The Mariner Compass

By Mallory Drover

This Saturday Nov. 12, from 7 to 11 pm, Homer High School will host the Neon Dance. The Neon Dance is a yearly tradition at Homer High that students look forward to every year, because the theme elements (glow sticks, black lights, and techno music) are so popular among students. Glow sticks will be sold at the dance for students to wear, and black lights will highlight bright clothing.

Neon Dance, 2010. Photo taken by Abby Little.

“This theme is neon so for this dance I’ll probably be playing a lot of lively upbeat music, instead of dark hip hop,” said Shlomo Gherman, Neon Dance DJ. “[I’ll play] dance, like electro music. Fast paced music with a really good solid beat.”

“I am so excited for the neon dance,” student Nykkole Pointdexter emphatically stated. Nykkole was at the dance in 2010, and knows what to look forward to this year. She’s planned an outfit with almost exclusively white colors from her head to her feet so that she can glow under the black lights while she dances.

There is a $7 entrance fee, after which students are free to enjoy themselves in the school Commons. With the neon theme of bright colors, flashing lights, upbeat techno music, and the shine of glow sticks and black lights, students have become so excited that the dance was announced over the intercom almost every morning this week to encourage attendance.

The Homer High men’s basketball team finished last year with an average winning percentage around .500, and has eight returning varsity members this year. The promising prospect of a winning season was prominent on everyone’s minds until a damper was put on the proceedings.

Devon Kennelty, a 6 foot 8 inch senior on the team, has played the center position on the team for the past three years. Last year, he was the team’s offensive player of year, as well as the best rebounder and shot blocker. Earlier this fall, he injured his right foot during preseason conditioning, in the middle of a cardiovascular exercise. Yesterday, the big man on the team had surgery on his foot, to put a pin on a hairline fracture. This surgery puts Devon out of commission for at least the next two months, and on crutches for the next three weeks. But he’s not letting this discourage him. Only hours after his surgery, Devon told his teammates, “I can’t wait to be back on the court playing with the team. I’ll be back before you know it, make me proud guys.”

Coach Casseri is encouraging everyone on the team to offer Devon their support and encouragement until he is able to play again. Devon will miss four or five games of the regular season, but fortunately the team has so many returning members, so other starters on the team will be able to pick up the slack until they are back up to full strength.

By Isabelle De Armoun

He keeps to himself as his fingertips and eyes focus on the clay sculpting as he turns the wheel with his foot. The artist at work is, Konstantin Reutov. Konstantin has a style all his own of imprinting lines, precise trimming and graceful handles on his pieces that have many people applauding his skill.

 Konstantin first became interested in the class as a freshman when his older sister was taking the class, she would tell Konstantin how much she enjoyed and learned from the class. When Konstantin was a sophomore he signed up for the class imminently not knowing a thing about pottery he jumped in to being a thrower,

Since  then he has come a far distance willing to try new style, bringing new ideas to the wheel and always having a positive attitude about his work.

I ask Miss Jenneta, Konstantins ceramics teacher, what kind of a student Konstantin is, she couldn’t hold back her words and blurted“He is so self motivated and always has a positive attitude. He has amazing demeanor, When something doesn’t according to plan on piece he doesn’t get frustrated, he always takes it as a learning experience.”

Konstantin has taken pottery for two years and one quarter. He started as a beginner and has now worked his way up to advanced.

In Miss Jennetas advanced pottery class she tries to have the kids focus on concepts and not as much on forms. It’s a very less instructed class. For example, his assignment this week is to create something to serve something on to a multi group of people. Another assignment was to incorporate two pieces together by cutting and sculpting them. Miss Jenneta added that Konstantin Reutov is a true craftsman and will always keep on impressing people.

By Kikilia Kojin

            Nurse Ella May commented, “It’s very generous of students to donate. It shows consideration for people that are ill or injured.”

“It’s fun and nice to help with giving people blood. I like it and I would do it next year,” remarked Megan Shover, a junior on the blood drive committee. Megan Shover and senior Lindsey Seneff take charge of the blood drive this year, earning community service hours for their senior year as a result.

            The blood drive is on November 11^th during school hours and the Blood Bank of Anchorage, Alaska LIFEmobile will be parked outside the school. Students are allowed to give blood three times each year, ensuring an adequate and continual supply to hospitals throughout Alaska and saving up to three lives. Even if you have Diabetes, a tattoo, or take medication, you may still be eligible. According to the Anchorage blood bank, it’s best to prepare a couple days prior to you donation by eating healthy meals and drinking plenty of fluids. To donate, you need to bring some sort of I.D. and sign up for an appointment with Lindsey Seneff.

            In Alaska, fewer than 5% of eligible donors give blood, helping the Blood Bank of Alaska provide blood to over 20 clinics, hospitals, and military facilities in Alaska. The recipient could be a cancer patient, a mother with childbirth complications, a heart patient, a newborn, or your friend, and there is no substitution for human blood!

by Matthew Meyer

Most students would rather watch Spartan 300 or some other movie instead of the documentaries with the monotone sounding narrator. Well it just so happens that teachers can show Disney, and PG-13 movies in school.

Mr. Waclawski said that teachers can show Disney, and PG-13 movies as long as, 1. It has something to do with the curriculum that they are teaching, and 2. The teachers have to send a permission slip home for students’ parents to sign to watch PG-13 movies.

The rule is in place, “Mainly for students to opt out of watching the movie like the sex ed. Movie,” said Mr. Waclawski. It is a rule that was put in place by the district, not the school.

Dr. Gee shed some light on the subject when he said that teachers could show parts of an R-rated movie if it’s something a ten minute scene on YouTube, and it depends on why that movie got its rating.

By Jacob Mayforth

Can I do a review about a three hour long baseball movie starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in under 250 words? Yes I can. Moneyball is the story of Oakland A’s general manager, Billy Beane’s attempt to change the game of baseball by recruiting a team of ragtag players based off of mathematical equations. The movie acts as the awkward lovechild of math and sports, but pulls off the theme rather well.

First, the bad news. The movie is long…too long. James Cameron Avatar Extended Edition long. It started at 3:15 and I just got home to review this at 6. There were too many unnecessary scenes and the movie almost started going in circles. It was obvious that not enough was done on the cutting room floor, but I can understand why, and this is really where the movie shines.

The good news: The cinematography is beautiful. If the movie was a person, it would win the Miss America competition. Every scene says something symbolically and helps move the plot. The director knew what he was doing.

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill played an impressive performance and brought chemistry to the movie. I believed every word they said and every movement on camera. Bravo.

In the end, this movie appeals mostly to baseball fans, and to those who have always dreamed of changing the way people think. It’s a good time, so long as you have three hours to kill and a picture of your favorite team in your room somewhere.

By Sam Reinert

This weekend the Lady Mariner Volleyball team is away at Colony High School for regional tournament. They finished their regular season with a perfect send off for their four seniors, two wins and eight losses, defeating Kenai for this year’s senior night in their last home game of the year. Brooke DeVaney, Monica Davis, Lauren Cashman, and Katie McNary led the team to a three to none win in a best out of five game. The team is currently at Colony, after being seated third place in the regional tournament. Coach Beth Troubridge took her eleven most physically gifted, talented, and eligible players in the hopes of being one of the two teams going to Anchorage next weekend for state. This is fewer people than the team had hoped, but they still have a good chance at winning and being one of the top two teams. Their first game was yesterday at 3:00 against Kodiak, in which they were defeated, but they play again today at 3:00, against Skyview High School.

By Phillip Whitney

                In the auto shop, Mr. Wyatt and his class have two major projects happening. One is an old diesel Chevy Suburban, which they hope to convert to bio-diesel, and the other greets students at the door, an ’84 Honda Goldwing which they plan to turn into a reverse trike. A reverse trike is where the singular wheel is in the back and the two wheels are in the front.

Joe Freeman works on the Surburban

                The Suburban they plan on using bio-diesel in one fuel tank, and regular diesel in the other. To combat the cold of winter they want to wrap a heating coil around the tank with the bio-diesel. “We will run it on diesel until the bio-diesel gets warmed up and then pow running down the highway on bio-diesel!” said Mr. Wyatt. They plan to complete it by the end of November.

                 “It’s going to be the Mariner Pride Mobile,” Mr. Wyatt explained. The plans for the reverse trike will cost the class $100 dollars, and the motorcycle they got for free. The picture Mr. Wyatt had of it looked like they were going to take off the front wheel, build a frame for the engine and back wheel, and put a cover over the frame with enough seating for two people with a car like interior. With this ambitious project a couple years from completion, the current sophomores might be able to see it in all its glory. Joe Saunders said, “It’s so Wizard.”

By Kenley Kingrey

                    In the vocational hall there are many types of art, some in particular being the display outside of the woodshop class. The wooden fish pop out of the net they are hanging on and help the hallway stay creative in every way. The fish is one of the six projects the students will have completed or will complete by the end of the semester.

                    “The purpose of woodshop is to give students the understanding that there are vocational job opportunities to anyone in the state of Alaska and throughout the world for woodworking jobs. Jobs available would be ones in construction and carpentry with many jobs branching off of those,” said Mr. Wyatt, the woodshop teacher.
                    Woodshop classes will come in handy one day for some students. Using a hammer and nail to hang up a picture can be a difficult task and woodshop helps you learn how to do it properly and safely. You also have to know how to make proper measurements and learn how to use them and apply them.
                    “Wood is a natural product and humans like wood because it’s warm. This gives many job opportunities to people who like to work with wood,” said Mr. Wyatt.