The Viking Vanguard, Vol. 111, Issue 2, Nov. 17, 2023

Student Car Stolen, Parking Safety Examined

It’s the end of the school day, and junior Devon Hogue returns to the parking lot after class. When he reaches his spot, however, he is met by empty air. His truck has vanished. Hogue’s first thought is that his dad took it. He learns later that the vehicle was on the highway, long gone.

“I got out of class and I walked over to my parking spot; I didn’t see my truck,” Hogue said.

Eventually, police recovered what was left of the truck from a homeless camp in Renton, where Hogue’s AirTag could still be tracked. The vehicle was not, however, in the mint condition Hogue had last seen it.

“I have no trim on my steering column anymore. To turn it off you have to use a screwdriver. There’re also no locks,” Hogue said.

Now, Hogue’s insurance is valuing repairs at around $5,000-$6,000. Within 24 hours, Hogue had lost his sweet ride. The situation wasn’t even his fault. Hogue had faithfully kept his car locked, and the culprit had found another way to hack into his engine.

“They just grabbed a screwdriver and shoved it into my lock until it busted out,” Hogue said.

But if locking your car doesn’t guarantee its security, what does?

And what can students do to keep both their vehicles and their valuables safe and sound?

Thomas Henry, Puyallup High School campus security guard, offers a solution.

“We have somebody patrolling the parking lot as much as possible. In the morning, lunches, after school, Ms.

Reed and I make occasional rounds throughout the day. We also have cameras in the parking lot to hopefully be able to get information if something does happen.” Henry said.

In fact, according to Henry, the first step to finding a stolen item or vehicle is reviewing these very same cameras and attempting to identify the culprit.

After that, the security team works with Kevin Karuzas, police officer on campus, and the SRO (school resource office) to combine resources and use ‘engine’-uity to determine who the

thief was.

As for valuables, Henry offers yet another solution.

“I would recommend not leaving any valuable items in your vehicle if you’re parking anywhere,” Henry said. “If there’s problems with theft in the parking lot, just don’t leave anything valuable in your vehicle.”

Car safety awareness is something most security guards are passionate about, and Henry is no different. Though he can’t be everywhere at once, Henry shares advice applicable to not

only theft but risky driving as well.

“Go slow. There’s no reason to go more than five miles an hour. There’s no reason to accelerate quickly in the parking lot. There’s a lot of students in the morning and after school, so there’s no need for that.” Henry said. “It’s a big safety concern and we’re trying to make sure that kind of stuff doesn’t happen.”

Story edited for space. To read the full story, visit www.vikingvanguard.com

Marijuana Bill Impacts Students, Community

obtaining marijuana and the uncertainty that tracks that.

Washington State passed Bill 5536 and RCW 69.50 recently, enacting that no person under 21 can manufacture, distribute or possess cannabis. RCW 69.50 includes the consequences of committing such a crime: arrest.

School Resource Officer Sergeant Kevin Karuzas shares his knowledge of the bill, including an officer’s perspective and why students should be aware of the law. The Puyallup Police Department is also impacted by the law, as more arrests are arising with the law.

“[Possession of marijuana is] a gross misdemeanor. It means additional bookings and people that can be put in our local Puyallup jail,” Karuzas said.

Kauzas shares why he believes avoiding marijuana as an adolescent is important.

“It’s important to stay away from drugs. Especially marijuana; if your brain’s not fully developed it can impact the way your brain develops in the future, your learning, sleep—it can have long term health effects as you’re developing as an adult,” Karuzas said. “That’s the main reason I feel that kids need to stay away from marijuana.”

Another concern Karuzas shared was the dangers of

“You don’t know where you got [marijuana] from. It could be potentially laced with another drug or chemical and I’ve witnessed overdoses when people, not just kids but adults, who smoke marijuana that is laced with something and overdose,” Karuzas said.

Drug and Alcohol Prevention Specialist Julianne Buffelen is at the school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and select Fridays. Buffelen expresses how students can receive help if they are struggling with marijuana usage.

“Anyone, adults or teenagers, who is caught on campus with marijuana can be arrested for it. I know Emerald Ridge and Walker are under the Pierce County Sheriff Department and they are arresting [students] for having marijuana on campus,” Buffelen said.

sell marijuana will face arrest.

“Students who are caught on campus with a THC pen, cartridge, any form of marijuana, can be arrested. In some cases, especially when there is the intent to sell, they will be arrested,” Buffelen said.

Buffelen believes when students see the consequences of violating this bill, they will begin to understand what smoking marijuana at school means.

“[Students] are just learning about the laws. I think if kids see somebody taken out in handcuffs, they will absolutely decrease the use [of marijuana] at school,” Buffelen said.

Students who are caught on campus with a THC pen, cartridge, any form of marijuana, can still be arrested.”

Julianne Buffelen drug prevention specialist

“Puyallup High School is under the Puyallup Police Department and they will also arrest kids who have quantities of [marijuana] with the intent to sell.”

Buffelen emphasizes that students who intend to

Buffelen emphasizes that students should have a plan on what to say when faced with the epidemic of peer pressure.

“You should plan ahead of time on how to handle [peer pressure],” Buffelen said. “It’s been proven that if you have a plan ahead of time on how to handle the situation, you are much more likely to get out of it successfully than if somebody offers you something and you don’t know what to say.”

Story edited for space. To read the full story, visit www.vikingvanguard.com

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.

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 Editor

Katelyn Ervin

Opinion Editor

Anthony Geiter

Features Editor

Katelyn Ervin

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

CTE Courses Provide Value

When most students think about school and learning, they may envision sitting at desks, aligned in a row, working on anything from a math assignment to an English essay.

But there are students at school, creating works of art with cameras, preparing food for community members in a state-of-art Culinary classroom and creating media in a television studio.

We as an organization feel as though more students should be immersed in Career Technical Education courses because they offer a unique experience to students here at Puyallup High School.

The courses provide hands-on experiences that directly correspond to a career in the work force.

The courses that fall under the CTE umbrella are all aligned to not only industry standards, but offer dual credit opportunities to high school students as well. Students experience what it is like to work in the career fields offered through the courses.

Through CTE classes of choice, students are able to

receive a jump start in their potential future career and test the waters of the work force.

They are able to sample jobs and possibly find a new passion, ranging from Photography, Auto Tech, medicine-based courses and Culinary.

Some students may feel that the CTE courses will not provide them with the correct tools and resources for a career they may or may not be considering.

But what many do not realize is that CTE courses provide skills needed for all of adult life. These classes give an insight into what a real-world job could potentially look like, which has the ability to prepare them for their future.

Through these distinctive experiences, students may find themselves passionate about the course.

Even if they do not find themselves intensely involved with the experience, they will have learned a wide variety of lessons that may help them in the future, whether it be in school or in a career.

To that end, we as a collective staff strongly believe that students who attend Puyallup High School should participate in CTE courses to further their understanding about the work force and possibly discover a newfound love for a career.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

Human Connection Brings Self-Reflection

It was a standard Washington day, grey in the barely daylight hours, wet from last night’s rain. I was on my way to school on a nearly silent school bus. It was an unremarkable day that somehow changed my perspective on life.

Normally, I would ride the bus with a friend, but she was absent that morning. With nothing better to do, I resorted to staring out the window at the bleak morning and letting my mind wander. Eventually, the bus pulled up at a stop light, waiting with a line of cars driven by bleary commuters all waiting for the light to turn green.

In the vehicle closest to my window, a woman sat behind her wheel, staring blankly forward at the traffic. She seemed so similar to everyone else I had seen on the drive to school, yet for some reason, this particular woman stood out to me. In my boredom, I began to think about this woman’s day.

stoplight.

It occurred to me that this was the type of interaction I had with the majority of people in the world. Unremarkable, brief and quickly overlooked. We pass by hundreds of people every day and hardly glancing in their direction.

The realization led me to think about the connections in my life that went beyond a single chance encounter. The friends and mentors and familiar faces that I relied so heavily upon, that I so often took for granted. They were the people that made every day special. A ride on the bus without a friend was the beginning to a disappointing day. A decision made without the consultation of someone I trusted became much less meaningful. Connection was the thing that kept my life from being a series of bland repetitions.

I made a conscious decision to stop overlooking the people I cared about, to stop letting so many people pass me by in the constant stream of life.”

She probably had a similar routine to me, she probably drove the same familiar route every day, shared a similar disdain for damp Washington mornings in early winter. We were sitting in two completely different vehicles, running through our same daily patterns and somehow this morning, we had ended up at the same

That morning on the bus, I realized the importance of people who see you fully in the mundanity of life. If not for those people, I would just be another face in the misty morning. I made a conscious decision to stop overlooking the people I cared about, to stop letting so many people pass me by in the constant stream of life.

I will probably never see that woman again, but she was what made that morning memorable.

Ever since then, whenever I have a lonely moment, when I’m walking home alone or sitting by myself in the library, I think of the woman that I saw on the bus that day. She was no longer just a stranger on her morning commute, to me, she was a reminder to be thankful and outgoing, to remember that every random passer-by has a story and a life of their own.

Student Finds Passion, Motivation in Music

Music is an almost uniquely human experience, and the emotions that transpose from the artist to the listener can be intense yet so cathartic.

The ability to speak is already so underappreciated by many; a daily task that we complete automatically with no conscious effort. So much power is held within our words.

The power to build, the power to destroy, the power to spread information or the power to take it away.

phy and I realized quickly that I wanted to perform and create my own sounds. So, I asked for a guitar.

In a way, whether music has lyrics or not, it is a direct extension of that power which we hold and that which no other animal possesses.

The emotions expressed through sounds are raw and can impact people in so many ways. Some forms of music don’t hit any check marks for certain people’s tastes and some forms seem to be enjoyed to some extent by almost everybody.

“

At the age of 12, I received a classical guitar and I truly felt like I wanted to learn this instrument. At school, I had been made to learn record er and even ukulele at one point, but neither of them truly clicked for me. When I picked up this guitar, it just felt right to me.

I never took any formal lessons, the closest I got was a book with some funda mental music training and a CD going over the same content. I plainly ignored these and started learn ing songs that I enjoyed. About a Girl by Nirvana was the very first, and it sprung me forward with great momentum towards an intrinsic goal; to channel emotion and feeling into art that I truly feel passionate about.

When I picked up this guitar, it just felt right to me.”

The first exposure to music that gave me those same raw emotions happened when I ran across “Heart-Shaped Box” by Nirvana in the credits to a movie. Though I do not remember the movie now, I remember the obsession that took over me and how I needed to experience that feeling again – the feelings of anger and hopeless power and aggression displayed in such a thoughtful and structural way. I dove very deeply into Nirvana’s whole discogra-

Anthony Geiter opinion editor

My collection of guitars grew over the years, but one notable addition was my Kurt Cobain signature Fender Jaguar. While I do not listen to Nirvana often now, and while my musical tastes have expanded in a multitude of different di rections, this guitar was the instrument that I learned the most with. I learned to play along with entire live perfor mances, learning the intricacies of each song and singing along at the same time. Many fundamentals that I take for granted now were acquired through much trial and error using that guitar.

Many bands and artists have left a deep impact on me since then. Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie,

CAREERS START

The Career Technical Education program aims to give students them for life after high school. CTE includes a variety

A GATEWAY TO PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography, like other CTE courses, is a hands-on learning experience that prepares students for their future outside of high school. In this class students learn how to use cameras, photoshop, and rules of photography.

According to the photography teacher, Maegan Rathbun, Puyallup’s photography course helps students learn how to use a camera and put different composition skills into practice.

“In photography, you’re learning essentially how to use a camera, you’re learning the settings of the camera, you’re learning how to navigate through it, you’re learning how to file, navigate, save, upload,” Rathbun said “you’re also learning the components of taking photographs, how they work, some of the rules of photography and then we also get into editing them using different Adobe software.”

many resources available to the students. These resources include cameras, lenses and the photo lab. These are available for students taking the photography course.

“They [the school] have so much available to students. I think that’s cool and awesome to learn more,” Rathbun said.

The equipment that is provided for this program helps make it unique compared to prior places Rathbun says she has worked at. The skills that are taught in photography not only teach students how to use a camera and apply different compotation skills, but it also instructs students on necessary life skills.

It’s helped me have more of an awareness of how to stop and take a picture and think about it... I can apply that to different perspectives in my life as well.”

There are many lessons that are taught in this class, beyond just learning how to use a camera. Rathbun stated that her favorite lesson to teach is the camera or the photography rules.

“It breaks down really understanding how to take good pictures by implementing these rules to put certain subjects and certain things in a directional way,” Rathbun said.

Paired with the lessons, the photography program has

“I mean, like any other class, you have to have dedication, you have to turn things in on time, you have deadlines, you have to understand what you are doing” Rathbun said “that’s a life skill you’re going to have to do no matter what the job is,”

Senior Heather Baldridge is taking Photo 1 and says this class has not only taught her photography skills but lessons she can use later in life. Baldridge has been doing photography since the eighth grade, taking the photography course has helped her be more aware of her surroundings.

“It’s helped me have more of an awareness of how to stop and take a picture and think about it, step back and think about it like ‘is this what I really want? Or do I want something else,’ that helps me, I can apply that to different

An Introduction to Medical Field

As many CTE courses do, students interested in the medical field have an opportunity to gain hands-on training through courses aligned to industry. At Puyallup High School, four classes teach students about the medical field. Anatomy and Physiology, Intro to Medical Careers, Medical Terminology, and Sports Medicine are all options for students.

Medical Terminology and Intro to Medical Careers teacher Alyssa Meyers describes what her classes offer.

“

“[Students] get Career-Technical ready education for any medical field. We study all medical terms related to nursing, related to specific parts of the body. They also get CTE credit, which is a high school graduation requirement, as well as a dual credit in medical terminology to take with them to Pierce College,” Meyers said.

In medical classes, routine is key to success. New medical students at the beginning of the school year can typically struggle with certain topics and lessons. However, in the typical day-to-day classroom, routine is found.

“Our regular period in this class looks like a starting off with review

from any type of chapter. The second item that we do every day is either a lecture or a brief overview of what system we’re working with or what terminology we’re working with. Towards the end of the class, we have an activity or a workbook to start memorizing that specific medical terminology,” Meyers said.

By finding a specific routine, students can prepare themselves for class the next day and many find success in the classroom.

Junior Alyssa Wilmoth is enrolled in Medical Terminology and describes what she enjoys about the class.

“I want to be in the medical field in the future, and without knowing these important terms it would make the medical career much harder,” Wilmoth said.

Wilmoth says that the course is beneficial to anyone even remotely interested in pursuing a career in the medical field.

“I’d recommend it to students who want to do something in the medical field. Even if it’s just dentistry, it’s still very important to know the medical terminology,” Wilmoth said.

It is an eye-opening experience about where their passion is, what their passion is. It gives them kind of a direction towards where they want to go in college.”

The Intro to Medical Careers class informs students by providing a look into a variety of different careers.

“A sampling of 15 different careers that have that are in the industry of the medical profession… pharmacology, dentistry, clinical lab practices, medical imaging. There are several that do little tasks within their module or within their specialty within that field,” Meyers said.

The program is an entrance into the medical field that allows students to explore potential options before pursuing a career after graduation.

“It is an eye-opening experience about where their passion is, what their passion is. It gives them kind of a direction towards where they want to go in college. Some of them know exactly they want to be in nursing. Some of them don’t want to be in nursing and they find out they want to be in dentistry or something different,” Meyers said.

The culinary class, taught many CTE courses offered many expect the course the focus is to keep a progression surrounding cooking, as and employers in the culinary future.

The class tries to have everything that can be related rant culture and culinary, a lot of options, especially college course.

“Some students want of the house or back of the restaurant,” Turner said. pitality and tourism have jobs where they can be other things, it can be for has a passion for organizing or accounting, or decorating. covers, to doing vlogs, so

A regular period in the the student’s skill level. the process and cooking advanced students, the just like a restaurant and

START WITH CTE

students career-based learning experiences that will prepare variety of classes for students to explore their interests.

Autotech Fosters Passion

Since Henry Ford produced the first car, more commonly known then as the automobile, the complexity that lays under the shiny hood of cars has captivated the eyes and imaginations of adults and kids alike.

“Auto Technology teacher Christian Tamiesie and senior Mary Ellen Williams, give an inside look at why the roar of an engine and the art that lays underneath the hood puts people in a trance.

Tamiesie’s passion for teaching students about the craft that goes into the creation of vehicles started when he realized that college was not for him.

also enjoy working with their hands and seeing the result.”

For Williams, she found the passion that Tamiesie described and she finds working on cars more of a form of art.

“It’s kind of like being an art kid. You can take automotive and turn it into an art really easily,” Williams said. “Auto body and painting and mechanics, you can turn almost anything in the automotive world into an art project.”

Even if a student doesn’t plan to use the class to enter the work force, students can take the lessons learned and apply them to their lives and save themselves a trip to Jiffy Lube.

Not everybody knows that there’s more to a vehicle than just the steering wheel and the gas pedal. You have the ability to further your understanding.”

“When I was in high school, the only thing that I was told you got to go to college, you got to go to college, you got to go to college. And I went to college for two years I realized I did not want to do it,” Tamiesie said.

For Williams, her desire to work on cars started when she was young, driven by growing up around them.

“I grew up around truck and boats, so it was just one of those things where I wanted to learn how to work on my own car,” Willams said.

Learning how to work and fix your car is no easy feat, while some students may back down to the challenge, others embrace it and find a feeling of rewards when they’ve tackled the issue.

“They realize that cars can be difficult to work on, or isn’t as easy as they thought it was going to be,” Tamiesie said. “But for others, the passion for cars, I think, ends up driving them to

Mary Ellen Williams senior

“You learn how to do an oil change, how to take stuff out of a vehicle. Not everybody knows that there’s more to a vehicle than just the steering wheel and the gas pedal,” Williams said. “You have the ability to further your understanding.”

Tamiesie says that his main goal is to create great technicians to hopefully pass along to the industry post high school life.

“I want to help create solid technicians for the industry and help students find a passion that didn’t necessarily require them to go to college,” Tamiesie said.

Vijay Brown, a junior in the advanced culinary class, describes what a period in culinary looks like.

“For us, we usually start a period getting changed up into our aprons, then we’ll look at what’s on the board to see if we have to cook for bistro, or just other things coming up,” Brown said.

Culinary Classes Provide Valuble Experience

lege that has a culinary arts program.

“

taught by Chef Donell Turner, is one of the offered at Puyallup High School. Although to just be about learning how to cook, progression of the theories and methods as well as learning to be good employees culinary field in the a big overlook of related to restauculinary, and it opens especially because it’s a to go on to a front the house kind of said. “But since hoshave over a thousand connected into for anyone who organizing or ordering, decorating. It can be anything from magazine so there’s many aspects.” the classroom changes depending on For beginners, it’s a matter of learning cooking more and more as time goes by. For class is learning to organize themselves and work on a menu.

The advanced class functions like a work base.

“All our formative just kind of goes into that service or into that production lab of making the food and that sort of thing and there are steps that we take, and then it’s basically, ‘Tada!’ and that’s what they’re graded on,” Turner said.

[The class] can be for anyone who has a passion for organizing or ordering, or accounting, or decorating. It can be anything from magazine covers, to doing vlogs, so there’s many aspects.”

Donell Turner teacher

Beginner students often struggle to follow all the procedures without missing anything.

“It is important that we’re not poisoning anyone or getting hurt. We’re working in a safe manner with a lot of students in the same area. So, safety is probably our first goal,” Turner said.

The course can also help students learn valuable life skills, even if they don’t choose to go into the food service industry.

“Besides the obvious stuff, I’ve learned a lot about fast thinking and partner work,” said Brown.

Another advantage to culinary is that it can provide options for college.

“We are articulated with three schools. We have Clover Park, Bates and Renton Tech. They do earn college credit from pastry to food safety, Garde-manger, which is like making the sandwiches and soups and salads and all that. So they do get credit for those schools,” Turner said.

Junior Emily Waller says she plans on going to a nearby col-

“I specifically want to go into a pastry arts program because I enjoy doing pastries more than I do cooking, even though I love doing them both,” Waller said. “I plan on making my experience enlarged, because I currently experiment with gluten free products because my sister can’t have gluten. I’m experimenting with different recipes trying to make them look great.”

However, a lot of students don’t end up going on to culinary school but the skills they learned from the class still give them an edge in whatever industry they do end up in.

“I’ve had students that are managers at Cheesecake Factory, and they generally don’t stay dishwashers; they move on really quickly if they go the route of living up from job to job instead of going to culinary school,” Turner said.

According to Waller, the course is not simply a class to take for the credits.

“It’s actually a fun course and when you’re in the field and you learn to love it as much as I do, it can be really fun,” Waller said.

Business Supports Community

Farm 12 is a unique restaurant located in the Puyallup Valley. In addition to providing quality meals to the community of Puyallup, the restaurant is also a hotspot for community gatherings and is a nonprofit for a charity known as Step By Step.

Step By Step is a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of pregnant people by supporting them throughout their pregnancy and setting them up for success after. The program has been running for over 26 years and helped over 900 people through their program last year alone.

Brock VanArsdall is the general manager of the restaurant and says Farm 12 has had major impacts on many lives in the community.

“

family and so we take a different approach on work-life balance. The amenities that we provide to our staff, [we’re] really trying to come alongside our staff and help them in their personal lives as well as their professional life,” Welch said.

The restaurant has become a major place for community events and gatherings due to the Event Center on the property and the welcoming atmosphere.

“I think it’s bigger than just a restaurant… I think that the biggest role that we serve in the community is being a warm, inviting space where you can get together with friends, family, and kind of just enjoy your time. We don’t pressure people for table times or anything like that. It’s a place where you can really come feel at home, hang out and enjoy your time,”

We’ve really tasked ourselves with embracing the mission of Step By Step and being different and really helping the community.”

“Farm 12 came about with an idea to be a place where people could work or could gain occupational skills training, whether that be in the restaurant or in the event center or in our coffee shop and bakery. It’s a way to partner with the individuals and mothers who go through the nonprofit and a way to help them grow, whether that’s in resume building, or in learning new skills and traits,” VanArsdall said.

Welch said.

Brooke Riddle, the Event and Marketing Coordinator, enjoys seeing the impact that the restaurant has on staff members.

“[We see] staff find value in volunteering for Step By Step, participating in different events or different things Step By Step does for the community and they choose to spend their time outside of Farm 12 helping Step By Step,” Riddler said.

There seems to be a deep connection between the area and the restaurant.

The restaurant sets it apart from others in the area in many ways. Aaron Welch, the Food and Beverage Director, takes pride in the staff and menu.

“We’ve really tasked ourselves with embracing the mission of Step By Step and being different and really helping the community. Coming from a history of corporate restaurants, we treat all of our staff more like

“I feel like there’s such a link between the history of Puyallup, the bulb farm, the fact that this site was about growth and about what something will become and about the beauty behind those flowers and whatnot. There’s a link there with Step By Step investing in pregnant moms and the baby and the growth and what that beautiful family will become in the future,” VanArsdall said.

Story edited for space. To read the full story, visit www.vikingvanguard.com

Farm 12’s lights shine on the outside portion of the building. “This was the VanLear bulb farm, the whole valley used to be bulb farms. This was bulb farm #12. And so that’s where Krista got the inspiration from the name to be Farm 12 and honoring the heritage of the bulb farms and the bulb growth in the valley,” Aaron Welch said. Photo courtesy of Krista Linden

Band Shares Music Inspirations

The Rat Utopia Experiment is a weird name for a band.

“I was in 8th grade English, and I was watching a video about this thing called the Mouse Utopia Experiment,” says PHS sophomore and the band’s frontwoman Sophia Barger.

“And I was like, ‘Hey, that’d be a pretty cool band name. Wait, but if you change [the word mouse] to rat, it abbreviates to T.R.U.E’… Now it sounds like punk,” Barger said.

The group formed in June 2022 through a program ran by Ted Brown Music known as Live It Outloud.

high school band director. He grew up around music, and that naturally progressed into playing his own music.

“I’m a big fan of Zeppelin and Primus, so I try to really harness the Bonham and Tim ‘Herb’ Alexander feel. And then I started off as a jazz drummer, so I try to have a certain amount of flow and feel in my stuff as well,” Fry said.

Similarly, Barger grew up with music as a major part of her life.

I must say that we are all individuals who bring our own specific genres to the band. And then we all work as a team to kind of express that.”

“You pay X amount of money. You audition, get placed in a band with people of your similar ability. And then you play four shows and get to record a song in a studio. There’s awards, and if you’re lucky enough, you get to record a music video,” Evan Fry, the band’s drummer, said. “That’s how we were formed. We have had some member changes since then, but that’s how we started.

When you’re listening to a song of theirs, you might recognize influences from many different bands and genres.

“We have a hodge-podge of different genres. Like one of our songs, ‘Europa,’ is far heavier. We’re working on another song right now that’s very nu-metally. You listen to Part/Whole and Minds Like Concrete [songs that the band has released], they’re completely different. So, I wouldn’t say we have one unique identity. I must say that we are all individuals who bring our own specific genres to the band. And then we all work as a team to kind of express that,” Fry said.

Fry says he was influenced by his father, who was a

“My dad’s a musician, too. He’s been in many bands since the ‘80s and he also produces music now. He taught me guitar and I was like, ‘Wait, that’s kinda cool,’” Barger said.

Aine Templeton, who plays bass for the band, says she’s influenced by nu-metal and specifically Talena Atfield, the bassist for the iconic metal band Kittie.

The duo of Maddox Mullins and Jackson Jones, who both play guitar in the band, bring influence from classic heavy metal.

“I like when metal gets more melodic, so I try to bring that into my riffs,” Mullins said.

The band also cited Sonic Youth as a major influence on their work. Their varied tastes in music have coalesced into three original singles that have been released on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more.

“I’ll bring a drum beat that I really liked, or… anybody will bring a riff that we think is cool. And then it’s just us jamming on it, not really writing anything per se. And then we figure out the parts of it that we’d like, we go back to it, we figure out a structure and after we have a good structure for the song me and Phia [Sophia’s nickname] begin writing lyrics,” Fry said.

Fry and Barger are the main lyricists of the band, but the other members have input on

all parts of a song.

“There’s times I’ve come with to the band with already done songs, but we usually work on them from there anyway,” Barger said.

It’s clear that the band has great chemistry, with laughter and gentle joking throughout the interview.

“Last rehearsal, I just came in with a beat that I really like. And Maddox and Aine immediately jumped on it and Jackson jumped on it. And we recorded it, and now it’s gonna be a new song that we’re working on. I just love the fact that we did that in 15 minutes. It’s ‘Go go go go go’ and I love that,” said Fry.

Despite the amount of songs released already, the band shows no signs of slowing down, with plans to release more singles, an album called “Schrödinger’s Rat” and continue playing shows. Their next show is December 1 at the Spanish Ballroom.

Classic Fall Recipes Reviewed

Lots of people bake for the seasonal holidays, and there are many recipes online to choose from. This can make it hard to decide what to do. So, we decided to bake some fall recipes found online to help figure out which ones were the best. After making each one, they were ranked from worst to best, based on their taste, easy to make and how our friends and family liked them.

1. Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

This recipe was my absolute favorite to make and enjoy. There was a strong pumpkin flavor in the scones, which added to the overall flavor when paired with the glaze. The use of two different glazes is not something that people normally enjoy, but in this recipe, they went together perfectly. The scones were also not dry and crumbly, which is a problem when making scones. That being said, the recipe only made a few scones with a total of 8. The recipe does not take that long to make, but it requires a lot of ingredients.

5/5

2. Apple Spice Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

This recipe was absolutely delicious. Everyone who tried it agreed that it was one of the best recipes. There was a strong apple taste combined with the small chunks of apple mixed in. The recipe did not require that many supplies to make and the directions were straight forward. The best part is that it made a lot of food, which is perfect for a big family gathering. Overall, this recipe is great if you want to make a lot of cake and enjoy apple flavors.

4.5/5

3. No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

With this Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe, the food turned out to be very delicious. One thing to like about the recipe was that there is no baking required. The recipe makes a lot of food for the number of ingredients that are used. As for the taste, it had a strong but not overwhelming pumpkin taste. The texture was very light, the combination of the crust and cheesecake tasted good together. That being said, even though there is no baking, the recipe still takes a long time to make. Lastly, it requires a special pan to make the cheesecake. Even so, this recipe is perfect if you want a good pumpkin flavored treat and have plenty of time to make it.

4/5

4. Easy Apple Tart with Caramel Sauce

For the apple tart with caramel sauce, the tart tasted good but not spectacular. This recipe was easy to make; there were not that many ingredients needed for the recipe and the baking time was very short. The mixture of the apples, pastries, caramel and the honey butter sauce created a delicious mix. On the downside the recipe does not make that many tarts; a total of six Apple Tarts with Caramel Sauce. This recipe is recommended if you feel like a quick and easy apple-themed treat.

3/5

“Five Nights At Freddy’s” Fails To Scare or Entertain

Two of our Viking Student Media Editors watched the new movie, one being a fan of the games and the other coming in completely objective. What did they think about key points of the film?

Story

The plot’s combination of the original lore with new ideas and characters turns what should have been a simple, tense film into a film weighed down by a backstory of trauma and custody struggles that never lands.”

Production

A notable highlight of the film was the animatronics and pizzeria. The animatronics were very close to the iconic originals, and the location felt abandoned and foreboding.”

Scares

“The plot and dialogue fell flat at many points throughout the story, and at some points it easily felt more interesting to sit back and stare at the clock on your phone. The tone of the movie truly didn’t fit the genre.”

“The animatronic characters, created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop... absolutely live up to the iconic machines from the original game. They were big, bulky, and creepy... and overall looked just like a realistic version of their in-game counterparts. “

For what’s marketed as a horror film, the scares are few and formulaic... The kills, while possibly creative, were limited to shadows and mild sprays of blood by the PG-13 rating.”

The film was most definitely held back by its PG-13 rating... the utter lack of horror and tension in a movie based on a game known for its terrifying scares is extremely disappointing.”

Soccer Competes at State

This year the girls soccer team was stacked with strong returners and young talent. They had a regular season record of 15 wins, three losses, three ties and possessed a one-way golden ticket to the state playoffs.

Head Coach Matt White says it was the combination of players that helped pave the road to State.

“This year we have a lot of new players who are contributing that have had a direct impact, players who are returning players and more experienced have helped significantly,” White said.

In high school sports, rosters are ever changing with the consistent flow of graduating seniors and upand-coming freshman. This leads to new ways of coaching every year.

“Every single year in high school sports is like a hand of poker. You play the hand, and then all the cards go back in the deck and you reshuffle and it’s a brand-new season,” White said. “I would say this has been a good hand of cards.”

Because of the consistent ebb and flow of girls through the program, White says he has never liked the idea of pre-planning how a season will go. Instead, he prefers to patiently wait and see how the cards will be dealt.

“The second you start setting goals in which other people are in charge of, whether they happen or not, that’s a recipe for disaster,”

White said. “I totally believe in the philosophy of you coach the team that you have; It’s not the kids that I wish I had or the kids I used to have, it’s the kids that you do have.”

Every new season presents new strengths and weaknesses, things that teams are great at and things that need to be worked on. This year, with a younger team than normal, White has made tweaks that have led to great success.

“We’ve changed some positioning where players that allow kids to be in spots where they can contribute. We’ve adjusted some of our patterns to what this group of players is and their skill sets and athleticism abilities,” White said.

When it comes to state predictions, White never planned on making assumptions on what may or not happen. His goal was to prepare his team as much as possible for any outcome that came their way.

“It’s a lot of film, a lot of scouting to set up for the opponents favorite thing to do. And then see if we can make them move to their option B,” White said.

White says no matter what the scoreboard says, if the Vikings can control the field the entire game then it’ll still be a win.

“It may not be a win on the scoreboard, but it’s a win when we enforce somebody else to make changes. We got to keep doing what we want to do,” White said.

Flag Football Provides Major Opportunities for Students

With a new season comes new sports, and for Puyallup High School, this is taken literally.

This year, the school is adding girls flag football to the program. Though not yet an official sanctioned WIAA sport, girls flag football is making its debut and will soon be among the ranks of volleyball, baseball, football, swimming and other WIAA sports Puyallup has to offer.

The decision to add girls flag football was a smooth one, according to Athletic Director Kelly Susee. This year, Puyallup received an audit from the Civil Rights Division at the national government and based on the school population and district-wide turnout for athletics, the girl’s population was underrepresented.

Because of Title IX, an Educational Amendment stating that no person may be excluded from a program based on sex, the school grasped the importance of adding another girls sport and were able to finalize the choice.

“Over the last year or so, we’ve been having the conversation about what sport we would like to add, to try to help bridge that gap. Flag football became the conversation,” Susee said.

running.

It will cover coaches’ salaries, uniforms, equipment and officials.

Along with costs, however, putting together and running a new sport takes effort and responsibility. Susee, as the new SPSL commissioner for Girls Flag Football, is up for the challenge and plans to run the sport home. Susee has been working to create schedules, find officials, and even set up a Jamboree with the Seahawks.

empowering and auspicious environment.

I want them to come out there not knowing anything and leaving a professional. Knowing how to play the game even better than the regular football players.”

“I want them to have fun. I want them to win, too, but I want more than anything for these girls to feel empowered and feel like they have a good support system around them,” Tanis said.

As the coach, however, Tanis knows that these things won’t just appear out of thin air.

It involves an extreme amount of strenuous work and hours upon hours of planning.

Susee’s efforts are not in vain, as there is already a multitude of students preparing to try out the young sport. Sofia Wilson, a sophomore at Puyallup High School, is one of them.

“I used to play for a co-ed team, then the guys started to get 10 feet tall and it was getting dangerous for me. Now I can play with people my size,” Wilson said.

I wanted to play because I thought it would be fun. I never have before, it would be something different. Out of this season, I want to get good camaraderie with other people.”

Bowie McNally, a junior, is another future tryout for Puyallup.

“I wanted to play because I thought it would be fun. I never have before, it would be something different. Out of this season, I want to get good camaraderie with other people and get in shape for track season,” McNally said.

“You have to create what the values are going to be, uniforms, you have to think about funding, you have to think about who you want behind you as far as your coaching staff goes, and then building up the rules as far as what I’m looking for from my athletes,” Tanis said.

Unlike most of the winter coaching staff, Tanis was on a time crunch to create the perfect season plan.

“All of those behind-the-scenes things, and I found out with less than a month before the season starts.”

Despite the hard work, Tanis is dedicated to making these teams the best they can be.

She shares a time during her years at PHS when they held a spring powderpuff league for flag football.

It was made up of two sophomore teams, two junior teams and two senior teams.

“We would compete against each other, and there’d be a powderpuff champion. I was on the champion team, and it was so much fun,” Tanis said.

Later, it became clear that adding flag football was the right choice.

“The Seahawks were willing to give any school that participated in flag football this year a grant to help offset some of those costs. Each school was given $4,000 to help offset uniform costs and equipment for flag football,” Susee said.

The money received from the Seahawks will make up for about half of the cost to get the program up and

As the future head coach of the sport and a physical education teacher at Puyallup, Mikalya Tanis says she plans to accomplish all this and more.

Tanis wants them to know the sport like it’s the back of their hand.

“I want them to come out there not knowing anything and leaving a professional,” Tanis said. “Knowing how to play the game even better than the regular football players. “

Not only that, but Tanis said she wants to create an

When Tanis first heard of the start of the flag football program, she was ecstatic and filled with joy. She knew instantaneously that she needed to do whatever it took to be apart of the program.

“When I heard they were bringing real flag football, I knew I had to be a part of it. It’s just life-changing for young women to be able to participate in a sport that’s so technical and fun,” Tanis said.

Story edited for space. To read the full story, visit www.vikingvanguard.com