Issuu

STUDY UP FOR THOSE SPRING TESTS APRIL 2017 | VOLUME 32 | ISSUE 5

REBUILDING COMMUNITY AFTER TRAGEDY

UPBRINGING OF THE ELEVATORS

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL | 21801 44TH AVE. W MOUNTLAKE TERRACE WA 98043

HAWKEYE WWW.THEHAWKEYE.ORG

TAKE A STAND FOR YOUR RIGHTS 14

2 | APRIL 2017

Hawkeye

APRIL 2017 | 3

HAWKEYE LEADERSHIP ‘16-’17

Executive Editor Stephi Smith

Managing Editor Isaac Otis

Editorial Board

Isaac Otis, Kira Doan, Ryan Dunne, Sierra Clark, Stephi Smith, Marianne Nacanaynay and Vivian Nowka-Keane Editorial News Editor Sierra Clark Sports Editor Luke Smith Op/Ed Editor Marianne Nacanaynay Lifestyle Editor Annika Prom Business General Manager Ryan Dunne Distribution Manager Dee Strohl

SIERRA CLARK | HAWKEYE

Visual Graphics Editor Tessa King Photo Editor Jack Fiorillo Design Editor Kira Doan

13 8

SAMANTHA SVIKEL | HAWKEYE VIVIAN NOWKA-KEANE | HAWKEYE

SIERRA CLARK | HAWKEYE

18 keep moving...

CIARA LANEY | HAWKEYE

Let’s

April

2017

mthshawkeye

@MTHSHawkeye @MTHSports @MTHSWeather

Email editor@thehawkeye.org Phone 425.431.5058

MTHS ASB, JEA/WJEA, NSPA, Student Press Law Center, Tao of Journalism

Mission Statement The Hawkeye’s mission is to provide the MTHS community with quality, thought-provoking student produced publications. In policy and in practice since 1960, the Hawkeye is a designated open forum publication.

13 Is Free and Reduced Lunch common? 16 Elevators need upkeep 18 Meet cheer Coach Ellersick

8 Time management methods 10 Community movement after disaster

Name in bold indicates the staff member of the month as selected by the Editorial Board. ....................................................... Advisers Vince DeMiero and Mike McLaughlin FANs Coordinators Sandra Merten & Cathy Fiorillo Printing Pacific Publishing Member ...................................................... Mission

SIERRA CLARK | HAWKEYE

Contents 7 Can you coexists without acceptance?

Online Online Manager Vivian Nowka-Keane Data Manager Sam Johnson Video Manager Ben Eyman .................................................... 2016-2017 Hawkeye Staff Ciara Laney, Derek Nguyen, Emily Anderson, Flynn Thomas, Gavin Norley, Hank Belanger, Harper Thomas, Ian Dortsch, Jacob Allard, Jenny Tran, Jonathan Kwong, Josh Setala, Josh Talley, Kennedy Cooper, Kristen Walter, Matthew Hipolito, Memphis Ramerman, Morgan Lewis, Nhung Lam, Nolan DeGarlais, Praditha Halstad, Praise Jingjit, Robert Krieger, Samantha Svikel, Sarah Davis, Seamus Springberg, Semira Beraki, Teresa Bonilla and Yannie Tran

MTHS Hawkeye

Website www.thehawkeye.org Mail Hawkeye Room 130 c/o Mountlake Terrace High School 21801 44th Avenue West Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

@MTHSHawkeye

Policies

The Hawkeye has established several open public forums for the exchange of information, opinions and artistic expression dedicated to those in the MTHS community. Since 1960, we have faithfully served our audience and community as an open, public forum where student editors make all decisions. CIARA LANEY | HAWKEYE Editorials The editorial section of the Hawkeye 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 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. 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. Editorial Cartoons Submissions represent the view of the artist. Editorial cartoons accompanying editorials and editorial columns represent the view of the author. Cartoons are selected based on appropriateness and clarity of message. Advertising 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; 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. Revised 9/2013

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reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

4 | APRIL 2017

OP/ED

Hawkeye

Letter from the Editor

THE GUNS AND THE BRAINS I

t see ms like every other day there is another mass for later crimes. Simpson isn’t the only one who has commitcidal thinking led to murder.” shooting flashing across the news screens. San Bernardino, ted a felony and gotten away with it. He won’t be the last. It wasn’t as simple as anger. There wasn’t a switch. Sue Marysville Pilchuck, Fort Lauderdale, Sandy Hook, at There needs to be more strict background checks regarding Klebold said she believes the shooting came from his “desire Pulse in Orlando, Virginia Tech and any criminal history and possibly even mental health, as that to die,” rather than to kill or hurt. Umpqua Community College; these can be a contributing factor to gun violence. This is not to “The last thing I want to do is contribute to the misunare just a few of the more recent ones. say that anyone with a mental health condition is dangerous. derstanding that already exists around mental illness. Only While I’d like to blame this all on On that topic, there are many people with mental illnesses a very small percent of those who have a mental illness are a few bad people, it’s not something I who use guns to injure or even kill themselves. This needs to violent toward other people,” Sue Klebold said. “But, of those can dismiss. be addressed with the same importance as any other shootwho die by suicide, it’s estimated that about 75 to maybe This is a matter of gun laws and ing. more than 90 percent have a diagnosable mental health conSierra Clark NEWS EDITOR mental health. Why are we giving people such destructive tools they can dition of some kind.” It’s nearly impossible for me to say use to hurt themselves and/or other people? But not every single person with “destructive thoughts” can guns should be kept from people; it’s in the constitution, but But that is not the end of the discussion. fit into a single disorder. it’s fairly easy for me to say that proper training and stricter Look back on April 20, 1999 in Littleton, Colo., the day Because of Sue Klebold, as well as other sources, I’ve been gun laws should be followed and enforced. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold entered their high school reminded of how difficult it can be to deal with mental disorRight now, in Washington, to have library with guns and around 100 rounds of ders, personally and objectively. “As a journalist and an a permit to carry a concealed firearm bullets, killing 12 students and one teacher, It’s already difficult enough to get help with problems while American citizen, I live in a vehicle or on a person’s body, while injuring 20 more, before killing themunder the age of 18, but it’s even more of an issue if a person by the constitution, there are only three requirements. selves. doesn’t have a stable income and therefore cannot see a counwhether it has guns or According to the Washington State Information on Harris and Klebold’s lives selor or therapist. not.” Department of Licensing, a person are easily accessible in this day and age with While I don’t know how suicidal thinking can lead to a must be 21, apply at their local sherthe internet and the relevance of the incident. homicidal path, I know that with proper resources it can be iff’s department and get fingerprinted for a background To Dave Cullen, investigative journalist and author of prevented. check. “Columbine”, Harris was typically seen as the “brutal masLuckily, there are ways to get help, even without a stable This isn’t enough. termind” behind the shooting, while Klebold was referred to income. There are several counseling centers able to negotiate Granted, if the background check shows a person has a as the “quivering depressive who journaled obsessively about prices throughout Snohomish County, one being Affordable revoked license, is in trial because of their firearm possession, love.” Counseling in Edmonds. awaiting trial, or have a warrant for arrest, a felony offense, I can’t remotely find an excuse for this; there isn’t one, but It just shows that with a minimal search, answers and or have had to “forfeit a firearm within the last 12 months,” there could be a reason. options can be found, and I’d like to think most options he or she cannot get a permit for a concealed firearm. In a TED talk back in November 2016, Sue Klebold, point away from gun violence. H Still, this isn’t enough protection. Without any experience, mother of Dylan Klebold, spoke about her acceptance of her anyone can buy a gun, regardless of if they’re equipped for it son’s actions and her explanation for them. or know the law. “There are no simple answers; I can’t Essentially, it’s easier to buy a gun than it is to get your give you any solutions,” Sue Klebold driver’s license. said. “All I can do is share what I’ve In my perfect world, we could get rid of guns, and that learned.” would be the end of it. But, as a journalist and an American After apologizing to the citizen, I live by the constitution, whether it has guns or not. audience for her son’s I propose that, by law, anyone who wishes to own a gun actions, Sue Klebold conshould have some proper training, or should have to go tinued by asking for an through an education process, just like any other license or understanding when she permit. It would provide proper education on gun laws and refers to her son’s death when it’s necessary to use a gun or have one. It would go over as a suicide. the dangers of owning a firearm and what could happen to “Two years before he a person, or the people around them, if the gun was to be died, he wrote on a piece misused. of paper in a notebook Along with that is the education aspect of the gun ownerthat he was cutting ship, so people would be trained on gun upkeep and how himself. He said that he to properly use a gun. Too many times, and one time is too was in agony and wanted many, a gun has accidentally gone off and injured or killed to get a gun so he could people. This could be prevented with proper training. end his life,” Sue Klebold Not only should there be that training, but not every dansaid. gerous person has a known criminal background. Take one Since the shooting, she of the most controversial cases in history; People v. O. J. has become an activist for Simpson. Simpson was presumably not guilty for the murder mental health because of of his wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson, and her acquaintance Dylan. Ronald Goldman, only because he was never convicted. She made it clear she was not Let’s say that Simpson did in fact commit the two murders trying to excuse the “viciousness and was found not guilty. He would still be able to purchase that he showed at the end The barrel of a gun takes aim from within a user’s brain. SAMANTHA SVIKEL AND MARIANNE a gun, something more fatal than the knife used to murder of his life,” but rather to NACANAYNAY | HAWKEYE Brown-Simpson and Goldman, and he could possibly use it understand “how his sui-

OP/ED

Hawkeye

Springtime reminders A

s I write this article, there are 43 days of school remaining for seniors and 50 days left for the rest of us. Another school year will soon be coming to a close. Now is the time to really focus in on what’s left to do in your classes. Summer will be here soon enough (at least on the calendar anyway) and you’ll have time Greg Schwab to relax and take a break. For PRINCIPAL these remaining weeks it is critical that you stay on top of your grades and finish the year on a strong note. For seniors, there is quite a bit riding on these remaining days. Credits still need to be earned and every year it comes up that someone is in a bind at the last minute with credits in one or more classes. Please keep this in mind. No one will walk at graduation who has not completed all the requirements necessary for graduation—that means all 22 credits need to be completed and you need to be finished with required state tests. Plan accordingly. If you think you are in danger of not passing a class, don’t wait until the last week of school to do something about it. Go see your counselor, talk to your teachers. Find out what you need to do to pass your classes. For those of you passing currently, don’t let up just yet. It never fails that there are surprises each year—students who think they’ve passed their classes let up and then they find out they failed a class at the very end. Don’t make this mistake. Stay focused. For freshmen, sophomores and juniors, how you finish this year will set the standard for the new school year to come. Many of the same things I’d say to seniors apply to all of you as well. Find out how you are doing and if you are failing any classes, talk to your counselor and teachers to find out what you can do in the remaining days to pass your classes. Show that you care by taking an active role in what happens to you. Finally, this message goes out to everyone—be safe. The spring of each school year is a time of celebration, excitement, and anticipation for graduation and sometimes this celebration can go wrong. Every year there are really sad and sometimes tragic stories about young adults who made unfortunate choices that caused themselves and others harm. Unfortunately, things like alcohol and drugs are involved and the outcomes for these kinds of situations are rarely positive. All it takes is one instant where you do something you shouldn’t and your life or the lives of others are impacted. Please remember that each of you is important to so many people in your lives. Make good choices and take care of yourself—for you and for those who care about you. H NOTE: The Hawkeye provides the MTHS Administration space each issue in the Op/Ed section as part of our mission as a designated open public forum.

APRIL 2017 | 5

A WORD FROM ASB A

ccording to the ASB constitution, Article III Section I, “The purpose of the Associated Student Body is to promote a friendly and purposeful relationship between school and community, to foster democracy and good citizenship, and to initiate action to the general advantage of the student body.” Although this is true, ASB does more than what the constitution states. ASB also plans assemblies, dances, homecoming, sets budgets for sports and clubs, does fundraisers and volunteers for the community. Most of us do this because we love the ability to make changes to people’s experience in high school. We want to make the school a safer, fun, and accepting community. Q: “Why don’t we have more assemblies?” A: Executive ASB cannot hold more assemblies because we are limited by administration on how many assemblies we can have. Assemblies also take three to four weeks to plan, but we try Andy Shaw to plan four assemblies every year. Although it seems little, most schools in Edmonds School ASB PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER District have only two assemblies per year. Q: “Why don’t we have more spirit days?” A: MTHS does not have more spirit days because Executive ASB prefers to have spirit weeks before every assembly or big events. This way it makes them more exclusive and enjoyable. Q: “Why is there no Treasurer in Big 6?” A: There is no current Treasurer in Big 6 because no one ran for the position in March. Although we did have competitors for Presidency and Secretary, the ASB constitution does not state that they can fill the vacant position, however; during the 20172018 school year, Executive ASB will be electing two candidates for the position of Treasurer. Q: “Who is the Big 6?” A: The people and positions for MTHS’s Executive ASB for the 2017-2018 school year are Bri Houtman as President, Rosie Lee as Vice President, Samantha Perez as Secretary, Andy Shaw as Public Relations Coordinator and Kennedy Cooper as Historian. Q: “How much money does ASB have?” A: General ASB overall has $17,221 (based on 2015-2016 statistics). You can find this information on the school website under the “Activities” tab. Click on “ASB” and “ASB Fund Balance” to see last year’s budget plan. NOTE: The Hawkeye provides the ASB space each issue in the Op/Ed section as part of our mission as a designated open public forum.

Proud to be a hawk What do think of when you think of a TEAM at MTHS? I think we should all take a step back and realize the meaning of “Teams” and “Team Success” at Terrace. So far our athletic teams records are pretty good I’d say. Nine out of 10 have made it to post season and five out of six spring sports are in to postseason. So, let’s look at the success of our other teams. Yes, these are teams in every sense of the word. They have coaches, captains and players. Jazz 1 going to Essentially Ellington. Kim Stewart ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ACTIVITIES Hawkeye #2 [best of show]. COORDINATOR TSA going to Nationals.

Robotics going to Worlds. Drama & Theater Sports going back to Nebraska. How about the positive impact teams like Key Club, LSU, BSU, GSA, choir and orchestra have made. Cheer, Teens Against Tobacco and ASB are just to name a few that have made the Hawk Community a team that produces positive, life lessons and experiences for anyone interested. Yes, anyone interested can be a part of the Mountlake Terrace H.S. Team. Proud to be a Hawk! Thank you coaches and teammates for all your efforts. NOTE: The Hawkeye provides the Activities Coordinator/Athletic Director space each issue in the Op/Ed section as part of our mission as a designated open public forum.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Now it’s your turn

So, what’s on your mind? LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD: Got an idea? How about a strong opinion? See something you like? Can’t stand something else? Then write a letter to the editor of the Hawkeye! Drop off your hand-written or printed out letter to us in room 130, email us at editor@thehawkeye.org or tweet it to @MTHSHawkeye

OP/ED

6 | APRIL 2017

DEAR PRESIDENT TRUMP…

April 5, 2017

media.” You go on Facebook bility to bring down a presiand there’s stories about a kid dent. We don’t even have the My name is Samantha Svikel. getting arrested or a fire that ability to vote. Some of our I’m a sophomore at Mountlake happened a couple miles away parents voted for you and we Terrace High School in from your house. We live off don’t have a say. We can try Mountlake Terrace, Wash. and journalism and yet, you had to share our opinion but is it a reporter the heart to imitate a reporter. really going to do anything? for my That night on Instagram I Yes, I understand they didn’t school’s posted about Streep’s speech. want you in office, but interpublicaI remember getting a couple rupting school just because tion, the comments about how I should they think their opinion is Hawkeye. give you a chance. But not more correct than the person A few once in my post did I mention standing next to them doesn’t months ago anything about make it Samantha Svikel you were not giving you right. “We shouldn’t be acting like a HAWKEYE STAFF movie with bad words and fighting. elected into a chance. This goes This isn’t a movie. This is real office and it It was like along with life, but our country is acting so surprisingly wasn’t as much of people were all the “fake childish.” a shock to me as it was to othbeginning journalism” ers. I was definitely a little wor- to attack me that has ried, but I didn’t know what to because I said been occurthink about the situation. I was afraid journalism would ring lately and a lot of people I’m currently trying my best slowly start to fade. They didn’t would disagree. Over the past to become a journalist when read my post. All they noticed year my dad has helped me I’m older but right now, I’m was that I said I was scared point out which news is real thinking twice. I love journalbecause you’re in office. and what news is trying to ism, writing and reporting, You’re supposed to be a role scare you. but when I begin to run across model for our country, for the I noticed that, yes, a lot of stories that almost seem too new generation of kids who news is trying to scare you. false to be real, I wonder what’s will be growing up listening to There’s nothing we can really going on. your speeches. But yet, you’re do about it, except that jour‘Twas the night of the Golden showing them it’s okay to put nalists need to take charge of Globe Awards. I was sitting on someone down. their freedom of speech and my couch watching the screen We shouldn’t be acting like not be afraid to use it. and then, all of a sudden, a movie with bad words and Trump, we all are watching Meryl Streep went up to accept fighting. This isn’t a movie. you and the fake news being her award. Her speech was This is real life, but our counspread around. I wish you the moving; I wouldn’t be able to try is acting so childish. best of luck for the next four describe it to you in words. An example of real life would years. Then she said, “It was the be when my school had a walkmoment when the person out during 6th period this year Sincerely, [Donald Trump] asking to sit and about ⅓ of the students in the most respected seat in went. They were walking out Samantha Svikel our country imitated a disabled because they didn’t want you reporter.” in office, even though you I sat there and thought to already were. myself, “Journalism is social Students don’t have the capa-

Hawkeye

OP/ED

Hawkeye

APRIL 2017 | 7

Coexistence does not mean acceptance I

t is often said, in our society allegedly riddled with intolerance and prejudice from the right wing, that we should accept people of all cultures and beliefs - the notion being that no one should be judged for their opinions, their personal beliefs and especially not for their immutable traits such as gender, skin color or sexual orientation. The intentions of this idea are noble - create a society of people who are different from one another but do not hate each other. While it may seem like the blueprints for paradise and something that we should all strive to bring into our lives I wholeheartedly disagree with this sentiment that we should accept every ideology. The key word in that statement is ‘accept’, there is a marked and imperative difference between accepting another idea and acknowledging it’s right to exist. I do not accept the traditions of modern Islam, the hijab, being the farthest ever step back in women’s rights and least feminist thing to support, a perfect example. I do not accept Christianity’s emphasis on chastity until marriage. Matt Corera Really, I do not accept any religion - any body of beliefs which HAWKEYE CONTRIBUTER claims to be holy or which forces [its] followers to accept its moral teachings on nothing but blind faith. Blind faith is how we get whole auditoriums of people agreeing that violent punishment is necessary for non-believers or anyone who goes against the Quran. I firmly believe that religion has absolutely no place in an educated modern society. I do not accept any teachings of any holy texts as I choose to forge my own morality, but it does not mean that I cannot coexist with them. Now if I were to say just that in a discussion with a person of faith at school I would be called down to the office on accusations of me ‘discriminating based on religion’. The sign on the door of many classrooms is likely to read “no hateful remarks are tolerated here” but in reality I was civil in my discussion and never made any statements that could be reasonably considered bullying in any way. The problem is with those who are emotional about their faith and cannot handle the concept that someone disagrees even though I simply stated my beliefs with no inflammatory language. Disagreement is the bedrock of intellectual conversation and an intelligent society - a culture

where we cannot challenge one another on our ideas for fear of making them uncomfortable is one that is doomed to fail. I accept the message of tolerance posited by the editor of the Hawkeye Stephi Smith who has gone on to say “ … you have no right to discriminate against someone for what they believe in,” but I strongly disagree that we have to accept everyone’s beliefs. By decrying those who would question the leftist dogma of protecting student’s feelings at any cost (which has even been adopted by the school district as well as the administration here at terrace) we encourage PC culture of silencing any dissenters who may have legitimate concerns and claims because they sound potentially hurtful. Just because you are offended does not mean that you are right - and you have no reason to be offended when someone presents their argument reasonably and calmly. I am not a conservative as many would believe - I am a staunch liberal who stands for the freedom of ideas, all ideas. I believe you have the right to hold the idea that Islamic or Christian values should be instilled in everyone but likewise I have the right to hold the idea that you are wrong and that religion has no place in modern society. This idea of protecting students from ‘discrimination’ by curbing free speech is the least liberal thing you could do. Do I support bullying on the basis of one’s religion? Absolutely not. Would I ever avoid being friends with someone or talking to them just because they are religious? Ask my friends, they’ll tell you no and so will I. We mustn’t tell students to automatically accept one another’s beliefs, but encourage them to talk to one another civilly and recognize that they might be wrong no matter what their stance on religion is. H

8 | APRIL 2017

LIFESTYLE

STUDYING SMARTER:

By Yannie Tran HAWKEYE STAFF

While studying isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do, it is necessary in a person’s academic life. Different study methods work better for different subjects and individual students.

Study Methods

Taking notes by summarizing information from textbooks and class lectures into a person’s own words is a starting place for studying, though it is usually something that is required for class rather than an extra resource. Furthermore, reading these notes out loud, or using similar study methods, can help people better retain the information. Teaching others, even a pet, will tell someone if they actually know the material by how well they can explain it to someone who knows nothing about it. Working with friends and bouncing ideas off each other can bring up things someone might not have thought of alone, as each person will have different strengths that will help other group members out. In a study by Sage Journals, they discovered that auditory presentations, like video or podcasts, increased memory recall. Video sites like YouTube offer the option to adjust speed, which can be used to make studying with videos slower/ faster. Students busy with other extracurriculars can listen while doing tasks that don’t require full attention. Flashcards can be useful for making concise notes, as well as making Q&A or keyword and definition cards. Flashcards are good for memorizing words, vocab, numbers, equations, names and dates. Writing key ideas on sticky notes and sticking them in frequently visited places in the house means a student will see it often. This is useful as repeated learning helps memorization. Sticky notes can also be used for learning foreign languages by putting the translation on the object that someone wishes to learn the word for in the house. Making lists of

words and definitions can be useful, as using keywords in context is what tests usually ask for. Making timelines and charts can be useful as a different visual representation for subjects like history. Making mnemonic devices to remember processes can be really useful, as they can stick in a person’s head for long periods of time. They are used for memorizing steps of a process or sets of information, especially in a specific order. According to Psych Central, short-term memory is limited to seven items of information. So, putting a large amount of information into small groups helps brains remember more, and more easily. The blank sheet method is writing down everything about a topic or subject on a blank sheet from memory. By doing this, a student can check to see exactly what they know and what they need to improve on. On a test, there won’t always be a trigger or key word that leads to other information.

SEAMUS

B ING SP R

YE KE W A |H

Hawkeye

The inside scoop on the best way for students to study

Cramming

Ideally studying everything the day before a big exam should never happen and study sessions should be spaced out over several days but that is unrealistic. However, other things can get in the way of studying beforehand - or it could just be procrastination. There’s absolutely no use in stressing out or regretting waiting until the night before to study. Sleep is still important when cramming because studying while tired means that information won’t be retained. Without a lot of time left, a useful strategy is going over key points that are definitely going to be on the test, such as things that teachers have emphasized multiple times or main points of the chapter or unit. The videos, podcasts, teaching and group study methods work well to help learn everything needed in a short amount of time. The key is to study one thing at a time and to go slowly so that the information is actually learned.

Time Management

Spring cleaning isn’t just about cleaning your house. It’s also about cleaning your life, and managing your time more wisely is a great way to start. Good time management skills can help people stick to a schedule, stay on track with tasks and decide when to study. It can also help lower stress and allow time for relaxation. The idea of making a study schedule is to help productivity, although it can only do that if students actually stick to it. So, just because it’s 6:01 p.m. and the time was set at 6:00 p.m. does not mean that the time slot can be moved to 7:00 p.m. for convenience. Everyone has heard “use a planner” before, but that advice usually ends there. There’s the digital vs. paper argument where each medium has its own benefits. Digital planners are more convenient, more flexible and they have automatic reminders of upcoming due dates. With paper planners, a whole week or month can be easily seen. Store-bought paper planners aren’t the only type of paper planner - bullet journals are also an option. A bullet journal is a planner that you make yourself; while it can take more time and effort than other planner types, a bullet journal is entirely customizable to look and function exactly how you want it to. There can be any combination of monthly, weekly, or daily view (spreads). It can be minimalist or artistic. It doesn’t even have to be actual drawings. There can be printed pictures or washi tape. Bullet journals aren’t just academic planners. There can be water trackers, to track water intake, mood trackers, a page to write ideas down, list of shows, etc. They can also be used as actual journals, a place to write about anything. There are ways to make planner usage easier and more effective. The first and most important step in planning is to write down all assignments. This may seem obvious, but students can forget to write down assignments rendering the planner useless. Writing down due dates and making them stand out is extremely important in prioritizing assignments. Dividing assignments into smaller tasks will make them more manageable.

Hawkeye

LIFESTYLE

APRIL 2017 | 9

Bullet journals are customizable for students, letting them draw doodles and write in their events for the day without the typical restrictions a planner might have. Students can also put in journal entries or other plans for their day.

Planning is only the first part of time management. The next part is actually doing everything that needs to be done. Procrastination is often the main obstacle in getting work done, but why do people procrastinate when they know they shouldn’t? Poor work and productivity habits are one source of procrastination. Generally, things are left until the last minute. Time to do assignments is planned but never committed to. Distractions happen, or motivation never comes. Some things to help with this is to create a productive work environment by choosing an organized space without distractions or finding someone to make you accountable. Perfectionism is another cause of procrastination. There’s

this perfect thing that’s been imagined. Revisions can happen after. Another cause of procrastination is feeling stressed and overwhelmed. If this issue comes up, help is often needed. See if someone (or Google) can give a starting point. Getting started is the first step; assignments don’t need to finish right away but they do need to get started. If small parts of an assignment are done regularly then the assignment seems smaller gets completed in a timely matter. Students often wait until motivation strikes to start working. Sure, when students MARIANNE NACANAYNAY | HAWKEYE are motivated they get a lot of work done. But, motivation is something that comes and goes. Using self discipline could not wanting to start something because of the fear of not be more beneficial instead. Actions, such as a reward system, getting it right the first time or getting on stuck on the small where students give themselves a reward after doing a set details. amount of work could help with motivation, but ultimately Focusing on getting started, instead of finishing is a way students will still need self discipline to get things done. to help stop perfectionism as it is easy to get overwhelmed Cleaning physical things also helps with time managethinking about what something is supposed to be like finment, like organizing backpacks or desks, so that things are ished. Take things one step at a time. Perfectionist tendenwhere they are supposed to be and time isn’t wasted looking cies aren’t actually improving the quality of work or producfor them. Organized backpacks are important so class time tivity, but they are hindering, so accept mistakes and move isn’t wasted looking for something such as a pencil. Putting on. things in a backpack the night before is good for ensuring Putting things in perspective by realizing that one assignthat nothing is forgotten if there is a rush the next morning ment or test isn’t the end of the world is a way to realize that while getting to school. H this is unnecessary pressure. The first draft isn’t going to be

NEWS

10 | APRIL 2017

Hawkeye

Moving Forward

North Park Elementary. Marysville-Pilchuck High. Sandy Hook Elementary. Overcoming tragedy doesn’t happen in a day. By Marianne Nacanaynay OP/ED EDITOR

It’s safe to assume most students don’t go to school expecting to not return home. But in this day and age, it’s hard to not be aware of that possibility every now and then—even more so, depending on where a student goes to school. The most recent school shooting to date in the United States was two weeks ago, on April 10 at North Park Elementary School in San Bernardino, Calif. Before that, there was a misfiring at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. on April 7 (no injuries or fatalities). And on March 31, a gun was fired at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Fla. (no injuries or fatalities). America is no stranger to school shootings. Since 2013, Everytown, a nonprofit organization advocating for gun control, has worked to understand and reduce gun violence in the United States. The organization has listed more than 200 cases of gun violence in schools since Jan. 8, a number inclusive of intentional, unintentional, fatal and

Remembering the victims It’s been just over two years since the shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck. Isaiah Galindo, a sophomore at Marysville-Pilchuck wrote, “People don’t talk about [the shooting] right [now] and it’s slowly being forgotten.” But, forgetting the shooting plays directly into the fears of those from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. On December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook was the scene of a high-profile mass shooting where 27 lives along with the life of the perpetrator were lost. “We’re all terrified of forgetting what [Ben] looked

non-fatal acts as well as acts of suicide. That’s about four years worth of weekly school shootings. While not all of them may have resulted in injury or death, the shooting at North Park did. Jonathan Martinez, 8, and another student were caught in the line of fire while standing behind their teacher, 53-yearold Karen Elaine Smith. Smith was the estranged wife of Cedric Anderson, also 53. Anderson had gone to the school campus to drop something off for his wife, and upon entering the classroom where Smith taught, Anderson opened fire. Smith died and Anderson shot and killed himself. Martinez later died from his wounds; the other student shot is in stable condition. Hearing about another school shooting hits very close to home. Marysville-Pilchuck High School, just north in Marysville, stood under the national spotlight when four students and the perpetrator were shot and killed in the campus’ cafeteria. The only survivor was student Nate Hatch, who was injured.

like and what he sounded like, so I will go back to a video or a picture or something just to—you know, to have him back,” Dave Wheeler said in “Newtown,” an independent documentary by the Public Broadcasting Service. “Newtown” was filmed over the course of three years; directed and produced by filmmaker Kim Snyder, it runs nearly an hour and a half and is full of stories from the day of the shooting. “Through raw and heartbreaking interviews with parents, siblings, teachers, doctors, and first responders, ‘Newtown’ documents a traumatized community still reeling from the senseless killing, fractured by

Hawkeye grief but driven toward a sense of purpose,” the film’s website reads. Dave Wheeler was the father of Benjamin Wheeler, one of the children who died that day. Benjamin Wheeler was 6 years old, as were the majority of the victims; 20 of the victims were first graders. Locally, Tammy Reardon is a first grade teacher at Terrace Park Elementary. “I don’t think I’ve ever thought, ‘Oh my goodness, that could’ve been me, or it could’ve been my students’,” Reardon said when asked about Sandy Hook. “Initially, you’re just shocked. I just can’t believe that anybody would go in and hurt children, and especially with Sandy Hook, children that are that young. I think I’ve thought more about, y’know, ‘What would I do?’”

Blaming Some people find sense in blame, and in blaming the weapons themselves: the guns. In 2009, Ohio University Professor of Psychology, Dr. Mark Alicke, worked with Dr. Ethan Zell, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, on an article published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology about blame. “If ‘to forgive is divine,’ then to blame is mundane,” the article says. The work argues that blame comes from primitive roots. Alicke and Zell take an individual who “kicks the refrig-

Communities struggle to rebuild – figuratively and literally – in the aftermath of a mass shooting.

TESSA KING | HAWKEYE

NEWS

APRIL 2017 | 11

erator for stubbing his toe” as evidence that humans tend to Washington state allows schools to determine whether or treat inanimate objects as able to injure someone out of free not to allow licensed concealed carry on public or private colwill, making them “eligible for blame.” lege campuses. Whether it’s the revolver used at North Park, the handRegardless of one’s opinion on the potential use of guns gun from Marysville-Pilchuck, or the pistol and rifle used at and weapons as a preventative measure, for some, choosing Sandy Hook, many individuals use the weapons from mass to blame weapons, or to turn to them for protection, is how shootings as grounds to push for more expansive gun control. they make sense out of a senseless tragedy. For example, Australia’s Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 led to the tightening of rifle control laws. Later in 2002, after a shooting in Melbourne, handgun laws were also tightened. Australia’s gun control laws include a federal ban on the For Marysville-Pilchuck and Sandy Hook, their sense of it importation of various firearms, the requirement of different all comes out of rebuilding. permits per weapon, restrictions on the amount of ammuniThe cafeteria where the Marysville-Pilchuck shooting haption given in a certain period and requires a “genuine reason” pened hasn’t been used since that fateful day. It’s still standfor why someone wants to own a firearm. ing, too, due to a bond measure that was supposed to help And while the cause is up for speculation, Australia hasn’t with demolishing it failing in November. seen a gun-related mass killing since 1996, compared to the What the school has done is built an area called the United States which has seen them nearly weekly since 2013. Commons, which was first shown to the public and toured by Pew Research Center found that Governor Jay Inslee on March 28. “Americans have shown broad and Marysville-Pilchuck has partnered “I started seeing students be consistent support for expanded with a variety of organizations includassaulted… being victimized, background checks for gun puring UW Medicine in efforts to counsel and I thought that was wrong. chasers.” In 2015, 85 percent of the and train those in the community to So I decided to restore their public were in favor of background right to choose to defend recognize signs of depression, anxiety themselves.” checks, including 79 percent of and substance abuse. The school has Republicans and 88 percent of also been given grants with $3 million Michael Newbern OHIO DIRECTOR FOR STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY Democrats. for mental health, suicide and subThe Center also found that protecstance abuse counseling. tion, rather than hunting, was why most people owned guns. Newtown spent nearly $1.4 million demolishing and on the In 1999, 46 percent of gun owners said they owned guns abatement of Sandy Hook. Last year, the new school buildfor hunting compared to 26 percent who owned it ing was opened in a different area of the same land the first for protection. 14 years later in 2013, the percentbuilding was on. ages changed by double digits: 32 percent of gun Designed by Svigals & Partners of New Haven, the new owners said they owned guns for hunting while 48 building is calming while also providing comprehensive yet percent said their guns were for protection. subtle safety measures. Protection is the argument Michael Newbern, Doors can be locked from the inside or outside so in the the Ohio Director for Students for Concealed case of an intruder, teachers can protect students without Carry makes. having to open the door. Side windows neighboring any Newbern used to serve in the military but didn’t classroom doors are bullet-resistant and the interior walls are usually work with guns. After finishing his service, reinforced. Newbern moved to Ohio, got his license for a conThe healing process isn’t just physical: Rick Thorne, janitor cealed handgun, and found he wasn’t allowed to at Sandy Hook, was asked how he got through his days in carry his concealed weapon on college campuses. “Newtown.” “The kids. The kids at the school. The laughing, “But I started seeing students be assaulted… the smiling,” he said. being victimized, and I thought that was wrong. As Sandy Hook and Marysville-Pilchuck take the approSo I decided to restore their right to choose to priate actions in healing, other communities follow their lead defend themselves,” Newbern said. in anticipation and preparation as a precaution. Newbern stressed that if an individual is a law“I think we’re doing all that we can do—I think as a school abiding citizen who is licensed to carry a concealed community we are. And I think the district is as well,” weapon, they should be able to carry their conReardon said, regarding if she thought enough precautions cealed weapon onto a college campus. were being taken in the school community. Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) works to Security experts have come to the district to train commuallow this. Their argument, as stated on their web- nity members and school staff on the ALICE system. ALICE site, is that licensed individuals should be allowed stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate; to carry concealed weapons onto a college campus it’s a strategy being adopted in schools across the nation in due to it being a “legal entitlement to self-defense” the case of an active shooting. and in the case of “actual need for self-defense”. At Terrace Park, staff have been more cautious themselves For opponents of SCC’s cause who believe conin keeping classroom and exterior doors locked and in keepcealed carry could lead to negligent/accidental ing an eye out for strangers who might come on campus. discharge, SCC notes that within the over 150 col“I’m not scared, at all. I think we’ve all become a lot more lege campuses allowing licensed concealed carry, vigilant,” Reardon said. “We’ve just taken steps to be safer only three have led to unintentional, non-fatal, than we were before.” discharges: two being failure to carry the gun North Park has many ways and time to heal. North Park without a holster and the other being a licensed has all the time in the world to heal. holder showing a student unfamiliar with the gun There’s a lot that goes into moving forward, but it’s not how to use it. impossible. H

Rebuilding

LIFESTYLE

12 | APRIL 2017

Story by Yannie Tran Graphics by Robert Krieger

Hawkeye

AP EXAMS

WHAT TO DO BEFORE MAY

HAWKEYE STAFF

If you see a few dozen stressed out students in the coming weeks and wonder why the bells have stopped ringing, don’t be alarmed. It’s just AP exam season. The College Board is the organization in charge of the Advanced Placement (AP) program. AP exam scores are reported on a 5-point scale that indicates how qualified a student is to receive college credit (3 and above being qualified, but each college has the right to decide whether or not to grant credit). This year an AP test costs $93 and is around that cost every year. Each student taking an exam receives an AP student pack that contains an eight digit number that is used for every test of theirs for that year. Students sign up for tests late Feb. or early March on Total Registration through the MTHS portal located at the school homepage. Scores are available sometime in July but an account on the College Board website is needed to access them. The first thing that needs to be done is deciding which AP tests are going to be taken. That decision depends on how many AP classes a student has, skill level, how much information the test covers, etc. After that is making a list that has everything that needs to be studied. When writing a list of what needs to be studied, don’t just write the unit or chapter, write specific topics like simplifying trigonometric identities and list topics in order of what’s emphasized on the exam. It’s best to cover everything because the test might have a question on something obscure that wasn’t covered well or at all. The next step is using that list to make a study schedule. Study schedules help keep students on track and less overwhelmed. Things that could be on a study schedule are the time frame, subjects and exam dates. Planning ahead helps get the most out of study sessions. But there can’t just be planning. Study schedules are meant to help students actually study not give the illusion of productivity. There are many factors in order to decide on a time to study. Identifying the time of day that is usually free so that study sessions are at the same time helps productivity. Things to consider are things that need to be planned around, length

of study sessions, number and difficulty of subjects, etc. Student could also identify the time of day that they work best in or the time that they are the most awake so that work is actually done and that information is retained. Practice tests help students determine how much they actually know and how quickly they can answer questions. Knowing how quickly they can answers question is important in order to gauge if they can complete each section. They also help build stamina in terms of focus. A big challenge with AP tests is staying focused throughout the entire thing because people can lose focus easily. The test is timed which means that focus is important to ensure that each question is answered and that students have time to think about each question. Practice tests of released exams are available on the College Board website. Scoring guidelines for short answer and essay questions are also there. Many students study by trying to memorize facts, rather than understanding concepts. Concepts include how things work or what they’re really about. For example, how the digestive system works and the function of each organ is an example of a concept. Once a concept is understood, it easily stays in long term memory. Facts, on the other hand, are easily forgotten with time. A fact would be the names of the organs that are part of the digestive system. If a student memorized a definition but doesn’t understand what it means, then as soon as the information is shown in a different way, the student will have no idea how to proceed. When studying, multi-tasking is not an option. Multitasking is used for activities such as putting a poster togeth-

er, not for things that require focus. However, switching between subjects is a good idea because after studying one subject for a long time students tend to lose interest or think they have retained that information. Switching between subjects allows students to retest themselves to make sure they fully know the material. For multiple choice, it’s best to answer the questions you know first because all the questions are weighted the same. For written portions, the quality of writing doesn’t matter as long as it is legible and cohesive. What matters is that the information is somewhere in the answer, so don’t worry about writing skills or making it perfect. However, making an outline helps with making it easier to understand. Outlines also give a starting point and guideline to help with writing. For math problems, it is important to show all work because credit can be received for correct thinking if the person scoring the exam sees evidence of it on paper. H

NEWS

Hawkeye

APRIL 2017 | 13

Stigma solution: Free meals for all students, says district nutrition director

FEDERAL FREE MEAL PROGRAM MISUNDERSTOOD By Annika Prom LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Lloyd believes the stigma could be erased if free breakfast and lunch was provided for all students, regardless of whether their families are in need of it. “[Free meals for all students] would be wonderful. I would love for that to happen because we serve nutritious meals; they’re good, they’re a great value,” she said. SIERRA CLARK | HAWKEYE However, the federal government can only pay cent of Washington’s total enrolled students. for a certain number of meals due to budgeting priorities. While almost half of Washington state students particiMany ESD schools participate in the Title 1 program, which pate in FRL programs, Lloyd believes a stigma exists around helps to fund meals, among other things. FRL, which she described as being “very near and dear to The Title 1 federal program operates with the objective of [her] heart.” “serv[ing] the unique needs of children” from grades K-12, She said the stigma about taking part in the program is according to the OSPI website. Title 1 provides educational least prominent in elementary schools but becomes more assistance to accommodate individual student needs, such pronounced as students progress to high school. as providing learning support, services to combat student “I think some families feel embarhomelessness, as well as free and rassed that they need to ask for help reduced priced lunch programs. “There are students and families and that shouldn’t be the case at The ESD schools receiving funds that find it hard to afford providing meals for their students and all,” Lloyd said. “Some students also from Title 1 include Beverly, Cedar the most important thing is that feel like their classmates might look Valley, Chase Lake, College Place, hungry students can’t learn.” down on them if they knew that Lynndale, Lynnwood, Martha Lake, they qualified for free and reducedMeadowdale, Mountlake Terrace, Barbara Lloyd ESD FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE DIRECTOR price meals.” Oak Heights and Spruce elementaHowever, those beliefs can be disries. Each of these schools operate pelled as a student’s eligibility for the program is unknown to under a “Targeted Title 1” or a “School-wide Title 1” proanyone besides the student’s family and the government. gram. “We do our best outreach efforts to families. One of the Cedar Valley Elementary currently stands as the ESD site key messages that needs to get out is that a student’s free and with the highest percentage of students in the FRL program reduced lunch eligibility or even paid meal status is comat 77.6 percent, while Maplewood K-8 has the least with 6.7 pletely confidential,” Lloyd said. percent. Furthermore, Lloyd said that students shouldn’t be Title 1 schools are selected based on the average amount of ashamed of being in the FRL program, because all students enrolled students who qualify for free and reduced lunches will eat lunch together as a community and no one can tell in order for the school to be eligible to receive funding from who’s receiving meal benefits or not. the program. In a Targeted Title 1 school, there must be “A lot of the students who eat in the 35 percent or more students who qualify; in a School-wide cafeteria do qualify for free and reducedTitle 1 school, there must be over 40 percent of students who price meals [and] the students who don’t qualify. qualify and pay full price are [eating] The difference between the two programs is that the numthere too,” Lloyd said. ber of students who qualify for free/reduced lunch affects When a student purchases a meal at what the funds may be used for. The Targeted Title 1 proschool, there is no clear indication of gram requires that school districts direct funds towards whether or not they are in the FRL prostudents who are “struggling the most to achieve standard,” gram. On the cash register screen, if the according to the ESD website. The School-wide Target 1 amount due says $0.00, it does not necesprogram allows for school districts to serve all students, sarily mean the student is in the FRL pro- regardless of whether or not they may qualify. gram. The monetary balance can also be According to OSPI, schools with a rate of less than 25 perinterpreted as the student having enough cent of its students who qualify for FRL are not required to money in their school account to buy a have the program. meal or it can mean the meal was prepaid. Every Oct. 1, the percentage of students who qualify for The ESD serves about 2,300 breakFRL is counted in each school. The number of students who fasts and 6,400 lunches each school need meal benefits will affect the school’s funding for the folday. According to the monthly P-223 lowing school year. Enrollment Data report of April 2017, a Being in the FRL program can give students more than total of 35.9 percent of enrolled students just a hot meal. Aside from meal benefits, a student can in the school district participate in the receive other financial benefits such as getting fees waived FRL program. or discounts for classroom supplies, sports participation, Out of 1,249 students enrolled in Chromebook insurance, musical instrument rentals and testMTHS for that month, 27.5 percent of ing, among others. H ANNIKA PROM AND SAM JOHNSON | HAWKEYE them are in the FRL program.

The free and reduced-price school meal program, better known as the Free and Reduced Lunch program (FRL), started in 1946 under the National School Lunch Program as a way to provide meals and other resources for students in elementary through high school who face financial difficulties. Students must reapply for meal benefits every school year and can qualify in two ways. A student can be directly certified by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), meaning they automatically qualify for the program due to already being on support from government programs. Otherwise, a student can fill out a family income application that determines their eligibility based on family income in comparison to their household size. A student may be approved or denied of meal benefits through this approach. To qualify for free lunch, a household size of one person must have an annual income of $15,444 or less, taking in account another $5,408 per additional household member. In the same conditions, a household must earn $21,978 or less annually with another $7,696 per additional household member. Edmonds School District (ESD) Food and Nutrition Services Director Barbara Lloyd believes it is crucial to help students and families have access to meals and stay healthy. “There are students and families that find it hard to afford providing meals for their students and the most important thing is that hungry students can’t learn,” Lloyd said. “We want to provide a many healthy meals to as many students as possible so that they’re well nourished.” According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Washington State Report Card, as of May 2016, 477,828 students in the state are enrolled in Free or Reduced-Price Meals programs, which makes up 44 per-

HANK BALANGER | HAWKEYE

14 | APRIL 2017

NEWS

policy and state law are clear in requiring that students who choose to sit during the recital of Pledge “maintain a respectful silence.” During the Pledge, all students are required to not talk, play music or participate in any other activity that would disrupt the rights of other students who choose to recite the Pledge. At MTHS and statewide, many students choose not to participate in the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance. Their reasons for non-participation so that we can be sure that they are range from religious reasons, which prevent being followed.” perceived idolatry, or the worship of people In the 1943 West Virginia State and objects other than God, to the belief Board of Education v. Barnette rulthat people should not have to pledge their ing, the Supreme Court ruled that allegiance to the flag of a free nation. a student could not be required Sophomore Reiden Chea is one student to stand for the Pledge because who chooses to not stand for the recital of the requirement violated the First the Pledge due to America’s current political Amendment. This overrode the status. Minersville School District v. “I choose not to stand for the Pledge of Gobitis decision from 1940, which Allegiance because I believe that the values said students could be required of liberty and justice for all shown, in the to stand for the Pledge. However, Pledge of Allegiance, do not apply to our many schools and communities country anymore since people can be kicked still maintained an expectation out of our country just because they are that students stand for the Pledge, immigrants,” Chea said. viewing it as an essential part of Additionally, many students choose to omit American patriotism. Though its the words “under God” when they recite the recital cannot be legally required, pledge. They view this part of the Pledge many still view as unconstitutional as the Pledge as a they see it as violating the “The opportunity social and culEstablishment Clause of to exercise our First tural necessity. the First Amendment. In 1923, fearing that immigrant children Amendment rights is central to being a citizen This expectation has The Establishment would think they were pledging allegiance to of our country.” remained prevalent Clause is the first section the flag of their birth country instead of to in American society of the First Amendment, the flag of the United States, the words “my Greg Schwab PRINCIPAL for many decades and which states “Congress flag” was changed to “the Flag of the United Schwab believes it can shall make no law respectStates of America.” The word “flag” was later still be present in classrooms today. ing an establishment of religion, or procapitalized for emphasis. “A lot of us have a lot of personal beliefs hibiting the free exercise thereof.” Many The Washington state law and Edmonds [about the Pledge], especially those of us who believe the phrase “under God” in the Pledge School District policy regarding the Pledge are of the older generation and were required constitutes a government endorsement of of Allegiance, which have been shaped by to stand for the Pledge and grew up in a monotheistic religions, thus violating the the decisions of the Supreme Court, state different time with different expectations,” Establishment Clause. that time should be set aside for the recital Schwab said. “I think that sometimes those The American Humanist Association of the Pledge of Allegiance each school day. values can creep into the current day and we requests that its members sit during the However, students cannot, by federal law, be just have to be mindful of what the law actu- recital of the Pledge until the “under God” compelled by the staff to recite the Pledge ally says.” portion is removed. due to the constitutional rights of freeThis clash of Freshman Amy Harris has another dom of speech generations regardapproach. She chooses to skip over the and expression “Just because someone chooses not ing the Pledge is phrase “under God” while reciting the Pledge guaranteed to participate [in the pledge] does not mean that they have any less something found of Allegiance. by the First respect for our values or our country throughout the “America is not an exclusively Christian Amendment. and what it stands for.” country. In 2006, nation and I do not believe that the phrase Principal Greg a school district in belongs in the Pledge of Allegiance in a sociSchwab sends out Greg Schwab PRINCIPAL Florida was ordered ety where the separation of church and state an email to staff to pay $32,500 by is meant to be valued,” Harris said. every two years The “under God” portion of the Pledge was or so reminding them of these requirements. a district court to a student who refused to recite the Pledge and was ridiculed and added to the Pledge by Congress in 1954 at “It’s one of those things that every couple called unpatriotic by their teacher. Prior to of years we should remind everyone about,” the request of President Dwight Eisenhower. Schwab said about the district policy on the this ruling, a law in Florida required stuThis was during the height of the Second dents to stand for the recital of the Pledge. Red Scare when many feared potential Pledge. “The policies regarding the Pledge Though students are not obligated to recite communist influence on American society. are not widely known and everyone should or stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, district Lawmakers at the time wished to emphasize be reminded of them every couple of years

A refresher on the history and requirements of the flag salute and National Anthem in schools

PLEDGE TO PLEDGE By Nolan DeGarlais HAWKEYE STAFF

The Pledge of Allegiance, familiar to most involved in the American education system, has created much controversy over the course of its nearly 125-year long existence. The official text of the pledge has been changed four times since its creation and there have been four different Supreme Court rulings issued regarding the famous Pledge of Allegiance. The original version of the Pledge of Allegiance was created by Baptist minister and Christian socialism activist Francis Bellamy. Bellamy wrote the Pledge as a way to promote American patriotism among schoolchildren, especially the children of immigrants. He published the first version of the Pledge in 1892, in honor of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas. Bellamy originally considered adding the phrase “with liberty, justice, equality and fraternity for all” to the end of the Pledge, but ultimately decided to remove the words “equality” and “fraternity” due to his belief that the state boards of education would reject those words, as they did not see equality for women and African Americans as ideal at the time. Bellamy’s original version of the Pledge read, “I pledge allegiance to my flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Hawkeye

Hawkeye the difference between the predominantly religious society of the United States and the officially atheistic Soviet Union. The daughter of Francis Bellamy objected to the change. Since its addition, there have been many legal challenges to the phrase “under God,” with the most recent upholding of the phrase by a federal court coming from a 2010 decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. In a 2-1 decision, the court stated that the words were merely “ceremonial and patriotic” and as such did not constitute the establishment of a religion. Though the Supreme Court heard a case regarding the “under God” portion of the Pledge in 2004, during the Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow case, the case was ultimately thrown out due to the fact that Michael Newdow, the plaintiff in the case, was not the legal guardian of his daughter who attended school in the Elk Grove Unified School District. The Supreme court made no ruling regarding whether the recital of the “under God” portion of the Pledge was unconstitutional in a state-sponsored education. Schwab believes it is important students are given the opportunity to express their opinions regarding the Pledge due to their rights which are guaranteed in the First Amendment. “The opportunity to exercise our First Amendment rights is central to being a citizen of our country. You cannot infringe upon a person’s right to exercise their free speech so long as it is not disruptive, advocates any illegal activities or is slanderous,” Schwab said. “Like it or not, we are founded on the First Amendment and that means you can say what you think and feel, or choose not to say what you think and feel.” Schwab also wanted to make sure that people do not think students who choose to sit during the Pledge are any more or less patriotic than those who choose to stand. “Just because someone chooses not to participate [in the pledge] does not mean that they have any less respect for our values or our country and what it stands for. In fact, it often times sends the opposite message, that they do value what our country stands for because they exercise their right to free speech by choosing not to participate,” Schwab said.

NEWS As well as mandating time for the Pledge of Allegiance during the school day, state law and district policy also require time for flag exercises at the opening of all school assemblies and immediately preceding inter-school events, such as sports games, when it is considered feasible to perform them. Flag exercises refer to either the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance or the performance of the Star Spangled Banner. “When choosing between the two, it often comes down to if we have someone available to perform the national anthem. Sometimes at sporting events when we do not have the band available to play the national anthem, we do the Pledge of Allegiance,” Schwab said. The same rules that apply to the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance also apply to the performance of the Star Spangled Banner. Students can choose to stand or sit and both actions are fully supported by state law, though everyone must maintain a respectful silence during the performance. Regarding the display of the

American flag in school, both state law and district policy require the flag to be displayed on or near all public facilities at all times, except during inclement weather. If an allweather flag is possessed, it may be displayed at all times, even when the weather would not usually permit its display. These policies require that a flag must be displayed outside of every school and inside of each classroom. All government buildings are subject to similar rules and must have a flag displayed on or near them each day. There is currently no federal law dictating when the Pledge of Allegiance should be performed in the school setting. That requirement is determined solely by the state legislatures and school districts. The only Federal Law regarding the Pledge states what words are contained in the Pledge and the proper behavior for citizens who choose to recite the Pledge.

APRIL 2017 | 15 This includes that non-military citizens should remove all non-religious headwear, place their right hand over their heart and face the flag. Members of the military should give a salute and face the flag. These rules also apply to during the performance of the Star Spangled Banner. The first time these requirements for the Pledge of Allegiance appeared in federal law was on June 22, 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the first federal Flag Code. All states, with the exceptions of Hawaii, Vermont and Wyoming specify in their state laws that time should be set aside in the school day for a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance. Additionally, 17 states have also adopted pledges to their state flags and specify that these pledges should be recited immediately following the recital of the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. The first of these state pledges was adopted by Texas in 1933, which was soon followed by Georgia in 1935. The states of Kentucky, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi have a reference to God in the pledges to their state flags, while the states of Tennessee and Alabama have residents pledge their “service and life” to the state. H

ISAAC OTIS | HAWKEYE

16 | APRIL 2017

UP? UP? GOING UP?

NEWS

Breakdowns cause inconvenience to injured students and staff; elevator updates requested since 2015

By Emily Anderson HAWKEYE STAFF

In the state of Washington, the regulation of elevators is moderated by the Department of Labor and Industries (LNI), which has set forth a code of standards for every elevator that is installed in the state. If an elevator does not meet these standards, the elevator may be closed until it is updated and the building owner may by fined. When the elevator at MTHS was last inspected on Sept. 14, there were seven corrections requested by the inspector. The district was given until Dec. 14 to make these corrections with the threat of “substantial penalties required by law” and the removal of the elevator from service. As of April, these corrections have not been made, according to the report on LNI’s website. Corrections requested included making the emergency lights in the elevator operational, making sure the door operation was up to standard, adjusting the force that the door closes so that it’s up to standard, increasing maintenance intervals, removing oil soaked pads from the elevator pit, repairing the oil leak and making sure the working pressure was legibly marked on the power unit assembly. One of the concerns found, lack of access to machine space, was a repeat of a correction requested in 2015. Throughout the 2016-2017 school year, the elevator has faced many problems. Maintenance workers had to be called to the school twice in September because the doors would not open. Many students were frustrated by this, including sophomore Emma Holbrook, who had a broken foot at the beginning of the school year. When faced with not being able to get down to the first floor, she was offered one solution: hop. “They [administration] told me to hop. Two teachers would help me up and down the stairs every period — one making sure I didn’t fall, the other carrying my scooter that I used,” Holbrook said. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), implemented in 1990, requires

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VIVIAN NOWKA-KEANE | HAWKEYE

all public buildings with multiple stories to provide a working elevator for people who are unable to effectively walk up and down stairs. “I asked them if there was anything else we could do and they told me that I could walk outside the school and go entirely around the outside of the school and enter through the HUB to get to the [first] floor,” Holbrook recalled. Even more frustrating for students who need the elevator is the seeming lack of priority. This school year, many public works projects have been granted to MTHS including painting sports sheds, replacing the vending machines and fixing the garage door in the auxiliary gym. ESD’s website describes public works as “all work, construction, alteration, repair or improvement that is executed at the cost of the state or any other local public agency.” Another notable project that has been ongoing this year is the repainting of the school. All classroom walls were painted white, door frames and railings black. “[Administrators] told me they were fixing it, but wouldn’t do any major repairs since it would cost around $50,000,” Holbrook said. “They said they were pushing their luck and hoping it wouldn’t break down for good.” Assistant Principal Peter Schurke acknowledged that the elevator system has faced problems through the school year but said, “The thing’s still running. I use it on a daily basis now that I’m back on my scooter.” During last year’s staff vs. seniors softball game, Schurke was hit by a ball in the foot which has led to many complications for him, landing him in a cast once again this year. “I know (the elevator has) broken down a couple of times and the repair folks have been in to fix it; luckily they’ve been able to fix it both times. It had one [maintenance issue] that looked like it was a very serious thing that was going to keep it out of order for days or weeks and then they figured out it wasn’t as bad as it looked,” Schurke said. H

Federal budget cuts to affect arts, humanities, science By Nolan DeGarlais

APRIL 2017 | 17

NEWS

E K W A |H

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EN BAL HANK

training, after-school and summer educational programs, cern over the cuts to the federal cultural programs. and aid programs that benefit students who are either from “PBS and the shows it provides like Sesame Street and art The Trump administration presented a preliminary 2018 low-income families or are first-generation immigrants. programs are foundational things and these cuts to them are budget covering discretionary federal spending last month However, as a reflection of the priorities of Education very alarming,” Ellinger said. that has many in the arts and humanities communities Secretary Betsy DeVos, charter school funding is increased Ellinger is also concerned that a lack of funding for certain deeply concerned. by $168 million and new school voucher programs will be federal programs could limit the ability of kids to find a pasDiscretionary spending covers nearly a third of federal created that will cost $1.25 billion. sion in the field of the arts and humanities. spending and includes non-mandatory spending that pays Aid for low-income areas is also severely cut. The budget “These endowments and programs allow kids to see the for defense and other federal agencies. Mandatory spendeliminates grants for Community Development Financial opportunities and have experiences in the art and humanities ing primarily covers the costs Institutions, which provide aid to fields and when you remove that it makes it more difficult for “PBS and the shows it provides like of Medicare, Medicaid, Social economically distressed neighborkids to see what’s out there,” Ellinger said. Sesame Street and art programs are Security and the interest on the hoods. In addition, over $3 billion There have been attempts to cut the National Endowment foundational things and these cuts to federal deficit. in community development grants for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities them are very alarming.” Funding was cut from nearly are also eliminated. in the past, but these efforts have never succeeded. Both the Chris Ellinger every federal department and agenFederal art and cultural agenRonald Reagan Administration and Newt Gingrich during HUMANITIES TEACHER cy to pay for increases in defense cies take the most dramatic cuts his time as Speaker of the House attempted to eliminate and national security spending, a down payment for the wall in the budget, with the National Endowment for the Arts, both of the endowments, but both attempts failed to gather on the Mexican border and school voucher programs. The National Endowment for the Humanities, Corporation for enough support and were ultimately abandoned. proposed budget completely eliminates all funding for 19 Public Broadcasting, the Institute of Museum and Library Ellinger thinks that once the final 2018 budget is released, federal agencies. Organizations that are completely defunded Services and the Woodrow Wilson International Center the budget cuts for many programs will be less severe. by the budget include agencies that support the arts, human- for Scholars, being completely defunded. Many internaHowever, he asserts that many budget cuts cannot be avoidities, sciences, education and economic development. tional cultural-exchange programs paid for by the State ed. “I believe that in the final budget the cuts will not be as All federal departments except the Department of Defense, Department are also eliminated. drastic as they are now, but there will definitely be some cuts the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Department of These programs support public television channels and to these programs in the end. I just hope that the final cuts Homeland Security received a drop in funding. The three radio stations, such as PBS and NPR, provide scholarships will not be as severe as they are now,” Ellinger said. departments will see increases to their budgets; combined, and fellowships in the social sciences and humanities, proThe budget must pass through the House and Senate they make up approximately 20 percent of the current fedvide money to support over 123 thousand libraries and 25 Budget Committees as well as through a vote of both chameral budget. thousand museums, support art and humanities educational bers. Advocates for many of the federal programs which face Many states that voted for Trump during the 2016 election programs and provide grants to local art and humanities defunding hope that the House and Senate will eliminate would see major cuts in federal funding for their economic projects and institutions. The combined costs of these agenmany of the budget cuts. H development. The Appalachian Regional Commission, the cies make up less TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BUDGET PRIORITIES FOR 2018 Delta Regional Authority and the Denali Commission are than 0.1 percent of completely defunded by the budget. Due to those cuts, the federal spending. states of Alaska, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Local news stations Missouri, Tennesse, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Ohio, South will be most affected Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and West Virginia would by this cut, as many see a nearly $180 million cut to federal spending devoted to local stations receive improving the quality of life for the residents of these states. government fundFunding for the fight against climate change and environing through NPR mental protection is also heavily cut by the proposed budget. and PBS. Many of The budget for the Environmental Protection Agency is cut those local stations by $2.5 billion, which completely eliminates funding for in places such as international climate change prevention programs. Alaska are one of the In addition, NASA’s Earth science budget has been cut by only sources of news $102 million, terminating programs aimed at understanding for their area in the climate change. native language of A Department of Commerce program that prepares coastal the residents. Cuts communities for rising sea levels and worsening storms to PBS and NPR due to climate change has been eliminated. Climate change may force these local prevention programs have been completely eliminated from stations to abandon the Department of State, including funding United Nations their programming, efforts to combat climate change. even though they may Finally, $900 million has been cut from the Department be the only source of of Energy’s Office of Science, which funds climate change news for a particular research and supports science education, among other area. research projects related to energy and physical sciences. Humanities teacher Education funding takes a large hit in the preliminary bud- Christopher Ellinger SAM JOHNSON | HAWKEYE get. $3.7 billion has been cut from federal grants for teacher expressed deep conHAWKEYE STAFF

18 | APRIL 2017

SPORTS FEATURE

Hawkeye

Behind the scenes of a cheer coach Cheer alumna aims to change the image of cheerleaders one team at a time

get good grades, to pass, and it has definitely changed my academics through the past two years,” Brown said. Without cheerleaders, “football games and basketball games would definitely be different,” Ellersick said. Cheerleaders memorize a list of cheers before the school year starts so they will be prepared to make the atmosphere of any sports game more exhilarating. They also practice performing stunts for the football season that they build on up to their competition routines later in the year. “Not that we don’t have our Rowdy Rooters or people that could keep our crowd lively, but to have somebody putting themselves out there in front of a crowd leading those who are unsure to step out there is huge for setting the tone for our games,” Ellersick said. Not only do our cheerleaders affect our sporting events, but “as far as our leadership goes in our school, I feel that our students would be lost without cheerleaders and ASB members leading them,” Ellersick said. Ellersick tries to guide the girls on her team and encourages them to go out of their way to be leaders. She wants all of the student body to trust the cheerleaders and be able to talk to them in a time Ellersick smiles as she and the team wait just before they found out that they placed 3rd at the WIAA State Cheerleading Championships. of need in any aspect of their lives, such as if they forgot their locker Story and Photos by Ciara Laney HAWKEYE STAFF skills for life.” also influenced her decision to accept the combination or need advice. Seniors Sidney Brown and Rosa Park, who When cheer coach Jessica Ellersick went position. “I’ve worked really hard since I started are two of the 2016-2017 cheer captains, say to high school, “Cheerleaders were the ‘cool’ “The year I became the volunteer coach I coaching to change people’s outlooks [on they have been girls. They were the ones to go to parties,” was helping with our Sports Booster Club cheerleaders],” positively affected she recalls. But then again back in the early with Kellie. She is my mom’s best friend. Ellersick said. “She genuinely has taught me by Ellersick out2000s, Terrace cheerleading teams weren’t as She’s very close and needed help getting this She hopes more more about my life because there competitive as they are now. Booster Club going with Melissa [Reid], so I side of cheer. people will respect was some stuff that I was going “A big thing Times have changed since Ellersick startwas with them every step of the way pushing cheerleaders and through during the school year and that [Ellersick] ed as a volunteer cheer coach in 2010 and that.” see them as leadshe was really there for me.” impacted me with became head coach in 2012 after Activities Ellersick, a 2004 alumna, was on Pacific ers of the comRosa Park was my grades. and Athletics Director Kim (Stew) Stewart Storms Allstars Cheer her junior year and munity. MTHS CHEER CAPTAIN made the MTHS cheer team her senior When I first made offered her the position. Aside from year. Now, Ellersick hopes her cheerleaders the team I had a Kellie Watson, current secretary of the being a cheer get what she got out of cheer: “confidence, pretty low GPA, but throughout the year she coach, Ellersick manages the bar at Big E Sports Booster Club and Melissa Reid, cura sense of self-worth, skills for the future, has pushed me to go to school everyday and rent president of the Sports Booster Club, Ales and also works at Acura Lynnwood.

SPORTS FEATURE

Hawkeye Terrace ties run deep at home as her husband Steve is also an alumnus. The couple has a daughter Aubrey, a son Landon, and a second boy due around the Fourth of July. Balancing her family life and many jobs can sometimes be difficult for Ellersick. She has her children come with her to practices as much as possible, but when it’s close to an important event, such as state competitions, her mother becomes her “savior” and will watch her kids for her. “Believe it or not, those girls (cheerleaders) come before a lot of things in my personal life,” Ellersick said. “I just want to teach them dedication. If I’m not dedicated to them, then how can I

expect the same thing from them? It’s hard, but I prioritize, and try to keep them near the top.” Ellersick finds motivation for being a cheer coach after seven years in that “it keeps me sane. I love being around the girls. It’s my happy place. Having the influence on other people’s’ lives is also huge.” She also thinks it is important to be “somebody for somebody.” Some of the people she coaches have rough personal lives, and Ellersick wants to be somebody they can look for when they need help or a person to talk to. “She genuinely has taught me more about my life because there was some stuff that I

Ellersick poses an example of a cheer motion for the team.

Ellersick’s children, Audrey (left) and Landon (right) watch their mother as she coaches practice.

APRIL 2017 | 19

was going through because she wasn’t “I just want to teach them during the school “used to having dedication. If I’m not dedicated to year and she was more than half them, then how can I expect the really there for the girls needing a same thing from them? It’s hard, me,” Park said. push.” but I prioritize, and try to keep “I’m glad she This year, there them near the top.” taught me the way were many seniors Jessica Ellersick that she did othon the team who MTHS CHEER COACH erwise I would not needed motivahave learned my tion. That may lesson.” have been a challenge, but the team pushed Yearly goals are set every year for the cheer hard and won third place in the 2A/2A squad. Non-Tumbling Medium division of the One way Ellersick plans her future year is 2017 Washington Interscholastic Activities by first thinking of competition season, then Association (WIAA) State Cheerleading she needs “to backtrack throughout the year Championships. depending on what kind of squad I have as Motivation isn’t the only thing Ellersick a start.” worries about while coaching. Mackenzie Gardner, an alumna who was “Parents can be really difficult. I mean I on the cheer team from 2013-2016, said that am one, so I totally understand the love and Ellersick “pushed us a lot at practice, but she mama bear mode that parents get into, but I didn’t push us past our breaking point. She just feel like once they’re in high school and was always calm. She would always be tough especially once they’re a junior and senior, on us during practice because she knew what parents have to kind of push their kids to we were capable of. During competitions, deal with problems on their own a little I just remember her being calm even if we bit more than they do,” she said. “They can were mad at ourselves for what we did.” make or break a year and just one parent can During Gardner’s time as a cheerleader, the do it.” squad placed sixth (2014), fifth (2015) and Ellersick recovers by “venting and getting third (2016) in state. Not only was Gardner advice from other staff and coaches in the successful in her high school career, but school.” Her mother is a manager at Boeing “because of [Ellersick], I have more self disand knows how to get Ellersick through the cipline, which has helped me during college,” rough times. Ellersick also goes to Stew and Gardner said. “She’s a good coach, and she’s Julie Schwab, the school psychologist, for [made] my love for cheer grow.” advice. One specific goal Ellersick has for this “Sometimes just hearing that other coaches upcoming 2017-2018 season is to make the are going through the same thing as you is squad as good as this past year’s. enough to get you through a certain situa“They have the motivation for it, they have tion,” Ellersick said. the drive, last year’s squad had the skill with Her team recovers by having “family talks.” all the third years that I had, but my goal for “We all sit down and we hash things out; this year is to get all these new girls come up with a game plan, like what’s our feeling like they are just as good as goal [and] how are we going to get through any of my returners from last year this,” Ellersick said. who left,” Ellersick said. “I think that honesty and communication Last season Ellersick struggled is the most important thing.” H

Ellersick gives feedback while a stunt group practices.

20 | APRIL 2017

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