Fresh Faces: Ilse Montes de Oca

Name: Ilse Montes de Oca
School/year in school/age: Davis, senior, 17.
Birthdate: 04-25-91
Activities/hobbies/clubs: Interact Club, MEChA, FCCLA, Link Crew, tennis, Relay for Life, volleyball, Children’s Village mentor.
Favorite food: Chinese.
Favorite movies: Comedy or action.
Favorite books: The Lemony Snicket series.
Favorite music, musicians or bands: All kinds.
What is your most treasured possession? My parents.
What’s your favorite place to go in your hometown? TJ Maxx.
Which person do you most admire and why? My mom, we’ve lived through some really hard experiences.
What would you do with $1 million? Lots of things.
Three words to describe yourself: Spiritual, caring, strong.
What is your greatest achievement? Loving life with all its ups and downs.
Worst fear: Losing my family.
Greatest wish: Making all my dreams come true.
When and where were you the happiest? Anywhere as long as my family is happy.
Where and how do you see yourself in 10 years? Hopefully, in medical school and married.
— Jessica Serrano, La Salle High School

Almost as good as the book: “Twilight” fans give their take on the much anticipated movie

By JESSICA SERRANO
UNLEASHED STAFF

It was a murky, chilly Thursday night.
As I approached my destination at exactly 10:30 p.m., I saw a massive line wrapped around the perimeter of Yakima Cinema on North Sixteenth Avenue.
The movie — the teen vampire film “Twilight,” based on the book by Stephanie Meyer — wasn’t scheduled to start until 12:05 a.m., technically Friday morning. So I figured I had some time to question some of the anxious Twilighters around me.
Carrie Darrett, 48, and her daughter Lauren, a 17-year-old junior at Selah High School, were waiting for the film to start along with a crowd of other excited fans.
“I just hope that they don’t leave off the important parts, like the meadow scene, because that scene is the pivotal point of the story,” Lauren said.
To her, that’s the point in which Edward decides whether he’s going to convert Bella into a vampire, like him.
Lauren’s mom had bought the book for her daughter to spark some interest in reading. Sure enough, it worked like a charm. Soon, Lauren couldn’t put the book down. Her mom became hooked, too.
“I love all the books and the romance, and I don’t expect the movie to be the same, but I’ll see it with an open mind,” Carrie Darrett said.
The mother-daughter duo waited in line with anticipation for an hour and a half for the film, which opened Nov. 21.
It took in a reported $70.55 million that first weekend. And a sequel is reportedly already in the works: “New Moon,” based on the second book in the series.
Meantime, “Twilight” is a Romeo and Juliet tragic love story with a vampire twist. The two protagonists are Edward Cullen, played wonderfully by the stunning Robert Pattinson, and his love interest, Bella Swan, played by Kristin Stewart.
The cast accurately portrayed the characters from the book; they had the looks and the persona. But they fell short when it came to emotion and feeling. On a scale of one to five, I’d give it a three.
La Salle High School senior Sarah Palacios said she felt a little let down by the film. 
“As for justifying the book, no, I don’t think it did,” she said. “I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love the movie either. I’m going to watch it a couple of more times and make it grow on me because the scenes that were good were really good, and I love anything ‘Twilight’ related.”
But you don’t have to read the book — or the other three in the series — to enjoy the movie. Patrick Smith, a 17-year-old senior at Eisenhower High School, gave the movie an eight out of 10.
Although he said he didn’t read the book, he praised the movie, particularly the scene in which Edward brings Bella, the fragile human, to meet his blood-thirsty family. The scene is humorous and tense.
Dr. Carlisle Cullen, Edward’s adopted father, played by actor Peter Facinelli, was Smith’s favorite.
“My favorite character was the doctor Cullen because his acting really did bring the character to life,” he said.

— Jessica Serrano is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends La Salle 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.

What’s Too Old for Trick-or-Treating?

By JESSICA SERRANO
UNLEASHED STAFF

The aroma of sugar and chocolate and other goodies is in the air.
Halloween is near. So is the thrill of trick-or-treating and the sugar high from all the free candy.
The holiday is heavily marketed for young people. But adults as well as kids enjoy Halloween, the orange-and-black decorations and haunted houses, dressing up in costume, and of course all the candy.
Are people ever too old to trick-or-treat?
Javier Estrada, an 18-year-old freshman at Heritage University in Toppenish, thinks not.
“There is no age limit to go trick-or-treating,” he says.
For Estrada, the meaning of Halloween lies in the candy and the frightfulness that goes along with the holiday.
“Halloween is that one time of the year that people from all age ranges can get scared over nothing and it gives everyone the chance to be daunting pseudo monsters,” he says.
Estrada is in college and still goes trick-or-treating.
“Without the candy there is no Halloween,” he says.
But he also says it’s for more than just the free candy. He also says it’s for the anticipation that someone will scare the living daylights out of him, just to make things that much more fun and spontaneous.
When pressed, though, he narrows down the appropriate age range of trick-or-treaters from “1 to 30, mostly because I don’t think a lot of older people would enjoy running outside in cold weather, unless they have kids, or have the spirit of a child.”
Others believe trick-or-treating is strictly for kids.
“I think trick-or-treating is definitely meant more for children,” says 17-year-old Julia Riel, a junior at La Salle High School. In fact, “It gets less exciting for me every year.”
Hayden Messer, 18 and a senior at West Valley High School, says he believes it’s meant for children.
“Halloween is kind of pointless to me, but it’s a pretty fun holiday,” he says.
Then there are teens who use trick-or-treating as an opportunity to release their inner child.
“Little kids get to be their favorite hero and teens get a reason to be wacky and uncool for a night without being judged by anyone. And you get free candy!” says 16-year-old April Purcell, a junior at Eisenhower High School.
She says she takes Halloween as an opportunity to liberate her funky side. But she also says she feels trick-or-treating is geared toward younger kids.
Anthony Perez, 16 and a junior at Ike, says he goes trick-or-treating simply to see people’s reaction. Sometimes they laugh; other times they just get irritated, he says.
“I am constantly told that I am too old to be dressing up and going out, but I can’t help it. I’m a child at heart,” he says. “I believe it’s an option for all ages.”
And, “You’re never too old to have fun.”

— Jessica Serrano is a member of the Yakima Herald-Republic’s Unleashed team. She attends La Salle High School.

“Pretty Much Priceless”

By JESSICA SERRANO
LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL

I joined the Unleashed team in spring 2007. I was a freshman, and I was stoked.

I have always loved writing, so once I saw the application at my school’s office I took my chances and submitted a few of my essays. I waited for the acceptance letter with anticipation.

Finally, the letter came in the mail, and I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to be come an Unleashed writer.

I loved the fact that I’d be writing about topics or events that matter to teens from my community. And I was overwhelmed by such power. I had influence over readers both young and old.

I enjoy writing for Unleashed. I get to write about what’s on my mind.

Thanks to Unleashed, I have grown not only as a writer and a reporter, but also as person. Thanks to Unleashed, I am always on the lookout for what’s going on around in my community.

Thanks to Unleashed, I have met wonderful people from all walks of life, and I gain the experience of a journalist, which is pretty much priceless.

— Jessica Serrano, a junior at La Salle High School, is in her second year on the Unleashed team.

It’s No Game

By JESSICA SERRANO
LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL

Some extreme thrill-seeking teens toy with their lives by playing what’s known as “the choking game.”

This so-called “game” involves holding your breath while strangling yourself with or without assistance from another. It’s dangerous. It can lead to death. And preteens and teens — often on a dare — are experimenting with it.

Participants might bear hug each other, cutting off oxygen to their brains until they pass out. Or, they might strangle themselves using some kind of tie, such a scarf, belt, rope or computer chord.

When pressure is released, normal blood flow returns to the brain and consciousness returns, participants reportedly experience a brief high or feelings of euphoria.

But not everyone wakes up.

The practice, also known as “the blackout game,” “knock out game,” “space monkey,” and “space cowboy,” among others, can cause brain damage, strokes or seizures.

And it results in hundreds of accidental asphyxiation deaths each year.

Teens — and children as young as 10 — seeking a high without drugs will play the “game” in groups. It’s even more dangerous when played alone, according to the Web site www.deadlygameschildrenplay.com, which also provides statistics, testimonies, contacts, recommended reading and ways to get help.

Many parents of preteens and teens who play this “game” usually don’t know what their children’s real past-time is. And they usually don’t find out until it is too late.

Parents should talk to their kids about the dangers of “the choking game” and encourage them to stop playing — or never start — by providing them with healthier alternatives.

Piano lessons are safe. They’re also productive.