Ask Dr. Bill and Ms. Lola - May 2009

Dear Dr. Bill and Miss Lola,

I have a problem! I really like this guy, but I don't want to. He annoys me and he's head over heels about a different girl, but he's hilariously fun to be around! He talks about the girl he likes and asks for advice. AAAAHHH!!! Help!

Sincerely,

Exasperated

Dear Exasperated,

If you were malicious, you would try to break up this guy and his girlfriend. This is the natural response that many girls would have, and generally, for short-term happiness, it works! If you choose this path, temporary success will be automatically at your fingertips. That is, until he is snatched away from you by another girl haunted by that green-eyed monster of jealousy. You might also be setting yourself up for more sinister acts in the future, such as grand theft auto or extortion. There aren't many steps between stealing a man's heart and a man's car. At this stage of life, if you are truly looking for a lasting relationship, you should find a different guy. Forget him and find a more hunkly and gorgeous man to spend the rest of your life with.

Sincerely,
Dr. Bill

Dear Exasperated,

First off, calm down, take a deep breath, and think. If this guy and the girl he's always talking about aren't really dating steady or even involved at all, then why not tell him how you feel about him? If all their relationship consists of his him talking about how much he likes her, then maybe you've got a chance. On the flip side, if you're his friend and you tell him how you really feel about him, there's the chance he'll feel uncomfortable and won't want to be around you anymore. Also, you're contradicting yourself: does he annoy you or is he fun to be around? If it's both, then there's another problem. When you're friends and he's annoying you you can always walk away or tell him to knock it off. If your relationship gets serious, little things become huge, and you'll be around each other much more often. In conclusion, think about this a lot before you do something you might regret later.

Cordially,

Miss Lola

Dear Dr. Bill and Miss Lola,

Recently I tried out for a position in student council that I had been working for all year. I found out that I didn't make the cut and now I've become depressed. I've tried not thinking about it, but a lot of my friends made it and I see them wherever I go. What should I do to stop myself from feeling so down?

Sincerely,

Council Cut-out

Dear Council Cut-out,

Well, at least now you know how Hillary feels! Then again, she is now the Secretary of State. As a council reject myself, I went through the exact same thing last year. Thankfully, there's absolutely nothing that a day's worth of sleep, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon, and a tub of Vanilla Secret Delight ice cream can't cure. It took me an entire weekend, but I got over it. However, I have friends from last year who still aren't over it. (Too bad they don't know how much exhilaration watching Sarah Michelle Gellar beat up vampires can give them). But mm-- Vanilla Secret Delight. So delicious. Just watch how much you eat: It goes straight to your thighs.

Sincerely, Dr. Bill

Dear Cut-out,

Having never tried out for student council myself, I cannot fully understand your situation, but I have gone through similar things. This may not be what you want to hear, but I've found that moping about and feeling sorry for myself does me no good whatsoever - it just depresses me. Look back on the situation. Did you have fun? Did you enjoy the time you spent doing it? Did you learn things about "politics" and more importantly about yourself? If you can answer yes to any or even all of these questions then you got something positive out of the experience. Also, this may sound a bit harsh, but you're being slightly self-centered if all you can think about when you see your friends is that you didn't make it. Try to feel happy for them and show them that you're glad they made it. I understand that you're going through a huge letdown, but there's no point in crying over spilled milk. If you are going to be a junior or a sophomore, try for another position next year. If you're a senior next year, there's always college student government awaiting beyond the summer break. I know it's easy to sit around moping and feeling sorry for yourself, heck, I've done it plenty of times. However, it really doesn't do anything but make you feel worse. Let go of your disappointment - you can't change the situation. Move on and try to enjoy the rest of your high school experience. Just because you didn't make student council doesn't mean that you're a failure. You will still go on to have an amazing year and do great things.

Cordially,

Miss Lola


As always, take the counsel of Dr. Bill and Ms. Lola with careful consideration (especially Bill).

Read more...

Marching On

By Kaleo Li

Instead of liquefying that lean muscle into fat in front of the television this summer, joining the marching band may be a more constructive-- and even healthier-- alternative.

Summer is "parade season" for the marching band, when they participate in various city parades and functions. The preparation for the performances, however, requires dedication and discipline.

"We spend three hours every morning Monday through Friday," says senior Brent Hyer. 'We start out with marching practice and work on marching technique."

After the outside practices, the marching band will then go into the school building to work on their music. Following that, a mini-parade might take place in preparation for the parades that they will be marching in.

"In the late summer, we go to band camp, where we do at least 10 hours of marching and three hours of music every day," says senior Mic Lopp.

In fact, marching band is so physically demanding that, along with Fine Arts credit, it counts for an elective credit for physical education.

"It improves stamina," says junior Shad Loveland.

Of course, hard work comes with its own reward. The marching band of Timpanogos High took State in their division. Participating in marching band also teaches lessons such as team work and the importance of diligence. Participating in the marching band may even provide a positive spin on resumes and applications, as it shows employers the amount of dedication and work ethic they have.

"I like how marching band unifies us. If one person's out of place, then the whole band is out of place. It causes us to work hard together," says Mic.

"After all the hard work and the competitions are over, it's totally worth it," says Brent, "Marching band is the best experience of my high school life."

Read more...

Make your mark

By Tiffany Monney

"Dance is the hidden language of my soul." This was a quote that captured the true essence of the Timpanogos Dance Team's concert with the theme "Leave Your Mark." Beginning the evening by revealing an abstract painting completed by each member of the team, Karen Oldman, the director of TDT, explained how the painting illustrated how each dancer contributes to the overall unity of the team.

Dancers then described what their "mark" represented, with such elements including dedication, individuality, happiness and fun. With this incredible introduction, the concert began. Each dance was as unique as the dancers who choreographed the numbers. There were hip-hop, jazz and contemporary dances, which all incorporated the "marks" of each dancer.

Some dances centered around the joy of youth and carelessness, while others explored the contrasts between large and small, and still others captured the unpredictable smooth and mysterious movements of a cobra. In the dance titled "Right Now," the entire TDT company, as well as past members of TDT, came together in an exemplary visualization of past, present and future dancers.

When asked what their favorite number was, junior Abbie Christiansen stated, "I loved the circle dance [Come to the Circle] where they used those cool rings to tell about the story of the Indian woman carved in the ridge of Mount Timpanogos."

Senior Michelle Teng asserted, "I like how all the dances were original choreography, and I liked Mollee Gray's dance to Britney Spears' music [My Own Person].

Senior Jessica Church most enjoyed the 'Wedding Dress' dance and hearing the seniors talk about their experience with TDT and about moving on."

All in all, the showcase was a magnificent display of TDT's talent, unity and dedication to the art of dancing. In conclusion, as senior Hailey Hutchinson put it, "they way they dance makes it look so easy, and I want to just go out and dance myself!"

Read more...

A Red Lobster review

by Sairah Gold

Before I had ever been to Red Lobster, I thought it was just a random seafood place like Joe's Crab Shack. When I actually went to eat at the Red Lobster on University Parkway, it gave me a big reality slap.

The greatness began when we walked through the door. I went on a Thursday night when very few people eat out, so the host seated my date and me almost immediately. When the waiter got to our table, he introduced himself as Mike and then proceeded to say "I promise to take good care of you tonight," which I believed to be the most impressive thing I've ever heard a waiter say. It was probably protocol, but I still found it very impressive. He had a great sense of humor as well and had us smiling while he talked with us.

When we were ready, both my date and I ordered mashed potatoes with our meal, and I ordered lobster topping for mine. When our waiter brought our food out, he noticed that the cooks put lobster topping on the wrong plate, even before we did. He apologized and immediately got an extra side of lobster topping for me without hesitation. Although I didn't know if it would even taste good, I tried it and loved it. The little bits of lobster in a delicious sauce made my mashed potatoes 10 times better than they were before. My date ordered crab for his main dish, and they had done an excellent job of preparing it. It was probably the best crab I've ever had. We also ordered a steak, which the cooks seared to perfection: exactly the way we ordered it.

Later, we saw our first waiter (We'll call him Mike #1) cleaning up around the table next to us, along with another man who started just a few minutes before him. Mike #1 turned to his co-worker, called him by name and said something close to, "You do such a great job. Thank you for all your help." The fact that I could see the extent to which this employee uplifted and encouraged his co-worker impressed me even further. Not to mention, the restaurant looked extremely well-kept and clean.

Senior Heather Lewis says, "I like Red Lobster because I love eating fish, and they always cook the fish just right, and the actual restaurant doesn't smell fake-fishy." Senior Brielle Argyle says she likes it because "it's so yummy and has a cool lobster tank." Yes, that lobster tank is pretty rad. And of course, who wants to eat with that nasty fishy smell gagging you as you eat? More kudos for Red Lobster.

Eating at Red Lobster gave me the best experience eating out I've ever had. The staff treated us very well and were very accommodating, the food tasted amazing, and the experience as a whole blew me away. I highly recommend Red Lobster for any occasion, formal or casual.

Read more...

Boys' tennis: 'Nuff said

by Chris Rytting

The Boys' Tennis Team gave a valiant effort this season. Despite the killer instinct and "gangsta" attitude of the team, particularly of Chandler Laing and his doubles partner, the team had a win-loss record of 2-8, not including the pre-season Provo loss and the Region Tournament.

The Varsity Region Tournament took place on April 30 and May 1, and Tyler "Cinco De Mayo" Mayberry. The Junior Varsity Tournament took place on May 4. The tennis team members, when asked about the season, had plenty to say.

The personality and color of the entire team can be epitomized by Chandler Laing, who noted, "The English accents were definitely our least effective tactic during matches, while it was, without fail, the most used."

JV doubles phenom Patrick Clarke said, "People underestimate the experience of playing tennis for Timpanogos, especially under Coach Jorgensen. It's really hard to explain the rush we as players get from being involved in the program. All I can say is that playing tennis to me is like drinking water is to a human being, and humans need their water."

Nick "Slow-mo" Toland, who is Clarke's partner, said, "It's really a shame that we couldn't vanquish all of our foes, because we on the team all feel like we owe [Coach Jorgensen] a winning record, at least."

A premier varsity doubles player, Sam Hughes, added, "You know, I think that a lot of people underestimate the heart it takes to make it in this sport, especially here, playing for [Coach Jorgensen]. We might not have gotten a whole lot of wins, but we got a whole lot of soul."

Finally, Mayberry, the face of the team, who is being forced to leave the team due to his graduating high school, concluded, "We had a tough season, a really tough schedule. It's hard going out like this, especially with the intense expectations of the local fans as well as the hard work we put in everyday at practice. It almost seems like a waste now, but we gave our all, and that makes the pain this season worth it."

Read more...

Prom: Overrated or underrated?

by Camlyn Giddins

A light pink dress and chocolate cake don't mix. Sophomore Breanna Tate knows this from experience. "At our dinner, I sat in chocolate cake that was on the chair from the last customer...that was pretty bad." But despite the stain, Breanna enjoyed Prom with her friends.

For Holly Broadbent, this Prom was her last, and it was a great one to end on. After laser tag, Octavio's for dinner and the dance, she says, "I appreciate the guy's work for me and seeing how much they do to make sure I have a fun time makes me feel really special." This senior gives counsel for next year's Prom in these words: "To guys, you do not need to spend too much money to make it special. Less money makes it even more fun because there is no pressure." To the girls she advises, "Go out of your comfort zone and start a conversation. Don't wait for the guy to take the first step because he already did. He asked you. Make them happy they asked you!"

Senior Trevor Giles agrees it's important to "just have a fun time and make sure you have a good group." He also adds, "It's not as expensive as some people think, so guys, just ask someone." There is always an option of making a dinner at home or having a relative take pictures.

Junior Hailey Edgington started planning Prom last year in May as a sophomore. "The best thing was working with the other Junior class officers and going to the dance and seeing it finished, knowing it was a success." The Junior class officers and Mr. Larson planned Prom Royalty and its activities, made the t-shirts for them, found the place and worked things out with Thanksgiving Point, worked with the DJ and Bell photography and got refreshments, among other preparations. Planning has already started for next year, where more Prom experiences are sure to come.

Read more...

Keys to Success: Irasema Del Castillo

Written by Megan Laubershimer, as published in The Daily Herald, B10, 3/25/09

A chance to win a car, what could be a better reason to hope for a key card from Ken Garth? It's called Keys to Success and has been a program running throughout high schools for a few years now.

As a program to promote the students of tomorrow to work hard and dedicate today, it awards only the students who truly take the future into their own hands.

Teachers nominate students, who then receive a fun, little key card. This is a card that not only parallels the lottery for high school students by bringing with it the chance to win a new car, but also gives the opportunity to choose from a variety of prizes, anything from a day pass at renowned ski resorts to free dinners at top notch restaurants.

Timpanogos High School prides itself on housing an eclectic body of students who do what they can to succeed. With only the best of the best students receiving cards, either by maintaining a 4.0 GPA or having perfect attendance, key cards spread around the school like wild fire.

A perfect example of Timpanogos's finest is senior Irasema Del Castillo. As the business liaison for the school newspaper, Irasema deals with irascible businesses and a tight budget to keep the Timberwolf Times running, and she even finds the time to write for the paper as well.

English teacher Mrs. Phippen, who is also the paper's adviser, nominated Irasema after admiring not only her work ethic but her personality as well. She reported, "I gave it to her for raising our advertisements by 1000%. Last year we had $300 in ads. Irasema got $3,000 this year."

With so many students receiving a key card every month, it was difficult to choose just one among the many talented class. Irasema proved to be one of the top choices because she is the perfect example of what future seniors should strive to become. She is endearing, kind, and intelligent, not to mention good with money; and she works hard for what she wants.

Though she admits that the chances for her to actually win the car at the end of the year are not very high, she laughed and said that she'd gladly take it and sell the car she has now. When asked what she thought about being nominated, she said, "I think it was cool. I got $100 to Paul Mitchell [beauty school]."

When asked why she thought she received the nomination, she said, "It was for a 4.0 grade," but we all know it was for so much more than that. From working on PACK, the school's student committee, to taking care of her younger sister, Irasema is a valued student among her teachers and a beloved friend.

Read more...