Winter wonderland at White Pass

Winter weekends at White Pass Ski Area offer a visually vibrant array of snow-filled fun.

Skiers zip by in bright ski suites, youngsters wobble down shallow slopes as they learn to ski, and picturesque pines and mountainsides surround the lodge.

On Saturday, Jan. 24, three Unleashed photographers bundled up and headed out to capture their unique visions on a day at White Pass.

Davis ESL classes give students tools for their futures

Elvia Ramirez raises her hand in response to a question posed by her teacher, Juli Salatino, during her ESL class at Davis High School on Wed. Nov. 5th, 2008. Photo by Alex Braman of Davis High School.

By COLLEEN FONTANA
UNLEASHED STAFF

Juli Salatino’s third period class is a bit different from her others.
Her portable classroom at Davis High, generally filled with teenagers learning Spanish, is instead occupied by a variety of students working through English verbs and sentence structure.
This is her English as a Second Language, or ESL, class. And, for these non-native English-speakers, it’s extremely important.
“We don’t know anything about this country,” Liliana Saénz says in English, her second language. The 20-year-old native Spanish speaker recently came to the United States from Mexico. “We have a different culture and language, but ESL class helps us to learn more.”
Also speaking in English, her second language, fellow classmate and native Spanish speaker, 21-year-old Adriana Carranza, says the ESL class is important so “we can learn the language and have a better future.”
ESL 3, however, is only one period, leaving five more classes for Saénz and Carranza to tackle in their second language.
“At first, they start with two ESL classes with limited core classes like art and P.E.,” their teacher explains. “Then, they will move into classes that require more cognitive skills, like math, science, and social studies. By ESL 3, though, they are completely mainstreamed.”
Unlike those who are only beginning to learn English words and phrases, students in ESL 3 have mastered the language well enough to engage in conversations. They’re in class to learn how to express more complex thoughts and ideas.
Though classes in English do pose difficulties, ESL students, who range in age from 14 to 21, say they feel like they can ask for help.
“Here’s what I do,” Saénz says. “I go into my class and tell my teacher I am an ESL student, and if I need help on something, I ask them.”
However, when it comes to tests, asking for help isn’t always an option. Washington schools expect every graduating student to take and pass the WASL exam in English, and colleges look seriously at SAT scores, so ESL students can find school and standardized tests very much a challenge.
“The WASL was very difficult,” Saénz says, adding that she believes the SAT will be equally challenging. Between school and work, she says it’s hard to find time to prepare for it.
“The WASL is something that ESL kids can’t compete with mainstream kids at,” says another Davis ESL teacher, Jerry Cole, 50. “It’s frustrating because ESL students have more trouble, and yet they still are expected to pass.”
“They don’t yet have the cognitive academic language proficiency for the WASL,” says Salatino, adding that it takes the average person who learns a second language “seven to 10 years of immersion to have those skills.”
It’s not that these teachers want ESL classes to be excused from higher level test taking; what they want is more time to help students prepare for the test.
“As with any second language, students need time to do well with it,” Cole says.
Despite difficulties, however, many ESL students are coming away with tools for their futures. Helping to set goals and helping students reach those goals is every teacher’s purpose.
“Our number one goal is that our students exit this class with the chance to go to college,” Salatino says. She’s taught ESL for 13 years; Cole, 20 years.
“We are graduating kids who are going on to college,” Cole says. “We do have a great program here at Davis.”
Saénz, who is studying for the SAT, already knows what career she wants to pursue.
“I would like to go to college, and I want to work, but my goal is to study,” she says. “I want to be an ESL teacher because I would like to continue to help people like me.”

— Colleen Fontana is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends Davis High School.

Arturo Jaime watches as his teacher, Juli Salantino, writes students’ answers on the board during an ESL class at Davis High School on Wed. Nov. 5th, 2008. Photo by Alex Braman of Davis High School.

We’re thankful for …

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, some of the Unleashed kids — student reporters, photographers and artists from around the Yakima Valley — are sharing what they’re grateful for this year.
Some are local, like the terraces at Franklin Park. Some are personal, such as banana pancakes with toasted pecans and powdered sugar with steaming hot syrup. And some are universal: Life itself, clean water and food, shelter.
Plus, there are many more.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Jessica Serrano, La Salle High School
• Faith and justice.
• Family and loved ones.
• Diversity.
• Freedom of speech.
• Strawberrries.
• Philanthropy and philanthropists.
• Forgiveness.
• New beginnings.
• Art.
• Life itself.

Lisa Garrigues, Naches Valley High School
• My caring parents.
• My protective older sisters and brother.
• My supportive friends, teammates, teachers and coaches.

Hannah Naughton, Davis High School
• My family’s health.
• Banana pancakes with toasted pecans and powdered sugar with steaming hot syrup.
• My parents’ love.
• My friends.
• My two crazy sisters.

Samantha Knittle, Davis
• Marching band.
• My family.
• The sun and warm weather.
• School (but not homework).
• Clean water and food.
• My friends.
• Free speech.
• My teeth.
• Drum Corp International.
• God.
• Chocolate.
• Swing sets.
• My teachers.

Hannah Kivi, Riverside Christian School
• Freedom of religion.
• My parents.
• My friends.
• My Bible.
• Softball.
• My house.
• My school.
• Unleashed.
• Our country.
• Music.
• My ability to write.
• Gum.

Lety Clark-Olivero, Eisenhower High School
• My parents.
• My siblings.
• Shelter.
• Sustenance.
• My cell phone with its unlimited texting.
• Jesus.
• A healthy body.
• Laughter, life, love and a little dancing mixed in there somewhere.
• My boyfriend.
• My friends.

Kami Cross, Eisenhower
• “One Tree Hill.”
• Starbucks Christmas decorations.
• A car that runs (most of the time).
• Addicting books.
• Cuddling.
• My loving family.
• Thursdays.
• Friends.
• Football games. (And the end of football season.)
• Rainy days.
• Strawberry-pineapple iced teas.
• Musicals.
• Running through the sprinklers at night.
• My bed being right under the heating vent.
• Peacoats.
• Family videos from when I was little.

Georgia Gempler, Davis
• Freedom.
• Education.
• Family.
• Animals.
• Shelter.
• Opportunity.
• Books.
• Technology.
• Snow.
• Music.
• Artistic expression.
• Free time.
• Movies.

Loren Button, Riverside Christian
• Jesus.
• My parents.
• My home.
• My friends.
• “Guitar Hero: World Tour.”
• Being a senior in high school!

Colleen Fontana, Davis
Long books and warm blankets on cold rainy afternoons. Music and iPods and singing loudly in the shower. Friends to understand me and parents to confide in. Sisters to cry to and brothers to make me laugh. Raspberry peach iced teas from Lincoln Avenue Espresso and blue Papermate pens.
Warm winter coats and old furry boots. Moleskine planners from Inklings Bookshop and sledding down the terraces at Franklin Park. Stick shifts and curly hair and laughter and bright pink nail polish. My camera, Benji, and pony tail holders.
Summer thunder storms and the smell of the rain afterward. Games of kick the can and lap tag. Volleyballs and pianos and coffee. Thank goodness for coffee, and the roof over my head and the God over my roof and this life with which I have been blessed.

Sean Nagle-McNaughton, Davis
• Books.
• Music.
• Friends.
• Parents.
• Brothers.
• Kindness.
• Knowledge.
• Challenges.
• Grandparents.
• Conversations.
• Peace and quiet.
• Those who help others.
• Nature.
• Happiness.
• The whooshing sound of deadlines going by (just kidding).
• The world I live in.

Janessa Mains, Eisenhower
• My family.
• My friends.
• My camera.
• Knowledge.
• Books.
• My cat George.

• Animé.
• Gay pride.
• Music.

Hannah Besso, Davis
• A supportive family.
• Loyal friends.
• Laughter.
• Sports.
• Music.
• Weekends.
• Summer.
• Good food.
• Snow.
• Sleep.

Libby Young, La Salle
• God.
• My family.
• My friends.
• My school.
• Church.
• My cats.
• My teachers.
• Life.
• Dance.
• Vacations.
• Books.
• Freedom.
• My iPod.
• My cell phone.

Kacie Cross, Eisenhower
• God.
• My parents.
• My sisters and brother.
• My friends.
• Boys.
• Music.
• Dancing.
• Paper.
• Air.
• Elephant Ears.
• Food.
• Eyes.
• Hands.
• Computers.
• Telephones.
• Movies.
• “One Tree Hill.”
• Books.
• The saying, “If you don’t like something, change it; if you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
• Tennis.
• Musicals.
• Makeup.
• Showers.
• The color blue.
• Rain.
• Relationships.
• Life.
• Love.
• Laughter.

James Hibbs, Davis
• Books.
• The Davis High School library and its librarians. They keep it open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday to help kids study.
• Doug Johnson and Avid.
• Food.
• My siblings.
• My parents.
• Kenneth Capp and epistemology as manifested in “Theory of Knowledge.”

Alex Braman, Davis
• Davis High School.
• My friends (We make Davis fun).
• My iPod (I take it everywhere).
• My camera (I want to take it everywhere).
• My family (They raised me how I am today).

Jasmine Okbinoglu, Eisenhower
• My family and friends.
• Music.
• Books.
• Food.
• Tennis.
• Laughter.
• Summer.
• Swimming.
• Movies.
• Art.
• Nature.
• Candy.

Jessica Cummings, Bickleton High School
• God.
• My loving family.
• My church.
• My fellow believers.
• My friends.
• My gifts and talents.
• My country.

Alyssa Patrick, Eisenhower
• John Mayer’s lyrics and musical talents.
• Sunday nights, squished on the couch between my mom and sister, watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”
• My brother.
• Authors who lace so much into each sentence that my mind never has to stop unraveling new clues.
• Jim and Pam. Always. If the writers on “The Office” break them up, I will have a nervous breakdown.
• Rachel’s Challenge, Leadership Camp and Invisible Children.
• Mango ice cream.
• “Benny and Joon.”
• My family.
• Teachers who never stop teaching the way they believe they should teach, even when some of their students don’t give them that effort in return.
• Broadway.
• Ike’s Little Theater.
• My car, its CD player, and 20-minute drives at the end of long days.
• My bed.
• My physical health, so I can dance.
• My opportunity to go to college.

— Want to see more artwork by artist Samantha Knittle? The Davis High School senior has an online portfolio. To check it out, visit http://samanthaknittle1.tripod.com.

Sarah Palin: Is She Really Ready?

By ALEX BRAMAN
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL

Presidential candidate John McCain wanted a fresh perspective in the White House. But is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin too young and inexperienced?
Her foreign policy experience is limited to her state’s proximity to Russia and Canada. When asked recently by CBS news anchor Katie Couric to explain why being close to these two countries enhanced her foreign policy experience, she replied, “Well, it certainly does because our, our next-door neighbors are foreign countries. They’re in the state that I am the executive of.”
When Couric asked whether Palin has ever been involved in any negotiations with, for example, with the Russians, she replied:
“We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.”
It sounds like she has no idea what she is talking about.
Palin lacks the ability to effectively communicate her ideas. When asked questions of which the answers haven’t yet been rehearsed, she stammers and tries to change the focus of the question.
I would like the vice president of my country to be able to tell me what she thinks on an issue — not just change the subject to a topic she thinks she’s better at talking about.
The vice president is one step away from becoming, or acting at a moment’s notice as, the president of the United States and the commander-in-chief of this country’s armed forces.
Is Palin really ready to be vice president?
Could she handle the job of president?
McCain’s age — 72 — requires us to consider the possibility that Palin could become our president if the McCain-Palin ticket is elected on Nov. 4.
To me, Palin’s lack of foreign policy experience and her inability to communicate effectively to America are just a couple of her many flaws that should disqualify her.

— Alex Braman is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. He attends Davis High School.

The Last Day of Summer

Raihei Sato, 14, and Aaron Pualani, 14, enjoy their last day of summer Aug. 26 at Yakima’s Franklin Park. They went back to school at Davis High School the next day. Photo by ALEX BRAMAN/ Davis High School

Yakima Farmers Market Photo Essay by Alex Braman

Unleashed photographer Alex Braman, a freshman at Davis High School, recently made a trip to the Yakima Farmers Market. Check out his first Unleashed photo essay here. Click thumbnail to enlarge photo.

John Smestad plays guitar during a recent Yakima Farmers Market. The market offers a place to buy fresh fruit and vegetables — among other Read more