"The Last Holiday"

What would you do if you thought you were going to die in 6 months? Pretend as though you have unlimited funds.

Friends

By Sasha Johnson

Me, Serena, and Lawna on top of a cannon on Castle Hill in Sitka.

Me, Bonnie, and Cassandra at MEHS Prom 007 Casino Royal.

Georgiann Beaver and I posing for pictures during prom.

Me and my goofy friends Hazel, Bonnie, and Giaana taking pictures on the beach.

According to dictionary.com a friend is a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. They give support in times of need and, for the most part, are easy to get along with. If we didn’t have friends, who would be there to cheer you up when you are sad? Who would you share your secrets with? Who would you depend on? Friends are the most essential part of my life, and I do not know what I would do without them. My friends are important to me because we share the same interests, I can depend of them, and I can trust them with my life.
Friends don’t always have to share the same interests; although, it is better if they do. My friends and I don’t like exactly the same things, otherwise it would be boring, but we do a lot together. After dinner, we take our daily ride in either Giaana’s or my truck. When we aren’t riding around we are either at the gym, igloo, or at someone’s house watching a movie. I know it can get boring sometimes, but it keeps us busy and out of trouble. I am always looking forward to hanging out with my friends, even if we don’t have anything to do.
Having someone to depend on is crucial in a person’s life. If I didn’t have my friends to depend on I honestly don’t know where I would be right now. Whenever I am feeling sad or alone I know I can call one of my friends to cheer me up. Sometimes they don’t even know that I am not feeling good and still manage to make me feel better. They know you enough to get you back on your feet. I can depend on my friends no matter what the situation is, if it’s a bad hair day or if I just broke up with my boyfriend. Just think, if you had nobody to depend on you wouldn’t be able to truly be yourself, and you wouldn’t know what do to when things are not going your way.
Friends have to be able to win the trust of one another. You should be able to tell them anything and not be afraid of them telling others. Everyone has secrets, and it is hard to keep them locked up inside. It is a good feeling to be able to get something off your chest and know that someone knows and cares about you. If you were in a bad situation and had to get away for a while, you can trust that your friends will not judge you unfairly and that they would talk to you about it first. Sometimes it is good for them to give you some space for a while. If the situation is extremely bad, then you can trust that your friends would get help or tell someone older. I know that I would be mad at first, but I would thank them in the end.
I have been with my friends ever since 1st grade, and I couldn’t imagine losing them. If I didn’t have my friends right now I wouldn’t be the person that I am today. I would be lonely, sad, and wouldn’t have anyone to put my trust in. If you see someone without a friend, introduce yourself. Would you want to be alone? Imagine if you were them. It is also important that you have a variety of friends, not just one, and it isn’t always a bad thing to make new friends. No matter what age you are it is important to have a friend. Without them you would get nowhere in life.

My Beach

Have you ever been to a place that just takes your breath away? For me, I just have to take a fifteen-minute walk, and I’m there. To escape all problems, society, and worries of everyday life, I take a simple walk down to the coast of the Bering Strait Sea.
Why is it important you ask? I believe everybody needs a place that refreshes your mind, calms your spirit, excites the nerves and so you can feel the natural high: the high off of life. I believe everybody needs a time for recharging, refueling, and replenishing, no matter where that may be.
The crashing of the waves calms you, the peaceful communications of various types of birds makes you realize there is more to life than the hardships, the wind on your face and in your hair brings a sense of confidence and bravery, the sand in between your fingers reminds you of a dark winter night thinking “there cannot be more stars in the sky than there are grains of sand on the earth.” Nothing is better than to go to the beach on a cold autumn day when the fog is just settling and you can feel the moisture entering your lungs as you slowly inhale. It makes you feel as if it is cleaning out your inner self, releasing all your guilt’s and frustrations.
I believe everybody needs a place like this. No matter where you come from, the god you believe in, the way your mother bakes your favorite bread, or the clothes you wear. Everybody needs his or her beach.

Downtown Midwest to Bush Alaska

by Miss Koett

It's not like I moved to another country, except after talking to a friend of mine about my new and fantastic-like experiences, she noted how similar it was to her semester overseas. It is a different kind of world in a lot of ways. When passing someone on a walk in the city, one would be lucky to make eye contact with the other passer-by. Here, we are expected to wave, or at the very least nod our heads in acknowledgment. The values and the lifestyle differ greatly, particularly in terms of subsistence living, a term most people in the lower 48 would have no idea how to define, or how to begin to define.

Every day I learn something new about this culture, this place, this grand new world for me. I've never lived in the bush, or even been in the bush, until now. This is my first time to Alaska altogether. But I know some things for sure: I love being here. I can't imagine any better place for me to be right now. It takes my breath away every time I remember where I actually am.

"September Sunset"
This is a view of one of the brilliant sunsets we see over the Norton Sound, a perk to living here during non-visitor months.

The Alaskan coastal bush region is one of the few known wonders of the world, I think. Natives to the village may think otherwise, but visitors and outsiders moving in will agree that the lifestyle here, compared to living in the "outside world," is fitting. I've heard more than one person tell me, after learning of my adventurous move to such a far away place, "You're never coming back. Once you move to Alaska, you'll never come back." I can't say that my mind is made up as far as where I want to retire, but you can be sure that I have no intentions of leaving this place, my new home, any time soon.

This has to be, so far, the best location I've ever lived. I've called many places home: rural Western New York, suburban Indianapolis, small town northern Indiana, downtown Buffalo, and now I have chosen to call Unalakleet my home. I would encourage this move to anyone who considers it. It may be the most challenging, it may not be the easiest and most convenient way to live, but every drop of effort put into it is totally worth it. It's only been [almost] two months for me, but this is a truth that has still been proven over and again. I love it here, and so should you.

"View from the Bridge"
On a walk into the tundra from the village, one will see the long stretch down the river that outlines the east side of town.

"KAITLIN!" - by Jenny Dill

Was Kait making a funny face, or was it bad timing? Whichever way it happened, she laughed when she viewed this photo on her camera.


Kaitlin Ivanoff is flashing her bright smile again, with her eyes peering past the elbow at the left.

When Ms. Koett asked our journalism class to write photo essays, Kaitlin Ivanoff rapidly asked, “We can write about anything we want?” Ms. Koett answered yes, then Kait looked at me with a smile, saying “I’m gonna write about you!” If it wasn’t Ms. Koett’s first year teaching at Unalakleet Schools, she might have expected this from Kait.
Kaitlin has the crazy personality of a wild child. She makes me laugh every day. At school, Kait is both a scholar and a “baller”. She’s only a freshman, but she is at the minimum graduation levels in nearly all her classes. Her mom is excited about her finally being in high school because she is an excellent basketball player.
Kait and I became friends a few years ago, but we became best friends in January when I moved back from Anchorage and went to the gym to find Kait. As soon as she saw me, she ran up to me screaming my name and gave me a great big hug. I felt so loved. Now, Kaitlin is like a sister to me. When I go over to her house, she will sometimes ask me to say, “I’m home, Mom!” to her mother, Karen Coffey. Kaitlin also has a dad, J.R. Ivanoff. Her older brother is Nolan and her little brother is Dylan.
Kaitlin loves to bake. Last month, she baked cookies especially for me. She brought them over to my house on her mom’s ceramic plate, which I still need to return to her.

Jennybutt--by Kaitbutt

Miss Dill poses with the Eskimo she finds interesting at the Museum.


Jenny Ruth Dill came into this world on March 30, 1991. She is now 16 years old and attends Frank A. Degnan High School in Unalakleet as a junior. She is a very studious girl and likes the sport wrestling.
Jenny is not an only child though, she is accompanied by her older sister Nikki, and younger brothers Hunter and Fisher. She lives with her grandmother and great grandfather in Happy Valley. She hasn’t lived in Unalakleet all her life, a part of it was spent in Anchorage due to braces. Now she just goes once every few months.
She has a very strong personality and is very kind most times. You’d never see her just sitting there doing nothing, she always has to be doing something. Drawing is a way to express her feelings and she hopes to become a tattoo artist one day and I know she will. Her drive is beyond amazing, if anything gets in her way, she’ll push it aside and keep going.
I’ve known her since I was very little, but we didn’t start hanging out until a couple of years ago. Since then, our friend ship has grown to be very good and we are now best friends. I know her better than anyone else and she knows me like that too. I tell her everything because I can trust her, I always have. We’re like crossed fingers and we’re so close, she is like my own sister. I think she is a straight forward person and speaks what is on her mind. She is also very smart and when someone brings up a subject she can talk about it for hours.
She is a beautiful girl with a great attitude towards everything. I think she will succeed in anything she does and will live life to the fullest.

“Safety first!” Jenny holds her helmet firmly as she poses for the camera.

August 31st, 2007

August 31st, 2007 was kind of memorable to but not really cause nobody didn’t really know that I was pregnant again. Well one person did and that person is my daughter’s dad.
That night she had broke my water bag at home. It happened just after one o’clock. Right after that happened my contractions started to come. They weren’t as painful as much as they were before she came out, but they were five minutes apart though. While I was still at home to make sure they stayed at five minutes apart I had called her dad to tell him that I’m going to the clinic. We talked for a while, while were talking he asked if I was going to keep I told him no I’m raising my boy by myself with out his dad’s help. So I think I might as well ask my auntie to take her. He really didn’t want me to go the clinic because he knew that I would have to tell my mom who the dad is. But I told him that I was going to call the P.D and see who is on call. He said okay than but I really don’t want you too though, I told him to bad I’m not going to listen to you, I listened to this winter without going to the clinic. So I’m going to call downstairs and ask who is on call I can’t stand the pain anymore. Hi Ella this is Sunshine my contractions are five minutes apart. Right around this time is my due date. Okay well you need to get to the clinic then. Okay I will be over. Mom I need to go to the clinic. What for? I’m in labor my contractions are five minutes apart and the baby broke my water bag. Why didn’t you say anything to me along time ago? I don’t know. I’m going to the clinic now. I can walk; okay I will bring baby over to grams and be over as soon as possible. Are you going to keep it? No, whom are you going to give it to? I want to ask auntie since she can’t have her own. Well you need to ask her. Can you go call her and ask her to come here? There’s no answer. Oh!
Dr. Livermont and a couple of paramedics came. They stayed here for a while until Dr. Livermont thought that we should just get going, it’s only 55 minutes from the hospital to the hospital in Nome. So they started getting stuff ready and my mom went to go and call my auntie so she can go over to the clinic. She also called my gram to tell her that I’m being medivaced. When my auntie got there she said why didn’t I say anything? I just lay there being quiet and started to crying. Then Louisa asked her if she would want to keep the baby, there I didn’t have time to tell if its only a boy. If it’s a girl I’m going to keep her. But I couldn’t Louisa had already said that and I didn’t want to hurt my auntie, so I just kept it like that. Louisa asked who I wanted to follow me. I told her my mom and auntie. Then auntie said that she can’t go she’s got to work and there is nobody to work for her so that’s where I started crying some more. But she told me that she would see if she could be on the morning flight out if not than the afternoon flight. But she didn’t go because Henry said that yeah we could keep her. That’s when she had changed her mind and said that she is going to clean and child proof her house. When I got to Nome I had wait another 3 hours for my daughter to be born. But I didn’t know that I was going to have a girl.
About half an hour before I had her they were telling me that I couldn’t push even though it felt like I had to push. I told him that I had to use the bathroom and they would not let me use the bathroom. So when Dr. Liu went into the room I asked her if I could use the bathroom. She said no! I told her that I have to use the bathroom I don’t like holding it in. she said you might end up pushing the baby out. I told her that no I won’t but I need to use the bathroom. Right after I said that I told her that I hate you. I said well get out of my room now. She actually listened, she also said you can hate me all you want and walked out the door. That’s when my contractions started to come every two minutes and seemed like they would last forever. I kept telling that nurse that I need to push but she said that I can’t and I was getting mad because of what she kept saying. She also told me that I need to relax when I’m not having any kind of contractions.
But I didn’t I just kept on complaining until she got some kind of relaxation for me. While she was giving it to me, she looked at the monitor. When she looked back she told the other nurse that was writing something in my chart that there is the head. The other nurse didn’t believe her so she had to look for herself. When she saw the head she ran to the door and hollered for Dr. Schofield and told him head. That’s when everyone started to get busy and it got loud. The nurse that was writing in my chart she came by me and encouraged me to wait until Dr. Schofield is ready. I told her I can’t another contraction is coming. She just kept talking and told me that he is almost ready. A minute later the baby came out.
Usually the Dr’s always check to see where they are cutting the umbilical cord, but Dr. Schofield didn’t look to see where he was cutting the umbilical cord. He just cut it and brought her over to the table, so that he can work on her because she only made one little noise. Didn’t make anymore after that. She didn’t make anymore after that because of the relaxation medicine had gone through her system. While he was still working on her, I asked Jackie the paramedic that walked in just before I started to push. I asked her what kind of gender is the baby? She looked and said another boy, than she looked again and no I take that back a baby girl. I looked at my mom and she was crying. After he worked on her shouldn’t stop crying, because she was hungry but they had to take her vital signs and check how much she weighs. When they weighed her, she was 7 lbs 3 oz and 19 in half inches long. While I was in the hospital I called her dad after I got the calling card # from my mom and like used up all the minutes. When I got the calling # I had to call him at work first to see when he will go home so that I can call him at home instead of calling him at his grandma’s house. He said after 9 so I told him that I would call him after Christy leaves here. But now she is like 9 lbs and 21 in half inches long. She is getting heavy very fast.