MISCELLANEOUS MTHS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS AND THEIR IMPACTS
8
THE MTHS DRAMA PROGRAM RETURNS FOR THEIR FIRST INPERSON PERFORMANCE
11
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL | 21801 44TH AVE. W MOUNTLAKE TERRACE WA 98043
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FEBRUARY 2022 | VOLUME 37 | ISSUE 5
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ARE EXAMS REALLY THE BEST WAY TO ASSESS KNOWLEDGE IN THE CLASSROOM?
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SUDDEN SURGE PROMPTS SICK-OUT10
2 | FEBRUARY 2022
Hawkeye
02/2022 Vol. 37, Issue 5
IN THIS ISSUE…
04
Terrace Events Calendar
05
News Update
06
OP/ED: Insights from Falk
07
MTHS Instagram infection
08
Troubles with testing
10
Student-led sick-out
11
Acting in a pandemic
12
Sports spectacle
13
Winter sports schedule
14
Fun-filled fiction
15
Daily dose of thought
Stay updated with school and community events in February and March. Our staff picks for what you need to be aware of in the world, nation and state. Assistant Principal Dan Falk gives his perspective on what doing your best means in a pandemic. Several student-run Instagram accounts have popped up over the past few months, recording aspects of life at Terrace. Testing in-person after a year online proves to be difficult for both students and teachers. A district-wide “sick-out” was planned by students, garnering mixed reactions. Terrace’s drama department deals with obstacles caused by COVID. Junior Mya Sheffield shares her story as the women’s basketball team goes to districts. Winter sports come to a close after a successful season. Students from the creative writing club document the story of lawyer Raymond Holloway. Do you have what it takes? Solve this logic puzzle to find out.
C 02
ON THE COVER
A classroom is emptier than usual during the student-organized “sick-out” to protest the district’s handling of COVID.
Lining up the shot
Junior Cameron Dunn prepares to shoot a game-changing free-throw at a women’s varsity basketball game. PHOTOS BY CAROLINE SHYNSHYN | HAWKEYE
Hawkeye
Letter from the Editor
OP/ED
FEBRUARY 2022 | 3
NO, REALLY, I DON’T WANT TO FEEL YOUR FACE Hey there, Hawks. First and foremost, congratulations! We have officially survived a semester like no other. I know it’s been a crazy year so far. Yet, here we are, one semester complete and one more to go. That is reason for celebration, so congratulations once again. Anyway, this time in my little corner of randomness, we’re talking about… Strangers and faces. Yep, you read that right. As I began spending time Ritika Khanal CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF around people my age, it seemed as though most of them had been told by their parents or guardians, “don’t talk to strangers, especially those older than you.” Unfortunately for me, I was an extremely social kid at the ripe young age of five, and not in a healthy way, either. Maybe my parents thought I was smart enough to know not to talk to strangers, or maybe they just didn’t get around to it, but we never had the “don’t talk to strangers because they might kidnap you” conversation. In my dysfunctional six-year-old eyes, everyone I encountered was a new best friend. However, it didn’t take long to change my extreme social tendencies. Why? Well, a large part of it has to do with an encounter with an old man in the middle of an airport. Full disclaimer, I don’t actually think this man had any bad intentions. In fact, I think he was just curious, a tad bit bored and trying to help out a young child that he had just gotten to know. Whatever the case may be, my encounter with him has stuck with me. I was only five years old at the time, and my family and I were at an airport, getting ready to come back to the United States after spending time in Nepal. My doctors had told my parents that I would slowly start getting my vision back, but seeing no improvement, they decided to come back and figure out what was going on. The airport was huge, and my mom and I had gotten separated from my dad. Neither of my parents knew English all that well, and I was just beginning to speak it fluently from mimicking others’ pronunciation. Neither of them had a cell phone at the time either, and we were in a time crunch to get to the gate. So, with no way of contacting my dad to figure out where he might be in this massive airport, we decided to get on a train that we thought would get us to the gate, hoping that he would find his way there, too. After a few minutes on this train, my mom realized that we might have gotten on the wrong train, and she leaned over to tell me she was going to try and get some help. “Stay right here and I’ll be back,” she told me sternly. Then, she was gone. For a few minutes, I dutifully sat still, adrenaline rushing through me in response to her stressed and urgent tone. Eventually, boredom began to set in, and I was frustrated that I couldn’t help in any way.
Listening to my surroundings, I discovered that I was sitting next to a man. I decided he was American, as he was singing under his breath in what appeared to be English. My hopes soared. I could make a new friend and maybe he could help us find my dad. I reached over, tapping him on the shoulder. He stopped singing, and I introduced myself. As I began talking to him, all the fear and anxiety I had been feeling was suddenly nowhere to be found. When I was learning English, one of my favorite ways to learn was to talk to native English speakers. Here was my chance to perfect my skills with a man who clearly knew the language well. So, I told this random man my entire story. I told him about my vision issues, surgery, our return to Nepal and our current journey to figure out why my sight had not returned. As I rattled off all of this, he occasionally stopped me to ask me questions about my vision. Sensing his fascination, I did my best to explain how I saw the world with my five-year-old limited vocabulary. “Do you feel people’s faces when you meet them?” he suddenly asked. I didn’t know it then, but this would not be the last time I would get asked this question. However, at that moment, I was confused, having never been asked such a thing before. I shook my head. No? Then, without warning, he reached out and gently took my hands in his. “I don’t have gloves, but here,” he said. Gloves? What did he need gloves for? Before I knew it, he was guiding my hands to his face, and next thing I knew, I was feeling a rough beard. Misinterpreting my futile attempts to escape, he began giving me a tour of his face. “This is a beard,” he said. For 30 seconds, it continued like this, and I began to panic. Here I was, alone with this man on a train feeling his face, and I had no idea what to do. Eventually, satisfied that I had gotten the full tour, he let go, my mom returned, we found my dad and caught the flight in time. However, those few minutes with this man have stuck with me. Over the years, I’ve had a chance to reflect on his, and others, questions about whether I feel faces or not. The answer, if it isn’t obvious, is no. I do not feel faces, even with gloves on. I can’t speak for the rest of the blind community, and there are probably people who do use this method to better understand those around them. However, I see it as an unnecessarily awkward social interaction when there are plenty that exist without me trying. It just seems a little weird to ask a person when meeting them for the first time, “Hey, can I feel your face?” On top of all that, everyone seems to have eyeballs, ears, a nose and a mouth. I just don’t see the difference. The real lesson here though is, don’t forget to ignore strangers, especially if they try to talk to you on a train. H
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The Hawkeye’s mission is to provide the MTHS community with quality, thought-provoking student produced publications. Since September 1960, we have faithfully served our audience and community as a designated open public forum where student editors make all decisions. In policy and in practice, the Hawkeye will always be a designated open forum publication.
Co-Editors-in-Chief
Nico Francois & Ritika Khanal
Editorial
News Editors: Nathaniel Reyes & Karen Ghobrial Sports Editor: Cecilia Negash Op/Ed Editor: Rachel Davis Lifestyle Editors: Maggie O’Hara & Isabelle Froyalde Data Manager: Lin Miyamoto
Business
General Manager: Phuong Lam Travel & Event Coordinator: Denise Muñoz Distribution Manager: To be named Outreach Manager: To be named
Visual
Graphics Editor: Nico Francois Photo Editors: Caroline Shynshyn & Hunter Michaelson Design Editor: Sovanrom Sot
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Online Manager: Justin Barsness
Contributing Staff
Khe Bach, Rod Budden, Katrina Bushman, Casey Carpenter, Terina Papatu, Tsu Sasai, Kim Bahn, Annabelle Westby, Robert Mize, Kaylee Miyamoto, Jakob Nacanaynay, Camryn Thornton, Mika Raring, Savanah Coco-Barrett, Arabella Devera Jaimee Wacker, Cleo Williams, Anabelle Sumera-Decoret, Penelope Goodwin, Kimberly Nguyen, Virginia AlseptBeaty, Kit Blake, Sean Brouwer, Seras Bryner, Ezra Fenwick, Jonah Paulsene, Maria Gaviola, Sarvinoz Rakhmatova, Aiden Gilchrist, Elio Isley, Nicholas Iwuoha Name in bold indicates staff member of the month as selected by the Editorial Board.
Support
Adviser: Vincent F. DeMiero, CTE, CJE Journalist-in-Residence: Samantha Pak Teacher Candidate: Carrie Lee FANs Coordinators: To be named Printer: Pacific Publishing Member of: MTHS ASB, JEA/WJEA, NSPA, SPLC, ESD CTE, FAPFA
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Editorial Policy The editorial section of the Hawkeye, including editorial cartoons, serves as a forum for well-written, thoughtful, longer forms of expression. Signed editorials represent the opinions of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Hawkeye Editorial Board. Views printed herein are meant to be opinionated and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board. The Hawkeye will print submitted guest editorials as space allows and requests that all contributors include their name, signature and position relative to the editorial. The Hawkeye will edit all submissions for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any submission. Letters to the Editor Policy Readers are encouraged to voice their opinions in the Opinion section, a public forum for the expression of varying viewpoints on relevant topics. The Hawkeye will print as many letters as space allows. Letters must include the author’s name, signature and class or position relative to the letter. E-mailed, typed or legible, hand written letters are acceptable, but should not exceed 200 words. The Hawkeye will edit all letters for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any letter. Advertising Policy The Hawkeye will not accept any advertising that the Editorial Board deems to be: factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or defraud; containing malicious, vindictive or unsubstantiated attacks; offering goods and/or services illegal for teens to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; or creating imminent danger or disruption to school. The Hawkeye reserves the right to refuse any advertising, solicited or unsolicited. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board. Complete policies are available at www.thehawkeye.org/about-2/mission-policies/
Cover photo by Caroline Shynshyn © 2022 HAWKEYE | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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IN THE KNOW
4 | FEBRUARY 2022
Hawkeye
COMING UP: FEBRUARY AND MARCH By Nico Francois
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & GRAPHIICS EDITOR
DATE
EVENT
Wednesday, Feb. 09 Feminism Club Meeting
TIME/PLACE 2 p.m., Room 102
Thursday, Feb. 10 Extended PASS - Naviance activity
9:10 a.m. to 9:35 a.m. Advisory
Thursday, Feb. 10 Technology Student Association Meeting
2 p.m., Room 128
Friday, Feb. 11 Eco Club Meeting
2 p.m., Room 127
Friday, Feb. 11 EARLY RELEASE
10:15 a.m., Off campus
Monday, Feb. 14 MTHS Booster Meeting
7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Zoom
Monday, Feb. 14 2021 Tempo yearbook distributed through PASS classes
Extended PASS Schedule
Monday, Feb. 14 Creative Writing Club Meeting
2 p.m., Room 110
Friday, Feb. 18 Gender Sexuality Alliance Meeting Friday, Feb. 18 - 19 MTHS Drama Production: Midsummer/Jersey
EZRA FENWICK | HAWKEYE
Extended PASS
2 p.m., Room 226
Feb. 10
Creative Writing Club
7 p.m., Theater
Feb. 14
Monday, Feb. 21 NO SCHOOL - President’s Day
Off campus
Monday, Feb. 21 MTHS Golf Fundraiser
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill and Irish Pub
Tuesday, Feb. 22 MAKE UP SNOW DAY
All day, MTHS
Monday, Feb. 28 Spring Sports Begin
2 p.m., MTHS
Friday, Mar. 04 EARLY RELEASE
SPOTLIGHT
10:15 a.m., Off campus
Terrace students participate in various Naviance activities to ensure they’re on track for graduation. Students meet in room 110 every Monday and Friday to flex their creative muscles and writing skills.
Feb. MTHS Drama Production MTHS drama presents their first 18-19 in-person production since the pandemic began.
Feb. 21
Golf Fundraiser
Feb. 28
Spring Sports Begin
Shawn O’Donnell’s American Grill and Irish Pub hosts a fundraiser to support the MTHS golf program.
Terrace athletes prepare for the final sports season of the school year.
EDITORS’ NOTE: The information in this calendar is taken in part from the calendar published on the MTHS webpage. Information may change. For further information on an event, contact the organizing party. For corrections, contact editor@thehawkeye.org or visit us in Room 130.
Hawkeye
IN THE KNOW
FEBRUARY 2022 | 5
WA sues for alleged fake COVID testing By Nico Francois
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & GRAPHICS EDITOR
A lawsuit has been filed against the Center for COVID Control by Washington State for allegations of improperly handled COVID tests and false test results. The company had previously opened over 300 testing sites around the nation without a license, with sites open in Lynnwood, Tacoma and Everett. The lawsuit was filed by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Jan. 31, who stated that the company didn’t deliver accurate COVID test results and that the tests were not properly stored in refrigerators before processing. In addition to this, the lawsuit describes how the company took advantage of communities across the nation by providing false test results during a time when the need for testing was rapidly NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE increasing along with cases due to factors such as the holidays and the emergence of the highly transmissible omicron variant. Some residents across the state reported receiving negative results from the company, despite beginning to have COVID symptoms mere days after the results were reported. When going to the Department of Health for a test however, the tests came back in a timely manner, stating that the patients tested positive for COVID. Other families reported having received no results from their tests at all, which began to raise suspicion against the company. Citizens and officials alike began to protest the company, as they stated the company was posing a major public health safety hazard, potentially putting lives in danger by providing patients with false negative COVID results. Before the lawsuit was filed, the company claimed that they would release the results of COVID rapid tests within 15 minutes and the results of PCR tests within two days, which soon became a false statement, as testing samples became invalid after sitting in garbage bags for days on end, waiting for processing. H
Russia banned from Olympics
• the update •
A lot happens in a month. From fashion to finance, we are constantly bombarded by headlines from around the world. Here are the Hawkeye’s picks for what you need to know. stories bystories nico francois by nico and francois maggie o’hara graphics by nico francois
New COVID-19 omicron variant spreads
International
Just mere months after the discovery of the highly contagious COVID omicon variant, another “stealth” variant known as omicron BA.2 has been detected in various countries across the globe. The omicron variant, which was initially detected in South Africa, was found to have 53 new mutations that set it apart from the original COVID-19 strain. The BA.2 branch shares the same ancestor as the original omicron variant, and has so far shown similar levels of illness. Although vaccines have shown to be just as effective against BA.2 as BA.1, the BA.2 omicron variant may be roughly 1.5 times more transmissible than the original variant. H
GLSEN elects first black, nonbinary president National GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, an organization devoted to ending the harassment of LGBTQ+ youth and increasing inclusionary education, has appointed Melanie Willingham-Jaggers as the new executive director. Willingham-Jaggers is the first black and non-binary individual to run the organization since its establishment in 1990. Prior to their position as executive director, Willingham-Jaggers joined GLSEN as deputy executive director. While leading the group, Willingham-Jaggers hopes to emphasize the creation of a safe environment for LGBTQ+ students in schools. H
Bomb threats during Black History Month
National
COMPILED BY NICO FRANCOIS
The ongoing Winter Olympics, held in Beijing, China from Feb. 4 to 20, marks the third Olympic Games that Russia has been banned from. In December 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned Russia from competing in any international sporting events for four years. With evidence that Russian authorities interfered with and manipulated competitors’ data from the Russian AntiDoping Agency as part of a state-sponsored doping scheme, any representation of Russia as a country in international games, including the Olympics, was disallowed. Later, Russia made an appeal of the WADA decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the decision easing the restrictions. After the appeal, the ban was reduced from four to two years, and competitors from Russia were permitted to compete in events under the condition that they were confirmed to not have been involved in the doping scheme. Russian competitors have competed NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE in the Olympics since then as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). While they’re allowed to compete, the ban maintains that the Russian flag isn’t allowed to be shown and the national anthem isn’t allowed to be played at the event. Instead, the ROC acts as a neutral team, and the only patriotism they can show is in the form of colors from the flag and “Russia” written the same size or smaller as the “neutral team” label. On top of that, senior Russian government officials are now allowed to attend the games if invited by the head of the host country. Because of this, Russian President Vladimir Putin was allowed to attend the opening ceremony after being invited by Chinese President Xi Jinping, and will be allowed to attend the rest of the games. The ban will be officially lifted at the end of this year on Dec. 16, 2022. H
Multiple historically black colleges and universities have had to postpone classes or place campuses under lockdown due to various bomb threats made on the Feb. 1, the first day of Black History Month. At least 14 bomb threats were made to different colleges in the South and on the East Coast, with some university administration admitting that the threats were more widespread than ever before. It is unclear who made the bomb threats at many of the universities, but nonetheless, investigations have been launched and officials are prioritizing the safety of students and staff. H
Five teens escape Echo Glen Children’s Center
Local
Five teens made their escape from the Echo Glen Children’s Center, a detention center in King County, in late January, using a stolen vehicle to make their getaway. During their escape, the perpetrators locked two of the institution’s staff members into different cells, injuring a third staff member’s hand with a knife. Four of the five teens have been captured and put into custody. Prosecutors have charged the four teens with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree escape, unlawful imprisonment and vehicle theft. Since their detainment, the stolen car has been found and police are still searching for the fifth escapee. H
Free accessibility ramps for Snohomish County
Local
The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish counties, a non-profit home-builders association headquartered in Bellevue, has opened applications to build free ramps for residents in the area with mobility issues. The group, which has hosted an annual “Rampathon” event since 1993, has built over 500 accessibility ramps for disabled citizens all around King and Snohomish counties in the name of making the area a more equitable place to live by giving citizens the same freedoms as their able-bodied peers. H
OP-ED
6 | FEBRUARY 2022
Hawkeye
Each of us must ‘do what we can’ L
ast month was pretty rough for a lot of students. I was contacting students who had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus. Most of the students I met with had been vaccinated, so for them, it was a matter of checking to see that they had no symptoms and then sending them back to class. However, there were some students who had not been vaccinated, and in those cases, I was giving Daniel Falk students the tough news that they ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL would need to leave school and be quarantined for 14 days. In one case, I was sending a student home who had only recently returned to school from being quarantined because of a different close contact. As an administrator, those are some of the hardest conversations I’ve had. Telling a kid who wants to be here, who has not broken any rules, that he can’t come to school. After the meeting in my office, as I was walking him out to the front office, I told the student, “Sorry about this.” And do you know what he said? He said, “Mr. Falk, we do what we can.” Here’s a student I’ve just told that he is being quarantined for the second time, and he’s being reassuring to me. It was one of the highlights of my year and that young
man’s words continue to provide me with inspiration. And in this moment, I can think of no better advice to you than “Do what you can.” You don’t need me to tell you that things are pretty tough out there and the problems that we face can seem insurmountable. Global warming, cities in turmoil, staggering inflation, a staggering national debt and a pandemic that has killed almost 900,000 Americans. Each of these challenges are potentially calamitous and we can feel powerless as individuals to address them. But all of us can do something. And in fact, you ARE doing things. I’ve watched you. When you say “Good morning” to someone, you are making someone’s day better. When you pick up that extra paper boat off of the lunch table, you are making a janitor’s job easier. When you put on your mask and keep it on, you are protecting your classmates and the adults who are here to support you. When you participate in a spirit day, walk on the right side of the hallway, hug a friend, participate in the class discussion or let a staff member know that you know someone who needs help, you are making a contribution. You are doing what you can. I’ve written about this before and it’s worth repeating. Mountlake Terrace High School is the last place where you will be required to get along with an incredibly diverse group of people. From here, you will choose the groups of people you surround yourself with. You’ll have a choice of jobs and the people you are surrounded by at work. You’ll choose a
college in part by the people you’ll have as classmates. You’ll choose a life partner and a neighborhood. But you likely didn’t choose Mountlake Terrace High School and the diversity of people you are surrounded by here every day, and the fact that we all generally get along is a very hopeful sign. We are a school of multiple home languages and multiple religions. We have a range of political affiliations. We include the multitude of gender identities and economic backgrounds. We include students from traditional nuclear families and kids who are living on their own. The fact we have banned together to follow a set of rules designed to allow us to continue to attend school in the midst of this pandemic is pretty amazing. The fact that you can all eat in the same cafeteria and play the same games in PE are all hopeful signs that we can get along as a country. So, in my view, Mountlake Terrace High School is a pretty amazing place because you are making it amazing. Your job while you are here is to get along and do what you can. And the next time you are feeling overwhelmed by the world we live in, remember that you have the power to do something, even if it seems pretty small, to make a positive difference. H NOTE: The Hawkeye provides editorial space to the ASB officers, adminstrators, and other school leaders as part of our ongoing commitment to being a designated open public forum since 1960. If you would like to submit a letter to the editor or a guest editorial column, please contact us in room 130 after 2 p.m.
THE OCEAN IS A LAYER CAKE T
he ocean is a vast and widely unexplored region, despite the fact that 71% of the Earth is covered in water. As to be expected, not every ocean is the same and within every single ocean is a multitude of different layers, caverns and Rachel Davis OP-ED EDITOR zones to explore. The average depth of an ocean is about 12 thousand feet, with three identifiable “zones” as the waters run deeper and deeper. The first zone, which is closest to the surface of the Earth, is known as the Epipelagic Zone, but has been nicknamed the “Sunlight Zone.” The Sunlight Zone is located from the surface of the ocean to about 656 feet deep. This zone is close enough to the surface that the sun illuminates the water and provides a sufficient amount of heat, which allows for a wide variety of common sea animals and plants to live and grow. The Epipelagic Zone is also where most recreational activities take place, such as swimming and fishing. The Mesopelagic Zone, also called the “Twilight Zone,” is the second deepest zone of the ocean, going as deep as about 3300 feet . This area contains some residual natural light from the first layer, but not much. The Mesopelagic Zone transfers high levels
of carbon dioxide and traps it down within the third and final zone so that it cannot be re-released into the atmosphere. The animals in the Twilight Zone are a little more unique, as various species of bacteria like the zooplankton inhabit the zone, along with other creatures such as jellyfish. The third and final zone, the Deep Ocean, is composed of three subdivisions: the Bathypelagic (Midnight), the Abyssopelagic (Abyss), and the Trenches. These divisions are split from the distance 6600 thousand feet below the surface to the ocean floor. The creatures that reside on all of these levels are bioluminescent, meaning they are able to make their own light, but not a large amount. Because of the dark nature of the Deep Ocean, their eyes have adapted, which has allowed them to be able to detect the presence of those around them. The first layer of the Deep Ocean, the Bathypelagic layer, is where the temperature is typically 39 degrees fahrenheit. The animals living there have to rely on other creatures for food as plants aren’t able to grow. Animals like squid and small fish can withstand the pressure of the Bathypelagic layer, and either use the area for hunting or travel down to the ocean floor. The second layer of the Deep Ocean is the Abyssopelagic layer, taking its name after the word “abyss” because when first discovered, it was believed that the ocean was bottomless and never ended. We now know that this is not the case, but we may be proven otherwise
PHUONG LAM | HAWKEYE
later. There is little to no life in this area, as the pressure is too high and the temperature never reaches above freezing. The Hadalpelagic layer, nicknamed the Trenches, is the last layer of the Deep Ocean. This makes the Hadalpelagic layer the deepest part of the ocean, mostly full of caverns and canyons. One of the only animals to be seen in this layer is abyssobrotula galatheae, a type of eel.
The deep waters of the ocean are vastly unexplored, bustling with life that has yet to be discovered. Currently, we have an issue with being humans and we are unable to withstand the high pressures at the bottom of the sea. To explore the sea further, we need to find a way to not get squished like a tomato can, and then maybe we can become friends with special eels. H
NEWS
Hawkeye
FEBRUARY 2022 | 7
Instagram accounts set bad precedent By Ritika Khanal CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Today, Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms among students, and in recent months, over 20 accounts have been created with the school’s name in front of them. Examples include mthsassparking, mths.posture and mths.shlumped. As the name suggests, the account titled mthsassparking is filled with pictures of cars in the MTHS parking lot that the account owners have deemed ”ass parking.” Similarly, the mths.posture account features students and staff who account owners deem to have “bad posture.” These specific accounts began to surface in late September, and as the months went by, more and more were created. Instagram is widely used by MTHS students, and many are aware of the multiple accounts. Some students find the ever growing list of accounts to be amusing, while others feel that some of the accounts have gone overboard and are detracting from the community’s culture as a whole. “I think the bunch of MTHS accounts can be funny, but they pose a lot of privacy issues,” senior Lavinia Simkowiak said. “Posting pictures of people online without their knowledge or consent is a huge privacy violation, especially when it’s kids.” In addition to the accounts posting pictures of bad posture and “ass parking,” yet another, under the name of mths. masklackers, features students and staff alike with masks worn below their noses or with masks off entirely. Still another, under the name mths.shlumped, features photos of students who have fallen asleep in class.
“Sometimes, I stay up far too late reading and then accidentally fall asleep in class,” senior Mackenzie Kier said. “I’d like to not be afraid of showing up on an Instagram page.” Kier said that she finds some of the Instagram pages to be amusing. For example, she finds the masklackers page does a good job of highlighting the kids that do not know how to put their masks on properly.
KAITLYN MILLER | HAWKEYE
“I do like the masklackers one, though,” she said. “The number of kids who can’t seem to wear their mask properly is infuriating, and they 100 percent deserve to be called out.” However, Kier finds some of the accounts extremely unnecessary, and in some cases, harmful. One of the accounts that was created that she dislikes the most is one entitled mthsbathroomfeet. As the name suggests, this account literally features pictures of what can be seen of a student’s feet
through the gap of stall doors. “I already have a fear of using public restrooms and try to avoid them as much as possible, but if I must use one, I’d like to not have my feet posted on social media,” she said. Another account, titled mths.confessions_, has also caused a lot of controversy. On the account, confessions from various students are posted, usually about crushes and relationship challenges. However, specific names are mentioned; A student might point out that they have a crush on someone, while claiming to know that their crush already has one on someone else. The use of direct names targets individual students. “I think it [the account] has outed people as gay before, and its really not okay,” Kier said. Although all of the accounts follow the same theme of MTHS preceding the rest of their handle, it is unclear whether all of them are created by the same student. For fear of being discovered or having their accounts shut down, no one has associated themselves with the pages. However, all the pages rely on participation from the community, with requests in each of their bios for direct messages from students with pictures and content. In order to get more information on the motivation behind the accounts, the Hawkeye sent a direct message to the mths. posture account. “I saw a TikTok about these school accounts and it made me want to make one myself since it looked fun,” they said. While some seem to find the accounts amusing, others have found themselves in fear of ending up on them, while still others think there is a line that needs to be drawn. H
LATEST VIRUS VARIANT FORCES SEVERAL CHANGES By Kaylee Miyamoto HAWKEYE STAFF
As the omicron variant of COVID-19 surged across the nation and within schools, Edmonds School District officials and the MTHS administration made various changes to attempt to prevent the further spread of the virus and protect students. The changes made ranged from cutting nutrition breaks in between classes to receiving more COVID tests for students with symptoms and those in close contact. The district has an open COVID dashboard, with the aim of informing families of the positive cases along with close contacts among students and staff at each school. As the spread increased and more positive cases were reported, the dashboard became overwhelmed and inaccurate. In order for a case to be reported as positive, the student must be notified. Then, contact tracing also must be performed. Only then is the case deemed positive on the dashboard. With staff shortages at every school, contact tracing has been difficult. In addition to their day to day role as building leaders, administrators have been tasked with contact tracing as well. However, in an attempt to be more transparent, principal Greg Schellenberg began sending emails out to parents with an update on the daily positive cases at MTHS starting on Jan. 28, when cases were spiking.
Close contact during the passing guidelines have period. “Testing kits have become more accessible to students in recent also changed. From Prior to the surge weeks, as the district recently the beginning of of the omicron variobtained 10,000 Rapid COVID the year until the ant, testing was one tests to distribute throughout the month of January, of the most effective schools.” each student was ways to keep students notified if they had and staff safe, as any been exposed as a result of being in close student could get a test if they felt like they proximity to someone who tested positive needed one or if they had been deemed a for 15 minutes or more, regardless of setting close contact. However, after the omicron and whether masks were worn or not. Today, variant began to spread, testing slowed down a person is not considered close contact if considerably, and students who wanted to be they are in a setting, such as a classroom or tested could not get one because of the lack structured environment outdoors, where of testing kits. masks are worn consistently. Based on these “I can’t remember the exact timeline, guidelines, the ESD announced in January but testing was slow for many weeks,” that they would stop contact tracing those Schellenberg said. within the classroom as a result of proper A minor change that has taken place in mask wearing. recent weeks is the county’s guidelines on the “We look at high priority [close contacts] testing of athletes. Before, they were tested on buses and if there is a special seating each day before practice. Now, they will be group of students in clusters in classrooms tested only before competitions. and we check the student’s vaccination status “This didn’t make that much of a differto notify them,” Schellenberg said. “Students ence, as for many of our athletes, they have are only notified if they are not vaccinated.” competition two to three times a week,” To change the amount of time of possible Schellenberg said. spread, the school has also decided to cut Testing kits have become more accessible the nutrition break so there is less time for to students in recent weeks, as the district students to interact with masks down. Social recently obtained 10,000 Rapid COVID distancing is more up to discussion on how tests to distribute throughout the schools. administration will enforce it as students Home testing kit results are being accepted stay close together in the halls and in groups to get back into the building, too.
According to the ESD website, those with a positive result can return five days after a positive test, so long as the student or staff member is fever free for 24 hours, and symptoms are resolved or absent. Those who had close contact do not need to be isolated, must have all primary vaccines (and boosters for those 18 and up) or receive positive COVID results within 90 days. Those with close contacts must be isolated if they have not received all primary COVID-19 vaccines as well as those who are 18 and up and did not receive the booster within the past two weeks of initial contact. To return after the five-day quarantine, you must also receive a negative test result. All information can be found on the Edmonds School District website under COVID Health/Safety. While students are still expected to social distance and to wear their masks, many are starting to forget, and more teachers and staff are constantly reminding them to keep their masks above their noses. The change in contact tracing rules in the classroom relies on proper mask wearing. Therefore, MTHS staff have been instructed to refer any student who has to be reminded more than twice to wear their masks properly to administrators. “We need to stay masked and keep each other safe, and if you have to constantly be reminded, there will be consequences,” Schellenberg said. H
8 | FEBRUARY 2022
NEWS
Hawkeye
Students feel th of testing du By Mika Raring and Rachel Davis HAWKEYE STAFF
Over the past two years of COVID-19, teachers and students alike have been adapting to the ever-changing structure of learning throughout the pandemic. Teaching methods that were once used so comfortably have been altered to adapt to the challenges posed by remote learning. Standardized testing is one method that has been under heavy scrutiny in the past two years, especially as it became easier for students to cheat on those tests while learning from home. Although school is back in person, testing is not the same as it was. As teachers work to meet the needs of all of their students, conversations around assessments, and the methods of administering them, have arisen. Because of the pandemic, students faced a year and a half of isolation from their peers and were left more in charge of their learning than they had ever been before. With that came inevitable challenges. Many students struggled to maintain the work ethic necessary for good grades, and countless others gave up entirely. Throughout the remote learning process, teachers had to work overtime to figure out solutions to students’ lack of motivation and feelings of being overwhelmed with the workload. The students’ challenges during remote learning have had a lasting negative impact, and teachers are doing their best to adjust. “A lot of us have modified our ways of testing,” AP European History teacher Christopher Ellinger said. “Some of us give students more practice before tests, and some have decided to allow notes.” Ellinger has always seen the final exam for his class as an important assessment, as it is an effective way for his students to better prepare for the AP test in May, while also serving as a progress check for them. This year, however, Ellinger understood that he needed to make some adjustments, especially after a year and a half of online learning. “A good example of a change is how this year’s final is worth less points than usual. It [the final] was introduced earlier, and with more review, students are able to get more adapted to taking the test,” he said. According to Ellinger, another way that he and other teachers have attempted to make tests less stressful is by making assessments worth fewer points than they would be under normal circumstances. ”Because of COVID, I began to give fewer tests. The quizzes are not big and there isn’t a big final test at the end of the unit,” Ellinger said. “Performance has been really good on the smaller quizzes and students tend to do better on the less intense quizzes.” While some classes operate with only Common Core standards to guide them, AP classes must follow AP guidelines provided by the College Board, a nonprofit
organization with the mission of expanding access to higher education. Passing the AP exam for each respective subject can earn a student college credit, and AP students spend the entire school year preparing for the test, usually taken during the month of May. Although AP exams are usually administered on paper, the College Board chose to switch to an online format of the test for its 2020 and 2021 exams. This also created challenges for both the teachers and the students, especially while trying to teach and learn online. Ellinger described different adjustments made to the online AP test. In 2020, it was reduced to only the document-based question, because the College Board had to change the May assessment at short notice when schools shut down in March. There was also the issue of technical difficulties: some kids’ computers didn’t work, or they had poor internet accessibility. Motivation levels had a huge effect on the performance of students on the AP exam. Students who had a large incentive to do well on the AP test worked to earn that grade, but without that motivation, or the interactive preparation methods, it was much more difficult to both teach and learn the information at the level needed for the AP test. “I’ll take my hat off to last year’s kids. The kids who wanted to do well and perform, they found a way. And not just because of COVID or the way the kids work,” Ellinger said. “I wasn’t able to provide the same type of test preparation methods; we couldn’t do Quizlet Lives or reviews. But the scores were comparable to preCOVID scores. That’s a testament to how hard kids worked last year.” While many students did their best to work through the challenges of remote learning and to understand their class material, many others resorted to the less honorable, yet easier, way of cheating. Although it has always been present, Ellinger found cheating became more of a problem than ever during remote learning. On top of the natural challenges of teaching last year, cheating added on even more work and thought that had to be put into each assignment. “Seeing all the cheating was depressing - it was hard to prevent because students figured: “Why not?” and then it was hard to redesign a test
NEWS
Hawkeye
FEBRUARY 2022 | 9
he added weight uring COVID that could prevent it,” Ellinger said. “I didn’t have the time or the energy to do that, and I don’t think that was the best thing to do either. It wasn’t just on tests, it was on assignments too.” This cheating mentality has carried over into this year, making tests and assignments difficult for students. “If that was the way you operated last year, and now you try to operate like that this year it’s not going to work the same,” Ellinger said. “When I’m making projects, I have to think: how cheatable is this assignment?” Much of this incentive to cheat came from the building pressure to maintain good grades last year, which proved to be a struggle. “I can see how it would be easy to cheat with the internet readily at our fingertips,” sophomore Reese Krieger said. “Since COVID started, I felt more and more pressure to do better in school.” She went on to talk about how last year seemed especially stressful in terms of grades and school work, and combined with the loss of motivation, it made it much harder to put in the effort. With the return to in-person school, some students are feeling the effects of last year’s asynchronous learning. After spending a year and a half online, in which motivation levels were low and cheating was easy, tests and time management have become difficult. “Kids are more overwhelmed by the idea of a big test because they didn’t have one last year.” Ellinger said. “Kids this year struggle with how to maintain the time to prepare for a big test.” After years of preparing students for the AP test, Ellinger said that this year has been a different kind of challenge. In addition to AP European History being their first AP course, his students are sophomores, meaning they experienced their entire first year of high school online. Freshman year is often used as the transition year from middle school to high school, so the absence of that transition has been one factor for the lack of practice and the higher anxiety revolving around school. This was the case for Krieger. “Maybe it is just that I am a sophomore and I am experiencing in-person high school for the first time,” Krieger said. “I feel like this year has NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE
been a bit rushed with all the tests.” Krieger also said that she feels like tests should be administered differently than they currently are. She has found that having flexibility in the time she takes on her tests has helped her performance, especially since she doesn’t consider herself a good test taker. “I personally feel like tests shouldn’t count for as much of our grades as they do, because if someone does all the work and does bad on a test, all that hard work they did is disregarded,” Kreiger said. “I don’t appreciate when tests are super big parts of the grade either, because some people don’t do as well under pressure, and it isn’t a fair representation of their skill.” For an AP teacher like Elllinger, it is important to prepare the students for what they will encounter on the AP exam, while also taking into account the different learning styles. “I’m an AP teacher and I have to be honest,” he said. “The AP test is pretty traditional. It doesn’t really speak to different styles and that’s why I try to do big assessments that are varied. I’ll have the paper text, the debate, the salon discussion, those are big [assessments]. You’re demonstrating your understanding of a subject.” For AP classes, class assessments are an essential tool for preparation for the AP exam. However, the last two years of less intense testing has resulted in greater test anxiety upon returning to school in-person. For Ellinger, one of the biggest obstacles has been reintroducing tests to students. Test taking is a skill that he said everyone needs for all aspects of life, and after two years of nontraditional testing, students are more anxious than ever. “Unfortunately, over the last couple years test anxiety has risen and kids get overwhelmed at the concept of a test and different types of testing, so we need to help folks to address it,” Ellinger said. “I still think there is value in it, life is full of tests not just paper and math but challenges and things that require us to prepare for it.” Beyond school, people have to prepare for life skills like job interviews, driver’s license tests and college applications, which underline the need for learning test preparation skills in school. However, Ellinger said, a way to offset the need for skills from the anxiety of tests is to have tests not be worth as much of a grade. “I don’t believe in tests that are the end of the world,” he said. “Tests have value for that reason and it should be a part of that class but not dominating.” According to both Ellinger and Krieger, flexibility in testing methods such as smaller quizzes, allowing notes and more time could all improve the assessment of student learning. The key for success is communication between students and teachers to make sure that all learning styles are met. H
10 | FEBRUARY 2022
LIFESTYLE
Hawkeye
Sick-out protest impact to be seen By Cecilia Negash and Nathaniel Reyes HAWKEYE STAFF
In light of the sudden influx in COVID19 cases as the omicron variant has quickly spread, a ‘sick-out’ protest was organized by students of the Edmonds School District in hopes of prompting a return to online learning while the number of positive cases continued to rise. Over the course of the past few weeks, there has been a sudden spike in COVID cases that have affected students and staff alike. Many were forced to quarantine for five days after testing positive. Efforts were made to decrease the number of cases by implementing a district-wide ban on nutrition breaks. The schedule had been adjusted accordingly, with five minutes added to the end of the advisory period. In addition, those who participated in sports were required to undergo testing three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In response to the outbreaks, Edmonds School District students planned the sickout protest on Friday, Jan. 21 as a way to advocate their needs for an increase in pandemic safety measures, which included a shift back to remote learning. Participants were informed that they could have their absence excused by having their parents call the attendance office. Following the news of the protest, the Edmonds School District sent out a districtwide email to families and students on Thursday, Jan. 20 regarding the planned event. It mistakenly labeled the mass-absencebased protest as a walkout. “Demonstrations like this are a part of our students’ free speech rights and as such, schools must respect students’ choice to exercise their rights. Just as we have done in previous student walkouts, school administrative staff will monitor students to ensure their safety, and that there is not a disruption to the learning environments in our schools,” the email said. “Students who choose to participate will receive an unexcused absence.” The day of the protest was uneventful. According to the school’s attendance secretary Cheryl Sadler, 365 students were missing for a variety of reasons, with 111 either reporting that they were sick or had a positive test for COVID. Sadler didn’t feel the absence levels were anything out of the ordinary. “To me, it seemed [like] business as usual,” she said. However, Sadler did note that five parents called in to excuse their child’s absence as they were participating in the protest. “I had many more parents indicate in their attendance notification that their student was truly sick and wanted it known that they
Film Analysis teacher Vince DeMiero’s classroom (110) during 2nd period saw a majority of the students’ seats empty. were not a part of the protest,” she said. One possible reason for the low level of participation in the protest was the low student approval of it. Associated Student Body (ASB) member Ryan Daly believed that there were more efficient ways for students to express their concerns regarding COVID regulations. “I don’t think that missing school for the effect of showing student action was the most beneficial way of activism, I thought there were alternative routes that would probably be much better,” he said. “I think that’s why a lot of people didn’t actually participate, I’m pretty sure if you chose some form of alternate action that was more possible for other people to do then they might’ve actually participated.” Student accounts of that day’s attendance seem to agree with the attendance secretary’s. “Personally, my experience of the day was that basically no one was absent from school for sick-out reasons, so I thought overall it didn’t reach the goal it was meant to,” Daly said. However, a senior at MTHS, who wished to remain anonymous due to possible backlash, expressed different sentiments. “I thought it was a good idea. I feel like there could be more to be done to handle COVID at the school, maybe more sanitation,” she said. “I thought this was a good
“I don’t think that missing school for the effect of showing student action was the most beneficial way of activism, I thought there were alternative routes that would probably be much better. I think that’s why a lot of people didn’t actually participate, I’m pretty sure if you chose some form of alternate action that was more possible for other people to do then they might’ve actually participated.” Ryan Daly BIG 6 HISTORIAN
way to send a message to the staff.” However, she didn’t form a clear opinion on whether or not the protest was effective. “I wasn’t there. I don’t know how effective it was since I haven’t seen any changes or gotten any emails.” Following the events of the sick-out, a larger, more drawn-out protest was once again planned by the students of the Edmonds School District, called the Sick-Out Week. The plans for the new protest were posted to an Instagram account under the handle @ mths.events_. According to the social media post, each day of the week, from Tuesday, Feb. 1 to Friday, Feb. 4 would have a separate protest, similar to the days of a spirit week. Tuesday was “Symbol Day,” where students who participated wore a symbol of an hourglass on the back of their right hand, as a way to signify that “time is limited and if we
CAROLINE SHYNSHYN | HAWKEYE
don’t take a stand now, time will run out.” Wednesday was “Dress Sick Day” in which participants were expected to dress up in attire similar to those who are actually sick. The post stated that, “We will make the school face the consequences of their actions.” Thursday was the “No Mask Day” where participants were expected to attend school with no mask. The Sick-Out Week would then end on Friday, the “Walk-Out Day” where participants would exit their 5th period class and meet in the courtyard to protest. Whether or not the week-long protest was legitimate was never confirmed nor denied, however, this protest seemed to garner even less participation than the first one. While the omicron variant threatens the normality of the school year, plans of transitioning to remote learning have not yet been announced. However, the Edmonds School District has expressed their understanding of those who have protested in the previous weeks. “These demonstrations are not school or district-sponsored. Students who participate do so voluntarily. We respect the decisions of all students - those who choose to not participate and those who do,” the district wrote in an email. H
Hawkeye
LIFESTYLE
FEBRUARY 2022 | 11
Thespians set to return to the theater stage
By Maggie O’Hara and Rachel Davis HAWYEKE STAFF
ment from the prior year, there were still challenges. “‘Bad Auditions by Bad Actors’ was our first in-person play coming out of COVID,” Harmon said. With the nature of hybrid learning during the spring, it was difficult to have everyone together for rehearsal at the same time. As a result, the actors didn’t get the same experience as those in years past. “We would have to have people practicing scenes on some days and some practicing on others, and some were 100% online until the last week before the performance,” Harmon said. On top of that, it was a challenge to have the same level of organization as previous years with such unpredictable circumstances and low student morale in general. “There wasn’t really a process last year,” senior Anabelle Sumera-Decoret said. “It was more of, ‘if you want to be part of the play, just show up to the Zoom meeting, learn your part, and perform it when we record.’” This school year, COVID has still proven to be a challenge. While participation is higher and it feels closer to a normal year, people in the production have had to stay home, and the play was postponed. “Sometimes we’d have to skip practicing scenes some days
Students in the 2021-22 school year have faced more than the usual amount of surprises in comparison to any other regular school year. With students adjusting to being in person during a pandemic along with ever-changing COVID regulations, it’s inevitable for classrooms and clubs alike to be affected by sudden changes. Among these extracurriculars has been the drama department, who with the new production of Ken Ludwig’s “Midsummer/Jersey” has had to relearn everything it takes to put on a show in the midst of a pandemic. The play was originally set to be performed on Jan. 28 and 29, but was postponed due to concerns around the rapid spread of the omicron variant of COVID-19 at public events. As the production would involve actors interacting with each other without masks and an audience indoors in the theater, it was decided that it’d be best for everyone’s safety if it was changed to a later date. “The play was postponed back when the district suspended the activities buses due to the then-recent upsurge of omicron,” junior Tristan Harmon, an actor in the production, said. The current performance dates are Feb. 18 and 19, a Friday and Saturday. “Midsummer/Jersey” is the first production the theater program has put on since the start of the 2021-22 school year with implementing current COVID regulations, and the process leading up to the performance has changed thanks to COVID regulations. Over the past couple of school years, COVID has posed many problems for the program. “The production ‘Rumors’ was planned to take place in the second semester of the 2019-20 school year and was canceled due to morale being so ridiculously low when the pandemic started,” Harmon said. During the 2020-21 school year, the program had both EZRA FENWICK | HAWKEYE completely online and in-person plays. While an improve-
because person a, b and/or c are either out with COVID or had a COVID exposure,” Harmon said. The majority of students in the program also haven’t gotten the experience of being in person in theater at Terrace before, and bouncing back after the year online has been challenging. The newer students have limited experience, and the older members have their own obligations that may limit the time they can dedicate to the program. “It’s rough getting people back on track, especially when 90% of the program is now made up of new students who hadn’t experienced the program the same way I did in my underclassmen years,” Sumera-Decoret said. “However, the majority of the cast members are working hard and do have a passion for the production, so I trust that they’ll put on a great show.” Despite all of the hardships COVID has caused, the actors are still optimistic and enthusiastic for the prospect of being back to a somewhat-normal routine. Not only did the online year make motivation difficult in classes, but it also made clubs and extracurriculars almost obsolete, especially struggling with consistent participation. Being back in-person, that participation has significantly improved, and students are excited to get the chance to give it their all. “It feels great to have normal rehearsals again and having the entire cast at the theater at one time,” Harmon said. Sumera-Decoret, who has been with the program since her freshman year, felt the same way. “It’s wonderful to be back in the theater. Putting on virtual productions just isn’t the same, and getting to connect with scene partners in person and be moving with our entire bodies is something I miss a lot,” she said. While the play being postponed definitely wasn’t ideal, the theater program has taken advantage of the extra time to perfect their performance. “We’ve been working hard to make it until the blocking and tech shenanigans are completely set,” Harmon said. “We have been doing a couple things, however I can’t exactly say what they are as they’d ruin the surprise!” H
PASS table football tournament hosted to lift student spirit By Nicholas Iwuoha HAWKEYE STAFF
During the first weeks of second semester, the students of James Wilson’s PASS class are hosting a school-wide table football tournament. With over 38 teams schoolwide, PASS classes will compete for donuts and a special, one of a kind 3D-printed trophy. The registration period is over, but those still wanting to enjoy it may be able to view the championship games via a Zoom link. Right now, an elimination tournament for PASS classes with multiple teams is being played. After this set of games is finished, the schoolwide games for prizes will begin. Table football is a game that is played preferably on a 6-by2 foot table. The goal of the game is to flick the trianbular football, made of a folded piece of paper, so that it hangs off the short edge of the table but does not fall off. Each team gets four flicks, and if their goal is successfully achieved, they are awarded six points. The team that scores gets to attempt an extra flick for another point. If the ball falls off any edge of the table, the other team gets a three-point field goal attempt. The game lasts for seven minutes, and the team with the highest score at the end of the allotted time wins. This versatile game can be played anywhere, as the only materials required are a table and paper to make the football. Wilson’s PASS class has spent the last six weeks producing handmade table footballs and field goals for the event. PASS teachers can pick these up from their boxes if they have students registered to compete. A table football slideshow
is also available for anyone to view on the Advisory Canvas page. The idea of having the tournament originated from students being bored during Wilson’s PASS class. The game was an easy way to occupy their time before going to their next classes. Wilson noticed the excitement over the game and suggested sharing the pastime with the rest of the school. “They were engaging in something that was analog, using their hands and senses,” Wilson said. “They had social interaction while still being socially distant, so why not?” Over the next couple of weeks, the PASS students worked hard to make this vision come alive. They created over 60 table football and field goals with whatever extra time they could find, along with brainstorming and organizing how to advertise and hold the tournament. While the event’s only just begun, it’s been well-received thus far. The whole event has been primarily student-led, with Wilson just helping out as the adviser for the PASS class. The procedure for creating a tournament is rigorous and takes a vast amount of planning, however the students from the class proudly stepped up to this task. “There is so much learning and growth that goes into managing an activity,” Wilson said. “I definitely am supporting students being leaders. It’s a lot of good work for them.” Having students lead school events is not only good for the students leading them, but also benefits everybody around
the school. It lets students know that they can work together to make noticeable changes at Terrace and bring the school together with games or clubs. “If I can be in the position to support leaders in doing the stuff, then there’s much less work on my part,” Wilson said. “Those kids get a greater growth experience and then the cool events are happening, which is awesome.” All in all, this tournament is about bringing back, little by little, a sense of community at this school. “What makes high school such an experience is all of the traditions, and events, and experiences and social interactions,” Wilson said. “We have lost a tremendous amount of tradition. The school feels like a shell. Kids aren’t really sure how to engage in it mostly because y’all have done two years of remote.” This table football tournament may be a very small event, but it’s a start. If more students start events and clubs, school could become more of a welcoming place, and it would make each day different and the weight of schoolwork more bearable. “For high school to be the valuable experience that it should be, we need to rebuild. That is both a heavy burden and a beautiful opportunity,” Wilson said. “If this table football thing becomes a thing, then it can be one of those experiences. It can be one of those parts of our culture, and can be something that kids can feel like they’re part of, and we lack those right now.” H
12 | FEBRUARY 2022
SPORTS
Hawkeye
Sheffield keeps cool in the clutch Junior phenom poised to lead the Hawks into the playoffs By Terina Papatu HAWKEYE STAFF
So far the 2021-22 basketball season for the Mountlake Terrace women’s basketball team has been amazing, to put it simply. Thankfully, junior forward Mya Sheffield is part of the team that’s been treating this season like a walk in the park. To start off, Sheffield has been part of a very determined team. “They [the basketball team] have great teamwork and have amazing sportsmanship,” sophomore forward for the C-Team, Ema Catalan, said. Not only that, Sheffield is also a leader herself. “She is always there and ready when coaches need someone’s help to demonstrate plays or how a move is supposed to be done,” Catalan said. Since she was five or six years old, Sheffield’s personality has been heavily impacted by basketball. This has turned her into the leader she is today. “It definitely showed me how to become a leader. There’s a lot of leading in basketball that you have to do sometimes,” Sheffield said. This led Sheffield to being an amazing player and leader despite having a rough year. The previous year took quite a toll on Sheffield’s basketball career. Luckily, even though she was shocked with the sudden change, COVID and quarantine has made her love for basketball stronger than before. “I think it was an eye-opener, and made me just appreciate playing the sport more and getting the chance, because I know how it feels to not be with the crowd,” she said. Not only has she begun to appreciate the opportunity to play more, she’s also pushed herself to improve. “I definitely think I’ve changed as a player from freshman year to now. Just because of quarantine, I trained a lot, so I think it had a good impact on me,” she said. A recent game against Meadowdale was very close, the score being 41-42 until the last six seconds, when Sheffield scored a three-pointer to win the game. Though the crowd came flooding to the varsity team’s side, chanting about how the team had won, Sheffield had barely realized that they were still there. “When I usually play basketball, I totally forget the crowd’s there. I was not expecting that, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, hi guys!’ I was more happy about the fact that we won,” she said. In the last few moments of a close game, it’s common for athletes to think about every possible outcome of their game plan. When Sheffield realized she was open though, she had fellow junior forward, Elise Colvin, pass to her. “I just shot it, I don’t remember thinking
Hawks fans and teammates cheer on Mya Sheffield after she hits a 3-pointer to beat Meadowdale at the buzzer Dec. 17. TERINA PAPATU | HAWKEYE anything, I just threw it up there,” Sheffield said. A few days after the game, Sheffield and her coach, Nick Starks, were contacted for an interview by a news station in Everett. It made Sheffield a bit nervous. “My blood was already so high, and they were like, ‘Come here Mya! Come here Nick!’ and I was like, oh my gosh I can’t focus on this right now. I was a little scared, because I’ve never gotten interviewed like that before,” she said. Despite not being a senior yet, it’s never too early to think about college and the future in general. It’s common for athletes to start playing their sport of choice when they’re very young. Even though college and career paths are tough to think about, Sheffield spends lots of time thinking about her future. “I don’t really want to play in college, but if I get the opportunity it might be something I think about. It’s 50/50 right now. I kind of want to, but I don’t. It’s been my dream but also I’m not sure,” she said. While playing a school sport, especially on
varsity, teammates may look to you for help. “They create an environment where there is no judgment, where you can feel safe to make mistakes and they will be there to help you correct them,” Catalan said. Sheffield also explained the varsity team’s point of view. “You can just tell a lot of the times, they [JV or C-team players] kind of repeat what we [varsity players] do. I definitely think they look up to us,” she said. With some groups of people, the feeling of others being ahead of you might feel daunting. Catalan refuted this idea, however. “All three basketball teams get along. No one brings anyone down for being on a lower team than them, and we’re all always there to help each other when we need help,” she said. One of the things that hasn’t changed though, is the cheering and support that goes on during the games. Mya missed a lot when it comes to basketball, but cheering is one of the things that she’s missed the most. “One of my favorite aspects of basketball is probably the cheering. I love playing the sport, but the cheering gives us so much
hype and it gives us confidence.” Her reason for playing started off as something small, just something her mom signed her up for to see if she liked it. “I started basketball when I was like five or six years old. My mom was putting me in a bunch of sports. She really wanted me to be the sports type of girl,” Sheffield said. “She first put me in soccer, soccer was my first sport. I just really liked basketball, I liked the friends I had on the team. Some of the friends I have on varsity are some of my friends from that year.” The women’s varsity team has been working extremely hard, currently being 10-5 and on their way to districts. Because of this, the excitement of the team has gone up. “We’re probably a little more hyped, like our mindsets are more, ‘We’re gonna go to district! We’re gonna go to state!’” Sheffield said. The team has been close to state before, in Mya’s freshman year. Being able to experience the opportunity in her junior or senior year would be an amazing way to end her high school basketball career. H
SPORTS
Hawkeye
FEBRUARY 2022 SPORTS CALENDAR
FEBRUARY 2022 | 13
Info compiled by Curtis Gilchrist HAWKEYE STAFF
Hi Hawks! We are almost done with winter sports and spring sports are right around the corner. At this point, our winter sports teams are doing well in this season with women’s basketball team’s overall record at 10-5, and men’s even better at 13-2. The men’s swimming team is also set to send multiple athletes to districts. So, stay safe and healthy, and enjoy the upcoming Valentine’s Day. H
MEN’S & WOMEN’S WRESTLING
Women’s District Results (Top 5 qualify for regionals) • 2nd @ 120lbs. Hope Ambachew • 5th @ 125lbs. Neela Lopez-Hernandez • 7th @ 125lbs. Marylyne Obare
LIN MIYAMOTO | HAWKEYE
Men’s District Results (Top 4 qualify for regionals) • 1st @ 113lbs. Seraphim Treperinas • 2nd @ 126lbs. Isaac WIlliams • 3rd @ 126lbs. Malachi Hashimoto • 3rd @ 132lbs. Jack Bode • 3rd @ 170lbs. Koby Sedy • 4th @ 170lbs. Jamison Davis • 5th @ 132lbs. John Lane (alternate)
NOTE: Times, dates and venues for regional competition were unavailable at press time.
MEN’S SWIMMING
2/09/22 @ 4:30 p.m. Dist. 1 3A/4A prelims @ Snohomish Aquatic Center 2/11/22 @ 5:15 p.m. Dist. 1 3A/4A prelims @ Snohomish Aquatic Center 2/12/22 @ 4 p.m. Dist. 1 3A/4A finals @ Snohomish Aquatic Center
MEN’S BASKETBALL
2/08/22 @ 7 p.m. Mount Vernon H.S. @ Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/10/22 @ 7 p.m. Location TBD TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/12/22 @ 7 p.m. Location TBD (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/16/22 @ Time/Location TBD (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/19/22 @ Time TBD @ Everett C.C. (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 finals
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
2/07/22 @ 7 p.m. Mountlake Terrace H.S. @ Stanwood H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/09/22 @ 7 p.m. Location TBD (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/11/22 @ 7 p.m. Location TBD (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/15/22 Time/Location TBD (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 playoffs
2/19/22 Time TBD @ Everett C.C. (Possible game) TBD v. Mountlake Terrace H.S.
Dist. 1 finals
LIN MIYAMOTO | HAWKEYE
14 | FEBRUARY 2022
CREATIVE CORNER
Hawkeye
Short Fiction
What would YOU do if Homeland Security came calling? Contributed by Creative Writing Club
Raymond stood against the wall of his cubicle, eyes unfocused, arms hanging loosely at his sides. He could barely listen to his boss, explaining his termination – however nicely he tried to explain just why the firm had fired him, it didn’t change the fact that Raymond Holloway, up-and-coming lawyer at Billsbury Law, would be out of a job. The job he intended to make his career. When he was finished, he forlornly packed up his belongings and left the building. It was not, he decided, a great day at work today. He backed his car into his garage slowly, like he did every evening after work. Raymond had never been a night owl – especially with the long hours that lawyers regularly had to deal with – and with this newfound freedom, he found it hard to fill the hours. Sighing quietly, he flopped down on his couch and began to watch TV, knocking over a stack of papers in the process. The TV didn’t take his mind off things. Raymond had his mortgage, his student loans to pay off, and without a job this would only get harder to manage. This occupied him so that the show he was watching became essentially white noise, which he supposed was the original intent for television, anyways. A distraction, so that people could occupy their time without much stress. Raymond wished he could occupy his time right now. Luckily, his phone rang, bringing him back to earth. He picked up the phone and answered curtly, “Raymond Holloway.” A female voice answered back, in the slightly manufactured tone that signalled the call as an automatic message. “Hello Raymond. I’m sorry to inform you, but due to certain purchases on your account the United States Department of Homeland Security has frozen your assets. If you are interested in appealing this freeze, please contact us at 202-282-8000. Thank you for your time.” Raymond was stunned. Homeland Security thought he had done something wrong? He had never done anything that could get him in trouble – this all had to be a misunderstanding, he decided. Still, Raymond decided to check his accounts. Everything looked normal up until two days ago. A withdrawal was made at 3:37 pm for $75,000 despite the fact that, to Raymond’s knowledge, no such withdrawal
had occurred. Even more concerning was the government’s interest in this: if someone merely stole his information and withdrew money, the Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t be knocking on Raymond’s door about “certain purchases.” Something was very wrong, but Raymond couldn’t quite figure out what had gone wrong. He decided he had to call Homeland Security himself. Picking up his phone, he soon found out that he could not, in fact, call Homeland Security – his phone no longer had cell service. Raymond looked for his phone book desperately – maybe he could go somewhere, talk to someone who could help him fix whatever situation he had gotten himself in – when there was a knock on the door. Raymond knew that whoever was on the other side of the door was probably not a friendly neighbor checking in on him – it was likely someone from Homeland Security, or someone connected to whoever had committed the fraud in his name. So as he approached the door, he readied himself for whatever might come next. A short man in a faded beige overcoat and hat stood at his doorstep. He held a worn briefcase in his left hand, but Raymond didn’t notice that so much as he noticed that, in his right hand, he held a pistol aimed directly at Raymond’s stomach. The man said brusquely, “You’re Raymond, right?” Raymond swallowed and nodded in agreement, to which the man replied, “Perfect. I’m sure you’ve discovered by now that the government’s been snooping around in your business, correct?” Raymond nodded again. His suspicions were right – there was a guy in a suit at his door, and he was here to talk about, well, about whatever was going on with his finances. The man stuck out his hand. Raymond shook it, hesitantly. “You can call me Todd,” said Todd. “I’m sure you must have a lot of questions. I can answer them all, but it is important that you come with me first. Let’s just say, you’re in a lot of trouble.” Todd gestured towards an unassuming gray sedan parked on the street and said, “Get in.” He had a gun. Raymond didn’t argue. The car door slammed, and Todd started talking. “So let me guess. Today you were laid off, you got a nice little phone call from the government about some missing money from the bank, and now here I
am.” Raymond nodded yes, and responded, “Mr. Todd, what’s going on? Who’s – who’s impersonating me?” Todd said sharply, while starting the car, “Don’t call me Mr. Todd!” then more relaxedly replied, “This may come as a surprise, but you were fired because of that withdrawal.” Raymond stared at Todd, confused Todd continued, saying bluntly, “Your employers aren’t who they say they are. For the past six months or so, I’ve been tracking them – their money disappears, just gone from the books. Their entire company is a front, and I assume you’ve been fired because you got too close to discovering their operation.” The sedan fell quiet, save for the rumble of the engine. Raymond was astonished. A front? He thought he had been hired for his ability! After today’s events, he didn’t have much trouble believing this, but that didn’t dull the shock of learning that his livelihood was a lie for so long. The fact that he didn’t catch onto this lie in the first place certainly didn’t help. Todd finally continued, ignoring Raymond’s inner turmoil, “Now, I’m not entirely sure what they’re a front for. I’ve tracked their money to several companies, who neither seem to be collecting the money nor using it to run their businesses. The money just vanishes. And this problem is where you’re going to help me, Raymond Earl Holloway. You’ve worked at Billsbury Law for what, eighteen months now?” Raymond slowly nodded, unsure of what Todd was going to ask him for. “Well, Raymond, I have a plan for you.” Half an hour later, the gray sedan pulled into the parking lot of Billsbury Law. Raymond got out of the car, with Todd’s (empty) briefcase in his hand. He nodded to the security guard at the door, who didn’t seem to notice his unusual presence, and walked into the building. Raymond walked to the elevator, selecting his floor. The elevator started upwards and he leaned against the wall, setting the briefcase on the floor. The elevator stopped, opened its doors, and Raymond got out, picking up the briefcase. He navigated to his boss’s office, knowing it would be empty – his boss, at least the boss he knew, would be long home by now. Still, Raymond could barely contain his urge to drop everything and run as he approached the office. He opened the door to find an office in disarray. Papers lay strewn across the desk, whose drawers lay dumped unceremoniously
on the ground. Noticeably, however, there was a note taped to the window – unusual, since Raymond’s boss kept his notes online. Raymond walked o ver, carefully avoiding the papers thrown on the ground, and opened the note. “To Lester Billsbury, owner and CEO of Billsbury Law,” “Lester, old friend, I’m afraid we must part ways. Sorry about the mess, it’s nothing personal. When you see this, however, I’m pleased to report it will be the least of your troubles.” “Yours, Larsen Byrd.” Todd had told Raymond which documents were of importance, but a cursory search of the room revealed that they had been taken – along with several other forms and even personal effects of his boss. Therefore, Raymond took the note and left the office, making sure not to be seen. He exited through the back door and walked in search of Todd’s sedan. He searched and searched, until it dawned upon him that the car wasn’t in the parking lot anymore – he had been left there. For what? Raymond wasn’t sure of this. He didn’t know who Larsen Byrd was, or why he was willing to trash Mr. Billsbury’s office. For that matter, he didn’t know if Todd was simply setting him up. But for what? Raymond decided that these questions were meaningless. All that mattered in the moment was his survival – he had clearly gotten mixed up in something bigger than him, something that could end up killing him if he wasn’t careful. Holding Todd’s briefcase close to his chest, Raymond walked swiftly out of the parking lot and onto the street, going nowhere – just going fast. He knew his next move could be his last. H
JOIN CREATIVE WRITING The stories on this page were written by members of the Creative Writing Club. If you’re interested in joining the club, it meets twice a week at 2 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays in Room 110. For more information, talk to any member of the club or speak to the club’s adviser, Christina Lewis. EDITOR’S NOTE: The Hawkeye is working cooperatively with
the Creative Writing Club this year to bring student literacy works to the forefront. Ultimately, the goal is to eventually produce a literacy magazine as part of the student media at Mountlake Terrace High School. If you’re interested in contributing to this effort, please contact members of the Creative Writing Club or its adviser, Christina Lewis.
Hawkeye
PUZZLE PAGE
FEBRUARY 2022 | 15
February’s Logic Puzzle
SOLVE THE CRIME, GET SOME SWAG
Created by Jakob Nacanaynay HAWKEYE STAFF
Break-in Reported Five items have recently been stolen: a laptop worth $1500, a watch worth $6500, a ring worth $5500, a smartphone worth $800 and a necklace worth $2000.
The Facts There are five people who each stole one of the items: Alice, Bob, Carol, Dan and Erin.
The Investigation Investigators have determined the following information: • Alice stole something more expensive than Bob unless Carol stole the smartphone.
• Bob stole something less expensive than Carol unless Dan stole the necklace. • Carol stole something more expensive than Dan unless Erin stole the watch. • Dan stole something less expensive than Erin unless Alice stole the smartphone. • Erin stole something more expensive than Alice unless Bob stole the watch. • Bob stole something more expensive than Dan. • Alice stole something more expensive than Carol. • Erin stole something more expensive than Alice.
Your Task Determine who stole what items.
Your Deadline • 2/25/22
Swag for the Winner The Hawkeye staff will randomly select one entry with the correct answer and the winner will receive some great HSM swag! H
FEBRUARY WORD SEARCH CHALLENGE
WINTER OLYMPIC HOST CITIES
WORD LIST
CHAMONIX ST MORITZ LAKE PLACID GARMISCH OSLO CORTINA SQUAW VALLEY INNSBRUCK GRENOBLE SAPPORO SARAJEVO CALGARY ALBERTVILLE LILLEHAMMER NAGANO SALT LAKE CITY TORINO VANCOUVER SOCHI PYEONGCHANG BEIJING
16 | FEBRUARY 2022
Hawkeye
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Focused on our community.
Committed to solid journalism.
THEY’RE HERE! THE 2021 TEMPO YEARBOOK
Community News For Mountlake Terrace
MLTNews.com Facebook – www.facebook.com/mltnews/
Twitter – @mltnews
The Hawkeye & MLTNews are proud partners committed to serving the MTHS community.
If you paid for a 2021 Tempo yearbook, it will be delivered to you in your PASS class on Monday, Feb. 14. If you’re unable to be there, the book will be available to pick up in the Main Office starting Tuesday, Feb. 15. Any remaining books will be sold first-come-first-serve for $75.
We’re writing a book about you.* To Purchase a 2022 Tempo Yearbook GO TO:
wa-edmonds.intouchreceipting.com
UPDATE!
2/7/22-2/18/22 Books are $65 w/ASB $75 w/out Next Opportunity 3/21/22-4/1/22 All books are $75
The experienced chefs at our restaurant are natives from Mexico, which allows them to blend authentic recipes with a unique and creative flair that your taste buds are sure to love. 4306 228th St. SW #9 Mountlake Terrace in Cedar Plaza
425-409-5070
*Okay, and about 1430 of your closest friends. And no, that isn’t the cover of this year’s yearbook. We’re a little more creative than that.
LasEspuelas.net
Las Espuelas is a longtime supporter of MTHS activities.