Corvallis voters approved a bond last year to fund renovations of our local schools. You have probably seen the large posters in the library showing the upcoming improvements, but there’s more coming than you think. The full project completion is scheduled for Fall 2021, but things are already changing! Our new turf field and track resurfacing was completed this summer, just in time for the final varsity football, girls soccer, and boys soccer home games. Other general improvements are planned as well. The building exterior will be refurbished, repaired, and weatherized. The bus drop-off/pick-up lane will be resurfaced and mechanical infrastructure including electrical, heating, and plumbing systems will be updated. The two F building computer labs will be combined. The career and technical education classes will get renovated classroom spaces and the covered outdoor learning area will be expanded. The shop will be getting many upgrades. There are many safety features being introduced/improved as well. The bond committee plans to improve seismic safety, enhance the video surveillance system, replace the access control system and the emergency communication system, and replace the fire suppression system in kitchen. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility is being increased through an elevator in the gym, replacing the main ramp, and ADA door actuators (automatic door openers) and signs. For updates on the renovation progress, go to the Corvallis school district website. Keep your eyes open for the continuing progress in making CV an even more wonderful place. - Hope Humphreys and Sofia Fraser
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- Kristen Scarborough
The sky was a hazy orange. The ground was much the same color, except duller, almost more pastel and faint, more blended. In this hellish landscape everything had a sameness to it: the cracks in the dusty ground, the way that it stretched on for miles. Everything was impossibly devoid of life. Not a plant or small animal to be seen. Not even the faintest hint of a cloud in the sky. Just the glaring eye of the sun, accompanied by a cheerful, sarcastic blue that laughed at you as you opened your mouth and found it only became drier. There was no water here. Even one’s skin began to feel more like paper than flesh as time wore on, as the minutes wore by - the excruciating seconds. Death was begged for. Life was given. Bodies laying in the sand, unable to take their last breath. Too weak to speak, too weak to acknowledge that there was anyone else there. Insanity took hold in this isolation, and one began hallucinating many things: friends, family, and most importantly: food. Great big piles of it, mountains of it surrounding oceans of fresh water. They would imagine, with ecstacy, that they were ravenously filling their bellies, that they were bathing their bodies in water, that they were drinking from this great ocean until it ran dry. If their family came near, they were at first given a little bread. Maybe even something to drink. But if they asked for anything more they were punished - for this crazed, hungry fool had become so bent on being saved they lost sight of who they were seeing. This was not their daughter. This was not their daughter. This was simply a useless lump of flesh, taking as it would. Their mouth watered. Over and over again, in this weak state, they would have these insane daydreams, suffocating those they held dear to their hearts in the ocean. Poisoning them with beautiful, plump looking fruit. Driving makeshift daggers into their hearts. - Kristen Scarborough
CV has some awesome musical clubs that you can be part of! A Capella Club This year an A Capella club has been started. Meetings will be at lunch time, though they are still in the process of auditioning so meeting times have not been completely decided. It is teacher led, by Mrs. Gollmann. Any student can join, enrollment in choir is not required. All you have to do is audition by choosing a pop song of your choice! If you’d like to sign-up or if you have questions, see Mrs. Gollmann in room B-1 or B-2, or email her at [email protected] Jazz Band Jazz band has been around since 2010, and meets Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:25 to 11:50am in B-3 and people can join at any time! It is student lead, with Mrs. Janes offering advice. Currently it is mainly comprised of band students, but anyone can join, just contact Mrs. Janes. If you are interested, knowledge in instruments is preferred as they only have 25 minutes per meeting to work. During meetings they work on balance, blend, tone, rhythm, technique, articulation, style, etc. They usually have about 1-3 songs to work on for each concert that they practice each lunch period. For questions see Mrs. Janes in the band room, or email her at [email protected] - Kristen Scarborough
The Corvallis School Theaters are putting a production of the musical The Spitfire Grill through November 24th. Many Crescent Valley students are part of the cast and crew, including some of the lead roles. Spitfire Grill follows the story of a young woman recently released from jail, who is looking for a new beginning. She becomes involved in the saga of the Spitfire Grill, a restaurant in her new town, and those who live there. Professional productions of the play have received numerous awards and accolades, and it features a variety of musical numbers. The production of Spitfire Grill here in Corvallis features two casts and many of our Crescent Valley Raiders are involved. Raider Elise Steinberg, who plays Effy in the production, sat down with the Crier. “I play Effy in the forest cast; she’s a postmistress busybody. I wanted to be involved [in Spitfire Grill] because it seemed like it’d be a really tight-knit cast and a really important show, based on what I knew. I really liked the plot and the music is also really beautiful. My favorite part of being involved in theater is definitely the people. I’ve made some of my closest friends in theater; the environment is always welcoming and accepting, and we have a ton of fun. [Three words to describe Spitfire Grill would be] impactful, uplifting, and vulnerable. Emma Nichols, who plays Shelby in the production, also spoke to the Crier. “I wanted to be involved in the Spitfire Grill because I read about it was set in such a small, connected own were everybody knew each other and I loved how that vision reflected Corvallis, and how lucky I’ve been to be accepted by so many kind people since I moved here in eighth grade! I think people will most like the music. It can be so enchanting and uplifting, while some numbers are quieter and more haunting. Each cast member is so talented and everyone’s vocal talents shine through! The orchestra is also entirely comprised of students and WOW - they’re stellar! The amount of hard work each student has put into this entire show is incredible. Without giving it away, I would say that the show is about finding your true self in a place where everything is status quo - and how you shouldn’t be afraid to shake things up a bit. It also reflects how people’s dreams can soar if given proper attention and care. My favorite part about being involved in theater is the electric energy that I get in front of an audience. The best thing about live theater is that every night the audience reacts differently, and a different energy is passed from the cast to the audience and vice versa, making it extremely heartfelt and special each time. I think the love theater is infectious among our cast, and we can’t wait to see as many CV students there as possible!” The Crier also interviewed Sara Schoeffler, a crew member who has acted and helped with many CSD theater productions. “The show is about a small town called Gilead, Wisconsin, which Percy, fresh out of prison, goes to because she saw a picture of Gilead in a magazine. The only place for her to stay is the Spitfire Grill, where she starts again. There’s so much good in this show to pick one thing people will like the most. The set is amazing, the costumes are lovely, our orchestra is only students who are doing such an amazing job and everyone has such a gorgeous voice. There’s no reason not to see the show, it’s just so incredible. [Why do you think this show is, as advertised, ‘the best Broadway musical you’ve never heard of?’] Simply put, because it is. It’s just such a moving musical that has something [I love theater because] theater is such a big happy family that brings you together with people you would never become friends with otherwise.” Tickets for Spitfire Grill are available at the CSD Box Office or online at the Corvallis Theater website; student tickets are $10 and adult tickets are $12. The show will run through November 24th at the Corvallis High School auditorium. - Kate Voltz
Back to school serves as a stressor for all students, whether it be first graders, freshmen, or college seniors. However, the transition from eighth grade to high school freshmen is unique and personal to every student. I found the transition life altering in many ways; coming from a small private school to a large high school with so many new faces is definitely intimidating, along with new classes, new teachers, and different, arguably higher, stress levels. Entering high school, there is a stigma that high school is a place for discovering yourself and your passions. However, from my experience these past few months, instead of this being a journey of self discovery as described by many adults, it can easily become a race to the finish line, in which not many values are gained along the way. While all freshmen are unique individuals, my peers and I have all begun separate yet similar paths, with the end goal, as with all students, to discover our passions and surround ourselves with supportive friendships. But for all of my freshmen peers, and to set my own mind at ease: this goal is not achieved in four years; it takes a lifetime. As we have all begun to discover what our high school experience means to us personally, remind yourself in times of stress or unease of the opportunity that Crescent Valley High School gives us to begin our never ending journey into adulthood, and to enjoy every step of it. - Maya Schwartz
Book Of The Month: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell In these dreary and rainy months, many people find themselves looking for a transporting, unique and warming book. This is that book. “Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who's ever been chosen. That's what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he's probably right. Half the time, Simon can't even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor's avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there's a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon's face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it's their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up.”
Jokes of the month: Are vampires good at math? Not really, unless you Count Dracula. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. - Kate Voltz
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