Supporters of The Garfield Messenger Benefactors
Beth Roberts and Keith Seinfeld Bridge Partners LLC Mou and John Ferry TJ Kraft/Norpac Fisheries Patrons Anonymous (x5) Annie and Dan Wilson Child Care Resources Cindy Monte and Kevin Fisher Ellen Chestnut Goss Family Laurel Rech and Sean Cryan Metro Dog Nancy Sapiro and Lincoln Miller Nicholas Cunetta Sheila Lukehart Friends Anonymous (x7) Alden Lumpkin Alicia and Jay Edgar Amy Barnett and Arthur Furukawa Britt Anderson David Lundsgaard and Lori Lynn Phillips Gina Anstey Gold Janet Gwilym and Bing Tso Jeanne and David Hoppe Julie Wroble and Rick Kolpa Kari & Brennan Connor Karin Brookes Kathryn Robinson and Tom Braman Kirk Wohlers Sound Child Care Solutions Laura Gardner and Hiroshi Matsubara Leslie & Kenny Stocker Lisa Thomas and Elod Toth Maggie R. Fisher Marcos and Monica Jones-Borges Mary Sharp Kristen Sycamore Photography Mitzi Jarvis Philippa Webster and John Mulligan Poynter-Veal Family Prentice Family Shoshana Driver Sarah Huffbauer & David True Steve and Stephanie Jones Tanya and Chris Kamila Tracey Rowland and Larry Reid These contributions help make the production and publication of The Garfield Messenger possible. If you would like to support The Messenger, please contact us at garfieldmessenger@gmail.com Editorial and Letter Policy The purpose of The Garfield Messenger is to present student perspectives on issues and events related to the Garfield High School community. The Messenger’s editorial responsibility lies not in presenting a particular viewpoint or agenda, but in representing a variety of opinions. Views expressed in publications by The Messenger do not necessarily represent those of our staff, supporters, or the Garfield High School student body and faculty. The Garfield Messenger welcomes responses to our publications as well as opinions concerning issues relevant to Garfield. Please send editorials, opinion columns, or letters to the editor to garfieldmessenger@gmail.com Contact The Garfield Messenger The Garfield Messenger Garfield High School 400 23rd Ave Seattle, WA 98122 Phone/Fax: (206) 252-2270 E-mail: garfieldmessenger@gmail.com
2
Add the Garfield Messenger on Snapchat! @ghsmessenger
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
Volume 94 Issue 3 November 25, 2015
Get to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
The Munchies: Succulent Sushi. . . . . . . . . . 13
News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Picture Perfect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Not the End of the World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Falling for Fall Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Snapcash: It’s the Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
snAP Back At It. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
by Emma Cooper by Aidan Miller
by Bronwen Street
by Delaney Connor
by Kyle Ting
by Elena Orlando
by Bella Rowland-Reid by Bella Rowland-Reid
Booked . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 by Elena Orlando
Nova’s Worth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 by Quinn Sullivan and Alex Ferry
Online Credit Retrieval Options. . . . . . . . . . 8
The Danger Inside . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
TLC from Garfield’s TLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Winter Preview.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Specializing Education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Road to the Dome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
by Danny Levy
by Hannah Tacke by Izzi Olive
by Aidan Miller
by Claire Boudour
by Aidin Montefisher & Eli Wilson
Blood, Sweat, and Leaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 by Emma Cooper
Driving Me Crazy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Aidan & Aidin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Ad“just”ed Thanksgiving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
All Girl Everything . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
by Julia Robaidek
by Aidan Miller and Kyle Ting
by Aidan Chestnut & Aidin Montefisher by Eli Wilson & Aidin Montefisher
Life Advice With Doctors Robaidek, Braman & Mulligan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 by Julia Robaidek, Sami Braman & Kate Mulligan
Managing Editor Carson Jones Graphics Editor Michael Ybarra Section Editors Izzi Olive • Aidan Chestnut Aidin Montefisher Caleb Stocker • Hera Ford Business Executive Delaney Connor Backpage Artist Kate Mulligan Webmasters BriAnna Green Advisor Corey Allan Martin
Writers Aidan Miller • Alex Ferry Bella Rowland-Reid • Bronwen Street Claire Boudour • Danny Levy Elena Orlando • Eli Wilson Emma Cooper • Hannah Tacke Julia Robaidek • Kate Mulligan Kyle Ting • Quinn Sullivan Sami Braman Photographers Jeff Nyugen • Maddie Hazzard Maggie Emerton • Keenan Simpson Illustrators Danny Levy • Lucca Hagmayer Urpi Ruiz-Angeles Business Staff David Willner • Anika Thomas-Toth
Cover by Danny Levy & Carson Jones
Centerspread Art by Danny Levy
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
3
Get to know David morgan “Buzzzzzzzzzz.” Listen to that sweet sound of a buzzer perfecting a customer’s hairstyle. It’s the sound that Garfield senior David Morgan, a locally employed barber at Earl’s Cuts and Styles, hears almost every day. “I started cutting hair when I was about twelve or thirteen years old. I was sweeping at the barber’s shop and they just handed me a pair of clippers. I just started cutting whoever would let me cut them,” says Morgan. This was the beginning of an illustrious career for Morgan, albeit one with rough beginnings. “When I was a lot younger, Photo by Maddie Hazzard
I didn’t really know how to cut hair that well. Some people weren’t as happy as they could have been,” says Morgan sheepishly. However, Morgan soon improved his rudimentary styling skills. “With barbering, the more practice you have, the better you are,” he says, while mentioning that he practiced a lot on his friends. Morgan also links his artistic abilities with his work, working with electric razors to shave patterns and tapers into customers’ hair. “Being good at art helps a lot with haircutting. I’m really good with lines and I’m trying to be an architect,” he says. “I like designs. The most I’ve done is a ‘206’ and a ‘USA’ symbol. Some other stuff I’ve done are arrows in the hair, with different swirls and twists,” he says. Morgan has worked on celebrity athletes at Earl’s, such as Terrence Ross, NBA player for the Toronto Raptors, and Gary Payton, former NBA player for the Seattle SuperSonics. However, Morgan prefers to cut students’ hair inside of Garfield, mainly because he doesn’t have to pay his boss. “I cut hair all over the school. People ask for cuts, and I say sure, I’ll cut it. I cut in the bathrooms, I’ve cut in the commons,” says Morgan. So if you’re looking a little shaggy, David Morgan is your guy. -EC
Black Friday Barbarians Pilaging was their Target
By Luca Hagmayer
“Barbarians at the gates”
“For Sparta!”
a Pil
4
g
gin
!
ble
rda
ffo is a
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
news briefs by Aidan Miller
Je Suis Paris
Last Friday Paris suffered the deadliest attack on French soil since World War II, with 129 Parisians dead and 352 more injured. The attack was carried out by the militant extremist group ISIS. At least seven ISIS militants struck six targets in Paris all in rapid succession. The deadliest attack was to the Bataclan Theater, and claimed eighty-nine lives. The Prime Minister of France has introduced legislation that will continue the state of emergency for as long as needed. France has also responded with deadly air strikes to Al-Raqqa, Syria, an ISIS stronghold.
#OptOutside
In what came as a surprise to many when three weeks ago, REI announced that they will be closing their store come Black Friday. REI CEO Jerry Stritzke explained the reasoning: “For 76 years, our co-op has been dedicated to one thing and one thing only: a life outdoors….And Black Friday is the perfect time to remind ourselves of this essential truth.” Economists say REI is able to make this decision while other companies can’t because REI markets to a niche consumer market. REI has been praised for this decision and they hope others follow in their path.
I am Lebanon
One day before the attacks on Paris, ISIS also struck Beirut, Lebanon in multiple suicide bombings. Forty people died and 200 were hurt. Seven suspects have been detained in connection with these attacks. The attack took place in a are known for it’s connections with a militant group backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an enemy of ISIS. Many media groups have come under fire from those in Beirut for covering the Paris attacks much more extensively than the attacks in Lebanon. Elise Fares, a Lebanese doctor said, “When my people died, no country bothered to light up its landmarks in the colors of their flag.”
More Z's in 2016
The Seattle School Board voted 6-1 last week in favor of 8:45am start times for most high schools and middle schools in the district and 7:55am start times for most elementary schools. These new start times will go into effect next school year. Major factors in this decision include repeated studies which demonstrate that teenagers need more sleep and benefit from later start times, as well as considerations for bussing costs and logistics. Thirteen elementary and K-8 schools will start at 9:35am, which may cut into time for extracurricular activities after school. -IO
Snapcash: It's the answer Picture this: you’ve just finished a meal, whether it be at a nice restaurant or a trip through your favorite fast food drive-thru, and it’s time to settle the financial hit you and your friends will each take. Under typical constraints, this conversation usually resolves with the exchange of some cash, or a half-hearted I.O.U.. If you’re the one snookered into putting up the money, your blood might be a bit boiled -- because once again your pal has taken advantage of you -- and you may be thinking “there must be another way”. Luckily, your prayers for an easier alternative to mutual cash-exchange has been answered by recent bedfellows Snapchat and Square. Their collaboration has spawned Snapcash, allowing users to connect debit cards to their Snapchat account, and send payments to their friends for free. Although the implied use is somewhat questionable, the practicality is overwhelming. As a faithful user, I preach the gospel that is Snapcash. I recently tested my faith by sending a whopping $387 to a fellow Snapcash user. All it entailed was swiping right over their name, and entering the amount in numerals preceded by a dollar sign. The feature also allows you to somewhat literally “make it rain” dollars on the recipient as well. I won’t divulge how this is possible, because I implore you to go figure it out for yourself. The phrase “you don’t know until you try it” has never been more applicable, because like crack cocaine, once you try Snapcash, you’ll be hooked. -DC
NOT THE END OF THE WORLD
The suspension process at Garfield. By Bronwen Street
F
or me, getting suspended has been a three year process, spanning from homecoming my sophomore year to about three weeks ago. It was a horrible ordeal, getting suspended; one of the worst things that has happened in my life so far. I thought my future was doomed. Sophomore year turned into junior year, and my suspension faded to the back of my mind. But it was always there. Pushing it out of my thoughts worked until college applications, when I encountered this tiny little box on the Common App that asked whether I’d ever had disciplinary action in high school. I didn’t want to check yes for that box. Around 140 students at Garfield get suspended every year. Garfield administration follows the district discipline rubric, which divides violations into two types: disruptive misconduct and exceptional misconduct. Disruptive conduct is for minor violations like plagiarism, talking back to teachers or causing general disruption. Exceptional misconduct is generally for higher offenses like drug and alcohol use According to Brad Westering, one of Garfield’s assistant principals, “Exceptional misconduct warrants immediate suspension, short or long term, while disruptive misconduct results in short term suspension usually.” Many exceptional misconduct cases result in suspension for the rest of the semester, but there are ways to get this reduced. Students with an alcohol or drug violation can go to an evaluation with a private counselor, but all students have the option of actually appealing to get suspensions reduced or expunged. Westering says, “It’s required in the discipline code that we hear all appeals for suspensions. Students have the right to appeal.” Appealing for changes in a suspension can be a drawn out process, starting at the building level with administrators. They discuss the situation and either uphold the original suspension or make changes. If their decision still doesn’t satisfy the student and their family, they can appeal to the district. However, appeals to powers higher than Garfield don’t happen very often. This is because most exceptional misconduct suspensions are for substance abuse, a violation that doesn’t require appeals to get reduced. “Last year we had more substace abuse
issues than any other type of offense. I mean, substantially more. That is the case most years,” says Westering. For the violation of substance abuse, Garfield students are required to schedule a drug and alcohol evaluation at a clinic. Once they have done this, their suspension is reduced from a whole semester to three days. Because this violation is much more frequent than others, most students are not out of school for longer than three days in
find alternatives, especially with disruptive conduct. We spend a lot more time in conversation with the student about their violation with the goal of resolving it. It’s been pretty cool.” This change in discipline has resulted in a decrease of suspensions. “This year the percentage of suspensions so far is the lowest I’ve ever seen in the first seven or eight weeks of the school year. We’ve suspended very, very
Art by Urpi Ruiz
the event of exceptional misconduct However long or short, suspensions have negative repercussions for students. “There are many affects of suspension that are not good for students. We as an administrative team feel that, we do,” Westering says. “Students can fall behind in school or become less motivated. I’ve seen it happen a lot. We understand the damage that can be done.” Garfield administration has changed their approach to suspensions hugely in the last few years. Suspensions are not immediate some of the time. Westering explains, “I came back here about 3 years ago, and since then Ms. Griffin, Ms. Lee, and I have tried to take a conversational approach to it as much as we can. We try to
few kids,” Westeriing says. For all of high school, that single suspension has been the only thing on my record. It didn’t seem fair that colleges see that when it’s not a reflection of who I am. Garfield senior Marley Cross, who was suspended junior year, felt the same way. “I feel like I do positive things for Garfield. That was the only time that I’ve gotten in trouble here and I think that I have more than made up for it since then,” Cross says. Administration allows for the expungement of suspensions for some students in their last year of high school. Typically, administration hears suspension expungement appeals for one-time offenders. Of requests for expungement, Westering
says, “It’s not usually a frequent flyer who got suspended all the time. Most of the time it’s a one-time offender. That really is the premise for even having a conversation about expungement of suspension.” However, there are many other factors in getting suspensions expunged. Administration weighs in grades and involvement in the Garfield community, looking at what the student has accomplished since their suspension. “We look at if they got or stayed involved in community projects and perhaps became leaders for younger kids. Students who get suspensions expunged are people that show a re-direction of thinking since their violation,” says Westering. Administration has changed how it deals with suspension expungement in the last few years. Similarly to the approach of suspension appeals, administrators converse and decide together about expungements. Westering says, “These decisions were probably more up to Mr. Howard four or five years ago. Because we have built and strengthened our administrative nucleus, the process has adapted to be more of an equal voiced conversation within the admin team. Mr. Howard has embraced us all to come in on this conversation. He gives us all equal voice.” About a month ago, I met with all of the administrators and presented my case for expungement. My request was passed, and suddenly something that has been weighing on me for most of high school is not there anymore. Two other seniors, Bradley Huffaker and Marley Cross, have had suspensions expunged this year. Cross says, “I felt relieved to get it off my record in time to submit my college apps. It felt like I wouldn’t get into the school I was applying to if it wasn’t taken off.” Cross is now committed to Brown University for swimming. Neither of them has to worry about the discipline box on college applications anymore, and neither do I.
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
5
Nova's Worth
Meet the neighbors. By Quinn Sullivan & Alex Ferry
T
here are many rumors regarding our neighbors across the street. The Nova Project moved back this year, into its newly renovated building on 25th and Cherry. Nova is an alternative high school, but what does that mean for the school’s overall organization and the students’ everyday lives? Over the last few weeks, we had the opportunity to investigate the inner workings of Nova. Philosophy From passionate teacher to hardworking student, Nova’s educational system revolves around self-motivation. Compelled to take their education into their own hands, most students find this school extremely challenging. “Some kids can’t handle it. That is where these misconceptions come from about Nova kids being slackers,” says senior Haley Taylor-Manning, who previously attended Garfield. Because the school runs similarly to a college system, students are afforded much more independence in their studies. The goal for teachers is to promote growth in whatever a student wants to learn. “I’m trying to give them assignments based around competencies and skills that will be relevant to them and to life beyond this,” says language arts teacher Terrance McKittrick. Thanks to the system of inquiry, Nova’s classes attract students who are eager to learn. “People tend to come up with their own education plan instead of just taking traditional classes,” says senior Juliana Lee. Nova also encourages independent studies where kids can research a topic not taught at school and still get credit. These studies include just about anything you could imagine. “Why should you be limited to this building, or to the teachers here? Thats crazy. This is your life; you should be living it,” says McKittrick. Students at Nova are inclined to invest in their learning, even though grades aren’t their driving purpose. Yes, Nova does not have grades. The philosophy behind this is simple: grades cause stress and inaccurately measure knowledge. “That’s something that I learned here -- to stop trying to put things into numbers, because a lot of it is arbitrary,” says Taylor-Manning. Instead of assigning numbers or letters, teachers write qualitative evaluations for each of their students. Evaluations are issued once a month and communicate a much clearer assessment.
6
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
“Teachers write you evaluations that give you a much better idea of who you are as a person than a letter [grade] would,” says Lee. Taylor-Manning believes that Nova fosters the development of real-life skills. Referring to the traditional high school model, which she experienced during her time as a Garfield student, Taylor-Manning asks, “are we just pooping kids out of a system that don’t actually have these skills and are just going to fail?” Like his students, McKittrick believes that “it’s really important to have critical thinking skills so that you can be a discerning and discriminating human being.” Nova is all about real world learning. The non-traditional philosophies are a perfect match for many passionate students. “All the classes I teach are inquiry based. You sign up for a class because you are interested in that class, not because you need the credit,” says McKittrick. Through this unique system, both the students and the teachers feel as if they’re involved in a learning experience. “We are in a parallel learning process with the students, we’re not just here to teach. It’s not a one way street for us. We’re here because we enjoy learning,” says Perry. Leadership An integral part of Nova’s technique is to require students to take charge of not only their individual education, but also their community. “For students to learn, they not only need to engage themselves, but they also need to engage with the community,” says principal Perry. Students hold the power for all school decisions. “We have what we call governing committees and they have the most authority,” Perry says. The school is divided into student-led committees that deal with budget, hiring teachers, recruiting students, student wellness, and communications. There is also an overall leading committee called “Mothership.” “Committees allow students to have a say in the school. Because they aren’t headed by presidents, each student has an equal voice,” says Taylor-Manning. “Leadership at Nova isn’t determined by who is elected (like a traditional high school), but whoever steps up to lead.” An example of how students participate in systemic decisions is the “Hiring and Review” committee. “Every hiring interview needs to be at least half students. Students have equal voice and equal vote in hiring,” says Perry. Teachers tend to play a nontraditional role as well.
“I work for the kids, they don’t work for me,” says McKittrick. “I advise you, but you ultimately have the last say, because I want you to take control of your education.” The bottom line is that giving this power to teenagers can be dangerous. That’s why traditional high schools often institute more structure. In Nova’s case, the desire for learning overpowers the dangers of freedom. “They give you more rope here and you need to learn not to hang yourself with it. You have freedom -- don’t screw it up,” says Taylor-Manning. Luckily, both students and faculty create a friendly and supporting community to create the best possible outcomes within this freedom. “There’s nobody who gets left behind. My responsibility is to sort of facilitate that process,” says Perry.
Principal Mark Perry holds a very important role in his school and is active in spending quality time with his students and staff. However, in terms of authority, that role is much different than that of a traditional principal. “I dont have the final say in a lot of things over here. I mean, I do in theory, absolutely, but that’s not how I work as a principal,” he says. “My primary responsibility is the safety of the school. Physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually -- everybody has to feel safe. If you feel safe, you can learn and you can engage with others.”
Keenan Simpson
Environment While sitting in on a freshman philosophy class, we observed Nova’s non-traditional classroom setting. Some students lounged on the long couch encircling the room, while others sat at tables covered in paper for doodling.
Keenan Simpson
As they dove back into their lively discussion, kids were participating on their own terms. Students seemed very comfortable sharing their ideas as they explored a philosophical question posed by the teacher. “I feel like I’m being asked to think creatively and critically in every single class. It makes a lot of sense because that’s what you have to do in the real world,” says TaylorManning. Nova is a safe place for creativity in and out of the classroom. “I saw this kid walking through the hall with a rainbow striped foxtail and black everything, totally goth, and it’s like, you do you. I’m so happy there is a place where kids can do that,” says TaylorManning. For most students at Nova, self-expression is not an issue in school. However, that is not the case in many traditional ones. “It’s like a pool full of sharks in high school. Sometimes
you just look too weird to go to a regular one,” says Taylor-Manning. “It’s hard to be in a regular school as a very non-traditional person.” Nova’s environment is catered to support each student, providing aid to those who seek it. This support comes in many forms and can be social, emotional, or academic. “Nova has helped me become more thoughtful and aware of myself,” says Lee. Nova kids may have a different approach than Garfield, but in the long run, we are all just a bunch of high schoolers, hopefully being prepared to survive in the real world. Perry left us with one final question: “What is Nova’s worth? It needs to have worth and it needs to have meaning if we’re gonna do it.” Sometimes it’s important to take a step back and ask yourself what worth you are getting out of your everyday activities. Whether that’s school, or whatever else you do, if the answer is little to none, why waste your time?
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
7
Online Credit Retrieval Options Garfield students pay for credits. By Danny Levy
A
t Garfield, most students are aware of the graduation requirements -the most notable of which require students to obtain 21 credits, maintain a 2.0 or higher GPA, perform sixty hours of community service, and complete a Senior Project. However, students who need to make up missing credits, including classes from middle school, must obtain “bonus” requirements. Students who transfer to the Seattle Public School district after their freshman year must complete Washington State History (WSH). Washington State History is offered through a district-approved website. “Most people come with [WSH] from middle school. A lot of kids from private schools have done it, middle schools as well. So it’s mostly for kids who are coming from out of state or something like that,” says Roosevelt counselor Frank Heffernan. WSH at Garfield lasts ten weeks, and costs almost $300 through a third-party online credit retrieval program. Other credit retrieval options are offered as well, and students enroll in these online classes
for various reasons -- some students might opt to fulfill health or fine arts credits online if they have unusual scheduling requirements, while others who previously did not pass a class that they need for graduation have the option of retaking the class for credit online. At other area schools, such as Roosevelt, taking the course is much less expensive and time consuming.“The way we do it here [at Roosevelt] is one of our history teachers has a Washington State History packet that the students complete, he scores it, and then gives them a credit for it.” Whereas the online classes at Garfield require all tests to be taken on certain weekdays, which may be hard for busy students, Roosevelt’s system allows students to take as much or as little time as needed to complete the packet. “The fact that you can only take unit tests on Mondays and Thursdays makes the class really inconvenient,” says senior Deahna Kraft, who is currently enrolled in online WSH. “It’s hard for me to actually get myself there.”
For Garfield students, the packet is not an option. “Garfield no longer has the resources for a teacher to create and grade a packet [for Washington State History], like the system over at Roosevelt,” says Kandace Alston, freshman counselor and coordinator of online credit retrieval options at Garfield. Roosevelt’s system for online health is similar to Garfield’s system in all ways except for price. “Some students, because their participation in performing arts and world language eliminates any space for health, are allowed to defer from taking it freshman year. They can then either wait and take it as a junior or senior, take it through Running Start, or they can do it online. This online option does cost money,” says Heffernan. The price for online health at Roosevelt is $144 -- less than half of what Garfield students pay for the class. WSH is available as a paid option to Roosevelt students, but Heffernan explained that to most students, the free option was much more appealing. However, even the paid options for WSH at Roos-
evelt are cheaper than Garfield’s steep price of $300. “Northwest History Washington State offered by BYU Independent is $144. This is the company where our kids take health [online]. If they needed to do Washington State History through this company, they could.” says Heffernan. “We use an online course program that has been approved by the district. While there are other options that are cheaper, they do not have the same rigor or workload as the few that have been approved for Garfield. Out of those few, the one that we do use is the cheapest,” explains Alston. An online course approved for its rigor does have some benefits. A student might be more likely to absorb material they are studying, instead of just Googling the answers necessary to complete a packet. According to Heffernan, “I understand why a school wouldn’t be able to facilitate the packets, but a student should have the option to take it from a number of approved online companies.” The only option for Garfield students who need this graduation requirement is to pay.
Tlc from Garfield's Tlc
Garfield’s Teen Life Center fights stigma and empowers youth. By Hannah Tacke Each of us, young and old, have been through different variations of the same societal routines. It’s considered that one must pass through four levels of education to bask in the warmth of a comfortable lifestyle, one that has been obtained with a toolbelt of life lessons and training, and that these tools can only be accumulated by working through the years as a minor. Despite the similarities in experience, there seems to be a divide in mutual understanding of youth and adulthood. Teens stay isolated talking to teens, and Photo by Maddie Hazzard
8
Garfield is reflected in the window of
adult with adult. At the Teen Life Center, there is an understanding of how to address the raw needs of youths. They work to provide an environment where one can pursue an interest that will lead to a passion, and that the resources needed to mature those skills are ensured to be given to students. Sandwiched between Quincy Jones and Medgar Evers Pool, the Teen Life Center, or TLC, was implemented almost a decade ago in order to create a designated center with concentrated programs just for teens. George Yasutake, the recreation leader at the TLC, says, “Teens will always lose out to paying [for] programs. Teens don’t necessarily have the ability to pay for their own programming, and I think that’s another way these are set aside, so that they’re designated to them the Teen Life Center. and that money won’t
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
become a barrier.” Furnished with a full indoor basketball court, a weight room, a kitchen, a computer room, and a full-fledged recording studio shared with budding local musicians, the center is equipped to support all varieties of talents and passions held by students. Kevin Robertson, the Recreation Program Specialist, says, “A lot of our programming is based off the wants and needs of the youth that participate in here. So if we find someone that wants to be a graphic designer, we will try to create a program around that and put them in a leadership role so that they can do what they think they’re good at.” Prioritizing programs based on singular needs of students promotes a sense of individualistic importance that is vital to instilling the confidence teens to be successful, and this is emphasised at TLC as the staff are centered around creating relationships with youth in the community. “It comes from building relationships first, and understanding who’s walking in the door instead of just building programs hoping it will attract people. We are on
their level, which is one of the reasons why we’re so successful,” says Yasutake. Along with creating relationships with teens, Robertson and Yasutake work with the community to displace an image of violence that has cast itself around Garfield and its neighborhood. They attribute stability to their success saying, “[Garfield] is nothing like anyone thinks it is, but it has a stigma around it. You have to get rid of it to make people feel safe to come here, and there’s a lot of opportunity at TLC that kids miss out on. We’ve been fighting this image.” The duo also recognizes what needs to be helped in the way of empowering the youth. Yasutake says, “Teens are always told that they don’t know anything, that they have to listen, but when you listen to a youth as an expert on something, they can become our resources.” Robertson adds, “They’re our most valuable resource, but there’s a lot of suppression of that. I’m all for having them realize their power to create change. When I was a teen I remember just being boxed in, but movement comes from you guys.”
Opinion
Driving Me Crazy
Queer men should not be left out of blood drives. By Julia Robaidek Those who donated at Garfield’s November fifth blood drive filled out a questionnaire, answering prompts like “Are you feeling healthy and well today?” and “Have you read the educational materials?” which would determine if they were an eligible donor. If they are a male, the questionnaire also asked them if they’d had sex with another man in the last year. “Even once?” this particular question will prod. If they checked yes, their donation was not accepted. This policy is an antiquity lingering from 1987, at the height of the AIDS crisis, when HIV/AIDS was poorly understood and testing for the virus was difficult. Because of this, people were infected with HIV by donated blood transfusions. In the period between the
late ‘70s to the early ‘80s, nearly half of all patients with hemophilia, which requires frequent blood transfusions to allow clotting, contracted HIV from contaminated blood. Now, testing is highly effective and can detect HIV in as few as seven to twentyone days after initial exposure, and all donated blood is tested before use. For every twenty thousand donations, there is roughly one instance of infection. The risk lies in that seven to twenty-one day period after the donor has been exposed to the virus. During this time HIV in a blood donation can pass undetected, without the donor or the doctors knowing. A pledge of celibacy lasting a full year, however, is rooted in homophobia rather than science. It is no longer necessary to protect the blood supply. “I understand why it started, but what I think it ends up doing is perpetuating ideas and prejudices and justifying them,” says Nurse Miller of the Teen Health Center, who has been the liaison to the blood drive since she came to Garfield three years ago. “I think it’s stupid,” she says, when asked about the validity of the policy. “Of course I think it’s dumb.” Behavior, not sexuality, is what accounts
for risk of STDs like HIV. Gay men are not more at risk for HIV because they are gay. Gay men who have risky sex, just like straight people who have risky sex, are more at risk for STDs because of that risky behavior. The policy was recently changed from a lifelong ban on any sexual contact with another man to a year-long ban, taking effect sometime next year. However, it still acts effectively like a lifelong ban, since most adult queer men are not willing to restrict or forgo their sex lives for a year to give a pint of blood. “So if you’re a gay priest, I guess you’re fine,” says Miller of this. Policies like this are harmful not just because they deplete blood supply
available to those that need it, but also because it reinforces the belief that queer people, especially men, are a threat to public health. “[It] dramatically impacts gay men and queer women in this country in how they interact with the medical field, and I think it creates a stigma on those communities,” says Mr. Simoneaux, a Garfield history teacher, who had talked to his students about the policy in the days leading up to the drive here at Garfield. Bloodworks Northwest, which held the drive at Garfield, opposes the policy, calling it “inappropriate” in an official statement they released. Bloodworks was part of the movement to ask the FDA to reduce the ban to twelve months. Discriminatory regulations like this are especially important to think about at a high school level. During the school year, donations from high schools and colleges make up as much as twenty percent of the blood supply. Additionally, most recurring donors give blood for the first time in high school. Policies that restrict donors based solely on their sexuality alienate a large portion of otherwise eligible donors at a young age and therefore should be eliminate.
Ad-JUST-ed Thanksgiving
Something you didn’t notice in your mashed potatoes. By Kyle Ting & Aidan Miller Mashed potatoes. Turkey. Topped with gravy. Scrumptious. Family gathered around a table, celebrating unity and genocide. On the surface, this holiday seems as innocent as butter on top of mashed potatoes and a simple side of stuffing. However, the food, the family, and the feel are only a piece of what Thanksgiving represents–the good slice of pumpkin pie. The rest of the picture is rotten, reminiscing on the f o r g o tten past of a forgotten nation, sugar-coating the histor y and feeding it to our children. The tradition of Thanksgiving is stuffed with the ideas of Pilgrims and Native Americans putting aside their differences and coming together for a peaceful meal. Native American populations had been exposed to
a cornucopia of diseases such as smallpox, typhus, measles, influenza, bubonic plague, cholera, malaria, tuberculosis, mumps, yellow fever and whooping cough, all over the last 150 years killing millions of Native Americans. By the time the Pilgrims arrived, over 50% of Native populations had died and millions more crippled. Celebrating Thanksgiving honors the same principles as Columbus Day: the oppression and the loss of Native American lives. The first interaction between the pilgrims and the Native Americans marked the beginning of an era for the Na t i v e Americans: an era of oppression and inequality. “They’re really only showing the pilgrims and their side and being happy when really they kill them.” says Native American sophomore Jonas Hyllseth. Leaving this aspect out, while
cartooning and glorifying Thanksgiving’s history is only further perpetuating this oppression. “It is a holiday that commemorates the beginning of the end for us, the death of a culture. I guess you could say Thanksgiving is also about survival–look how strong we are,” says Sherman Alexie in an interview with Bitch Media last fall. So this Thanksgiving, take time to reflect on all that you’re are thankful for. Take time to hang out with your family. Take time to recognize the full meaning and story of Thanksgiving and by all means take time for that third helping of mashed potatoes.
Art By Luca Hagmayer
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
9
Specializing Education By Izzi Olive
Art By Danny Levy
A
t Garfield, we have over 120 students who have IEPs, or Individualized Education Plans. These students receive services from the special education program, yet the program tends to fly under the radar for many Garfield students. What isn’t obvious about the special education program is the wide spectrum of students that it includes, and the correspondingly diverse variety of needs that it must accommodate. This year, there are a few new factors at play in Garfield’s special education program. The population of students with some sort of IEP has increased by around 30% this year. Additionally, as a part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement proposed by the teachers’ union (Seattle Educators’ Association) in May 2015, there are organizational changes which will be made to the special ed program. (The CBA resulted in the strike at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year.) A large portion of the influx of students this year consists of individuals who are lower-functioning, meaning that their intellectual disabilities are more severe. Intellectual disabilities can surface in many different ways, but the district divides special education into four major subcategories. The language used to refer to each category under the new contract is changing; new names are in parentheses.
10
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
The first category is called Service Model 1, or SM-1 (Resource). The SM-1 model is for students with “specific learning disabilities,” which usually means that their disability is limited to a certain area, and the district guidelines dictate that the teacher to student ratio under this classification may not exceed 22 to 1. According to Gus Stevens, the head of Garfield’s Special Education department, the majority of students receiving special education services at Garfield fall under the SM-1 category. These students are mostly enrolled in general education classes, but “they will receive what we call specially-designed instruction, typically from a special ed teacher, at some point during their day,” says Stevens. Particularly for students who fall under the SM-1 model, their peers may not be aware that they are receiving special education instruction. “That’s the point,” says special education teacher Serena Samar. As a part of FERPA, students have a right to confidentiality regarding their education -- when it comes to IEPs, this becomes especially important for some students and their families. “It’s really the family’s decision,” says Samar. “This is something that can be awkward for people at any age, but especially if you’re new to Garfield.” The next category, SM-2 (Focus), designates one teacher per every ten students, along with one teacher aide. This ratio will decrease under the new contract; in the future, these will be one teacher and two aides for every nine students. SM-3 (Social/Behavioral) has a ten student: one teacher: two aide ratio. SM-4 (Distinct) has a seven student: one teacher: two aide
ratio, and is also referred to as the Life Skills program. Stevens is a teacher in the Life Skills program. “The Life Skills program is for students who have the lowest functioning that we serve at this school. Many students that are assigned to a program like that are functioning academically at a lower elementary level,” says Stevens. Stevens explains that instruction within this program is tailored towards preparing students for realistic long-term goals. Often times, instruction is built around a student’s educational and/or occupational goals. This is why Life Skills students can often be seen performing tasks in the Commons after lunch. “One of the most visible things about the Life Skills program is the recycling. Everybody’s like ‘Oh, why are they digging through the garbage?’ Well that’s just the most visible thing they do. They do a lot of other things as well,” says Stevens. Stevens is constantly looking for more jobs around the school for Life Skills students to perform. Already, his students launder the aprons from the art rooms, help in the school kitchen before lunch, deliver things to different staff offices, and perform paper shredding for the vice principals. However, Stevens hopes to continue to diversify the the jobs that his students perform, and to bring their work to areas where they will interact with the larger community more. “Ideally, their jobs would be more visible, because one of the tragedies of vocational instruction for people with these kinds of disabilities are that they get stuck doing the stuff that nobody else wants to do. Or they get stuck doing things that are invisible,” he says. The vocational preparation in Life Skills class is accompanied by the goal of increasing students’ abilities to work independently in order for that individual to eventually be able to get a job. From Garfield, Life Skills students often enter an “18to-21 transition program,” which is run through the district and overseen by a teacher but often housed in a larger business, such as Swedish Hospital. Ideally, when individuals graduate the 18-to-21 program, they are ready to be employed-- often by the same institution which housed their program.
“King County is supposed to be one of the best counties in the country for supported employment,” says Samar. “Supported employment provides meaningful work and is life changing for many people with disabilities.” In some cases, individuals may never acquire the skills necessary to enter the workforce. Even in supported employment scenarios, workers are still expected to work without supervision for at least two hours at a time. Samar and Stevens both stress the importance of meaningful employment for people with severe cognitive disabilities. “Their vocation is the social training,” says Stevens. “It’s what enables them in later life to get out of their home and have a feeling of purpose and accomplishment.” Without an occupation, those individuals might end up spending most of their time at home, and their social circle and overall health both decline.
“When we have people divvied up by races, you start to think of the other person as alien. And the same thing can happen with people with disabilities -- when we spend too much apart, we start to think of the other as not human.” Many students within the Life Skills program work towards the goal of eventual employment, but the tracks that students within the special education department follow throughout high school vary widely. The percent of students with IEPs who graduate high school is much lower than the graduation rate for the general population: according to the National Center of Education Statistics, in the 2011-12 school year 58% of students with disabilities in Washington state graduated, as compared to 77% of the general population of Washington students. Ray Willis, the Garfield counselor who as of this school year provides counseling to all African American and Latino male students as well as all students with IEPs, says that while many students who receive special education services graduate with a regular high school diploma, there are other options for students who function at different levels.
As Stevens puts it, “there are four ways to go.” The first route is the Certificate of Academic Achievement. Students with IEPs who meet all the same requirements that general education students meet, but may have had some sort of modification such as extra time on tests, receive this type of diploma, which is recognized by the State of Washington as equal to a standard diploma. The second pathway is called a Certificate of Individual Achievement, which is also recognized as a traditional diploma. However, the student may have had some kind of modification to curriculum or testing. Students who are unable to earn a Certificate of Individual Achievement can still receive a Certificate of Attendance, which is not recognized by the state of Washington but does allow students to participate in graduation. The fourth way, says Stevens, is that students just don’t graduate. “It’s sometimes a product of the discouragement that happens with not being able to perform at the level that their peers are performing. There’s inflexibility in the system and inflexibility from their peer group. They may feel like other people treat them like they’re stupid.” Samar feels that Garfield academics are oriented towards success of a college-bound student. Many special education students’ long term plans don’t involve attending college, and in some cases, the classes offered at Garfield may not be relevant to their lives after high school. Samar and Stevens both recognize the importance of building community between people who function on different levels and in different ways. Inclusion of students with cognitive disabilities occurs in several different ways at Garfield. Project Unified is a Special Olympics affiliate with a chapter here at Garfield. The club president is senior Chloe Rosenfield, who says that the Garfield Unified team plays competitive basketball and soccer against Unified teams from other schools. Athletes with disabilities play alongside “helpers” in weekly practices and weekend games. Rosenfield is passionate about creating an inclusive environment for special education and non-special education students alike at Garfield. “I feel for the special ed students because for most of my life I’ve been pulled out of class into special ed classes,” she says. “The special ed students never get to know the other students, and
Unified allows them to build friendships outside of special ed.” Other schools in the district host much more robust Project Unified programs -- at Roosevelt High School, Unified Drama and Unified Robotics are offered in addition to Unified Sports teams. Another method of inclusion is placing students who mostly take classes within the special education program in general education classes. This semester, Stevens has been accompanying a cohort of his students in David O’Neill’s health class. “In a lot of ways, the reason they’re in that class isn’t entirely academic. It’s so that they can learn other people’s’ names, build friendships that they wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Stevens. Stevens and Samar both draw parallels between the segregation of people with disabilities and racial segregation. “When we have people divvied up by races, you start to think of the other person as alien. And the same thing can happen with people with disabilities -- when we spend too much apart, we start to think of the other as not human,” says Stevens. Samar points out another reason that inclusion is important: “the more you have people segregated and isolated away from the general public, the more they’re susceptible to abuse and the less likely they are to thrive. That’s why we need people with disabilities to become part of the fabric of the community, so that doesn’t happen.”
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
11
opinion
Advice with the Gurus
By Sami Braman, Julia Robaidek and Kate Mulligan
The docs solve all your problems.
Julia Robaidek is highly skeptical. I have two friends who are into each other, but they’re a Taurus and a Leo, and those are not compatible signs. This needs to be discouraged. Sincerely, Reader of the Signs JR: You need to sit them both down for an intervention, and you need to do it fast. If they go against your divination of the stars, god knows what chaos would ensue. This shall not stand. Point out to them clearly and firmly that their intergalactic fates were divergent from their very births. The evidence is right there in the constellations. And for gods’ sake, do not let them argue science with you. If they cannot understand the unequivocal proof provided by astrology that they are doomed before they even start, they deserve their inevitable violent destruction. Unless...is Mercury in retrograde right now?! I really like my boyfriend but he started to treat me like a cat a while ago. He pets me and wants me to meow and purr. For my birthday, he got me a box of catnip. Is that weird? I don’t feel comfortable with it but I really do like him. What should I do? Sincerely, Not a Cat SB: It seems like your man wants a petto-pet relationship, so my best suggestion is to start treating him like a pet, too... perhaps a hamster! If you are down to go all in, get him a life-sized hamster wheel as a gift and set it up in his room as a surprise. Provide him with an upside down water bottle and plenty of alfalfa to eat throughout the day. If you are feeling ambitious, get him an empty toilet-paper roll
Kate Mulligan, the heartthrob.
for him to cuddle up in. Tell him to make nibbling sounds when he feels pleased. Soon enough, you and your BF will have a very unique relationship that others will envy. I’m a freshman at Garfield. I was really excited to meet new people, but I didn’t come from Washington Middle School. It’s really hard to make new friends when everyone already has them. How do I break through the cliques? Sincerely, Feeling Left Out KM: Three years ago I was in the same position. Focus on forging personal relationships through activities that interest you, rather than edging your way into a group, and don’t be scared to strike up a conversation with an appealing individual! Although it was daunting, when I came to Garfield I put myself outside my comfort zone as I became more involved. As a result, I met people who are still my closest friends today. Unfortunately, Garfield has a tendency to be very cliquey, whether in regards to friend group, academics, or race. Don’t let these preconceived boundaries define who you spend your time with. Do you have any relaxation tips for a student undergoing college apps? Sincerely, Stressed Senior SB: You need to set up your perfect “application space.” First purchase a large, aesthetically pleasing desk. Set this desk in a room with the right feng shui, perhaps even the bathroom if you fear time wasted by toilet breaks. Go to a very
Sami Braman is the wacky one.
hip store that sells overpriced candles and purchase 1000 for your desk. Perform a few tai chi stretches to align your chakras. Now it is time to begin: light the candles, let your fingers sink into the keyboard, and write beautiful prose that will impress colleges... but not make you seem pretentious...but still impress them. Though this preparation may take more time than actually finishing your college apps, it is worth it. Oh, and remember to never leave your desk unattended, for the candles could burn down your home. How do I make Riley Calcagno love me? Sincerely, Cag-Hag JR: Well, I did it just over fifteen years ago. My attack plan was to go to the same daycare and have our parents be friends so they would schedule playdates for us. Then he and I played with firetrucks. Is that helpful? Expert Ava Maas, who dated R-Cags for just over a year, says it’s also important to woo his mother with your knowledge of obscure feminist literature. SB: If I can add some input as his fellow Only, I’d like to remind everyone of a famous Riley-quote published in the Messenger in 2013: “I love burlesque.” From what I’ve seen, you should learn how to perform burlesque. What do I do if my friend is being a lil b****? Sincerely, Dog Tired KM: “Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant.” These words are as true today
as they were when Socrates first spoke them in 400 BC. Think back on your friendship. Did you perhaps fall too fast? If this is the case, let your pal fly free and don’t give them a second thought. If your friendship has been meaningful, don’t let this unpleasant period negate the good times you’ve shared. Continue firm on the path of friendship; I have a feeling it will all turn out well in the end. My classes are too easy and very boring, but there’s bad service in a lot of the classrooms. How will I survive? Sincerely, Service Junky SB: This sounds like an opportunity for you to make your own DIY, personal, portable Wifi connection. It’s quite a simple process that will allow hours of diversion and joy within a dreary classroom. The first step is purchasing a wireless router and a modem to set up in your classroom. Then acquire an Ethernet cable to plug into your computer. You might need a few extension cords for this (probably enough to wrap around the entire perimeter of Garfield), in case you want to use the internet in multiple classrooms. Then, configure your router and connect it all on your phone! It’s a painless process to get constant Wifi--and not the stupid restricted school Wifi--at all times. If you carry this out with stealth, none of your teachers will notice, and none of your classmates will either, or else they might try to hijack your Wifi password and use it to their benefit. You’ll be Snapchatting, Facebooking, Tweeting, and Clashing Clans to your heart’s content!
Got a conundrum? Email us at messengeradvice@gmail.com or submit anonomously at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MY-6WZRD !
12
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
The Munchies
With Kyle Ting
Succulent Sushi at Octo
I
t was a dark and stormy November night. I was eyes like warm water over cold hands. pelted by large drops of rain while I was in my Smart Two middle aged men worked cutting car, cursing the parking conditions of Capitol Hill on sushi next to a contemporary piece of a Saturday night. I had to settle for a distant spot. A trek art bearing the restaurant’s name. It in the rain is no fun. was a refreshing scene. The room was But this cold Seattle evening could not rain on my spacious with a high ceiling. My eyes parade. Soon I was welcomed scanned the diverse range of foods Photo by Kyle Ting into the warmth of a new reson the menu, from a long list of sutaurant with the excitement of shis to tempura pad thai. I ordered a new cuisine. I have recently the crunchy veggie rolls ($6.75), been informed that I am not deep fried madness ($6.50), and letallergic to fish, which has led tuce wraps for appetizers ($7.95). to the exploration of another Our food was delivered within hemisphere of cuisine. I felt like the span of five minutes. Service Columbus discovering the new was excellent and prompt: long world… of food. So while I am enough conversations to seem ponot a sushi expert (far from it), lite, but blunt enough to know that I would consider myself a flavor I just wanna eat. The crunchy vegconnoisseur, which is the only gie rolls came first. Avocado, ginger, requirement necessary when cucumber, squash in the middle of tasting foods. a wheel of rice, rolled in seaweed I took shelter from the rain and tempura fried, all served on a and entered the restaurant. A platter. I popped one of these flamodern interior with Asian invor bombs into my mouth and it fluence as well as dim and caltook me on a journey. The tempura Bar seating at Octo Sushi culated lighting flooded into my exterior introduced a nice crunch
Art by Jeff Nguyen
while the rice is perfectly ratioed to the vegetable center. The sweet and slightly sour sauce weaves the flavors together and the unity of the bite is very calculated. Each flavor was full of purpose. Shortly after, I received a plate of deep fried madness: tuna surrounded by rice, coated with a tempura wrap, and topped with a sweet and spicy sauce garnished from above. The flavor explodes with spice (this is not for the weak of tongue) and the consistency of the tuna is tender and fulfilling. I left Octo Sushi feeling satisfied and even all of the rain clouds had cleared after my meal. I walked back to my car feeling fulfilled. All things considered, I give Octo Sushi four out of five munches and I would give it two $ for price. It may be expensive, but a meal between two people can easily be $14 total each. If you’re searching for sushi, make sure to go to Octo.
Price: $$
4 /5 Munches
Bar seating at Octo Sushi
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
13
Picture Perfect
Movies better than the book they’re based on. By Elena Orlando
1) Catching fire (2013) Most of us read The Hunger Games in two days. It followed us into the bathroom, and we only put it down to eat or maybe sleep. When it came time to read Catching Fire we expected the same fastpass action and intrigue. But no, we had to suffer for almost 300 pages before Katniss entered the games and things finally got interesting. Because of the short attention span of movie watchers, those 300 pages were zoomed over and dramatized on the big screen, and the clock design of the arena became more clear and intense. In the movie, the characters who were briefly described in the book, came to life with more complexity and depth and we were blessed with the beautiful Sam Claflin (Finnick Odair). Those of you who bothered to read Mockingjay after the letdown of Catching Fire have a chance to see how the last movie in the franchise stacks up, as Mockingjay Part 2 premiered on November 20th.
2) The Devil Wears Prada (2006) “Suddenly I see this is what I wanna be. Suddenly I see, why the hell it means so much to me..” This peak 2000s movie has a theme song so catchy it’ll randomly pop into your head five years later and stars
Art by Urpi Ruis Angeles
Anne Hathaway, before she dropped off the face of the planet, and Meryl Streep as a tyrannical fashion editor. In the film Hathaway plays a homely aspiring journalist, who becomes Streep’s assistant. She gets swept up in the luxury world of Chanel and Louis Vuitton, losing sight of herself in the process. The clothing, the drama, Hathaway’s T-Mobile Sidekick, but mostly Meryl Streep make the book insignificant in comparison.
Hanks brilliant performance, we learned to take chances in life, to love without fear of loss, and to persevere, even if the only person who truly believes in us is our mama. Hanks portrayal of a simple Southern man in the midst of major historical events was so compelling that he won an Academy Award for the part, becoming the first man to win consecutive Best Actor Oscars.
3) Forrest Gump (1994) I’m not even gonna put a quote from the movie in here because after the Godfather, Forrest Gump is probably the most quoted movie of all time. The very fact that most of you were probably unaware that this classic was based on a book is a sign in itself of the quality of the film. From Tom
4) The Wizard of Oz (1939) Even though almost eighty years have past since this visual masterpiece was released, it continues to hold a special place in the hearts of all who behold the flying monkeys and sparkling ruby red slippers and feel chills as Judy Garland sings Somewhere Over the Rainbow. The greatest movies continue to reach audiences even after new special effects are created and the times and people viewing them change. While the book created the story in which Dorothy and Toto journey to Oz, only on the big screen did the true fantasy of this dream world come alive.
relationship and pageant troubles. Perhaps the best performance of the show is that of freshman Hailey Gray, who plays Carnelle’s seamstress, Popeye Jackson. “[Gray] was one of the people who stood out most during auditions,” says Meleshuk. “She was a freshman, I’d never seen her before, and she blew me away.” While Gray is not new to theater, this is her first Garfield performance, and she instantly charmed the audience with both her humor and intense likeability. “She [brought] a lot of energy to the show,” says Meleshuk. “She really embodied her character.” In addition to Sandoval and Gray’s fabulous performances, Quin Lagmay’s portrayal of Delmount, Carnelle’s mentally unstable but nonetheless charming cousin, is both witty and humorous, and swept both Popeye and the audience off their feet. “[Lagmay] has an amazing southern accent,” says Sandoval. “He picked up on it
faster than any of the rest of [the cast].” Junior Jamie Williams’ humorous depiction of drunken carnival worker Mac Sam was nothing less than brilliant, while Emma Forman worked her theatrical magic as pageant coordinator Tess Mahoney, bringing both a unique style and a comic relief to the show. While Fall Show’s last showing was November 14, this isn’t the last time you’ll be able to see the drama program in action. Upcoming winter and spring performances such as the Children’s Show, Dramatic Paws, and the ever-popular Spring Musical are all on this year’s playbill. “We’re working very hard to increase diversity and make Garfield Drama more accessible,” says Meleshuk. “We’re encouraging all students to try out for shows and come to meetings. “Even if you don’t make it out to an audition, mark your calendar for this year’s performances - if Fall Show was any sort of preview for this year in Garfield Drama, rest assured you will not be disappointed.
Falling for the Fall Show Miss Firecracker makes a bang. By Bella Rowland-Reid Garfield’s ever-popular drama program is back again with its first main stage performance of the year, Beth Henley’s The Miss Firecracker Contest. Directed by Garfield senior and drama president Anya Meleshuk, the Miss Firecracker Contest follows washed up beauty queen Carnelle Scott (played by senior Carolyne Sandoval) and her quest for the crown in the town’s annual Fourth of July Pageant. Accompanied by her bizarre family and charming seamstress, Carnelle’s dramatic adventure details everything from her reputation-destroying bout of syphilis and the memory of her slightly-unstable late aunt to her determination to win the pageant crown and leave her Mississippi town in a blaze of glory. “This year’s show was very funny,” says Meleshuk, who worked with Garfield drama teacher Stewart Hawk to cast and direct the performance. “It’s something [Fall Show] hasn’t done in a while.” What makes the show remarkable is the fantastic work under pressure. Even
14
with actors ill and in and out of town, and rehearsal shortened a week due to the teacher strike, the cast and crew worked together to put out an exquisitely executed show. “We faced a lot of trouble during rehearsal,” says Sandoval. “It took a very resourceful group of people to make this show as special as it was.” While Garfield’s opening night was delayed a day due to an actor’s illness, Miss Firecracker didn’t miss a beat, hitting all the rights notes of humor, heartwrench, and the feel-good feeling you can only expect from Garfield’s drama program. Sandoval’s charming performance is highlighted in her scenes with Asha Helmstetter, who plays her cousin, former Miss Firecracker winner Elain Rutledge. The couple’s chemistry on the stage translates well into both funny and dramatic scenes, particularly the scene in the first act where Sandoval, Helmstetter, and actress Hailey Gray lay across the stage, throwing flowers and sobbing about their various
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
snAP BACK AT IT
Inside the Garfield geofilter. By Bella Rowland-Reid
T
his one I wasn’t too pleased with,” says sophomore Barnaby Woods as he pulls up the first Garfield snapchat filter, a dark purple ‘Garfield High School’ with horizontal bars on either side. “I didn’t quite anticipate it looking like it did on actual pictures.” Woods is talking about two of the Garfield geofilters, both of which he created for students and members of the community to use. “This one is a lot better,” says Woods, swiping to the next filter, where a lighter purple and white design with a bulldog in the corner. “It’s a lot more clean-looking.” Snapchat, a popular picture messaging app, has been letting users submit custom geofilter designs for only a few months now, but are already incredibly popular with designers and artists. They are mostly seen in tourist areas, neighborhoods, and schools, many of which are user designed and submitted, like Garfield’s. Woods, who “by no means considers [himself] a graphic designer”, first discovered he could submit his own geofilter over the summer. “A friend told me during the sum-
mer, and I forgot about it for a while,” says Woods. “About a week before school began, I realized Garfield doesn’t have [a geofilter] and thought I should try and make one.” The filters have become increasingly popular with Garfield students, making many appearances on students’ Snapchat stories daily. “ It ’s really cool to see,” says sophomore Josh Chestnut. “It’s a Junior Barnaby Woods real representaPhotos by Michael Ybarra tion of school pride.” Using a photo editing program, Woods created both of Garfield’s filter in little time.
“I decide on the text, I make the text, and put it together,” says Woods as he scrolls through the various other Snapchat filters, everything from the temperature outside to a black-andwhite tone. “the first one took me like fifteen minutes, the second one came together over a few days.” W h i l e Woods has been urged by classmates to create more geofilters from Garfield and other areas, he’s not sure shows off his creations. if, or when, he’ll ever make more. “The problem is, I can’t remove the old [geofilters],” says Woods. “I don’t want them building up.”
While his geofilters were temporarily taken down by Snapchat, Woods contacted their customer service and had them back up by the next day. However, he has been unsuccessful in his attempts to get his first geofilter removed from Snapper’s screens. Similarly to how filters can be accepted, they can also be rejected, which I experienced firsthand. In my ill-fated attempt in creating my own geofilter for the Messenger’s classroom, I found myself behind a computer screen for upwards of two hours -- and even then my submission was rejected. However, Woods says, even my complete and utter failure should not be discredited. “I wouldn’t say creating the filters is easy, and it’s a lot of trial and error,” says Woods. “I didn’t love my first filter, but it doesn’t matter. It’s a Snapchat filter, everyone will think it’s cool.” Whether you’re an up-and-coming graphic designer or just looking to experiment with Photoshop, give Geofiltering a try. While it might not be for everyone, it sure is fun.
the field and from the field to the pavement, where he challenged racism, Robinson lived a life of integrity and grace. He opened the game and his country up to the possibility of a future with equality, even as he faced death threats and hatred.
5) Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans by Louis Armstrong
write on
Best celeb-written books. By Elena Orlando 1) Bossypants by Tina Fey She’s a writer, a mother, an actress, and the best Sarah Palin impressionist around. There is nothing Tina Fey can’t do. If you’ve seen her in 30 Rock, the TV show which ran on NBC for seven seasons, you got a look into Fey’s past as a writer for SNL. Her autobiography, Bossypants, delves further back into the life of the funny-woman, as she re-tells the blunderings and awkward moments that made up her childhood and entrance into stardom. Between the laughs, Fey imparts you with wisdom that always underlines her humor, and has allowed her to reach the level of success she has. From her book Fey hopes that “If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important rule of beauty, which is: who cares?” 2) Born Standing Up by Steve Martin In Born Standing Up, Steve Martin outlines his journey from a young kid working in Disneyland to one of the country’s most famous comedians. Martin
struggled to form his comedic style, wanting to evoke more than a good chuckle from his audience. Unsatisfied with the impact of his jokes, even as his popularity grew, Martin ended his stand up career in its height. For that very reason Martin thinks of his book as more of a biography than an autobiography, as the comedian he is today is so different from the one that went in front of large crowds, retelling the same jokes over and over again. There’s a darkness that finds its way into Martin’s writing and comedic career, and even Elvis Presley once said to Martin, “Son, you have an ob-leek sense of humor.” 3) I Never Had It Made by Jackie Robinson If you watched the World Series, you didn’t just see white men swinging the bat, and that’s thanks to the efforts of courageous men of color, including Jackie Robinson. In his autobiography, I Never Had It Made, Robinson tells the journey of how he became the first AfricanAmerican MLB player. From the army to
4) My Fight/Your Fight by Ronda Rousey It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call Ronda Rousey one of the toughest women alive. It’s easy to to see her physical strength in the ring, even with her recent loss to Holly Holm, but in My Fight/ Your Fight, Rousey’s mental strength and character are what dominate attention. She reveals the hard work and determination that enabled her to become the first American to win a Women’s Judo medal in the Olympics, and the tragic death of her father that pushed her to achieve greatness. If you’re interested in learning about the gruesome nature of armbars, or how to push past hard times to achieve your dreams, Rousey’s witty autobiography is well worth the read.
It’s one thing to be talented, and another to triumph over racism and poverty to show your talent to the world. Louis Armstrong changed jazz music with his trumpet and gritty vocals, but the man behind the brass was as extraordinary and moving as the music he produced. In his autobiography, first released in 1954, Armstrong takes us from his beginnings in the impoverished streets of New Orleans to his discovery of jazz music and unique style which redefined the genre.
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
15
The Danger Inside
Concussions have repercussions.
By Aidan Miller milia Barnecut, now a sophomore, was one week into her eighth grade year at Washington Middle School when her life took a turn for the worse when she suffered a major concussion. Barnecut’s day started out at a soccer tournament. “I went up for a header and another girl’s head hit mine. I didn’t fall down, I kept playing. I felt physically fine,” she says. Athletes playing for a school team are legally required to be taken out, if they are suspected of having a concussion. But on a club team, like Barnecut was playing for at the time, there are no such requirements. “I told my mom I was fine. I kept playing, and then I had a slight headache, but I lied about how much it hurt,” Barnecut said. Concussions are only diagnosed by the reported symptoms of the person in question. Neither is there a timetable for the recovery from concussions because each person experiences one differently and to differing degrees. The doctors told Barnecut to take it day-by-day because they had no idea how long it would take. Medical science can’t diagnose a concussion with one hundred percent certainty because the bruising of the brain can’t be picked up by a scan. Prior to October 8th, Barnecut had previously suffered three concussions, all of which were minor. It would turn out that the cumulative effect of her prior
E
concussions created a domino effect, lead- her course load to two classes to try and ing Barnecut to suffer a mild Traumatic make school manageable. Even this didn’t Brain Injury (TBI). The name, “mild,” is make her transition very smooth. misleading since 15% of mild TBI’s last for “It was really hard because I missed a over a year. lot. Before my concussion, I loved school By the time the first game was over her and I was really good at it; I loved to learn headache had gotten significantly worse. and I missed a bunch and I just physically It was at this point that Barnecut no couldn’t do any of the work,” Barnecut longer remembers what hapsays. pened to her that day. Returning to school can As she began warm often be misleading to ups for the second teachers and fellow stugame of the day, her dents as a sign that the mother noticed that student has recovered. Barnecut was acting Doctors often recomweird, so her mother mend that students go took her to the medito class but not do any cal stand. During work, once they feel testing Barnecut forwell enough just as got the months of the another level of tranyear and couldn’t stand sition. on one leg. The doctors “When I came told Barnecut go home back I would sit in class and to take it day-by-day and people would ask because they had no idea how me why I wasn’t doing long it would take. any of the work, and I told Art by Luca Hagmayer Her condition took a turn for them I had a concussion and there the worse. By the time Barnecut got home were actually people who didn’t beshe was babbling and talking incoherently, lieve me,” Barnecut says. “They thought I so her parents took her to the Emergency was just trying to get out of work.” Room. A MRI and CT scan showed no Barnecut was barely able to graduate bleeding, skull or spinal cord damage and from Washington but ultimately did gradshe was advised to go home and rest. uate because of a credit “cushion” she had “I don’t remember [eighth grade] at all. accumulated from being in AP classes her Eight months,” Barnecut says. 6th and 7th grade. She says was out of school for one Her troubles didn’t go away once she month straight. During this, she reduced came to Garfield. Barnecut tried to carry
a full course load of six classes but, “pretty quickly I got really stressed out and my headaches came back and I started missing more school. I just assumed I would have magically gotten better over the last three months of the summer,” she says. Besides headaches Barnecut started experiencing new symptoms freshmen year. Concussions can dramatically increase the emotions one feels; in Barnecut’s case she experienced panic attacks that landed her in the ER. Barnecut made it through freshman year only taking two classes again. Her recovery had now taken two years-and wasn’t over yet. Going into her sophomore year, Barnecut is taking a full course load for the first time in three years. It may seem like everything is normal, but she repeats “nothing is the same.” Her concussions forced her to give up soccer, a sport she had been playing for ten years and something that was part of her personality. She still gets headaches several times a month and has yet to finish a test on time this year. While awareness publicity is growing around concussions, the gap between what science knows and how we view concussions is appalling. Barnecut says, “If there was someone with a cast on their leg people wouldn’t be pressuring them to do sprints. But because [with a concussion] you can’t tell looking at me walking down the hallways and know that I’ve had a TBI, you don’t get that same level of understanding.”
Winter Sports Preview
No, boys basketball isn’t the only winter sport. By Claire Boudour
Boys Swimming: These swimmers have a reputation for being fun, but are they fast too? The answer is yes. “This year we’re trying to get in a lot more team bonding and be a lot more spirited. We’re going to try to practice harder and win more meets. Work harder, play harder,” says swim captain and Garfield senior Jack Sbragia. With new freshmen coming in with years of experience on club teams under their belts, the team is getting much faster very quickly. “[Vincent] Dang is supposed to be killer. I’ve heard there’s a few fast freshmen […] I’m super excited about the team this year,” says Sbragia. And as for a certain popular swim team tradition at the winter sports assembly? Sbragia says, “That’s in the planning stages. Yeah, we’re still planning it out, it’s gonna be good though. Get excited!” So
16
look out Bulldogs, there’s going to be a lot of great things to see from this team both inside the pool and out. Girls Basketball: This team has been working hard, and the improvement is starting to show. Despite the fact that the season hasn’t technically started, practices have been held throughout the fall to make sure everyone is ready to dominate this winter. The team is getting better every year, “Last year was way better than my freshman year, and I think this year will be better than last,” says captain Juanita Agosto. They’re cohesive and ready to succeed this year, with a strong group of returning athletes as well as promising freshmen and transfers. Agosto is particularly excited about the new members, “All of [them] are really good. I can’t just name a few, the whole team is great!”
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
The team is psyched for a great season, and many girls are confident that they will go to state. “Honestly, I think that we’re going to make it to the Dome. I can almost guarantee it,” says Agosto. Watch for these bulldogs making a deep run come playoff season. Boys Wrestling: The Garfield wrestling team is bigger than ever, and with the way they’ve been practicing, maybe even better than ever. “This year we have a much bigger team than in the past. When I started, we probably had around ten people. This year, we have about forty,” says Garfield senior and wrestling captain Jake Madison. With a strong group of athletes, and a new division to compete in, they’re confident about their ability to do well this year. Madison adds, “We also switched divisions down from 4A to 3A, so we’ve
experienced a lot more competitive success. It’s a good year for us. These changes in numbers aren’t the only things that make the Garfield wrestlers so competitive. “Coach Hamilton is just so knowledgeable,” says Madison. “He’s just an amazing athlete. He’s a yoga instructor, he has black belts in like three martial arts, and he’s a personal trainer. He helps us get into top shape and diet, and we’re so much stronger with him.”
Road to the Dome
Boys basketball prepares to tip off.
T
here have been good basketball teams in the past here at Garfield High School. This team, however, looks to be the best one yet with one of the deepest and most talented rosters top to bottom. The team is coming off back-to-back state championships, one in 4A, and last years in 3A. Two seniors, Jashaun Agosto and Terrell Brown, have been on varsity for both championships. They are now the teams captains along with fellow senior Alfonso Anderson for the 2015-16 season. All the success in past seasons is impossible to ignore, and the Bulldogs understand what to expect from other teams heading into this season. “People are coming for our heads, because we’re on top now,” says Anderson. “Everybody always gave us their best shot, and that happens every year,” says head coach Ed Haskins. A MaxPreps article has this Garfield team as a top contender for the national championship, a ranking the team has acknowledged, but not paid much attention to. There is a lot of expectation from opponents, fans, and students for this season, but the team is keeping focus on one goal, and not letting the outside talk affect their play. “Those are other people’s opinions, and we haven’t done anything yet so we still have a lot to prove,” says Anderson. “This team hasn’t won any state championships. I’ve had two state championship teams, but these guys aren’t defending anything. We’re trying to go get something,” says Haskins. “We’re going to take it game by game, and our goal is like any team’s goal, to win a state championship,” says Anderson. While repeats happen on occasion throughout sports, “threepeats” are what seperate the great teams from the greatest. Rather than stay stagnant and hope they can take home the gold again, Garfield has grown younger, deeper, and more talented than last year. “We have a talent and skill level that I don’t think has been seen here at Garfield ever,” says Haskins. While overpowering talent is a key component to be-
ing successful, strong team chemistry is an unstoppable force on the basketball court. “We know how to communicate to each other. One of the key things in basketball is being able to communicate, especially as point guards. We all know how to communicate to our bigs and our other guards,” says junior Daejon Davis. Much of this chemistry comes from the players hanging out off the court, and playing for Garfield since freshPhoto by Carson Jones
Jaylen Nowell lays in two against Rainier Beach Photo by Carson Jones
man year. However, many of the current Bulldogs have played together not in a Garfield uniform, helping their chemistry grow even out of season. “A lot of us have played together previously, like in the summer, or when we were younger,” says Anderson. Players are not only comfortable with each other, but also with head coach Ed Haskins. Haskins has been coaching bulldog basketball for 8 years and has posted a 163-26 record along with multiple state tournament appearances, and of course-- two state championships. “I think he is a great guy, A really humble coach, not cocky, and he will lead us to where we want to go,” says Davis. Haskins grew up envying Garfield’s strong basketball program. “My favorite part about coaching at Garfield is just being a Bulldog. I grew up in Tacoma, but I would come up here and see the teams and always wanted to be a part of it. With the band, Acox, and everything else that went on, I just wanted to be a part of that. I love carrying on the tradition, and our legacy,” says Haskins. Garfield’s legacy has been strengthened the last 8 years under Haskins, and will likely continue to grow this year. Key additions this year are transfers Daejon Davis and J’raan Brooks. Both are ranked as top players in the state, and looking forward to having the chance to be a Bulldog. “There are higher expectations [at Garfield], losing isn’t really an option,” says Davis. Haskins echoed the team mentality, one that has existed in teams past and will hopefully resonate in this year’s squad. “If we play as hard as we can every second, and play not just with each other, but for each other, we could be one of the best teams ever,” Haskins says. The season tips off on November 28th, with their annual jamboree held at Garfield against various opponents.
3 Pointers 1
Garfields state rank heading into the season
0
Public schools that rank ahead of Garfield nationally
6
Division One recruits
Terrell Brown and varsity teammates run lines
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
17
Blood, Sweat, and Leaves
Recapping our magnificent fall sports. By Emma Cooper
Girls Soccer
Girl’s soccer finished their season as third in the Metro league, after losing in the playoffs against Holy Names. “It was a bummer that we lost in the first round of playoffs, but I think it was just a good fight against a really good team,” says player Anna Goldberg. The team is losing a number of seniors, but is optimistic and plans to draw on strong underclassmen to complete the team. “I hope we keep on improving and get better next year, get even farther in playoffs next year,” Goldberg adds.
Football
The football team was eliminated by Rainier Beach in a pre-playoff game that determined which teams would play in the Metro tournament. The game ended with a final score of 21-6, giving the team a overall record of 5-4. According to player Jason Nguyen, a contributing factor to the loss was a lack of seniors on the team. “It was a young team, [with] mostly juniors and sophomores. We’ll be able to do better [next year], because we’ll have an older team of juniors and seniors. We’ll be a more mature team and we’ll have better chemistry,” he says.
Girls Golf
The girls’ golf team was victorious at the Metro tournament, with players Marley Koba, Claire Williams, and Rachel Dahle qualifying for the spring district tournament. The team’s overall record was six wins and five losses. “As a team, I think this year we could have been more consistent,” says sophomore player Isabella Barnett. “I feel like sometimes we had really bad matches and sometimes we had really good matches. But I think overall everyone improved their skills individually and I think we had a pretty good season.”
Boys Golf
The boy’s golf team won four out of their nine matches, an improvement from last year’s three wins. Players Nelson Huffaker and Gabe Curhan both went on from Metros to play in the district tournament, though neither were able to qualify for state. Accompanying this new success was the casual vibe now typical of Garfield’s golf team. “The golf team was pretty carefree and fun [and] there was lots of friendly interteam competition,” says captain Gus O’Leary, who is proud of the team’s success.
Girls Swim and Dive
The girls’ swim and dive team placed sixth at both Metros and districts, with the help of notable swimmers Jocelyn Crawford and Marley Cross. At state, the team placed fifth, with Crawford winning the 50m freestyle and 100m backstroke events, and the WIAA“Athlete of the year” award. Cross won the 100m freestyle and placed second in the 50 freestyle, while the team placed fourth in 200m medley relay and third in the 300 freestyle relay. “We had a really strong senior team this year and we’ve all done really well,” says captain Umbach, “a lot of the varsity swimmers have branched out into some new events this year and that’s been pretty cool to see. We have some strong underclassmen who will have a lot to live up to after we leave.”
Volleyball
After an undefeated regular season, the Volleydogs lost to Bishop Blanchet in a playoff game. The team was tied with Blanchet at the beginning of the fifth set, but lost the fifth set, ending the game with a score of 3-2. “It was a very close game. The team was devastated. We really thought we had a high chance of getting to state be-
cause of the talent on our team,” says player Tyra Krivonak. The loss resulted in an elimination from the playoffs for Garfield, giving them a final season record of 24- 2.
Cross Country
The girls’ cross country team placed second at Metros, with top runners Izzi Olive and Lily Hayes placing in the top five. The team went on to districts, where they placed fourth overall and Olive individually placed third. At state, the team placed fourth, appearing on the podium and Olive individually placed third. “Our season went really well,” says senior captain Maddy Kennard, “Being on the podium, it felt like a culmination of not just a season’s work, but four years of work.” The boys’ team placed fourth at Metros, with runners Henry Hayes and William Laird placing as second and fourth respectively. The team placed eighth at districts, and unfortunately did not qualify for state as a team. Senior Hayes, who won his race, and junior Laird, who placed 12th, were able to individually qualify for state. At state, Hayes placed tenth and Laird placed 21st.
Aidan & Aidin
The Seahawks can win the Super Bowl. Here’s why.
As we all know, the Seahawks this season have been a mess. Inconsistency has been a theme; some games they’ll be looking like the Super Bowl squad from last year, the next game they’ll drop another lead late and lose. However, despite what their record says, this season is far from over. Here’s a few reasons why we think that the Seahawks can still be the ones celebrating on February 3rd. Easy Schedule The Seahawks had one of the toughest opening schedules in the league. Having to play two hard road games at St. Louis and Green Bay were rough, and losses to Carolina and Arizona were both close games against premier opponents. Now however, we have several games
18
against much easier opponents coming up. Baltimore and Cleveland are essentially wins, as both of those teams have been terrible. Pittsburgh and Minnesota have both been good-but not great. With a good or complete game played by the ‘Hawks, they could win both. Another divisional matchup against the Rams awaits at home, where the Seahawks always dominate the Rams, and then a critical Week 17 road game at Arizona that will likely have huge playoff implications. Wide Open Conference The NFC has been a mess this season. At the time of publishing, the Seahawks sit at 11th out of 15 teams. But many of the teams in front of them have extremely tough schedules approaching. The Panthers, Cardinals, and Vikings are the only
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
teams clearly ahead of the pack, but that could change at any time. There is definitely a possibility for the Seahawks to sneak into the playoffs, and from there anything can happen. Anything Can Happen Rarely in football do the two #1 seeds end up playing each other in the Super Bowl. In fact, that’s only happened in ten Super Bowls to date. While it definitely is
an edge to have the home field advantage, wild card teams make deep runs all the time. It’s not all about the rank within the conference; it’s just about getting in.
ALL GIRL EVERYTHING
Girls wrestling is more than just a pretty face.
I
By Bella Rowland-Reid
t’s no secret that women are becoming more prominent in sports, especially those which are typically maledominated. From Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis’ Sports Illustrated cover to the history-making third World Cup win by the United States Women’s National Team this past summer, all the way home to Garfield’s own girls wrestling team. “We’ve got a lot of female recruits this year,” says girls captain, senior Natalie Wheeler. Wheeler and captain Anya Meleshuk have spent the past two months recruiting girls to join the team, and have been getting significant numbers at preseason practices. “We’ve had some new girls coming to our preseason conditioning,” says Stuart Hamilton, Garfield physical education teacher and wrestling coach. “This could be the biggest [girls] team in my years in the program.” The Garfield girls team looks to have the largest roster in the district this year, and while the official roster has not been released, numbers could be up to twenty girls. “It’s looking like we’re going to have a pretty big girls team, which is how it
was last year,” says Wheeler. “It’s very exciting.” Both Meleshuk and Wheeler believe this can be attributed to direct recruitment of female wrestlers. “We’re one of the only teams that actively recruits girls,”says Meleshuk, who Photo by Carson Jones attempted to exclusively recruit girls this season. “And Garfield’s coaches are very helpful in encouraging girls to wrestle and making sure they don’t feel left out or uncomfortable.” According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, high school women wrestlers have increased by 804 to over 11,496 since 1994, and is now a recognized Olympic sport. “You can’t imagine what a self confidence booster [wrestling] is,” says Hamilton. “It’s a tough sport and kids that do it and survive it are a lot mentally tougher.”
Mess Guess
“It’s really important to have girls wrestling,” adds senior Richard Wang, captain of the boys team. “It adds a lot to the sport when you can see everyone participat ing.” Wheeler also believes girls form a sense of community in the locker room and between matches, between the team and girls from other schools. “In the locker room it’s a lot friendlier,” says Wheeler. “You always hug your opponent before and after the match, and that’s something I don’t usually see with boys.”
“It’s just as intense during the match,” agrees Meleshuk. “But there’s an unspoken bond between girl wrestlers.” The team set a high bar last year after winning Metro League Championships, and many wrestlers assume this year the team can go even farther. “Most of the girls should get past district [championships] and into regionals,” says boys captain William Huie. “Some might even make it to state.” Hamilton believes many the team didn’t do very well in the postseason last year due to illness and injury, but thinks this year has a brighter future. “We can legitimately look forward to winning Metro Championships again,” says Hamilton. “We can also send several girls to State Championships as well.” While wrestling season started November 16th, there’s still time left to join the team -- but be ready for daily mileplus runs and strenuous workouts. “It’s a lot of work,” according Meleshuk. “But it’s so worth it.” “If you’re looking for something different, something new, definitely try wrestling,” says Wheeler. “Set yourself apart.”
Aidin Montefisher
Eli Wilson
Aidan Miller
Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma (NCAA)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Wisconsin
Chicago @ Anaheim (NHL)
Anaheim
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Memphis @ San Antonio (NBA)
Memphis
San Antonio
San Antonio
San Antonio
Memphis
Chargers @ Jaguars (NFL)
Jaguars
Chargers
Chargers
Chargers
Chargers
UW vs. WSU (NCAA Football)
WSU
WSU
WSU
UW
WSU
6-4
6-4
6-4
Quinn Sullivan 6-4
Wisconsin Quinn Sullivan
Alex Ferry 4-6
Wisconsin
Three issues in, and the competition is suddenly wide open. Unable to hold on to his one game lead, Aidin “On to Cincinatti” Montefisher had a terrible second round, after which many a tear was shed. He hopes to atone for his mistakes with a few bold picks this round. Eli “This Is My Week I Swear Guys” Wilson and Aidan “30% Chance I Am At School” Miller both picked up a game to move in to a tie the lead, while Quinn “Caleb Stocker” Sullivan had a huge week-perhaps influenced by some other Messenger editor’s opinions. Alex “Sinking Fast” Ferry would appear to be dropping off - or under - the radar.
The Garfield Messenger 11/25/2015
19