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 (x8) Alden Lumpkin Alicia and Jay Edgar Amy Barnett and Arthur Furukawa Britt Anderson Chia Wang Dan Hall & Michelle Marchent David Lundsgaard and Lori Lynn Phillips Elana Jassy 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 Kristen Sycamore Photography Laura Gardner and Hiroshi Matsubara Leslie & Kenny Stocker Lisa Thomas and Elod Toth Maggie R. Fisher Marcos and Monica Jones-Borges Mary Sharp Mitzi Jarvis Philippa Webster and John Mulligan Poynter-Veal Family Prentice Family Robin Stern and Kim Harper Sarah Huffbauer & David True Shoshana Driver Sound Child Care Solutions Steve and Stephanie Jones Tanya and Chris Kamila Tracey Rowland and Larry Reid Trina Blake Ted Sullivan 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
2
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
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
Volume 94 Issue 8 April 29, 2016
News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Get to Know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Finsta Phenomenon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
by Elena Orlando by Alex Ferry
How Can Seattle Close the Achievement Gap?. 4 by Danny Levy
Burton Takes the Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 by Claire Boudour
Nationals Bound from the Puget Sound . . . . . . 5
by Elliot Hoppe
by Flora Taagen
Purple Rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 13
by Susana Davidson
Bust a Move Without Breaking the Bank . . 14 by Hera Ford
by Julia Lin
The Smash Bros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Safe Places??? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Cool Calm Ky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
by Izzi Olive
by Caleb Stocker
by Elena Orlando
KEXP’s New Digs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 by Hannah Tacke
Systematic Opression Ends Here . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 by Bella Rowland-Reid
I Want YOU for the U.S. Army . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 by Emma Cooper
Reporting Sexual Assaults. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 by Julia Robaidek and Emma Cooper
Sexual Assault by the Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 by Julia Lin and Flora Taagen
Isis is not Islam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Fresh Coach, Fresh Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 by Bella Rowland-Reid
Me, Myself and I . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . 17
by Eli Wilson
Extra Credit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . 17
by Aidin Montefisher and Eli Wilson
by Bronwen Street
Mind the Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . 18
by Hannah Tacke
Skirt in the Dirt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Poverty in Intersectional Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
by Alex Ferry
Yes, We’re Open . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
by Sydney Santos
by Quinn Sullivan
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 Webmaster BriAnna Green Advisor Corey Allan Martin
Writers Alex Ferry • Bella Rowland-Reid Bronwen Street • Claire Boudour Danny Levy • Elena Orlando Eli Wilson • Emma Cooper Flora Taagen • Hannah Tacke Julia Lin • Julia Robaidek Kate Mulligan • Quinn Sullivan Sami Braman • Susana Davidson Sydney Santos Photographers Keenan Simpson • Maggie Emerton Illustrators Cora Anderson-Bicknell • Danny Levy Elliott Hoppe • Urpi Ruiz-Angeles Business Staff Anika Thomas-Toth • David Willner
Cover by Keenan Simpson, Elliot Hippe, Michael Ybarra and Carson Jones
Skirt in the Dirt pg. 19
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
3
news
News Briefs By Elena Orlando
Get to Know
jeffrey Nomura: The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Many students know Mr. Nomura as the math teacher who sprints through the halls of Garfield. However, most are unaware of his many hidden talents and extravagant experiences. His daily gallops around the third floor are rooted in a running history that spans decades. “When I was younger I used to run a lot; I ran lots of Photo by Michael Ybarra road races from short races to marathons. I was also on my high school XC and track team. I’m not so much into it anymore, but I like to walk and run,” said Nomura. Not only does Nomura move through life a bit faster than everyone else, but he also rules the school in chess. “Chess is something I’ve played all my life and I enjoy it a lot,” he said. “I was apart of my high school chess team.” Nomura’s chess squad has been legendary in April Insanity, Garfield’s annual tournament. He was involved in many other activities in his high school career as well, such as eating competitions. “When I was a junior in highschool, there was the Guinness World Records picnic,” said Nomura. “I was in the doughnut eating contest, and we had to eat a dozen doughnuts.” Nomura ended up getting the W, something he is still proud of. “The judge raised my hand and declared me the winner and I was so happy. He said I set a guinness world record,” Nomura exclaimed. “Later the judge came up to me and said it didn’t count because they didn’t have the right number of judges. I was just so devastated that I kinda just collapsed on the ground,” he said sadly, “I don’t think I can eat a dozen doughnuts now, I stick to one doughnut these days.” Today, Nomura passes on his wisdom and tales of his glory days to young hooligans. “I really enjoy teaching because I feel like I’m making a difference. This is the next generation, so it’s really important. The work I do is important, and I feel appreciated every day. You don’t really get that in other jobs,” said Nomura. The next time you see Nomura racing through the halls, take a minute to stop him in his trot and ask about his past accomplishments. Not everyone can be the superstar he is. -AF
Now we Have Two Earlier this month, the Sewall-Belmont House Museum located in Washington D.C., was designated a national monument. In addition to making the site a reminder of women who courageously fought for voting rights years ago, President Obama also declared April 12th to be National Equal Pay Day. The museum will be renamed the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument and will join the Harriet Tubman National Monument as the second national monument honoring women’s history.
Tigers: They're Great!
A survey released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) revealed that the global population of tigers has gone up for the first time in over one-hundred years. In 2010, tiger populations were estimated to be down to 3,200, but with conservation work in India, Russia, and Nepal, the report now estimates there to be 3,890 wild tigers. While this is a promising advancement for this endangered species, consumers continue to seek tigers for traditional medicine practices, including those of China which only has seven wild tigers left.
pAss the e-cig
Using data collected from U.S. middle and high schoolers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the use of e-cigarettes by Americans under 18 has increased dramatically. Over the four year period of the study, the percent of students using e-cigarettes rose from 1.5% to 16%, while regular cigarette use dropped from 15.3% to 9.3%. If commercials representing the toxins present in cigarettes as an army of monsters is not enough to get kids to stop smoking, what will?
Move over
Last week, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew announced that Underground Railroad champion, Harriet Tubman, will be the new face of the $20 bill. The Native American hating, slavery supporting, Andrew Jackson will move to the back of the bill. Tubman was the popular choice for the first woman to grace currency since the late 19th century because of her courageous actions that helped hundreds of slaves find safety. The $5 bill and the $10 bill are also receiving changes, as notable women in history like Eleanor Roosevelt and Susan B. Anthony will reside on the back. The new designs will be unveiled in 2020, and circulate more regularly towards the end of the decade.
how can Seattle close the achievement gap? Garfield students share ideas and concerns. By Danny Levy On April 19, representatives from the mayor’s office hosted a community conversation with Garfield students in preparation for the upcoming Mayor’s Education Summit. The Education Summit will be held Saturday, April 30 in the Garfield Commons, and will assemble community members and public officials to discuss how Seattle can “reduce the education disparities among our children and close the achievement gap so all kids can succeed in school.” Garfield’s community conversation was just one of dozens of conversations that have been taking place across the city in March and April. The Garfield Summit
4
started with a four minute video of Mayor Ed Murray, before representatives from the mayor’s office broke students into small discussion groups. Groups, made up of around 10 students and two to three representatives from the Mayor’s office, discussed many issues in the Seattle Public School district. “In class, when talking about certain races or religions, some students tune out as if it doesn’t apply to them,” said Garfield freshman Jennet Mitikie. Many students in attendance were from minority backgrounds, and felt the same. The main focus of the Garfield Summit was to get students’ perspectives on
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
the main areas for growth within SPS and ideas about how to best serve each student’s education. While these problems are tricky to solve, discussing what seems to cause the gap can often help get to an answer. Sophomore Asma Adam says, “In society [minorities] aren’t given that extra push.” Adam, like many of the other students, was able to put words to her frustration, and give the mayoral representatives ideas as to what inequities need to be focused on. Junior Juanita Agosto shared that she has noticed racially biased disciplinary action at Garfield. “[Some teachers] will single all of the darker skinned people out,”
she says. “Even with something as simple as being on our phones, the white kids have them on the desk in front of them and never seem to get in trouble.” The session at Garfield was only to start student discussion, and get ideas flowing. Come out to the city-wide Education Summit to hear the Mayor and other city officials elaborate on the many issues brought up in community conversations, as well as to participate in the ongoing conversation and contribute your own ideas.
News
She's Back, baby!
Carol Burton succeeds in appeal process. By Claire Boudour n Tuesday, April 26th, the judge ruled in favor of Carol Burton, following her 9-month appeal to overturn the district’s decision to terminate her position as Garfield’s choir teacher The charges against Burton included breaking the district guideline that states “chaperones and teachers are prohibited from consuming, using, or being under the influence of alcohol during a field trip,” as well as failure to enforce field trip rules regarding hotel rooms. These misbehaviours came to light when two female students reported an incident of sexual assault that occurred during last March’s choir field trip to New Orleans. Burton has admitted that both of these allegations are accurate, however she claims that she never stated that male and female students could be in each other’s rooms; the rule was just never brought up during the trip. When Burton did read the rule aloud at a chaperone meeting before the trip, several parents brought up the fact that this policy ignores the existence of LGBTQ youth. According to Burton’s testimony in the trial, “This policy does not recognize the existence of gay students. How can you enforce this rule and
O
not be discriminatory?” Non-cisgendered and queer students are completely ignored by gender-specific policies regarding hotel rooms. These rules are designed to prevent sexual encounters. However, saying that splitting rooms by gender will prevent these policy violations suggests that all students are interested in the opposite sex. Furthermore, not all students identify as one of the two binary genders that are recognized in these policies, and in some cases a student’s gender identity doesn’t match the one listed in district databases. Among those who testified in the five-day hearing was Garfield’s ASG President Maddy Kennard, who says, “The trial felt weirdly formal and informal at the same time. It was clear that it was a big deal, but the magnitude of the situation was more metaphorical. That made it less intimidating because it was just a normal seeming trial with normal questions, but it stood for something much bigger.” Kit McCormick, Garfield language arts teacher and the union representative from Seattle Education Association assigned to Burton’s case, also testified. “They asked me if I had seen her relationships with students, and asked me
to evaluate [these relationships]. They asked me if I understood that drinking at a school-sponsored event was wrong. It was mostly a character witness thing,” says McCormick. A large portion of the hearing centered around Burton and the chaperones consuming alcohol, and McCormick explained that, “There seemed to be some grey areas, like at the auction kids are there and teachers have alcohol. I thought it was sort of a blurry line. I do think that the district is […] worried about their liability.” Superintendent Larry Nyland testified as well, and was asked by Burton’s attorney how exactly he would go about performing the post-curfew room checks required of chaperones on overnight field trips. He clearly didn’t have an answer prepared, and eventually answered that he would have his own keys to the students’ rooms, and use the flashlight on his phone to go around the room and make sure that each student was asleep in bed. This was one of several parts of the hearing that showed how vague some district policies are. Part of the confusion surrounding these policies came from the fact that they’ve changed in the past year. Follow-
ing a $700,000 settlement from the district regarding another sexual assault on an overnight field trip, regulations were tightened in order to minimize risk, in terms of safety for students and liability for the district. One such example of these changing rules was the former policy, that students could not be in rooms of the opposite gender after curfew, being changed to say that students couldn’t mix genders in hotel rooms at any time. The judge agreed with her claim that although the mistakes on trip were serious, her vital role in Garfield’s community and positive history as a strong role model and irreplaceable mentor was more important than any one-time error. Stacy Howard, district spokesperson, said Tuesday that, “We are disappointed that the district’s decision wasn’t upheld. We will continue to review the findings to determine next steps.” Sometime in the next few weeks, Burton will be back in her office in room 217, where her decorations and photos have stayed unchanged since she left Garfield last spring. At a press conference on Tuesday, Burton threw her arms in the air, exclaiming, “I’m back, baby!”
Nationals Bound from the Puget Sound GHS Orca Bowl team faces off against the nation’s best. By Julia Lin Five Garfield students, dressed as pirates, sauntered onto the UW campus. Just like real pirates, these students were looking for gold. It was 7:30 in the morning and crowds of excited marine biology enthusiasts congregated, gathered like schools of fish. This was the scene at the 2016 regional Orca Bowl, a marine biology competition, where the Garfield High School A team won, meaning they would attend nationals for the first time in Garfield history. After weeks of studying and practice, the GHS team made their way through multiple buzzer trivia rounds and into the elimination rounds where they were ultimately able to arise victorious after a long day of strenuous competition. To lighten the mood, the Garfield team upheld the bulldog Orca Bowl tradition by shredding Value Village slacks, applying liberal amounts of eyeshadow, and dressing up as pirates. “It’s always kind of amusing because they’re definitely look-
ing at us, and final results, we won our the group’s first round chemistry by what...80 was evident, points?” says co - c a p t a i n Declan Farr, Conor Gorone of the mally reteam’s two called. “Usucaptains. ally teams Ac c o r d sit [as they ing to Farr, wait] but we besides their huddled up. experience It was unfrom last real.” year’s comIn addiPhoto by Malayka Gormally petition, tion to beOrca Bowl in their “official” uniforms their deing educated termination was another factor into this on marine biology, the Orca Bowlers are year’s success. “Conor and I said ‘we’re in the know about current political issues. seniors, let’s go to nationals.’ So we’ve had They plan to make a splash at nationals by that drive to really push it.” wearing rainbow socks to protest the law The team’s dynamic also helped ease recently passed in North Carolina that the stress that comes with such a high forces transgender people to use the bathstakes competition. As they awaited the room of the gender they were assigned at
birth. The team’s enthusiasm, dedication and awareness are all impressive qualities to coach Jonathan Stever, the marine biology teacher here at Garfield. Stever believes that this team is unique because “they honestly have a lot of fun.” When Stever found out about the team’s success he “was totally excited.” In an interview, he beamed as Gormally shouted “Join Orca Bowl!” from across the room. . According to the National Ocean Sciences Bowl, over 350 teams participated across the country and our Garfield A Team was one of 24 to make it to the finals. Although they have to wave goodbye to this season, after being knocked out in the round robin at nationals, they’re still a killer team.
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
5
news SPD's Safe Place Initiative Enters SPS GSA and Mayor Ed Murray host a press conference.
O
By Izzi Olive
n Wednesday, April 20, Garfield’s GSA hosted a press conference with Seattle city government officials, announcing that the Seattle Police Department’s Safe Place program in Seattle Public Schools. The Safe Place program launched in May 2015 as a public education initiative on the prevalence of violent crimes against LGBTQ individuals, a category of crime that the SPD refers to as a “bias crime.” Organizations that join the program establish themselves as reporters of these types of bias crimes, and over 1600 Seattle locations have received the Safe Place classification already. Now, the 98 Seattle Public Schools will be added to this count. Seattle Chief of Police Kathryn O’Toole spoke about the importance of the program, saying that “it urges victims and bystanders to dial 911.” O’Toole also acknowledged a recent increase in the rates of hate crimes committed in Seattle, but says that this increase could be a result of increased reporting. “We’re not worried about the statistics rising as a result of [Safe Place’,” says O’Toole. “We’re focused on raising awareness.” Senior Julia Robaidek, president of Garfield’s GSA and Messenger staffer, spoke about the issues that face LGBTQ youth in Seattle’s high schools. “It is difficult to overstate the importance of safe places,” says Robaidek, citing shocking
statistics on the prevalence of suicide attempts among queer and trans youth: according to the CDC, queer youth are at least two times as likely to attempt suicide, while the 2011 National Tr a n s g e n d e r Discrimination Survey found that 41% of transgender or non-binary Americans had attempted suicide. Robaidek says that for many LGBTQ students, verbal harassment is more commonplace than threats to physical safety. However, hate crimes still occur: “Recently, we have the example of NOVA’s gender non-binary bathroom being torched,” says Robaidek. Jim Ritter, SPD’s LGBTQ Liaison Officer, says that Seattle Public Schools’ security staff received training last October on the Safe Places initiative, briefing them on the proper procedures. However, the changes that students can expect to observe within Safe Place-certified schools will be subtle. According to Larry Nyland, Superintendent of SPS, other than the Safe Place
decal which will be displayed in each school’s front window (approximately 3 to 5 feet high, ideally), the main change spurred by the program will be that schools must designate a point person who will handle cases of LGBTQ student bullying. Although some schools may have already designated this person, or have multiple faculty members who deal with reports of bias bullying, Safe Place will require each school to formally designate a point person. Nyland says that Safe Place is “an effort to formalize that all schools have procedures in place to deal with LGBTQ crimes. It’s ensuring from a district perspective that there’s a plan in place at each school.” Jill Geary, Seattle School Board Director, believes that implementing this program and calling our schools “safe places” will have a powerful effect. “Messaging is valuable,” says Geary. SPD has made it extremely easy for businesses and organizations to receive a Safe Place certification: once the business agrees to assist victims of LGBTQ bias
crimes by permitting the victim to enter their establishment and aiding the victim in contacting the police, they can enter their information on the SPD website and receive their decal within two weeks. Creating a safe place for LGBTQ students extends beyond physical safety. Bathrooms, sports teams, microaggressions, and field trips are just some of the areas in which LGBTQ students may feel unsafe, physically or otherwise. Many students believe that there is area for growth in the district guidelines regarding LGBTQ students; however, as Geary points out, there is currently no clarity from the higher up courts directing what action the school district can and should take. Mayor Ed Murray is optimistic with regards to the future for the LGBTQ community. Addressing the 18 members of Garfield’s GSA assembled behind him, Murray said, “twenty-one years ago, when I started my career as an ‘out’ gay legislator, students would have had to get permissions slips in order to see me speak.” Murray sees legislation as a key piece of reducing crime rates and improving quality of life for LGBTQ people. “Back in my day, students weren’t just victimized by other students. They were also victimized by an apathetic bureaucracy,” he says. Art by Cora Andersen Bicknell
“Systematic Oppression Ends Here” Women of Color Speak Out visit Garfield. By Bella Rowland-Reid Last Thursday, April 21, Seattle-based environmental activist group Women of Color Speak Out spoke at Garfield’s Quincy Jones auditorium about systematic oppression, feminism, and intersectionality in the environmentalism movement. Introduced by members of various Garfield clubs, including Earth Corps, Razas Unidas, and Intersectional Feminist Club, speakers Sarra Tekola, Zarna Joshi, and Yin Yu commanded an overflowing auditorium of students with a two-hour presentation and Q and A aimed at educating the community about environmental issues facing low-income and oppressed racial and ethnic groups. “We can no longer ignore the issues that hurt people of color,” said senior
6
Hamzza Ahmed, president of the Muslim Student Association, on Thursday. “It’s time to take a stand and fight this oppression.” The presentation touched on many different areas of the environmental spectrum, from the arrival of Europeans in the 15th and 16th centuries to the prison industrial complex and its targeting of people of color. “White Europeans came to America as immigrants, undocumented and with no legal right to be on this land,” said Joshi in a segment about colonialism in America. “They murdered millions of Native Americans, gorged themselves on the blood, sweat, and tears of the Natives, and said to them, ‘No, we’re helping you’.”
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
While the group focused on many of the global aspects of environmental jus tice and equity, they also touched closer to the Garfield community with discussion of AP segregation in Garfield and other public schools across the nation. “When they noticed the white people were moving out and going to private schools, they brought in programs like AP,” said Tekola. “Then they only test the white kids in, and the schools create an intellectual caste based on skin color.” The performance ended with an outspoken message for students: change starts with the youth. “Voice your oppression,” said Joshi. “Help voice the oppression [of others].
You don’t have to wait until you’re eighteen to demand change.” Additionally, Women of Color Speak Out held a follow up forum on Wednesday to further the conversation on environmental justice and equity. While this issue will go to print before the forum will take place, many students believe the initial presentation left a lasting mark on the Garfield community and students of all races, genders, and social backgrounds. “White, middle-class, Western faces have become the face of the environmental movement,” said Black Womanist Alliance member Amira Abdel-Fattah. “It’s time to change that.”
I want YOU for the U.S. Army
features
Military recruiting at Garfield. By Emma Cooper
W
hen asked who the military typically recruits, Sergeant First Class Dustin McClure replies, “Strong, independent leaders. People that want to help out in the community and feel like they have a responsibility to make a difference.” The military actively recruits young people, yet recruiters are mysteriously absent from Garfield High School. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools must allow the military to recruit in schools in order to receive federal funding. The school also must release students’ contact information if the military requests it. A provision in this act gives students the opportunity to opt out of releasing the information through filling out the FERPA form. “Looking at the last seven or eight years of data [from our recruiters], we’ve had less than twenty kids go into the military,” says Principal Ted Howard. “The administration here is, for lack of better words, military resistant,” says Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Ossman of the National Guard. “I remember we were given something like $200,000 to build a computer lab. There wasn’t a single Seattle district school who wanted it.” The Seattle School District policy regarding the military is that recruiters from each branch can come into their schools twice a year. There also must be peace recruiters present when the military recruiters are in the school, who work to ensure that students fully understand the military contract, as well as alert students about more subtle military recruiting. This policy was put into place after extensive anti-war campaigning by Garfield’s own PTSA, including a 2002 antiwar declaration and a 2005 declaration that banned the military from recruiting. “These resolutions had no legal weight,” says Kathleen Barker, former PTSA member. “But it was a wonderful thing, because even though they couldn’t enforce it, the fact that a parent-teacherstudent organization had spoken up for students was really galvanizing to a lot of people.” Barker had acted as a volunteer military recruitment monitor for the PTSA (this position is now solely fulfilled by Garfield’s College and Career Counselor Jamaal Williams). Barker believes that recruiters extensively target students in lower income
families for this reason. “It’s a poverty draft,” says Barker. “They find people with little money, with single parents, living in rural areas, especially the South. It’s a very skilled organization and the military is highly trained. They have a lot of money and know how to approach people.” An example of this lesser known military recruiting is in FAFSA, the universal financial aid application. While all men ages 18 to 25 are technically supposed to apply for the Selective Services (their names will go into a pool that will be drawn on if there is ever a military draft), FAFSA forces male students to apply in order to receive any kind of financial aid. “It gets me so angry that the Department of Education has sold out students,” says Barker. “And the kids who need the most money and have to fill out FAFSA are the ones who are the most vulnerable, so they get sort of screwed.” Military recruiters from the National Guard reject the idea of targeting areas of poverty, saying that the military is highly selective, and only recruit the best. “A lot of times, people have that mindset that if college doesn’t work out or I get in trouble, then I’ll join the military,” says Ossman. “That’s not how it is today. The military today is one of the most difficult organizations to join.” McClure agrees, adding, “To give you an idea of what we’re looking for, less than 10% of the people in the United States qualify to join. Out of that 10%, less than 1% of those people actually make it through the physical examination and the scholastic examination and actually enlist in the military. Wars and conflicts are now fought on a smaller scale by more technically and tactically proficient people with a higher degree of intellect. The degree of caliber in a person that we’re looking for is a lot higher now.” McClure also views the military as an economic equalizer. “We have people come from $10,000 a year households and $1,000,000 a year households,” says McClure. “When they show up here and put on this uniform, they’re the same.” Under the G.I. Bill, the military will fund soldiers’ education after they leave service. “There’s all kinds of different chapters in the G.I. Bill. The minimum is
federal tuition assistance. If they go to school in the state of Washington, we’ll pay 100% of their tuition. On top of that, a new soldier gets $367 per month after their tuition has been paid for. It comes to them in their pocket. That’s the minimum, most people get more,”says McClure In order to to receive this funding, soldiers must serve 8 years, though not all of this has to be active duty. Soldiers will also likely be deployed overseas, where they will be exposed to violence. This may have dam-
aging effects to the mental health of soldiers, especially young students. As a military monitor, Barker talked about these realities of war. “We try to tell people what war and combat is like,” says Barker. “Nobody comes from a combat situation without PTSD. It emotion-
ally ruins relationships and messes up people’s lives. It’s only now that we’re seeing what happened with the Vietnam vets, who make up a large proportion of the people on the streets. “Most people killed are civilians,” Barker continues. “If you go in at 17 or 18, most of the people you’re going to kill are civilians, not other soldiers. Are you prepared to kill a kid? Are you prepared to shoot somebody?” Says McClure, “I don’t think anyone’s mentally ready to shoot someone, and if you are, you shouldn’t be in the military. You should be in an insane asylum, because that’s an unnatural thing to want to take somebody’s life.” But if no one is truly prepared to take someone else’s life, aren’t young people even less prepared to be in such stressful situations? Should Garfield even be allowing in recruiters that will put students in situations that may seriously damage their mental health? “I think that the same question could be asked of first responders,” says
McClure. “Should a twenty year be allowed to be an EMT and go see drunk driving accidents every night and pull dead babies out of cars? Is that going to be okay on his psyche? Should a twenty year old kid be allowed to become a police officer and be put in a situation where he might have to take someone else’s life? If you look back in our history, at all the great things that our military has done, all those wars were fought and won by young people. And so I think that young people are capable.”
Art by Urpi Ruiz Angeles
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
7
features Reporting sexual assault
Teacher training limited to online videos. By Emma Cooper and Julia Robaidek
W
ith Sexual Assault Awareness Month coming to a close, learning about district policy surrounding the reporting and handling of sexual violence is especially timely. Within Garfield, district policy about sexual assault remains unclear to many people. District training for teachers regarding identifying and responding to sexual assault is limited to an annual online training. In this training, teachers watch a series of videos depicting three scenarios: a teacher behaving inappropriately towards a student, a teacher overhearing an inappropriate interaction between two students, and a student reporting an incident to a teacher. The video series is followed by a brief quiz which teachers must take in order to pass the training. This is the only training required by the district around sexual misconduct. “It was mostly [...] not for us monitoring other’s behavior, but monitoring our own behavior towards young people,” says Mary Cohan, a math teacher at Garfield. The district conducts no in-person
8
training about sexual misconduct, though schools can individually go beyond the district requirements. Garfield has done this in the past by bringing in presenters on the issue. According to state law, all school personnel are mandatory reporters. This means that if a student reports a sexual assault to them, or they have reason to believe a sexual assault occurred, they must report the incident. The question is to whom they must report it. “I not only report to [Child Protective Services], but I generally will [...] also call the local police department and make sure there is a local police record of it,” says Mr. Simoneaux, a teacher in the history department. However, Child Protective Services (CPS) only deals with incidences of domestic abuse or child neglect. When given cases out of the home, such as student on student or teacher on student assault, CPS will refer the case to the police department. However, unless the victim is able to reveal the name of the perpetrator
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
and is willing to press charges, the police department is unable to launch an investigation. This means that in cases of sexual assault, mandatory reporting often does not lead to the perpetrator being disciplined. “The [...] concern is that someone could [commit another assault] the next weekend in the same circumstances and not really have learned,” says Nurse Miller about instances where perpetrators of sexual violence do not experience consequences. She also says that in general people who do report are not looking for punishment for the perpetrator. “They usually aren't reporting because they want there to be retaliation, they’re reporting it because they need help. That part usually happens,” she says. Students seeking medical care after a sexual assault can receive treatment for free in the Garfield Teen Health Center. Simoneaux says he wishes training was not limited to reporting, but also included dealing with ongoing trauma in his stu-
dents. “I wish we had more intensive training, not just a video online,” he says. “It’s one thing for me to know that I need to report it, [...] but what do I do with the student who has been sexually assaulted? How do I comfort them? How do I provide a safe space for them?” Garfield has a recent history of misdemeanors regarding sexual assault. In 2012, an alleged rape on overnight field trip led the district to be accused of violating Title IX requirements to launch an investigation into the accused assault within thirty days. Carol Burton’s recent trial, arising from an investigation of a sexual assault on another overnight field trip, called into question district policy around sexual violence. Sexual assault at Garfield is a very real issue and faculty members are often called upon to respond to it with whatever skills they have. “You often have to figure out how to get your own training,” Nurse Miller says.
Features ISIS Is Not Islam
Garfield groups hold forum on Islamophobia. By Bronwen Street
T
hroughout the school year, forums discussing prevalent issues are hosted by various clubs and groups within Garfield. Two weeks ago, CORE partnered with Muslim Student Association to put on a forum addressing rising Islamophobia in the U.S. and worldwide. Islamophobia has been rampant in politics and the media this past year, as presidential candidates like Donald Trump are calling for all Muslims to be kicked out of the country. People all over the world still feel the effects of 9/11 and Al Queda, and with terrorist attacks by radical Islamic group ISIS every few months, there are a lot of people in this country with an antiIslam sentiment.
“Isis is not Islam. That's it. It's not. Just as the KKK doesn't define Christianity, Isis should not define Islam.”
“We just wanted to create a space where anyone could talk about this issue openly. It’s good to hear different perspectives. I know there are a lot of preconceived ideas about Islam that aren’t true, and [MSA] wanted to clarify and discuss these misconceptions,” says senior MSA president Hamzza Ahmed. CORE staff, MSA members and other students joined in on the conversation, discussing everything from how Islam is portrayed in the media to misunderstood islamic traditions. “There is a message put out there by the media that Islam promotes violence,” says senior Sydney Bowker. This is no doubt because of the radical Islamic group ISIS, who have executed attacks on their own people as well as various cities around the world. Muslim students were saddened about this portrayal of Islam, but they were quick to point out something that anti-islam voices do not understand. “ISIS is not Islam. That’s it. It’s not. Just as the KKK doesn’t define Christianity, ISIS should not define Islam,” says freshman Argane Hasso.
Women’s rights within Islam is another widely criticized aspect of the religion and culture. People assume that all Muslim women are forced to cover themselves, and that they are oppressed. “Others think the men force us to wear
“It sucks that we have to have this conversation. I'm me. You're you. Why does anyone care who you pray to?” hijabs. This is not the case in most countries. Here, we choose to wear them. It is part of our tradition,” explains Hasso. Other female students weighed in on this misconception, commenting on the absurd judgements people make. “It’s definitely not my right to go and tell someone that they are oppressed. Why do other people think that is their right?” says senior Lucas Holloway-Figuroa.
Ahmed thinks these types of talks are key to fixing hatred toward Muslims in this country. “A lot of people just don’t know much about Islam, and they get ideas about it from the media. Discussions like these help people learn things they wouldn’t otherwise. It changes views, it changes minds. Education is the way,” Ahmed alleges. The United States is ever-changing, and so is the world. Fifteen years ago, who would have thought gay marriage would be legal in every state today? Culture shifts happen; hopefully in another fifteen years Islamophobia will be on its way out. As Holloway-Figuroa puts it, “It sucks that we have to have this conversation. I’m me. You’re you. Why does anyone care who you pray to?”
Poverty in intersectional groups Forum to be held on April 28th. By Hannah Tacke For intersectional groups, those of overlapping social identities, susceptibility to homelessness is a very real and immediate danger. In the United States, up to 40% of homeless youth self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer, and in a staggering disproportion, LGBT youth only take up 2% of the entire population by some estimates. Coming up on April 29th, Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), Fempowerment, the Intersectional Feminist Club, and Black Womanist Alliance will be holding a forum to discuss the parallels between the experiences of those intersectional groups in poverty, homelessness and joblessness. Despite the growing movement towards equality for intersectional groups, marginalisation can be traced back to sexual and gender nonconforming people in both education systems and labor markets, as livelihood opportunities and social protection services continue to dis-
criminate against LGBT groups. The most direct correlation to this issue is prejudices that continue to influence societal opportunities. Homeless LGBT youth is most often a result of being kicked out of a household upon coming out, or being forced to abandon their education as a result of homophobia. “It’s ridiculous,” says Julia Robaidek, GSA president. “A lot of it comes from being rejected by families. It’s just straight up prejudice, racism, sexism, queerphobia, transphobia.” The household situation of a child with an intersectional identity can determine whether or not someone can be successful by staying in school and having the opportunity to go on to higher education. In turn, this has an adverse effect on their ability to enter the labor force, but even those who do manage to secure some form of employment often face discrimination in their workplaces, as a result
of the gender-biased nature of the labor force, which often favors white male employees. “It’s harder to get a job and harder to get housing if you’re black or trans or queer, and there’s the aspect of difficulty for these teens to get back on their feet after being homeless,” says Robaidek. Consequently, the LGBT community is often excluded from certain types of jobs and is forced to resign to escape homophobia. The current laws in place that criminalize sexual and gender nonconforming identities discourage professionals from working with intersectional groups out of fear of prosecution. “People see them and they don’t want to hire them,” says Robaidek. The most immediate way to combat these systems of oppression is through education. Prejudice is maintained by willful ignorance, but by raising awareness in schools and individual endeavors, the
40% of homeless LGBT youth can decrease drastically. “Come to the forum and educate yourself. Education is a huge part in all of this. If you can educate yourself and alleviate some of your biases or at least become more conscious of the biases that you have then you’re already ahead of the curve,” Robaidek says. In terms of local resources for homeless youth, Garfield has programs that donate food and clothes to homeless youth through the Teen Health Center, and Garfield’s Teen Life Center offers guidance and resources that prepare youth for employment opportunities. The city of Seattle also has multiple outreach programs such as YouthCare, which offers specialized counseling to formal and informal coaching in life skills, GED and high school classes, and employment training to homeless youth of 12-24 years of age.
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
9
Free food resources are available to a Garfield students. By Quinn Sullivan Art by Danny Levy and Elliot Hoppe
I
t’s just a normal Wednesday. Students spill out of Garfield and disperse out into the Central District. Some run for the bus, others pull out their car keys, and some walk towards 2820 East Cherry Street. Behind these doors lies one of many free-food resources for any Garfield student. One of the most pressing issues for families of lower incomes is that of hunger. Approximately 38.9% of all students in Seattle Public Schools qualify for free-or-reduced meals. At Garfield, 570 out of 1,728 students are eligible for this program. Out of the entire student population, an estimated 131 students are homeless.
The Problem
These numbers alone do not account for the dozens or more who are not enrolled in the free-or-reduced system at all. Roberto López, Garfield’s Upward Bound academic counselor, believes that this is due to many families feeling too ashamed to even apply for free-or-reduced lunch. He says, “Sometimes that feeling, that stigma, is learned from the parents because of their pride [...or] a sense of not wanting to be a burden.” Unfortunately, this often means that families and students do not seek out available resources even though they may be in need. Jeanne Hoppe and Garfield’s PTSA vice president Ellen Chestnut hope to change this pattern by providing more secure free food options for any Garfield student. “Bad things happen when people aren’t supported–they are not connected to their community [and] feel alone,” says Chestnut. Ellen Chestnut and Jeanne want to better the system. This February, Hoppe looked into the number of kids who would benefit from free food resources and found there was major work to be done. After organizing the successful school pantry at Washington Middle School, she assisted Chestnut who was in the process of establishing a pantry at Garfield.
The Garfield Pantry
One day during
Art by Danny Levy
lunch, Hoppe c o n d u c ted a survey amongst kids she could find in the commons. Due to the many students who leave campus or participate in clubs, only 110 people filled out the questionnaire. Hoppe found powerful results. She says, “Of the 110 [that responded] we had
48 kids say they could either use extra food on the weekends or would make use of a pantry. That’s a pretty high number.” Due to the instability of their living conditions, dinner and weekend meals are often unpredictable for many students. “It’s not uncommon for students where the vast majority of [their] meals each week are what they get here at the school,” says López. Homelessness has always been a part of society that the public has often ignored. “We have become so accustomed to seeing [homelessness] and tolerating it [...] and to me, having homeless students, that’s the last bastion of unacceptable,” says Chestnut. “I always want to feed people and I definitely want to feed kids.” Both Chestnut and Hoppe feel compelled to take on this issue and have since established a Garfield food pantry. This pantry, through the Cherry Street YWCA + donations provides food to Garfield students who need after snacks and meals for the weekends. “My vision is that the food storage is there and that it’s accessible anytime [during school hours],” says Hoppe. Although the pantry has yet to be opened, both women have high hopes for the future and are looking for all the support they can get. “If we can develop community relationships to support the idea, we can get their buy in [and] the program could continue to run. That’s the goal,” says Hoppe. “You just start talking to people and little things start happening.” However there always remains the question of who will show up. Roberto López mentors 55 students in his Upward Bound program where every one of them falls below the poverty line and in turn qualifies for free-or-reduced lunch. These students, along with over 500 others, likely have questions and concerns about such a great, yet nervewracking opportunity. “What’s available? Is the culture appropriate? How do students navigate this?” Although there are an increasing number of resources, such ventures are sensitive for students. “How do we outreach and foster an environment where students and families feel like they can come in, not be judged, and really be supported?” questions López. This is a challenge that Chestnut and Hoppe have been trying to tackle. Structured so that other students won’t be aware of who is using it, the Garfield Pantry will hopefully be a great new resource. “People want their anonymity, they want their pride, they want their privacy, and if I were in their position, I would too,” says Chestnut.
Other Resources
While The Garfield Pantry is still in the early stages, hungry Garfield students have other options close to school. “In terms of student resources, they can go to the Teen Health Center to get snacks. They can also go there on Fri-
Resources: Garfield’s Teen Health Center Hours: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Phone: 206-860-0480
days to get food to bring home for the weekend. And third, on Wednesdays they can go to the Cherry Street YWCA from 3:00-3:30,” says Chestnut. Nichelle Hilton, the divisional resources coordinator for the YWCA, oversees the delivery of food to Garfield high school. Located at 2820 East Cherry Street, one of the YWCA’s various Seattle sites is only a few blocks from Garfield. This location specifically provides the food to Garfield’s Teen Health Center. “[Each week] we send three banana boxes full of food to the nurse’s office at Garfield for those in need, anyone on the FRL, which stands for free-or-reduced lunch, and anyone struggling in school,” says Hilton. This delivery is an important source of food for many Garfield students. “One of the first things that the nurses told us that they ask is, ‘When was the last time you ate?’ So we have a cupboard [in the teen health center] and we stock it full of really quick and easy food that the student can grab,” says Hilton. However, these items are not necessarily sustainable meals for a kid to take home. That is where the YWCA comes in. “So our normal food bank operating hours are on Wednesday. When we partnered with Garfield we were doing the pantry, but then the PTSA came to us and said they thought they needed a little bit more,” says Hilton. After several meetings and a developing relationship between the YWCA and Garfield’s leaders on the issue, a new resource is available to Garfield students. “You can come and show your Garfield High School ID because you’re under 18. We are already closed so it’s special hours from 3-3:30 on Wednesdays. A teen can come unaccompanied and come through and shop the food bank to pick up some things that might help them through the weekends and their families,” says Hilton. Although this opportunity has only been around for a few weeks now, attendance has been very low. “We have to get kids there. I think it will take one trip there and they will see how fabulous it is and what’s available. There is often fresh bread, produce, yogurt. You can just go and get what you need,” says Hoppe. In many cases, students need much more than snack food. They may even be looking to get food for their whole family. “The difference is that the things on the shelf aren’t necessarily the grab and go kind. So you can get a whole thing of pasta and tomato sauce and pancake mix and things that wouldn’t be focused in the bags we bring to high school,” says Hilton. The YWCA is a great resource for any Garfield student with an inadequate food supply. However, Nichelle Hilton isn’t too worried about the lack of attendees. “I love that we are partnered, I love that we have the pantry, I love that we are so close you can just walk over
here. I love to be able to provide that service. But I know that maybe it’s not this huge need because you can go different places and have access,” she says. “But for those who need it, even if it was two people a week, I’m very happy to have my doors open and to provide to those two students.” With the arrival of summer, many students face a new challenge. Because they no longer have free-or-reduced breakfasts and lunches, kids must find a different source of food to secure themselves. The Cherry Street YWCA also offers summer meals. “We are the hosts and we set up a table and there is food. There is grab and go food, sandwiches, meals, a whole table set up for any single person under the age of 18 that can walk in and eat for free. That has nothing to do with the food bank; it’s a summer meals program that we host at our site. So that’s what we do during the summer for the kids,” says Hilton. Beyond the resources located in the heart of Garfield and the surrounding neighborhood, there are many options throughout Seattle. One of them is Teen Feed, a program that gives hot meals to teens every night. There are also dozens of other resources where young people can go. On the United States of Agriculture Website, there is a page that has a “Summer Meal Site Finder.” This map allows students to search for other resources that are available and convenient. (http://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks) “It will have your location and it will tell you where the closest free food site is. It’s really cool because if you are in another part of Seattle, you can find the food site closest to you,” says Chestnut. This opens up opportunities all over the city for people to find food. Added to the stress of high school, a constant lack of food can be detrimental. However, this complex issue is difficult to fix. “As someone said to me along this process ‘If it were a simple problem it would be solved’ It’s not a simple problem, it’s a problem everywhere. So we are just gonna keep trying to figure it out,” says Hoppe. Hunger is one of the immediate dangers of low-income and homeless families. However, there are many more struggles that these people endure. All kinds of programs can be helpful. “Ideally, there would be some other resources that can help the family beyond [...] So things from housing to transportation to even some job skills development [are available],” says Lopez. This issue impacts Garfield students on a daily basis. “Before we can even talk about how you got to get ready for your SAT, it’s ‘What are you eating at home? Are you getting enough sleep at night?’” says López. The resources that are available in the school, nearby, and scattered around the city are vital to the health of students and the community as a whole.
The Garfield Pantry On site, but details to come YWCA East Cherry Branch Hours: Wednesdays 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Phone: 206-568-7845 Teen Feed Address: 4740 B University Way NE Seattle, WA 98105 Phone: 206-229-0813 USDA Summer Meal Site Finder http://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks
MAYActivites & Events By Elliott Hoppe
8
Seattle Ice Cream Festival
15Vocal Jazz Solo Night
9
16
4
10
17
5:30-7:00PM Royal Room
22
29
12
5
11
ht ig
O
– ut 18
Thursday
Fre
Friday
Cinco de Mayo
6
0 -1
7: 0 0
3
Day
*
2
Wednesday
N
Festival for Talented Youth SIFF Uptown
Tuesday
Te en
NFFTY 1 Film National
Monday
National Teachers’
Sunday
A&E
Garfield Orchastra Spring Waltz Temple de Hirsch Sinai 7:30PM-10:30PM
m seu u rt M 12 13 A e l t at e s s S i i o m e n h t t o d ea
PM :00
FEMCON Saturday
2:30PM-6PM
A free conference 7 addressing intersectional feminism. MLK F.A.M.E. Community Center
14
PROM Pierogi Fest Fremont Foundry Polish Cultural Center
19
Garfield Orchestra Foyer Concert
20
21
27
28
Quincy Jones – 7:30 PM 23
Memorial Day
30
24
31
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
25
26
*
SPRING MUSICAL: THE ADDAMS FAMILY 7-9PM – Quincy Jones Performance Center Seattle’s first annual free ice cream sampling festival. Be warned: 8,400 people have already RSVP’d “Yes” to the Facebook event, with another 40,000 who have said they are interested.
A&E Finsta Phenomenon
The spam account epidemic.
Y
by Flora Taagen
ou are scrolling through your Instagram feed in a delirious state as the ceaseless spring break and sunset posts morph into a single blur of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Your now-numb thumb stops abruptly as you reach a sudden snapchat face-swap gone wrong. Your eyes dart to the caption titled “$wag” followed by excessive emojis and hashtags. What is this account and why does it look like the depths of your deleted camera roll? Well, this is a finsta. Finstas, otherwise know as spam accounts, have swept social media in recent months. They are fake instagram accounts, in which users post joke-like pictures ranging from terrible lip-syncing videos to selfies featuring double chins and unflattering angles, as well as a range of other content that users don’t want on their main Instagram accounts. Much like how some adults have separate business and recreational digital profiles, a finsta is a way that Instagram users are
compartmentalizing their online personalities. The number of spam accounts seems to be growing at an exponential rate as users get sucked into the trend by their friends and the opportunity to post pictures that they wouldn’t publicize elsewhere. “I made a finsta because a lot of people I started following on instagram [...] and a lot of upperclassmen [had them],” says sophomore finsta user, known to her followers as @greekhoegurt. Reflecting on the trend, Garfield senior Sami Braman shares, “An alter-ego seems a little bit freeing. [It allows one] to express a weird side that you might not otherwise express.” Braman does not have a finsta account and is at ease with sharing finsta-like posts on her original account, without the need for a second profile to do so. “I think that I’m able to post the same sort of weird stuff [...] on my own instagram.” Finsta users post a variety of pictures
in an attempt to provoke laughs from their followers. “I started this thing where I would take a picture of someone and find their doppelganger,” shares @greekhoegurt. “I also post weird videos of myself like a little dance routine or eating a nice snack.” @greekhoegurt and other accounts like it may be gaining followers one hashtag at a time, but there is also an opposition to the trend as annoyed users tire of endless snapchat filters. “Since so many people made them at the same time recently I think some people think it’s kind of annoying,” states @greekhoegurt on the growing trend. Braman remembers “getting a whole bunch of follow requests [...] they were sprouting up everywhere.” “The amount of attention that you get on each post is kind of weird to think about. Sometimes you would post something to boost your ego and get that short feeling of acceptance,” states Bra-
man on Instagram as a whole. Whether posting a National Geographic quality shot or a picture of you mid banana-slip, the desire for approval is still a universal part of social media. The need for likes, followers, and general acceptance may be growing alongside the creation of finstas, but it can still be found in almost all social media platforms. Approval amongst others in digital life is part of the allure of the format. Finstas are a new form of digital self promotion that users are experimenting with. The pseudo privacy of a joke account seems to open the door for all kinds of boundary pushing. It remains to be seen if finstas are a fad or something that fills a void in the expression of our digital personality. Will the embarrassing selfie stick fail be the new sunset?
Purple rain
Prince’s legacy lives on. by Susana Davidson Prince Rogers Nelson, the incredibly in- timately, if it makes you feel good, cool.” novative and talented musician, performIn 1993, Prince changed his name to er and producer died last Thursday, April an unpronounceable glyph that blended 21, in Chanhassen, Minnesota at the age the male and female of 57. His absence was felt throughout the symbols. nation. Prince’s parents were both jazz performers and so Prince was surrounded by music since birth. Wanting to follow in the footsteps of his parents, he entered the music scene when he was still in high school. As a teenager he signed his first contract with Warner Bros Records who amazingly gave him full creative control. Prince’s music quickly gained popularity and the song “I Wanna Be Your Lover” featured on his second album, “Prince,” became No.1 on the R&B singles chart. His music was so incredThis was due to his battle ibly popular due to it’s rare universal ap-By Urpi Ruiz Angeles with his original label, peal. Warner Bros. Prince believed that record Prince played every genre of music companies were corrupt and that music from R&B to hard rock and dazzled in belonged in the hands of the artists. He every one. He was also able to connect felt as though the company had taken with a multitude of different cultures. control of his name. He changed his name As Prince once said, “Music is music, ul- back to Prince in 2000 after his contract
ended. Eventually, any song he played was sure to be a hit. One of his most famous performances was the 2007 Super Bowl
halftime show where he played his most popular song, “Purple Rain,” during a downpour. When Prince was alerted to the rain he responded with, “Can you make it rain harder?” His music reached out into the world and touched the hearts of many people, especially musicians. For example, Prince’s song “I Feel For You” was a major source of inspiration for Chaka Kahn,
and Sinead O’Connor reached fame after recording Prince’s song, “Nothing Compares 2 U.” Even President Obama was affected by Prince’s music. In a Facebook statement he released on April 21st he says, “Michelle and I join millions of fans from around the world in mourning the sudden death of Prince. Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly or touched quite so many people with their talent.” Prince’s unwillingness to conform to societal standards contributed to his importance and legacy in the musical world. He proved that it was possible to embrace one’s femininity while still being the most well known male sex icon. He challenged stereotypes by completely transcending norms. Prince, who was both the musician and the music, will always be remembered.
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2015
13
a&e
BUst a move Without Breaking the Bank How to save money for prom. By Hera Ford It’s prom season and seniors are gearing up for that one “special night” (besides graduation). While this year’s prom theme is “What a Time to be Alive”, it’s also a time to save money. With the cost of tickets, outfits, transportation and after party plans, prom can get pretty priey. But no worries, this guide was made with the Bulldog on a budget in Art by Urpi Ruiz-Angeles mind.
Hair: Salon prices, especially for girls, can easily rack up to as much as $200. However, beauty schools, like the Gary Aveda Institute in Capitol Hill, offer high quality styles for lower prices ranging from $16 to $63. The Good Hair Salon, although not a beauty school, also offers affordable and unique styles for people with curlier hair textures. If you have shorter hair, barber shops like Great Clips, J Styles, and Squire Barbershop offer nice cuts ranging between $10 to $30. If you’re willing to get creative, Youtube offers a plethora of beauty vloggers who will guide you to your dream prom do’, for free! Youtube users such as Jessica Petteway and Claribella offer beautiful and easy prom hair and makeup tutorials.
Fashion: Part of the prom experience is the finding the perfect fit. But there’s a way to look bomb for prom without bombing your bank account. If you don’t feel like going through the tiresome hassle of shopping in boutiques and department stores, sites such as ASOS and prom. unique-vintage offer a wide selection of dresses for as little as $70. You can get your outfit delivered right to your doorstep. But make sure to give yourself time to exchange or return it, if need be. If Tuxes are more your style JCPennny and the Tux Shop offer rentals for as little $40-60 a night! Vintage shops and thrift stores offer one of a kind selections, if you’re willing to look hard enough! Redlight, Value Village, and Goodwill are all great places to find a bargain for as little $10.
Transportation: The Seattle Metro bus lines, routes 28 and 4 will take you to the Fremont Foundry Venue for just $1.50. But if you’re not willing to serve a mini fashion show down the bus aisle, Uber and Lyft are among the many online transportation services that offer cheap rides. With a touch of a button, you and your crew can arrive at the venue for about $10-20 depending on where in Seattle you are. These apps also offer easy ways to split the fare with your friends. If you want to be extravagant, a 10 passenger limo can drive for u p to 6 hours for $900 dollars ($90 per person). This is the priciest option but can definitely add some some glamour to your prom arrival.
The Smash Bros Cool Calm Ky New album flexing. By Caleb Stocker After the release of a new album, The Smash Bros are gaining notoriety as another emergent rap group at Garfield. The album has a clear message. “It’s about being young, being flexin’, and being reckless,” says Sophomore Noah Neubauer, most commonly known as ‘Orange Ice’. The album was released on soundcloud earlier this week. “Check out the song ‘Young and Flexxin’,” adds Ice. “We’re taking Garfield to the top,” says Junior Asante Seraile, also known as ‘Caillou’. There are many competing rap groups attempting to find the spotlight at Garfield, and The Smash Bros made their case with this new album. The group also includes Junior Markele ‘Bobop’ Lily, who claims to have the most prestigious accolades of the group, as well as Junior Daejon ‘Swaggy D’ Davis, the well known basketball star. Anyone desperate to see The Smash Bros live (basically everybody) will not have to wait long. “We’re performing Saturday at a party,” says Orange Ice. But the possibilities don’t end there. “We’re gonna go big time, we’re making bands and going all the way.” Look out for Caillou, Bobop, Orange Ice, and Swaggy D around the halls of Garfield.
14
An interview with the foodie and optimist. By Elena Orlando Unlike most seniors, Kyle Ting a.k.a. Cool Calm Ky, makes music about perseverance and wants all the music he makes to be free. Ting’s positive and inspirational outlook on life finds its way into his music, and sets him apart from most 18 year olds. 1. Where do you find inspiration? “There is a specific type of song that I like to listen to when I want to get inspiration, the kind of songs that go out and tell you to do something, and make something of yourself. The songs that I especially like, that really inspire me, are those that talk about people who have progressed and made it from the bottom, working their way up. Songs like that that I really like are ‘Victory Lap’ by Macklemore...and ‘Till the End’ by Logic.
“My music is found on SoundCloud. The thing that I really like about SoundCloud is that for the most part, everything is free...one of my goals for my music is that I always want it to be free, so that it can be accessible for everyone. My username is Cool Calm Ky.” 5. What kind of songs can people expect to hear from you? “For these next ten weeks, I’m dropping a song every week for this album I’m calling, ‘Whose World is This?’ This album is really about this concept I call, ‘ The World is Yours.’ This is your life, you can do what you want with it, go out and live it. There’s going to be tough times, but you just gotta keep going, keep moving and keep pushing through.”
2. Do you miss doing the munchies? “I really, really miss The Munchies, but I don’t miss the work. It really gave me a finer appreciation for restaurants.” 3. What’s your writing process like? “I think it’s really hard to push creativity...so what I started to do was I listened to music and went on walks, and if anything popped into my head I would write it down. I always keep a journal in my backpocket… and most of my songs have been written in class.”
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
4. Where can people find your music?
Courtesy of Kyle Ting
a&e
KEXP'S NEW DIGS
New headquarters opening at Seattle Center. By Hannah Tacke
O
n April 16th, KEXP held a grand opening of their new headquarters at the Seattle Center. The radio station introduced the public to the new space with warm performances by Seattle locals Grace Love, Sera Cahoone, David Bazan, and many more with public tours of the new facility throughout the day. Back in the early 1970’s, KEXP (90.3-FM) radio resided in the cozy quarters of University of Washington’s studios. Known back then as KCMU, the then-small radio station was blooming during the emergence of punk and the invention of New Wave, a time when Seattle’s identity in music was transitioning into an emphasis on alternative artists. With little resources and close quarters, the station set out with an agenda to create a space in which music based in Seattle could be celebrated by its community, and to “liberate everybody from bad music,” says dj John Richards. Overtime, its following grew as it preserved the stronghold of Seattle’s music influence by giving local artists a platform to broadcast their tunes to an audience in a pure and independent environment. As KEXP’s listenership grew, the radio station was taken over by the UW’s computing and communications department in 1999, separating it from KUOW and opening a window to online streaming. With the attention from the online expansion, KEXP began its legacy as the station that grows in accessibility to its listeners. Today KEXP has a weekly streaming audience of more than 62,000 listeners and more than two million weekly YouTube video views, allowing it to become untethered from its local rehm and create a global impression. “We don’t just reach the day to day listeners that can tune into the radio station dial, but to everyone around to well,” says KEXP dj Tim Betterley. It was on Dexter, the station’s previous location, where KEXP grew mightily—producing podcasts, creating a mobile app, and shooting thousands of in-studio live videos earning millions of YouTube views all while continuing to broadcast on air and online. The station had to move primarily because of space issues, but KEXP officials also cite a unique motivation: They wanted to have a new space where the community could interact with the music more directly. To do this, the station raised about $15 million. With a new 28,000-square-foot facility armed with a record store, a large live-performance room, and more working space, KEXP moved into the Seattle Center with grand plans to create a more immersive and expansive listening experience. “We realized we could do bigger and better
things at a bigger space,” says Betterley. Included in these additions is a coffee shop by Italian espresso machine manufacturer La Marzocco. The shop has plans to hold classes on espresso making in hopes of enlightening participants on the growing independent coffee movement, which runs in parallel with KEXP’s emphasis on independent music. “KEXP promotes community and [La Marzocco] kind of ties it all together nicely,” says Betterly. With a newly constructed soundproof dj booth, KEXP can hold concerts in the spacious gathering space right outside the booth with no bleedthrough in either direction. “There are open windows for people to make a connection with the station and have a visual to go along with what we do,” says Betterly. The station’s doors are wide open to the public, and they encourage fans to come see shows live to further
Danny Levy
their ties to the Seattle community. Back at the old location on Dexter, the station could cram bands of 12-18 members inside a tiny space for in studio performances, raising temperatures up to 90 degrees. “Our new live room is 1100 square feet, more than 4x bigger than the old live room,” says the station’s tour guide Vince. “It allows us to capture that technology and put it straight into our sound and video room.” KEXP plans to take advantage of the space by having the station’s videographers and photographers interact with the live sessions, and have immediate access to the resources they need to export the content for streaming. Radio djs are also equipped with an expansive music library with an estimated 40,000 CDs and about 15,000 albums. “The library saves vinyl with notes from djs going back to the 70’s like ‘track 4 is awesome’, or maybe another note from the 80s or a different decade,” says Vince the tour guide. KEXP is working
towards digitizing the entire library in order to make the music fully accessible to listeners. Since these records have been in their possession for 45 years, the history that lives in these albums can be told through the commentary that has been passed on from djs in the past. In an installation in a 3,000 square foot section of the building (future office space) called Inside the Music KEXP, the public can actually create their own sounds just by touching the mesh walls. Made with Microsoft Kinect technology, participants can change the character of the sounds coming out of the speakers by pressing on the netted walls as it activates portions of each curated song. The soundtrack is curated around four artists, Alt-J, Olafur Arnalds, Floating Points, and the Samaris, that contributed tracks with textural aspects in order to make the experience as interactive as possible. Because of KEXP’s independent status, all funds for the new home was raised through pledge drives and donations. By strictly identifying as a nonprofit, the radio station can continue to broadcast music that celebrates valuable artists. “What we do is so cool. We have so many freedoms to be ourselves and to have a very human experience with listenership,” says Betterly. KEXP djs can freely play whatever they want with one single rule: djs must play local music every hour. So stop by the Seattle Center, grab a cup of jo from La Marzocco, browse through some records, and visit your friendly local DJ’s for a unique experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
15
Sports
Me, Myself, and I
The differing mentalities for individual and team sports.
F
By Eli Wilson
rom preparation, to in game mentality, to post game reflection- individual sports and team sports differ on many levels. While so many x-factors surround success in a team sport, individual athletes can find themselves with internal conflicts and little teammate support to help overcome this adversity. Personality traits and characteristics can be what drive certain athletes to individual or team settings, both having great benefits overall for an athlete’s growth. Preparation for a team of athletes can come in a variety of forms, for Garfield soccer, pregame rituals tend to involve the entire team and initiate a unity they will need on the field. Junior soccer player Rainier Schlekewey says, “Usually we have some time before games in the locker room. We hang out and all listen to the same music. [The music] gets us all on the same page and hypes us up a little bit.” Soccer is one of the most team oriented sports, and requires great chemistry on the field for passing and communication.
In a sport like baseball, the preparation can differ as the game is more centered around one-on-one matchups at the plate, and individual plays on defense. Junior outfielder Travis Weaver says, “I visualize success, and picture what I want to do on the field.” A complete individual sport such as certain track events involves a
Art by Cora Anderson-Bicknell
completely different mindset before entering the starting block. “It’s nice to know that [the other runners] are on their
own too, and there won’t be any liabilities in the race because it’s just you, and there are no excuses,” says junior middle-distance runner Will Laird. In-game performance for teams rely heavily on communication and sharing of the ball. Schlekewey can attest to the importance
of teamwork during a match, “Using the ball well and passing right can take a lot of the workload off of you, and your teammates.” For baseball, much of the same is true in that the team needs each player to take part in a team effort. “I just rely on my
teammates to do their job. Like at the plate when there is a runner on base you have to do your best to move them over,” says Weaver. Post-game congratulations for individual athletes can be very flattering, however making an addition to an overall team score is where many athletes find their gratification. “It feels good to be congratulated and to have the rest of the team happy for you, and even though it’s an individual race you add to the team score and the rest of your team will be happy about that,” says Laird. Whether you’re completely alone on the track or passing a ball with 9 other teammates the post game reactions seem to stay the same- it’s good to be congratulated, but also good to congratulate others. Laird says, “You teammates are happy for you [after a good race], but it’s the same thing when they do well- you’re happy for them.”
Extra Credit You Got Schooled repeats as March Madness champs. By Aidin Montefisher Typically in Garfield’s March Madness tournament, there’s no telling which team will come away with the title. This year however, You Got Schooled lived up to their hype and came away with a dominant title repeat, as they beat We Are Geeked in the tournament final. This marks their second consecutive year as March Madness champions. Led by returning pillars and counselors Mr. Lee and Mr. Willis, along with new teammate Mr. Williams, the staff team has conjured talk of a dynasty with their 21-17 win. “It’s a dream come true,” says Lee, point guard and counselor of all students with last names starting with A-L. “This is what we prepared for all year, so we feel good about it.” Named the #1 overall seed heading into the tournament, You Got Schooled had a mountain of expectations and pressure to overcome. “Last year we had the surprise factor, people didn’t even know we played,” says Lee. “This year, we had a target on
our backs, and that was the biggest thing, pionship, the students competed hard, they just weren’t big knowing that everyenough,” says Wilone was going to liams, who required come hard at us.” constant double-teams One huge difthroughout the tourference was the adnament. “I lift weights dition of the 6’6’, for a reason.” 240-pound WilWhile You Got liams, a former UW Schooled cruised and University of through their first few New Mexico playmatchups, they narer who combined rowly escaped with a an enormous post one point win over 3 presence with a deft Guys, 1 Hoop in the 3-point touch, sinElite Eight, then overgle-handedly sinkcame fellow 1-seed D12 ing many teams. Lee called Williams’ Prospects in the Final recruitment the Four. “defining moment In the champiof the year”, and onship game, they Williams definitely jumped out to a big came through in the Photo by Keenan Simpson lead early, but We Are Photo by Keenan Simpson clutch. Mr.Williams dominating some young Geeked slowly fought their way back in. With “It feels outstandbloods on the boards. some clutch three ing to get the cham-
pointers by Markele Lily, along with huge contributions by Asante Seraile and Zubin Kopischke, it was a 2 point game with 2 minutes to go. They were able to force a turnover, but missed their next several shots while You Got Schooled sealed the deal with insurance points on their end. Following the heart breaking loss, We Are Geeked expressed their frustration for losing such a close game. “How can you be the ones playing aggressive… and calling the fouls?” says Lily. Despite any unfair play in the game, it was clear You Got Schooled was the best team on the court. “We got size, skill, and veteran guys who know how to play the game and share the ball,” Williams says. “And that ended up being the real difference.” So how does a March Madness championship compare to UW games in terms of intensity? “UW games are more intense, but this was real good,” Williams said, before joining in on the teacher’s jubilous celebration.
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
17
Sports Mind The Gap
Unraveling the mystery of sports funding at GHS. By Alex Ferry
O
ne of the many common rumors I hear in the halls at Garfield High School revolve around the sports funding “scandal”. As a student athlete myself, I will admit I was pretty suspicious as to the apparent discrepancy in funding between teams. So why does it seem like some sports receive more money than others? I began to dive into the murky waters of sports funding, and I came to find that not only did students not know how it worked, but even faculty members lack knowledge on the subject. ASB oversees most purchases associated with spending at Garfield. ASB Treasurer, Sydney Bowker, shares the three main places from which the athletic funding come. “The PTSA has their sports booster money, and so they cover a lot. There’s also a lot of ASB activity fees, and they will occasionally cover sports. On top of that they have individual ASB accounts for sports, that they can use/take,” said Bowker. Sports as a whole has one general account, but sports also have their own individual accounts. “People can donate to whatever sports they want which will be distributed through the PTSA, but that’s also sort of a foggy area,” Bowker explained. The students of ASB play a large role in overseeing the money spent by each team, and every dollar spent must go through them before it is taken from an account. “All the sports are under the ASB account, we have to approve all of their purchases, which comes out of their individual funds,” said Bowker. Leader of parent fundraising, Ned Sander, explains the process of how the money reaches the ASB accounts. “Each team usually has a parent team captain that raises money for that team, and then they put that money through me and then the money goes into the central sports boosters account which is part of PTSA,” said Sander. This seemed pretty simple to me, but it turns out some teams don’t receive donations right off the bat. Coach Kwad, head track and field coach, explains the difficulty of raising money for her team. “The track team is funded through fundraisers like car washes. It’s not a sport like football or basketball that brings in revenue. It would be great if it did,” said Coach Kwad. “The program is funded by the ASB
18
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2015
when we take athletes to the State Championship meet.” PTSA fundraising leader John Hughes shares similar thoughts regarding the baseball and softball funds. “Baseball and softball get basically no funding from the school. So there is the Garfield Diamond Boosters club for baseball and softball. We raise money for uniforms, equipment, etc. We do car washes, direct asks of parents, etc. A great group of parents work with the coaches to fund what is needed,” said Hughes. Bowker explains that some sports receive more donations than others due to popularity concerns, not financial ones. “They get a ton more donations, just because people like them, and they’re well known– they just have a lot more money from that,” said Bowker. “People get pretty upset about that because basketball has thousands of dollars, and golf for instance doesn’t have that
Art by Urpi Ruiz-Angeles
much,” Bowker explains. The district is also a contributing factor to some of the sports funding. “The district has certain allotments for coaches, but in terms of things for like tournaments, uniforms, etc, that generally either comes from either boosters or from ASB money,” said Sander. A given amount of money from the district is also provided to the school to be used for other services. “They pay a limited amount for transportation,” Sander said. “For football, they only pay for eight bus rides per year which is not enough.” On the face of it, it still looks like some teams get more money than others. Athletic Director, Coach Haskins explains such discrepancies. “Equality and equity are two different things. It is equitable, because that’s the way we do it across the board, but equal? No, because golf doesn’t need what football
gets, and tennis doesn’t need what cross-country gets,” Haskins explained. “Cross-country has so many kids, so they need a couple buses for every meet. Golf wouldn’t need that, because they have twenty kids,” he said. That provides reasoning to the inequities regarding transportation, but most people are more concerned as to the inequalities in gear. The basketball team has multiple different uniforms, w h e r e a s the golf team doesn’t even have one. “Nike gives us a couple pairs of shoes and sweatsuits or whatever, so we don’t have to fundraise for that, because they consider us a Nike team,” Haskins explained. “I can’t go to Nike and say do my whole athletic department, because they won’t do it, that’s the difference,” he said. Nike has a team of employees that seek out high profile athletic teams to endorse. It is completely their decision as to whom they sponsor. The boys basketball team is similar to every other sport in that “In terms of when we have to go places or anything like that, [we] still have to raise money,” said Haskins. The world of sports funding at Garfield is extremely complicated, and on the surface it can seem as though some sports have more money than others, but Coach Haskins says it simply. “It’s equitable, but it’s not equal.”
sports
Skirt in the Dirt
How Tratt continues to attack. By Sydney Santos
Breathing heavily on the sizzling turf, she wipes her sweat on her miniskirt and, her mouth crowded with a neon mouthguard, yells “Any dogs in the house, true dogs?”. Her peers, also donning slimy mouthguards and fashionable outfits, reply “Hell ya!”. After they bark for a short time, the girl raises her stick and shouts a quick reminder: “Maim Holy Names!” This girl, Sivan Tratt, has been a longtime participant of the strange cult. She may seem to be your run-of-themill senior at first glance, but don’t be fooled; Tratt’s had a significant presence on the lacrosse field for the past four years. “I started playing when I was a freshman,” Tratt said. The senior recalled that she had considered lacrosse after an upperclassman friend watched Tratt’s exceptional body-blocking skills in their kung fu classes. Because of Tratt’s expertise, the upperclassman encouraged her to join the Garfield lacrosse team. After Tratt decided to try it out, the rest became history. Now in her final season, Tratt took her participation to the next level when she was voted by her fellow teammates as a captain. This new role has tested more than her athletic abilities; “My job is to be a really positive force on the team [...] to be the person that people look to for support but also be the nagging mom” Tratt said. Apparently, Tratt isn’t doing a bad job. “I think Sivan is a really good captain. She’s always really energetic and gets people motivated to do well in the games and pumps them up,” said Petra Zuniga, a sophomore on the team. “She is personally my inspiration to come to practice.” added head coach Emily Dalrymple. The community that Tratt maintains inside the team has been a positive and relatively close-knit group of
girls, a characteristic that is not typically found in teams with so many varied playing levels. “We all have to work more to play it as a sport, because it’s a club, so we have to do all the fundraising together and figure out our rides together. It definitely brings us together and we have a good team dynamic,” Tratt said. Coach Dalrymple, who joined the program this year, also praised the team’s upbeat aura. “I feel really welcomed by them [...] the girls get along better as a team than any team of high schoolers I’ve worked with before” she said.
Sivan: athlete or fearsome pirate?
Photo by Elliott Hoppe
Despite these positive aspects, the recent season for girl’s lacrosse has been somewhat of a rough one. According to Coach Dalrymple, “It has been a really tough competition season for them.” However, she added that their work ethic was extraordinarily strong: “They give their all the entire game no matter what the score is. It’s pretty amazing how hard they work.” At Garfield and other Seattle high schools, lacrosse is
a club and not an official school sport. According to Tratt, the sport’s moderate violence plays a part in the sport’s club status. “It’s a big liability.” Without the official support of the school, the team relies on independent funding. “We have to pay for our own fields and coaches,” Tratt said. “But we’ve fundraised enough in the past to buy all the gear players need.” While girl’s lacrosse can seem like a daunting sport to those who have never touched a stick, the game is relatively straightforward and safe. While men’s lacrosse is traditionally very violent, girl’s lacrosse promotes very small amounts of physical contact and therefore requires minimal protective barriers, like padding or helmets. Furthermore, according to the Washington Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association, boys and girls lacrosse is the fastest growing sport on youth and collegiate levels, with participation increasing over 500% in the past decade. Basically, lacrosse is the latest and greatest trend in the athletic world. This growth in lacrosse culture is felt inside Garfield’s program. Traditionally, the earliest opportunities for girls to play lacrosse have been exclusively in high school. However the sport’s growth has changed this. “This is the first year that we’ve had freshman who have come into Garfield already playing lacrosse because there’s a feeder program,” Tratt said. This program is one of the three girl’s lacrosse clubs that have recently emerged in Seattle, training girls in elementary and middle school. The development of clubs around the country has legitimized lacrosse immensely and increased high school competition. “By the time [the freshmen] will be seniors, they will be a real force to be reckoned with,” Tratt said.
Mess Guess
Eli Wilson
Aidin Montefisher
Celtics or Hawks Advance?
Celtics
Celtics
Celtics
Raptors or Pacers Advance?
Raptors
Raptors
Pacers
Pacers
Raptors
Lightning or Islanders Advance?
Lightning
Islanders
Lightning
Lightning
Islanders
Leicester City @ Manchester United
Leicester City
Leicester City
Manchester United
Manchester United
Manchester United
Yankees @ Red Sox Series (4/29-5/1)
Red Sox
Red Sox
Red Sox
Yankees
Red Sox
2-8
8-2
Alex Ferry
Emma Kooper
4-6
7-3
Flora Taagen 3-7
Quinn Sullivan Hawks
Celtics
The only way to describe this Mess Guess season so far is ‘ridiculous’. Aidin “Late Night Optional” Montefisher has surged to the top with his second straight 4-1 week, marking his dominant return to first place. Emma “Your New Leader” Kooper continues to flex her sports knowledge, as she still sits in second place by a comfortable margin. Alex “Washington State“ Ferry continues to float around mediocrity. Flora “It’s A Rebuilding Year” Taagen has stayed positive, despite a depressing issue. The real shocker is Eli “Ever heard of Wally Pip?” Wilson has only won two games thus far, perhaps calling for a change in the front office- or maybe bringing up Quinn “The Next Lou Gerhig” Sullivan from the minor leagues. Stay tuned.
The Garfield Messenger 4/29/2016
19