Oregon Promise Offers FREE Community College

by MARIA ORNELAS

According to our school counselor, Mr. Bockert, starting this year with the graduating class of 2016, graduating students with be eligible for a free two years of tuition at a community college. This is called the Oregon Promise, and only one other state (Tennessee) in the United States of America has this program. This opportunity is not available to everyone there are a few requirements of course. Here are some of the requirements:

• You need to graduate from an Oregon High school
• Must have at least a 2.5 GPA
• Have lived in Oregon for 1 year (so if you live in Washington you can’t decide to just go to a community college in Oregon. You have to be living in Oregon already for a year or for longer)
• Must enroll into a community college in Oregon within 6 months after graduating

     You have to enroll into an Oregon Community College; you can’t go to Walla Walla’s Community College it HAS to be an Oregon College even though WWCC is closer. Despite this, it’s still free tuition for two yours, and you can still transfer after the 2 years are up and enroll in a university such as Oregon State, Stanford, or even Harvard and get your 4-year degree. If you have any more questions about this you can visit Mr. Bockert.

DIY Christmas Gift Ideas

by MARIA ORNELAS

Christmas is coming closer, in about two weeks it will be Christmas Day. It seems that every year buying gifts gets more expensive. So why not make a gift instead of buying them? When Darby Freske was about 6 years old, she bought a picture frame and decorated it with sea shells and other items to make it her own. Karen Steele said that one Christmas she knitted potholders and a beanie for her great grandfather, and she made treats and pies. But, of cours,e if someone you know is a huge animal lover, you could do what Becky Hammill did, and make a clay impression of your family dog’s paw print. Or maybe you want to get a gift for your grandparents?  A perfect gift for your grandparents could be you buying a big 3D metal star and putting pictures of your whole family on the star, so they can hang it up on their wall. Another idea you can do is make a phone case. Just buy any cheap case, and paint it the color you’d like; then decorate whatever way you want. These are some easy creative ideas to do for Christmas gifts that are unique and don’t cost a lot of money.

Omar Ornelas

by MARIA ORNELAS

You might have heard of the senior, Omar Ornelas, my older brother. When he’s not at school you might seen around town, or in Walla Walla in his red Lexus. After high school he doesn’t have any specific college or university in mind, but he does know what he wants to be. He wants to be a detective and work in crime scenes. A normal day in his life is waking up for school, going to wrestling practice, then afterwards going to the gym and working out. After coming home he’ll be in the garage working on other cars. He loves cars, and his favorite quote actually has to do with cars: “If one day speed kills me, don’t cry because I was smiling”.

His interest in cars came partially from our dad. Growing up, our dad was always working on cars after work, getting my two brothers to help him when he was remodeling the cars. Both of my brothers got interested in cars since they grew up around them. Once Omar started working, he could buy his own cars and fix them up however he wants, and as he did that, his love for cars grew more intense. As of right now, getting a nice turbo is his only plan for his car. Omar said he loves cars so much because of “how beautiful they are.” During Homecoming week, I remember Omar telling me, “Dress up for all the homecoming dress down days, because that sh** flies and you’ll regret not doing it.” But don’t assume that the only thing he cares about are cars; he always puts his family first. If you ever see him with one of his siblings or parents, you’ll see the real Omar.

Renovating the Gym

by MARIA ORNELAS

It's no secret that the gym will be renovated due to Earthquake Safety reasons. While the gym is being fixed, all P.E classes will continue to be taught, said principal Mindi Vaughn. During which, P.E teachers will be forced to teach outdoor activities, and students will be told to dress warmer. Vaughn also says Mac-Hi may also talk to Central about sharing their gym as well. The roof of the gym will be redone to prevent leakage and the walls will be strengthened. A committee is being put together to look at possible renovations in other areas of the gym as well. To do all of this renovations, Superintendent Dr. Rob Clark gave the school a grant of $600,000, and the beginning of the changes for the gym will begin in February 2016. However, the gym is not expected be done in time for the graduation ceremony. Vaughn also provided the information that the school district is currently looking for another location for the ceremony, but nothing has been confirmed yet. The gym will hopefully be done before the school year starts again in 2016.