College Tuition Getting You Down?

by ALICIA WALTER

Do you think the cost of tuition for college is too much? Well, think again. There are multiple resources at your disposal, according to our high school counselor Jeff Bockert.

Money isn’t an easy thing to find, but filling out the FAFSA is a step in the right direction. The FAFSA offers free money, and all you have to do is fill out a tax report for either yourself or your parents. If you haven’t filed your taxes, or your parents haven’t, then you can put in the information from last year’s taxes. Once you get your new tax forms back, then you can update the information. Do it fast because you only have a couple more weeks left.

Filling out the OSAC is another step you should take. There are great scholarships you can receive if you enter all your information from volunteering to personal statements. It may be a long process, but in the end, it couldwill benefit you on your college journey.

If tuition is still a problem, Oregon is starting the Oregon Promise. The Oregon Promise means that you can potentially go to college for free at any community college. There are, however, requirements that have to be met.

• You have to have graduated from an oregon high school, or received your GED in oregon.
• You have to have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
• Be an Oregon resident for 12 months prior to enrolling.
• You have to enroll within 6 months of graduating.
• When you enroll you need to have at least 6 credits worth of classes.

There are many other tools for you to use to help with your college tuition, such as apps like Scholly, and websites like Fastweb. While there may be a lot of paperwork to fill out, this is free money, so don’t miss out!

Mac-Hi Rocks FBLA Regionals

by CAMILLE RILEY

    The Mac-Hi FBLA club went to La Grande to participate in the regionals competition on February 4th . 27 students of the McLoughlin high school FBLA chapter attended the event, and 14 students placed in various events at the competition. A total of 15 students will be attending the State FBLA competition in Portland from April 6th to the 9th.

Ms. Garcia, the advisor of the Mac-hi FBLA club said, “I was amazed at how well the kids did!” She is extremely proud of the students and amazed at all the hard work and effort that they had to put forth to place at the competition.

   Sandra Pereyda is a senior and is the president of the FBLA chapter at McLoughlin High School. Pereyda, who got 10th place in Impromptu Speaking said, “I didn't think that I would place because my points weren't clear, but I did place 10th, which is better than 11th place!”

Karen Steele, a junior, who was also at the competition and placed 2nd in Help Desk said, “The event was so much fun. We got to hang out at the EOU campus, and, despite it being a competition, it was very relaxed, so I wasn't very stressed. I surprised myself by placing 2nd, and I was so proud of my friends for placing as well.”

FBLA, which stands for Future Business Leaders of America, is a business-oriented, focused, driven club that welcomes all students. FBLA is a national club and has chapters everywhere, and the McLoughlin chapter is just one of many. People join FBLA for many different reasons. Some join due to the fact that it looks good on college applications, some because they would like to go into business in the future, and others to see if business is right for them before studying in college.

       There are many things that people can experience and learn from when participating in FBLA. One of the many events that we can learn from and build off of is Regionals and state. Regionals are a competition for all chapters in eastern Oregon, while state is for the whole state of oregon. At both Regionals and state FBLA, members have a chance to compete against each other in various categories, as well as meet new people and network.

Manny Galvin: A Blast With a Past

by SANDRA PEREYDA

Manny Galvin likes to spit fire, party and dance. But these are not all the aspects of Manny; Manny, originally from California, had a rough childhood starting when he was three when his dad left.  His mother was left alone with twelve kids, Manny being the tenth. Manny stated that his mother was on welfare and he would survive off of roaches and mice. Manny also said that he grew up with no role models and only had gangsters around him, “ They were the only ones showing me love,” he stated.

At the age of 15 Manny got curious about his dad and decided to find him, his mom got mad at him for talking with his dad whom she hated and kicked him out. He had to live on the streets for a while and slept in parks until one of his college friends at the time invited him to live with him.

This friend fed him and clothed him at a dorm by San Diego University at only the age of 19. Manny then moved to Milton-Freewater two months ago to see his dad, a retired veteran with PTSD; but since he wasn't very welcoming and rude, Manny had to move in with his aunt in La Grande.

She had to kick him out because his aunt's boyfriend thought that he was taking her away from him. Luckily Manny moved back to Milton-Freewater and now resides here. When asked what he likes about Milton-Freewater his response was “I feel peace over here, no violence or drama” Because it’s peaceful and he doesn’t have to deal with anyone, Manny says his favorite place in Milton-Freewater is his house. “My second favorite place is church” he added. Manny may of had a rough childhood but his heart is smoother than a baby’s butt. His advice to Mac-Hi kids is to stay in school because being book smart is better than being street smart. Next time you see this awesome kid make sure you give him a smile because his warm smile will hit you right back.

New Classes Offered by Groff

by TABITHA HECKMAN

Diane Groff is teaching two new classes this semester.

She is offering Medical Terminology, and  Technology.

Students are taking these courses to improve their skills sets for their career of choice. Keaton Smith said,“ I decided to take Medical Terminology because I want to become a pharmacist in the near future. I  believe that taking Medical Terminology will help benefit me in the long run for that career.”

Hunter Bamford who is taking the new Technology course said,” I decided to take this course because I want a future in windmill technology, and I believe that this course will help me get to where I would like to be.”

Keaton believes that it should be taught in the future. He believes that it is a useful course for many students who would love to pursue a career in the medical field. Hunter also believes that Technology should be taught as of now, because it gives the students taking the class insight that they might need for the career that they are wishing to take. Both Hunter and Keaton believe that both of these courses are very challenging, and are great to take if you are highly motivated to reach your career of choice, if you either wish to work in the medical field, or work in the technology area.

Gym Renovation

by ETHAN FLORES

The gym renovation is due to start the morning of February 27. There will be a group of paid worker, coaches, and the help of the community members coming in to make preparations on remodeling the gym, according to what Jay Rodighiero said.  Mr. Rodighiero also mentioned that Dr. Clark wrote a Seismic Grant to prevent any damage or panic in the gym if an earthquake had occurred.  

He mentioned  that the old bleachers are going to be replaced with new ones so that the gym could withstand earthquakes a. He also mentioned that there will be new details in the gym other than the bleachers. Mr. Rodighiero estimates that the price to all this would maybe sum up to $600,000 or more due to all the construction they plan on doing.

Caitlin Green: A Girl Caught in the Moment

by C.A. Green

Caitlin Green, another in the long line that bears the family name, and is the fifth Green ever to be attending Mcloughlin High school, right after the first four; Derek, Kendall, Franny, and myself. This little queen enjoys doing what most of us can sympathize with; sleeping, eating, shopping, etc. Her favorite hobbies include hanging out with her friends and putting countless amounts of effort into making sure that her eyes, hair, and makeup are “on point”.

Though she seems to be a quirky little girl, you wouldn’t have guessed that she’s hardcore enough to go to prison. For those of you who don’t know, she had the unexpected experience of spending a weekend in a juvenile detention facility. Looking back at it now, she says that she doesn’t mind sharing this story because it was all a big learning experience for her, and she has “No regrets.”  
On a particular weekend, Caitlin took a ride over to Walla Walla with some friends and ended up unintentionally breaking the window of what she believed to be a car shop. After an attempt to sneak away, she was inevitably caught, and we received a very distressing phone call. As shocking as it was, Caitlin is a wild card. In describing the experience, she said, “Imagine having everything and it’s perfect. Then you’re thrown into a desert- you feel so empty and without control, and have almost no freedom.” Describing the feelings of confinement, she continued, “When you’re not exercising, you have to find a way to pass the time in that place, which for me included reading books and sleeping.” Yet, it was an experience that came with a lesson “I learned that what you have right now is so valuable. Don’t take it for granted!” she said.

Some goals she wants to accomplish include going through her four years and graduating high school, then there’s the all too familiar goal of leaving this cozy little town and making her family proud by getting a successful career doing what she loves, which is currently leaning towards cosmetology. That should come as no surprise, considering she can spend anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour doing her hair and make-up. More importantly, she says that ever since she was little, she loved painting her nails- she was never into drawing or painting like all of her older siblings. Makeup is “her artform.” It distinguishes Caitlin from the rest of the family.

Being nearly the youngest in a family of six kids, she said her family life comes with its ups and downs. “They can be a real pain in the butt at times, but I love them in the end.” You can imagine just how “fun” it gets when it’s family night and we end up playing Monopoly. She says that a great upside to having so many siblings come before her is that there’s more than enough advice to go around. She doesn’t worry about how bad things may get because she knows that she has a family to back her up.

It’s a Sadie’s Slumber Party!

by BRIANNA FOX

Ever wanted to party the night away in your pajamas? Well now’s your chance because it’s time for Varsity Club's annual Sadie Hawkins dance, and this years theme is a slumber party. For years, they have been using the dance as a way to raise money for scholarship funds. So pick out your best pajamas to party in and bring that special someone to enjoy the night with. While Sadie’s is usually a girl-asks-boy dance, you shouldn’t be discouraged if you don’t have a date and you shouldn’t let it make you miss out on all the fun. Couples are $5 and singles are $3. Also, don’t miss getting your picture taken to save the memories. You can get a great deal of two 5x7 pictures for $5. Make sure to join the fun on Thursday, March 3rd from 8-11 p.m.!