by Michael Lanham

Today is April Fool’s Day, but this feature is no joke. Of all the cars spotlighted on Junk of the Month this school year, this month’s is by far the most worthy of the title of junkiest car. I had several candidates to feature this month, but when I started talking to senior Hillary Bennett I just knew I had hit the jackpot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like her car before in my life. It’s a real piece of work. If there’s one item on my list of things to do in my life, it is to own a car with even half the personality of this one.

Does your car have a name?
“Muff-Muff, because he looks like a muffin.”

What’s the make and model?
“It’s a 1986 VW Cabriolet. It’s older than me.”

How many miles per gallon does it get?
“About 30.”

What are Muff-Muff’s most defining features?
“It’s a two-door car, and neither of the doors works. I have to reach in through a window to open it from inside. It also has three keys, one for the door, one to start it, and one for the gas. The floors get wet when it rains because it’s a convertible, and the top leaks. The radio plays without the car being on, and the antenna is broken off. Only one windshield wiper works. Oh, and the seat belt in the back is broken.

What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened when you were driving?
“It has turned off in the middle of intersections a few times. If you turn right with less than a half tank of gas it will shut off. It just dies a lot. And the doors open up sometimes when I’m driving. One time I almost hit this runner with the door, and since it’s off the hinges I had to hold it shut the whole rest of the way home.”

Have you had any run-ins with the police?
“Just for a tail light warning. They were both out but I couldn’t tell.”

What’s the farthest place you’ve driven your car to?
“Payson.”

by Michael Lanham

The Timberwolf Times is proud to announce the winner of the 2008 PTSA Golden Apple Award. The PTSA Board met and discussed many outstanding teachers at THS and voted to give this annual award to Ms. Robyn Bretzing.

Bretzing was also recently named the 2007 UAHPERD (Utah Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance) Teacher of the Year, and Southwest District AAHPERD (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance) Teacher of the Year. The Southwest District includes Utah, California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Bretzing leaves on Tuesday, April 8 to Fort Worth, TX to represent the Southwest District, Utah, and of course Timpanogos High School as a candidate for the national AAHPERD Teacher of the Year. She will spend the week attending interviews and conventions, and on Friday, April 11, the results for national AAHPERD Teacher of the Year will be announced.

When Timpanogos High School opened 12 years ago, Ms. Bretzing left Lakeridge Junior High to come teach. She taught for three years at Lakeridge, but she loves her place here. “I love teaching at THS.,” she said. “I love the students. They are willing to engage in new and exciting developments in PE.”

And indeed, she has pioneered many of those new and exciting developments in PE-related courses. Bretzing is working on a district level to reorganize the overall high school PE experience. It seems that as students sign up for the next PE course each year, the activities that are covered remain the same. They play volleyball, they play basketball, and then they play some other classic American sports. The next year, they play volleyball, basketball, perhaps a new sport, but essentially nothing changes.

Beside subject-specific PE classes (Kickboxing, Weight Training, etc.), only the Lifetime Sports class offers a new set of activities for students. Bretzing hopes to change the curriculum of each consecutive fitness class from junior high to high school so that every year presents a new aspect of physical fitness. “I want to help kids want to be fit; good health makes you happy. You miss out on so much of life if you’re not out there enjoying it,” she said.

Ms. Bretzing played for the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team, and has been very influential in starting our own THS Women’s Soccer team. She has also played a very significant part in cultivating soccer programs in Utah Valley. She coaches Celtic Storm, a AAA women’s club team. Shelby Mckell, junior, plays for Ms. Bretzing. She said, “Robyn has been training my soccer team for a couple of years now. She works us really hard, but cares about us a ton. She’s always been fun to work with, and I have always loved her being our trainer. Thanks, Robyn, for all you’ve done. You’re the best!”

As I interviewed Ms. Bretzing, I couldn’t help but smile. She really loves what she does. She believes that PE teachers make a difference because they are the only ones who focus on the physical part of education. What good is the brain if the body can’t function? More than just teaching fun activities and sports, Bretzing coaches her students in making good physical habits that can last a lifetime. Senior Jenny Hanson said, “Ms. Bretzing is my favorite teacher because she truly cares about her students and helps them progress. She helps us be healthy.”

Congratulations, Ms. Bretzing. We at Timberwolf Times and as the student body of Timpanogos High School would like to thank you for you dedication to teaching, to your students, and to the school. We wish you the very best of luck as you travel to Fort Worth to compete to become the AAHPERD National Teacher of the Year. You are amazing!

For more information on UAHPERD and for an explanation of the TOY award, visit http://www.uahperd.org/index.html

by Ben Olsen

When people think of the sports programs at Timpanogos the team that has always stood out as having the most talent would be the baseball. Once again Timpanogos has one of the most talented squads in the state and they appear on paper to be one of a few teams competing for a state championship. In fact Timapanogos is ranked second in the state only behind their region rivals the Spanish Fork Dons. This only motivates the team according to Coach Kim Nelson, who’s team looks to prove the voters wrong. “We want to come out and show them what we have got.

The reason they were chosen second, according to the voters is that Spanish Fork has more pitching depth than our T-Wolves. However this weakness looked to be a strength for the T-Wolves when they played the Northridge Knights on Tuesday. The T-Wolves beat the Knights 4-0 thanks to the outstanding pitching of senior Gentry Craft. With the bases loaded in the fifth inning and nobody out Craft was able to pull of the unthinkable. Not only did he not give up a run but, he stuck out the next there batters.

“That tells you a lot about what type of a player he is right there,” said coach Nelson. “He was able to reach down in and refocus and find what he needed to get those guys out.

After the game Croft added “I expect to win every time I step on the mound. I want to be 8-0 on the year and win a state title. I had an all right day, but I know I can do a little better.

The Timberwolves have high aspirations for this season, and Gentry is expected to be a big part of their success. Other key players include Bret Lopez, Grant Jimenez, and Rhett Nelson. Timapanogos is considered to have the best line-up in the state. Not only can they hit for power, but they also can hit for average because of their overall team speed. They are also a solid defense club and with the power arms of Gentry and Rhett its hard not to like the T-Wolves.

Even with such a good team on paper some teams crumble under the pressure and fail to live up to there lofty expectations. The players as well as the coach’s are aware of this and they are trying to do everything that they can in order to prevent it.

Bret Lopez said, “Our goal is to win the state tournament anything less will be a disappointment. “

The team seems to be well on their way to achieving this goal. Not only did they start out the season 4-0, but they also one a very prestigious tournament in San Diego two weeks ago. The team is looking as good as ever.

by Irasema Del Castillo

Track can be a sport for everyone, even the less coordinated of the bunch.

There are running events, throwing events, and jumping events. Specific events include javelin, pole vault, shot put, hurdles, long and high jump, and running.

Javelin throw consists of an athlete throwing a javelin the farthest to win, but it must stick in the ground or it isn’t counted as a legal throw. However, in high school the athlete doesn’t need to make it stick in the ground in order for it to count. Javelin is only legal in a few high schools in a few selected states. Javelin athlete, junior Sam Nielsen says, “Track is awesome. It’s a lot of fun. Throwing is the best.”

Pole vaulting is also a big event this year, and the track team is pretty excited to participate in it. This event is fairly new to Timpanogos’ track team; this year is the second year in which they have competed it. Pole vaulting is where one has a long, tall pole and uses it to throw themselves over the bar, which is usually pretty high. Junior Matt Kreske says, “Pole vaulting is really fun. It’s awesome to have a pole lift you up ten feet and land on a big giant pad.”

Shotput is an event that has been going on in track for years. One has to be incredibly strong to throw eight pounds for the guys and five pounds for the girls, the farthest.

Becca Hutton, junior says, “It is most extraordinary to send a javelin soaring through the air, to put a shot put past all others and to spin a discus to the farthest it will go.”

Other events include hurdles: the 100m for the girls and 110m for the guys, and 300m for both girls and guys. Junior Griffin McGinn says, “Hurdles is sweet loving.”

Junior Jeff Fitzgerald says, “Hurdles look challenging, but once you get the hang of them they’re way fun and worth all the effort you put into it.”

The track team participated in the Simplot Games in February. The Simplot games included over 24 states and two to three providences in Canada. Out of the 31 individuals who went from THS, nine of them qualified. Two groups also qualified. Overall the team did great.

Junior, Tosha Hales described this event as, “Simplot was really fun. I met some of the coolest people there, and we partied it up. The races were fun and scary, but after it was finished, it felt really good. It was scary because there were so many people there and they were all so good.”

The team practices hard after school at three o’clock. Their very supportive coaches include Jody Benson and Brad Molen, and their assistant coaches are Tony Glover, Jen Fitzgarrald, and Kelly Schoney.

Junior Suzie Sorensen leaves us with her outlook on track. She says, “Track is fun because it’s different people from different groups doing different events working toward the common goal of being ripped champions together! Practice is long, hard, and surprisingly fun. I never would have thought that a good hard workout eases my stress after school. The team members and coaches are so fun. But it is a huge time commitment. I’m nervous for this season!”

by Adam Jensen

They are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the titans of their respective playing fields at THS: the Sterling Scholars.

So what is the Sterling Scholar program? The Sterling Scholar Awards recognize and encourage excellence in high school seniors. The Deseret Morning News and KSL television developed this program to award cash scholarships and other tuition wavers to participating colleges or universities.

Because of the program’s size and differences in each region, it covers five geographical areas: the Wasatch Front, Northeast Utah, Central Utah, Southeast Utah and Southwest Utah. The program began in 1962.

Megan Barrus, an English teacher here at THS, is the current Sterling Scholar coordinator. An interesting fact from her: there are actually 13 Sterling Scholars. Ms. Barrus also explained what each candidate needs to do to audition.

“Basically all that they have to do is fill out an application, and they answer a series of questions relating to their experience in their category, the service that they’ve done and leadership experiences that they’ve had. So after they fill out the application, they are interviewed by usually the department head or somebody else in the department,” she said. The department then gathers together to decide who will best represent the school.

Lauren Hunt, senior, is the Visual Arts Sterling Scholar. When asked what she would do with a million dollars, she said, “I would actually buy a shack, not a house, on every single continent in most of the major countries. I probably couldn’t buy that much for a million dollars, but then I could just go from shack, to shack, to shack, to shack, because my favorite thing to do is traveling.”

Lauren Hunt also participated in the exchange program, and commented, “You make these connections that you can use for the rest of your life.” Then we asked what she wanted to be remembered as, and she stated that “I want to be one of those grandmas that doesn’t seem like a grandma. I want to be one of those grandmas who you call by their first name, and at some point in my life, I want to get a motorcycle. So I would love to be remembered as a grandma with a motorcycle, at least with my family.” Then

Jesse Riddle, senior, is the English Sterling Scholar. When asked what she would do with a million dollars, she said, “I would hide it in a tree, then make a treasure map and give it to my grandchildren.” When asked what her epitaph might be someday, she responded, “Thank you. Or hallelujah.” She actually drives her dream car, but doesn’t own the red Toyota Tacoma. The piece of wisdom she would share with people is to “wear comfortable shoes.” She has three younger brothers in her family, and they’re all three years apart. In the summer, she wants to get a job at Aspen Grove, and in the fall she is going to a currently undetermined college.

She had a very tough time thinking of a favorite class. She loves all of her English classes, and her choir classes at well. She was also asked about the funniest thing that ever happened to her, and after laughing for a bit, replied, “We were at cross country practice, of course, because that’s where everything cool happens. I was with a certain girl, and she was chasing people around, biting them.” One boy then started dragging the girl across the gym, then there were two, one lifting by the arms and one by the legs, then one boy rushed in from the side to rescue her, then a fourth boy nearly pants-ed him… “By the end we were all just hyperventilating.”

“I’ve loved English since I was really little. I’ve loved reading since before kindergarten. Part of it is from my mom, an English teacher,” said Riddle. “But mostly I love English because I think words are beautiful. They have power.”

2008 Sterling Scholar / State Finalists:
Jason Longhurst: Trade and Technical Education
Andrew Bowns: Computer Technology
Kristy Mathisen: Family & Consumer Science
John Sargeant: Music

by Aaron Lillie

Over the course of three hours on one Saturday morning, many students improve their chances of admission into their favorite school, and win or lose out on scholarships. It doesn’t require the bribing of school administrators or winning a game show, only correctly answering questions on material they’ve been learning since seventh grade or prior.

So why do many students underachieve on standardized tests? Some students are better test-takers than others, but in reality a student with a 4.0 GPA is unlikely to score a 12 out of 36 on the ACT. Students who understand which test they have to take are far more likely to meet their goals and expectations.

The first step is deciding which test to take in the first place. At Timpanogos, the ACT is the test of choice, and is given almost every other month. For most schools in the West, including Brigham Young University and University of Utah, students will need to take the ACT if they plan to apply.

Unfortunately, you can’t always choose which test you would like to take, the SAT or the ACT. Some schools only accept the ACT, and vice-versa. Colleges and universities on the East Coast typically like their applicants to take the SAT, while local schools prefer the ACT. Either way, there are different strategies for each test.

Mr. Rick Sannar, a counselor at Timpanogos, highlighted some of the options for students. “There are different ways to study…really, it’s finding the time, just to put in some time and review what you’ve learned up through the end of your junior year, find maybe the weak areas, and brush up on those.”

“In the first one we talk about the general overview of the ACT. We talk about that, just because being a timed test, some students are shocked the first time they take it with how little time they have. So we try to get them familiar with that. Then we have teachers from English, math, and science talk about each of those sections of the ACT and what to expect, in more detail. And then the last session we talk about test-taking tips.”

Depending on the score students want, they may want to spend more or less time preparing for the ACT. Some students show up the day of the test without any previous preparation, while some students pay for private tutoring and study books.

Students with the highest ACT scores aren’t always the smartest students at the school. Students who take calculus will have a difficult time with the math portion if they can’t remember how to do trigonometry or geometry.

The same number of each type of question is asked every time you take the ACT. For example, while the questions change, there are always four trigonometry questions on every test. Considering that, students will want to spend more time reviewing for questions in the math test that are more likely to show up. Students who are familiar with what questions they will see are more likely to use their study time efficiently as well as knowing which questions to attempt first when taking the real test.

Austin Millett, a junior, recognizes the importance of focusing on test-taking strategies in addition to reviewing for each subject. “Learning to take the test is half of the battle, because if you can’t do it in the time limit it won’t matter (if you got them all right). So if you learn how to test well, then what you know should be accurately reflected.”

Test strategies for the ACT
- Answer every question. There’s no penalty for answering a question incorrectly.
- Eliminate the obviously wrong answers. Even if you don’t know the answer, there are usually a couple answers you know it isn’t.
- When you need to guess, try to pick the same letter every time. If you pick the same answer every time, you should get near 25% of them. If you choose a different letter every time, it’s hit-and-miss. You could answer 50% of those questions correctly, or miss every single one. Go with the more consistent option, and a pick of “Letter of the Day” to guess with.
- Manage your time carefully. Pick out the easiest questions and answer those first. Don’t spend time on the longer, more difficult problems until you’ve finished the ones you know you can get right.

by Megan Lisonbee

While walking through the halls here at THS, it’s not often one actually pays attention to who is passing us day after day. There are over ten sets of twins at this school, and most students do not know that. A lot of them are fraternal, so it is harder to realize that they’re twins. However, there are several identical twins as well.

While interviewing a number of students who are a twin at this school, it was really interesting to see what they had to say about the life of a twin. They were asked questions such as, how are they alike, if it bugs them that they are labeled as twins, do they dress the same, have they ever switched places, if they like being a twin, etc.

Senior, Kaley Freeze said, “Kristine and I are fraternal twins. We’re very alike and have the same mannerisms. It bugs me when people label us as ‘The Freeze Twins’. We do dress alike, but I’d say I have a cuter taste. We do not share a bedroom. We never could either. We would kill, claw and slotter one another. Overall, I like being a twin. We do fight though, and there is ups and downs that come with being a twin but it’s fun.”

Senior, Jared Harding said, “My twin brother Dale and I are identical twins. We are alike in many ways. It doesn’t bug me that some people label us as ‘The Twins’. When we were younger, we did sometimes. We have never actually switched places because my dad said that he would get really upset if we did, but we’ve always wanted to try it. I really like being a twin, most of the time. It’s kind of annoying when people get confused with us. The main downfall of being a twin, is probably that when one twin does really good in school or something like that, the teacher or parent expects the same from the other twin. But I love how there is always someone there for me.”

Junior, Brooke Hodson said, “ I have a twin brother, and we are fraternal. We are practically opposites. I’d say the only thing we have in common is that we both like the Utah Jazz, and running track. It does not bug me if people label us as ‘The Twins’. We do not share a room that would just be weird. I do like being a twin, when we were little, we always had somebody to play with, and that was always nice. It’s hard sometimes when people compare us. For example with our grades, track, etc. But overall, I do like it.”

Ever and Mayra Mendoza said, “ We are not identical twins. Although we are very much alike. We hangout with the same friends, and do the same things. It does not bug us at all if people know us as the twins. We do not share a room, never have. We both love being a twin, and the feeling to know that we’ll always be each other’s best friends.”

Senior, Laura Brough said, “My twin sister Sarah and I are Identical twins. We are very alike, but we have a different taste in clothing. There are times where it does bug me if people label us. They will all us ‘the twins’, and not even know our real names. We like to dress the same sometimes to confuse people and joke around with them. We are the only ones out of 9 who share a bedroom. We have only switched places one time, in Jr. High. It was really scary! Our teachers didn’t find out until we told them later, but it was still scary because we weren’t familiar with each other’s classes. Our family can always tell us apart, and most people that get to know us can as well. I like being a twin, I don’t know what it’s like to not be.”

It’s so intriguing to hear from the great variety of twins at THS. There are quite a lot of sets, and they all have something so interestingly different to say about being a twin. Next time you see one of them, you might ask them for yourself. Does being a twin mean double trouble or does it make life twice as nice? After talking to them myself I think all of them would say that even though it can have its drawbacks, overall they would not trade being a twin for anything and that it has made life for them twice as nice.

by Tyler Christensen

Ninety percent of music on some students’ music players is illegal.

At least that’s what Mike Misbach, a junior, thinks.

“Only about ten percent of my music is paid for,” he says.

Mr. Misbach definitely isn’t alone. Many students fill their iPods and Zunes with songs they haven’t paid for.

Even decades ago, people found ways to get music on the cheap. “People have been pirating music for as long as you could hold a boom box up to your radio and record it on to blank cassette tapes,” says Ms. Phippen, an English teacher. “Pirating isn’t a new phenomenon; it’s just easier than it has been in the past.”

In contrast to generations ago, music is seen by teenagers today as a kind of free commodity, or something that can be taken for granted.

Free music is everywhere: on the radio, in TV commercials, in movies, on YouTube, and many other websites as well.

Added to that is the ease-of-use that computers and the Internet have brought to the scene. With high-speed Internet connections, it takes only a minute to e-mail or download a track.

But music is not free, says the Recording Industry Association of America, or the RIAA. CDs are sold for around a dollar per track, and radio stations pay royalties to the artists and record labels for every song they play. As for YouTube, a huge majority of that music is illegal because no royalties are paid.

Last October, the RIAA sued a Minnesota woman who had downloaded 24 songs from the Internet. A federal jury sentenced her to pay a fine of $220,000 — over $9000 for each song. For her, that was really expensive music.

Imagine being sued by the RIAA, and it seems like a foreign idea. But it isn’t. The RIAA has filed over 20,000 lawsuits against so-called music “pirates,” with varied degrees of success. Recently, they’ve started cracking down hard on college and university students in particular. The idea of suing high-schoolers seems to be only a short jump away.

Perhaps more common at Timpanogos High School than downloading music is copying tracks from a friend’s iPod or CD collection. With computers and a copy of iTunes, one CD can fill everyone’s iPod.

“I usually just get friends’ CDs and rip them,” explains Misbach.

Turns out the RIAA is against this, too. While it is much harder to catch someone copying a CD, it’s still illegal. They’ve even sued people for ripping their own legally-purchased CDs, citing “unauthorized reproduction.”

Amidst the flurry of darkness and lawsuits, however, come shining alternatives. Everyone with an iPod has used iTunes, and probably the iTunes Store as well. Apple sells over six million tracks for less than a dollar each, TV shows for two dollars, and downloadable movie rentals as well. With an iPhone or iPod touch, music can be purchased directly on the device and without a computer, making it the fastest, easiest way to get new music.

iTunes is the largest online distributor of music in the US, and the second-largest distributor overall, but there are many great alternatives. Amazon MP3 sells most tracks for 89 cents, and they can be played on any device, not just iPods and iPhones. However, Amazon features fewer artists than iTunes. For non-iPods users, Amazon MP3 may be the best choice, since the RIAA tells us that ripping a rightfully-purchased CD can still land you a fine.

Despite the rampant practice of illegal downloads, both iTunes and Amazon MP3 are growing. Last year on Christmas Day alone, over 20 million tracks were purchased from iTunes. Meanwhile, sales of music in the form of CDs is going down.

Regardless of the method you choose to listen to music, make sure to follow the law. Buy CDs if you have a CD player, and pay for music online if you have an iPod or other digital player. Though still a gray area, ripping your own CDs for your iPod is probably okay. However, ripping CDs that belong to your friends is illegal.

Don’t steal music. Doing so can land you jail time or a fine.

by Brad Fullmer

Looking for some good new music to (legally) add to your collection? Here’s what other people at Timpanogos have been listening to lately.

Heather Lewis (11)
1) I Wanna be Sedated (The Ramones)
2) Freddy I’m in Love (The Cure)
3) Rock and Roll All Night (Kiss)
4) Nine Crimes (Damien Rice)
5) Everybody (Keith Urban)
6) Lost (Faith Hill)
7) Low (Flo Rida)
A Perfectly Good Heart (Taylor Swift)
9) Love and Devotion (Mishka)
10) Suns Gonna Rise (Citizen Cope)

Mrs. Phippen
1) Ordinary Miracle (Sarah McLachlan)
2) God With Us (Mercy Me)
3) Happy Together (Turtles)
4) Famous In a Small Town (Marianda Lambert)
5) Come on Home (Indigo Girls)
6) Fireflies (Faith Hill)
7) If Everyone Cared (Nickleback)
19-Something (Mark Wills)
9) The Story of My Life (Neil Diamond)
10) Girlfriend (Avril Lavigne)

Emily Campbell (11)
1) Vans (The Pack)
2) Every Man Has a Mollie (Say Anything)
3) Such Great Heights (Postal Service)
4) Sensual Seduction (Snoop Dog)
5) Control (Metro Stations)
6) Boats and the Birds (Gregory and the Hawk)
7) Sunrise Sunset (Bright Eyes)
Emerge (Fischerspooner)
9) Waves of Sound (Infected Mushroom)
10) That Go (Keak Da Sneak)

Trevor Harmon (11)
1) First One on the Blog (Farewell)
2) Miss Delaney (Jack’s Mannequin)
3) The Love The Morning (Light)
4) The Sound in My Mouth (Switchfoot)
5) Faces (We Shot the Moon)
6) The Best in Me (Sherwood)
7) Even if it Kills Me (Motion City Soundtrack)
Wake the Sun (The Matches)
9) Crazy Crush (Love You Long Time)
10) Time Bomb (The Format)

Jessica Ransom (11)
1) Let it Be (The Beatles)
2) We Didn’t Start the Fire (Billy Joel)
3) Mr. Blue Sky Electric (Light Orchestra)
4) God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
5) Such Great Heights (The Postal Service)
6) Never There (Cake)
7) Soul Meets Boy (Death Cab For Cutie)
Shine On (JET)
9) Glass Windows (We Shot the Moon)
10) In Love With The 80’s (Relient K)