November 2021

“By signing up for this optional club you've agreed that science is cool!” is a phrase featured prominently on the homepage of Oregon Charter Academy’s NASA Club. That phrase is just about the only requirement for joining the club, which is open to all students in the school from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The NASA Club doesn’t require a lot of commitment, with its hour-long meetings occurring just once a month. However, the lack of quantity is more than made up for with the quality of the club’s meetings, which consist of school-exclusive live streams with actual NASA staff from either Space Center Houston in Texas or the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

“My favorite part of this club is seeing all of the excellent questions ORCA students ask the NASA staff during the live streams and learning new facts about space that I didn’t know before,” said club advisor and elementary school principal Dan Vasen. 

The meetings are open to the entire school regardless of club status, but the NASA Club brings an added focus to the subject. Besides offering helpful reminders of when the live streams occur, members have access to additional STEM-related content that applies to the subject matter of the club’s meetings. Members also receive access to the recordings of the live streams. 

“By joining the club, students gain access to the NASA club course in canvas [sic] where they can learn more about NASA programs, get monthly updates on space exploration and related topics and share their interest with other students,” added Mr. Vasen. 

In the club’s inaugural meeting, attendees were treated to an in-depth look at the James Webb Space Telescope, a NASA project that is planned to launch on December 18th. Viewers were given a glimpse at the process of constructing the giant telescope, which per NASA’s website, is over 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Hubble Telescope. 

A request to publish pictures from the impressive meeting was denied, which means only one thing -- you’ll have to join the club yourself to access the recording and the seven remaining meetings the club has planned for the rest of the school year. 

The ORCA NASA Club can be joined by any student through the Google Form on the “Clubs” section of the ORCA website or the Principal’s Corner. 

Adapting to a new school is often tricky, even more so when it’s an entirely different program. However, a new environment shouldn’t slow down your education. From tracking missing assignments to emailing questions instead of raising your hand, new online students can struggle to find  balance with this new mode of learning. 

Here are seven tips to help you in your online learning journey: 

1. To-Do list

Write down all the tasks you need to have done this week on a notepad and stick it somewhere you’ll be able to look at easily, such as near your mouse pad or on your Canvas calendar.

2. List View

On your Dashboard, it gives the options of Card View, List View, and Recent Activity. Setting it on List View will allow you to be able to see all your assignments and classes for the day. You will also be able to see a bell that shows any missing assignments. 

[Editor's note: However, the List view doesn't show all items on the Weekly Starter Page, just the ones with due dates. If you click the Dashboard View and then your starter pages, you'll see everything you're supposed to do each day in the right order. But List View is useful for quickly seeing what you have to do in a day.]

3. Quiet and Clean Environment 

Whether you're working on a desk or in your kitchen, keep that area a distraction-free zone. Clear the area of anything that will cause disruptions, set up your computer, a notebook, and pens.

4. Speak up with Questions

Your teachers aren't able to know your struggle if you don't reach out. Whether  it’s a topic you don’t understand or a confusing assignment, they’ll always be able to help you  figure it out. 

5. Pomodoro Method 

The Pomodoro Method is a time management method that allows you to work in manageable chunks. Set a timer for 25-60 minutes, and once it rings give yourself a break of 5-15 minutes.

6. Interact with Classmates 

It can feel a bit lonely or boring in an online learning environment. There are ways to overcome that, like joining a club, attending field trips, and interacting in class. You’ll be amazed at how welcoming the ORCA students are.

7. Find Balance

Don’t push yourself; set a time to fully shut off your computer for the day. 

Pens and Prose is a new ORCA literary club created and designed by student Grace Peterson. 

“Pens and Prose is a club designed for creative writing,” Peterson said. The club was created because students were wondering why there were two poetry clubs in Poetry Pals and Poetry Out Loud and yet no creative writing programs. 

“I myself am a flash fiction writer, and it was brought to my attention that students wanted more help with this,” said Peterson. With the help of Mrs. Hand and Mrs. Thew, Pens and Prose was created from what had formerly been Poetry Pals. 

Pens and Prose will help “students learn how to write creatively. Much of English class teaches how to write academically, but Pens & Prose wants to help students learn how to embrace the creative side to writing and add a little bit of a fun twist,” Peterson said. The club was originally called Poetry Pals in February 2021. Since then it has transformed, or “evolved” as Peterson puts it, into Pens and Prose, which started in September 2021. 

Students will submit work that revolves around a monthly theme. At the end of the month, those pieces will be shown in club meetings, where other members provide  constructive criticism. The meetings will be held on the last Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. Peterson says that the live classes are going to be alternated between Mrs. Thew and Mrs. Hand’s Zoom rooms, but they always take place at the same time. 

Regarding any changes in the club, Peterson concludes, “Pens & Prose is very open to trying new things, and if this is what the students want, then this is what the students will get.”

Oregon Charter Academy announced the 2021-22 school year’s student senators on the student government’s official website October 21st. 

The description of the position per the school’s website reads, “Our Student Senators represent grades 5th - 12th at ORCA, with 3 - 5 individuals per grade. They vote on all important decisions, help plan and organize events, act as representatives for their individual grade, and are behavioral role models! Senators are vital to making sure our leadership team serves all ORCA students!”

“It is such a pleasure to support this group and watch them develop strong leadership skills, advocate for the diverse needs of our student body, and create activities that promote school pride,” said High School Student Government Advisor Stephanie Vitro. 

Over 30 students were selected by the school as senators this year. 

The list is as follows: 

5th Grade: Taylor S., Hadden R., Anna H., Brooke W.

6th Grade: Harmony M., Julia M., Jordyn S., Noah M., Maya M.

7th Grade: Lily D., Anson R., Leah G. 

8th Grade: Macy J. M., Dorothy H., Grace C., Myles W., Sophia B.

9th Grade: Tenley H., Abigail C., Tristan H., Halli L.

10th Grade: Lily B., Danielle M., Aiden B., McKenna S., Sophia G.

11th Grade: Alex Leventhal, Amelia Best

12th Grade: Kathryn W., Mackenzie M., Ariel B.

“I am a brand new senator for student government, and so far I’m enjoying the environment!” 10th grade senator McKenna Stewart said, “Ms. Vitro lets the students run the meetings and Rory Petersen, the president, is super fun and a great leader ...I’m really excited to help our school with school spirit and increase participation.”

The student government’s executive board was selected earlier this year, with the student body electing Rory Petersen as president and Brady Cruse as vice president. Filling out the school-appointed executive board are Ahnalya De Leeuw (Secretary), Reagan Stanek (Activities Director), Grace Peterson (Public Relations), and Isaac Choi (Senior Senator Representative for grades 9-12). 

The executive board is exclusively made up of high school students. 

“This year, the Executive Board's goals are to provide more social opportunities for students through various school events and media engagements, have greater visibility with charity events and ORCA programs, like tutoring, and participate in leadership trainings through the Oregon Association of Student Councils (OASC),” said Ms. Vitro. 

“This is my 4th year as Student Government senator, and it’s always been exciting to be a part of Student Government! Especially this year, since there will be more opportunities to lead or help organize events, I am even more excited,” said 8th grade senator Grace Choi. “During the meetings, it’s been amazing learning about everyone else. There are beginning to be opportunities for the members to represent our school and improve leadership skills. There’s only been a couple of meetings so far, but I can tell that it’ll be another great Student Government year!”

For more information and updates on Oregon Charter Academy’s student government, make sure to check out their website here. 

Oregon Charter Academy received state-wide attention on October 8th. Salem’s Statesman Journal announced that the school won the title of “Best Charter School” in the Community Choice Awards for Oregon’s Mid-Valley area. 

ORCA’s recognition didn’t stop there, as the school also managed to place first in “Overall Leadership” in the “Top Employers” section, as well as being named a finalist in “Company Culture” and “Most Innovative Workplace.” 

“Wow - Oregon Charter Academy is the place to be!” posted Oregon Charter Academy on their Facebook page following the win. 

Enrollment in Oregon Charter Academy, as well as other online schools in the state, rose at an impressive rate during the COVID-19 crisis. Oregon Business reported that Oregon Charter’s 2020-21 enrollment was up 22% over the previous year’s; however, that number has dropped this school year, partially due to Oregon’s controversial 3% rule. 

But lower enrollment clearly hasn’t diminished the popularity of one of Oregon’s longest running online schools.

"I am so proud of Oregon Charter Academy for our accolades in the 2021 ‘Best of the Mid-Valley’ awards. I am humbled and grateful to call Oregon Charter Academy my community. Congratulations to our staff for earning such tremendous honors!" said Allison Galvin, the school’s executive director. 

Oregon Charter’s win, as well as those of other schools and businesses in the area, can be viewed in the Statesman Journal’s “Best of the Mid-Valley Winners” gallery. 

There’s no better time to pick up a book and get cozy than when the clouds roll in. According to a CAE news article called 7 Proven Reasons Why Reading is Good for You, reading has been proven to benefit people in many ways, including stress reduction, a decrease in loneliness, and improved sleep for those who read before turning in.

For people who are having trouble getting into the reading mood, here are some quick and easy reads you should look into:

• The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton

  • This quick read is about feeling like an outsider, hence the title, and the difference between right and wrong. The rival gangs of the “socs” and the “greasers” are in constant conflict, and when Ponyboy Curtis is attacked by a group of socs, things turn even more sour.

• Animal Farm by George Orwell

  • George Orwell does an excellent job at mixing politics with farm animals. Animal Farm is about a group of animals who take over and govern the farm they live on. The theme of this book is that even when idealism is present, power corrupts.

• The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau 

  • This book is longer at roughly 270 pages, but most would say that it is written at a middle school level. The post-apocalyptic setting is well thought out. The plot follows an underground city that is nearing the end of its lifespan with no hope for its future. Can a couple of teenagers save the people?

If you prefer investing yourself in a series, check these out:

• The Maze Runner Series by James Dashner

  • This is a remarkable dystopian concept about a group of teenage boys locked in a maze with no way out, but things change when the first girl shows up. The whole series is as good as the first book, which is rare to find.

• The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

  • Not many people dislike The Hunger Games books. They are great for anyone who likes action, competition, heart, and a corrupt dystopian society. Each year 24 teenagers from 12 districts are placed like pawns into a bloody game of whoever is last standing wins.

• The Selection Series by Kiera Cass

  • This royal romance series is turning into a Netflix movie. If you like a competitive and rebellious female lead, these books are for you.

During this time of social uncertainty, a book is a great place to seek refuge. As George R.R. Martin said, “A reader lives a thousand lives before they die.” So, go pick up a book that you won’t want to put down and curl up with your favorite blanket and a cozy drink.

The story of Dune has long held a reputation of being unfilmable. 

Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name is one of science fiction’s most influential and groundbreaking works, but the intricacies and scope of its plot have resulted in it resisting a successful adaptation to the big screen. 

Director David Lynch famously attempted a Dune feature film in 1984, a messy sci-fi dreamscape that felt incredibly rushed despite its 137-minute runtime. It highlighted every issue with converting Dune into the cinematic format. Lynch’s voiceover methods of exposition struggled to convey the complicated rules and customs of Herbert’s futuristic world, while the campy visuals and special effects did little to immerse the viewer in the locations of the story. 

The result was a film that is near unwatchable for some and at best a cult classic for others. Even Lynch admitted it was a colossal failure. 

Enter Denis Villeneuve. 

The French-Canadian filmmaker has become one of the best in his craft over the past decade, particularly when it comes to science fiction. His two most recent films, 2016’s Arrival and 2017’s Blade Runner 2049, were critically acclaimed as masterclasses of the genre. But for Villeneuve, an adaptation of the novel “Dune” was the ultimate goal. 

So with high expectations from the studio, the fanbase and himself, Villeneuve set out to film the unfilmable. 

His first move was to only cover half of Herbert’s original novel, all while increasing the runtime to 155 minutes. Ambitiously titled “Dune: Part One” in the opening credits, the film is set as the first of a two part series, although Warner Brothers didn’t agree to greenlight the second film until recently, a few days after the first was released to box office success. 

The result is a sweeping epic that slowly, thoroughly world-builds in a way that Lynch’s Dune never came close to achieving. The desert world of Arrakis where the film spends most of its time is well fleshed out, with the surrounding cultures, prophecies, and conflicts quite tangible and high-stakes. 

The visuals are unsurprisingly Dune’s greatest strength. From the watery Atreides homeworld of Caladan to the sprawling deserts of Arrakis, each location has a strong sense of realism despite the excessive-but-necessary CGI that fills much of each frame. And everything in Dune is massive. Starships are the size of cities, planets are filled with towering structures and machinery, and the great sandworms of Arrakis are terrifyingly large and menacing. 

But Dune never loses its sense of scale. Each shot has a sense of awe and wonder as Villeneuve unravels the futuristic tale. There’s unmistakable detail and care put into the imagery, and consequently Dune feels like a loving adaptation rather than another tired remake. 

Some of Dune’s many characters get lost in the spectacle of it all, but the all-star cast still carries out a good performance. Oscar Isaac is convincing in his role as the honorable Duke Leto, while Rebecca Feurguson and Timothée Chalamet lead the film well as the stoic and powerful mother-son duo of Lady Jessica and Paul Atreides. 

Jason Momoa and Sharon Duncan-Brewster shine in supporting roles, but the rest of the top-billed cast hardly get any time to shine in their limited appearances. Characters played by big names such as Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and Stellan Skarsgård are merely afterthoughts in the film’s plot. 

And that’s where Dune’s greatest weakness lies. Behind Villeneuve’s enthusiastic world-building and the unnerving choral swells of Hans Zimmer’s pounding soundtrack lies some rather cold and incomplete characterization. With the story cut in half, many arcs feel distant and the deep political and religious themes of the source material are left largely unexplored.  

The pacing suffers as well, with the plot slowly meandering in the second half before ending at an abrupt finale. 

Such directorial decisions may be perceived as much as flaws as they are intentional creative choices. Dune is clearly a prologue for its second half, where the more complex themes and motivations of the story will take place in a world already established by the first. 

In short, it is strange that a piece of cinema as great as Dune feels so dependent on a quality sequel, especially with the production of Part Two never guaranteed. 

But when that second film is made under Villeneuve’s careful direction, Dune: Part One should be remembered as the brilliant first half of one of the greatest science fiction sagas of the 21st century. Dune may have left its audience wanting something more, but perhaps that was the intent the entire time. 

Verdict: 8.5/10

Following last year’s COVID-19-struck summer, it was nice to return to theaters in 2021. Let’s take a look at some of the summer’s biggest films:

A Quiet Place II

2017’s A Quiet Place was a hit for a multitude of reasons. It skillfully balanced scares, tension, emotion, and originality into a taut 90-minute runtime, managing to build a near-flawless thriller. However, it was the small scale and family-centered story that set it apart from the rest.

For A Quiet Place II, director John Krasinski was forced to move the plot outside the confines of the family farm, enlarging the story beyond where the first had succeeded in its small cast and minimal backstory. The world-building that follows is predictably a letdown at times, but is still good for an enjoyable flashback sequence to begin the film. 

Krasinski once again expertly ratchets up the tension throughout the film, and the acting is equally impressive. Cillian Murphy serves as a fantastic addition to an already talented cast of Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe. Much like its predecessor, A Quiet Place II is well shot and paced, with some impressive sound design that was especially powerful in a theater setting. 

As a sequel, A Quiet Place II was tasked with expanding the world of the first movie while delivering new additions and twists to the story to keep it interesting. It’s successful in that goal, as the film is bigger, scarier and more fun than the first, but it loses some of its heart in the process. 

Verdict: 7.5/10

Black Widow

Director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow garnered a lot of hype before its release, and rightfully so. Scarlett Johansson was finally getting her solo outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after a string of successful appearances as the character dating back to 2010’s Iron Man 2. What could go wrong? 

Unfortunately, the film doesn’t quite stick the landing. Although an enjoyable adventure, Black Widow is often plagued by what could have been. For a character with as promising a backstory as Johanesson’s Natasha Romanoff, the movie hardly dives into her intriguing, darker past, instead choosing to follow Romanoff near the end of her character arc in the MCU. 

The first act of the film still manages to set up a dark and grounded superhero spy film, but the tone is wildly inconsistent from there out. The story peels back its promising grit with some slightly overdone Marvel humor and increasingly ridiculous CGI action. And for every fight scene there’s plenty of poorly-written exposition, with the pacing often jumping unevenly between the two. 

Thankfully, a strong cast (which sometimes overshadows Johansson herself) and some unexpected heartfelt moments cover up some of the story’s imperfections, while a few strong action sequences and artful camerawork keep the movie interesting. However, Black Widow is a far cry from spy/action flicks such as The Bourne Identity or even Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s simply average Marvel fare. 

Is it worth the watch? Sure. But Black Widow could have been so much more. 

Verdict: 6/10

The Tomorrow War

A rare attempt at a streaming-only summer blockbuster, Amazon put plenty of money and marketing into director Chris McKay’s sci-fi action film The Tomorrow War. 

With sloppy time travel mechanics and an uneven tone, The Tomorrow War is saved by the performance of star Chris Pratt, who provides some much-needed consistency with the levity he brings into every scene. 

The movie’s special effects are good although slightly overdone, providing some ridiculous but extremely enjoyable action sequences. The acting is commendable within what the script allows, and the film even delivers some laughs, thanks largely to Pratt and co-star Sam Richardson’s comic relief. 

The Tomorrow War brings together a nonsensical plot, overused CGI, and one-dimensional characters to craft a chaotically hilarious but ultimately enjoyable film. 

Verdict: 5/10

Free Guy

Imagine an Elf-inspired comedy, with The Truman Show-esque issues, all set within the world of Ready Player One. That movie would be Free Guy. 

Directed by Stranger Things producer Shawn Levy, Free Guy is the rare video game movie that actually works. That success should be largely credited to the performance of Ryan Reynolds in the lead role, whose comedic timing and performance as a clueless NPC (non-playable character) in the fictional video game “Free City” is near-perfect. 

Free Guy was advertised as an action comedy, and it largely delivers on that promise. Most of the film’s jokes land, although it’s hardly highbrow humor. The action sequences are predictably video game-like, but loads of fun and their tone matches the rest of the film. Plenty of pop-culture references and easter eggs can be found throughout Free Guy’s runtime, but they are enjoyable additions that don’t overly clutter up the plot. 

Free Guy may be one of the best movies of the year so far. It’s certainly not Oscar material, but it’s a whole lot of fun. 

Verdict: 8/10

Author’s note: Some ratings seem too low? On this rating scale, anything with a 5/10 or above is a decent movie, or at least worth a watch. A perfect 10/10 is reserved for the select few pieces of media the ranker would view as perfect. This is to avoid cheapening the value of a great movie by giving it the same score as a good movie. A 10/10 is hard to achieve. 

Author’s note: The difference between stress and anxiety is that stress is normally caused by a triggering event. Anxiety persists even after the removal of the stressor.

Have you or someone you’ve known experienced anxiety? Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an upcoming event or something with an uncertain outcome. 

According to Stress.org, “breathing techniques help you feel connected to your body—it brings your awareness away from the worries in your head and quiets your mind.” So, always remember to take deep breaths when you're feeling a panic attack incoming.

Another way to cope with anxiety is to get enough sleep. It can be tempting to stay up till 1 a.m. watching your favorite Twitch streamer, but sleep is very important! When you sleep, you are giving your brain a rest, which allows it to function properly when you wake up. If you only get a few hours of sleep, your brain isn’t fully energized. This forces you to be on edge, which can create a good deal of anxiety. Here are some recommendations to get better sleep: 

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends

• Turn off all devices an hour before bed

• Avoid caffeine

• Get regular exercise

Using these tips can not only help you feel rested, but may lower your anxiety levels.

Some last words of advice for lowering anxiety are to be more accepting, of not only others, but yourself. Many teens get caught up on how they look, dress and talk. Due to this, many high school students are constantly worried, asking questions like, what if I get bullied? what if I lose my friends? or what if no one likes me? There is a recurring theme with these questions: the words what if. Instead of thinking of things that could happen, think of things that are happening. You do have people that love/care about you, and bullies are just jealous because they could never be you. 

Why would they be jealous? You are an amazing person.

If you are struggling with anxiety, make sure you reach out to a mental health professional or trusted adult.

Want to show off your comedy chops? Or be recognized in the school newspaper? 

The Current’s first contest is a great way to do so. 

Until November 21st, all ORCA high school and middle school students are welcome to submit their best online school-related memes in this form. The winner’s meme, along with their name, will be published in the following issue of the paper. 

To keep entries original and within copyright guidelines, meme images must be selected from Unsplash, a website full of free-use images. This collection of funny animal pictures is a great place to start. 

The winning meme will be decided by the staff of The Current. Submissions will be judged on how they relate to the topic of online school, originality/creativity, and most importantly, how hilarious they are. 

The type of meme we are targeting is a funny image with a caption that creates humorous commentary about being a student at an online school.

Meme submissions must follow a few simple rules: 

• Your entry must be school appropriate and positive about online school.

• Your entry must be your own idea, with the image sourced from Unsplash. 

• Your entry must include a link to the original image. 

• Your entry must be related to online school. Do not make memes for other subjects. 

• Your entry must be submitted by November 21st. 

• And most importantly, have fun!

Entries must be submitted through this Google Form.