Hawkeye 11-2021

TERRACE GRADUATE ELECTED AS THE NEWEST ESD SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

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A NEW CLUB ARISES FOR FUTURE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

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

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NOVEMBER 2021 | VOLUME 37 | ISSUE 3

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THE IMPACT OF THE DISTRICT FILTERING CERTAIN LGBTQIA+ RESOURCES

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MAKING A SPLASH AT STATE 12

2 | NOVEMBER 2021

Hawkeye

11/2021 Vol. 37, Issue 3

IN THIS ISSUE…

04

Terrace Events Calendar

05

News Update

06

OP/ED: Plants under the sea

07

Controversial ESD restriction

08

Alumni update: Keith Smith

10

The future of healthcare

11

Giving back to Terrace

12

Hawks compete at state

13

Winter sports schedule

14

A creative contribution

15

Stay current with school and community events in November and December.

Our staff picks for what you need to know in the world, nation and state.

Op/Ed Editor Rachel Davis shares about various aquatic plant life found within the Pacific Ocean.

The Edmonds School District has blocked LGBTQIA+ resource sites, and students have something to say about it.

Terrace graduate Keith Smith will soon be sworn in as the newest ESD board member.

An introduction to the Health Occupations Students of America club.

The ASB annual food drive battle versus Lynnwood High School is back again.

The women’s swim team headed to the district championships and state meet.

The beginning of the winter season has athletes excited.

The creative writing club features some of their best work from the month of November.

Daily dose of thought

Do you have what it takes? Solve this logic puzzle to find out.

C 02

ON THE COVER

Sophomore Molly Veleber and Anwen Filmore cheer on sophomore Quincy Filmore.

Kicking off a winning game

Sophomore Chloe Parker prepares to kick the ball at an women’s varsity soccer game.

PHOTOS BY CAROLINE SHYNSHYN | HAWKEYE

OP/ED

Hawkeye

NOVEMBER 2021 | 3

Letter from the Editor

The HAWKEYE

LITTLE ACTIONS, LARGE IMPACTS I

t feels like just yesterday when I walked into the doors of MTHS for the first time, wondering how long it was going to take before I was swallowed whole by a school so big and filled with so many unknown people and paths. Yet, here we are, November of 2021, and somehow, I’ve managed to reach my last year of high school.

I can’t help but think about the fact that in a few short months, we’ll all be going our separate Ritika Khanal ways. For many, the haunting CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF music of “test tomorrow” won’t entirely dissipate, but we will never again get to experience classes with the people we’ve gotten so used to seeing every single day.

That is an incredibly heartbreaking thought, and one that probably won’t entirely set in until everything officially winds down later in the year. However, as I reflect on what has made my last four years at MTHS special, both in-person and online, I’ve realized that it’s the community of people I’ve found and the little moments that we’ve shared.

Inclusion, or the lack thereof, has always been at the center of my world. As a result, I’ve come to understand and value the little things people can do that make an entire world of difference.

For example, I’ve never fully been able to get on board with social media. I know, I know. I’m a disgusting disgrace of a human being in the eyes of my generation.

However, since social media, such as Instagram and TikTok, mainly revolve around visual content, and considering my vision is worse than that of a bat’s, that doesn’t tend to work out too well for me.

Since so much of our culture today is housed on social media though, I’ve had to at least put myself on all the platforms just so I could somewhat keep up with my peers.

One day, I was doing my regular rounds of disinterested scrolling through Instagram, my screen reader software reading “image may contain person” for one post after another.

Suddenly, I was met with a pleasant surprise.

It was a post from a friend with a caption implying that her swim team had become the district champions. According to my screen reader, there were seven pictures to go along with the caption. Fully expecting to be told that each picture may contain a person, I prepared to keep scrolling to another post.

However, my cursor landed on one of her pictures, and I was met with a surprise.

“Seniors getting gifts,” my robotic friend shouted out in a monotone voice.

Surprised, I scrolled through all seven of her pictures, and sure enough, each one had a little description. At that moment, I was filled with so much gratitude because I understood exactly what she had done.

A few months before this post was taken, I’d had a conversa-

tion with her about the alternate text option on social media platforms. Alternate text, also known as alt-text, provides a space for the user to provide a description of the visual content they are posting so that a visually impaired person knows what is in the picture. The description is only visible to those using screen reader software, and instead of having artificial intelligence try to describe the picture, the reader will read the description provided.

The descriptions in her post were simple: things like “team pic” and “me and Rebecca.” However, in my mind, they made all the difference. For the first time, I had access to the post in the same way everyone else did. Also, that post was especially meaningful because I had talked to her about alt-text only once, and based on that conversation, she went out of her way to do something she knew would probably benefit only one person.

What my friend did with that post represents the kind of evolution I hope for in our society. I hope that one day, people will take the time to do the little things not because they have to, but because it has the potential to help someone else and make their day brighter.

I’ve tried to keep this idea in mind through the years, making it my mission to intentionally observe, not in the creepy “I’m watching you” kind of way, but rather, investing time into each relationship and coming to genuinely know each person I interact with to understand how to include them.

In this process, I’ve realized how much the little things we say and do can make a difference. Something as seemingly insignificant as a quick check-in with a friend when it seems like they’re having a bad day can have a significant impact.

Sometimes, we just need someone to listen, and being there for someone can be the little moment that makes all the difference.

If I’ve learned anything over the past few years, it’s that it really doesn’t take much to make the world a brighter and more inclusive place.

By taking the time to invest into the little things, we can form strong bonds with people that surpass time and distance.

When I think about my last four years at MTHS, the thing I am most grateful for is the connections I’ve been able to make with people. Even when a day isn’t going quite right, I’ve always been able to count on those around me to make me smile over something.

If we all make it our mission to give that back to our communities, I think we’ll find that all of our days will become brighter.

While the prospect of leaving MTHS in June is a terrifying thought, I know that my fondest memories will always be the little moments that I’ve been lucky enough to find with those around me.

The beautiful thing is, we’ll always have an opportunity to make those memories with those around us. So, what little thing will you do to make a moment special? 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

Online/Digital

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, Theresa Van, 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.

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Cover photo by Caroline Shynshyn © 2021 HAWKEYE | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

2021

REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED.

IN THE KNOW

4 | NOVEMBER 2021

Hawkeye

COMING UP: November & December

By Nico Francois

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & GRAPHIICS EDITOR

DATE

EVENT

TIME/PLACE

Monday, Nov. 01 Food Drive Begins

HUB, All day

Monday, Nov. 15 Equity & Social Justice Club Meeting

Career & counseling office, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 16 MTHS Music Booster Meeting

Zoom, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 17 Feminism Club Meeting Thursday, Nov. 18 Volleyball Awards Night Friday, Nov. 19 Gender Sexuality Alliance Meeting

Room 132, 2:00 p.m.

Theatre, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Room 226, 2:00 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 22 Creative Writing Club Meeting

Room 110, 2:00 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 22 MTHS HOSA Meeting

Room 127, 2:00 p.m.

Nov. 24 - 26 NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

EZRA FENWICK | HAWKEYE

Off campus

Friday, Dec. 02 MTHS TSA Meeting

Room 128, 2:00 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 03 Food Drive Ends

HUB, All day

SPOTLIGHT

Nov. Feminism Club Meeting MTHS students gather to discuss 17 current social and equality issues in our community. 2 p.m. Room 132

Nov. Volleyball Awards Night The volleyball athletes celebrate 18 the end of the fall sports season by handing out awards. 7 p.m. Theater

Friday, Dec. 03 EARLY RELEASE Monday, Dec. 13 MTHS Boosters Meeting Thursday, Dec. 16 Band Concert Friday, Dec. 17 EARLY RELEASE Dec. 18 - Jan. 02 NO SCHOOL - Winter Break

Off campus Zoom, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Theatre, TBD Off campus Off campus

Nov. MTHS HOSA Meeting Students interested in science, 22 healthcare and the medical field congregate. 2 p.m. Room 127

Nov. Thanksgiving Break Terrace students celebrate the long 24 holiday weekend with food and loved ones.

Dec. Food Drive Ends The riveting competition against 3 Lynnwood High School to collect canned food comes to a close.

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

Teacher shortage affects in-person classes

By Nico Francois

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & GRAPHICS EDITOR

Although schools in Washington state are back in-person after over a year of remote learning, countless districts surrounding the Seattle area are experiencing mass shortages in terms of full-time and substitute teachers and general staff members. As a result of the staffing shortages, public schools in the Seattle, Bellevue and Kent school districts closed for one day on Nov. 12 after over 600 staff members requested the Friday off. All districts impacted have already planned dates either later on in the semester or at the end of the year in order to make up the educational hours missed.

The staff shortage NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE could have harsher impacts in the long run, as a continued lack of staff could lead to multiple classes or schools having to either cancel more days to be made up later in the year, or worst case scenario, some schools may have to return to a remote learning model.

To compensate for the lack of substitute teachers available, some districts are assigning certified staff from multiple support programs to work in classrooms for the time being. In some cases, current teachers are having to rotate around the school to cover classes that they don’t teach, taking away planning time for the classes that they do normally teach.

In hopes of being able to hire new staff members in a timely manner, districts are now offering incentives to potential recruits. Districts are increasingly pushing for the hiring of new staff in order to avoid burnout of current teachers and staff members as a result of working during a pandemic with decreased staff and support. H

Madagascar faces unique famine

COMPILED BY NICO FRANCOIS

Southern Madagascar is on the verge of experiencing a famine unlike any other.

Unlike other countries, where famine is often induced by conflict, the famine in Madagascar is the first famine in recent history that is the result of climate change. A portion of the famine is due to the drought that Madagascar is experiencing, the worst in almost 50 years, leading to massive amounts of crop failure. Large sandstorms resulting from climate change have also played a part in the failure of crops, as land impacted by the storms has been left infertile, leaving no hope for further growth.

Over 1 million people in the country have been affected by the famine, with a majority of those being children. Roughly half a milNICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE lion kids under age 5 are experiencing the side effects of malnourishment, and many are expected to suffer irreversible changes as a result of the lack of nutrition.

In order to help aid the issue, the World Food Programme is teaming with the Malagasy government to provide food and resources to citizens. The World Food Programme is also helping to treat children who are currently malnourished, and are attempting to prevent further malnourishment in other children.

The government is attempting to rework the infrastructure of the country in order to make more regions resistant to future droughts so that crops may begin to thrive once again. H

NOVEMBER 2021 | 5

• 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 by nico francois graphics by nico francois

Another virus outbreak impacts India

International

Alongside the current COVID-19 pandemic that continues to spread across the globe, a Zika virus outbreak has also taken place in India. The outbreak began in the city of Kapur, with the first case discovered on Oct. 23. Since the detection of the initial case, over 90 people have tested positive for the mosquito-transmitted illness. Since the outbreak began, authorities have been doing vigorous contact tracing and taking cautious measures to destroy the areas in which the virus-spreading mosquitoes have congregated and begun to breed. H

Tragedy strikes Travis Scott’s “Astroworld”

National

Numerous deaths and injuries have occurred at “Astroworld,” an annual music festival hosted by rapper Travis Scott in Houston, Texas. As of Nov. 16, ten people who attended the event have been pronounced dead, with hundreds more injured after a large crowd of festival goers rushed forward to the stage where the rapper was performing. The rush toward the stage caused the people in the front to be trampled, which inevitably caused more of the crowd to panic, further worsening the situation. Numerous lawsuits have also been filed as a result of the casualties, and the rapper has released a public apology on Instagram. H

U.S. lifts international travel ban

National

After more than 18 months of closed borders and international travel bans as an effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic raging across the globe, the White House has declared that the U.S. will be opening its borders to international travelers on Nov. 8. Although the borders have reopened, restrictions have still been put into place in order to contain any outbreaks of the virus. Any passengers entering the country must provide proof of vaccination, wether traveling on a plane or on a ferry, as well as test negative for COVID, but only if the passenger is boarding an aircraft. H

Residents file lawsuit against new care tax

State

A class-action lawsuit has been filed for the Western District of Washington against the mandatory payroll tax to fund a long-term care tax in the state. The lawsuit was filed for three businesses and six people within the state, none of whom acquired a long-term insurance care plan of their own before the exemption deadline of Nov. 1.

The lawsuit states that the care tax violates federal law, forbidding states from forcing employees to pay for plans providing medical benefits. The longterm care tax is meant to fund necessities for those who need assistance with multiple aspects of daily life, such as dressing, eating and bathing. H

The mayoral election has come to an end

Local

After the third wave of voter ballots were counted on Nov. 4, former Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell has beat his opponent, current City Council President, Lorena Gonzalez, in the Seattle mayoral election.

In the coming days, Harrell will replace former Mayor Jenny Durkan after she has completed her four year term in office.

During his term, Harrell has pledged to address current issues within the Seattle Police Department in hopes of reform, as well as the homelessness epidemic plaguing Seattle, hoping to get more citizens out of the streets and into transitional housing. H

OP/ED

6 | NOVEMBER 2021

Hawkeye

IMPORTANT CURES MAY BE ON THE SEABED W

hen I was taking the Honors Biology class at MTHS as a freshman, one of the introductory units was about ecosystems: systems where plants, organisms and other factors interact with each other and create intricate results based on those interactions. We created our own ecosystem jars and watched snails give birth and die, and water plants grow out of control. Even if I would enjoy focusing on the animals, sea Rachel Davis plants are just as important and OP-ED EDITOR fascinating.

Starting with the basic seagrass, a plant that’s name originated from the land plant, you guessed it, grass. Seagrass is able to grow flowers by reproducing sexually or asexually, and one alone is able to create an entire blooming forest on the ocean floor. Considering the wide range of animals that rely on it as a food source, including sea turtles, sea urchins and even some sea birds, the plant must be pretty tasty.

Along with all of the flowing plants that live in the ocean, thousands of microorganisms that can’t even be seen can also be found. They might not appear to be that important in the grand scheme of things, but they play a crucial role in the smaller ecosystems existing in the Pacific. One of these microorganisms is the phytoplankton, a plant that floats around in the

water, eating up sunlight and other microorganisms. Their main purpose is to provide nutrients for other creatures, meaning they basically live to die, which is a pretty sad, although necessary, existence.

Seagrass and phytoplankton both play a necessary part in sustaining the Pacific’s ecosystem, but what are some other organisms that have more uncertainty surrounding their uses?

One is the antipatharian, nicknamed the black coral despite its wide variety of colors. Like other coral, it is typically found grouped together in reefs on hard surfaces, providing more relationships between predator and prey. As these special coral have a slow life cycle and live in hard-to-reach locations, not much is known about them further than the basics.

To add to the confusing mix, in 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration founded three more species of black coral in the Pacific Ocean. What is so significant about that? Turns out, these new species may contain special bio-

active compounds that could be used to fight fatal diseases such as cancer. These organisms have been used by Pacific Islanders in the past for more simple treatments, but curing other common deadly diseases could be a game changer.

The difficulty in learning more about this plant-like animal comes from its location in the ocean. While possible to get down to the deep seafloor, only about 20% of it has been mapped, and it takes a large number of resources and time to explore even just a bit of the floor.

Another issue comes from scientists not wanting to disrupt or damage the ecosystem. A majority of the creatures and plants that are in the deep sea are still fairly unknown to us.

In order to perform research, the ecosystem would need to be tampered with, and scientists don’t consider that safe yet.

At this moment, there is ongoing research about the black coral and how it could help us. In due time, and with enough luck, we might just be able to have a cure for major diseases that could change the world. H

NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE

MAKING A DIFFERENCE, ONE CAN AT A TIME

By Kerensa Suzara BIG 6 PRESIDENT

As the weather becomes colder, shelters become more in need. With COVID-19, new struggles come into play, and obtaining food and toiletries becomes harder. Every year, Mountlake Terrace High School kicks off a food drive, collecting non-perishable foods to donate to the local food bank, Concern for Neighbors, on Nov. 1. Each year, our school is able to collect over 5,000 cans, making a huge impact on those who need it the most.

Thus, shelters depend on the donations that we make each year. During a typical year, students would stand outside of both QFC and Safeway to collect food and cash donations from shoppers. This year, we have struggled to collaborate with such stores due to COVID-19.

After conversing with these stores and reminding them of the importance of the food drive to the community as a whole, QFC eventually agreed to let us collect cans, starting Nov. 20.

However, this is a later time frame to begin collecting as compared to years in the past, and our can collection has been less profi-

cient as a result.

“Events that usually help bring in cans a drive-through colIn addition, events for the food drive have been cancelled lection at the school this year due to COVID-19 restrictions. as well, where you that usually help For example, both Macho Volleyball can drive by and bring in cans for and Jam Session brought in a huge drop off cans. Our the food drive have collection of cans.” next drive-through been cancelled will be on Dec. 1, this year due to providing one last push before the food drive COVID-19 restrictions. For example, both is over.

Macho Volleyball and Jam Session brought Our big collection days outside of school in a huge collection of cans, because people are where we get the most donations. The could donate cans instead of paying admission to watch the event. This was a great way collections are student run, and we could use some support! These days of collecto encourage participation in the food drive, and helped us collect a significant number of tion count as community service. ASB has received some help from National Honor cans for the food bank.

Society students, but we can always use more Unfortunately, the district decided these volunteers. Since we are collecting outside events must have no spectators, since it isn’t of school, everyone collecting cans at QFC an obligated event according to WESCO must initially take cans home until they athletics. However, ASB is currently trying to postpone these events in the hopes that can be brought to the school the next day. they can be held in the future in order to Therefore, it would be much more efficient maintain the spirit both events bring. if multiple students could ease the load and To make up for the loss of donations, we come help collect cans. It’s a great way to give have been collecting cash donations online as back to the community, and it is fun, too. well. This can be accessed via the QR codes Our QFC dates are currently Nov. 20 to around the school or can be found where you Nov. 24. ASB also is picking up donations from PASS classes on Wednesday and pay your fines on the MTHS website. $1 is Thursday, where we can also use the help. equivalent to 2 cans. Furthermore, we have

If you’re interested, please contact Jeannie Brzovic at brzovicj@edmonds.wednet.edu to sign up.

As we come closer to the end of the food drive, I encourage all of you to donate if you are able to. You can bring donations to your PASS class or donate during a drive-through day, and at QFC. At QFC, there will be students standing outside the doors with a cart where you can bring cans. There are many incentives, the biggest being the ability to help others in our community in this time of need.

Just like in years past, there is also plenty of competition. This year, the PASS class with the most cans will get a hot chocolate and donut party. Then there is competition amongst the classes, for $300 towards their prom! Lastly, this is a competition against Lynnwood High School, so let’s beat our rival school!

As of Monday, Nov. 15, we are at 5,200 cans including cash donations, with Traxler, Matthews and Welman’s pass classes having collected the most cans.

We have about two more weeks until the food drive is over, let’s try to get as many donations as we can! H

Hawkeye

NEWS

NOVEMBER 2021 | 7

Terrace grad elected to school board

By Ritika Khanal CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After serving on the Edmonds School District (ESD) board of directors for 16 years, director Anne McMurray announced that she would not seek reelection to her District two seat. To take her place, ESD voters chose between Melisa Stepp and Keith Smith during the November election.

Although Stepp was endorsed by the Edmonds Education Association, election results indicate that Smith has won the election and is set to begin his term on Dec. 31.

He will represent the southeastern part of the district, including Brier and Mountlake Terrace.

Growing up, Smith saw his mom’s incredible work ethic as she tried to provide for the family. His father didn’t bring in income to the household, and much of Smith’s life consisted of moving around to different family members’ homes.

“This really gave me a new perspective into how families can be,” he said.

By the time he reached MTHS, Smith had also developed a strong work ethic of his own. Throughout his high school years, he maintained a full-time 40-hour job while taking challenging advanced placement and honors classes.

“Working was almost a survival strategy for me,” he said.

He simultaneously had a passion for learning and wanted to become an adult quickly.

Having experienced the lack of money in his home from a young age, he wanted to be able to take care of himself, and he worked to be able to do this all through high school.

“I definitely was ready to become an adult a lot sooner than I should have,” he said. “I should have enjoyed high school way more than I did.”

Between working a full-time job and managing his classes, Smith also made time for sports, hanging out with his friends and watching “Law & Order.” In fact, it was this love of “Law & Order” that made him think for a while that he wanted to become a lawyer.

“I loved the lawyer piece of that show, and then I actually met lawyers, so that probably led to my fascination with that field,” he said.

It was more than just the show and the people he met, though. Even in high school, if anyone had questions on any kind of rule, Smith was right there to answer.

“I probably had something seriously wrong with me in the fact that if someone asked me a question about what the rules were to something, I’d pull up the case law,” he said. “I’d be like, hmm, lets see what State v. Smith says, and then I’d summarize it for them. I just loved reading that stuff, even in high school.”

However, it would take several years before Smith could truly utilize this love of reading and breaking down cases. After graduating from MTHS in 2004, he began an adventure to find the perfect college fit.

After trying out a couple of colleges and finding that they weren’t quite what he was looking for, Smith eventually found himself at Shoreline Community College, where he met his philosophy professor, Richard Curtis. Thanks to this professor, Smith’s confidence grew, and his interest in philosophy peaked.

“He [Professor Curtis] is truly the reason I kept going,” Smith said. “Every day that I was there for the two years I was there, I would go into his office during lunch and he would debate with me about whatever it is we were reading or something philosophical that got my mind going in a way that I had never experienced before.”

While Smith and his professor didn’t always agree, their discussions helped him maintain interest, and he appreciated the way that his mind was stimulated to think deeper and bigger.

“Even when we didn’t agree on things, Professor Curtis would say, ‘I disagree with you, but I think your views are great,’ and that kept me going,” Smith said.

However, that changed when he graduated from Shoreline in 2008 and transferred to the University of Washington. Having loved philosophy previously, he decided to continue to take the class.

“I’m not saying this will be the same experience for everyone, but in my case, the class size was huge and the class was being taught by a grad student,” he said. “I just remember going into that class and being laughed at because of what I believed.”

After a quarter at the University of Washington, Smith decided that it wasn’t a good fit for him, and he spent the next five years dabbling in various jobs.

Initially, he was thinking about becoming a paralegal or potentially going to law school.

Then, he got to hear from a private investigator, and he was hooked. After hearing from this investigator, Smith decided to volunteer as a court-appointed special advocate, formerly known as a guardian ad litem.

“When kids get pulled from their parents for dependency proceedings, the court appoints someone to advocate for the child’s best interests,” he said. “It’s a volunteer position right now, but there has been debate in the state legislature as to whether or not they want to make lawyers do that or if volunteers are fine.”

While advocating for the kids, Smith had an opportunity to do all the things he loved the most. He examined criminal history, medical history, court records and so much more.

“It is still, to this day, probably the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “It feels so good at the end of it when you can reunite a family, or if you can’t reunite a family, getting that kid into a home where they can be taken care of is pretty special.”

Throughout his work as an advocate for kids, Smith came to realize that the system needed serious changes to make sure

Keith Smith, a 2004 alumnus, was elected to the school board. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY KEITH SMITH that each child got the advocacy they truly deserved. While his main goal was always to reunite them with their families when possible, his job was also to ensure their safety.

One of the cases that stood out most to him was a case involving a 4-year-old girl.

According to social workers, the girl was to have unsupervised visits with her father.

Before that could happen, Smith needed to look through the father’s records to ensure that the child was not being put into an unsafe situation.

As he did his background check on the father, he noticed an unexplained criminal charge from years back from a tribe on the peninsula. Concerned, he called the police department to obtain the records, and was told he would need to drive to pick them up.

Although it was a four-hour drive, he chose to get the records as soon as he could. The day before the girl was supposed to have the visit with her father, Smith uncovered that the father had been charged with molesting a child of the same age as his daughter 10 years prior.

“I ran to the social worker’s office, she read through the papers and we stopped the visits from happening,” he said. “The difference between that man having visited with his daughter and not, though, was the fact that I was willing to drive four hours as a volunteer, and that’s when I realized what we do matters and the system is moving the way it moves, but we need disrupters to make sure these kids have the advocates they need.”

Smith’s time as a court-appointed advocate made him even more passionate about

advocating for the kids that need it the most.

In 2013, he went back to college, and in 2015, he graduated with a degree in law and justice. Then, in 2020, he was met with a surprise.

Thanks to the extreme teacher shortages caused by the pandemic, the Granite Falls School District asked Smith to become a substitute teacher. Although he doesn’t hold a teaching degree, he has always loved kids and training people, so he decided to give it a try.

After subbing for a little over half a year in 2020, the district still needed teachers, and he was offered a full-time position for the 2021-2022 school year as a second grade teacher at Mountain Way Elementary.

Again, he agreed.

“For as many tough days as there are, I love these kids, and I love that I get to be there for them,” he said.

In addition to teaching, Smith is also a huge sports fan and regularly officiates student sports games. It is this connection to the community and experience in teaching that Smith hopes to bring to the ESD School Board.

“I want to focus on making sure kids are in all the activities that they want to be in, and that we’re offering that to them. I also have that experience of being a teacher now, and that’s a unique perspective that I bring,” he said.

“I want teachers to know that I am going to do my best to focus on making sure that we’re treating them right. They can always come to me, and I will always listen.” H

8 | NOVEMBER 2021

NEWS

District’s internet filter blocks LGBTQIA+ resources for students

MTHS COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER AGAINST WEBSITE FILTERING Story by Ritika Khanal (She/her) | Graphics by Nico Francois (They/Them) CO-EDIOTRS-IN-CHIEF

As senior Emma Kerani was preparing for a current events discussion in their ethnic studies class, they began looking up the safest schools for LGBTQIA+ students in the nation. Pacific University, they’d heard, had come out with such a list, and they had thought that would enrich the current event discussion for the week.

However, as they began to conduct further research, an issue arose. The district issued computers, which run a filtering system to ensure that students do not access inappropriate websites, had blocked many of the most reliable resources LGBTQIA+.

Initially Kerani thought it was just an inconsistency, and continued to search for resources they knew were reliable. It was only after intense research that they began to realize there was a serious issue when, trying to get onto the Campus Pride website, they found it to be blocked, too. Campus Pride is a nonprofit educational foundation centered around providing support and services for LGBTQIA+ students in colleges as well as their allies. For high school students, this website was a great way to explore which university campuses were the most accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Frustrated, Kerani turned to their table mate and fellow senior Cassius Petkovits to compare notes.

Petkovits found that while Campus Pride was blocked on his computer as well, the Westboro Baptist Church website was not.

“The Westboro Baptist Church is infamous for hating lots of people, but especially LGBT people,” Kerani said. “They literally have ‘god hates fags’ in their URL, and they’re designated as anti-LGBT by the Southern Poverty Law Center.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) monitors hate groups across the United States, and informs law enforcement, media and the general public about them.

After finding the Westboro Baptist Church website to be unblocked on both their computers, Kerani and Petkovits began to wonder: What other websites clearly designated as hate groups could students access from their district issued Chromebooks?

One simple Google search later, Petkovits and Kerani had a list of anti-LGBT websites that were completely unblocked, along with other hate groups.

“At first, I kind of had to laugh about it, because I had no idea what to think,” Kerani said. “But then, I was like, this is seriously so messed up.”

Later that day, Kerani and Petkovits began to wonder what other websites were unblocked. They had found an extensive list of blocked resources when it came to the LGBTQIA+ community, but what about other communities?

So, they began actively looking for other hate groups

to see if their websites were blocked or not. After a few simple searches on Google, they found multiple white supremacy websites left unblocked, and a few Nazi ones, too.

“The most shocking part was the sites that had Nazi flags, or displays of black face, anti-Semitic drawings.

Many of the sites even outwardly saying that gay people deserve the death penalty,” Petkovits said.

Both Kerani and Petkovits were appalled at what they had found, and they knew something needed to be done.

“I was really upset,” Petkovits said. “This district seems to pride itself on being inclusive and accepting to everyone, but when they show this many displays of letting all these hateful sites being accessible through seemingly any Chromebook, whilst blocking resources for LGBT students, it’s disgusting.”

Petkovits identifies as queer and transgender, and said he has seen hateful messages like those on the websites he and Kerani found to be unblocked all his life. It was these hateful messages and lack of acceptance in society that discouraged him from coming out sooner, and pushed him further into the closet.

“Now, I’m a senior in high school, and I’m comfortable with my identity and how it changes. But I know there’s people that aren’t. People younger than me are trying to find themselves,” he said. “So, what’s going to happen to them when they get on their Chromebook trying to find information but most of it is blocked? What’s going to happen to them when they see hateful sites that aren’t blocked? They won’t feel safe. I know I didn’t.”

After talking to ethnic studies teacher Erin Grambush, Petkovits and Kerani compiled a list of LGBTQIA+ resources that were blocked, as well as a list of hate groups that were not. Among the websites on the list of LGBTQIA+ resources that were blocked were the International Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Intersex Law Association, True Colors Inc, Keshet, Pride at Work and Sage.

All of these websites are designed to advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, with each having their own focus. For example, Keshet is a website with the goal of helping people who identify as LGBTQIA+ within the Jewish community. Sage primarily focuses on providing

Hawkeye

Hawkeye

NEWS services for and advocating for LGBTQIA+ elders. True Colors Inc. focuses on advocating for and educating LGBTQIA+ youth to ensure that they feel safe and valued.

Many other resources are out there that have their own focus.

After compiling these lists, Karani wrote an open letter to the Edmonds School District. In the letter, they asked that the district re-examine the filtering system, block hate groups and unblock LGBTQIA+ resources.

“You can’t claim to have inclusive schools and do this stuff.

This is why LGBT students feel devalued or unsafe at schools a lot of the time, and I feel like this oversight is a glaring example of where the priorities lie,” Kerani said.

“I talked to Grambush, and she suggested we compile a list so we can get some of these websites unblocked, so while I was doing that, I just decided to write a letter about it as well.”

Once the letter was written, Petkovits, Kerani and others worked together to spread the word about the filter. Flyers were put up in classrooms, and the letter has gained over 100 signatures from MTHS students and staff alike.

Moving forward, Kerani and Petkovits hope that the district will truly take the letter into consideration, and work harder to make LGBTQIA+ students feel safe in schools.

“I’m hoping the district will see that we have a voice, that we will speak up and take action for these unjust things,” Petkovits said. “I’m hoping they’ll consider their LGBT students more carefully, they’ll consider how these things affect us and that they need to be aware of us.”

The Hawkeye was given permission to share Kerani’s letter: Hello, My name is Emma Kerani.

I’m a senior at MTHS, and I send this letter with the support of many other students across the school as well as several teachers.

There is a problem with the district’s filtering system. I recently tried to look up Campus Pride, an organization that aims to protect LGBT students on college campuses, only to find out that it was blocked. However, as a tablemate pointed out to me, what wasn’t blocked was the Westboro Baptist Church.

The church’s web address is godhatesfags.com. I initially laughed about it; even as I started to compile a list of other LGBT-related organizations that were blocked, I could joke about it with friends.

Yet the list grew and grew, encompassing community centers, worker’s unions, and educational sites.

NOVEMBER 2021 | 9 When I saw the scope of the problem, I also started looking for hate groups (designated as such by the Southern Poverty Law Center). When I found that barely any hate groups were blocked, it was no longer a joke. And when I easily accessed a website for a Nazi organization during my search, I felt sick.

I think it’s incredibly important to note that I found most of the hate group websites with a simple Google search. I want to emphasize how little effort I put into this search; literal Nazi organizations are available for any student willing to put in the two minutes to look them up. I hope the district looks into this, even outside of simply blocking these sites.

Knowing which sites are blocked and unblocked, I as an LGBT student don’t feel safe. I think that many of my peers would agree if they knew that websites with slurs in the addresses, open declarations of Nazi-ism, and advocation for the death penalty for queer people were open to anyone at an Edmonds School District high school. I am shaken after looking at some of these websites. I also want to point out that the burden of making the effort to unblock LGBT websites and block hate groups, many of which espouse absolutely abhorrent beliefs, should not have fallen on a high schooler’s shoulders.

Currently, I and my LGBT classmates can’t look at bisexual resources, find safe college campuses, or access organizations such as the International Foundation for Gender Education.

But with a few clicks, a student could easily access homophic, nationalist, anti-semetic, and white supremacist content. This concept horrifies me—it should horrify you too.

Signed, Emma Kerani With the support of Cassius Petkovits, Jasmyn Wacker, Jaimee Wacker, Erin Grambush, Sam Dilling, Anabelle Sumera-Decoret, Damaris Ibrahim, Aleigha Evans, Mollie Sullivan, Grace Olson, Ainsley Ward, Abigail Swanson, Cami Owen, Kylie Prescott, Christopher Kelly, Kyle Lai, Rain Wood, Matthew Wood, Natalee Oostra, Georgiana Estes, Shady Mayer, Adalynn Parshall, Reyna Rodriguez, Cleo Garfield, Darioush Mansourzadeh, Jackson Siebert, Adrian Subaykan, Sophina Chen, Alice Low, Juliette Escalona, Theresa Van, Miguel Vazquez, Ronan Sweeney,Clarisse Sandvik, Tiffany Nguyen, Elijah Facklam, Ricky Tu, Tatyana Drew, Lizzie Barnes, Connor Lovelace, Jeslyn Vuong, Lazarus Claus, Kim Banh, Tegan Spaulding, Benjamin Marx, Evette Fackrell, Danny Vega, Madison Studley, Beth Cohn, Evelynn Miles, Sydney Prokopovich, Hannah Fisker-Andersen, Audrey Sledge, Makaela Black, Jasper Rhodes, Jade Lewis, Bee Parrish, Rowan Rhoads, Elliot averill, Gwyneth Balite, Minh Pham, Tristan Harmon, Katie Redenbaugh, Sydney Sandstrom, Alexis Ballard, Collin Fahey, Maile Armstrong, Jenna Kuffel, Luna Tewolde, Nina Dodgin, Talon Evans, Damaris Torres, Elena Cram, Shyanne Travis, Camryn Thornton, Katie Lario,Timothy Cho, Elliott Orange, Casey Kramer, Quinn Harmon, Dylan Newman, Davis Gonzaga, Dakoda Jensen, Jack Williams, Dayton Nickolson, Ahna Elsberry, Melissa Rouse, Trynity Lundblade, Amaya Brazil, Josh Gurney, Karissa Johnson, Chloe Fallesen, Taylor Dugan, Ilse van Drunen Batani, Comet/Mia Lovelace, Jennifer Castaneda Alvarez(Samantha), Wyatt Everett, Casey Diaz Herrera, Rahel Gujo, Skyler MacKay, Blake, Audree Waters,+Alessandra Serena-Takahashi, Teya Caldwell, Savanah Coco-Barrett(Cupid), Kate McCarthy, Abigail Min, Shalom Abi, Marylyne Obare, Macayla Donovan, Sean Brouwer, Kaelynn Bagley, Olivia Schulze, Joshua Williams, Koen Dau, Lucas Barquin, Madilynn Beam, Jazlyn Keopraseurt, Sicily Weitz,Lorelai Baumann, Hayden Studley, Isabella Dreitzler, David Cardwell,Ruby Gilbert, Camden Curtis ,Madilynn Preuss, Gunnar Willson, Taylor Dean, Taylor Kang, Javeria Ali, Robyn Juhlin, Ryan Yasuda, Halle Connell, Maddox/Marlow Gravender, Magnolia Ungerleider. H

10 | NOVEMBER 2021

LIFESTYLE

Hawkeye

Healthcare opportunities, one student at a time

By Jakob Nacanaynay

“So far, I’ve only been president for one meeting because we meet once a month,” Wheaton said. “I The new future health professionals club, or more helped organize all the individual groups, so we have commonly called HOSA (Health Occupations a group for competition, a group for fundraising and a Students of America) club, was created this year in group for outreach.”

MTHS to promote interest in and allow students to The club plans to also hold fundraising events by selllearn more about careers ing first aid kits.

“HOSA is a career and technical student within the healthcare field.

“HOSA has decided to sell organization (CTSO) much like what we’re “HOSA is a Career first aid kits right before the familiar with at Mountlake Terrace -- TSA and Technical Student big holidays, so we are going (the Technology Student Association) is Organization (CTSO), to be selling personalized first the same, FCCLA (the Family, Career and much like what we’re familaid kits,” Wollan said. “It’s Community Leaders of America) is also the iar with at Mountlake nice, because you just throw it same.”

Terrace. TSA (Technology in [your car or backpack], but Jami Wollan Student Association) is the HOSA is going to be selling SCIENCE TEACHER same. FCCLA ( Family, those, so they can look forward Career and Community Leaders of America) is also the to that and we would love the support.” same,” science teacher Jami Wollan, adviser of HOSA said. “It’s a club that brings in a competitive aspect, but it’s really connected with career and technical education (CTE). This one in particular, HOSA, is for future health professionals, so anyone who’s interested in health professions.”

The HOSA club was created by Wollan to fill the void for a healthcare-related extracurricular at MTHS. The club has accumulated 26 members, which Wollan credits to information on the club being spread around and CTSO presentations in STEM-related CTE classes.

While other CTSOs such as TSA have events related to medical professions, none of them are purely devoted to medical professions.

“Talking to some of the other CTSO advisers, [HOSA was] just sort of a need at Mountlake Terrace because we have some healthcare-focused classes like anatomy and physiology and biotechnology,” Wollan said. “This really fits better for those classes,” she explained.

In HOSA, students can learn about and compete in a wide range of healthcare-related niches.

“There are knowledge-based competitions, so you could do a test on medical terminology,” Wollan said.

“You could also do skills-based competitions: perform CPR first-aid skills or emergency response skills.

There’s a couple of biotech categories. That’s one of the classes that sort of feeds into HOSA: recognizing different tools of the trade, and then making some solutions and dilutions as the competitive skills aspect of it.

There’s a whole range of things depending on which kind of healthcare field you are looking to. There’s also team competitions that focus on just educational posters: making displays to educate the community about different healthcare professions or subjects.”

Beyond simply learning about the healthcare field, Wollan hopes students who join can develop the broader skills necessary to start a career and help serve the community.

“You can do interview practices and those kinds of things, so it really prepares them for moving on to that next step of the career world or off to college,” she said. “It’s definitely a service-based club as well.

Students have the opportunity to serve our community, whether it’s local MTHS or getting out in the community.”

While Wollan is the adviser, the aim is for the student leadership team to take the lead in making decisions as to the direction of the club going forward and managing committees. The current president is Asher Wheaton, a sophomore.

HAWKEYE STAFF

Students in a healthcare-related CTE class, such as anatomy and physiology, sports medicine, or biotechnology, this or last year can still join and compete in the HOSA club. Students not in a healthcare-related CTE class can join as a social or non-competitive members, although there may be a $20 fee. Students on free or reduced lunch will have the fee waived.

Meetings occur once a month on Mondays at 2 p.m. in room 127, with their next meeting taking place on Nov. 22. For more information, students can reach out to Wollan or any students on the leadership staff.

HOSA also has an Instagram account, where updates regarding the club are regularly posted and questions are answered. H

NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE

LIFESTYLE

Hawkeye

NOVEMBER 2021 | 11

From a Hawk to an Eagle Scout

By Hawkeye Staff

Maude Alsept-Beaty is an MTHS 2020 graduate who joined the BSA (Boy Scouts of America), in July of 2019.

Since then, she has become one of the first generations of female Eagle Scouts.

Before college, Alsept-Beaty led the all-female Troop 319 out of Edmonds. She was the Senior Patrol Leader and the youth leader, being elected three times by her troop. She planned troop meetings, ran meetings with her Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and was a mentor to the girls in her troop.

Although she currently cannot lead the troop because of her current status as a college student, she looks back fondly on her days leading the troop.

“We do everything from working the food bank and holiday drives at the Edmonds United Methodist Church, to beach Maude Alsept-Beaty clean-ups, to clearing trails for recreational use,” Alsept-Beaty said. “There are lots of ways we help. We try to go where our community needs us.”

Last year, Alsept-Beaty and her troop had to adapt to remote meetings over Zoom. The troop adapted impressively to the remote experience, meeting weekly over Zoom every Monday at 7 p.m. Occasionally, games like Kahoot or Jeopardy would be hosted during meetings.

Guest speakers would also be brought in to talk to the scouts, such as veterinarians, bird scientists and foragers.

“We learned a lot from the folks who took the time to come

in and teach us about their specialties,” Alsept-Beaty said.

Alsept-Beaty’s journey to becoming an Eagle Scout was challenging, as joining the BSA near her 18th birthday meant she was given only two years to achieve Eagle. A scout couldn’t become an Eagle after they were 18, and it usually took four to seven years.

“This required intense planning and time management. I worked so hard to get here, and came out a stronger person and a better leader because of it.” Alsept-Beaty said.

While an accomplished Eagle Scout, Alsept-Beaty also had to handle graduating in a worldwide pandemic.

“It’s weird, high school graduation is one of those things you get psyched up about, but being a 2020 graduate was sort of like expecting someone to pop out of a cake, and instead, you cut it open and there’s a note that says ‘Sorry, couldn’t make it,’” she said.

Alsept-Beaty’s biggest concern after graduation was attending online classes in college. She felt uncertain about the future, everything shutting down when her life was meant to begin.

Being a female Eagle Scout, Alsept-Beaty was not treated any differently by the male scouts. She received support from everyone and felt like everyone wanted to see her achieve Eagle. Juggling Running Start and BSA, Alsept-Beaty gained many necessary skills.

“I had to learn how to become a leader who worked with others and got down in the mud. Time management was also a big part. I did lots of hiking and camping, learned so many new skills, and actually learned to work with kids, too,” Alsept-Beaty said.

Alsept-Beaty attributes much of her success to Lisa Battern, the Scoutmaster of Troop 319.

“She [Battern] was such an important support structure

in helping me earn my ranks and badges. I also had to learn how to be cognizant of long-term goals, how to think 10 steps ahead and how to keep chugging even when I got tired.”

Alsept-Beaty said.

Before she joined the BSA, Alsept-Beaty had a turbulent high school career and suffered from mental health issues.

The only reason she joined originally was because her best friend took her to a troop meeting.

“At the time, I was sort of aimless. It was the summer after my junior year, and my mental health had been so bad I almost dropped out,” Alsept-Beaty said.

The BSA and her family were excellent support systems and provided a distraction from her mental health problems.

After high school, she took a much-needed gap year, allowing herself to recover and breathe. Much of her time was spent achieving Eagle rank and stabilizing her mental health.

Alsept-Beaty’s most memorable project as a scout was when she and the troop did some trail cleaning while it was pouring rain. She had to huddle down underneath a tarp for the night and was freezing cold. The storm turned into a thunderstorm, and her Assistant Scoutmaster brought her back and had to scream over the rain hitting her tarp.

Alsept-Beaty is confident in the future of female troops, and that being in the BSA is a good way for people of any gender to learn and grow.

“There are so few opportunities for girls and women that focus on leadership building and outdoor skills, and that’s really what we’re all about. It’s a safe environment to learn, struggle and be mentored by other girls in applicable skills,” Alsept-Beaty said. “It’s not just a troop, it’s a community that can aid and support you in other ways, too, and I’d love to see more girls coming in.” H

CASH AND CANS FOR THE COMMUNITY

By Kaylee Miyamoto HAWKEYE STAFF

Throughout the month of November through Dec. 1, the MTHS community comes together to collect money and donate non-perishable canned and boxed food for those in need. Food will be collected up until Dec. 1 from each advisory class to donate to Mountlake Terrace’s local food bank, Concern for Neighbors.

Organized and run by ASB, this annual food drive has helped over 100 families every year get through the winter months. As the food bank relies heavily on MTHS to help the community, the last year has been a struggle for many families and the community as a whole, so this event offers an opportunity for students and our school to help out this season.

This year, demand is expected to double due to the pandemic, so it’s especially important to donate to the community, as food banks are an important part of our safety net systems. Through online learning and an isolating pandemic, our community has been through it together, and will continue to rise and grow together as well. “[I hope that we’re] still successful, and that people remember that we still have

Terrace Hawk spirit to help the community,” Principal Greg Schellenberg said.

Typically, MTHS provides 5,000-10,000 pounds of non-perishables to Concern for Neighbors. The goal for this year, according to ASB adviser Jeannie Brzovic, is to have 5,000-7,500 pounds of non-perishables donated this year in addition to cash donations from parents and students.

The ASB has been trying to bring attention to the food drive online and through social media with the MTHS Instagram account, posting updates and seeing students repost them on their stories. They’ve also been setting up and making posters to hang up throughout the halls of the school.

Typically, there are competitions between clubs and classes to help encourage students to donate, the winner getting a prize. This year has been no different, with multiple competitions being implemented that offer rewards of different scales to incentivize student donations.

One of these competitions was between freshman and sophomore advisory classes, whichever class collecting the most donations on Tuesday, Nov. 16 getting a food prize.

Donation bins this year are to be set up in front of the local QFC for the community to help do their part. Online donations have also been set up to collect money in a way that’s more convenient for some.

There will also be a ‘one-day blitz’ to collect as much food and donations as the school can in a single day, but the date is still to be determined.

To get more families and parents involved, there was a drive-through food drive on Saturday, Nov. 13 where anyone in the community could drive by the MTHS parking lot and drop off food and any possible donations to help support the cause.

Additionally, each year MTHS competes with Lynnwood H.S. in an effort to collect more food and money for our communities.

Last year’s competition was a bit complicated, as Terrace won by the deadline, but Lynnwood extended their deadline and ended up beating Terrace in the end. ASB hopes that this year, we can pull through to beat them after our loss at the homecoming game.

Not only does this annual event serve as a competition between rival schools, but also a competition between graduating classes as

NICO FRANCOIS | HAWKEYE

well as individual advisory classes.

By the end of the food drive, the class with the most donated cans and money will be awarded $300 to put toward their senior prom.

As students bring more cans to their advisory classes, the individual class that collects the most cans will also be receiving a donut and hot cocoa party provided by the school.

With a couple weeks still remaining to donate, it’s critical that students and other members in the community do all that they can to contribute to the food drive, whether that be by bringing in cans, donating money or encouraging others to do the same. H

12 | NOVEMBER 2021

SPORTS

Hawkeye

The women’s swimming team prepares for a meet earlier this season at the Lynnwood Recreation Center. The Hawks sent 17 swimmers to state this year. SOVANROM SOT | HAWKEYE

HAWKS SEND A FLOCK TO STATE

By Terina Papatu HAWKEYE STAFF

Following outstanding performances at the qualifying meets, the Hawks women’s swim team sent 17 athletes to the state meet Nov. 12-13 at the King County Aquatic Center.

Freshman Madeline Van Hooser was the only swimmer to place, finishing 16th in the 200 meter individual medley.

But given that the team graduates just three seniors and features seven freshmen, the Hawks look to be a force for years to come.

From the beginning of the school year until Oct. 23, the women’s swim team has been practicing every school day at the Lynnwood Recreation STATE COMPETITORS Center. The week just after Fiorella Diaz, 9 the district meet was jamAlison Dumo, 10 packed for the freshman, Aishwarya Duraisamy, 9 junior, and senior classes due Anwen Fillmore, 12 to SBA testing. Luckily, the Quincy Fillmore, 10 girls on the swim team had a Ishika Goundar, 9 great beginning before they Angelina Ho, 12 had to start testing. That Audrey Klingsheim, 9 Saturday, the girl’s swim Reese Krieger, 10 team faced Meadowdale, Katie Lombard, 9 Lynnwood, and EdmondsJosie MacGowan, 12 Woodway high schools, and Mika Raring, 10 Terrace’s swim team came Kaylyn Takeya, 11 back from the meet as the Mifa Tran, 9 Edmonds School District Madeline Van Hooser, 9 swim champions.

Molly Veleber, 10 Senior Josie MacGowan Jeslyn Vuong, 9 said that Terrace ¨kind of walked in with a bit of a target on our backs¨ since they were the favorite to win.

Coach Rebecca Lance also said that, “I knew going into the

“My first time qualifying for districts, our coach was timing me and when I finished she said, ‘Guess who’s going to district!’ and I remember being excited while still being in the pool.”

Josie MacGowan SENIOR SWIMMER

meet that we had a chance to win,” but whether they’d win would depend mainly on the girls that the other teams had lined up for the relay.

Most of the juniors and seniors on the team have been swimming for MTHS since their freshman year. One of these girls is another senior, Angelina Ho, stated that the top two places for districts have always been Terrace and Meadowdale High School. So they knew they would at least place, but the tension between schools was still very high. According to the girls, the district win was a close call between Terrace and Meadowdale once again this year.

MacGowan and Lance both remembered that the swim team was pretty far ahead, Lance saying “The last 100 [meters] of that relay is always the most nerve racking, but we had enough of a lead that the girls held on to.”

From her freshman year to now, Ho says that “when you see the same people five days a week for three months straight, you build a bond.” The kind of experience the girls had when they realized they won was initial excitement, but it also felt unreal.

MacGowan explained that her feelings after they won were “Oh shoot, this is our last year” and that “It didn’t feel quite real at first.” It was a rush of emotions flooding every girl, all of them jumping and screaming after the win. Other than just the team, their coach, Rebecca Lance, was equally as excited for the girls.

Qualifying for districts is a big thing that only some girls on the team can experience. It takes the girls two hours a day

for almost 90 days to prepare, maybe longer before, depending on if the person swims before the season starts as well.

MacGowan also mentioned that people don’t take swimming as a sport seriously. Although people consider it just “flailing their limbs around and eventually getting somewhere,” Ho said it also includes having a set breathing pattern, deciding when is the right time to kick off the wall to turn back, and such things like that.

But, swimming is a good sport to keep in shape, Ho added.

Luckily, the two seniors had been surrounded by a positive environment since their first time walking into practice.

Ho says that since her freshman year, all the girls on the team have gotten along with each other super well. Even throughout last school year, when only four girls were allowed in the lanes and swimmers had to wear their masks the second they got out of the pool, all the girls pushed through and had a great five-week season.

Both seniors say that they’ll miss their teammates and just the experience they have had throughout the past three and four years of swimming.

“I’ll miss the environment, the community, and just the experience you get from high school swim,” Ho said.

MacGowan said, “I’m gonna miss all the people I met and the connection we made.”

The seniors on the swim team have all been swimming for Terrace since their freshman or sophomore year, which makes the win even more special for them.

While not planning to swim for a team after they graduate from Terrace, both girls said they’ll miss everything about it.

Ho said, “It was nice to know we won the district meet our senior year.”

She said it showed that the work and the approximately 600 hours she had put into swimming was worth it for more than just fun and exercise. H

SPORTS

Hawkeye

NOVEMBER 2021 | 13

NOVEMBER 2021 VARSITY SPORTS CALENDAR Info complied and graphics by Lin Miyamoto

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

DATA MANAGER

Hello Hawks! We are almost done with Fall sports and getting ready for the winter season. Luckily, all of the winter sports are inside so none of the athletes will be shivering cold (actually maybe men’s swim). Besides that, there are still COVID protocols for athletes and spectators alike when it comes to the games. Macho Volleyball has been postponed and Jam Session will be not happening this year. But. here are all of the upcoming sport events for the reminder of fall sports and beginning of winter sports. H

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL 11/03/21 @ 7:00 p.m.

Cedarcrest @ Cedarcrest H.S.

12/01/21 @ 7:15 p.m.

Mercer Island @ Mercer Island H.S. 12/03/21 @7:15 p.m.

Redmond @ Mountlake Terrace H.S. 12/07/21 @7:15 p.m.

Ferndale @ Mountlake Terrace H.S. 12/09/21 @7:15 p.m.

Arlington @ Arlington H.S. 12/15/21 @7:15 p.m.

Cedarcrest @ Meadowdale H.S.

11/09/21 @ 5:00 p.m.

Oak Harbor @ Arlington H.S.

12/17/21 @7:15 p.m.

Meadowdale @ Mountlake Terrace H.S.

WOMEN’S SOCCER 11/02/21 @ 7:00 p.m.

Shorecrest @ Edmonds Stadium

12/21/21 @7:15 p.m.

Bear Creek @ Mountlake Terrace H.S. 12/30/21 @7:15 p.m.

Marysville-Pilchuck @ Mountlake Terrace H.S.

MEN’S BASKETBALL 12/07/21 @7:15 p.m.

Kamiak @ Kamiak H.S.

FOOTBALL 11/01/21 @ 5:30 p.m.

Marysville Getchell @ Marysville Getchell H.S. 11/05/21 @ 7:00 p.m.

Oak Harbor @ Oak Harbor H.S.

WOMEN’S SWIM 11/03/21 @ 4:30 p.m.

3A/4A District 1 Girls Dive Prelims @ Snohomish Aquatic Center 11/05/21 @ 5:15 p.m.

3A District 1 Girls Swim Prelims Girls Varsity Swimming @ Snohomish Aquatic Center 11/06/21 @ 4:00 p.m.

3A District 1 Girls Swim Final Girls Varsity Swimming @ Snohomish Aquatic Center

12/10/21 @7:15 p.m.

Arlington @ Mountlake Terrace H.S. 12/11/21 @5:00 p.m.

Mount Rainier @ Auburn Riverside H.S. 12/14/21 @7:15 p.m.

Cedarcrest @ Cedarcrest H.S. 12/16/21 @7:15 p.m.

Meadowdale @ Meadowdale H.S. 12/28/21 @3:00 p.m.

Holiday Tournament @ Mountlake Terrace H.S. 12/29/21 @3:00 p.m.

Holiday Tournament @ Mountlake Terrace H.S.

11/12/21 & 11/13/21 Times TBA 3A State Swim Meet @ The King County Aquatic Center

WRESTLING 12/09/21 @7:00 p.m.

Arlington, Snohomish, Meadowdale @ Mountlake Terrace H.S. 12/15/21 @7:00 p.m.

Meadowdale @ Meadowdale H.S. 12/17/21 @7:00 p.m.

Everett, Woodinville @ Everett H.S. 12/18/21 @9:30 a.m.

Lynnwood Classic @ Lynnwood H.S.

14 | NOVEMBER 2021

CREATIVE CORNER

Short Fiction

THE TRICKSTER: A STEP INTO THE DARK Contributed by the Creative Writing Club

There was a soft whistle that rose me from slumber. The ground underneath me felt damp and I could sense a slight tickle on my right hand. Something is not right. I sat up and glanced around, but darkness was all I could see; that and the bright moon shining above me, of course. As my eyes adjusted to my surroundings, I found myself in the center of a ring of densely packed trees. They brushed together as the wind sang a low song.

I brushed around where I was seated, definitely on a forest floor. The crunchy leaves and smooth tree nuts made that clear. My fingertips ran over something metal. I quickly grabbed it and held it close to my face… It was a small pocket flashlight. I felt for the base and twisted it to the right.

Faint, flickering light emitted from the flashlight. This would have to do.

The flashlight revealed my surroundings to indeed be in a forest -- a very quiet forest at that -- with no clear exit in sight.

Where am I..? Why am I here..?

My head ached as I searched for answers. What was I even doing before this? Was I eating breakfast? Enjoying a nice cup of tea? I had no recollection of any previous events. As I stood to my feet, an overwhelming sense of dizziness came over me. I needed to find water.

I don’t know where my feet took me, but I walked for what seemed like hours to find something, anything, that could help me. The crunching of leaves underneath my feet became white noise as I trudged through literal thick and thin.

Occasionally I tripped over a rock or a large tree root, but it was all worth it once I reached a small pond.

Maybe this was the help I needed.

I quickly cupped as much water as I could and slurped it down. It tasted dirty, but I didn’t expect much else from pond water. It was enough to make my headache go down, and sitting by on a rock, I could finally relax.

The terror of the situation kicked in. I am alone in the middle of a large forest with no food, supplies, shelter, nothing. I don’t know how I got here and I can’t remember anything of my life before this.

All I have is a tiny flashlight that is going to die soon, which might be my fate as well…

Should I call for help? No, this is a giant forest and that is bound to attract some creature I don’t want to deal with. Should I wander around and try to find an exit? I glance around me once more. It would just get more confusing to keep walking around. There is no way I could even get to where I started.

I’m losing hope. My stomach hurts, my throat is dry and sore; I wasn’t sure if I was going to get out of here. Would I die here never knowing how this happened? Not knowing if I have a family to go back home to?

Just when those thoughts start to become reality, I hear a loud gasp to my right and I quickly flash the light in that direction.

“Hey!” A person stepped out of some bushes with their hands in the air. They had a nervous expression, but they looked relieved at the same time. “Thank goodness someone else is here. How long have you been here for?”

Another person? I’m not alone!

“I don’t know. What’s going on? Where are we?”

“I have no idea… I don’t remember anything from before now, I just woke up in a circle of trees with a small flashlight.”

They show a small metal pocket light, similar to my own.

I smiled as I told them my name, hoping we could become partners in this crazy situation.

“I don’t even remember my own name… Wanna give me one for the ride?”

I thought about what a good name could be, and I blurted the first thing that came to my mind.

They smiled in fondness.

“Seems great, let’s go.”

They walked back into the bushes, and I followed behind them.

Hopefully, we will get out of here together…

Or so I thought. Hs

Hawkeye

Short Fiction

THE STAMP Contributed by the Creative Writing Club

I stared at the stamp in disbelief, the “2027” printed neatly at the top distinguished the America Forever stamp from the innocuous ones printed in the millions each year.

“2027…” I mused quietly to myself, “that doesn’t make any sense. Surely this must be a misprint.”

I wasn’t allowed to open the package. That would violate my contract as a postal worker, and I was pretty sure it was against the 4th Amendment anyway. But a package from 2027… that piqued my curiosity. I wanted to know why it was from 2027, why it had come here, and perhaps most of all, what was in it.

The scissors sat on my desk, just within arm’s reach, inviting me to open it. I grabbed them and sliced through the clear tape holding the box shut. Holding my breath, I prepared myself for whatever I would find within it.

Inside the box was… another box. A shoebox, to be exact.

It had seen better days, too: dirt was smeared on the bottom of it, and water had seeped into the cardboard lid on one side. The stench of mildew permeated the air surrounding the box - needless to say, I needed to know why on earth this box would have a stamp from 2027. I’m ashamed to say that I ignored my job training, and opened the shoebox.

The shoebox was heavier than I expected. I opened the lid and found why this was the case: the box was filled to the brim with papers. All sorts of them – some yellowed and fading, some that seemed freshly printed. But I hardly noticed them, for the topmost item caught my attention at once.

An unsealed envelope, without creases – seemingly untouched. The return address was my house’s.

I started, then began to think. Certainly this was a prank on me. I would go home, open the front door, and there would be my friends laughing maniacally. I laughed quietly to myself.

“Thanks guys. I’ll open the envelope.” I said under my breath, and reached into the envelope to find a note printed neatly on standard paper. I began reading.

“Dear loyal postal worker. This letter is addressed from August 24th, 2027, for safekeeping. I shall explain why below.”

“Due to recent events involving the Singularity, we are forced to send recordings of all American culture deemed important back for safekeeping. Please forward this box with all items intact to the Order of the Onyx. Address is included below. Safe travels, friend.”

Below it was a message printed in Braille. I figured it was the address.

Now all I had to do was find this mysterious Order. H

JOIN THE CREATIVE WRITING CLUB 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, English teacher 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.

PUZZLE PAGE

Hawkeye

NOVEMBER LOGIC PUZZLE

Created by Jakob Nacanaynay

The parameters

This month we have a couple of puzzles for you – one to get your brain warmed up and then another that should be a good challenge. Enjoy!

• I selected one ingredient per category to assemble a sandwich.

• The answer to each hints shares a substring with the ingredient in the category: Ex: A deadly wire in WWI (Barbed wire -> Barbecue) • A band that wants to paint it, black.

• Symbol on the Pope’s Coat of Arms. In fact, there are two.

• Related to dogs; solitary.

• Used in javascript. Not to confused with var and const.

• A famous book, or, a political insult for POC conservative.

• Unfunny people might respond “the clouds” to this innocuous question.

HAWKEYE STAFF

The Warm-Up • I am thinking of a 20-digit number • The number is a multiple of 9 • The first few digits are 400100201 • It’s the smallest number given the other constraints What is the number?

The Big Challenge The Sandwich Question!

Here are the possible ingredients for a sandwich: BREADS

Whole Grain

Hoagie Roll

Flatbread

MEATS

Turkey

Beef

Chicken

CHEESES

Cheddar

Provolone

Swiss

LEAFY GREENS

Lettuce

Spinach

Kale

CONTRAST FLAVOR

Pickles

Onions

Tomato

SAUCE

Ketchup

Mayo

Mustard

NOVEMBER 2021 | 15

What is my sandwich?

Submit your Entry!

Bring your completed puzzle answers to Room 130 with your name clearly written on the page. We’ll randomly select one of the correct entries for a special HSM swag prize and announce the winner in next month’s page. Deadline: 12/10/21 H

NOVEMBER WORD SEARCH CHALLENGE

BLACK FRIDAY COVID19 DAYLIGHT SAVINGS FIRST QUARTER FISCHER PLUMBING FOOD DRIVE JAM SESSION XXVII LAS ESPUELAS MACHO VOLLEYBALL MASKS MEN’S BASKETBALL WOMEN’S BASKETBALL MEN’S WRESTLING WOMEN’S WRESTLING MEN’S SWIMMING MLTNEWS MOUNTLAKE TERRACE SKIING SNOWBOARDING THANKSGIVING

16 | NOVEMBER 2021

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