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Home > Archive > Oct 3, 2007

Ninja Power for Pine View VP
By Cami Cox
Staff Writer
Pine View High School senior class vice president Kendall Monnett, 17, is not your average student.
“He thinks on a deeper level than most people do,” his mom, Cathy Monnett, said. “I love to listen to him talk. He always has something interesting to say.”
Norman Lister, Kendall's choir and A.P. music theory teacher at Pine View, said Kendall is not only a self-motivated worker and a strong leader, but he has a unique sense of humor that keeps things light around the choir room.
“He's a lot of fun to have around,” Lister said. “He's a real asset.”
Kendall is very active in school and serves as Pine View High School's choir council president. He is also copy editor and news page editor for the school newspaper, in addition to his responsibilities as a student councilman.
He is very involved in the choir scene at Pine View and is a member of the school's Trilogy madrigal choir, the concert choir and the PVHS men's choir. A baritone, Kendall also has his own men's quartet – currently unnamed, but known last year as “New Genre” – composed of himself and a few of his musical schoolmates.
“We change the name, because different people come in and out throughout the years,” Kendall said. “We try to keep it to the same four members throughout the whole school year.”
Kendall's quartet was booked for a paying gig last year, he said, and they have performed the national anthem at high school events in the past.
Kendall enjoys woodworking and is involved in woodshop at school. He also is drawn to outdoor activities and loves mountain biking, hiking and rock climbing.
Many of Kendall's teachers and family members will attest that in addition to his school and extracurricular abilities and interests, the 17-year-old has been blessed with a rather unique, offbeat take on life.
“He's a lot of fun – he's got kind of a bizarre sense of humor,” Lister said.
Though Cathy Monnett said her son has never had any formal martial arts training, Kendall nonetheless holds an interesting title – self-appointed, honorary ninja!
During Pine View's Spirit Week last year, Kendall said, there was a “Ninja vs. Pirate” day, wherein students took up a debate which was better – to be a ninja or to be a pirate. Students showed their loyalty for the side they favored, and there was quite a division in the school, Kendall said. No conclusive results were reached – at the end of the day, the pirate loyalists were staunch and the ninja supporters were unmoved, and though it was just a fun theme day in a week of school events, 24 hours of battling between ninjas and pirates wasn't enough for Kendall and his friends. For them, the battle rages on within the halls of Pine View High School.
“It's pretty big,” Kendall said. “It's just a select few friends and “enemies” – enemies being the pirates.”
Though he's never stepped inside a dojo and doesn't wear a belt of any particular color, Kendall is a very loyal ninja. Using his wood-crafting skills, he used to make his own wooden ninja swords, his mom said. Now, in addition to the ninja/pirate play with his friends at school, Kendall also spends time passing on his ninja skills and wisdom to his younger siblings, teaching them ninja moves and swordplay at home.
“He'll be a fun father. He'll play with his kids a lot,” Cathy Monnett said. “When his little brothers get out the light sabers, Kendall's right there with them.”
Kendall is a very devoted and attentive older brother, she said, and his unique sense of humor keeps things fun and interesting at home. He is also helpful around the house and quick to help her and dad, Glen Monnett, whenever he's needed.
“He's the muscles,” she said. “He's a lot of help.”
Kendall, who currently works for Staheli Catering in Washington, is considering working as a wildland firefighter next summer, after graduation, to earn money for his LDS mission. When he returns from church service, he plans to attend Southern Utah University to study either business or sociology.
Meanwhile, he's a right-hand man for teacher Lister as the choir council president at school and a member of the various choirs.
“He has a lot of leadership – he really takes a lot of responsibility without being coached in everything he's supposed to do, which is really good,” Lister said. “He's a really talented musician.”
With his mind on school and serious future matters, Kendall still, for his part, vows to be a ninja till his dying day – or at least until he graduates from high school.
“It's the better way,” he said with a smile.

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