During the weekends, we got close by sharing our life stories and sharing our faith. He was always smiling and was never afraid to share his faith with other people. The fact that he is not with us, is just heart breaking that I will never see his smiling face again. Rest in peace Blake. We will meet again soon.

My personal story of Pinterest addiction starts with my mother. She would hog the computer for hours at a time, talking about how adorable a picture was or how delicious a recipe looked. I began peeking over her shoulder admiring the cute clothes, creative ideas and eye-catching photos. I was hooked.

Unlike many websites, there is no sign-up; instead, it’s a request for an invite. It can possibly take up to weeks for someone to receive an invite, but here’s a cheat: if a friend has Pinterest, they can invite via e-mail to get started immediately.

One part I enjoy about the website is it’s so self-explanatory. Making boards are necessary because that’s where your pins go. Depending on your interests, such as home and garden, fashion, food, and anything else you can imagine, your boards will fall under those categories as well.

Your next job is pinning. When you signed up, it goes through Facebook or Twitter. You will instantly follow your friends or followers on your social network website. When the pictures fill your screen, it’s okay to be overwhelmed; there’s a lot to see. If you are searching for specific items, you can search what anyone else is pinning at the moment in site. When you find a pin you like, you have to decide what board you want to put it to. For example: I found a really cute skirt I like. I decided to pin it to “My Style” board.

Currently, I have 421 pins, 15 boards and 54 likes. Think that is a lot? It’s average compared to many others. You create exactly your inspirations and your personality though the pictures and ideas.

Personally, I give the website five-of-five for its creativity. It’s too unique and original to be overlooked. To check out more visit www.pinterest.com.

5/5

• Sarah Muller (sm.pelladium@gmail.com)

“You might be a redneck if…” you’re a member of the self proclaimed Redneck Row. Composed of several junior boys and their trucks, these “rednecks” aren’t afraid of letting their voices, and their vehicles, be heard.

“I don’t know, we like to have fun and there are like 10 of us that do it. We just kind of do it for our own entertainment,” said junior Blake Schroder.

The boys have gotten a lot of attention for their early morning escapades. From tailgating to cooking breakfast in the morning, the possibilities of Redneck Row are endless. However, there are a few requirements as shared by junior Jake Vande Noord in the yearbook.

“If you don’t have whips, pipes or toolboxes, you’re not a redneck,” said Vande Noord.

Even though their intentions seem pretty harmless, the boys have the tendency to treat the parking lot like a playground. Some fellow red lot parking members are concerned about whether or not their way of fun is dangerous.

“It’s so irresponsible how they drive. They will kill someone. It will either be them, their passengers or some innocent pedestrian in the parking lot,” said junior Jillian Sagers.

They’ve been through a lot already this year. With drama involving the marching band during the fall (who knew a row of trucks could out volume an entire group of band members?), it seemed like the end to Redneck Row had come.

Somehow, the boys managed to get their row back in action and are now having competition with sophomore boys in the blue lot. They’re back, and with the help of sophomores, they’re louder than ever.

• Haley Sytsma (hs.pelladium@gmail.com)

Seniors hit the slopes at Sleepy Hollow Sports park for the annual  Senior Ski Trip. The weather cooperated giving seniors plenty of snow to do all the skiing, tubing and sledding they wanted.

“It was fun having our whole class in one spot doing something that no one was any good at,” said senior Lucas Boyd.

One of the best memories I have was last Sunday. We went up Des Moines to conquer the “Adam Emmenecker sandwich challenge.” He proceeded to drive out of town for the first time, and the last time. It was an amazing blessing to be able to spend one of his last days with him.

Another thing I will remember is he couldn’t miss shots in practice. Blake was so happy with his bright red face lit up with a smile. He had the most awkward shot form, but still it went in.

I have so many memories and emotions going through my head right now, I don’t even know what to do. All I know is, I’ll never have a friend like you, and I will never forget you. I love you and will see you soon.

•Derrick Akers

FUNERAL SERVICES

•Ben Konfrst

I didn’t know what to expect when I walked into school this morning. It’s usually the one thing you can count on to be a naggingly annoying constant, but today it wasn’t going to be school at all. Instead of plastic-ey perfection, girls had make-up staining their cheeks and, instead of their usual irrationally confident swagger, guys had drooping shoulders you’d expect from melodramatic Kurt Cobain-wannabes, not from the stars of the football team.

In the wake of Blake Van Vark’s death, the high school’s mood seemed like it was ripped straight from an Elliott Smith song.

The car accident that took Blake’s life last night managed to destroy every established stereotype in a matter of mere moments. There weren’t jocks, preps or nerds today, just several hundred kids who had been soaked by a wave of grief. Wedgies were replaced with the kind of never-ending-hugs commonplace in cheesy movies and petty complaints about homework were replaced with condolences typically reserved for century-old widows.

It also managed to suck every ounce of happiness from Pella High’s atmosphere. In the wake of Blake, smiles are rarer than a holographic Charizard.

The fact that a 16-year-old, who I’m sure I brushed up against in the hallways or cut in-front of for lunch, is dead makes everything hit closer to home. All the times I said, “Oh, that could never happen to me” takes on eerie new meanings because that could’ve been me. This wasn’t saying goodbye to a grandparent who had lived before air bags; this was saying goodbye to someone frighteningly close to my age.

Blake should’ve been able to return home last night in time to fight with his mom about the laundry exponentially building in his room and in time to debate whether or not watching one last episode of “Lost” would be worth the sleep lost before a long, boring school day. I know that’s what I did. I also know that, yesterday alone, I complained about a hundred trivial things. I wasted breath bemoaning the Arby’s employee who dared to forget my straw instead of saving it to tell my mom how much she means to me.

I never would’ve thought twice about it, either, because I live in Pella and nothing can go wrong in this picture of perfection.  But, the thing is: we’ve all spent far too long on Pella Island. Even deaths in towns 10 minutes away didn’t hit close enough to home because they aren’t quite Pella. The Brady Bunch never had to deal with tragedy like this, so why would Pella have to? Only now, in the wake of Blake, has the bubble that’s shielded us from the very idea of homelessness, poverty and death shattered.

Filling the void left by the shattered bubble is an air of actual community. Last night, my Facebook news feed was full of support for everyone around Blake and, on Twitter, #RIPBlake started gaining steam. It didn’t matter if you had talked to him once a month or everyday, everybody was there for everybody. Pella’s social network, both online and off, quite literally stopped in order to show unfaltering support.

It took an uncomparable tragedy, but at least Pella seems to have woken up. I’ll never forget seeing my classmates make-up stained faces and swagger-less walks, I’ll never forget choking-up over the memory of a kid who I have no memories with, and I’ll never forget the day school wasn’t school.

At least, in the wake of Blake, we’ll all feel that necessary vulnerability.

•Benji McElroy (bme.pelladium@gmail.com)

At 6:46 p.m., one-half mile west of Adams Ave. on Vermeer Rd., Van Vark’s Jeep Grand Cherokee was struck by a Dodge Ram 1500 when, according to the Iowa State Patrol’s accident report,  he “lost control and crossed the centerline and was struck broadside on the passenger side.” “Vermeer Rd. was 100% covered.” The accident is still under investigation, and charges have yet to be filed.  A funeral service is pending at the Garden Chapel Funeral Home.

Today, the high school schedule is anything but typical. Students were grouped by grade and read a memo reading:

As you may know, a tragic loss has occurred. Blake Van Vark died yesterday in a car accident last night. Blake is a tenth grader and is Mr. Van Vark’s [math teacher Wade]  son. Wade and Hilary are the parents and they have three other children – Halle (7th), Noah (4th), and Tate (2-years-old).

For those students who feel they need to talk with someone, the west gym [old gym] will be available, and counseling staff will be present throughout the day. Please inform an administrator, teacher, or the office prior to reporting to the West gym. If needed we will be using the East gym, New gym for overflow.

We are all affected by this loss. We all have feelings anytime there is a death. For some of us we are reminded of previous losses and for others this is the first loss that may have touched our lives. Be respectful of your own feelings and the feelings of others. If you feel you need to talk with a counselor or have a place to gether your own thoughts, use the gyms as a safe place for doing so at some time during the day.

If you wish to go home or another place other than school, then we need parent permission to excuse you from school. It is paramount that all students are accounted for due to the tragic circumstances.

If you wish to continue on your normal school day, then the teachers will be in their classes throughout the day.

Teachers then offered students multiple options according to information distributed to faculty and staff:

• Students may go to the gyms where assistance will be provided by the Crisis Team.

• Students may be dismissed to go to alternative locations (outside of school) to deal with the situation with parent permission.

• Students may continue on with their school day.

The school’s mood isn’t even recognizable with students openly crying in the hallways and gyms, and classroom desks mostly empty. To deal with the sudden death and the wide range of emotions that follow, the “Crisis Team,” a mix of administrators, counselors and pastors, will help students throughout the day as well as deciding what course of action to take in the upcoming days depending on students’ needs. Their first meeting was at 6:30 a.m. this morning followed by an entire staff meeting at 7:00 a.m. The Crisis Team will again meet at 1:30 p.m. to “identify and discuss and students who may be at ‘risk’ and to attend to staff members who are in need of support.”

Tomorrow, Feb. 15, the Crisis Team will “meet as necessary” with a crisis center for students in need of additional assistance.

Teachers are “encouraged to handle any expressions of grief or loss in their classes to the extent they are comfortable,” and all students who “remain distraught or who express a need to talk to someone will be referred to the Crisis Team.”

In addition, the boys’ basketball games scheduled for tonight against Centerville have been canceled. Van Vark was a member of the JV team.

•Benji McElroy (bme.pelladium@gmail.com)