The Mariner Compass

By Lauren Cashman

As Robert Frost so eloquently states, “nothing gold can stay.” This, quite unfortunately, holds true in the case of Mark Robinson, who last Friday announced his retirement after a 27 year teaching career; 23 of which were spent amongst the students of Homer High School, building what is renowned as one of the most successful choral programs in the state of Alaska.

There is no question that Robs, as students have affectionately called him for most of his tenure, has, over the last quarter of a century, developed a program of immense respect and magnitude. Of the nearly 400 students attending HHS, one fourth of them are currently participating in the choir program. HHS consistently sends more students to the varying choral festivals; from the Borough Honor choir held annually on the Peninsula to the All National Honor Choir in Washington D.C.

Robs attributes the success of the program to the desire and drive held within the students he teaches. “I have found that students at HHS will rise to the expectations set before them. They crave [an] intellectual challenge and emotional meaning, and can find that in choir.”

Many individuals, students included, would credit a large portion of the choir’s strength to Robs’ remarkable teaching capabilities. The manner in which he has developed his classes over the course of his career is profound; with an ability to reach out to students that is reflected upon his years of experience. Senior Kirsten Swanson said, “Robs connects with his students. He knows that as time changes, so do the students. He not only allows for that change but embraces it.”

More important than the vast empire that Robs has created is the sense of family that has developed over the course of 23 years. “He didn’t just teach us music, he taught through it. He showed us how to touch the world through a single note,” said junior Cayenna Anderson. In fact, one would be hard pressed to find an individual who passed through the choir classroom at HHS that was not affected by Robs’ charisma and passion for the music that he creates.

The community that has developed around the choir program is one that is unprecedented by any other activity at the high school. Robs has given the students, through music, an opportunity to transcend social barriers and develop lasting friendships through the collective process of creating music. Though there are many varying religious and political views within the students, in addition to a wide spread of interests in sports and other activities, within the confines of the choir room Robs and his student all work towards common goal, accompanied by a feeling of comradery that cannot be swayed by social grouping.

Robs has not only given students the gift of song, and the development of an unprecedented community, but he has also, through the choir’s travels, given his students what can only be considered once in a lifetime opportunities. Within the last four years students have ventured from the farthest reaches of Europe to the stage of Carnegie Hall. When asked, Casey Farrell spoke of how, “He has exposed [her] to the greatest works of music and the best places in Europe.”

Although a new director will be taking up the directing helm next year, Robs said that his goal is “…to assist in the transition process as much as possible.”  Whether that be offering insight to the new director or involvement in some of the many activities that the choir partakes in throughout the year, it is hopeful that the choir program will not be seeing the last of Mark Robinson with his retirement.

Not only will he remain a part of the program through his support and involvement, but he will also reside perpetually within the students he has taught. In addition to music making, his classes were filled with equal parts laughter, enrichment, and heartfelt advice. Cayenna said, “one thing I will always remember is when he said ‘the rests in a song are just as important as the words; the rests in life, or the silences, are just as important, if not more important as the loud parts.’”

By Mallory Drover

On lamp posts, sign posts, doors, bulletin boards, and walls, Sarah D’Water and Grace Steiner taped posters with bright red and black images, with a single bold name and date- Kony 2012.“The purpose was to just spread the word any way possible, as long as it is legal, smart, and gets the point across,” said Sarah D’Water, Homer High School senior. “Our hope was that when people would see the posters, if they didn’t already know about Kony 2012, that they would go online and find out. And if people did know about it but were unsure and they saw our dedication to the cause by putting posters all over the city, then they would inform themselves further. The purpose is to gain as much support as possible.”

Ever since the viral video made by Invisible Children, a non-profit group behind the Kony 2012 campaign, was released on March 5th and became an internet sensation, Grace and Sarah have been planning Cover the Night. All over the world on April 20th, people from all different cultures and locations set out into their communities after dark, armed with posters and a passion for the movement. Cover the Night, detailed by the Invisible Children video to take place on April 20th, is the biggest piece of involvement by youth to spread awareness about Joseph Kony and his child-stealing army.

“About 2-3 years ago I spent 3 months in Africa, working with the orphans who had managed to escape from Kony’s army. Some of them had mutilated faces or missing limbs. It was terrible.” Grace shared her experience of working first hand with the victims of Kony’s army, the LRA.

“My sister got me involved,” said Sarah. After Sarah’s sister, April D’Water, was recruited approximately 4 years ago at her college, she’s been active with Invisible Children. April is currently Wisconsin’s State Lobby Leader for the organization, and Sarah has been involved with raising awareness on a Homer level.

Sarah D'Water, talking on her cell phone.

Not everyone in the community is supportive of the Kony 2012 campaign, however.

“Right before we put up our first posters, I got a phone call from a blocked number saying they were watching us,” Grace recalled from Cover the Night. “They called twice but we ignored them. When we went back to my car, the posters we had put up on the school doors had been ripped in half and plastered to my car.”

Skeptics of the Kony 2012 campaign and Invisible Children are numerous, and usually vocal. However, this hasn’t changed the opinions of the people who are passionate about spreading awareness, and seeing Joseph Kony brought to justice.

“It’s amazing to see how enthusiastic young people all around the world are about making realistic changes right now,” Sarah said.

“On the night of the actual event, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds showed people from as far as Australia, China and Europe putting up posters!” Grace shared. “The whole world’s heard of Kony now. Senators are taking notice of public interest. It’s only a matter of time before he’s caught now.”

(Seniors Kirsten Swanson and Mallory Drover, who attended school on senior skip day.)

 By:Tabitha Drover

To skip or not to skip, that is the question! Every year seniors are faced with the dilemma whether they should skip with their classmates on senior skip day or rebel against the crowd and go to school. Why would people choose to go school when their classmates are outside soaking in the sun,having fun?

Some seniors, such as Mallory Drover and Dana Olesch, felt obligated to come into school. They knew that teachers would still assign homework that had to get done. Senior Dana Olesch said “I just had too many papers due that needed to be turned in.”

However, there are seniors who felt obligated to turn in assignments, there were some other seniors, such as Nykkole Poindexter and Abby Little, who felt obligated to not miss another class and have that counted against them. “If I was well enough to come to school, I was going to come to school.” Said Abby.

Then there are seniors, such as Kirsten Swanson, who could not skip because of sports. Senior Kirsten Swanson said, “Well, female senior soccer players had to come to school in order to be eligible.”

Seniors who went to school on senior skip all had different reasons for going but they all shared one feeling in common: obligation to have to go to school.

By Mallory Drover

Photo Source- http://homernews.com/images/032112/17093_512.jpg

By: Megan Gee

Currently Homer High School students taking an Advanced Placement (AP) class have a weighted GPA (grade point average), meaning they have the opportunity to achieve higher than a 4.0 GPA in each AP class.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District adds .021 points to the GPA for each AP class taken. For example, a person who obtains an A at the end of the semester in an AP class, and has a 4.0 overall. The overall score is taken and .021 is added. The person then has a 4.021. This happens every semester that an AP class is taken.

But where did .021 come from when most schools in the United States give a 5 if you obtain an A, a 4 for a B, and a 3 for a C?

Eight years ago the school board of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District met to discuss whether or not AP classes should have a weighted GPA. According to Mrs. Hampson, Homer High School counselor, this topic was very controversial. Some school board members thought that students taking the AP classes should not get a higher GPA for taking a harder class, when some students are not capable of taking these classes, so they will never get the opportunity to have the higher GPA. Others were in favor of having a weighted GPA, because the classes were harder, and students taking the classes deserved the extra .021 on their GPA.

Around that time, they argued that since AP classes were having a weighted GPA, then maybe students taking college classes should have a weighted GPA. Hampson said, “I didn’t want the college classes to be weighted, because the classes being taken at the college by high school students are beginning classes. They are much easier than the AP classes offered here.” As much as we would like the college classes GPA to be weighted, Mrs. Hampson said it’s most likely not going to happen.

The weighted GPA has had a very large impact on the Homer High School students attempting to be valedictorian. Before the weighted GPA, any student that maintained a 4.0 was valedictorian.

A little competition never hurt anyone. The weighted GPA just helped make school a place to compete. Instead of having half of a class be the valedictorian, we now have a few serious students that achieve the honor of being ranked number one in their school. Are you a competitor?

By Aurora Roderick

Which seniors are going to walk? Right now, there are 32 students that will be walking with this year’s graduating class. The Senior Service Project is due, completed, by April 30th. The project consists of 30 hours of community service for a non-profit organization and then a one page summary. In the summary, the students are to write about what they did and how it affected them, as well as how the organization and the student have benefitted from the hours of community service.

There are only 32 out of 94 students who have completed their Senior Service Project. There are 31 students who have not even started their project. There are 23 students with approved projects but no hours recorded. There are 10 students who have finished their hours and not written their report. Lastly, there are 3 students who have started their hours and not completed them.

There are some students who have gone over twice the hours needed and are still volunteering. Jonathan Doan, and Mallory Drover have over 100 hours and are still volunteering. Jonathan and Mallory are volunteering at Homer Volunteer Fire Department, where Jonathan is a firefighter and Mallory is an Emergency Medical Technician (E.M.T.).

Lauren Cashman and Shlomo Gherman both have 60+ hours with their project currently completed.

Will there only be 32 students to walking at graduation? The Senior class has 5 days until that question are answered.

Ryan N
As the school year comes to a close, talk of the upcoming year takes place. There are rumors floating around about next year, such as the controversial “retirement” of Mr. Casseri. Also floating around is some talk about the fate of the journalism class.

The high school is currently funded by money sufficient to finance 412 students, which is the reason they were able to offer extra classes. The number of students in the school is currently around 390, and next year’s numbers appear to be less than that; therefore, the school has decided to cut one half of a teacher from the curriculum next year. The loss of a half-teacher means that journalism cannot be offered unless a teacher chooses to offer it as a club.

Because of the extra funding, Homer was able to offer two extra classes, AP Government and Journalism, both of which were short-lived; they have only been offered since the beginning of this school year.

Currently enrolled students are not happy to hear this news. Journalist, Gabe Selbig, stated “the class provides a good basis for students to voice their opinions. I would even go so far as to say that the majority of the student voice comes from this class.”

Jacob Mayforth, among other writers, stated that writing in journalism greatly improves his writing. Jacob can now “pick up a subject and have an opinion about it and write about it.” He even knows a student who was planning to take the class next year; however, he or any other will not have the opportunity to do so.

By Cayenna Anderson

There are six boys on each side of the court, passing, setting and spiking. The whole crowd, containing most of the student body, can only hope that no spandex will be involved. A condition like this is none other than meatball volleyball, put on by the student council.

For those unfamiliar, meatball volleyball is the male equivalent to powder puff football, in which current volleyball players coach the willing boys of their class to compete against other classes. Though full of comedic, mechanical errors, fans come from all classes come out to watch their boys compete.

“It gives the guys the opportunity to do something they normally wouldn’t, as powder puff does the girls and is just a lot of fun for players and watchers,” said Mrs. Fisher, student council advisor.

Last Wednesday, the freshmen and seniors went head to head in a series of three severely close matches. The freshmen had the first match in the bag with their nonstop setting and spiking accuracy. However, they began to fall as the seniors put up their blocks to take the second match. In the end, the freshmen rose above to win the tie breaking match and a spot in the championships.

“The freshmen and seniors made it so intense, but I’m glad the freshmen won. Now we just have to beat the sophomores!” said junior, Caroline de Creeft.

On the following Friday, contrary to de Creeft’s prediction, the sophomores reigned victorious over the juniors in another set of three heart wrenchingly intense matches. In the first match, the sophomores creamed the juniors with their cross court spikes, while the juniors made a full comeback in the second, giving the sophomores a taste of their own medicine. It came down to the tie breaking game yet again where the sophomores pulled through for their place in the championship round.

Willy Deaver, junior participant, said that he hopes meatball volleyball will become a tradition because [he thinks] it’s a lot of fun and everyone seems to love it.

Underclassmen climbed to the top of the bracket and will face off on Wednesday, April 25^th for the title and trophy of the 2012 meatball volleyball champions.

By:Tabitha Drover

You walk down the hall and look to your left. There’s two students that are dressed exactly the same. Then you look to the right and see more students who dressed exactly the same. Then you start to wonder, “What’s going on?” You walk down the hallways and then see a bright yellow poster that says “Spirit Week! Monday-Twin Day,Tuesday-Pajama Day, Wednesday-Toga Day, Thursday Duct Tape Day, Friday- Blue and Gold Day!” Then it occurs to you that today is Monday, which is twin day.

Though spirit week is a week where students can express school spirit. Mrs.Fisher, teacher, said that only approximately 50% of the student population actually dressed up.

The few students that didn’t dress up said they didn’t because it seems to them that the school is losing its spirit and that people aren’t doing it for the intended purpose of showing school pride. They believe that kids will only dress up when it’s convenient for them and isn’t too out there.“I think people are dressing up because they want to dress up at school, not really to support the schools’ team so much,” said Junior Molly Duggan.

However, the students who did dress up believe that it’s a fun week that a lot of people like to participate in and that it makes a typical week a lot more enjoyable. “Even if people are just dressing up because they want to be a twin with their friend for a day it still brings a sense of spirit to the school because you could dress up any day but instead they chose to dress up on spirit week.” Emily Schmidt, senior, said. Waricha Thoejunthuk, a new student from Bangkok, Thailand who is new to the concept of spirit week thinks “It brings us all together.”

By Gabriel Selbig

The track at Homer High is abominable. This is no secret. In recent years, twenty plus students signed up for the track team despite not having a meet at home. In fact, it is now illegal for any school-sponsored activity to take place on the rundown track. However, as students and staff alike have protested through the years, preparations for a new track this summer will be made. However, this answer to the hopes and dreams of many may spell doom for a team who’s made their name known.

They beat odds, won hearts, made history, and went to a state championship. One year later, and the Homer Mariners football team are likely to not host a home game according to district representatives and head coach, Cam Wyatt. A new track is long overdue, but in the process, the football field will have to be dug out and condemned throughout this coming season.

“A turf field would pay itself off in less than a decade”, said Coach Wyatt. He realizes the huge expense, but Wyatt also expects a new field to pay for itself by bettering the community. “There’s some bad thingsthat happen in this town, down at Bishop’s, behind McDonald’s, and in the bushes above Hornaday Park. A modern turf field would at least brighten the idea of playing sports for the school.” The interest and prestige of football and other sports would likely amplify. Thus, the curiosity of less desirable habits in town would likely dwindle.

With only weeks left before summer, and $800,000 gap is obstructing the vision of a new turf field. Realistic thinking is silencing any strong hope. Currently, there is $1.1 million on the Governor’s approval list. Enough for a track, but not for a field. After a district representative told Coach Wyatt the field project would “never” happen, he had to search for realistic alternatives. “The middle school field will probably have to do for practice, but not a chance for games. There’s no bleachers, no electricity for a scoreboard, and no bathrooms.”

“I do track in the spring but in preparation for football season.” declared Mark McGregor. “We got half the town to drive up to The Valley, and now we hear we might play our home games in Kenai.”

As rivals Kenai and SoHi celebrate new turf fields, the Mariners must weigh their options of a middle school home field or home games in a rival town. Which is the lesser of two evils?