RSSMeet the 2008-09 Unleashed staff
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Meet the team!
Members of the 2008-09 Unleashed crew are charged with serving as the eyes and ears of their campuses, communities and generation. Their job is to document issues and ideas, events, people, places and things that are important to today's young people, particularly the young people in Central Washington.
This group -- the 10th since Unleashed started in 1999 -- has been writing, photographing and creating illustrations since May. Their stories, columns, reviews, photographs and works of art appear in the pages of the Yakima Herald-Republic as well as on the Unleashed blog at unleashed.yakimablogs.com. Here's a chance to get to know them a little better.
Student Editor Alyssa Patrick
Eisenhower, 17, senior
Activities: Modern dance, ballet, writing, acting, reading, leadership, relaxing with friends and family.
Favorite food: Safeway's Hail Caesar sandwich.
Favorite music: John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Jack Johnson, Eric Hutchinson, Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Counting Crows, just about any song on "Grey's Anatomy."
Favorite films: "A Knight's Tale," "Benny and Joon," "Good Will Hunting."
Favorite books: "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" series by Ann Brashares, "Wicked" and "The Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister" by Gregory Maguire, "1984" by George Orwell.
Three words to describe yourself: Motivated, over-analyzer.
Greatest achievement: Organizing a Rachel's Challenge assembly and club at Ike.
If you could meet anyone, who would you choose? Martin Luther King Jr.
Who is your hero? My parents.
Biggest fear: Being tortured in any way, including the loss of loved ones.
Greatest wish: To better understand those around me and see all-important moments more clearly.
When and where were you the happiest? My entire seventh-grade year at Wilson Middle School. That was the last year before stress and world-awareness fully settled in. As they say, ignorance is bliss.
Favorite place in your hometown: Gilbert Park on Sunday nights during the summer, for movies in the park.
Why do you want to be on Unleashed? Unleashed has been a part of my life for almost four years, and I can't imagine my life without it. Because of this program, I have broken down many of my personal boundaries, heard the stories of many incredible people, and greatly enhanced my writing and editing skills. It is a truly phenomenal opportunity.
Hannah Besso
Davis, 14, freshman
Activities: Soccer, reading, watching movies, hanging out with friends, listening to music, tennis.
Food: Bananas.
Music: Jack Johnson, The Beatles.
Films: "Stardust," "Juno," "The Princess Bride."
Books: "The Book Thief" by Marcus Zusak, "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman, the "Sabriel" series by Garth Nix.
Three words: Opinionated, compassionate, friendly.
Achievement: Playing Brutus in "Julius Caesar."
Meet: Jack Johnson. I love his lyrics and agree with his opinions.
Hero: My dad.
Biggest fear: Being unhappy.
Greatest wish: Finding someone with whom to live happily.
Happiest: The day of my bat mitzvah.
Favorite place: The library. I love browsing through books and being able to choose any of them.
Unleashed: I think it will be a great experience and an opportunity to work on my writing.
Alex Braman
Davis, 13, freshman
Activities: Video games, biking, sleeping.
Food: Pasta.
Music: Lostprophets, System of a Down.
Films: "Stealth," "The Meaning of Life."
Books: "House of Reeds" by Thomas Harlan.
Three words: Calm, lazy, random.
Achievement: Making it on Unleashed. Or, being on the front page when I was 3. It's a toss-up.
Meet: My future self.
Hero: I don't have any heroes.
Biggest fear: A lot of things. I'm paranoid.
Greatest wish: Fix all the mistakes I've made.
Happiest: Wherever I can listen to music and relax.
Favorite place: The hills behind my house.
Unleashed: I want to be published in the paper.
David Brinkman
Eisenhower, 17, senior
Activities: Music, producing graphics and music, hanging out with friends.
Food: Quesadillas.
Music: Rap, hip-hop, DJ Khaled, Will Smith, Chamillionaire.
Films: "The Pursuit of Happyness," "Superbad" and others, especially comedies.
Books: I don't read books as much as I read online material.
Three words: Fun, nice, entrepreneur.
Achievement: Working with 211's manager on an album cover. 211 is one of Young Jeezy's signed rappers. I made the connection on MySpace. In the end, it didn't go through, but I felt it was a great achievement because it really got my name out there.
Meet: Will Smith. I love everything he has produced -- from movies to music.
Hero: Will Smith.
Biggest fear: Failure.
Greatest wish: Be successful in my passion, graphic design.
Happiest: At home, in front of my computer. I love being productive, promoting musicians, creating graphics, producing music.
Favorite place: Best Buy, because of all the technology.
Unleashed: I love being in group-related activities. I also would love the experience gained from being on Unleashed.
Loren Button
Riverside Christian, 17, senior
Activities: Video games, writing my novel, soccer, golf.
Food: Pizza.
Music: Techno, Christian rock.
Films: The "Star Wars," "Bourne," and "Pirates of the Caribbean" series.
Books: Jude Watson's "Star Wars" books.
Three words: Random, paradoxically profound.
Achievement: Living this long.
Meet: I would not like to meet dead people.
Hero: Jesus.
Biggest fear: Bees.
Greatest wish: Doing what God has planned for me to do with my life.
Happiest: Two years ago when I had not a care in the world.
Favorite place: My house.
Unleashed: I've never had an experience like this, and I want to improve my writing skills.
Andy Carroll
La Salle, 17, senior
Activities: Writing, watching movies, going to baseball games, ASB.
Food: Pizza.
Music: The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Journey, U2, The Beatles.
Films: "American Beauty," "Batman Begins," "The Departed."
Books: "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown, "Election" by Tom Perrotta, "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.
Three words: Ambitious, caring, dedicated.
Achievement: Being elected "junior prince" at homecoming last year. I felt like I was on top of the world!
Meet: I would want to shake hands with Abraham Lincoln, because he was largely responsible for bringing a crumbling nation back together.
Hero: My dad.
Biggest fear: Total failure in any form.
Greatest wish: That I might always live life to the fullest.
Happiest: After I finished speaking at a "state of the class" discussion at the junior retreat. I stopped being so quiet, and I'm still amazed that I was able to say some of the things I did.
Favorite place: Movie theater.
Unleashed: I've loved writing for Unleashed for the past two years, and I want to send my high school career out with a bang.
Kacie Cross
Eisenhower, 15, sophomore
Activities: Tennis, volleyball, dance, reading, drama, leadership, listening to music, watching "One Tree Hill," hanging out with friends, talking, singing, swimming, playing board games, texting, taking pictures, shopping, being around kids, and so much more.
Food: Pizza, pasta.
Music: Alternative, pop, oldies, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, REM, MIA.
Films: "The Notebook," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Never Been Kissed."
Books: "The Named," "The Dark" and "The Key" by Marianne Curley, "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares.
Three words: Cheerful, loving, content.
Achievement: Making it through freshman year without losing it.
Meet: George Washington.
Hero: My mom.
Biggest fear: Losing my family.
Greatest wish: Go to Pepperdine University, get married, have a loving family.
Happiest: Right here, right now.
Favorite place: Movie theater.
Unleashed: It is a really fun thing to do. You get to speak with interesting people about different issues, write about it, and see your stories in the Yakima Herald-Republic.
Kami Cross
Eisenhower, 17, senior
Activities: ASB, leadership, cheer, tennis, drama club, dancing, reading, writing, watching various television series including "Dawson's Creek" and "One Tree Hill."
Food: Chicken.
Music: I like all kinds of music, from country to rap to rock 'n' roll. I'm not too picky.
Films: "Jerry Maguire," "The Little Mermaid," "Titanic."
Books: "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexander Dumas, the Sarah Dessen books, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck.
Three words: Fun, motivated, happy.
Achievement: Being part of a loving family. Oh, and passing the WASL.
Meet: FDR. He had a lot of personal strength.
Hero: My parents.
Biggest fear: Needles.
Greatest wish: To attend an East Coast college.
Happiest: Either in kindergarten because I didn't have a care in the world, or now because my life is very blessed.
Favorite place: My house, or the movies.
Unleashed: I want to share my views and opinions and experiences with our community.
Jessica Cummings
Bickleton, 16, junior
Activities: Playing the flute, working with my birds, reading, writing, drawing.
Food: Seafood.
Music: Casting Crowns, Superchick, Celtic Woman, Amy Grant.
Films: "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.
Books: The Bible, "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis, "The Inheritance" series by Christopher Paolini, "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Three words: Christian, conservative, honest.
Achievement: Maintaining a 4.0 grade point average throughout high school.
Meet: Joan of Arc. I love the story of her faith and how she saved her country.
Hero: Jesus.
Biggest fear: Spiders, big, hairy spiders!
Greatest wish: Seeing my entire family in heaven.
Happiest: I've been happy a lot, but if I had to choose one time it's probably when I was a baby and sleeping on my mother's lap.
Favorite place: Church and youth group with my friends.
Unleashed: I enjoy writing, and it helps me improve while telling people about the unique little town I live in and love.
Colleen Fontana
Davis, 15, junior
Activities: Volleyball, track, drama, watching movies, writing, reading.
Food: Spaghetti.
Music: Regina Spektor, John Mayer, Sweet Miss Coffy.
Films: "Anastasia," "The Princess Bride."
Books: "A Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray, "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.
Three words: Spontaneous, outspoken, fun.
Achievement: Living my life.
Meet: Sweeney Todd as played by Johnny Depp.
Hero: John Paul Jones.
Biggest fear: Losing someone I love, drowning.
Greatest wish: For polar bears to no longer need to be on the endangered species list.
Happiest: I am always content at the beach. I love the ocean.
Favorite place: Lincoln Avenue Espresso Bar for the big raspberry peach iced teas.
Unleashed: Writing is my passion. It's how I can communicate. I express myself and live through my words.
Lisa Garrigues
Naches Valley, 14, freshman
Activities: Swimming, dancing.
Food: Ice cream.
Music: Any hip-hop or rap.
Films: "The Simpsons Movie."
Books: "Chasing Redbird" and "The Wanderer" by Sharon Creech.
Three words: Friendly, funny, smart.
Achievement: Making it onto Unleashed.
Meet: My grandpa. He died before I was born.
Hero: My parents.
Biggest fear: Heights.
Greatest wish: An end to global warming.
Happiest: My first time at the beach.
Favorite place: Lions Pool.
Unleashed: I think it will be a great opportunity to meet new people and improve my writing skills.
Georgia Gempler
Davis, 14, freshman
Activities: Soccer, dancing, reading, painting, watching movies.
Food: Sushi.
Music: The Beatles, Bob Marley, Jack Johnson, reggae, soundtracks.
Films: "An Affair to Remember," "The King and I," "Indiana Jones."
Books: The "Redwall" series by Brian Jacques, "The Wind on Fire" series by William Nicholson.
Three words: Busy, creative, compassionate.
Achievement: Winning first place in the documentary division of the regional History Day competition and in the Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest.
Meet: The 14th Dalai Lama. I think everyone in the world can learn from his example of peace and compassion.
Hero: Sir Salman Rushdie.
Biggest fear: Arranged marriage.
Greatest wish: Being successful in life, learning from my mistakes.
Happiest: Every day in orchestra.
Favorite place: Essencia Artisan Bakery and Chocolaterie.
Unleashed: Improve my writing skills, have a fun, new experience, meet amazing people.
Ashley George
West Valley, 17, senior
Activities: DECA, Honors Society, volunteering, tennis, ASB.
Food: Pita bread and hummus with peach tea.
Music: Band of Horses, Rogue Wave, Fionn Regan, Liam Finn, Brand New.
Films: "Across the Universe," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
Books: "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde.
Three words: Sarcastic, funny, random.
Achievement: Being elected to ASB.
Meet: The casts of "Gossip Girl" and "One Tree Hill."
Hero: The creator of the VW bug.
Biggest fear: Rattlesnakes, spiders, diseases.
Greatest wish: Unwavering ambition.
Happiest: Night swimming in summer.
Favorite place: Starbucks.
Unleashed: A sense of accomplishment, the chance to voice my opinions to the community.
James Hibbs
Davis, 15, sophomore
Activities: Reading, gaming, editing, sleeping.
Food: Deep-fried cheese curds.
Music: George Gershwin, Beethoven, a cappella music.
Films: Too many.
Books: Too many.
Three words: Tall, tired, scholar.
Achievement: Surviving public education.
Meet: Ursula K. LeGuin or Robert Barclay. I like what they write, and they would be interesting to talk to.
Hero: I admire many people.
Biggest fear: Not being understood or not understanding others.
Greatest wish: World peace.
Happiest: Spending an entire day at Powell's City of Books in Portland for my birthday.
Favorite place: The library.
Unleashed: I wish to become a better writer and photographer.
Hannah Kivi
Riverside Christian, 14, freshman
Activities: Playing fastpitch, writing, hanging out with friends, listening to music, four-wheeling.
Food: Italian.
Music: Switchfoot, Relient K, Stellar Kart.
Films: "Freedom Writers."
Books: "Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis.
Three words: Friendly, laid-back, optimistic.
Achievement: Making the Unleashed team.
Meet: Anne Frank. She kept her faith in God during a horrible time in the world.
Hero: My dad.
Biggest fear: Open water.
Greatest wish: For as many people to come to Jesus Christ as possible.
Happiest: At the beach.
Favorite place: Movie theater.
Unleashed: I believe Unleashed will be a great experience. I aspire to write for my future and career.
Samantha Knittle
Davis, 17, senior
Activities: Band, bowling, relaxing, doing any kind of art, looking at old houses.
Food: Ice cream.
Music: Drum Corp International.
Films: "The Great Escape," "Pride and Prejudice."
Books: "The Great Escape" by Paul Brickhill, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
Three words: "I love marchingband."
Achievement: Learning to operate our toaster. I'm working up to my cell phone and computer.
Meet: John Phillip Sousa and Jesus.
Hero: John Philip Sousa.
Biggest fear: Breaking my leg and not being able to march.
Greatest wish: That my marching band makes it to finals. I want to march under the lights.
Happiest: During the summer, outside, in the sun, with nothing better to do but swim, walk and read. And when I'm marching!
Favorite place: Marching band practice.
Unleashed: To see my work in print.
Catherine Maier
Davis, 14, freshman
Activities: Dance, soccer, tennis, biking, being outdoors.
Food: Crème brûlée.
Music: Good, unique music with original lyrics.
Films: "Lupin the Third," "Superbad," "Ten Things I Hate About You."
Books: The "Sabriel" series by Garth Nix, "The Sea of Trolls" by Nancy Farmer.
Three words: Outgoing, fun, athletic.
Achievement: Going to nationals for biking.
Meet: Jack Johnson.
Hero: My brothers Ethan and William.
Biggest fear: Not being able to exercise.
Greatest wish: A happy life.
Happiest: On the soccer field.
Favorite place: Football games.
Unleashed: It is a good experience and fun activity.
Janessa Mains
Eisenhower, 16, junior
Activities: Photography, reading, writing, hanging out with friends.
Food: Ice cream.
Music: Gackt, Hyde, Disturbed, Evanescence.
Films: "Lord of the Rings," "Moon Child."
Books: "Trickster's Choice" and "Trickster's Queen" by Tamora Pierce.
Three words: Loyal, responsible, myself.
Achievement: Having my work recognized.
Meet: Ansel Adams. He was an amazing photographer. I greatly admire him.
Hero: My grandmother.
Biggest fear: Spiders.
Greatest wish: To be myself.
Happiest: With my camera, surrounded by friends.
Favorite place: The Yakima Greenway.
Unleashed: Gain more experience with photography and work with other photographers.
Sean Nagle-McNaughton
Davis, 15, freshman
Activities: German longsword fencing.
Food: Macaroni and cheese.
Music: They Might Be Giants, Fiddlers' Bid.
Films: "Mystery Men."
Books: "Phantom Tollbooth" by Norton Juster.
Three words: Entertaining, compliant, weird.
Achievement: Living this long and being able to be entertained by any people.
Meet: Gengis Khan.
Hero: Anyone who has bad handwriting but still writes stuff.
Biggest fear: Getting shots in my toes.
Greatest wish: Find entertainment.
Happiest: When I went back one year in school to be in the same grade as my friends when I was 13.
Favorite place: Friends' houses and my own.
Unleashed: I like writing and showing people what I've made. I also enjoy showing people different sides of things.
Hannah Naughton
Davis, 15, junior
Activities: Soccer, golf, swimming, being crazy with Mia.
Food: Tropical Typhoon Mike and Ikes, and Tootsie Rolls.
Music: Too Short, P. Diddy, M.C. Hammer, any music that has a good beat that I can dance to.
Films: "The Italian Job," "Good Will Hunting," the "Bourne" series.
Books: "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, the "Twilight Series" by Stephanie Meyer.
Three words: Humorous, stubborn, rambunctious.
Achievement: Living life to the fullest.
Meet: The person who finds a cure for cancer.
Biggest fear: Being lost in a big city.
Greatest wish: A cure for cancer.
Happiest: When my little sister Fiona was born.
Favorite place: The Yakima Country Club pool.
Unleashed: I wanted to express my opinions and meet new people.
Jasmine Okbinoglu
Eisenhower, 16, junior
Activities: Tennis, reading, music, hanging out with friends.
Food: I pretty much like anything and everything. I'll try any food you give me.
Music: The Beatles, Modest Mouse, Queen, Blur, Harvey Danger, Mystery Jets.
Films: Too many.
Book: "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott.
Three words: Smart, (slightly) lazy, caring.
Achievement: Being on Unleashed for my third year.
Meet: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. He founded Turkey. He also gave equal opportunities to everyone, including women.
Hero: Tulin Okbinoglu, my sister.
Greatest fear: Being alone.
Greatest wish: No more racism.
Favorite place: My hometown is Izmir, Turkey. The best place in Izmir is my summer house, because all my friends live next door and we have a huge pool that we spend hours in.
Happiest: With my friends.
Unleashed: I want to be on Unleashed because I can help change my own corner of the world. Unleashed gives voice to people who normally don't have one.
Lety Clark-Olivero
Eisenhower, 16, junior
Activities: Writing, swimming, soccer, pole vaulting, singing, praying, running, hiking, being awesome!
Food: Chicken fettuccine, fajitas from El Porton, Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Music: Hip-hop, anything I can dance to!
Films: "The Notebook," "Finding Nemo," "Juno."
Books: Anything by C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling.
Three words: Hilarious, extravagant, fantabulous.
Achievement: Becoming the person I am.
Meet: Jesus and Ghandi. I would want to sit down and compare notes, maybe even write a story on how to live a good life!
Hero: My parents.
Biggest fear: Being afraid, failure.
Greatest wish: To be happy forever!
Happiest: My birthplace, Ellensburg.
Favorite place: Franklin Park.
Unleashed: It's a great experience.
Veronica Quintero
Wahluke, 17, senior
Activities: Honor Society, writing, reading, leadership, traveling, sewing, shopping, volunteering.
Food: Anything spicy.
Music: Spanish pop, Juanes, Enrique Iglesias, Laura Pausini, Linkin Park, Rihanna, Mana, 3 Doors Down.
Films: Anything scary.
Books: "Rain of Gold" by Victor Villaseñor, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
Three words: Determined, dedicated, ambitious.
Achievement: Getting accepted into the LEDA Scholars Program at Princeton University.
Meet: Selena Quintanilla. She made history with her music, and her humble ways are still admired today.
Hero: My mom.
Biggest fear: Going blind.
Greatest wish: A never-ending shopping spree.
Happiest: Elementary school when I was living a carefree life.
Favorite place: Community Park.
Unleashed: I want to learn more about the journalism profession and news reporting. I hope to make long-lasting friends, connections, and report on eye-catching stories.
Molly Scofield
Eisenhower, 17, senior
Activities: Student government, swim team.
Food: Rice.
Music: "The Beatles," "The Spice Girls."
Films: "The Little Mermaid."
Books: "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien.
Three words: Funny, outgoing, sweet-natured.
Achievement: Being elected ASB president for my senior year.
Meet: The cast of "Dawson's Creek."
Hero: My parents.
Biggest fear: Birds.
Greatest wish: World peace.
Happiest: With my friends.
Favorite place: Lincoln Avenue Espresso Bar.
Unleashed: I enjoy writing and I hope to continue it in college.
Jessica Serrano
La Salle, 17, junior.
Activities: Tennis, reading, writing, music.
Food: Thai food.
Music: Indie music, The Postal Service, The Shins, Brand New, Muse, Death Cab for Cutie, Blondie, Moneen, Spinto Band, rock.
Films: "Vampire Weekend," "Band of Horses," "Armageddon."
Books: "Twilight" and anything else by Stephenie Meyer; anything by J.K. Rowling, Edgar Allan Poe and Sarah Dessen.
Three words: Persnickety, frank, unique.
Achievement: Becoming ASB vice president at school, being on the Unleashed staff for two years in a row and getting the "Story of the Year" award, getting second place in varsity singles tennis.
Meet: Bob Marley.
Hero: My mother.
Biggest fear: I'm fearless.
Greatest wish: Make my life worthwhile by making a difference for the greater good of humanity.
Happiest: When I'm with my favorite five friends anywhere.
Favorite place: Kissel Park.
Unleashed: Inform my community, make a difference.
Evalyn Suarez
West Valley, 16, junior
Activities: Playing guitar, singing, poetry, writing stories, learning about history and heritage.
Food: Lasagna.
Music: Superchik, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Delirious, Newsboys.
Films: "The Lord of the Rings," "Howl's Moving Castle," "Star Wars."
Books: "Dragon's Dawn" by Anne McCaffrey, "Eldest" by Christopher Paolini, "Piercing the Darkness" by Frank Peretti, "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer.
Three words: Intelligent, literary, empathetic.
Achievement: My Unleashed article on Brittany Travis' Operation Christmas Child senior project.
Meet: My great-grandma Evalyn. I am named for her, and everything I know about her is interesting.
Hero: My grandpa.
Biggest fear: Heights.
Greatest wish: Being able to help everyone who needs it.
Happiest: When I was 5 years old and accepted Jesus Christ. I still remember the day rather clearly.
Favorite place: My grandparents' house. It always feels like home, and I like to spend time with my grandparents.
Unleashed: I really love journalism now. I like writing about things that matter.
Kateri Town
La Salle, 16, junior
Activities: Photography, playing video games, debates, softball, cheerleading, watching movies with my brothers, listening to music.
Food: Tofu dipped in ketchup, avocados, eggplant parmesan.
Music: Gorillaz, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, the "Juno" soundtrack, Placebo, The Decemberists, The Postal Service.
Films: "Juno," "Across the Universe," "Garden State."
Books: Sarah Dessen books, "Choke," "Fight Club," and "Invisible Monsters" by Chuck Palahniuk, "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson, "Bloomabilty" by Sharon Creec, "1984" by George Orwell, "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
Three words: Sarcastic, vegetarian, opinionated.
Achievement: Having my photos published in the Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Meet: Kevin Smith, George Carlin.
Hero: I'm holding out for a hero.
Biggest fear: Losing my family, never becoming anything worth someone's time.
Greatest wish: Becoming a famous photojournalist.
Happiest: At my brother's wedding. I was with my entire family again.
Favorite place: St. Joseph's, Randall Park, my own backyard.
Unleashed: Because every person, including me, has a story to tell.
Mia Walsh
Davis, 16, junior
Activities: Dancing, reading, writing, cooking meals for my family, singing in the car at the top of my lungs with my sisters, playing with my dog Romeo, being wild with Hannah, hanging out with my family, talking to my sisters.
Food: My mom's delectable Italian meals.
Music: Lil' Wayne, Kanye West, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Pitbull, Madonna, Justin Timberlake.
Films: "The Bourne Ultimatum," "Step Up 2," "The Breakfast Club."
Books: "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Emma" by Jane Austen, the "Stephanie Plum" novels by Janet Evanovich.
Three words: Focused, creative, vivacious.
Achievement: Rappelling down a 180-foot cliff in California.
Meet: Betsey Johnson.
Hero: Mohandas K. Gandhi.
Biggest fear: Being sprinkled with salt and pepper and eaten alive.
Greatest wish: I wish it wasn't too late to stop global warming.
Happiest: With my family on Christmas morning, eating breakfast together.
Favorite place: The Toppenish city pool on hot summer days.
Unleashed: Give a voice to the stories of the teenagers of the Valley.
Libby Young
La Salle, 14, sophomore
Activities: Dance, band, reading.
Food: My mom's pot pie and any Asian food except sushi.
Music: Oldies music, The Beatles.
Films: "Across the Universe," "Star Wars," "The Producers."
Books: "Uglies" by Scott Westerfield, "The Secret Life of Bees," by Sue Monk Kidd, "Rocket Boys" by Homer Hickam.
Three words: Entertaining, humorous, hard-working.
Achievement: Giving the class speech at eighth-grade graduation.
Meet: Queen Elizabeth I; she made many smart decisions that changed the world and had a very interesting life.
Hero: Anyone who has helped me in my life.
Biggest fear: Bugs, fire, losing anyone I care about.
Greatest wish: Doing well in life.
Happiest: At home relaxing with my family, or at camp with my friends.
Favorite place: The pool near my house with my friends.
Unleashed: I think it will be fun and give me a valuable writing experience.
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