By Rice Miller It been a few years since I’ve done a project like this. My freshman year I took a game design class. I made quite a few games during that year, ripping sprites (the keyframes that make up 2D animations in games) sound effects, then recycling them into a less than enjoyable experience just to get a good grade. Because of that little taste of making lame asteroids, Bomberman, and Mario clones, I realized that I enjoyed putting things like this together. There was something satisfying about watching the final product slowly come together. I always wanted to make something bigger. With modern day technology anybody can create almost anything even with little to no experience. However it’s still pretty hard to make something that's worth people's time, especially by yourself. When I was told to write about a hobby or anything I wanted to learn about in Journalism class, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Later that night, I started started to do research about the engine that would be the most effective for the type of game I decided to make. As you would expect, that led me down a huge rabbit hole where I was clicking link after link. Preferably, I was looking for something cheap, but reliable. After about an hour, I found a link to a website called https://rpgmaker.net and realized there's a pretty big community. I went to Steam, deciding I was going to make something similar to Final Fantasy 3. The newest version called Rpg Maker MV was way too much money, so I went with the alternative, Rpg Maker 2003 because it had the type of combat system I wanted. The downside to this is I can only use 16 bit sprites, but I think I can pull that off quite well. After about two days of looking through tutorials and reading up on how certain things worked, I felt like I was ready to set down a foundation to help write a story. I started creating a world. Currently, there are two islands, a town, a small desert, and a cave that leads to the first dungeon, Once I'm finished with the dungeon, I’m going to make a castle. There are two NPCs (non player characters) so far. I have written one quest that is available from talking to Lok, one of the NPCs who you can speak with in the town of Lillington. I'm trying to learn how to make a opening cutscene, and it's not working out as planned. Next article, I’m going to take a deeper look at how things work and how the game will be played. I’ll also provide screenshots. Wish me luck.
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By June Ganguli “Stan Lee was as extraordinary as the characters he created. A superhero in his own right to Marvel fans around the world, Stan had the power to inspire, to entertain and to connect. The scale of his imagination was only exceeded by the size of his heart,” said Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger, in memory of Stan Lee. Lee played an integral role in the creation of Marvel and several of the most popular superheroes including Spider-Man, X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Daredevil, The Fantastic Four and more. Sadly, Stan Lee, the “creative genius,” as Hugh Jackman affectionately stated, passed away at age 95, on November 12 from a bout of pneumonia. His legacy lives on in the hearts of all Marvel fans. Stan Lee was born as Stanley Martin Lieber, but he signed his books using the pen name Stan Lee. Eventually, after the name stuck he legally changed his name. Lee graduated early, at the age of sixteen and began working for Timely Comics, which later became Marvel. Iger said Lee wrote several comic books, which helped the company during dark financial times. Lee’s big break was The Fantastic Four which he co-wrote with Jack Kirby in 1961. The following year, Lee co-wrote Spider-Man, another big hit. Lee’s way of writing set him apart from others, he created relatable superheroes, with human flaws and personality, allowing readers and fans to connect. Thanks to Lee, Marvel continued to succeed. He became the publisher and editorial director. Later in life, he began overseeing the re-creation of his comic strip characters on screen. “Original and genius are two very overused words in the world today, but Stan was both. Add irrepressible and irreplaceable, and you begin to describe the man. We have all lost a true superhero. We will greatly miss our friendly neighborhood, Stan Lee,” Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group tweeted. We will all miss the brilliantly creative man, but he’ll never be far from our hearts. Turn on a Marvel movie and watch for Lee’s cameo. Rest in peace, Stan Lee! Excelsior! By A.F. All around Fairbanks, adolescents prepared, scrutinizing their reflections. Beige warpaint was carefully applied, and ties were straightened; all in the pursuit of beauty. A difficult, flailing dance in the collective, dissecting societal eye of their peers, their neighbors, their friends. But there is magnetism in the flailing. Hairs were greased and sprayed to a perfected cool-whip cone curl. Exquisite dresses were furbished, and corsages placed in a most definite position.
The occasion? Homecoming. There were around 300 students in attendance, and all available chaperones had their hands full. Across the gym- which had been flawlessly transformed into a fairy-lit dance floor- I heard someone scream for no reason and my hairs stood on end. Yes, it was quite a night. Girls with floral dresses bobbed and weaved around their peers wearing more contemporary somber outfits; the majority of the boys stuck to the tried-and-true black suit and tie. All around the lobby, teenagers laughed while sipping opaque Italian soda through their teeth. The far-reaching bass from the speakers reverberated in my chest one hundred feet from where the actual action was; the mosh pit. Well over a hundred students gathered in the dancing horde, hollering lyrics to favorite songs and performing crowd-pleasing dance moves garnered from viral videos. A spectrum of lights shone upon the dancers like a motley shower. Dancers inside were seemingly granted an invulnerability to oxygen deficit; when I stepped inside for a slice of the moment, I found that the mixture of sweaty bodies, the pushing and shoving of my party-mates (particularly, excited boys) and proximity to the thunderous sub-woofer speakers made me very nauseous. Needless to say, I stuck to buying the gracious folks at the coat check soft drinks and rice crispy treats. By Ashtyne Christiansen Major Hessner perceives himself as a caring professional and also hopes others see him as that as well. His signature is handstands, because he can do them and not everyone can and it’s something different. Hessner likes to build things, shoot guns, play guitar and sing to his wife; his “beloved best friend”, travel, and most importantly, off road with his Jeep. If Major Hessner could do one thing in the world he would run for political office, because he is a strong believer that if you want change, you should take that step to fix that change and make things better. Hessner loves being the JROTC major because, he has the ability to influence the next generation and make things happen. He spends most of his time at West Valley or at Lowe’s.
“Adversity reveals character, and how you react to adversity will reveal who you are,” says Hessner. Laura Green, a JROTC member, perceives the Major as hard working and fair, yet quirky with a great sense of humor. Laura feels “through JROTC and Drill, I have come to know him as a teacher and a coach.” She thinks that she knows him well enough and still has a strong respect for him. He makes good solid decisions that benefit the program and he sticks with those decisions. He is very outgoing and handles his priorities well. The Major tells you how it is and doesn’t keep the truth from you. He is a “why” kind of person, if you ask him a question his answer will typically include why? Hessner says, “We don’t like excuses and we don’t let others make excuses for you.” Major has a good sense of humor except when he is down to do business. Major Hessner is also really good at keeping conversations alive! Staff Sergeant Walker perceives the Major as charismatic and says he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program as well as to West Valley. The Major has had over ten years of experience working with high school students. “He is not just the Senior Marine Instructor, he is a welcome addition to the West Valley teaching staff,” Walker said. Major Hessner is extremely efficient at prioritizing and is effective at what he does. In just the first quarter of school, he was a coach for the boys football team and the head coach for the girls flag football team. As a program, and as a school, we look forward to seeing the wonderful contributions that Major Hessner will bring to the entirety of our school. By Ciara Pitka Halloween is less than two weeks away so students are here to inform you where to get your affordable costumes, what spooky events are happening before Halloween, and things you can do on Halloween.
From student Maddie Redinger Fun costume ideas -space alien, scarecrow, devil, angel, Wayne and Garth, Beavis and Butthead Where to get costume essentials -Spirit Halloween, Icing, Ulta, Value village Events before Halloween -The Great Pumpkin Festival on Oct 20, 2pm at the Family and MWR Last Frontier Community Activity Center -Doyon Halloween Carnival on Oct 31, 4 - 6pm at Doyon Limited -Jack O’ Lantern Jump Party on Oct 28, 2 - 6pm at Fly Trampoline Park Things to do on Halloween -stay in and watch scary movies, go out to the movies, Halloween parties, see all the kids costumes by handing out candy, take your siblings trick or treating From student Marshall Porter Easy costume ideas -Maverick from top gun, nerd, beach dude, a tourist, Online stores for costumes -Amazon, Halloween Express, Party City, Spirit Halloween Fun things to do before Halloween -eat lots of candy, carving pumpkins, decorating your home, watching scary movies, make spooky desserts Recommended Halloween movies Halloween, Hocus-Pocus, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Nun From student CJ Burnette Fun costume ideas -witches, vampires, Spongebob, skeletons, clowns Where to get costume essentials -Online Zaful, Value Village, Bad Mother Vintage, Ulta, Spirit Halloween Events before Halloween -West Valley High Schools Halloween Carnival on Oct 20, 4 - 7pm at West Valley High School -Trick or Treat Town on Oct 27, noon - 7pm at Pioneer Park By Jacob Angaiak Every year schools lose and gain teachers. Teachers new to school are like new students, nervous but eager to make the best of their new situation. West Valley lost three teachers, but gained six new teachers. Mrs. Zundel, Mrs. Ashlock, Mrs. Bass, Mrs. Meyn, Ms. Oates, and Mr. Weaver. Mrs. Zundel is a returning teacher after a five year hiatus.
Mrs. Julie Zundel Mrs. Zundel, from Two Rivers, Alaska, is a science teacher that teaches Chemistry and Alaska Zoology. She has also taught biology, physical science, chem. tech, and life science during her past tenure here at West Valley. She is in her seventh year teaching and she’s happy she’s back at West Valley and back in teaching. Mrs. Zundel like to spend time with her two kids, hiking exploring, skiing, and other outdoor activitiesl outside of work. She attended UAF and got a degree in biology, but didn’t know what to do with it, so she started subbing and then got into teaching. Mrs. Sharon Ashlock Mrs. Ashlock, from Colorado, is a math teacher that teaches Algebra 1, Fundamentals of Algebra, and Beginning Computer Applications. She used to be a teacher at Eielson High School before teaching at Ryan Middle for a year, then coming here. She was at Eielson High for 11 years before teaching at Ryan. Mrs. Ashlock went to the University of Northern Colorado before getting her Master’s Degree in accounting at UAF. She enjoys to fish and kayak during the summer and her favorite class to teach is accounting, even though it is not a class at West Valley. She was an accountant before she started teaching, teaching just sort of happened after an accounting job fell through. Mrs. Ashlock is loving and enjoying West Valley very much so far. Mrs. Colleen Meyn Mrs. Meyn is a science teacher that teaches Chemistry and Physical Science. She is from Oregon but has been in Fairbanks since 1986. This is her fifth year teaching and she is enjoying West Valley so far. She used to teach at her alma mater, North Pole High School before teaching here. Mrs. Meyn likes to kayak, camp, and make quilts she then donates some to Stevie’s Place, a safe place for kids who are believed to have been sexually abused. Her favorite class to teach is biology. She attended UAF. Her favorite teacher told Mrs. Meyn that she should go into teaching, but at first she didn’t. She worked in a testing lab for little, then tough virology before going into high school teaching. Mrs. Meyn is enjoying West Valley so far as well. Other new teachers, Mrs Oates, Mrs. Bass, and Mr. Weaver, will be interviewed for a future article. New teachers get put into a dynamic atmosphere here at West Valley and most of the time enjoy it here. Students also enjoy having the new teachers and welcome them. Dear Dottie,
This is my Freshman year at West Valley. I was excited to start high school and make new friends, but it’s proving to be a lot harder than it looked. In my old school, I had a lot of friends and it was easy to make more. But, most of my friends didn’t transition to West Valley, and I rarely see the ones that did. There are a lot more kids in this school than my last one and I’m having a hard time adjusting. I feel lonely even though there’s a huge crowd. What should I do? - Alone in a Sea of People Dear Alone in a Sea of People, The transition from middle school to high school can be rough. Having good friends to support you is a big help, but like you said, finding them can be hard. Here are some ideas that might help. Firstly, don’t stop communicating with your old friends. They’re adjusting to high school as well, and might have some tips and tricks that would help you too. Also, just because they’re not at West Valley doesn’t mean that you guys can’t still talk. Set aside some time to catch up and hang out. Secondly, making new friends can be hard but trying different methods may help. Try sitting by new people each day in your classes with free seating or during lunch. Don’t judge a book by its cover, you never know who’d make a good friend. Lastly, don’t forget to make use of the counselors, they’re here for a reason. They may have more ideas to help you adjust. Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it! -Dottie Please submit more questions by commenting below, or on paper to room 121. By Rice Miller Deadpool 2 is a movie that honestly surprised me. From its gory fight scenes to its fourth wall breaking comedy, this was a movie that surpassed my expectations. My review is meant to persuade people who were a little disappointed with the first, like I was, to sit down and give it a shot. No pun intended.
The movie is about an antihero named Wade Wilson who goes by the alias, Deadpool. He later on meets a mutant teen named Russell who is being hunted down terminator style by a person named Cable, who came from the future. After a while, Deadpool realizes he can't protect Russell from Cable all on his own. He joins forces with a group of mutants he calls X-force. There are some great actors in this movie. Ryan Reynolds does a good job playing Deadpool and being really obnoxious. Josh Brolin does a great job playing Cable, who is kind of the stereotypical cool guy from the future. Brad Pitt was in the movie for about a split second just so that he could die, which I thought was pretty funny. However, there were some actors who just seemed like they were in the movie just to be in the movie. They really didn’t have anything to do with the plot, which was fine. The best parts of this movie definitely come from the comedy and fourth wall breaking moments specifically later on in the movie. The first half an hour or so wasn't that great, because they were mostly recycling jokes from the first movie or just fighting, which can get kind of boring after a while. During that first half hour there were only about 3 jokes I actually thought were pretty good. The rest of the movie was great. It was very fast paced and the jokes were delivered very well. The CGI was horrible near the end of the movie I didn't really care while watching it but now looking back at it afterwards that was some Xbox 360 cutscene level looking CGI. Keep in mind this movie is rated R, so no little kiddos, but if you’re looking for a good action comedy then Deadpool 2 is the movie for you. I'll give the movie a solid 8.5 out of 10. It's a fun movie however there were a few things in the movie that could have been done a bit better. By Stevie Jo Ortis Pokémon Club is not just any fan club.
Pokémon Club was created three years ago as a way to bring Pokémon fans together and to celebrate what makes Pokémon unique by watching Pokémon videos and music on Youtube and playing all kinds of Pokémon games, including the Trading Card Game. It is hosted in room 240 from 2:15 to 3:30 on Thursdays. Thomas Kennedy, a teacher at West Valley High School and sponsor of the club, decided to sponsor the club “because (the club) needed a sponsor and (he) has an interest in Pokémon Go.” Mr.Kennedy has been interested in Pokémon for about two years and has played five different Pokémon games including Pokémon Gold. Ayla Laughlin, a junior at West Valley and the creator of Pokémon Club, said “When (she) was in elementary school there was a Pokémon Club that was cancelled and in memory of that (she) recreated it to bring Pokémon fans together.” For those interested in all things Pokémon please come to room 240 after school every Thursday unless announced otherwise. Come and celebrate Pokémon with the Pokémon Club. By Mage Maleinge This year West Valley welcomes a total of seven students who came to discover the United States of America, thanks to two associations, AFS and Rotary club. They arrived between the third and eighth of August, and joined Fairbanks families. The students come from Italy, Germany, Thailand, Japan, Denmark, Poland and France. These students are now part of the school and have enrolled in clubs or sports teams including Model UN and The International Club. This will help them to integrate with the other students in the school. The integration will be different for everyone, but each of them describe the school as very welcoming and pleasant.
In spite of the differences between the school systems, the exchange students can follow and understand the lessons with the support of the teachers and students and the accompaniment of the guidance counselor. The different cultures of exchanges students allow West Valley students to learn more about the world and practice or discover new languages. They also encourages students to help each other. “I want to experience different cultures by myself, to grow up myself, to improve my English, to make friends [who have] different views, to enrich my life, to tell about Japan to people, to think well, to contribute and because of the future” are the words uttered by Ozawa Ayano to explain the reasons for his coming to the United States. The exchange between West Valley students or staff allows everyone to diversify their knowledge, know new people or even change their outlook on the world. Moreover, the integration of these students is important so that they get a rewarding experience. From the first days exchange students followed the Ignition program like all the new students. This day allowed them to meet new people, to see the locals of the school and to have the information necessary for the continuation of the school year. “I like West Valley, I feel comfortable in this high school and I fell really supported by all of my teachers ” said Molho Michela who is from Italy. Since they arrived, each exchange student has experienced many funny or complicated situations, like culture, habits or language. Jaeger Olsen Theodor, from Denmark, says that he asked something from someone using a word, but that word meant something other than what he was thinking. Ozawa Ayano helps explains her motivation by saying that she has volunteered to participate in this program of cultural exchange in order to understand the world. The ultimate goal is to achieve world peace. To that end, it is important to think about the world, about race, political system, economic conditions and other differences from other points of view. Mage Maleinge is an exchange student at West Valley this year. Her home country is France. |
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