HRMS FALL SPORTS
Cross Country. Football. Volleyball.
Cross country runs past the competition
by Jack P. and Jacob G.
Hood River - Cross Country has kicked off to a good start with 5 meets completed and 1 more to go.
In the first race of the season, Gus V. won the 1.5-mile race with a time of 8:29.3 seconds. The fastest girl, Alivia J., got a time of 12:00 at the same race.
So far there have been 5 races this season, and Hood River has done great in every single one. At least one of our runners has gotten in the top 5 every single time. And in some races, we have gotten 3 people in the top 3 from Hood River.
Stacy Claus is the head coach of cross country and enjoys her job. “It feels like a Talented & Gifted PE class! It's so unusual to have students who WANT to run and train HARD. I love their commitment & perseverance!"
Gus V., a 7th grader, said, “The best thing about running by far is winning races. It's one of the best feelings in running."
When asked about the hardest part of running, Ella S. said, “Running in the sun is the worst part. And the best part is the team and team building.”
Make sure to catch the last cross country team at the meet on Oct 16 at Hood River Valley High School at 3:30.
Panther football tackles the opposition
by Jackson C. and Kyler Z.
Hood River- The Panthers ended the season with 4 wins and 1 loss.
The HRMS football team is a combined team of 30 7th and 8th graders. They have played The Dalles, Corbett, Wind River, Wy’east, and Henkel.
The first game of the season was against Corbett with the Panthers winning 14-0. The game was close until the fourth quarter when Kase S. scored two touchdowns and Enzo P. kicked the extra point.
After that, the Panthers took on The Dalles winning 14-12. Noah C. had two interceptions and a touchdown that game. Landon scored the second touchdown for the Panthers.
Then in the third game of the season, the Panthers took on Windriver out of Stevenson. They won 26-6. During this game, it poured rain. Kase S. told the coach that he couldn’t throw in the rain but went on to throw a 35-yard touchdown.
In the rival game against Wy’east, the Hood River Panthers won 26-21. Kase S. scored 3 touchdowns and Ivar V. scored 1 and also kicked his first field goal of the season. Marcus J. saved the game with an interception.
Coach Jesse Miles says, “This is the best team I have ever coached.”
HRMS volleyball serves up victories
by Lian C. and Ximena C.
Hood River- HRMS Volleyball teams are off to a strong start and are almost done with the volleyball season.
The 8th-grade HRMS volleyball team has been very impressive when it comes to their games. They play with confidence and each one of them is very talented.
8th Grade Volleyball coach Lyndsey Dillon said, “The volleyball games are going fantastic! We have seen a huge spike in skill development, for both individuals and as a team. Practices are fun and we are able to dig into specific focus areas based on player feedback and what we have learned during match play.”
When asked how the season was going, 8th-grade volleyball student Diyora commented, “Very good. We are working very hard.”
The 7th-grade volleyball team has been doing amazing at their games, especially since they have around 27 people on their team. 7th-grade volleyball Liesel Benecke says that her favorite thing about teaching 7th-grade volleyball is that she loves seeing how positive and supportive the 7th graders get on the court during the games. She also likes how there’s a lot of cheering and hyping that happens during volleyball.
7th-grade volleyball player Natasha Morales says, “Our team has been winning so far, but we lost our game recently.”
The team has been playing very well this season, and they don’t intend to give up over one recently lost game.
Our volleyball teams in both 8th and 7th grade have been doing an amazing job in their games, showing perseverance, and in supporting each other. We encourage you to support and go to their games and you can catch the next home volleyball game on October 16th!
A Day in the Life
by August P and Jacob G.
June G. 6th Grade
Q: “Do you have any pets?”
A: “Yes, I have 3 dogs.”
Q: “What is a funny story about them?”
A: “One of my dogs tried to eat the other one.”
Q: “What is something about you?”
A: “I like to dance”
Q: “Who is your favorite celebrity?”
A: “Spongebob.”
Q: “What is your favorite word?”
A: “Skibidi Toilet.”
Q: “If you could time travel where and when would you go?”
A: “Texas.”
Brody G. 6th Grade
Q: “What is something to know about you?”
A: “I like school football, they also need to make a 6th-grade basketball team!!!!”
Q: “Who is your favorite celebrity?”
A: “I can't answer that.”
Q: “What is your favorite word?”
A: “GYATT.”
Q: “What's your favorite place to travel?”
A: “Hawaii.”
Q:” If you could time travel where and when would you go?”
A: “I would go back to [the] Declaration of Independence.”
Emma M. 7th Grade
Q: “How do you like 7th grade and your teachers so far?”
A: “The teachers are really nice, and seventh grade’s good right now.”
Q: “Do you usually get to school on time, and if so, what’s your morning routine to be here on time?”
A: “I’m at school on time, and my routine is to be quick and fast, and get everything done.”
Q: “Do you do any afterschool sports and/or activities?”
A: “I do volleyball. It’s really fun, I like it!”
Q: “If you could make any elective, what would it be and what would you do?”
A: “Just, like, a class where you could do whatever, and like, focus on a subject, and every day it’d rotate.”
Q: “Who are your top three favorite teachers in 7th grade?”
A: “Ms. Benecke, Ms. Dehart, and Mr. Martinez.”
Everett H. 7th Grade
Q: “How do you like 7th grade and your teachers so far?”
A: “The teachers are good, and it is good.”
Q: “Do you usually get to school on time, and if so, what’s your morning routine to be here on time?”
A: “Yes, I get to school on time, and my routine is I go to my locker, and I put my backpack in there, take out my binder and water bottle, and go to get my iPad.”
Q: “Do you do any afterschool sports and/or activities?”
A: “No.”
Q: “If you could make any elective, what would it be and what would you do?”
A: “Snowboarding, and you could just skip school and snowboard. It would be awesome.”
Q: “Who are your top three favorite teachers in 7th grade?”
A: “Mr. Martinez, Ms. DeHart, and Mr. Tell.”
Tia B. 8th Grade
Q: “How do you feel about last year at HRMS?”
A: “Seventh grade was fun, it was like, it was a fun year. Seventh grade was probably my favorite.”
Q: “How do you feel about going into high school next year?”
A: “High school? I’m excited to meet new people.”
Q: “Who was your favorite teacher in 6th, 7th, and now 8th grade?”
A: “My favorite teacher in 6th grade was Ms. Norton, my favorite in 7th was Elam, and my favorite in 8th is Ms. VanDeHey.”
Q: “What is your favorite class you've ever taken at HRMS?
A: “My favorite class is probably Spanish; because like the people in it made it really fun.”
Q: “Switching gears, who’s your favorite music artist?”
A: “I… don’t know.”
Q: “What is your favorite book, movie, and/or sport?”
A: “My favorite sport is volleyball, my favorite movie is… I don’t know what my favorite movie is.”
Q: “What piece of advice would you give to your sixth- grade self?”
A: “Probably, just like, stay focused on school and don’t get caught up in drama.”
Andrew R. 8th Grade
Q: “How do you feel about last year at HRMS?”
A: “Honestly, it was pretty good, I guess.”
Q: “How do you feel about going into high school next year?”
A: “I feel good and bad.”
Q: “Who was your favorite teacher in 6th, 7th, and now 8th grade?”
A: “In sixth, probably Ms. Douglas, in 7th, Ms. DeHart, and 8th, probably Ms. Mall.”
Q: “What was your favorite class you’ve ever taken at HRMS?”
A: “Probably robotics.”
Q: “Who is your favorite music artist?”
A: “I don’t really know right now.”
Q: “What is your favorite movie, book, and/or sport?”
A: “Favorite movie… I don’t know. Favorite sport, soccer.”
Q: “What piece of advice would you give to your sixth-grade self?”
A: “Turn in stuff, because I didn’t turn my stuff in last year… and sixth grade.”
Meet The New Panthers
by Lian C., Ximena C., Tala S. and Talia S.
Mr. Baker
Q: "Do you have any interesting stories of when you were our age?"
A: "Nothing crazy. I was a rambunctious middle schooler who wanted to ski as much as possible."
Q: "What’s your favorite thing about teaching?"
A: "I enjoy being around students and sharing knowledge with them."
Q: "Why did you choose social studies to teach?"
A: "I love keeping up with what is going on in the world. Social studies helps give perspective to what is going on in the world."
Q: "What do you do in your free time?"
A: "I have a young kiddo at home who I spend a lot of time with. When I'm not with him, I love riding my bike or going skiing."
Q: "What made you realize that you wanted to teach middle school?"
A: "I love how much energy middle school students have. They're fun to be around and their brains are like sponges."
Q: "Would you rather dye your hair bright hot red or bright hot pink?"
A: "Hot red! I had it hot red in high school."
Ms. Benecke
7th Grade Science + Math
Q: Do you have any interesting stories of when you were our age?
A: “When I was in seventh grade, out of school I went on an epic trip and it was a plane to Alaska along with my family. The trip was really amazing to me, because on the trip it was my first time seeing mountains and the Pacific Ocean which, in my opinion, made me want to become a science teacher.”
Q: “What’s your favorite thing about teaching?”
A: “My favorite thing about teaching is because I get to work with really creative children. I also like how goofy and fun middle schoolers can be.”
Q: “Why did you choose science to teach?”
A: “When I was young I used to take really long walks and ask tons of questions and I never really stopped doing that. I thought science was a place for me.”
Q: “What do you do in your free time?”
A: “In my free time I like to take long walks down by the waterfront, go swimming, and also do yoga. I like to go to concerts. One last thing I also do in my free time is cooking because I love to cook.”
Q: “What made you realize that you wanted to teach middle school?”
A: “I used to teach middle school camp counseling and to me, it was a special experience to work with other people. I know I can teach middle schoolers, but I don’t know if I can teach kindergarten. I did try once and it was fun, but 32 six-year-olds are a lot of work. ”
Q: “Would you rather dye your hair bright hot red or bright hot pink?”
A: “I’ve dyed my hair red before as well as pink, out of all of those I prefer pink.”
Candy
Attendance Secretary
Q: “Any funny family vacations?”
A: “I went camping, and it rained the whole time.”
Q: “Why did you want to become a staff or a teacher?”
A: “I worked with preschoolers for most of my adult life and I thought it would be fun to work with older kids.”
Q: “What are your favorite hobbies?”
A: “I like reading crosswords, and I'm learning how to play the piano.”
Q: “What's your favorite sport?”
A: “I like watching my kids play basketball.”
Q: What's your favorite place to travel?
A: “I love the coast.”
Q: “If you could time travel where and when would you go?”
A: “I would go back in time to see an Elvis Presley concert.”
Q: “What is your worst school experience?”
A: “After school, I was running home and I jumped over a wire fence and I fell on my face in front of the school.”
Q: “What is the worst thing that has happened to you with a student?”
A: “There was a kid who kicked me all the time and broke my fingernail.”
Q: “What advice would you give every student in the school?”
A: “Middle school is important, but it's not the most important part of your life.”
Q: “What is your favorite mythical animal?”
A: “A Chewbacca"
Chet
Campus Supervisor
Q: “What's your name?”
A: “Chet Frasier.”
Q: “What changes do you see yourself making at this school?”
A: “I think a bright smile can go a long way.”
Q: “Do you play any sports?”
A: “I used to play baseball growing up.”
Q: “What's a risk you've taken before?”
A: “I don't take a whole lot of risks. I am super afraid of heights. I took a chairlift. It was pretty terrifying.”
Q: “Do you have any hobbies?”
A: “I like watching sports. I like to play softball and get outside.”
Q: “What were you like in middle school?”
A: “I was pretty squirrely.”
Q: “Did you have straight A's?”
A: “Not at all.”
Q: “What's your favorite color?
A: “I think my favorite color is blue.”
Ms. Brenda
Principal's Secretary
Q: “Any funny family vacations?”
A: “When we went to the Bahamas, and we got to swim with the pigs.”
Q: “Why did you want to become a staff or a teacher?”
A: “I like being around students.”
Q: “What are your favorite hobbies?”
A: “I like to go kayaking, hiking, and walking in the afternoon.”
Q: “What's your favorite sport?”
A: “My favorite sport is soccer.”
Q: "What's your favorite place to travel?"
A: “I love going to Mexico to visit my family.”
Q: “If you could time travel where and when would you go?”
A: “I would go back in time with the queen and kings, and wear a puffy dress.”
Q: “What is your worst school experience?”
A: “My worst school experience is when I played soccer in middle school and I was really bad at it and instead of kicking the ball I made a mistake and kicked a metal trash can.”
Q: “What advice would you give every student in the school?”
A: “Listen to the adults.”
Q: “What is your favorite mythical animal?”
A: “It would be a unicorn.”
Mr. Miles
Health Teacher
Q: "Do you have any interesting stories from when you were our age in middle school?"
A: "Yes, this is a really old building and they’ve rebuilt it since then, but when I was in 8th grade we found kind of a secret passageway between classes, so you can’t find it anymore because they’ve rebuilt that part of the school. But we would be in one class and there would be this kind of little tiny hallway behind a bookcase and we would just be in another class, we would just appear."
Q: "What’s your favorite thing about teaching?"
A: "I like helping kids understand the world better so they can make really good decisions and be super successful."
Q: "Why did you choose to teach health?"
A: "I chose health because life is a lot more fun when you're healthy. I had a period where I was unhealthy because I was sick and it was really not fun, it was really boring. And then I started eating a lot better and exercising and doing a lot of activities. I became a lot healthier, and I can have fun now and do sports and activities that I wasn’t able to do before."
Q: "What do you do in your free time?"
A: "I hang out with my baby Wesley."
Q: "What made you realize that you wanted to teach middle school?"
A: "I’ve already been a football coach here for 2 years, and I like middle schoolers because they are very positive, happy, and fun."
Q: "Would you rather dye your hair the brightest red or the brightest hot pink?"
A: "I would do either of those totally, maybe a half and half."
Zed and Grimm
Issue 1
Teacher Tea
by Saren C.
Middle school is different for everyone, and sometimes it is interesting to see the difference between someone else’s middle school experience and your own. The Panther Press team interviewed 2 teachers about their experiences in middle school and paired the interviews with their middle school picture. Can you guess who?
Mystery Teacher #1
When did you start teaching here?
I started teaching at HRMS in 2021, this is my 3rd year on staff here!
Did you enjoy middle school?
Middle school was a particularly challenging time in my life. I enjoyed the classes and my sports; however, I had a lot of changes socially and that can be hard to adjust to at first.
Did you play any sports?
In middle school, I competed in cross country, basketball, and track.
What’s your favorite cuisine or food?
I love pretty much any and all Asian cuisines as well as seafood. I could eat salmon every day of my life and never get tired of it.
Who have you known the longest here?
I've known Mrs.Burck the longest because she is my mom :)
What is your favorite subject?
My favorite subject in school was ELA - I love language/writing and double majored in Journalism and Chinese when I was in college. I think language is such a powerful part of culture and how we view the world around us.
What school did you go to? I went to a lot of schools in our district! For elementary I attended May Street, West Side & Mid Valley. For middle school I attended Wy'East. I graduated from HRVHS and attended the University of Oregon for college.
What is your birthday?
My birthday is August 3, 1995
Mystery Teacher #2
When did you start teaching here?
I started teaching at HRMS last year, so this is my second year here.
Did you enjoy middle school?
I would say I somewhat enjoyed middle school. I liked my teachers and enjoyed the classes. Socially middle school can be hard for lots of kids with all the changes you are going through. It definitely felt hard to fit in at times. Things got a lot better for me socially in high school compared to middle school, after I had grown into a more "complete" person.
Did you play any sports?
I played football and did track and field through all of middle and high school.
What’s your favorite cuisine or food?
I love Indian food! Masala dosas with pakora and a mango lassi is my favorite meal.
Who have you known the longest here?
I guess I'd say I've known Principal Hayden and Vice Principal Schlosser the longest since they interviewed me
What is your favorite subject?
I loved Social Studies the best of course! But I also liked math and ELA. The only class I didn't like was science. (Sorry, science teachers. It's a super important subject just not for me!)
What school did you go to?
Growing up, I went to Madeleine Catholic School for elementary. which is in the Alameda Neighborhood of Portland. Then I went to West Sylvan Middle School in the West Hills of Portland. Then I went to Lincoln High School, which is in Downtown Portland. Then I attended the University of Oregon in Eugene before finally getting my Master's Degree at Lewis and Clark College, which is by Lake Oswego.
What is your birthday?
My Birthday is January 14th, 1999.
Reviews
Godzilla fights...himself?
by Jonathan L.
In 1954, a movie was released titled Godzilla. This movie would spawn an international franchise which is now 70 years old.
In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, Godzilla has come back to destroy Japan and the military can barely fight back.
The Japanese military needs to find a way to kill Godzilla,so they retrieve Godzilla’s skeleton, trapped in the sea since 1954, and make it into Mechagodzilla. But, what they didn’t know is that not only did they use the 1954 skeleton, but also his soul.
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla is a phenomenal movie with great special effects and amazing designs.The final battle was astounding with great choreographed fights and an even greater set design.
The only problem I have is the special effects, but the movie is 22 years old so the effects are understandable.
And a fun fact is that both kaijus, (giant japanese monsters) Godzilla and Mechagodzilla, are people in suits. If you do want to watch this movie it's on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Hulu, and Pluto.
Welcome to the Jungle
by Gio S.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a great movie. One reason to watch this movie is the cast and how funny they are. The movie is about adventure and comedy. Another reason why you should watch this movie is because actors, like Dwayne the Rock Johnson and Kevin Hart, are very good actors. They’re funny and are comedy actors who are great at their trade! I love everything about the movie, nothing is bad about it! You can watch this movie on Hulu and Prime Video for $3.59. I give this movie 4.9 Panther Paws out of 5.
Dune: A book review
by August P.
Dune is a science fiction/fantasy novel from 1965. Dune is considered one of the greatest books of all time, among the ranks with Lord of the Rings, Huckleberry Finn, and George Orwell’s 1984.
Dune was a very good book. It was an imaginative sci-fi epic but also had underlying tones warning of global warming, slavery, and governmental corruption.
I didn’t have any dislikes, but I do have a warning for those who read it: The first third of the book is very dense and heavy. It is very political and moves slowly. However, it is so worth it to read the whole book. I found that after the political parts (Even though I do love the political parts.), it becomes a very powerful and emotional book. It is such a rewarding book to finish. And also, there are 22 sequels and prequels. You know, if you really love the book.
You can find Dune at your local bookstore and at Hood River County Library.
About Us
Meet the Panther Press Journalists
Saren C.
Saren Charland is an 8th grader who likes eating crab and seafood. Saren is the average Taylor Swift disliker. He also likes hanging out with friends.
Ximena C.
Ximena is a 7th grader newspaper student who loves to help take care of her baby sister and listen to music. She also likes sleeping, and writing. In her life outside of school, she likes to hang out with friends, visit family, and listen to Mitski.
Lian C.
Lian is a 7th grade newspaper student who loves plants, talking with her friends, and listening to music. She also loves shopping, going to garage sales, and enjoys practicing taekwondo.
Jackson C.
Jackson is a 7th grader who loves to eat food, play football, and go fishing. He also likes to jump on a trampoline and do tricks.
Jacob G.
Jacob is an 8th grader who loves to play video games and watch TiK Tok. In his free time, he likes listening to Ken Carson, xaviersobased, and yhapojj.
Jonathan L.
Jonathan is a 7th grader who likes geeky things He has a STINKY TINY TINY STINKY DISGUSTING POOP EATING dog and another angry dog. He LOOOOOOVES WATCHING HIS BILL COSBY DVD AND LISTENING TO HIS VINYL.
Jack P.
Jack is an 8th grader who loves to fish, play sports, and eat fishies. In his free time he fishes. That’s it.
August P.
August (Auggie) Portlock is a 7th Grader who loves to bike, watch horror movies with his friends, and read books. He also likes to read comics and draw monsters. He also loves listening to alt-rock while doing work.
Tala S.
Tala is in 8th grade. She loves to play basketball, play other sports, and eat sushi. She also likes Swedish Fish and exercising. She taught herself how to skateboard and she has gone paragliding over 200ft up in the air.
Gio S.
Gio is a 8th grader newspaper student who loves too watch movies and listen to music. He likes to go out with friends, and he also likes to go fishing sometimes, and look at the sky/nonchalant.
Talia S.
Talia Seals is in seventh grade. She loves to bake and paint, and ski. She loves spring rolls. A fun fact about her is she has a lot of stickers.
Kyler Z.
Kyler is an 8th grade newspaper student who enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and playing sports
