On October 14th, Washington State Representative for Congress, Rick Larsen, visited AHS to observe how some of the new changes to school lunches are being implemented. For those who did not notice, Rep. Larsen was serving food during first lunch; it’s his way of observing the changes to school lunches while connecting with the students. Thinking back to his years in high school, the first thing Rep. Larsen did while preparing to serve lunch was ask where the lunch trays are. However, the main aspect of lunch that stood out to him was the wide variety of choices there are now compared to only having 3 choices while he was in high school. Rick Larsen went to high school at none other than AHS, and graduated in 1983.

Rick Larsen’s visit also provided a chance for him to reminisce about the years that he went to AHS. Throughout his high school years, Rep. Larsen played football, basketball, and soccer. In football he played as an end, which is the 1983 equivalent of a wide receiver, and a wide corner, which is the equivalent of a defensive back today. In his senior year, the football team won the state championship after triple overtime; the team was under the instruction of head coach Jim Kavaney.

Mike Addington, guitar manufacturing, Art 1, and Art 2 teacher, taught Rick Larsen Beginning Drafting as well as Advanced Drafting during the time he attended AHS. When Rep. Larsen visited AHS, Addington got the opportunity to catch up with him. Addington said that “he’s always been a really pleasant person.” Addington also said he remembers his “high attention to detail and his great sense of humor.” Due to Rick Larsen’s exceptional performance in school and his social personality, Mr. Addington expected that he would find himself in some sort of leadership position.

With about 600 people who attended AHS at the time, the population in 1983 was much smaller than it is today. As a result, the community was tighter and everyone was closer together. Rick Larsen was involved in the community; he was part of ASB the entire time he was in school, and was ASB Vice President during his senior year. To this day, Rep. Larsen remains community focused. According to the 2014 Washington State Voter’s Pamphlet, Rep. Larsen said “my parents were an important influence on me, encouraging me to be involved in my local community. Their encouragement continues to be a motivation for my service to our community.”