May Madness contest upsets Issaquah High
May 14, 2013
Among some students at Issaquah High School, a dubious contest known as May Madness has popped up in recent years almost as predictably as final exams.
But because the object of the underground competition is to determine the best-looking, or “hottest,” girls in school, administrators, teachers and many students are eager to stamp it out.
Anonymous promoters of May Madness at Issaquah High have once again posted on a Facebook page 64 yearbook-style photos of girls for one-on-one matchups in brackets patterned after sports tournaments. A girl’s name can be entered in or withheld from the contest without her permission.
Threesome headed to state tourney
May 14, 2013
The two-day District 2 Tournament, at the par 72 Coyote Creek at Willows Run golf course May 7, was a success for both Issaquah and Skyline high school golfers.
Going into the 18th hole the second day, Issaquah High School sophomore Mersadie Tallman was leading by one stroke, before a double bogey bumped her final score to 157 for third place and a ticket to the girls golf 4A State Championship.
“It was good. I’m not disappointed, but I would have liked to have done better on the last hole,” Tallman said. “I had a great time, and it was nice out here and I got to miss school.”
High schools ranked among state’s best
May 7, 2013
Issaquah and Skyline high schools were ranked among the highest performing schools in Washington in this year’s Best High Schools report from U.S. News and World Report.
Both Issaquah and Skyline earned national and state rankings and were also awarded silver medals, among 45 schools in Washington, according to the U.S. News and World Report website.
The annual review recognizes top performing high schools based on math, reading and college readiness. Issaquah High School placed 17th out of 587 high schools in Washington and 837th out of 21,035 in the country. Skyline High School placed 41st in the state ranking and 1,535th in the national ranking.
Issaquah High School places at state Solo and Ensemble Contest
May 7, 2013
On April 26 and 27, Issaquah High School won several awards at the Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest.
Hi Tones won first place in the women’s large ensemble category. Led by Savannah Young, other first-place singers are Maddy Bennett, Alita Campbell, Samantha Cook, Annika Dybevik, Caroline Hamblin, Melina Jones, Tali Magidson, Mackenzie Minehan, Elizabeth Moore, Julianne Nienhuis, Areesa Somani, Maryn Spangler, Rache Strand, Makenna Thomas and Ashley Young.
Other state winners are Andy Able, who took second place playing tuba, and Gregory Ketron taking second place on his trombone.
Issaquah track teams close out season with win against Newport
May 7, 2013
49ers sign former Skyline player as free agent
Former Skyline High School football player Luke Marquardt signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent April 27.
The 6-foot 8 1/2-inch, 317-pound left tackle played 30 games for Azusa Pacific University before a foot injury caused him to sit out his senior season and limited his participation at the NFL Scouting Combine earlier this year.
Marquardt was named to the 2013 Senior Bowl Watch List and, according to NFL.com, had coaches from several pro teams, include the 49ers, attend his pro day workout.
Woodstock: the expense of politics
May 7, 2013
Hall Monitor
Olga Alentyeva
Issaquah High School
I am a person who is interested in many things — science, art, hockey — the list is long and arbitrary. Two interests that I tend to prize are politics and music, and rarely do they ever come together and work as a pair.
They interact, they disagree with each other, they try to get rid of each other, but sometimes they end up creating an historical event such as Woodstock. The music project had political significance. Apart from the “sex-drugs-rock and roll-hippie” counter-culture of the 1960s, Woodstock had more problems.
Wolves too much for the Eagles in 13-2 loss
April 30, 2013
Sydney Schultz, Issaquah High School center fielder, reaches third base from first on the fourth-inning double by catcher Heather Benjamin (left), in their game April 26 against Eastlake. Photo by By Greg Farrar
In a season when the win column just doesn’t look pretty, players tend to place undue pressure on themselves to try to power through the adversity.
The youth-laden Issaquah High School softball team knows the feeling all too well as it struggles to turn around a season plagued by injuries and inexperience.
“In the games, they are just trying to win so bad right now that they’re pressing in everything, offense and defense,” first-year Issaquah coach Ron Hatlen said.
There were not too many positives during the April 26 contest between Eastlake and Issaquah. The Wolves needed just six innings to put away the Eagles, 13-2.
Paula Phelps to become next director of high schools
April 26, 2013
NEW — 4:36 p.m. April 26, 2013
In a letter sent to Issaquah High School families, the school’s principal, Paula Phelps, announced that she would leave her post at the end of the school year to become the district’s executive director of high schools.
“For the past 15 years, this school community has been such a family to me,” Phelps wrote. “I can’t tell you what a rich experience it has been to watch your students learn, grow, laugh and leave here ready to pursue their dreams.”
Phelps said she originally turned down the offer from Superintendent Steve Rasmussen. Now that she is making the move, Phelps told families that the district wants to work closely with them in the process of selecting a new principal. A survey to help shape the selection criteria is on its way, she added.
Leadership turnover needs tailored approach
April 23, 2013
Every year, high school seniors graduate, and every year, people need to step up to fill the shoes that these seniors leave behind.
Iman Baghai
Issaquah High School
In many high school programs, students spend their entire high school careers pouring their hearts and souls into their activities and often rising as student leaders. But, more often than not, their zeniths at these positions are short-lived, as these leaders move onto college and beyond. Once they leave, others come in and these transitions can be graceful or ugly.
‘Influence the Choice’ video winner named
April 9, 2013
A winner was announced April 2 for the “Influence the Choice” video contest, led by the Issaquah Community Network and Drug Free Community Coalition.
Issaquah High School student Hannah Balducci won the grand prize of $800 for her submission of a two-minute video that tried to influence friends and other teenagers to resist using alcohol, marijuana and prescription drugs.
