FEATURE
JUNE 2022
Teen drivers reflect on Vashon's driving risks
By Lucy Wing, Content Editor As society is approaching the end of a nearly two and a half-year pandemic, statistics from around the country are flooding in surrounding...Read More
MARCH 2022
Is the question “Who am I?” a trap, or a necessary step in growing up?
By Lila Cohen, Deputy Editor, Lucy Wing, Content Editor, and Savannah Butcher, Managing Editor “Who am I?” A question that is easy to ask, but hard to answer. Many of us ask ourselves this question at some point in our lives, maybe more than once, maybe...Read More
JANUARY 2022
Body image: one of the most prevalent struggles for teens todayBy Lila Cohen, Deputy Editor, & Lucy Wing, Content Editor “The mirror always looks different in our perspective because we notice the little things [about our body], we're constantly looking at it [and] critiquing it.” - VHS wrestler Gustavo...Read More
NOVEMBER 2021
Students look for mental health support in the return to in-person school
By Lila Cohen, Deputy Editor, Savannah Butcher, Managing Editor, Lucy Wing, Content Editor, Emma Deines, Content Editor, & Blake Grossman, Reporter From the beginning of the pandemic, experts knew there would be a huge impact on mental health...Read More
OCTOBER 2021
Conversation surrounding disabled student advocacy at VHS engages both staff and students
By Lila Cohen, Deputy Editor, Savannah Butcher, Managing Editor & Blake Grossman, Reporter This September, as students returned to school, controversy arose surrounding VHS’ ability to support students served by 504 plans and IEPs, along with students with...Read More
JUNE 9, 2021
Investigating misogyny and rape culture
By Halle Wyatt, Feature Editor, Lila Cohen, Associate Deputy Editor, & Savannah Butcher, Associate Managing Editor Although the women’s rights movement and tearing down gender bias have come a long way in the United...Read More
JUNE 12, 2020
Distanced learning changes normality for staff, students
By Halle Wyatt, Managing and Feature Editor and Catherine Brown, Photo and Business EditorDespite zero deaths and few confirmed cases, the island community has nevertheless undergone serious lifestyle changes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. To accommodate these changes, all school district members have seen their lives turn upside down.
After Governor Jay Inslee announced statewide school closures on March 12, the island paused all continuation of education for the next six weeks as students went home and prepared for a month and a half of optional learning.
On April 6, Washington state public schools were officially closed for...Read More
MARCH 11, 2020
School community weighs in on effectiveness of feedbackBy Isabelle Spence, Editor-in-Chief, Mari Kanagy, Publishing Editor, and Amelia Spence, ReporterListening to complaints heard around the hallways, students often make it seem as though the administration’s response to criticism is to simply turn their backs on the problem. Taking a deeper look at the process of giving and receiving feedback within the school, however, reveals that the advice of the community is more heard than what many would first venture to think.
Systems of feedback
The school gathers feedback in a variety of ways. First, the administration conducts a survey every two years to fully understand the students’ perspective on school climate, safety, teachers’ relationships with their students, and more. Additionally, they also send out several more specific surveys or emails throughout the school ...Read More
FEBRUARY 7, 2020
Social media divides generations, promotes communicationBy Mari Kanagy, Publishing Editor & Hannah Spranger, Co-Content EditorStarting in 2020, Instagram will extend the newest addition to its platform to the United States: taking away the ‘like’ feature on posts. The intent of the modification is to, as Instagram released in a tweet in July, shift the focus toward enjoying the posts themselves, “not how many likes they get.” This significant change in such a widely-used social media platform has sparked conversation about the effects of social media, and the ways in which technology impacts people’s lives every day.
This impact can be felt close to home in the high school community. Senior Shira Stahl has expressed annoyance at being a part of online ...Read More
DECEMBER 20, 2019
Investigating sexual health and cultureBy Mari Kanagy, Publishing Editor & Elizabeth Lande, Copy and Managing EditorNational, local STI rates rise
In early October, a report released by the Center for Disease Control announced that, for the fifth year in a row, U.S. Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) rates had steadily risen. In particular, the number of reported cases for chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis spiked considerably. From 2014 to 2018, syphilis grew by ...Read More
NOVEMBER 15, 2019
School discipline policy divides students and administratorsBy Mari Kanagy, Publishing Editor & Halle Wyatt, Co-Content EditorReporting methods
The school’s disciplinary policy has been questioned by students since before this past October, but the incident with the sophomore’s Homecoming royalty voting brought to light the lack of trust between students and...Read More
October 18, 2019
District to implement mandatory switch to standards based gradingBy Mari Kanagy, Publishing Editor & Elizabeth Lande, Copy EditorIn 2013, the high school taught it’s first class using standards-based grading as part of Skyward’s trial for reporting grades using the system. Now, six years later, the whole district is transitioning to the system, with plans to officially implement it in all middle and high school classes by the fall of 2020...Read More
APRIL 26, 2019
Examining academic rigor at the high schoolBy Clara Atwell, Editor-in-Chief, and Isabelle Spence, Associate EditorHistory of academic success
The Vashon community has long valued education, supporting the school district through volunteering for organizations such as Partners in Education, Vashon PTSA, and the Vashon Schools Foundation. The community consistently votes “yes” on local levies, funding from which most notably helped pay for construction of the high school building and the new track and field...Read More
Japanese program to be replaced with FrenchEleanor Yarkin, ReporterThe Japanese program has been a key component of the high school since it began in the 1990s. Now, 30 years later, the administration has decided to end the program. Next year, French will be introduced, a class which the administration predicts will be easier to staff than Japanese.“We’ve struggled filling vacancies in Japanese for a long time,”...Read More
New possible science and math courses announcedBy Garrett Mueller, Business EditorEach year, the high school adjusts its course offerings in order to have the classes serve a greater spectrum of student interests. Next year, several changes to the math and science courses will be made to accomplish this goal...Read More
Guitar-building elective integrates math into music and carpentryBy Savannah Butcher, ReporterOften when math seems too complicated or frustrating, students ask, “When will I ever use this in real life?” Next year, a new elective, STEM Guitar Building, will aim to answer that very question. It will be taught by math teacher Andy Callender. During the course, students will become familiar with shop tools...Read More
English curriculum to undergo changesBy Eric Ormseth, ReporterOver the past few years, the high school English curriculum for juniors and seniors has consisted of multiple electives. The current program allows students the freedom of deciding what kind of English course suits them best. However, this curriculum is set to change in the coming school year...Read More
MAR. 8, 2019
McCleary decision has complex history, unclear futureBy Elizabeth Lande, Copy EditorSchool funding has long been a topic of debate among families, educational staff, and lawmakers across the country, both on a national and local level. Twelve years ago, the situation in Washington burst to the forefront of state politics.In 2007, two Washington families and the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools sued the...Read More
FEB. 1, 2019
Lack of political diversity on island creates echo chamberBY ISABELLE SPENCE AND MARI KANAGY, CO-CONTENT EDITORSVashon is home to an eclectic, homogenous group of people. From north to south, many believe Vashon houses one political community that shares the same opinions and perspectives. But is this true? While each individual community member has a varying set of experiences that set them apart from the rest, the statistics for Vashon show broad strokes. According to Data USA...Read More
DEC. 22, 2018
Controversy over internet at high schoolBY MARI KANAGY & ISABELLE SPENCE, CO-CONTENT EDITORSWith technology so integrated into academic life, school administrations across the nation must now face the challenge of how to regulate this tool. This issue has been heavily debated among the high school student body, with opinions ranging from indifference to outrage...Read More
NOV. 21, 2018
Island activists share their storiesBY ELIZABETH LANDE, CO-COPY EDITORSitting on an upturned bucket in a Tacoma food co-op in 1980, Peter Serko is recovering from both a peanut butter-induced choking fit and a stranger’s announcement that their brothers are lovers. It’s a complete surprise to Serko, who’s thankful he’s still sitting...Read More
Students break down barriers through art for World AIDS DayBY HALLE WYATT, REPORTERArt has always been a way activists have communicated with the world. Just as AIDS activists did in the 1980s, the high school’s students are teaming up with the David Serko Project to use art to spread their own message about AIDS to the Vashon community...Read More
OCT. 19, 2018
VESP classified staff fight to gain recognition and a living wageBY CLARA ATWELL, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, AND MARI KANAGY, CO-CONTENT EDITOR | OCT. 19, 2018In June 2018, after a years-long process, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the legislature successfully reflected and upheld the conditions set by the McCleary decision — a state Supreme Court ruling that decreed that the state must completely fund basic education in order to lessen the funding gap between schools caused by the success of different local levies...Read More
JUNE 8, 2018
Kehl Resigns, pursues veterinary workSHIRA STAHL, REPORTER & DESIGNER | JUNE 8, 2018Science and Vet Tech teacher Melissa Kehl has recently announced that she will leave VHS at the end of this school year.Following her departure, Kehl will go back to being a full-time veterinarian, the field of her doctoral degree, at the Seattle Animal Shelter. Prior to teaching, she worked at the Kitsap Humane Society for three years, which was similar to the work that she will do at her new job...Read More
Honors classes to be introduced, continuedBY ELIZABETH LANDE, REPORTER & DESIGNER | MAY 14, 2018At the beginning of second semester, the administration reintroduced the honors program to VHS. In the past, senior students had the option to take honors English, but the classes were discontinued in the 1980s.Other English electives, including an AP English course, took its place, eventually leading to the classes currently offered in the subject...Read More
MAY 14, 2018
McMurray math program faces revampMARI KANAGY, REPORTER & DESIGNER | MAY 14, 2018Over the past several years, the math program at McMurray Middle School has changed to fit the district’s goals of creating a more inclusive environment, yet the changes have not been beneficial to all students...Read More
APRIL 4, 2018
Island Debates Guns in SchoolsKATHLEEN SASSARA; CO-CONTENT EDITOR | APRIL 4, 2018The decision regarding whether or not to arm teachers is a highly complex and multifaceted issue that has gripped the country since the Parkland shooting on February 14. For many, the answer is clear: guns do not belong in our classrooms...Read More