Georgia Gempler goes to the Olympics

When my dad told me we were going to the Olympics, my first reaction was utter disbelief.
We had talked about entering the ticket lotteries in the late summer of 2008. But back then the games were so far off that I forgot about them for a while.
About a year later, last summer, my dad learned we had gotten tickets. And my expectations were sky high. I couldn’t wait to go.
My family and I left Yakima the Friday night of Presidents Day weekend, driving to Bellingham to stay with a family friend.
The next morning we all left for Whistler, British Columbia, where the alpine and Nordic skiing, luge, ski jumping, skeleton and bobsled events were being held.
After getting there and riding up the smaller of the two gondolas, we learned the women’s alpine skiing event had been postponed. Severely disappointed, we decided to ski around Whistler ourselves in the rain.
Even though the Olympics were going on, the ski area was still running in full force. Whistler is a huge ski area, and the actual Olympic events take up relatively little room.

The concept of skiing and doing the same sport as the professionals competing at the Olympics was interesting to think about.
On the way to Whistler, I kept hoping I wouldn’t crash or do anything embarrassing while I was there. Messing up in front of the best athletes in the world would probably be among the most embarrassing moments of my life.
I kept thinking that even if the athletes didn’t see me, everyone else would look at my skiing and compare me to the professionals. Luckily, none of that happened.
In fact, there was a lot of camaraderie among the skiers and snowboarders. People were there simply to have a good time and watch some of the most amazing athletes in the world.
After getting down the mountain, we watched the end of the ski jumping competition on the giant television in Whistler Village.

When it was announced the Swiss athlete Simon Ammann had won the gold, every Swiss person in the vicinity cheered. Every country had a “house” — a place where people from that country could talk and where souvenirs were sold — and that night they had a big celebration at the Swiss house in the village.
The next day, we were disappointed yet again when it became clear the men’s alpine ski event was also being postponed. Luckily, we were able to score some luge tickets, so we went to see the men’s singles luge event.
This was my first experience at an Olympic event. It was some of the most extreme crowd spirit I have ever experienced. The crowd was enthusiastic for every single competitor. Even if they were from a different country, it was simply a joy for everyone there to see the best athletes in the world at top form.
However, seeing as the Olympics are in Canada, every Canadian luger was cheered ecstatically. Cowbells and flags and whistles and shows of support of every kind were displayed as the Canadian team whipped by in the blink of an eye.

In my opinion, that was one of the best parts of actually being there: Getting to experience and feel the support that a host country gives its team. There is nothing like being a part of all that supportive energy.
While we were at the luge, we got to see the flower ceremony, which acknowledged the winners right after the race at the racing venue. They are given bouquets of flowers and get to stand on podiums, just like in the medal ceremony, which happens later in a separate arena.
Tons of people crammed into a tiny arena or on the sidewalk, where we were, to see the winners stand on the podium and receive recognition. It was great to be able to see the athletes up close and see their own excitement in person.
My favorite part of the ceremony was when the bronze and silver medal winners lifted the gold medalist, Felix Loch, onto their shoulders and then all three proceeded to wave and smile at the crowd. That kind of happiness for someone who has just beaten you for the most prestigious athletic award around is something I find truly wonderful.

Experiencing the Olympics live is definitely not the same as watching it on TV. This fact was solidified for me the next day, Monday, when we finally got to see the men’s alpine event. We skied to the viewing area very early so we could get a good spot. We were right up against the fence, and our view was spectacular.
As more and more people started to show up, the excitement and energy grew. We were eager to watch. Finally, the first athlete started down the course. On television, it is possible to see every little detail of what is happening to the skier. But in person, the best glimpse you have is a fleeting moment of wonder.
From our position in the viewing area, we could see the start of the race and the first few major curves. The last thing we saw each time was the athletes landing a spectacular jump and speeding away. It was exhilarating, especially when Bode Miller’s turn came. Every American there screamed and cheered their hearts out when he came whizzing past.

Some people even started a chant a full five minutes before he actually started. Although it didn’t quite measure up to the support the Canadian team received, it was still nice to hear that much American spirit.
The rest of the day consisted of skiing around Whistler and doing some nice powder runs. Later, we wandered around Whistler Village for a few final hours before leaving for home.

— Georgia Gempler is a sophomore at Davis High School and a member of the Herald-Republic’s Unleashed journalism program for high school students.

‘The Answer Man’

Unlike the many other movies highlighting the difficult lives of the high and mighty stars and politicians of our time, Jeff Daniels’ and Lauren Graham’s movie, “The Answer Man,” recently released on DVD, explores the subject on a deeper and slightly more disturbing level.
Jeff Daniels plays Arlen Faber, the man who knows everything about God. After writing the biggest religious bestseller and cornering 10 percent of the religious book market, he’s one of the most beloved — and elusive — authors of modern times.
Bitter, frustrated and definitely not a people person, he hides from the world, fearful that if people somehow get close to him, they will find out it’s all a lie: he doesn’t really know everything.
Lauren Graham is Elizabeth Danson, a young chiropractor opening her own practice. As a single mom, she’s under tremendous pressure to succeed for the sake of her son. Understandably a worrier, she struggles to find a means of balance in her personal life as she provides kindness and stability for others.
One of the most interesting aspects of “The Answer Man” is the way all the supporting characters are included to show the personalities of Arlen and Elizabeth. One such character, a recovering alcoholic named Kris, brings out the best and the worst of the pair.
Kris (Lou Taylor Pucci) is the typical movie character interpretation of a guy with problems. When he first meets Arlen, the two clash, demonstrating the horrific extent of Arlen’s behavior. But, as they interact more and more, Arlen improves, realizing that he does appreciate others’ friendship.
With Elizabeth, Kris can open up. She possesses that certain quality that allows people to relax and to feel better, a natural mom’s gift.
Elizabeth also forces Arlen to take a good look at himself and how he treats other people by showing him that people can accept who you truly are.
Arlen, in turn, gives Elizabeth some assurance that what she is doing with her life is right and that she can relax. Through his terrific insight into others’ problems and answers that just make sense, his relationships with everyone he meets could be much better, if only he would let them.
“The Answer Man” is one of the few movies that I have seen in a long time that actually made me laugh and cringe with appreciation. Jeff Daniels plays his bitter, unfriendly character to a tee, managing to make Arlen Faber a likable mess.
For me, his performance was the best part of the movie, as his transformation was realistic, unlike so many movies today. Other similar films — such as “Notting Hill” with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts — portray celebrities as troubled, but often create a dreamlike tone, as if falling in love with a superstar doesn’t also involve pain on some levels.
But “The Answer Man” does. The film highlights the struggles of Arlen and Elizabeth and makes them realistic. Despite a slightly overused plot line, “The Answer Man” is one of the most refreshing movies I have seen in a long time.

— Georgia Gempler is a sophomore at Davis High School and a member of the Herald-Republic’s Unleashed journalism program for students.

Taking the bus route

By GEORGIA GEMPLER
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL
At the bus stop outside Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center — not too far from Davis High School — students wait for their ride.
One, a 17-year-old Davis junior, stands in the forming crowd. The group is quiet on this recent afternoon, and Ahmad Yaghmour stands alone.

He usually doesn’t do much while he’s waiting. Sometimes, though, he reviews vocabulary for English class or tests like the SAT. He also studies while he’s on the bus.
“I get to study for vocab instead of having my hands on the wheel while driving, or whatever,” he says.
The No. 2 Yakima Transit bus, which stops near the hospital and high school at 2:49 p.m. Monday through Saturday, is crowded and hot as Yaghmour steps aboard. Most of the seats are taken, so he stands up front, next to the driver.
Yaghmour lives about two miles from school, and usually takes the bus both ways about three days a week.
He says he rides the bus because it picks him up and drops him off near his house. It’s convenient, he says. And, sometimes, he just doesn’t have the gas.
“I ride the bus to save gas, as a study time, and to talk to friends,” he says.

Free Yakima Transit bus passes are available to students through their schools, and are paid for by the Yakima School District.
According to Alta Micone, director of transportation for the school district, about 540 passes are given to students each month. At $12 per youth pass, that’s about $6,480 worth of passes per month or $58,320 per year.
Micone says the district offers this option because it saves money.
“With high school kids, we can only get 48 into a school bus,” she says.
Instead of providing school bus routes for all high school students, the district saves money by purchasing the transit passes, Micone said.

Most bus passes go to students at Eisenhower and Davis high schools. On average, according to Micone, about 190 passes per month go to Ike and 185 go to Davis. Another 130 go to Stanton Academy, the Yakima School District’s alternative high school. And another 80 go to the Yakima School of the Arts.
Students from Yakima Valley Technical Skills Center also use youth bus passes.

Claudia Pineda and Veronica Palomares, both 14 and freshmen at Davis, ride the bus to get from home to school and back. On this particular ride, they are surrounded by their friends.
Pineda, sitting in the front of the bus, says she likes that its temperature is “warm in the winter and really fresh in the summer.”
Palomares says she usually looks out the window and sends text messages while she rides the bus. Pineda says she listens to music and does homework.
“Yeah, right!” exclaim three of her friends, sitting next to her on the bus. They laugh, and Pineda replies, “Well, it’s the truth!”

Palomares has been riding the bus for two years, while Pineda has been riding the bus for five.
The driver of the No. 2 on this particular run is 67-year-old Dick Hernandez. He says he usually transports about 300 students after school. He also says Wednesday is his busiest day for driving students.
It depends on the stop. But Hernandez says he can pick up around 20 to 30 students at a time. He also says he enjoys his job. Driving students is “my pleasure, really.”
Usually, the students who ride his bus are well-behaved.
“They’re great,” Hernandez says. “They’re pretty happy kids.”
In fact, he says students are one of the reasons he chose this route. And he’s had the same route for 12 years.
“It’s a busy route, and I enjoy driving, and I enjoy meeting people,” he says.
If riders do get rowdy or use profane language on his bus, he’ll give them a warning.
“If they continue doing it, they’re asked to leave the bus, Hernandez says, adding that his strategy is simple: “You work with me and I’ll work with you.”

Darrylynn Reid, an 18-year-old freshman at Yakima Valley Community College, has been riding the bus for about three years, starting when she was a junior at Davis.
Now, she takes the bus every weekday to and from college. While on the bus, she says, “I text a lot. Sometimes I read, but I text a lot.”
She also enjoys the ride: “It gives me time to think. I just sit here and relax.”

While hundreds of students use the city bus system for transportation, the Yakima School District’s transportation system is also heavily utilized.
According to Micone, approximately 1,500 high school students in the school district use the school bus every day.
Elvira Zuniga, assistant registrar at Davis, says all Yakima students who live within a mile of a school bus stop can ride the school bus. Those who live within a mile of their schools, though, need to find their own transportation — whether that’s walking to and from school, carpooling, driving themselves, or getting a ride from parents or friends.
Back on the No. 2 bus, Yaghmour is preparing to disembark.
The bus has been steadily emptying. Yaghmour exits the bus at the stop on 22nd Avenue and Tieton Drive. As he begins to walk the rest of the way home, the No. 2 pulls away, off to deliver other students and passengers to their destinations.

• Georgia Gempler is a sophomore at Davis High School and a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed journalism program for students.

Working: ski lift operators

By GEORGIA GEMPLER
UNLEASHED STAFF
WHITE PASS — Thaddeus Doolin has worked in restaurants, landscaping, a blueberry field and a casino. In the summers, he works construction.
For the past two winters, he’s worked as a lift operator at the White Pass Ski Area, commuting from Mossyrock, about an hour away.
“If I lived a little closer, it would just be the best job in the world,” he says.
The 22-year-old loves his job supervising the triple chairlift, which seats three people.
“You definitely have to be alert at this job,” he said.
Doolin’s scheduled work hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. He usually arrives at the ski area about 7 or 7:30 a.m.
The busy wintertime season means he works holidays, but Doolin says there are fringe benefits. Employees get discounts on gear and food, and they ski for free. They also can participate in a ski exchange program that allows them to ski at different areas for free.
According to Cameron Bodine, lift operations manager, the starting wage at White Pass is $8.75 per hour. Doolin said he got a raise this year, up from the $9 per hour he earned last year.
“I am able to pay my bills and take care of my kid, really,” he said.
Doolin particularly enjoys watching people use the platter, which tows skiers on the bunny slope. It’s used by people of all ages who are just learning to ski and snowboard.
“The platter is my favorite place to go,” Doolin said, adding there’s no better feeling than watching kids become confident on skis and snowboards.
When asked what he loves about his job, he said, “The kids, the people, mingling. I like to see ’em leave with a smile,” he said of White Pass patrons.
According to Doolin, a good day on the job is any day when there is more than 8 inches of new snow: “As long as it’s not icy, it’s a good day for me.”
Icy days are the worst, he says, but so are times when the weather is lousy and the area has to shut down.
Bodine, 29, said his best days come in the middle of the week in early spring, when it’s sunny and warm and he can work in a T-shirt.
Kevin Rink, 19, is in his first season on the job. The 2008 Eisenhower High School graduate started in December. He plans to keep working at White Pass “as long as I’m living in Yakima.”
His worst day on the job so far? The day the quad lift’s engine stopped working. The lift had to run on diesel fuel, making it slower and causing long lines.
Like Rink, 23-year-old lift operator Chris Wolfe plans to keep working at White Pass “as long as I can.” He’s in his second season.
“It’ll always be something that I think about coming back to,” he said. “This job means fun. I look forward to coming to work.”
Even though Doolin is interested in someday going back to school, he’s not planning to leave his White Pass job anytime soon. One of his goals is to join the ski patrol.

• Georgia Gempler is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends Davis High School.

Remembering Randall Marquis

By GEORGIA GEMPLER and SEAN NAGLE-MCNAUGHTON
UNLEASHED STAFF
In every hero story, there is a person who has done everything and is willing to teach you what they have learned.
For nine years at Discovery Lab School, the hero was Randall Marquis.
The former district judge taught young actors all he knew about acting and theater. He volunteered his time from 2000 until his death on Dec. 16, 2008. He was 82.
Marquis was a man of many talents.
And we were surprised when we saw his obituary. We had seen him as this energetic old man who would not stop for anything. During our time under his direction, he showed us how do a myriad of things: how to act blind drunk, how to be scared by invisible monsters, how to be in love, act regal, and above all, to keep the show moving.
If he did not like our interpretations, he would leap up and go through the motions himself amazing us as well as our fellow actors with his skill and articulation.
A Discovery Lab School player, 14-year-old Ben Hohman, agrees: “He was a natural. He put himself in your place. He could do it exactly as he wanted.”
Other young thespians say Marquis taught them how to stage laugh realistically, or do the stage kiss, which is very difficult for middle school students.
Under his guidance — with help from 46-year-old Discovery Lab teacher Irene Smith — the Discovery Lab School Players have put on many plays, starting with “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand and ending with “Comedy of Errors,” “Twelfth Night,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” “Merchant of Venice,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Julius Caesar” and “The Tempest” — all by William Shakespeare.
DLSP cannot pay for costumes; all are donated. And the entrance fee to a DLSP play, performed at the A.C. Davis High School auditorium, is a canned food donation to Northwest Harvest.
The entire DLSP acting program is volunteer-based; actor and director alike complete the plays on their own time. In all, Marquis put in more than 1,000 hours of community service.
In the aftermath of the director’s death, DLSP plays have gone on. Now, Smith and her daughter, 17-year-old Elizabeth Smith, a senior at Davis, direct them. But Marquis is missed.
“I miss floating ideas past him, counting on his ability to make the right choices in casting, laughing with him at the humor, and turning the direction over to his vast expertise,” Irene Smith says.
Her daughter says Marquis had been “grooming” her for the part of director. She participated in six productions that Marquis directed and was part of the stage crew after she left for high school.
Hohman says Marquis had a sort of air of calm about him. Another actor, Kathryn Moore, says, “The play this year is lonely. Somehow, there’s always something missing in a scene.”
It seems that everyone Marquis directed misses him. It also seems like every time we saw him near the end he became more frail and shaky. And still, every day there was play practice, he would turn up, ready to go.
Marquis truly enjoyed being there, directing the play and making us all better actors. He taught us the “QFC” concept: quiet on the set, focus, and cues.
Quiet on the set was extremely important with middle school students, and Marquis would shout it every time a new scene started. Focus meant you had to remember your lines, pay attention to what you were doing, and stay in character.
But cues were probably his favorite part of the saying. Marquis was adamant about actors remembering their cues. He got very irritable if anyone missed a cue. And, of course, it happened to us numerous times.
Marquis is — and will continue to be — sorely missed by all who knew him. As he himself used to say, “The play must go on.” And so must our lives, without his exceptional leadership.

• Georgia Gempler and Sean Nagle-McNaughton are members of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. They attend Davis High School.

Fresh Faces: Sabrina Clark

Name: Sabrina Clark
School/year in school/age: Davis, freshman, 14.
Activities/hobbies/clubs: I was in the follies, and I like to sing, dance, act.
Favorite foods: A sandwich from Subway.
Favorite movies: “She’s the Man,” “Eagle Eye,” “The Secret Life of Bees.”
Favorite books: Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and Caroline B. Cooney.
Favorite music, musician, or band: The Jonas Brothers and John Legend.
Most treasured possession: My keyboard, because without music I don’t think I could live. The world would be colorless.
Favorite place to go in your hometown: Borders, because I can listen to music all day long.
Which person do you admire most and why? Besides family members, Nick Jonas because of his diabetes. It’s really hard having a condition like that, plus taking it on the road.
What would you do with $1 million? I would pay off any debt that my family has and then buy a new house for my parents and grandparents. After that, I would share the money with my family.
Three words to describe yourself: Funny, awesome, sweet.
What is your greatest achievement? Getting to go to Olympia to work as a page for the government.
Worst fear: To not get a scholarship to college.
Greatest wish: For the economy to get better so that we can live our lives a little bit better.
When and where were you the happiest? When I found out that I got to go to Olympia to be a page for the government. I am also most happiest in Seattle.
Where and how do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself having a decent job after college. Something like a lawyer or some type of businesswoman.
— Georgia Gempler, Davis High School

Copyrighted material belongs to someone

By GEORGIA GEMPLER
UNLEASHED STAFF
Have you ever watched a movie on YouTube?
Recently, I learned it’s possible to watch entire movies on YouTube. Then, I began wondering if putting entire movies on YouTube is legal.
I know there are a lot of media piraters out there, and every once in a while I hear about a new site with free videos. But there always seems to be that underlying question of legality.
On YouTube’s Frequently Asked Questions page, it states: “We prohibit users from uploading infringing material and we cooperate with copyright holders to identify and promptly remove infringing content.”
So what is infringing content?
In relation to movies and videos, the copyright entry in the community guidelines on YouTube states: “If you’ve recorded something from a DVD, videotaped your TV screen, or downloaded a video online, don’t post it unless you have permission.”
This, from my own interpretation, means if you record a movie from a TV program, you cannot post it on YouTube without the copyright owner’s permission.
But how do you — and YouTube for that matter — know if a video has been posted legally with permission from the copyright owner?
YouTube says on its FAQ page: “We don’t control the content on our site. Our users post the content on YouTube — including videos, comments, and ratings. Our community guidelines and clear messaging on the site make it clear that users must own or have permission from copyright holders to post any videos.”
To me, this means that we, as the YouTube users, can’t be positively sure that all the postings on the Web site are legal.
This brings us to the real dilemma of watching movies on YouTube.
On one hand, watching movies online can be a great way to access movies you aren’t able to find where you live. It also saves you the trouble of having to buy or rent a movie, or pay to see it in theaters. It’s convenient.
But, if you were not completely sure if a movie was used with permission, would you watch it anyway? And does it really matter if all you do is watch it?
According to section 107 of chapter 1 of the Copyright Law of the United States of America — which can be found at www.copyright.gov — fair use is determined by the:
• “purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes.”
• “nature of the copyrighted work.”
• “amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.”
• “effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.”
In relation to films online, the last item seems most relevant. Putting a movie online enables countless people to view it without having to pay for the privilege to do so. A film would lose enormous amounts of its profit if eager viewers found ways around paying to see it.
But on another point, section 107 also states “ … the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.”
Does this mean that viewing a video for teaching purposes — even if it was illegally downloaded and protected by a copyright — wouldn’t be against the law?
Even with the excuse of educational purposes or any other mentioned in section 107, a viewer could still be costing the film creator well deserved profit.
You, as the YouTube user, must decide what you think is right. The bottom line either way is: copyrighted material belongs to someone.

• Georgia Gempler is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends Davis High School.

Davis High School library welcomes community members

By GEORGIA GEMPLER
UNLEASHED STAFF
Noise. It’s one thing you wouldn’t expect to find in a library.
Yet, at the Davis High School Library and Media Center, noise is the essence of a day-to-day operation. The library, says Lynne Greene, the director of the library media center, has the “atmosphere of planning for our futures.”
And it offers much more than books.

Student, teacher and Yakima Valley Community College tutors are available. So are approximately 75 online computers as well as computer support in English and Spanish.
The library also offers free proofreading and help with scholarships, résumés, business letters, and college and job applications. There are meeting areas, study tables, Microsoft Office and Graphic Analysis programs, and SAT prep classes.
Oh, and there are books, too.
“I always am impressed when I go into the library,” says Davis High School principal Ben Ramirez. “It’s busy,” he says. “Kids are working.”
It’s a place, he says, “where kids can meet and engage academically with each other.”
The library’s hours set it apart from other facilities on the Davis campus. Open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, as well as from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, the library is available to students, as well as community members. That includes adults and students from other schools.
In fact, students from as far away as White Swan and Sunnyside have been known to use the Davis High School Library and Media Center. Up to 20 percent of the people in the library on a regular basis are from other schools or the community.
Greene, who’s in her 60s, began working at the library in 1983. She had a dream that students would have access to online computers and classes. Working with a reading teacher from Davis, she got the Yakima School District to fund a computer lab. A local Rotary Club also contributed to the cause.
The project started with volunteer tutors. Then, Greene got a grant to get funding so the center could be opened to the public, with supervisors and tutors available well into the evening. The city of Yakima contributed nearly $17,000 for the 2003-2004 school year. The Yakima Valley Community Foundation gave about $14,000 in 2005.
When the grant ran out, the school district allowed the library to continue its extended hours. Currently, the library is funded by several partnerships and grants. Other schools, such as Perry Technical Institute, Yakima Valley Community College and Heritage University support the library, as does 21st Century Learning, a federal program that funds after-school programs.
Giovanny Castro, a 14-year-old freshman at Davis, says he uses the library every day for a “means of reading.” He also goes to the library about once a month to work on projects and use the computers.
He says the library is a great place to find resources as well as to relax. It’s “a very calming place to mostly read.”
Davis senior Chris Parrish, 18, says he’s met students from Naches Valley and West Valley schools in the Davis library, and Kenneth Capp, a math and philosophy teacher at Davis, says he’s also seen students from Eisenhower, Selah and YVCC in the Davis library.
Capp is one of four Davis teachers who work in the library. He points out that most universities have libraries that are open all day, every day.
“I love that model,” says Capp, 55, who is in the high school library four to six hours a day after school. He has also gone in on weekends, mostly to help students with math.
Four staff members run the center. The library also employs 22 student tutors who work two to four hours a day, as well as teacher tutors. Tutors from YVCC help out through a work-study program.
About 200 books are circulated every day. And anywhere from 100 to nearly 200 people use the library after school lets out.
However, many community members don’t know the Davis library is there for them, Ramirez says.
The library is regularly mentioned in the Davis newsletter, and there’s a sign outside the building. But the principal says he wants to get more information about the library to the public.
That way, even more people might take advantages of its resources.

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

Inauguration will bring change

By GEORGIA GEMPLER
UNLEASHED STAFF
Throughout the recent presidential election, “change” was on people’s minds and in their conversations.
It was a big part of the campaigns of both President-elect Barack Obama and his opponent, Sen. John McCain.
As we head closer to the Jan. 20 inauguration, though, the world seems to have moved on a bit from the hype of the months leading up to the election.
The candidates are no longer the main topic of discussion. People seem to be waiting for President George W. Bush’s term to end so that America can move on and we can see whether we elected the right person to make a difference.
As the inauguration comes closer, I’m reminded of the post-election night discussion at my church. Nov. 5, the Rev. Alex Holt, the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Yakima, hosted a meeting to talk about the outcome of the election and what it might mean for the future of our country.
Many topics were brought up by the small group. We talked about everything from the candidates’ speeches and accepting other people’s opinions to the role of race in the election and Obama’s effect at international gatherings.
And while “change” seems to have been elected the word of the year, a recurring topic in Holt’s meeting was the past.
Participants compared Obama to such presidents as Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon B. Johnson and heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr. They also compared Obama’s current situation to the political and social climate of the 1960s.
But, I wondered, if this election was about change, then why were we comparing the present and future to the past?
As I listened to the comments and pondered them after the meeting, I began to think about some of the changes that have occurred in the history of the United States.
Racial issues, gender roles and major economic changes are a huge part of our county’s history, and they were deciding factors — if not always welcome ones — in the recent election.
The close relation our present time has shown with the past puts into context the kind of change that our country really needs.
We need a leader who can make our country a better place, a person who can be looked up to and seen as being one with the people of our country, someone who is able to make wise choices and difficult decisions.
Barack Obama is expected to be that kind of leader.
He has been compared to many great leaders and revolutionaries who have brought about change that has deeply affected the United States of America and the world.
Maybe what we need now is not a new kind of change, but a change that has already happened and needs to happen again.

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

Fresh Faces: Jesse Clark

Name: Jesse Clark
School/year in school/age: Davis High School, freshman, 14.
Activities/Hobbies/Clubs: Chess and chemistry.
Favorite food: “I have redefined omnivore.”
Favorite movies: “Wayne ’s World Two,” and “Across the Universe.”
Favorite books/writers: The Rangers Apprentice series by John Flanagan, the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini, and the Lionboy series by Zizou Corder.
Favorite music, musicians, or bands: Tears for Fears, and The Beatles.
What is your most treasured possession? My chess trophies.
What’s your favorite place to go in your hometown? The Unitarian Universalist Church of Yakima.
Which person do you most admire and why? Benjamin Franklin, because he was a great scientist and politician.
What would you do with $1 million? Save it so I can go to MIT.
Three words to describe yourself: Honorable, silly, intelligent.
What is your greatest achievement? Tying at the Eastern Washington Chess Championship in 4th grade.
Worst fear: Ignorance.
Greatest wish: Open borders.
When and where were you the happiest? On a boogie board at Vancouver Island.
Where and how do you see yourself in 10 years? Working as a chemist or working on a Ph.D. in chemistry.

— Georgia Gempler, Davis High School

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