The Viking Vanguard, Vol. 112, Issue 3, Dec. 19, 2023

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

Anthony Geiter

Arts, Culture, and Entertainment Editor

Ethan Barker

Digital Media Editor

Margo Hermann

Sports Editor

Sienna Hanson

Photo Editor

Reagan Jones

Graphics Editor

Ezruh Hacker

Staff

Evan Gibbs

Hunter Ihlen

Levi Miller

Dylan Sandstrom

Leia Waggoner

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

Ella Drengson

Jack Murdock

Daniel Oh

Adelle Patton

Lola Woodburn

Anna Yam

Theo Pen

Mariela Garcia

ALUMNI ASSEMBLY BRINGS COMMUNITY TOGETHER

The Alumni Assembly, celebrating the classes of 25 and 50 years prior, has been one of Puyallup High School’s longstanding traditions, in combination with the celebration of Winter Wishes.

This year however, there is no Winter Wishes assembly. The Alumni Assembly will continue, but students are no longer required to attend and celebrate a long line of Viking pride and tradition and watch their peers be appreciated and shown kindness by the leadership team.

With the separation of these events, students can struggle to comprehend the legacies of former students and therefore, lead the student body to a decrease in school pride and spirit.

After returning to school full time in 2021, a sense of community was lost. Though many activities continued, there were struggles in making everyone feel safe and connected after spending the prior year and a half at home.

loss of required student attendance this year, students will lose the sentiment of sharing former class yells and traditions, as well as pop culture from years prior.

Though students have consistent reminders of school history, such as generous class donations toward improving the school or the large cases of trophies and awards, there is something different about meeting the alumni in person.

Though the three years we spend here are not a predictor toward the rest of our lives, they can be crucial. Students can find themselves in classes and activities to discover their future careers or hobbies that will carry on throughout their lives.”

Additionally, school-wide events such as assemblies faced blocks such as face masks and carrying capacities.

In Fall of 2022, there was a large spike in normalcy with school-wide events being held regularly without the struggle to combat a global pandemic simultaneously. The Alumni Assembly was held and students were able to feel connected to former Vikings. With the

Hearing the alumni recite their class yells from graduation can motivate students toward graduation. Seeing the alumni light up as they enter the doors to the gym to their alma mater can emphasize the importance of high school and the roots we establish here.

Though the three years we spend here are not a predictor toward the rest of our lives, they can be crucial. Students can find themselves in classes and activities to discover their future careers or hobbies that will carry on throughout their lives. Many former Vikings also establish connections with peers or staff who remain in their lives consistently throughout time.

Ultimately, the Alumni Assembly brings together the community of Puyallup, including current students and sets Puyallup apart from schools in the South Sound. School community and spirit is something that is never lost, even after graduation.

Work Provides Important Social Experience

One of the most enjoyable parts of having a part-time job is getting that paycheck. It doesn’t feel like getting money from your allowance or receiving some holiday cash; it’s far more fulfilling. It’s like looking in your wallet and seeing all the time you spent working hard given back to you, so that you can buy whatever you want or need.

However, learning to be responsible with money is incredibly hard, and often

stressful. I’ve always been an impulsive person, so even if I set a budget, I tend to trick myself into thinking it’s okay to go, “a little over budget,” and by the time I get my next paycheck, I end up right back where I started.

Some tips I have been using to avoid this are to set a realistic budget for the upcoming two weeks and to buy things I need before buying the things I want.

At my job, I often have to check families in or communicate with parents. As someone with social anxiety, the idea of talking to people I don’t know was scary at first. I was overwhelmed with the idea that these people I was checking in wouldn’t like me or that I was doing something wrong.

However, as time moved on, I learned how to not care what people thought of me, and just presented myself as fun,

“...working is more than just receiving a paycheck, it gives you valuable experiences and skills that can help you in more than just the work aspect of life.“

Hacker graphics editor

friendly and professional to everyone who came in.

Having mastered social interactions at work has also helped me socialize with my peers outside of work and in many ways, working has taught me how to be more positive with myself and realize that not everyone’s going to like me, and

that’s okay.

Working has also helped me learn how to balance my schedule better. It’s difficult trying to balance out my school life, work life, home life and social life, and juggling these four things that are equally important to me has put me in a position where I have to sit down and break down my schedule on a calendar.

This skill has helped me a lot in life, because now I always know when I’m busy and when I’m not, which is perfect for making plans with friends, knowing when to schedule time off work and being able to communicate with my parents in case my schedule doesn’t align with theirs.

Overall, working is more than just receiving a paycheck, it gives you valuable experiences and skills that can help you in more than just the work aspect of life.

Student Carries on Vanguard Traditions

Some things come naturally.

Maybe it’s a specific ‘talent’ that has been passed down through generations.

Or maybe you’ve been nurtured into obtaining that skill from your parents or grandparents. Maybe it’s just “in your veins.” Writing.

It’s my veins. My passion for journalism runs back much further than a nervous freshman checking off the box that read: “Sophomore Journalism” on a class sign-up sheet.

Writing has always come naturally to me. I’ve been writing my whole life, from sitting at the kitchen table typing on my dad’s old work computer, to grabbing a forbidden piece of printer paper and scribbling out stories that became books I self-published with a messy stapling job.

spent online staring blankly at empty gray boxes on a screen, when the day rolled around to sign up for my sophomore classes it was spent in Fletcher’s room. Three boxes under the “English” section of the paper the classes read Pre-AP Sophomore Journalism, PreAP Debate and regular Sophomore English. That day I trotted myself up to Fletcher’s desk, seeking advice on which box to put a check mark in.

I felt like my passion for journalism and writing had come full circle. Maybe my talent and love for journalism and bringing others stories to life was in my DNA.“

It was just part of my daily life. My dad, with his bachelor’s degree in English with an emphasis on writing, made sure that I was reading books that challenged me and encouraged me to leap outside the creative boundaries of an eight-year-old.

Creating artistic masterpieces through words has been a crippling passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I had always assumed the adoration had simply and passionately been implemented into my brain through my parents.

My freshman year of high school was far exciting. Most of it was spent half listening in on Zoom calls from the annoying comfort of my bedroom. When finally nearly three quarters of the way through my school year, I was able to re-enter the classroom…for two half days a week. I was fortunate enough to have previously established relationships with my teacher, specifically Mr. Todd Fletcher, Kalles Junior High’s profound English teacher, adviser for the yearbook, head girls cross country coach and head girls basketball coach.

To all of his students and athletes he was simply just “Fletcher.” He led his classes and teams with precise instructions and a monotone sarcasm that only a few of us truly appreciated. But nonetheless he never left a single student out to dry, ever.

Although three quarters of my freshman year was

“I’m thinking about Debate; I think it would be interesting to learn how to argue with style,” I say to him as I plopped myself down on the chair by his desk.

“Weaver, that’s a terrible idea. You’ve got Debate tournaments that you’ll never make it to because of basketball,” he says, staring me down behind the pair of spectacles that rest on the tip of his nose.

“Well, then my only two options are regular English and Sophomore Journalism. I don’t want to take regular English that would be too easy, and I don’t write from a journalistic perspective; I’m a creative writer,” I say to him, finishing my sentence with a deep sigh that read ‘all hope is lost’

“Ms. Weaver, with all due respect I’ve been grading your writing all year. Quite frankly, you are too good of a writer to not give journalism a shot,” Fletcher said.

“The teacher is Mrs. Coyer; she’s hard core but she knows what she’s doing. I think you’d do well.”

And I promptly checked off the box that ledme to where I’m at today.

From day one, being in that class felt like I was meant to be there, designed to be there. Most things came naturally, creating interview questions, interviewing strangers never felt scary but rather fun and creating art from those stranger’s stories put me on cloud nine. I knew my work was good, and it felt good to be feel so accomplished about something I was scared about.

Flash forward to my junior year and I am leading the sports section of our school newspaper. Producing articles every month brought me an uncontested amount of joy. And finally, it’s time to produce my fa-

vorite edition: the famed Alumni Edition. This is year, I am going all out.

I ended up interviewing a trio of best friends who had created a bond through football, their friendships was woven together through years of being on the same teams and winning together. One, actually ended up having a career in journalism.

“I credit my success to my journalism teacher, Mr. Stan Brewster…”

My head tunes out as to what the alum in front of me says. Stan Brewster? I certainly knew that my great grandpa was a teacher at Puyallup High School, but the adviser for the school newspaper? That information had never been relayed to me.

After that interview, mentally things started to click. My great grandpa was a journalist, an adviser for a newspaper. But not just any newspaper, he was the head adviser for the very newspaper that I held an editorial board position for. The very newspaper that I was currently thrusting my heart into.

Funny enough, I hadn’t known for many years of my life. I hold vague memories of him where I would sit and enjoy lunch at his intimidatingly large dining room table. But he passed away when I was around four. There wasn’t enough time in my life to create a bond and certainly never enough time for the famed Stan Brewster to institute any qualities of a professional journalist to me.

But something felt right about knowing I had lineage to a prolific writer, and a former adviser for The Viking Vanguard. I felt like my passion for journalism and writing had come full circle. Maybe my talent and love for journalism and bringing others stories to life was in my DNA. Maybe it was some how coded and passed down from my great grandfather to me.

Even if talents and skills I carry with me were not genetically passed down to me by him, there is something fun and comforting about believing that I have writing in my dreams. And also a challenge for living up to the standards my great grandpa laid in place 60 years ago.

“[I am excited to] hang out with my friends and family; as well as celebrating my birthday,”

Alumni are a critical part of Puyallup High School’s long history. This year, we celebrate the classes of 1973 and 1998. In 1973, pop culture emerged with the breakthrough of the first handheld cellphone by Martin Cooper. In 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded Google, Inc. after raising $1 million dollars from investors.

Puyallup Traditions Change Over Time

From the Alumni Assembly to Homecoming and the Lip Dub, PHS has many traditions that connect our students and community together. The one distinguishing feature is how these traditions have changed and adapted over the years to fit the current student body.

To alumnus Alec Elliott, who graduated in 2008, most of the school’s traditions have stayed the same. When Elliott went here, there was still the Alumni Assembly, Fair Day and Senior Sunrise. The main difference, says Elliott, was the energy that made these traditions special.

“I would say that as a collective group of students, we were much more like cheering on everybody for their success,” Elliott said. “I think the energy and support of everybody in the school was something I probably liked better.”

“

One thing his football team would do was go together to get Red Robin to celebrate after the games.

“There was just a really cool full body student experience, because a lot of the kids and players would go out and it was just a really good time to go up there and be with your people and then see them next week,” Grout said.

As a teacher now, Grout enjoys being part of the people providing help with the assemblies and being an adult seeing the kids enjoy their experiences.

It’s cool to understand that there is a history and that it is bigger than just us and other people have been here and done these things...”

Peggy Haskey alumna

“Being a part of the experience from the adult like watching the kids or hearing about their experience, whether it’s like lip dub now, or a newer tradition that’s pretty fun,” Grout said. “It’s cool to see some of the new and older traditions get melded together this year.”

coming was around Christmas time and was attached to the Alumni Assembly.

“The Alumni Assembly wasn’t about Winter Wishes, lots of alumni would come back, so that was a little bit different,” Haskey said.

Another difference was that some of the boys in the junior class used to go out and cut down Christmas trees to sell.

“They cut down trees and then they brought them back and we would have a Christmas sale, out on the old tennis courts, which were on Pioneer, and we would raise money for the senior ball the following year,” Haskey said. “So, you’d volunteer to work, and people would spend the night out there on the tennis court, so that was fun.”

“

According to alumnus Brian Grout, who graduated in 2003, the school traditions that he remembers during those years are the ones

Alumna Peggy Haskey, who graduated in 1981, says she can see changes from when she went here as a student. When Haskey came

But over the years these traditions changed or gone away. But school are still especially important to nity. Haskey says that school traditions important because they give students thing to connect with the whole

There was just a really cool full body student experience, because a lot of the kids and players would go out...”

Brian Grout alumnus

Lastly at the end of the school year, the seniors would have a senior breakfast. In the morning, the day of graduation practice, the students and teachers came in early.

“On that day, in the morning, before graduation practice, they would have a senior breakfast, and all the teachers would come, and they would make a big breakfast for the

“It helps you learn about the tions and helps you learn about and the culture in it, I think it’s eryone is working and focusing one direction because we many different pulling us around here,” said. Haskey ditions because the history while connecting past students students.

“It’s cool stand that tory and that it is bigger than just people have been here and done and I think it’s interesting and kind have some ownership,” Haskey

traditions have school traditions our commutraditions are students somewhole student body. school tradiabout the school nice when evand going in direction together we all have so different things us different ways here,” Haskey enjoys the trabecause it shows history of our school connecting the students to current cool to underthat there is a hisjust us and other done these things kind of cool to said.

Puyallup High School alumna Lauren Adler stands by her alma mater. “I’m 35 years old now and I have been present, because of that time investment, to see friends get married and have children, hit career milestones, navigate life and I think obviously those relationships wouldn’t be as strong if I wasn’t present and showed up for people every single day,” Adler said. Photo courtesy of Lauren Adler.

ALUMNA SHARES PERSPECTIVE

Lauren Adler is a former Viking who graduated in 2007.

Now a Puyallup councilwoman-elect, Adler reflects on her time at Puyallup High School and shares a peak into life before social media was a prominent aspect of adolescent life.

Adler’s Viking legacy began in 1950, when her grandparents graduated from Puyallup High School and as time went on, so did the rest of

“I graduated from Puyallup in 2007. I’m a third-generation Puyallup Viking, so both of my maternal grandparents graduated from Puyallup in 1950, both of my parents graduated from Puyallup in 1973, my sister graduated in 1997 and me in 2007. Of course, most of my aunt and uncles and all cousins are PHS graduates too,”

Since Adler’s family was so connected to the community, she felt excited to involve herself in

I come from a family of athletes and people involved in the PHS community when they went to high school, so it was a really exciting time and I really wanted to contribute in my own way going to Puyallup,” Adler said. “I think pretty quickly I threw myself into trying to get involved as much as I can as a sophomore. Over the three years, I found myself in leadership, my senior year I was ASB Vice-President, I was in Viking Ladies, DECA. Being involved in the school community was really important

Adler believes her time in high school and junior high contributed to her current life

on city council and has stayed true to herself throughout time.

“I think if you were to ask some of my former teachers that are still teaching and any of my closest friends, anyone who knew me while I was at Puyallup, or even at Aylen, they’d probably tell you, ‘It’s no surprise that Lauren has continued in her career in the way that she has and is now going to find herself on city council,’” Adler said. During her time at PHS, Adler found herself connected to a multitude of teachers and peers. One of which is Jamie Mooring, who still teaches English and Student Government.

“Leadership was always a big part of my time at PHS.

Jamie Mooring, Mo, is still a very good friend of mine and has been a constant in my life since 2006 when I had her as my junior English teacher, Leadership teacher and ASB adviser, so we spent a lot of time together my junior year and most of my senior year,” Adler said. “I think if you were to ask her, ‘Is it a surprise where Lauren ended up?’ She’d probably be like, ‘No, Lauren is very much the same person now as she was at Puyallup. Just trying to get involved and make things better than she found it.’”

ing class where social media had just started to become something, but it wasn’t everything,” Adler said. “Everyone had a cell phone, but they weren’t iPhones. It was this transformative time of being in high school where you were on the preface of social media blowing up, but it wasn’t all-consuming.

Adler says the community while in high school was so real, you had to go to school to see people.

“There were times where you had to meet up in the courtyard or the atrium to make your plans about what you were going to do for the football game that Friday night. It was tangible. That’s not to say that it’s not real today, it’s just so different,” Adler said.

As you enter the workforce or go into college, identifying those people that really inspire you, that you can see as a role model, if you can establish those relationships, be present with them an invest time with them, that will be incredibely beneficial and will have a return on investement for years and years .”

Lauren Adler

alumna

Throughout her life, Adler has seen friends hit major milestones, attributing this to being present and putting effort into the friendships.

“I’m 35 years old now and I have been present, because of that time investment, to see friends get married and have children, hit career milestones, navigate life and I think obviously those relationships wouldn’t be as strong if I wasn’t present and showed up for people every single day,” Adler said.

As Adler has seen in her life, she firmly believes establishing relationships and being in the moment has developed her life positively.

Another large part of Adler’s high school experience was DECA, which helped Adler develop a mindset she still uses today in her career and life.

“My DECA and Business and Marketing teachers really helped set the frame of mind in which I interact with individuals professionally and personally,” Adler said.

In 2007, social media apps were on the brink of becoming a large part of everyone’s life. This shaped Adler’s experience with connection.

“I would use the word transformative [to describe my time at Puyallup High School] and the reason why is because when I was at Puyallup, I was in the sweet spot of being in a graduat-

“As you enter the workforce or go onto college, identifying those people that really inspire you, that you see as a role model, if you can establish relationships, be present with them and invest time with them, that will be incredibly beneficial and will have a return on investment for years and years,” Adler said.

Adler offers a tidbit of advice to current and future Vikings.

“The more time you can spend investing in your relationships will yield fulfillment in the present. I am a very avid social media user. People can find me. But I spend a lot of time investing in relationships with people I’ve known since kindergarten,” Adler said.

Puyallup Staple Serves Up Haircuts, Nostalgia

Valley Barber Shop is a local business that has been open for over 50 years and has been a staple of downtown Puyallup for generations.

The current location on East Main opened in 1968 after Ken Cockle Sr. bought the business from Al Peterson and promptly moved across the street.

Currently, the spot is owned by Ken Cockle Jr., who has worked at the shop for 22 years.

“The spot was empty. It had been a laundromat with washers and dryers in here. My dad moved in, and it’s been here ever since,” Ken Cockle said.

Beforehand, Ken Cockle had worked at a wholesale produce company owned by his family.

makes sense that it has become a key piece of downtown Puyallup.

“It partly is the history and the longevity, and [people] have been coming in [who] were young guys when they were in the 60s and now they’re old guys. That’s a big part of it,” Ken Cockle said.

Alex Cockle, Ken’s nephew, also works at the shop regularly. Because the business has been a part of the family for such a long time, they’ve made connections with the local Puyallup community.

“My grandfather, Ken’s dad, was an extremely active member of the community… So they went out, they shook hands and said, ‘Hey, you know, come sit down in my shop…’ whether they worked in city politics, or they worked as doctors in the hospital or bookkeepers, whoever,” Alex Cockle said.

It partly is the history and the longevity, and [people] have been coming in [who] were young guys when they were in the 60s and now they’re old guys. That’s a big part of it.”

“My father-in-law sold that company and I was the last family member up there, thinking ‘Why am I still here?’… I went to barber school at Bates in Tacoma and made the switch,” Ken Cockle said. “I started right before my 40th birthday in here with my dad. Glad I did.” Due to the 55-year history behind the business, it

“(Left): A look inside the windows of the shop. (Top right): The shop offers a classic barbershop experience.

(Bottom right): The shop has operated for over 50 years.

Photos courtesy of Ken Cockle.

sets Valley Barber apart from any of the big haircut chains.

“Nobody’s just a number. I interviewed up at Sport Clips on the hill before I came into my family [business] and the place is completely sterile... [Valley Barber] is familiar,” Alex Cockle said.

“[Customers] would grow up and have families of their own and the kids come in here, now we’re cutting their grandkids hair. That’s kind of cool.”

The shop has a very welcoming presence, and customers who get haircuts regularly will find that the employees remember both their haircuts and details about themselves, such as hobbies or family members.

“[Customers] would grow up and have families of their own and the kids come in here, now we’re cutting their grandkids hair. That’s kind of cool,” Alex Cockle said.

That familiarity with the regular and new customers

Alex Cockle

Valley Barber staff

“It’s something that people, they go ‘Oh, I’ve seen that old guy behind the chair my whole life.’ There’s a lot of rotating and revolving doors in other shops, this place is really consistent.”

The shop has become a key feature of downtown Puyallup over the years. Despite the many changes to the surrounding area, the shop has remained relatively untouched.

“When the trees change in autumn, it’s a wonderful scene through the panoramic windows. Everything’s so close by, you got history with the Meeker Mansion. So it’s very historical, it’s just a rich farming community… It’s maintained a lot of its original integrity, and it’s very cute and charming,” Alex Cockle said.

REVIEW: 25 AND 50 YEARS OF POP CULTURE

REVISITED

As we celebrate the classes of 1998 and 1973, it’s important to examine the pop culture of those eras. Many classic films and albums are celebrating their 25th or 50th anniversaries, and their impact is still felt today throughout pop culture. We’re taking a look at some of the most iconic of each year and how they hold up today.

1973

“The Dark Side of the Moon,” by the band Pink Floyd, is one of the best albums of all time. While most albums can be judged by their individual songs, “The Dark Side of the Moon” is best experienced as a cohesive record.

The themes of the album deal with various stages of life, with beautiful and haunting lyrics by Roger Waters. Interviews with various people around Abbey Road Studios, where the album was recorded, ground the album and provide more context.

The production of the album is nearly perfect, with the band taking advantage of new studio techniques that allowed for 16 different tracks to be recorded. When listening with headphones, you hear synthesizers swirling past your head in “On the Run,” clocks ticking all around you in “Time,” and cash sound effects dinging in all directions in “Money.”

Each band member was arguably at the peak of their musical abilities during the recording, and it shines through in a perfect collaboration. The album, even today, is considered an essential album for anyone, regardless of musical tastes.

Other 1973 albums:

“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” Elton John; “Head Hunters,” Herbie Hancock; “Aerosmith,” Aerosmith; “Quadrophenia,” The Who; “Aladdin Sane,” David Bowie.

“The Exorcist” is a pillar in the history of horror films. While it may not be as shocking or provocative as it was upon the original release in 1973, the film still holds up quite well in a modern context.

The film deals with the possession of a girl named Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), Father Karras (Jason Miller) struggling with his faith and Chris MacNeil’s (Ellen Burstyn) attempts to save her daughter. The scenes of Regan’s possession are some of the most well-known images in horror, such as her 180-degree head turn or the projectile vomit. The effects during these segments are chillingly realistic and contribute to the film’s iconic status. However, large amounts of the horror comes from the fact that it isn’t some unknown entity doing these horrible things, but an innocent girl who you come to know before the events transpire.

The actors in the film truly sell this horror, from Father Karras’ spiritual crisis to Chris’s terror at what is happening to her daughter and of course the shocking obscenities and actions of Regan. Today, the movie is still one of the scariest movies ever made and the influence can be seen on many horror movies both classic and new.

Other 1973 movies:

“Live and Let Die,” “American Graffiti,” “Enter the Dragon,” “Charlotte’s Web,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Soylent Green”

Graphic courtesy of Vecteezy.com

1998

“The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” is commonly cited as one of the best hip-hop records of all time and is very deserving of that title.

The album deals with themes of love, sparked by her relationship with Rohan Marley and her pregnancy with his child. The themes are reinforced by skits taking place in a classroom, which reappear throughout the album.

The production seems tailor-made to be played on a vinyl record, with a very warm sound reminiscent of classic soul music. Hill is an incredible singer and rapper, and she blends many genres, including R&B, hip-hop and reggae, into a cohesive work.

Guest appearances are sporadic but impactful throughout, with Mary J. Blige, Carlos Santana and even an uncredited college-age John Legend making appearances.

The album remains the defining neo-soul album and pioneered melodic rap. The lyrics blend a powerful swagger and toughness with raw feelings and emotions. Even today, artists like Lizzo, Janelle Monáe and Beyoncé all cite Lauryn Hill as influences on their work.

Other 1998 albums:

“In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” Neutral Milk Hotel; “Americana,” The Offspring; “Hello Nasty,” Beastie Boys; “Aquemini,” OutKast; “XO,” Elliott Smith.

“A Bug’s Life” is a classic Pixar film that still holds up today, both technologically and storywise.

The story follows Flik (Dave Foley), an inventor ant that accidentally spills the Offering given to a group of villainous grasshoppers each summer. He then travels to find a group of warriors to rise up against the grasshoppers, but ends up with a group of jobless “Circus Bugs.”

The film is a major technological leap from 1995’s “Toy Story,” and while the animation may look outdated today, it’s nothing that will take you out of the story. Even so, there are great visuals that couldn’t be created in live action with special effects, such as a rainfall acting as a catastrophic flood.

The story features a cast of charming and cute characters voiced by the sitcom stars of the time, who drive the story in a way that feels natural. Some of the biggest laughs from the film come from a series of “outtakes” at the end that satirize the blown cues and missed lines from classic movie gag reels.

The Pixar formula, which makes films that a wide audience can enjoy, is in full swing here and the film is very enjoyable.

Other 1998 movies:

“Shakespeare In Love,” “Armageddon,” Saving Private Ryan,” “Godzilla,” “Mulan,” “Blade,” “The Truman Show.”

Basketball through the ages

Basketball has been a staple of Puyallup for decades. But how much has the sport and its experience changed over the years?

Isaiah Sonntag has been playing basketball for 12 years. He says his favorite moment was playing against crosstown rival Rogers High School.

“In my previous years my most memorable time was beating Rogers at home when we had a two percent winning chance and they were making posters with photoshopped pictures of my mom with other Rogers players, it was a very fun moment,” Sonntag said.

strength to bully his way through opponents and get to the hoop.

“I used my height to play aggressively, get to the hoop and finish scoring best I could,” Bruinsma said.

Sonntag says he did not really change how he sees or plays the game and that he feels comfortable where he is currently at.

Nowadays they look for a little shorter and more agile, as in when I played it was all about height and aggressiveness.”

Seth Bruinsma alumnus

“I’ve pretty much been the same throughout my career. I like to play fast and get my shots off quick,” Sonntag said. Bruinsma says the difference in how his position is played now than it was then was he was grabbing rebounds.

Seth Bruinsma played center for the basketball team in 1998 and says that one of his team’s favorite traditions was praying together before walking out onto the hardwood to the crowd.

“It was a big thing for me and all the guys; we would do it before every game just before running out and listening to the crowd,” Bruinsma said.

For Sonntag, the speed of play makes a difference in the game.

“I like to play off the catch, I like to get my shot off quick and if that doesn’t work, I like to get into my pull up jumper,” Sonntag said.

Bruinsma used his sheer size and

“Nowadays they look for a little shorter and more agile, as in when I played it was all about height and aggressiveness, they looked for someone who could sit in the paint and get rebounds,” Bruinsma said.

Sonntag does plan on playing basketball at the collegiate level but cannot say where just yet.

“I do plan on playing college basketball. I’m not really sure what my decision is on where I’m going, but you guys will know soon,” Sonntag said.

Bruinsma did go to college, but not for basketball. Instead he spent his college career hitting game-winning runs from the home plate of a baseball field.

“I was a baseball guy so when the choice came, I chose to play baseball in college rather than basketball,” Bruinsma said.

Puyallup Class of ‘98 Plays Sports Outside the Usual Way

If students ever got their hands on a copy of the 1998 Puyallup High School yearbook, they would find a section titled “Outside the Usual Way.”

Held within these two pages were lifetimes of hard work and endless determination. The pages depicted the athletes that devoted their time to unique sports outside of the regular PHS programs-- sports like horse riding, traditional dancing and figure skating.

These athletes shared their memories of high school and how their sports prepared them for successful futures.

Most mornings, alumna Marla Keethler woke up and headed out to the ice rink.

During competition seasons, Keethler would also head back after school. She was a figure skater by night and a Viking Vanguard journalist by day-- well, not quite that dramatic.

Keethler went on to blend her two careers after high school, covering figure skating as a producer for ESPN and Winter Olympics for NBC sports.

“Once I was older, I covered a lot of college football when I was doing sports television. Having that experience of seeing team sports and that energy and the dynamic of rooting for your team was really cool, but it also made me aware that the sport I had chosen didn’t really have those elements to it,” Keethler said.

being a part of the school newspaper,” Keethler said.

Regardless of the obstacles, her figure skating carried her not just through high school but towards a successful professional career.

“It really did teach me a lot of self-determination and independence and self-confidence to try things or put myself out there. Whether it was moving to a new place, changing jobs or just knowing what my strengths and abilities were,” Keethler said.

Figure skating took Keethler beyond just being a sport. It taught her lessons she says she would never forget-- lessons about independence, perseverance, and fearlessness.

After moving on from her sport, Keethler is still leading a prosperous career as mayor of the small town she lives in, leading others towards positive futures.

Once I was older, I covered a lot of college football when I was doing sports television. Having that experience of seeing team sports and that energy and the dynamic of rooting for your team was really cool, but it also made me aware that the sport I had chosen didn’t really have those elements to it.”

Many athletes who participate in individual sports can relate and connect to Keethler’s reflection.

“It was like I had two different worlds. I had this world where I had a sport that I loved, but it was really removed from my school experience and social circle there. And then in the school world, I think my identity really was much more about the Viking Vanguard and

Marla Keethler alumna

hands or feet, highland dancing incorporates both.

“It’s really very strict. You learn specific steps, specific dances, and then go to competitions all over. I mostly stayed on the West Coast and traveled around. Almost every weekend you signed up to compete against others in your age group and your level,” Christoe-Frazier said.

One of her biggest challenges, she says, was time management-- juggling homework, dance, and extracurriculars all at the same time.

At the time it was a small, community-based kind of thing. It was like a second family, going to different competitions and getting to know people and events.”

Liesel Christoe-Frazier alumna

“There’s a lot that’s changed, obviously, like how people connect or the ways that you can go to school and learn,” Keethler said. “I think the thing that’s always stayed true is that it doesn’t matter how prestigious your university is, or whether you’re the best athlete on the field or you’re the top of your class. Ultimately what will give you success long term are the relationships that you nurture and those opportunities and experiences you take advantage of.”

Another alumna “Outside the Usual Way” was Liesel Christoe-Frazier. Christoe-Frazier participated in Scottish Highland dancing, a cultural tradition where dancers compete and are judged equally on technique and how they are dressed. The sport is an artistic blend of intricate footwork and graceful maneuvers. While some dance forms use only

“I’ve had to travel a lot for dance. It was certainly a challenge, making sure things like homework were done,” Christoe-Frazier said. “I remember getting home late on a Sunday and having to get up early to go to school. It was difficult and I didn’t have as much time to practice dance as I wanted to.”

However, despite the challenges, Christoe-Frazier never forgot why she danced.

“I started when I was seven, so I was young, and it’s a Scottish Highland dance, so it was part of my family culture. We went around a lot to the Scottish highland Games when I was younger,” Christoe-Frazier said.

“I was raised by my mom and my grandparents who both wanted to get myself and my sisters involved. At the time it was a small, community-based kind of thing. It was like a second family, going to different competitions and getting to know people and events.” Through dance, she discovered how to set goals and reach for the moon-- because she knew even if she missed, she would still land among the stars.

“When I first started, my dance teacher gave me this card and it’s really cheesy, but it said ‘shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars’. I looked at it every day and thought about it a lot,” Christoe-Frazier said.

“When I went to college and was becoming a doctor, I really wanted this amazing internship and if there was any doubt, I would remember that. I’d say to myself, ‘shoot for that, and who knows where you’ll end up.’”