical reaction to the shark attacks. I’d, overall, recommend this movie because it’s classic, it’s iconic, and it’s easy to watch. It’s steaming on Netflix so it’s also easy to find if you have access to that streaming service. I would say that there is an even amount of blood and detached limbs and there can be questionable moments, but it’s still a fun movie to watch.

Increased Determination Viking junior Mackenzie Hardesty stays aggressive with a Sumner midfielder in their game Oct. 2. Despite the 3-1 loss, the Vikings are still sitting close to the top of the SPSL. Photo by Casey Conor.

Serving Aces Senior Xander Devereux prepares to serve the ball to his opponent Oct. 6. Viking tennis started their season undefeated. After a few tough, close losses at the end of the season, the team finished third. Post season play began Thursday and will continue through Saturday. You can find more information on our website, www.vikingvanguard. com. Photo by Maizy Lopez.

Want more sports coverage

Check out our website www.vikingvanguard.com

Girls soccer sits

2nd in the 4A SPSL

Haley Pomeroy Staff

On a three-game win streak at press time, the girls soccer team approaches matches this week against Graham Kapowsin (0-6 in district and 0-10 overall) at Sparks and Curtis (4-2 in district and 7-2-1 overall) away.

Standout athlete Lily O’Neil says that defeating South Kitsap was such a great win.

“It made us more motivated after losing to Sumner,” O’Neil said.

Cross

to

Both boys and girls cross country raced at the Fall Classic at Pacific Lutheran University Oct. 11.

Several runners took home top honors at the race. Varsity runners placing were Maurin Monaghan who placed 6th, Brodie Anderson who placed 5th and Nathan Stansbury who placed 9th.

Charles Layton, JV, placed 2nd.

Druva Mukkollu, JV, placed 5th, Lily Seitz, JV, placed 8th, Tevyn Hickman,

All Smiles Junior Ava Knapp, sophomore Kennedy Guinn and junior Millie Guardipee celebrate a point against Spanaway Lake Oct. 8. The Lady Viks played Rogers at home yesterday.

Remaining games

10/20 @ Olympia

@ 7:30 p.m.

10/22 @ Bethel

@ 7:30 p.m.

10/23 Federal Way

@ 7:30 p.m.

10/25 @ Bellevue

@ 7:30 p.m.

10/28 Bonney Lake

@ 7:30 p.m.

Remaining games

10/16 @ Curtis @ 7:30 p.m.

10/21 Yelm @ 7:30 p.m. (Senior Night)

10/23 @ Spanaway Lake @ 7:30 p.m.

10/28 @ Rogers @ 7:30 p.m.

Overall 9-3 (.750 win pct) District 4-1

JV, placed 4th.

“We focus on improvement and determination,” coach Sandra Monaghan said.

Anderson was recognized in Septemeber as a Student-Athlete of the Month.

The team raced yesterday, Oct. 16, at the University of Puget Sound. Results can be found on our website.

With a 4-3 District record at press time, and a game against Rogers (4-4 overall) on Thursday, the volleyball team looks to continue to improve upon their 10-4 overall record (ranked 6th in the 4A South Puget Sound).

The women are coming off four consecutive wins against Yelm Oct. 2, who they beat 3-0, Sumner Oct. 6, who they beat 3-1), Spanaway Lake Oct. 8, who they defeated 3-0 and their most recent win against South Kitsap on Tuesday, who they beat 3-1.

Standout athletes for the Lady Viks include junior Amelia Guardipee with 2.7 kills per set, senior Sienna Hanson with a .301 hitting percentage, junior Samantha Pirillis with 4.5 digs per set and junior Georgia Kafentzis with 17 serving aces.

The team has five more games overall, with home games Oct. 23 versus Federal Way (5-5 overall) and Oct. 28 versus Bonney Lake (3-5 overall).

Viks stun Sumner in upset Oct. 4,

58-22

MENTALLY PREPARING The

Madden James

Sports Editor, VNN Co-Executive Producer

With new coaching staff and new players, fans of the Puyallup Vikings football team were unsure how this season might have turned out. But seven weeks into their season, they find themselves in the number one spot in the 4A division in Washington.

One contributing factor to why they have the spot they do is due to the win against the Sumner Spartans 58-22, Oct. 4. Sumner was a top five ranked team going into the game and was one that the Vikings had chalked up on their calendar since the offseason.

The Vikings put their faith in new transfer quarterback Noah Smith who led them to victory in a game that they weren’t favored in.

“That locker room experience was great,” Smith said. “But we always say at halftime, it’s a 0-0 ballgame and still can be anyone’s game.”

Smith threw for 349 yards and four touchdowns, hitting multiple of his receivers throughout the game. Even though this was Smith’s first game throwing to his receivers during a game, there has been much offseason work that has been put in for this success to happen this late in the season.

I mean, first start brought some nerves, [and] they’re a top team, but I just went out and played that underdog role.

Noah Smith Junior

“I mean first start brought some nerves,” junior Smith said. “[And] they’re a top team, but I just went out and played that underdog role.”

Going into halftime of the game, the Vikings were up 31-0 in a score that shocked everybody in the crowd. But for Smith and his team, they were just getting started.

“We’ve been throwing since Summer,” Smith said. “Pretty much every day as much as possible to get that chemistry together before we played.”

Smith said his offensive line was a big factor in the victory.

“[Those guys] kept me safe the whole game,” Smith said. “They let me run the ball and put me in the best position to play as I could be.”

With the success of the team, the Vikings look to close out their regular season with a victory against their rival, the Rogers Rams tonight at Sparks Stadium, to send them to the postseason to compete for a State championship.

Oct. 4. Photo by Jack Ghorley.

OVERCOMING NERVES Junior

transfer

Noah Smith saw his first start against the Spartans. Smith said that this game being his first start and the fact that Sumner was a top team gave him some nerves. Photo by Gurleen Hundal.

Receiving Yards per Game

J’isaiah Mitchell, junior 87.3 Y/G Lawson Looker, senior 78.3 Y/G

Rushing Yards per Game

Briytan Bailey, sophomore

Sacks

Kitiona Tupua, freshman 2.5 Y/G

Keegan Johnson, junior 4.5 Mal Mal Akuffo 61 Y/G

126.7 Y/G

Completion Percentage

Passing TDs

Noah Smith, junior 9 Luke Parker, junior 9 TD PASSES TD PASSES

Luke Parker, junior .788 PCT Noah Smith .644 PCT