The Garfield Messenger: Volume 95, Issue 7

March 17, 2017

Volume 95, Issue 7

An Open Forum for Student Expression

march madness pg. 9

Supporters of The Garfield Messenger Benefactors Bridge Partners Susan Byrnes Patrons Anonymous (2) Beth Britt Ellen Chestnut Gabrielle Coulon Harry Cheadle Kim & Michelle Gould Tana Lin & Paul Holland Friends Anonymous (9) Ann Hollar Argeres Family Deborah & Keith Ferguson DeBody, LLC Elana Jassy Heath Foster Psychology Janet Gwilym and Bing Tso Jay & Alicia Edgar Joseph Hurley Julie Wohle & Rick Kolpa Karin Brooks & Simon Woods Kristen Rooks Laura Gardner & Hiroshi Matsubara Margaret Sullivan Nancy Sapiro & Lincoln Miller Phebe O’Neil Porter Family Shelton Family Theatre of Possibility Thury Gudmundsdottir Tracy Rowland & Larry Reid Trina Blake 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

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The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

Contents

Volume 95 Issue 7 March 17, 2017

NEWS

A&E

Get to Know: Ezra Angelou-Lysaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Dye-versity in Running. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

by Alex Ferry

by Esther Chien

News Briefs. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Awarding Assault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

by Hannah Tacke

by Sydney Santos

Do I Not Belong Anymore? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

If the Shoe Fits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

by Jasmine Fernandez

by Jamaica Aytch

Small Changes, Big Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The Sunken Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

by Claire Boudour

by Jessica Morales

Photo of the Issue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

by Elliott Hoppe

FEATURES

Black Dot Creative Collective. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

by Julia Lin

Novel Knowledge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

by Lily Laesch

by Cipher Goings

SPORTS

March Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Next Genderation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

The Hunt is Over!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

by Messenger Staff

by Susana Davidson

Bad Reality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

by Josh Chestnut

OPINION

One Great Season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .19

by Ann Shan

2017 Action. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

by Flora Taagen

Writing Executive Bella Rowland-Reid Graphics Executive Cora Andersen Bicknell Graphics Editor Elliott Hoppe Section Editors Hannah Tacke • Quinn Sullivan Elena Orlando • Emma Cooper Business Executive David Willner Advisor Corey Allan Martin

Writers Alex Ferry • Ann Shan • Charlotte Gong • Cipher Goings • Claire Boudour Delphi Drake-Mudede • Esther Chien Flora Taagen • Jamaica Aytch • Jasmine Fernandez • Jessica Morales • Josh Chestnut • Julia Lin • Lily Laesch Susana Davidson • Sydney Santos Photographers Freya Wiedemann • Peter Kubiniec Ruby Seiwerath • Toby Tran Illustrators Ana Matsubara • Ariel Cook • Brianna Kleckner Business Staff Paulette Argeres • Julia Reguera

Awarding Assault pg. 13 Art by Ariel Cook

Cover photo by Elliott Hoppe and Toby Tran

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

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News

Get To Know

Ezra Angelou-Lysaker.

M

ost freshmen come into GHS pretty lost in the sauce, just trying to find their place.

However, freshman Ezra AngelouLysaker has his path laid out for him.

He has moved about nine times throughout his life, but he’s finally settled down, and were happy he chose to be a bulldog because he has some mad skills.

“My family always liked to dance. We’d b e in the basement or something just dancing around, and I guess I just liked it,” said Angelou-Lysaker. “I took one class when I was about seven, I thought I was really good.

My friend had been on a dance team for about seven years, and I thought it would be really cool to do competitions like he did, so I tried out.”

Last year, Ezra got serious. He quit soccer to make more time for his dance classes, and he joined the D and G Dance Studio. He started dancing twice a week for three hours.

“It was really quick improvements, and it’s become my passion as well, it’s something I really want to do in the future,” he said.

Hip Hop is so different from any other dance style, which is what makes it so appealing to Ezra.

“It’s a lot more energetic and lively than any other dance style... I also just like doing flips,” said Angelou-Lysaker. “I used

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to watch So You Think You Can Dance, and there weren’t as many hip hop dancers, so I was always rooting for them.”

People started supporting Ezra and his dancing soon after.

“I started recording myself and made a separate instagram account to post the videos I made. The IG username is Ezra__james,” said Angelou-Lysaker. “I think it’s cool to look back at my old videos and see how much I’ve improved just in this year.”

The shifting point in Ezra’s dancing occurred at one of his competitions when he was able to dance with professional hip hop dancers.

“I was dancing with professionals, and could kind of keep up. Of course I wasn’t as good, Courtesey of Ezra but I could kind of Angelou-Lysaker. do the same things as them, and that made me think I could actually do this,” said Angelou-Lysaker.

Ever since then, it’s been Ezra’s dream to follow in their footsteps.

“My favorite dancers are Ian Eastwood and Scott Forsyth. They create dances and then have a bunch of people come perform with them. They create choreography and teach classes, which is exactly what I’d like to do.”

Ezra’s incredible work ethic is what will lead him to eventually accomplish his goals.

“I can’t wait to get better, because I love it.” -AF

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

News Briefs

By Hannah Tacke

The Che Taylor Decision After over a year of deliberation and reviewing evidence, inquest jury and County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg decided that no charges will be filed against Seattle officers responsible for the fatal shooting of Che Taylor last February. The jury found that the two white officers believed that Taylor posed a threat of death or serious injury before he was shot, absolving them of using deadly force. In a prepared statement, Satterberg wrote that the prosecutors would have had to disprove that the homicide was legally justified in order to prosecute the two officers.“In light of the investigative materials, the video evidence, the testimony of the witnesses at the inquest and the jurors’ answers to the court’s interrogatories, there is insufficient evidence to overcome this complete defense as defined by the statute,” he stated. Taylor was shot by police when he was seen reaching for what one of the officers testified to be a gun during a brief encounter. One of the officers testified that they were aware of Taylor’s previous criminal convictions of rape and robbery, and as they confronted Taylor, he reached for his right hip and ignored commands to lay on the ground. Prior to being informed of the court decision, Taylor’s family released a statement expressing their disappointment in the decision and their intent to pursue a civil lawsuit.

Lake Steven’s Teenager Found Hanging Investigators with the Lake Stevens Police Department found Ben Keita hanging from a tree in a wooded area of the city in early January, who had been reported missing since last November. Lake Stevens police said the county medical examiner first ruled Keita’s death as a suicide but later changed their finding to undetermined, leaving Keita’s family in a desperate search from information on the 18-year-old’s death. The public has put pressure on FBI to conduct an investigation as Keita’s death as a hate crime.

Revised Travel Ban President Trump’s second attempt at a temporary travel ban targeting majority-Muslim countries went into effect Thursday, and faced a second round of legal attempts to stop it in its tracks. Washington was included in the handful of states taking legal action against the ban. Immigration advocacy groups and private residents that have filed lawsuits to block the new ban from going into effect, similar to when Trump issued his first travel ban in late January. Trump’s first ban barred citizens of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen for 90 days, all refugees for 120 days and Syrian citizens indefinitely.

News

Do I Not Belong Anymore?

Gentrification in your community.

By Jasmine Fernandez t’s not merely an improvement or renovation, nor is it as simple as a statistic or demographic. It is a real process that continues to flourish in many neighborhoods, seeping into the lives of individuals and drastically altering communities to conform to “middle-class taste.” In the Central District (CD), both former and current residents can attest to the harm and destruction that gentrification generates when allowed and encouraged in an area historically inhabited by minorities.

For Khalia Carter, it was her move back from Atlanta to an unwelcoming CD that prompted her realization that there’s more to it than a Google searched definition. It was then, by the age of 17, that she discovered for the first time, “Gentrification is equivalent to exploitation.”

As a little girl, Carter distinctly remembered watching a news story about a black man killed by police while driving on Union Street. It bothered her that in a place where people of color once died for selling drugs, the newly legal Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop could thrive and make a profit without facing such consequences. This was one element of gentrification that was especially hard for Carter to swallow, considering the history of the CD. Third Andresen is the father of Garfield junior, Tianna Andresen, and a 3rd generation Filipino-American CD resident.

“As a person of color, when I hear [the word] gentrification, that means it’s going to be affecting us more than it’s going to be affecting white people,” he said.

“When it comes to people of color, gentrification is the displacement of certain neighborhoods that have some kind of cultural history to accommodate in the name of capitalism,

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meaning, people moving in.”

The black population in the CD is declining quickly at a remarkably fast pace. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1970, the community was 73% black, with the remaining 16% being non-Hispanic white and 11% labelled as “other.” Within the next decade, that number dropped to 64%, and today, it continues to decline by 1% each year.

It is projected that by 2019, the neighborhood will possess a 62% white population, with only 14% being black.

Carter noted that in the historically black CD, individuals initially didn’t have a say in where they could live. Due to racial restrictive covenants that inhibited blacks, and oftentimes Asians and Jews, from purchasing property outside of the CD/Chinatown International District, they were forced to make do with what they could avail. This was a process known as redlining, in which Seattle banks refused to provide financial services and loans to anyone living within the perimeters of the CD. But in recent years, an influx of people, typically white and middle-class, have moved into the neighborhood at their own expense for its convenience and proximity to Downtown Seattle. Essentially, the city is rebuilding the district where it originally desired people of low-income to live in such a way that pushes these same families out.

Flora “Jean” Marks, an African-American woman who moved into the CD in 1971, started noticing these changes during the late 1990s. “[African-American and low-income families] have moved out. Everybody just moved back to Kent and Federal Way,” she said. One of the most prominent consequences of gentrification is the forced relocation of communities of color.

When affluent people come into these areas, they in-

Art by Ana Matsubara

crease the costs of living, which poses a challenge for long-established residents that cannot financially afford these changes.

The development of Washington-based corporations, such as Microsoft and Amazon, as well as businesses like Trader Joe’s, link to gentrification as well, since they attract white and wealthier groups to the neighborhood for jobs and retail. As a result, numerous restaurants in the CD that once served the black population are no longer present. Marks pointed out that over time, she had grown keen to the disappearance of many local soul food restaurants in her community.

Andresen recognized the dangers that come with being unaware of how innocent actions can contribute to a larger system of oppression that targets people of color.

“If you ask a white person, that white person might say, ‘Yeah, gentrification is good,’ because it’s benefiting them. But they don’t realize that somebody’s getting kicked out under the context of ‘improvement.’ Whatever improvement is.”

Given that a number of former residents were forced to leave the CD, Carter acknowledged that her grandparents are among the “privileged” for owning the same house since the 1960s. Up until the age of 7, she lived with them, then left for Atlanta. While this move was not a direct effect of gentrification, Carter began to fully grasp what it meant to be an African-American woman in the CD after returning home ten years later.

“I started to notice changes in the community the second I moved back here in 2010,” said Carter. “People on my street would look at me as if I didn’t belong. They just look at you like, Get out [of here].”

Marks had experienced similar unpleasant encounters in the CD throughout her lifetime. She expressed how her neighborhood had not only lost residents, but an aspect of friendliness and acceptance that once unified the community.

“A lot of times, some people just pass by and they’d look right in my face, and they would not speak,” she shared. “You know, one time I did speak to one and they didn’t say anything. And I said, ‘Okay, that’s fine.’

That’s fine, because I’m not going to change myself because one person don’t speak. I keep being myself.”

When registering for school, Carter expected to receive top priority into Garfield, since her grandparents’ house was located

within a 5-mile radius of the campus. To her dismay, that was not the case.

Instead, she was assigned to Rainier Beach High School, which took at least one to one and a half hours of commute each way via Bus 48. Even though she doesn’t regret attending Rainier Beach, Carter admitted that not having a choice in her education worsened the feeling of exclusion she fostered for being a stranger in her own neighborhood.

“It was just another way to remind me that I didn’t even belong [in the Central District], because I couldn’t even get into their school.”

How is this an outcome of gentrification? As Carter put it, it is “because [Seattle] pushed all the minorities out.” She explained how Garfield became a “magnet school,” meaning that it specifically aimed to attract white students to the campus, therefore allowing them to primarily benefit from the system. In the same way, Garfield’s AP program reproduces the same type of racial division among students in AP/honors vs. regular classes.

On a broader scale, Carter believed that the CD, as a whole, has transformed into a community that promotes white privilege.

One specific incident she recalled was asking a random couple along the street how they felt about older residents being pushed out of the neighborhood. Based on their responses, it didn’t appear that they cared much about the issue. In fact, Carter was convinced that not many Seattleites at all genuinely care about the well-being of minorities in these areas.

“They’re not helping people. They took advantage of them. If anything, they should help residents change the community, instead of pushing people out,” she stated.

“That’s Seattle’s fault.”

Although the presence of problems like gentrification can build a sense of community amongst those who fight back, nothing can take away from the fact that it is a real issue negatively impacting the lives of neighbors, close friends, and classmates. It’s more than a frequently mentioned topic in the news, and there’s more to it than a word for people of color to “pull the race card” whenever they feel like.

Carter contemplated on what gentrification meant to her on a deeper level, as well as how the matter had affected her outlook on life.

“I can definitely say that gentrification has opened my eyes more, and it’s made me realize that we, as the human race, don’t care about one another. Because if we did, we would help people instead of exploiting them.”

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

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News

Small Changes, Big Effects The ins and outs of Garfield’s new AP policy.

By Claire Boudour

I haven’t heard about it

A

s a response to high stress levels, mental health concerns, and increasing requests to drop classes at the semester or quarter, Garfield has instituted a new Advanced Placement (AP) policy for the 20172018 school year.

When registering No for next year’s classes, students were asked to limit their course load to only three AP classes. If they wish to enroll in more, the student and their parents will have to sign a contract stating that they are “aware that taking more than 3 AP classes involves high level analytical thought and research, includes a significant weekly workload, and progresses at a fast pace.”

This new policy intends to take some stress off of students, which will hopefully have positive effects on mental health.

“I worry about students overloading. I hear them talk about what it does to their junior and senior years. I see the unhappiness that it causes, and the stress and anxiety and the insomnia,” said Garfield teacher Jerry Neufeld-Kaiser.

The contract doesn’t force anyone to take different classes than they normally would, but it does give students another chance to consider their workload and outside commitments before blindly signing up for 4 classes. However, for some students the contract has made the registration process even more confusing.

“I see a lot of people feel pressured to take classes that they don’t want to, but I think [the contract] added another layer of stress for people who are now

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Do you support the AP cap?

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How many AP classes do you plan to take next year?

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

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realizing they won’t be able to change their minds,” said sophomore Sophie Josephson, who has signed up for f i v e AP classes for next year. “What are we telling kids if we’re saying to take risks and take the classes you want to, but if you sign up you can’t drop out?”

The portion of the contract that doesn’t allow students to change their minds about their workload at the beginning of either semester next year is meant to make scheduling less comYes plicated, as the number of class periods for each subject is decided by how many people sign up for that course. It also serves to make students consider their choices a little bit closer.

According to a survey of 75 anonymous Garfield students, distributed in class Facebook pages, about seven percent of students have dropped out of an AP class and into a lower level at the semester or quarter. The new policy makes these kinds of scheduling changes impossible, as the contract asks each student to agree that “it will not be possible for me to change my mind and switch into Regular or Honors courses.”

“I think it would be more effective if people went around and did presen1 tations on the negative mental health effects [of high level classes] rather than giving us a paper and being like, ‘here sign this, so you can’t sue us if you com2 mit suicide,” said Josephson.

Overall, this policy has been met with positive responses from students, who appreciate the staff’s concern with students’ mental wellbeing.

“I think taking less AP classes would allow students to spend

more time on things they really enjoy outside of school and to become more well rounded and fuller people,” said Garfield senior Griffin Scott-Rifer, “But I also think just having less homework would allow people to sleep more, which is just re ally key.”

For some students, AP classes seem like the logical option. In the survey, more than half of students said that an impressive transcript for college applications was their primary reason for enrolling in AP courses.

Other responders mentioned pressure from peers or parents and a lack of challenging material in regular or honors courses. “[I’m choosing to take AP classes] because no other class setting offers the learning pace that I need as an advanced student,” said another survey response.

Garfield teachers understand students’ need to challenge themselves and become competitive college applicants, but this new system urges students to reconsider their motivations and the possible consequences of signing up for more advanced classes than they can handle.

“I think that the students that are super achievement-oriented get kind of caught up in the pressure to overachieve because of some expectation that UW needs this and Stanford needs that and Columbia requires this and UCLA that,” said Neufeld-Kaiser. “I get that the competition is stiff but I also get that being an unhappy 17 year old shouldn’t be anybody’s goal and isn’t better for anybody.”

Another paper in the registration materials encouraged students to write down the number of hours per week they dedicate to sports, extracurriculars, jobs, volunteering, and other obligations. This allowed students to evaluate their priorities before committing to a schedule for next year, and was intended to inspire less intensive course loads.

“School is the main focus of my life and I know for some people that’s not how they want it to be, but that’s how it is for me and I’m fine with that,” said Josephson.

Although no new limits have officially been put on the classes students can enroll in for the upcoming school year, it has encouraged everyone at Garfield to spend more time considering their choices, and could help students’ mental health while creating some big changes in classroom culture.

Features

Novel Knowledge

The importance of literary diversity.

By Lily Laesch

F

rom classic texts to contemporary

stories, students often lack excitement when it comes to in-class reading. As hard as it can be to motivate, these books have the potential to make an impact on students. For that reason, Garfield teachers have been working to expand the curriculum in terms of race, background, and most recently, gender. This is because Garfield’s current curriculum is composed of almost entirely male authors, a make-up which does not reflect the student body.

The required reading is selected by curriculum committees that are made up of teachers. “[Those] committees get together and do a lot of research looking at other high schools and standards and reading levels,” said English teacher Timothy Zimmermann.

Although the reading varies from class to class, students will rarely encounter female authors. Zimmermann recently finished raising money to include the novel The Joy Luck Club, written by female Asian-American author Amy Tan. Even though this book is on the district’s Approved Instructional Materials list, it is not part of Garfield’s selected curriculum. This means that the set of books must be purchased independently, without the district’s funds.

The new addition will counter the exclusively male-written ninth grade curriculum.

“The authors are important because [they] tell the story that [they] know,” said Zimmermann. “It is important to all of us on the team to share our love of literature by letting our students see themselves in what they read.”

In addition, authors bring their personal biases and experiences with them when they write.

Novels are shaped by the writer’s identity, which runs the risk of perpetuating negative portrayals. For instance, when a majority of books are written by male authors, a pattern of female characters playing one-sided supporting roles can develop.

“Women are mostly love interests and

Art by Ana Matsubara

they’re mostly objectified. The girl character is often seen as a reward,” said freshman Linda Phan. “A [female] author would be more willing to have the perspective of a woman in her story.”

Furthermore, a novel that hits close to home can have a positive influence on the reader. When students can relate to what they are reading, it is more likely that they will pay attention.

“It’s so exciting when people read a really good piece of art in which they can see themselves,” said Zimmermann.

Likewise, students can be affected negatively if a majority of the books they’re reading don’t reflect aspects of their identity. ` “It makes me frustrated that women are not portrayed more in books and I can’t read a book about someone who is like me,” said Phan.

In addition to having students relate to the texts, another concern of teachers is incorporating books that explore unfamiliar topics. Educators are responsible for many things, one of which is to expand the viewpoints of their students. For that reason teachers try to balance their curriculum so that students can connect with the books but also broaden their thinking.

“I think going out into the world you just don’t reach for [diverse] books, you reach for what you know,” said sophomore Isabel Schmidt. “You need to have other perspectives.”

A 2008 study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that reading outside of class is not a priority for students ages fifteen to nineteen. Overall, students spend their free time pursuing extracurriculars, watching television, socializing, working, or doing chores. Less than fifteen percent of females and less than ten percent of males will read for pleasure on an average day. “[Students] say that they’re bored or they don’t like reading or they don’t have enough time,” said Schmidt. “These [school] books become the foundation of their reading.”

Therefore books read through school can have a profound impact on students, something teachers want to capitalize on.

“As much as I want to expose [students] to famous things, I want to challenge people and create a space in which they can engage with stuff they might not otherwise,” said Zimmermann. “Part of our job as teachers is to frame those books and perspectives as really valuable.”

These books can conceivably be the basis for the development of student’s personal opinions and mindsets. Novels read at Garfield will incorporate a range of voices, however, the female perspective, for the most part, is still absent. This can lead to negative portrayals of women through characters with little purpose. Although there are logistical and bureaucratic roadblocks, the Garfield teachers are working to make authentic representation a reality.

The Hunt is Over!

The new Vice Principal has been found.

By Cipher Goings You may have noticed the absence of a booming presence among the halls and wondered who the new figure is in office 222.

In Mr. Westering’s absence, Vice principal Katrina Hunt has filled the shoes of Westering with her vibrant personality, great work ethic, and strong leadership in the Garfield community.

Before transitioning to the educational field, Hunt began her career working with families.

“I spent the first fifteen years as a social worker for the department of social health.

I changed to education to work more with kids as opposed to parents,” said Hunt.

Hunt also has a background in counseling and has previously worked with students, a calling that has become her second nature.

“I’ve been in the Seattle School District for seven years. I was at Aki Kurose Middle School for six [years] as a counselor and

after receiving my principal certification I went out to Federal Way school district at Todd Beamer High School,” said Hunt.

Here at GHS, Hunt has her hands full running back and forth from office to office just to make sure things are functional within the school. As a vice principal, she’s required to be in charge of a least one department and she loves every minute of it.

“I’m in charge of the music department, disciplinary actions with the students, and, of course, to support Mr. Howard in anything that he needs help with,” said Hunt.

Hunt stated that being at Garfield has been a great experience, due to the school’s fun and high spirited community. She also noted that it is much more connected than the previous schools she has worked in. “[My Former school] was not a traditional comprehensive school, the grade levels were more separate and there was no real

community - so experiencing tradition and school spirit at GHS is amazing,” said Hunt.

For Hunt, one of the drawing features of the GHS community the passion of the students to take a stand for social change. She is also grateful to work alongside Mr. Howard, another person of color and role model in her career.

“Being an African-American woman working alongside an African-American male as the head of the school is one of the main reasons I applied for this position.

Here at GHS I’m in a place where I can learn a lot from [a person of color] but I’m also in a place where the students fight for social change and are progressive.”

Although Westering will be missed, Hunt is up for the challenge and is ready to become a true Garfield bulldog.

Photo by Ruby Seiwerath

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

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Opinion

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The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

March Madness It’s all history.

Mr. N-K

Mr. simoneaux

Freshman 5

Crackaz with Attitude

Michael Porter Who?

SeXC Ladies

Three years since their first appearance on the scene, the freshman five are back and here for blood. Cougars beware.

As you can tell, this team brings some serious attitude to our bracket this year. The Tonelli-Koplowitz duo is said to be legendary, but we have yet to confirm if they are, in fact, the only ones saying it.

The skill and shooting prowess of Lampton Enochs, combined with the athleticism and vertical of Navi Gast, aided by the small amount of skill in Jamon Kemp is sure to bring the trophy home.

We’re back, and we’re sexier than ever. The seXC ladies are often underestimated by foolish people because of our disappointing first round loss last year, but beware. Your assumptions may be fatal.

The Bucket Team

Mad-Park Moms

Who is your Barber?

We’re going to make it splash. Unstoppable.

Catch em on the courts of STC featuring a white w*ne hangover.

who’s ur barber/ nobody knows/ we’re about to win the ship/ look at your toes.

Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal

Mostly Asian Persuasion

Hot Messes

Yet another reason GHS needs a welding class. Remember to keep those blowtorches in your pants, boys.

Having one of Garfield’s teen hearthrobs on the team might distract the opposition, but for how long?

They call themselves the “vastly superior Messenger Team.” Let’s hope your ball skills are better than your medicore reporting. See you on the court.

Baby got Back

Messenger Mamacitas

Ohana

Jasper B, Toby T, Costa G, Jason N , Josh C

The un-BELL-ieviable 5 Bell T, Jonny S, Isabella Z, Corinna S, Colm S

You thought you liked basketball, wait till you see basket-BELL! (hopefully their pun skills don’t speak for their ball skills. See you on the court.)

Future Wisconsin Stars Stephen R, Evan O, Oscar H, Peyton M

This fresh group of 018 boys may consider dropping their (basket)balls and becoming involved in the film industry.

Suh Surf

Donovan J, Oscar Westneat, Leo B, Walker N, Jack H

We have been training since the first day of school for this moment. We have an electric starting 3, and an even better bench.

Quinn T, Aidan S, Jack B, Matt K, Jack G

Joshua D, Chris G, Henry G, Andre A Nkosi T

Nelson H., Ian K., Rogan Z, Jonas H

Noelle K, Kayla W, Carlin B, Elise M, Sophia B

Let’s see if these soccer players can playas wellwith their hands as they can with their feet.

Lampton E, Navi G, Vieagus O, Jamon K

Sage K, Julia R, Ava Z, Caroline S, Mariel P

Luke L, Isaac K, Andrew C, Andrew N, Brandon A

Bella R, Hannah T, Quinn S, Elena O, Alex F

the vicious and not sponsored Messenger Mamacitas are poised to take the trophy to its rightful place in room 203A .

Gibbs Free Throws

Liam C, Brock F, Alex M, Will O, Zachary S

These boys will be lucky to do as well as last year’s lacrosse season. PSA since no one cares about lacrosse, they only won one game.

Unless Alex Miller happens to hack the score board, these boys are going to need a bit more than a 4.0 to get them to their next round.

Weak Sauce

Homeschooled

Just some wannabe ballers, lost in the sauce.

Nick “Keens are basketball shoes” Bishop is expected to perform all over the court.

Watch out for Hattie “I played for two years I promise” Sanders and Thomas “The bench rider” Tolgu. Jaya “I swung varsity” Duckworth and Luka “I’m a shooter” Bedalov will end strong.

Zack C, Spencer O, Hank H, Walker N, Noah N

David K, Joshua W, Aiyu C, Maslah A, Abdinasir Y

Lidgard’s Ladies

Olivia G, Lily P, Izzy W, Ariel C, Sylvia S

Nous are une groupe de flirty francaise femmes who are tres tres bon at le basketball est we manger lots of les crepes et baguettes!

We will without a doubt arivee to destroy tout les equipes.

Matzo Ballers

Gabe C, David W, Tony G, Micah T, Hannah P This

is one of the deepest teams in years. this team has the potential to go all the way to the 8th day.

Jaya D, Nick B, Thomas T, Hattie S, Luka B

Wait... Do you Row?

Claire B, Delphi DM, Sophie BF, Grace B, Cecilia H

do you even have time for this?

One and done

Christopher L, Hayden W, Spencer H-W, Ford B

No refunds...

Evan D, Caleb A, Micah J, Leland A, Jelani H

Lily L, Julia L, Sydney S, Freya W, Elliott H

Will L, Tony N, Aaron G, Alex G, Chamos M

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind...... except Travis.

Mr. Young

Mr. Charity 4 Lacrosse Players and a Ginger

Emma C, Marte B, Lily H, Lena S, Flora T

You Got Schooled

Flat Earth Society

Last year’s winners are back. For those who can remember our 2016 tournament, the Garfield staff team proved to be an unstoppable force, proving that, yes, you can fail a student AND break their ankles within the span of two class periods.

Apparently these young fellas haven’t taken earth science yet. Lucky for them, they will be learning more than just a history lesson on the court.

Six Foot Jumpers

Ranier S, Jackson S, Henry M, Bailey T, Nico W

Mason G, Alex L, Alek R, Noah P, Daniel B

Garfield Staff

Avi C, Zack B, Spencer K, Soren D, Miles T

Jury’s still out on the OFFICIAL height of this team’s roster. Maybe they’re counting on the air bubbles in their sneakers to add some extra inches?

Tiki Taka FC

Remember boys, you’re not freshman anymore, it’s no longer acceptable to go out there and blush when you miss a layup. Better bring the SB guns.

Vocal 3-Pointers

Juliette J, Andrew T, Oliver C, Liam S

God is Good

George O, Jae A, Simon R, Travis W, Markele L

You soft.

Volleyballers

Tyra K, Maya K, Sarah K, Maya B, Lanai H

They’ve got height, they’ve got spirit, they’re probably going to hit you in the face with a basketball.

Although we perform sold-out concerts at Benaroya Hall and have mastered the art of choral-ography, it is yet to be proven that we are ballerz.

Team Pass-A-Lot

Ben F, Asad T, Sam C, Woody M, Roan M

Team pass a lot better not pass a lot to Ben Ferry, or they may not be seeing a second round.

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

9

The un-BELL-ievable 5 Fresmen 5 Future Wisconsin Stars Suh Sorf Crackaz With Attitude

Mr. Charity

Ma Mad

The Bucket Team Twisted Steel and Sex Appeal Baby got Back 4 Lax Players + A Ginger

Win

Weak Sauce Matzo Ballers Lidgard’s Ladies Gibbs Free Throws Homeschooled Wait...do you row?

One and Done

Mr. N.K.

3 on 3 half court rules: Points by members will be keeping score. etc. Two basketball varsity memb same time. If there is a member o the court they are only allowed t (in other words they have to play court). Make it take it. Games st end of lunch. Any rules not metio less agreed upon before the gam quest

arch dness

Michael Porter Who? Mad Park Moms Mostly Asian Persuasion

Mr. Young

Messenger Mamacitas SeXC Ladies Hot Messes Ohana You Got Schooled

nner

twos and threes. Messenger staff Players call own fouls, travels, bers cannot be on the court at the of any varsity basketball team on to play with one other teammate y 3 on 3 whenever they are on the tart at 12:50 and will go until the oned here will not be enforced unme. Contact David Willner with tions.

Who is Your barber

6 Foot jumpers God is Good 3

Mr. Simoneaux

Volleyballers Flat Earth Society Tiki Taka FC Vocal 3-Pointers Team Pass-A-Lot

LOVE SUMMER.

LOVE GALLAGHER. Overnight Summer Camp for Teens • Lakebay, WA

Sun, sand and adventure on the shores of Puget Sound.

Scholarships Available!

• • •

Crafts Theme nights Challenge initiatives

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Register now

www.CampGallagher.org

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The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

A&E

Dye-versity in Running

The controversy behind the Color Run.

By Esther Chien or many reluctant runners on the West Coast, The Color Run transforms exercising into enjoyment. But the Color Run is not the first to implement the idea of splattering colors on participants. A long-standing tradition know as the Holi Indian Festival, celebrated by Hindus annually in March, celebrates the colorful arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil through festivities such as throwing powdered colors.

The vivid pigments symbolize the

F

death of the Holika which is just one aspect of this religious holiday.

While this has been part of traditional Hindu culture for many centuries, this practice of using colors has recently penetrated Western culture.

The Color Run is one way this symbolic occasion has been used. On their website, the Color Run states that it draws inspiration from “festivals throughout the world such as Holi”, yet some believe that this is

not enough, accusing it of cultural appropriation.

Prashant Kakad, the director of Bollywood Dreams Entertainment, a production company, hosts Holi festivals in the Northwest to recreate the authentic Indian

people could learn about other cultures,” said Kakad.

Here at Garfield, students feel the same way. Senior Gayathri Ramasamy moved here from India last year, and celebrates Holi with her neighborhood. She feels strongly about her culture being given proper recognition.

“If you don’t promote Indian culture [in the r Run], then the best thing kne Klec a n to do is to at least tell people n Bria by where you took [the color] from, t r A so it doesn’t seem like it’s your idea. This is something we’ve been doing for a long time, experience. and we don’t like that it’s used for commerHe believes that there cial purposes without giving us credit,” said are positive parts of the Col- Ramasamy. or Run, and it should not be considAvi Chung, a sophomore of Indian deered as detrimental as it has been labelled. scent, agreed with Ramasamy, and uses a “What I do like about the run is that their different lens to view the Color Run’s use of mission is about creating a safe space for Indian culture. people to come and leave this world a hap“It’s being repurposed. People who do py, healthier place. I also see that they have the color run don’t fully understand the culdonated about 5 million dollars since their ture that’s behind it.” inception to various charities,” said Kakad.

Chung says that there are steps the Color Furthermore, with its widespread in- Run can take to become more culturally fluence over generations, Kakad hopes the sensitive. “Instead of just having a Color Color Run could use their platform to edu- Run, you could have people speak about cate people on Hindu culture. what it is about, [and] have actual people “I do wish that they gave more credit and who understand what they’re doing in talked more about all these festivals so that charge of [organizing] it,” Chung said.

Similarly, Malini Williams, a sophomore, strongly advocates for the Color Run to promote greater awareness of the culture the Color Run is influenced by.

“I don’t think there would be any one person or one side of it who could decide if it’s cultural appropriation. It is cultural appropriation even if the side you’re taking culture from is fine with it,” Williams said.

More specifically, Williams wants those who do not see it as cultural appropriation to reconsider the context.

“I don’t think everyone completely understands what it is. I would say think about it from the viewpoint from if it was your culture. Would you be offended by it? Do they know what the significance is?”

Although these three Garfield students recognize the Color Run as appropriation of their Indian culture, they believe that it can improve its reputation. Ramasamy in particular acknowledges that the Holi festival includes more than just colors.

“Holi is not just [about] throwing colors at each other. It’s a time where you offer to God. It’s where family and other people get together. You [get to] know your neighbors better. The world is in a way that you don’t know your own neighbors but this gives [you]an opportunity to meet other people because unity is one of the major [elements] of our religion,” Ramasamy said.

Awarding Assault

How Hollywood isn’t supporting women.

By Sydney Santos For those who weren’t totally distracted on Oscar night by the Steve Harvey situation of the award season, you may have noticed that 2016 Best Actress winner Brie Larson neglected to clap after announcing Casey Affleck’s Oscar for Best Actor in his film Manchester By the Sea. The reasoning behind Larson’s seemingly rude actions were justified; the actress won her Oscar last year for portraying a young mother in Room (2015), who was kidnapped and abused by a man that held her in captivity for seven years. Larson has since used her fame to advocate for sexual assault survivors. For this reason, presenting the esteemed Best Actor award to Affleck, who in 2010 was accused of sexual assaulting a producer and a cinematographer, both females, on the set of film I’m Still Here, appears to have hit a sore spot for Larson.

This wasn’t the only female assault controversy of the night; Mel Gibson’s 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge had seven nominations at the Oscars, including Best Director for

Gibson. The actor-turned-director was a Hollywood sweetheart until 2010, when his ex-wife filed a restraining order on him for verbal and physical abuse. Although he didn’t win Best Director, the Oscar nod can be interpreted as Gibson’s “ticket” back into Hollywood’s good graces.

By acknowledging these accused assaulters in the season’s most prestigious award ceremony, Hollywood seems to disregard the abuse of females as a serious offense and believes that the offset lives of industry workers shouldn’t influence the voting process. The Academy makes up a considerable percentage of the film industry; over 6,000 people, from cinematographers to actors to writers, choose to award people like Affleck and Gibson for their work.

Hollywood’s indirect support of sexual assault isn’t a recent trend. In 1940, child star Shirley Temple was flashed by a much older producer when she was only twelve; in the 70s, actress Susan Sarandon was aggressively approached by a potential

Art by Ariel Cook

employer for sexual favors in exchange for a part; and in 2010, Gwyneth Paltrow revealed in an interview that she was asked by a film executive to finish a meeting “in the bedroom”. These are only a few of the many women that have opened up about their unwanted encounters with males who had significant power over their careers..

Despite the seemingly progressiveness of the 21st century, Hollywood, one of the most central aspects of American culture, appears to still disregard the mistreatment of women in and out of the industry, enabling perpetrators to continue harassing female workers. Critics of Affleck’s win see the event as a sign that society has considerable progress remaining in its treatment of women. This progress can be achieved by raising awareness about assaulters in the industry and acknowledging that through watching their movies, we are indirectly supporting harassment.

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

13

A&E

If the Shoe Fits

A look into sneaker culture at Garfield.

By Jamaica Aytch

E

veryone wears them; to run, jump, lounge, make a statement, or simply to show off. Whether it’s the newest pair of Jordans or a beat up pair of Converse, shoes convey something about the wearer.

To these three Garfield students, the shoes they wear play a big role in how they express themselves in the hallways of GHS. Sophomore Israel Presley’s Laser Four Jordan’s are a point of pride in his shoe game.

“When you look good, you feel good, and when you feel good, you perform well.” Presley said. Whether it be on the field, in the hallway, or out in public, Presley sees his shoes as a way to say that he has something to prove, that by wearing this or that pair he is in a sense untouchable.

“Having some nice shoes can really help you be ‘that’ guy…Having what’s popular before anyone else kinda boosts your pride,” said Presley.

Extensive shoe collections are often the subject of envy, giving the owner a certain amount of respect, making them especially desirable by the “it” crowd “Shoes are essentially a way to get noticed, regardless of race or color,” said Presley.

However, not everyone at Garfield identifies with the sneakerhead culture. Rocking a very unique style, Senior Rheana Dale would choose platforms over Nike’s any day, and doesn’t tend to buy into the sneaker trend.

“Sneakers seem to be really big with black males and black females, and while I may be one of those, I’ve never felt the desire to

14

wear them,” said Dale.

“It’s all about trying to look better than the next person. Jordans and Nikes just happen to be the most advertised way of doing so, especially amongst African-Americans.”

Dale thinks a name brand’s ability to convey wealth is a large contributor to the trend.

“All I hear is how it’s not even about liking the shoe as much as showing your wealth, and the respect that’s given because of being able to do so,” said Dale.

Finn Petrak on the other hand sees himself as an outsider to the sneakerhead trend.

“I tend to buy my shoes for comfort in oppose to style,” said Petrak. “And while it’s not something I really understand it’s something I can definitely respect.”

Petrak also acknowledged that trends within Garfield contribute to the social atmosphere.

“I just it as different ways of expressing interests,” said Petrak. He commented on how those interests can result in different values within social circles, drawing parallels to the respect given to a sneakerhead with a nice pair of shoes, to someone in his own group with a new Patagonia.

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

Photos by Toby Tran

Sophomore Sierra Bradford, on the other hand, is an avid sneakerhead, who actively acknowledges the social significance of the shoes on her feet.

“It’s an unspoken language: ‘Oh he/she has nice shoes? - They must be somebody’,” said Bradford. “It’s essentially a sign of status.”

Bradford compares this to an adult finding status in the house they own or the car

they drive, thinking that it’s an adolescent way of displaying one’s wealth.

“It’s how they’ve been taught to present themselves as successful,” said Bradford.

Shoe culture in and out of Garfield revolves around self expression, whether you love rocking old school Vans or strutting in birkenstocks, the shoes on your feet are big part of your persona.

A&E

The Sunken Place How Get Out proves racism is still alive and well.

By Jessica Morales

T

hough we’re much more accustomed to watching horror movies in which the main characters are convinced their dolls are haunted, or that their children are possessed, comedian Jordan Peele, shows us a different type of horror than we’re used to seeing on the big screen. Written and directed by Peele himself, Get Out is setup to demonstrate the present day enslavement of black male bodies. Power dynamics between white and black people is highly emphasized by Peele to demonstrate the horrors of the racial hierarchy white people created and how society continues to perpetuate it.

The film centers around Chris, a black man, and Rose, a white woman, who are planning a weekend away to the countryside to visit Rose’s parents.

Leaving the city typically

results in characters experiencing their worst nightmares, but unlike the classic movie trope, Peele politically twists this scene around, aiming to criticize the white liberal elite who strongly assert that they are not racist and the way they avoid accepting their privilege and racial biases. The film constantly navigates and explores racism in the way we recognize it in modern day society, with historical context incorporated in order to show a literal representation of the way black people are highly fetishized due to stereotypes about their bodies. This includes the assumptions that black people are better

built for sports and other physical labor, therefore enforcing the assumptions of black male hypermasculinity and hypersexuality, while simultaneously referencing enslavement. In an interview with ScreenJunkies News, Peele considers this concept to show “the exotification and the love of the black body and culture, is just as twisted a form of racism as the darker more violent forms of racism.”

In the movie’s trailer, we learn that Chris is hypnotized by Rose’s mother into a state of mind that she calls “the sunken place.” Once seen in context, one can see the hypno-

sis as a representation of what it’s like when a black person is trying hard to appeal to white people - to be accepted into their reality, and even going as far as silencing themselves around white partners and friends, and how that can take a toll on their minds. This does not necessarily portray the superiority complex of white people, through the attitudes of Rose’s family, we learn that it’s actually a portrayal of superiority beliefs being passed down through generations of a family, it’s not an attitude

human beings, or in this case, white people are born with.

Peele is able to showcase the power white people crave - their desire to control the culture and minds of black people. In Get Out, white people don’t want to completely get rid of the black race, instead they see blackness as something they can mentally and spiritually attain, they however, don’t see the

snacking on Froot Loops, sipping her glass of milk, and listening to music loudly while her dad and brother are busy with Chris. Or how in the beginning, defending Chris

humanity of black people.”Anytime we see color first or we categorize one another as a race, we’ve already lost an important part of what being human should be,” said Peele in the ScreenJunkies interview.

Although this aspect was lingering throughout the movie, towards the end, Peele reveals the role white women play in racial violence. If you’ve seen the movie, you probably remember Rose comfortably

Art by Ariel Cook

from the police could have easily gotten him killed. In reality, we’ve seen this same complicitness in white women, not only through their participation in the KKK, but also in the 2016 presidential elections -- in which fifty-three percent of white women voted for Donald Trump.

Photo of the Issue

By Elliott Hoppe

The Dawg Pound gets hyped at a basketball game.

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

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A&E

Black Dot Creative Collective Harnessing the power of creativity and community.

By Julia Lin

Welcome to Black Dot Black Dot Creative Collective is a local business that preserves the integrity of this infamous intersection by providing support and opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs of color. It’s located right next to Earls Cuts and Styles, a barber shop that has been around for over twenty years.

The first thing you see, even before you walk through the doors, are the words printed on the windows: Business, Future, Connect and Community. These are the things that K. Wyking Garret, graduate of the Garfield Class of 1995 and cofounder of Black Dot, has based the organization off of. “Black Dot is at the intersection of creative entrepreneurs and technology. Technology in this time is about disruption, so we need to disrupt the status quo systems that have not been working for [people of color]” said Garret.

Once you enter, Black Dot is an open space that resembles some sort of hybrid between a conference room and a welcoming living room, featuring tables and swivel chairs, as well as walls adorned with vibrant paintings and post its full of ideas. According to their mission statement, Black Dot is a “culturally responsive community for Black entrepreneurs”. Garret and others strive to provide resources, such as workshops and work space, and support for local black entrepreneurs, artists and more. “Black Dot has been nationally recognized for the work that it’s doing to create economic empowerment and mobility for a community that has been redlined, disenfranchised and systematically kept out of the economy” said Garret.

Monday, March 13 sought to shine a light on the decades of historical injustice that are culminating in this land dispute. Concerned community members, including Garfield’s own Black Student Union, local politicians, and business owners gathered to discuss problems and potential solutions.

“We don’t want to just be part of the history of this community where we’ve become just a museum of “oh Jimi Hendrix’s house was here” or “Quincy Jones played here” and there are plaques all over but there’s no living testaments to that history.” said Garret “There’s no place for the young people that have that genius in them today to go and express it, develop, cultivate it and share it in ways that empowers themselves and everyone else in this community and city. We want to be here in the future. We want in.”

raise more awareness for businesses that are owned by people of col-or.” said Tsutukawa, “if you want to support those businesses and know where your money is going you should have the information you need”.

Tsutakawa emphasizes the importance of “voting with your wallet” or, in other words, actively choosing to financially support businesses owned by minorities. Concrete actions like this are important ways to incite change but are also necessary to preserve the history of the Central District. Both Garret’s and Tsutakawa’s actions add on to a long history of activism at Garfield which we, as students and a new generation, must continue. “There’s a saying,” Garret said,

Bulldogs for Businesses Supporting locally owned businesses and businesses owned by people of color is becoming increasingly important as the Central District changes. Garfield soccer coach Kizamu Tsutakawa grew up in the Central District and is also actively working to help support entrepreneurs of color by making stickers that go on the windows of businesses owned by people of color. Tsutakawa and his friend Meron Menghistab are “trying to Photos by Ruby Seiwerath

Conflict in the Community Just this Monday, Black Dot held a rally to bring attention to the fact that the landlord is trying to evict them. The plot of land that Black Dot (and other beloved local businesses) are located on has been a source of dispute for a few years now. Disagreement within the family who owns the land about who should get to develop it has caused conflict, so far, without resolution.

As housing prices go up and more new businesses try to find space in the Central District, Black Dot reminds us of the importance of supporting community organizations. “This situation where Black Dot is vulnerable and under attack and being pushed out by landlords highlights the crisis and vulnerability of many in our city. It just happens to be right here on 23rd and Union. We want to move forward and find solutions that makes Seattle a world class city, not just a one class city.” said Garret.

A press conference which was held on

16

Clockwise from top right: Andre Taylor; Black Dot doors; BSU members Khabira Weddington and Amah Wellderfiel; Black Dot founder; K. Wyking Garret; Garfield soccer coach Kizamu Tsutakawa

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

“they tried to bury us, but they didn’t know we were seeds. The Black Dot is a seed”.

Sports

The Next Genderation

The significance of identity in a binary world. sports] because it is what your biological body can do. But being forced to click a box that says what your gender is rather than what your sex is in order to sign up, is hard.”

The backlash that sports integration has received is very mixed. Some deny the very existence of transgender or gender nonconforming people. Others seek to question the equity and fairness related with athletes who may receive some kind of advantage over their privileged cis counterparts.

“These are still communities that suffer a lot of discrimination stereotypically in sports; that is an area where there are many issues of discrimination that come up because of gender,” said Leslie. “So I think [equitable] treatment of non binary or transgender athletes is first of all paramount to ensure safety and equal opportunity, in the same way that we worked to challenge the discrimination that women who entered in traditionally gendered sports suffered in the past.”

Though the struggles of cis women are

“ Art By Brianna Kleckner

By Susana Davidson

F

rom the moment you are born you have existed in a world of binary gender. Baby boys are greeted with swaths of blue balloons, trucks and toys to prepare them for the aggressive masculinity they will have to endure in later life.

Girls on the other hand, are expected to have an affinity for pink, Barbie and housekeeping. These rigid gender roles will follow everyone for the rest of their lives.

The athletic world is relatively slow to catch up with the changes the rest of the world has made in regards to diminishing and eradicating the prejudices that have put us into binaries from our first day on this planet. This is mainly due to the strict guidelines sports often have in regards to hormonal levels.

The aim of the organizations and doctors that create the rules regarding athletic competitions are to make sure every athlete that steps up to the starting line is evenly matched, at least in the measurable ways. The most common doping scandals are caused by illegal testosterone intake, essentially making the body more male, more explosively powerful, and

more efficient with its oxygen intake.

“Cis [gender] women [athletes] have a cap on the levels of testosterone to prevent taking supplements,” said Garfield history teacher and cross country coach John C. Leslie. “For an intersex athlete who naturally has higher testosterone levels, the big question is: is it fair? It is an issue that hasn’t been resolved.”

The dispute over gender neutral and non binary athletes is a fairly new one that not many have a clear solution for. Even trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming athletes have no clear answer. Sam Scheckler, a genderfluid Garfield sophomore and avid rower says, “I can see why it’s [binary

“

I felt kind of singled out because I didn’t fit in with the girls and the guys.

”

We have to do so much more to fight back against this institutional binary, gender wise or sex wise, because it completely erases people.

”

very different from those of gender non conforming or trans people, their experiences in the athletic world both hinge on being denied access because their identity.

On the high school level, rules and regulations vary from state to state, and from team to team. Washington state has a relatively inclusive policy regarding trans athletes, allowing athletes to compete in their identifying gendered team without taking hormone supplements or undergoing operations. The Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), which has authority over all Washington schools, including Garfield, put forth a formal statement in their 2013-14 handbook stating that, “All students should have the opportunity to participate in WIAA activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records.”

However, those in other states are not so

“

I wish I could be unabashedly myself.

”

lucky. Texas, for instance, possesses discriminatory policies regarding trans athletes. That is, requiring a birth certificate change, and a hormone wait period or operation. In February of 2016, school superitendents voted to require the use of a birth certificate to place a student in a gendered sports team. This was seconded by the governing body of Texan high schools, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) and took effect on August first, ratified by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.

Last February, these rules were challenged when a seventeen-year-old female to male transgender athlete, Mack Beggs, won the girls 110 pound state tournament. He chose to wrestle with the girls when he was given an ultimatum: either wrestle with the gender he doesn’t conform to, or give up his sport entirely. The choice was simple.

“I’m most proud of my State Title win. I was so relieved when I won,” said Beggs, who has remained calm despite the backlash he has received. “I try to ignore the haters and just move on with my life.”

“We have to do so much more to fight back against this institutional binary, gender wise or sex wise, because it completely erases people- intersex people, non binary people,” says trans Nova sophomore Theo Laski, a former figure skater, roller derby skater and current dancer. “As long as we continue to focus on the binary, nothing is going to change.

I hope Mack’s win in a first step in that.”

Despite all the challenges they’ve faced, most trans continue to stand by their beloved sports. “It’s nice to rely on other people,” says Sheckler. “But I feel like I have to work more to be more accepted if I do choose to come out.” Those who have come out continue to experience struggles that go along with their non conforming identity. “I felt kind of singled out because I didn’t fit in with the girls or the guys,” says Laski. “I wish I could unabashedly be myself.” Notwithstanding, they have hope for the future. As the current social climate shifts, new laws will be created, facilitated by the next generation of policy makers focused on gender equality. However, as Laski says, “As long as we continue to focus on the binary, nothing is going to change.”

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

17

Sports

Bad Reality A hatred for fantasy sports, explained.

By Josh Chestnut

E

ach year, a group of peers buy two large pizzas and gather at a friend’s house in hopes of drafting the perfect team. Each member is equipped with a soda in hand and a computer on their lap.

The members log in to espn.com, and switch off making picks on the draft simulator program, acting like a general manager, mimicking what drafting players in the NFL is really like. Little do they know, not only will their team be riddled with injuries, disappointments, and failure, but they will also have wasted an incredible amount of time in the process.

Fantasy football began getting popular in the early 2000’s, though it has been around since the 60’s. This imaginary sport is a sports platform in which a participant picks players who they think will score the most points over the course of the NFL season; all of these selected players are then put on a team that one can call their own.

The statistical success of these players determines the number of points received by the given member’s team. For example, if a player scores a lot of touchdowns and gets a lot of yards, with a lot of targets, then they are considered a valuable player because they have the highest point value.

Formats for leagues include head-tohead scoring in which you battle against separate opponents each week, total points where your placing is based off of an accumulation of points throughout the year, and dynasty leagues where you keep your players throughout multiple seasons.

Fantasy sports stretch to nearly all sports, although fantasy football is easily the most popular. In the end a winner is crowned, gaining the sought after respect from his or her peers, while a loser is simultaneously de-

cided, forcing that person to suffer until the next year of fantasy sports begins.

Fantasy football is conducted through ESPN, NFL.com, and other apps, making it an accessible, on-the-go resource to check.

Setting lineups for the week has become seemingly equivalent to checking a Facebook feed or posting a tweet.

My hatred for fantasy leagues stems from a personal level in which my passion for sports has declined sharply. In seventh grade I went all-in on fantasy sports, with a toe in the water of the NFL, NBA, and MLB. My innocent middle school self put these fantasy teams as the number one priority in my life. I enjoyed having an easy conversation topic and my competitive spirit really enjoyed the idea of beating my friends in sheer sports knowledge. I will always miss the trash talking that occurs on the Tuesday after a game and the easy way to start a conversation with a complete stranger when discussing fantasy sports.

But over time my interest level dropped because of my traitorous attitude towards my favorite teams. I drafted players on rival teams, rooting for athletes on the field that I could never imagine having a n y

Art by Ariel Cook

18

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

reason to like. Last year, I even had Tom Brady in one of my fantasy lineups (enough said...). I was now evaluating players based on logic, rather than my emotions and I recognized a problem in that. At this point, I realized that I was doing this for the wrong reasons, and it was affecting the sports I love because I was rooting for my fantasy players rather than my favorite teams.

One year later, I wound up not drafting a fantasy team or becoming involved in any leagues. I wasn’t cheering for a useless wide receiver in the opposite conference, I wasn’t praying for a blocked field goal on Monday Night Football, and I wasn’t hoping my favorite team would lose for the benefit of fake pride over my friends. Yet, there is a part of me that misses that competitive bond against my peers.

Over the past few months I have been watching sports carefree, without the stress of rooting for specific players. Now, I’m noticing things that I had forgotten to look for, like the play calling, reactions from players, and momentum shifts. I wasn’t thinking about the players in the game, whether the

team would run the ball in the red zone, or go for a two point conversion; instead, I was focused on the emotional side of the game and the crucial details. I now pity those people shackled to a limited fantasy experience.

Unfortunately, the reality is that fantasy sports are here to stay. There is now a fantasy sports empire, aided by ESPN’s involvement and other websites, such as Rotowire and fantasypros. Celebrities have risen, books have been written, and a new gambling culture has emerged as fantasy sports have grown in popularity. In just the U.S. and Canada, a total of 57.4 million people participated in fantasy sports in 2016, compared to 12.6 million participants in 2005.

To the millions who play the game, are you truly happy? Is it you who is playing the game or is the game playing you? The absence of a fantasy team has been a relief to me in terms of the amount of time I now have. Instead of checking my lineups, scouring the waiver wires, and researching injuries, I can now focus more on the important things in my life.

Fantasy sports are something all sports fanatics like me are bound to try out at not point or another, but through all the struggles, heartbreaks, and ego-crushing events, I have decided that is not worth the pain.

I care more about my favorite teams than individual players on my fantasy football roster. My retirement from fantasy sports has many positives to it, and I promise it has nothing to do with my last place finish in the 2016 season.

Sports

One Great Season.

Three ways to say it.

By Ann Shan

At a Glance Overall 24-5 District 14-1 Home: 8-1 Away: 7-0 Neutral: 8-4 National Rank: 37 State Rank: 2

“They have the whole swagger that a slam dunk has.”

Photos by Toby Tran

T

eamwork took the boys’ basketball team all the way to state finals this year, but two-thirds of the team will never show up on the roster. In fact, they didn’t even step foot on the court.

Garfield’s cheerleaders and marching band have a share in the triumphs of the basketball team too. Band member and flute player Audrey Ostenson said that the wins are felt on a very individual level.

“One of the great things about going to high school sports games is that the audience is just small enough that you feel like you make a difference in the game, that if you yell harder, or if your student section is the biggest and most supportive, it’ll impact the game’s outcome.”

That hype is essential, according to baritone saxophone player Ana Olsen, because it brings out the team’s personality.

“They have the whole swagger that a slam dunk has,” Olsen said.

The experience is one that can’t be described by stats. For trumpet player Raevyn Godden, it isn’t the well assured victories that make for the best games.

“My favorite game was [against] West Seattle in the Tacoma Dome, because we won in the last 0.2 seconds, and that’s just the most emotional anyone’s ever been,” Godden said.

In sharing these experiences, cheerleader Nicole Scoggins feels that the relationship between them and the players is different from what one could expect from student fans, and consequently they can sense when the players are off their game.

“You know their weaknesses and their bests,” Scoggins said. “Some games they were definitely off and some games they were working as a team. They were under

pressure a lot, against Nathan Hale especially.”

Those observations rung true for power forward and center Karl Drammeh, who emphasized the impact of teamwork this season.

“The coaches brought us together. They have to, because that’s how you make it. You need that team chemistry,” Drammeh said.

“That was a big part of this season’s success.

It was also the reason we messed up in some games. It was because of the chemistry and mentality.”

The necessity of teamwork is something trumpet player Hugo Solomon thinks extends to the band members, cheerleaders, and players, who act as one larger team. “[Coach] Haskins, who was talking to the band, said ‘There is no question, the band is part of the team.’ [...] And it actually does feel that way... like you’re part of the game,” Solomon said. “I suck at basketball, and this is my way of getting partially involved in the sport.”

And as part of the team, they also get to witness firsthand the changes and growth in the players.

“This year the players seem less huge and intimidating, but incredibly fast and just really really really good. And they’re a lot more resilient,” Solomon said. “Last year, when we started losing in the beginning it wouldn’t really go anywhere, but this year [there was always a] comeback.”

And to Audrey Ostenson, those comebacks are the perfect sign of how the relationship between athlete, cheerleader, and band plays out.

“With all of our epic comebacks, it [especially] felt like some of the energy that drove the team forward came from us.”

District Games

Playoff Games

12/2 12/6 12/13 12/15 12/16 12/17 1/3 1/6 1/10 1/13 1/20 1/24 1/27 1/31 2/3

@ Cleveland @ Bainbridge Seattle Prep Lakeside @ Ballard Bishop Blanchet Roosevelt @ West Seattle @ Chief Sealth Rainier Beach @ Ingraham O’ Dea Nathan Hale @ Eastside C. Franklin

W W W W W W W W W W W W L W W

2/8 2/14 2/17 2/18 2/25

Rainier Beach Rainier Beach Bellevue Eastside C. Stanwood

W L W W W

3/3 Quarterfinal

Rainier Beach - W - 59-58 3/4 Semifinal

West Seattle - W - 44-43 3/5 Final

Nathan Hale - L - 51-68

The Garfield Messenger 03/17/2017

19

The Backpage

Tag Yourself - Garfield Sports Brought to you by, The Petty Pair-Paulerte Ageres and Jaya Duckworth ;)

Football -biggest fans are marching band -“we up next #grindformyfamily” -coach hotter than all of the players

Cheer -only cheers to wear the uniform at parties -future basketball wives -real life characters of Bring It On -will fight anyone for their boys -pettiest group chat Vocal Jazz -gets cardio from harmonizing -scooby dooby doo bop dap -matches pitch with fire alarm -thought it would be like Glee, slightly disappointed

Tennis -only wears lululemon -parents probably on the PTA -future country club members -Madison Park Ultimate Frisbee -wears frisbee shorts to school -always talking about how they’re a real sport -not a real sport -actually a dog **Disclaimer** This is meant to be a work of satire, commenting on sports stereotypes, and any offense is unintentional. We love ALL our Bulldawgs <3

Boys Swimming -always naked -towel shorts -“any frogs in the house true frogs?”

-would stage a protest for a Speedo dance

Boys Basketball -“swipe up for a streak” -owns 74 pairs of Jordans -the reason the school has no money for paper -only travels via party bus -“we’re to the dome”

XC -default white sport -only runs for pasta -probably on POST -only on the team for will laird -thighs paler than their frosted tips

Dance Team -born wearing hoop earrings -will twerk to any song -only dress in Nike -cheer’s younger sister

Volleyball -an excuse to wear booty shorts -either hugging each other or crying -Overly excited about hitting the ball over the net

Track -more diverse version of XC

Wrestling -“omg stop flirting with me i can feel the light caress on my thigh!!”

-thicc -constantly weighing themselves -can only eat 1,789.99 calories a day -carnivore

Baseball -dip szn -carries around dead bodies in their big a** bags -big butts -bigger egos

Boys Soccer -only talks about FIFA -white boys’ primary social scene -will play shirts and skins in any weather -north face jacket, khakis, and adidas

Chess Team -future millionaires -smarter than you -takes 7 APs -thrives off of chess puns -lactose intolerant

LAX -brings up lax in every sentence -extra -girls conform to gender stereotypes and wears skirts

Girls Soccer -only on the team for Lugo -kind of boring -pulls up shorts to their shoulders to define their butt -will only do squats when xc boys are running by

Softball -bigger balls than the baseball boys -socks higher than a shot at the pro leagues

Girls Basketball -underappreciated -overshadowed by boys -only wears monochrome sweatsuits -most lit locker room

Golf -only golfs for the PE waiver -wears Hawaiian shirts to distract viewers from their poor skills -doesn’t have practice on fridays so they can go to parties

Marching Band -couldn’t play for any sport teams so they serenade them instead -freshmen -likes Macklemore -most hype kids in school -best friend is their saxophone -“turn down for what”

Girls Swimming -Lady Bullfrogs………?

-is actually bald under swim cap