Charles Kinsey, Lakeland School District Superintendent, retires after 28 years in education

Matthew Parent

Editor-in-Chief

    Charles Kinsey, Lakeland School District Superintendent, is soon to retire. The holder of many jobs is looking forward to spending some time with his grandkids.

     Mr. Kinsey started his school-oriented career by teaching and coaching. He was head football coach for nine years and head track coach for three. Kinsey said that the greatest impact on his choosing an education career was his high school football coach. He also said that his parents were great role models because of their work ethic although neither had a college education.

     Other school positions Kinsey has held include athletic director for three years, assistant principal for one year, and principal for 13 years. He then moved up to the district office and was assistant superintendent for four years, and has been superintendent for the last seven years.

     Kinsey was originally a principal at a high school in Indiana, but he wanted to move out west, so he applied for the principal position at Lakeland High School and was accepted.

     Kinsey has accomplished many achievements during the span of his career.  Among them, he believes his most important have been “leading a focus on academic achievement that has resulted in Lakeland School District being recognized as one of the top districts in the state. In addition to completing buildings, I have watched Timberlake grow from opening to now being one of the top schools in the region and state in both activities and academics,” he said.

    Being superintendent is no different than any other job when it comes to having setbacks and hardships. “One of the most difficult times of my career was dealing with the death of Timberlake’s first principal and my friend, Van Tuinstra. Moving on with educational issues was difficult. Both faith and perseverance were necessary,” said Kinsey.

     Kinsey’s view on Lakelands’ education is this: “Most of the changes in the district have been as a result of growth or federal mandates. I would hope that many of the federal mandates become more reasonable,” said Kinsey.

     Mr. Hoffman, THS Principal, has been working with Kinsey for the last nine years. He said that Kinsey has been excellent at creating strategic plans for helping with the drive toward high academic achievement. He also said that as a superintendent, Kinsey has gone above and beyond when it comes to spending a lot of time at schools–not only during the workday but also in the evenings by attending after-school activities. Hoffman hopes that the next superintendent will follow many of Kinsey’s traditions, emphasizing education and academic achievement so students can reach their full potential, he said.

     “I have thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with such a fine educator,” said Hoffman.

      Kinsey said some of the most enjoyable aspects of the job are seeing students and staff excel.

     “When one of our teams wins state a state championship or places in state competition, I am extremely proud. It is also memorable when a bond or levy passes to allow construction for new facilities and then those buildings are completed,” said Kinsey.

     An example of this is the recent passage of the two year, $1.95 million emergency bond.

     Mr. Kinsey leaves some parting words of advice for students. “The district has great teachers and they will provide the opportunity to be successful, whether (students) choose to go to Harvard or go to work. It is up to the students to take advantage of these opportunities,’” he said.

     Kinsey said he is going to miss the relations and interactions with the people he has worked with. His  reasons for retirement are to have “the opportunity to have freedom and flexibility to enjoy recreational activities and to spend more time with my grandsons,” he said.

     Kinsey’s last official day of work is June 30.  He looks forward to more fishing, more traveling, and more grandfathering. He said he might even try to improve his golf game.

Mr. Hoffman, Mr. McDougal, and Mrs. Wenstrom win $157 for THS in lottery scratch game

Jarrod Crump

Assistant Editor-in-Chief

   Ready, set, scratch! These words rang through the Greyhound Park on February 28^th.

   Three representatives from different area schools assembled in Greyhound Park to participate in a money-making project called Scratch for Schools, put on by the Idaho Lottery. The representatives from Timberlake were Mrs. Wenstrom, Mr. Hoffman, and Mr. McDougall. Schools present included Timberlake Junior High, Spirit Lake Elementary, and Coeur D ‘Alene High School.

   Each school receives 300 tickets, they then have five minutes to scratch as many tickets as they can. The top five schools that scratch the most tickets move on the next round and then receive 300 more tickets. Again, the remaining schools scratch as many tickets as they can in five minutes. The top 2 schools from that round are the 1^st and 2^nd place winners. First place wins 300 more tickets, and the second place winner gets 180 additional tickets. Any money won from the tickets, the school gets to keep.

   Unfortunately, Timberlake lost in the first round. According to Mr. McDougall, this was due to Mr. Hoffman’s inability to scratch. “Mr. Hoffman is a pathetic scratcher, and will not be scratching next year if I have anything to do with it,” said Mr. McDougall. Mrs. Wenstrom silently agreed with Mr. McDougall.

   Whatever the outcome, Timberlake was still able to muster $156 for our school. The 1^st and 2^nd place winners won around six to seven hundred dollars. Idaho Lottery has been doing Scratch for Schools in this area for about seven years. It has also done Scratch for Schools all throughout Idaho as well. They give out millions of dollars to schools each year.

   It definitely pays to be a scratcher.    

   Jacob Paul Bales, sophomore at Timberlake High School, was born August 17, 1991 and died Thursday, April 3, 2008 of Wegener’s Granulomatosis, which he had been battling for seven years.

   Jacob touched everyone he knew with his courage and bravery.  He was a very caring and loving individual.  Jacob is survived by his mother, Jewell Bales, his father, Robert Connelly, and his brothers, Ashten and Ely Connelly. They all loved him very much. 

   Jacob attended Athol Elementary, Timberlake Junior High School, and most recently Timberlake Senior High School.  He liked dragons, the New England Patriots football team, and the game Mech Warriors.  Jacob also really enjoyed attending youth group and spending time with his friends, who will all miss his fun-loving attitude and spirit very much.  Even though Jacob was sick, he kept a smile on his face and didn’t feel sorry for himself.  He felt there were other people who had things worse than he did. 

    Services for Jacob were held Thursday, April 10 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Bayview Community Center.  He will be missed by many.  For more information on Jacob’s disease or to make a donation in his memory, log on to the Wegener’s Granulomatosis Association website at www.wgassociation.org.

Students taking greater interest in primary elections

Stesah Laase

Staff Writer

     With the presidential election updates congesting news headlines, Timberlake students are taking a strong interest in the candidates, political terms, and the election process.

     While only students who will be 18 before November will be able to vote in the final election, that hasn’t stopped many from developing an idea of what direction they think the government should take with a new president.

     In a poll recently taken by Tiger Tales, 60% of students agree that, if they were eligible, they would vote in the upcoming presidential election, while 24% said they wouldn’t, and 14% are unsure at this time. While they may be currently underage for voting, a majority of students still want their political opinions heard.

     Miss Suenkel, English teacher, feels that the student body has taken a deeper interest in politics this year as opposed to previous years.

     “This group of students seems to be more politically aware,” she said. “(They’re) more involved and sooner. Most weren’t involved until later, closer to the actual election in November.

     Chris Costigan-Galdes, senior, has taken this a step further. He is serving as a delegate for democratic candidate Barack Obama in the Washington primary. He believes Obama would make a strong candidate for president.

     “He has good views, and he’s not corrupted by past politics,” he said.

     While Jamie Brennan, senior, does not actively participate in the campaign and election process, she keeps watch on current events and has formulated her political opinions based on what she has observed. She also supports Obama.

     “When I listen to him talk, it’s interesting to see how he connects with young voters,” she said. “I’m hoping that he can change America for the better. He’s different.”

     Many observers of the political election feel that the process is becoming marred by less than decorous comments from each side of the campaign.

     “Obama is trying to get rid of the race and gender cards,” Costigan-Galdes said. “Clinton is playing that to her advantage. That’s OK, but it should be because of what she believes and what her morals are.”

     Clinton supporters believe that she is doing an amazing job to develop her campaign fairly and appropriately. They believe she is making great headway as the first major female presidential candidate.

Sarah Bricky

Staff Writer

     “Where’s that wascally wabbit?!” exclaimed Elmer Fudd, more commonly known at Timberlake as Vice Principal Mr. McDougall. The answer to his question hopped through the halls as a rabbit-eared, cotton-tailed Mr. Hoffman.

     The principal and vice principal were rewarding the students for raising over $200 in the penny drive which took place March 17-21. Another reward was Mr. Crump dying his hair and beard green.  The money raised went to help Amber Newton, a girl recently hospitalized due to third degree burns. She had been staying at the Harborview Medical Center.

     “Dressing up turned out to be a great incentive for the kids. We plan to continue this tradition for a long time to come,” said Hoffman.

Jarrod Crump and Sarah White advance to speech state after district wins

Brittini Shaffer

Staff Writer

    Timberlake Students sat anxiously in the commons in the early morning of Saturday, March 22.  They waited, trying to suppress their nerves until the moment they got to showcase their abilities.

     It was speech districts that had the students in a flurry.  The yearly event chose Timberlake High School to play host to kids from all over the area.  Everyone looked very professional in shirts, ties, dresses and jackets as they stood before the judges, allowing themselves to break from their shells.  Two of Timberlake’s students, senior Sarah White and junior Jarrod Crump, advanced to state.

     Jarrod Crump said when he entered the first room, they handed him a packet of information and was expected to morph it into a news story.  Luckily, the judge gave him a thirty minute prep time.  He also competed in the improv category.

     Sarah White presented her persuasive personality as she recited a bright, comical speech about toothpaste.  She beamed her pearly whites when speaking of Crest’s flavored toothpaste, such as Vanilla and Strawberry Swirl.

     Jarrod’s radio broadcast and Sarah’s sales pitch were worth the hard work.  They made the cuts and now will be able to battle in the next level of state.

Students sound off on their views of teaching evolution and creationism

Beverly Shirts

Business Manager

     A controversial subject has been voiced by some students at Timberlake High School. Should evolution be taught in schools? If it is should creationism be taught also?

    Some students in Mr. Anderson’s biology class voiced their opinions on the subject. Jenni Schneider, sophomore, said that evolution should definitely be taught in schools. She also said that if creationism is taught in schools, it should not be a required class.

     Amanda Kirby, sophomore, said she wasn’t really sure if evolution should be taught in schools. She said, “I guess so that teachers can still introduce the concept.” However, she does think that creationism should be a non-required class, but it should be offered.

     John Hughes, freshman, thinks that evolution should be taught in schools. He said, “It’s good to know all views of science.” He doesn’t think creationism should be taught because it has to do with religion.

     So why isn’t creationism taught in schools? Creationism is defined on Wikipedia as “a religious belief that humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe were created in their original form by a deity (often the Abrahamic God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) or deities, whose existence is presupposed.” 

     What comes into consideration when deciding whether to include creationism in school curriculum? The First  Amendment to the United States Constitution states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …” Adding creationism to the curriculum might violate this amendment to the Constitution. It could be considered putting religion into schools. Others argue that evolution can be considered a religion, so it shouldn’t be taught in schools either.

Matthew Parent

Editor-in-Chief

     Ms. Suenkel, Misty Brown, Kaycie Miller, and Cierra Olmstead boarded a plane bound for New York City on the morning of On the morning of March 17.  These THS journlaists were on their way to a journalism conference held at Columbia University. While they were there, though, they had to do a little sightseeing and get a taste–literally and figuratively–of New York.

     They saw a number of tourist attractions including an evening ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty, and visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History. They also ventured to Rockefeller Center and made a brief appearance on The Today Show. They visited Central Park and Time Square, walked down Broadway, and watched the musical Young Frankenstein. Last but not least, they went to the top of the Empire State Building and viewed to Ground Zero.

     Ms. Suenkel has always wanted to see a show at Broadway and seeing Young Frankenstein was her favorite part outside of the journalism conference. Her favorite part of the conference was witnessing seasoned journalists spendt their own time personally helping and teaching student Kaycie Miller.

     Ms. Suenkel said, “I wish that every student had the experience to go on a trip like this to know what kinds of career opportunities exist for students.”

     Misty Brown said one of the most memorable moments she had was riding in a cab and watching the cars literally play bumper cars. Brown said it took a little while to get used to the city, but she did after a couple days. Her favorite part of New York was Columbia University. She said she learned a lot at the camp especially about Adobe Photoshop, a program used for editing and enhancing photos.  Additionally, Brown, Tiger Tales sports editor, said she received many good examples of sport page layouts.

      Kaycie Miller’s favorite New York site was Ground Zero, but her favorite moment was “when I talked to Meredith Viera and I told her a goofy joke, and she laughed and said it was cute.”

     Her favorite part of the conference?  “Meeting the managing editor of the Staten Island Advance because she was really inspiring and taught me a lot,” Miller said.

      She described New York as “a perfect blend of old and modern architecture,” and said she could see herself living there and she is considering going to college there.

     “It was a really great experience, and even though I missed home a lot, I was sad to leave,” Miller said.

     Cierra Olmstead was briefly featured on The Today Show.  Al Roker, weatherman, asked her if Timberlake High School was named after Justin Timberlake, the pop singer. Her favorite places to visit were The Today Show and the Broadway show.

     Cierra described New York as “kind of dirty, and it was cold, but it was really cool.” She does plan on visiting New York again in a couple of years.

Stesah Laase

Staff Writer

The second annual Timberlake Creates Exhibition begins on May 17. The community art show showcases pieces from local professional, amateur, and student artists.

     All are eligible to enter. For each piece submitted sudents will need to pay a $5 entrance fee; adult community entrants will pay $10, and adult professionals will pay $15. The deadline for entrance is April 18.

     A panel of judges will determine which pieces will be shown and entrants will be notified. The panel will select winners in the professional, community amateur, and student categories, and corresponding prizes will be awarded.

     Ms. Scozzaro, art teacher, is organizing the exhibition. She believes that this year’s show will be even more successful than last year’s.

     “Because it was new, people had a lot of questions,” Scozzaro said.  “They were not sure about how to enter or what to enter.”

     She believes the art show will have a positive effect on the community.

     “Art can affect our lives in ways we don’t expect, and I want to bring that out. It’s the humanity of making and sharing art that I want to celebrate,” she said.

     This year there is a new category Spirit Lake Heritage category, which is open to high school aged students and older.  It is intended to celebrate the community’s rich history. Submissions for this category are to be centered on Spirit Lake and its history, geography, people, or related subjects.

     These works may be shown for the rest of the summer; those that are included in the summer-long display will be returned in August.

Is Mountan View getting free ride?

     Graduation is an important event for all seniors, families and faculty. It’s something we as a school take pride in, and spend a great deal of money on. Every student works hard to get to that final destination inhis or her adolescent life; so let me ask you this: Is it something you would give away so easily? Of course not, that is why students who graduate from Mt. View Alternative School should not be allowed to walk with Timberlake’s graduating class.

     It may be argued that Mt. View attendees work just as hard or harder in school than students who attend THS, but is that true? Where is the proof that they do? We are speaking of the physical proof, not hollowed out statements like, “we work just as hard as you do. We just go to the alternative school.” After all it seems that many of the kids who actually attend Mt. View just brag about how easy it is, and about how many field trips they go on. They also get Fridays off just for turning all of their work in. Where is the justice in that? It would seem that it has been lost, or forgotten about somewhere in the teacher’s lounge refrigerator. In fact, it’s probably sitting in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator behind the biology classes’ next dissection project. We all know no one even dares to look there. 

     So how is it that Mt. View students share the honor of walking with us down that glorious aisle when they aren’t even held to the same standards we are? Sure, they are held to Idaho State standards, but that’s not the same thing. Y

    You would think that Mt. View, being the individually recognized school that it is, would have its own graduation ceremony if the students wanted one so badly. A little juggling of their priorities and budget would ensure they had enough money for one. After all, it is arguable that students there don’t need to go on a field trip three times a week, considering THS students are lucky if they get three at all during their entire high school careers. 

     So do the alternative school students put in as much work into their diplomas as we do? Show us the proof and right information, and we will concede that yes, their students can be in our graduation.Otherwise the answer should be a  flat out no.

     Another argument that can be made is that Mt. View students deserve to walk with us because they are THS students or once were. To this, we pose a question to you: how often do you see students from Mt. View attend, or help out with THS dances, assemblies, pep rallies, sports games or the senior auction for that matter? The point is that they don’t participate in enough THS activities, whether they’re extracurricular or not, to really be considered an alumnus. In fact, they have their own clubs and activities such as drama. Logically, if Mt. View and Timberlake really were considered one student body or one school then one would think that clubs such as the drama would be unified. After all, having two different productions labeled as “presented by Timberlake High School”, or “presented by Mountain View” clearly defines the existence of two different schools.

     Those who still believe that Mt. View students deserve to walk with our graduating class need to present us evidence and we will be glad to open our arms and welcome our fellow graduates. Otherwise, we stand by our opinion, and hope that our diplomas still hold the same significance we thought they once did; even with their seemingly depreciated value.