Hawkeye 12-2022

04 Terrace Events Calendar Stay current with school and community events in December and January.

Update Our staff picks for what you need to know in the world, nation and state. 06 Math + Man = ???

‘Twas the week before MathMas, and all through the halls, the presence of Math Man could be felt by all. 07

Piling snow and piling problems

Like Kim Kardashian says, climate change is real, and its growing dangerous effects have presented locally with more extreme weather conditions. 08 OP/ED: Do we

really need finals?

Are final tests an accurate representation of students’ semester progress, or an outdated system that does nothing to help students? Evan Kerani details the flaws with finals. 09

OP/ED: seasonal sadness

It’s the time of year again where the days drag on in darkness. The feeling can hit you like a bus, or can seep in through the cracks like a poorly insulated window. Lucas Barquin describes the detrimental effects of seasonal depression. 10

A world united through balls

Once every four years, people from all around the world come together to cry, cuss and cheer as their countries compete for the World Cup.

02

He shoots! He scores!

Senior Chris Meegan scores a basket with junior Jaxon Dubiel backing him up in case he misses. The Hawks defeated MarysvillePilchuck 66-47 Dec. 6 in the Terraceum.

C Did you make a snow man?

Sophomore photo co-editor Emmalee Harmon created this issue’s illustrated cover commemorating one of the earliest snow days in memory on Nov. 30.

PHOTO BY EMMALEE HARMON

Hey there Hawks, we’re back with another letter from the editor. But you may notice that this letter isn’t actually being written by Cecilia or Maggie. No, this isn’t a hostage situation, or an early April Fools’ prank. I’m simply here to air out my grievances. When last month’s edition hit the stands, I faced the biggest betrayal of my life. My two sweet best friends teamed up against me to write about their dissatisfaction with my existence. I was blindsided, shocked, appalled, gagged, and furious. Hopefully I can get my word out before Cecilia comes back from lunch. The idiot left her computer unlocked.

Picture this: it’s Monday morning at 8:37 a.m., and I – Zoe Teran – am watching my world fall apart. I’m sitting in second period when a girl comes up to me to talk about the latest issue of the Hawkeye. I had forgotten the latest print had hit the stands and I certainly hadn’t read it yet. As most of our readers know, our current Co-Editors-in-Chief are Cecilia Negash and Maggie O’Hara. I’ve been best friends with Maggie since seventh grade, THAT’S SIX YEARS! And Cecilia TWO YEARS! And in their letter they wrote about how bad they feel for everyone that’s ever had to meet me.

It’s December, and last time I checked, this is the time of year where you show how much you appreciate those you love. Publicly condemning them in the student newspaper is not an effective method of doing that.

I’m not even sure how to respond to such a situation. But I know I want revenge. Annoyingly enough, there isn’t much dirty laundry to air about our current co-editors-in-chief. But guess what? Earlier this year Cecilia lied about saving our graphics editor Rodney Budden from a car crash. She created this elaborate ruse detailing herself as the hero, which I spread proudly. She was absent for days, claiming to be in the hospital recovering from the accident. The whole time I was sick with worry, crying myself to sleep not knowing if she would make it, only to find out she was a fraud. I’m a victim of Cecilia Negash’s pathological lying.

Then there’s Maggie. Oh, where to start with Maggie. Six years of friendship gives you a lot of dirt, but I know her hatred towards me spans back longer than that. It all started in elementary school; innocently, I made friends with the girl I sat beside in sixth grade and we quickly became best friends. Secretly, Maggie was watching my every move.

The year prior she’d had a nasty fallout with the same girl. She hated me, was jealous of how cute my hair was and how I had stolen her best friend. Me? I didn’t even know she existed.

One day I’m walking to the bathroom during silent reading time. I love reading, but I really had to pee. I’m walking to the potty and the next thing I notice, I’m on the ground.

Lying on the dirty tiles in agony, I see a nasty little girl gleefully standing above me after having tripped me. She introduced herself as my new archnemesis, Maggie O’Hara.

Honestly though, I forgot about the situation by lunch time. One year later we entered seventh grade. I’m sitting at a table beside some random brunette in my humanities block. I know most people might know Maggie as the girl whose head looks like a Pink Lady® apple, but surprisingly enough she was born with brown hair.

Forgetful little me doesn’t remember her sins of the past, doesn’t even remember her face. So I befriended her. Suddenly, we’re having constant sleepovers, I even got an extra bed in my room just for her! But it was all a ploy. Maggie O’Hara was playing the long game, and I was her target. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. She took it way too literal.

As I’m typing this, I hear the bell ringing. My hands are starting to sweat. Lunch is over which means Cecilia will be coming back soon. Oh lord, she’s entering the room right now. I’m clocking out, until next time!

Hey there Hawks (again). I’ve just worked up quite a sweat prying Zoe off of my computer, and when I tried asking her why she was so resistant, she skittered off. My initial confusion has now transitioned to… I don’t even know what. Oh yeah, this is Cecilia by the way. I wouldn’t need to clarify that if it weren’t for the 741 words written above this.

I was actually going to write a semi-serious letter this time, where I talk about the fond memories I have surrounding the winter holidays, maybe talk about how getting snow shoved down my pants was one of my winter traditions. Instead, I’m just going to clear my name out of the mud.

Yes, earlier this year there was a rumor that I got hit by a car. No, this was not started by me. I was home sick for a few days, and Zoe decided to tell our ethnic studies class that I saved Rodney Budden from getting hit by a car in the school parking lot, and was consequently hospitalized. I came back to school, questioning the amount of concerned looks being thrown my way. Needless to say, my questions were eventually answered. Actually, Maggie was involved in starting the rumor too, but considering she got a paragraph completely dragging her through the mud almost three times the size of my paragraph, I’ll lay off her.

Speaking of Maggie, I can’t refute any of the things Zoe said about her because I didn’t know them prior to high school. Maybe everything about her was true, but she’s my business partner so I’ll support her and all her shady endeavors.

It’s probably best if this letter ends on a positive note, despite literally everything going wrong. Maybe there’s a lesson in that. Zoe is still very much our dear friend, even though I’m constantly having to pluck out gray hairs from the stress she causes me. It’s like having an obnoxiously loud pair of socks that you wear when all your other socks are in the wash. You never throw them out because deep down you actually like them. Yeah. That’s the lesson. See you next year, Hawks. H

The HAWKEYE

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

Cecilia Negash & Maggie O’Hara

Editorial

News Editor: Terina Papatu

Sports Editor: Jakob Nacanaynay

Op/Ed Editor: Kaitlyn Miller

Lifestyle Editor: Mika Raring

Fashion Editor: Denise Munoz

Tempo Co-Editors: Hunter Michaelson & Arabella Devera

Business

General Manager: Phuong Lam

Travel & Event Coordinators: Rachel Davis & Rodney Budden

Distribution Manager: open Outreach Manager: open

Visual

Graphics Editor: Rodney Budden

Photo Editors: Seras Bryner & Emmalee Harmon Design Editor: Rachel Davis

Online/Digital

Online Manager: Kaylee Miyamoto

A/V Editor: Terina Papatu & Cecilia Negash

Contributing Staff

Virginia Alsept-Beaty, Kim Banh, Lucas Barquin, Halle Connell, Ciara Constantino, Charli Gilchrist , Curtis Gilchrist, J Gurney, Ethan Holt, Dewey Jones, Evan Kerani, Aubrey Knowlton, Kimberly Nguyen, Mya Phin, Soren Ramerman, Efrata Soloman, Bryce Soumphonphakdy, Adrian Subaykan, Zoë Teran, Sofia Terkelsen, Andrian Treadwell, Sophia Vander Veer

Name

Support

Adviser: Vincent F. DeMiero, CTE, CJE Co-Adviser: Christina Lewis

Teacher Candidate: Erin Tarampi

Journalist-in-Residence: Samantha Pak

FANs Coordinator: Carrie Lee

Printer: Pacific Publishing

Member of: MTHS ASB, JEA/WJEA, NSPA, SPLC, ESD CTE, FAPFA

Policies

Editorial Policy The editorial section of the Hawkeye, including editorial cartoons, serves as a forum for well-written, thoughtful, longer forms of expression. Signed editorials represent the opinions of the author. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Hawkeye Editorial Board. Views printed herein are meant to be opinionated and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board. The Hawkeye will print submitted guest editorials as space allows and requests that all contributors include their name, signature and position relative to the editorial. The Hawkeye will edit all submissions for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any submission.

Letters to the Editor Policy Readers are encouraged to voice their opinions in the Opinion section, a public forum for the expression of varying viewpoints on relevant topics. The Hawkeye will print as many letters as space allows. Letters must include the author’s name, signature and class or position relative to the letter. E-mailed, typed or legible, hand written letters are acceptable, but should not exceed 200 words. The Hawkeye will edit all letters for accuracy, spelling and grammar. We reserve the right to refuse to print any letter.

Advertising Policy The Hawkeye will not accept any advertising that the Editorial Board deems to be: factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or defraud; containing malicious, vindictive or unsubstantiated attacks; offering goods and/or services illegal for teens to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; or creating imminent danger or disruption to school. The Hawkeye reserves the right to refuse any advertising, solicited or unsolicited. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect the views or endorsements of the Hawkeye staff, student body, faculty, administration or school board.

Complete policies are available at www.thehawkeye.org/about-2/mission-policies/

in bold indicates staff member of the month as selected by the Editorial Board.

Cecilia Negash CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

COMING UP: DECEMBER & JANUARY

By Rachel Davis and Maggie O’Hara HAWKEYE STAFF

DATE EVENT TIME/PLACE

Saturday, Dec. 10 Santa breakfast 8 a.m., MTHS HUB

Sunday, Dec. 11 Holiday bazaar 10 a.m., MTHS

Dec. 12 - Dec. 16 Winter spirit week All Days

Tuesday, Dec. 13 Choir and orchestra concert 7 p.m., Theater

Thursday, Dec. 15 Afternoon assembly 12:50 p.m., GYM

Thursday, Dec. 15 Holiday band concert 7 p.m., Theater

Friday, Dec. 16 EARLY RELEASE 10:20 a.m., MTHS

Friday, Dec. 16 Senior pictures due for yearbook All Day, TheHawkeye.org

Dec. 18 - Dec. 26 Hanukkah All Days

Dec. 19 - Jan. 2 Winter break All Days

Sunday, Dec. 25 Christmas Day All Day

Dec. 26 - Jan. 1 Kwanzaa All Days

Monday, Jan. 1 New Years’ Day All Day

Tuesday, Jan. 2 First day back from winter break 7:20 a.m., MTHS

Monday, Jan. 16 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day All Day

Monday, Jan 16 NO SCHOOL All Day

SPOTLIGHT

Dec. 13 Choir/Orchestra Concert

The MTHS orchestra and choir combine to perform an assortment of winter music.

Dec. 15 Winter Spirit Assembly Dress up in peppermint gear and join your fellow students in the Terraceum to celebrate winter spirit.

Dec. 16 Turn in senior pictures! Are you a senior and want a nice picture in the yearbook? Submit your senior pictures to TheHawkeye.org by Dec. 16!

Dec. 25 Christmas Day Santa Claus is finally coming to town! Hopefully you’ve been good this year...

Winter Break Rest up for a couple weeks before we return for the new year and studying for finals week.

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.

Land Acknowledgement

The Hawkeye acknowledges that our campus sits on the traditional homelands of the Suquamish, Stillaguamish and Coast Salish peoples. The lands of these tribes were taken by colonizers using the Treaty of Point Elliott, which to this day has never been fully honored. We also recognize the 29 tribes throughout Washington state. As a local news organization, we commit to remembering the genocide of Indigenous peoples in the United States and ask that our readers take a moment to reflect on the history and land on which they stand. H

RODNEY BUDDEN | HAWKEYE

Snowy conditions plague the district

By Ethan Holt HAWKEYE STAFF

A massive power outage impacted thousands of people throughout Snohomish County on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

According to the Everett Herald, “Over 28,000 customers were without power.” Public Utility District (PUD) technicians worked throughout the evening and only 11,000 people were without power by Wednesday. The cause of the power outage was a “windstorm that hit the area Tuesday night,” according to MLTnews. com. The Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace area accounted for 62% of power outages.

Edmonds School District stated that no after-school activities would take place on Nov. 29 because of the snow and power outages. Then, the district closed schools the following day due to the snow accumulations.

“All schools are closed today, 11/30, due to power outages and road conditions. This includes all after-school activities and events at district buildings,” a statement from the district stated.

Due to this event, Feb. 21, 2023, previously scheduled as a no-school day, will be a full day of school to make up for the snow day. The Edmonds School District (ESD) also declared a 2-hour late start for Dec. 1 due to unsafe road conditions. The ESD also sent out an alert via ParentSquare that due to continued power outages, Brier and Chase Lake elementary schools would remain closed, along with Alderwood Early Childhood Center because of road conditions at the site. No damage to district property was reported. H

By Terina Papatu NEWS EDITOR

• 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

Stories by Rachel Davis, Terina Papatu, Evan Kerani, Jakob Nacanaynay Graphics by Lucas Barquin, Charli Glichrist, Rodney Budden

The collapse of crypto empire FTX

On Nov. 11, 2022, major cryptocurrency exchange FTX, once valued at $32 billion, filed for bankruptcy after a 10-day plunge in the stock market. FTX was founded in 2018 by now 30-year-old Sam BankmanFried as a cryptocurrency exchange and platform for average investors to buy into cryptocurrencies. On Nov. 2, news site CoinDesk published an article reporting that trading firm Alameda Research, also owned by Bankman-Fried, held a $5 billion position in FTT, a token created by FTX. This raised several financial concerns, and on Nov. 6, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange Binance announced it would sell its entire position in FTT, worth over half a billion dollars, leading to a plunge in FTX’s stock price. H

Raphael Warnock wins Senate race, again

National

Incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock won Georgia’s runoff Senate election, giving the Democratic party a 51-49 majority in the Senate. Warnock’s win will give Democrats a majority on every committee and prevent the need for Vice President Kamala Harris to break ties on votes entirely along party lines. Warnock defeated challenger Herschel Walker by 3 percentage points, becoming the first African-American in Georgia to win a full term to the U.S. Senate in state history. He won by running up margins in the Atlanta Metro Area while minimizing gains compared to the general election in the northeast corner of the state by Herschel Walker. H

Congress passes Respect for Marriage Act

National

The Respect for Marriage Act, which will federally protect same-sex and interracial marriages, passed the House of Representative on Dec. 8, sending it to President Biden’s desk. The bill passed the Senate on Nov. 29 by a final vote of 61-36, with 49 Democrats and 12 Republicans voting yes. The bill then moved onto the House of Representatives where it passed by a 258-169 vote that was mostly along party lines. When signed into law, it will officially repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, otherwise known as DOMA, the 1993 law that denied equal benefits to same-sex couples. It also protects same-sex and interracial marriages by requiring that states recognize them when performed in other jurisdictions, even if the state itself outlaws those types of marriages. H

Sunnymead Middle reports overdoses

RODNEY BUDDEN | HAWKEYE

Since Ollanta Humala’s presidency from 2011 to 2016, Peru has had an average of one president every two years, despite presidents being elected for a fiveyear term. On July 28, 2021, José Pedro Castillo Terrones, better known as Pedro Castillo, was inaugurated as the 63rd president of Peru. But during his 17 months in office, Castillo had six criminal investigations and two impeachment attempts. On Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, his presidency came to a sudden stop. That morning, Castillo had instituted a nationwide curfew, announced the dissolvement of Congress, and that he would begin ruling by decree that night, which lawmakers described as Peru’s second self-coup since their 1992 president, Alberto Fujimori, carried one out alongside the Peruvian army. Within only a few hours of this announcement Castillo’s lawyer and ministers all resigned, all while Peruvian citizens were confused about the situation.

Not long after his attempt to dissolve Congress became public, Castillo was arrested for breaking constitutional order and was impeached for moral incapacity after Congress voted 101-6 to go through with it. By the end of the day, not only was he abandoned by his political allies, but Castillo’s vice president, Dina Boluarte, was sworn in as Peru’s 64th president, as well as their first female president.

Over the past year of his presidency, protests were no stranger when it came to the topic of Castillo and his decisions, but have become more frequent since Castillo’s impeachment. For example, on Dec. 11, a protest in Andahuaylas led to a collision between police and protestors, leaving at least 20 injured. Though his impeachment happened very quickly, it wasn’t a rash decision for Peru’s parliament, as Castillo was threatened with impeachment previously before for other reasons. H

Four students at Sunnymead Middle School in Moreno Valley, California, were reported to have ingested an unknown substance that put them at risk for an overdose. Of the four, three were rushed to emergency rooms and one was evaluated while still at the school. All students had pale complexions and reports of a stomach ache. The students are believed to have taken cannabis in the form of a candy, presumably gummies. There is currently an ongoing investigation into how many doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) may have been contained and how many had been taken. H

Mountlake Terrace granted

$5 million

The Washington State Transportation Improvement Board gave a $5 million grant to the city of Mountlake Terrace to help with Phase II of construction along 56th, from 236th to 230th streets. The plan is to construct wider sidewalks and two travel lanes with bike lanes on either side. Since the completion of Phase I and beginning of Phase II, Mountlake Terrace is projected to be facing a $18 million funding shortfall. The donation by the improvement board and future plans to pursue more grants through the Researchers and Academic Innovators Success in Entrepreneurship, or RAISE program, shows a hopeful future for the progression of the project. H

Peru’s president suddenly replaced

CHARLI GILCHRIST | HAWKEYE

By Maggie O’Hara CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MATHMAN! THE HEART OF MATHMAS

What’s that? The distant sound of algebraic equations harmonizing together in a beautiful melody. A flash of a hot pink cape in the hallway. Could it be? The beloved and highly anticipated tradition is finally making its return. MathMas is right around the corner, and Math Man himself is here to spread joy to Terrace’s math classes.

While MathMas caroling is a tradition that preceded Math Man, started in December 2019 by math teacher Daniel Johnston, Math Man has taken over the role since in leading Johnston’s classes to sing math renditions of popular Christmas songs.

This year, MathMas caroling will take place on Friday, Dec. 16, ending the year on a jolly note before students are let out for winter break. During each of their class periods, Johnston’s students will visit other math classes around Terrace and sing their original MathMas carols to them, brightening the day of everyone involved.

“It’s a way to spread MathMas cheer, get people excited about math and do something silly and fun,” Math Man said.

The process of writing the carols is done in Johnston’s classrooms during the weeks leading up to MathMas. Together, the students go through multiple rounds of voting to choose which Christmas carols to mathify, and then come up with the lyrics.

“The biggest part is for the students to be involved,” Math Man said. “Somehow [the lyrics] get put together into a cohesive song. Either Mr. Johnston does that, or I use my superpowers to meld the lyrics together, or students help.”

When he’s not soaring through the halls of Terrace on the occasional half day or singing MathMas carols, Math Man stays busy with hero work. From answering the math hotline to grading exit tickets, there’s always work to be done in the math world.

“There’s a huge market out there for superheroes. Mostly math-related, mostly high

TERRACE’S TIMELESS HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

By Dewey Jones HAWKEYE STAFF

Every time the ingredients for the Christmas cookies get taken out, or the presents are piled under the tree, it summons a feeling of unrivaled joy. It’s always such a special moment to see the house, the front yard and the kitchen dressed up in decorations and lights. The build-up to the holidays is always special, but we all know that the true best part of the holidays is waking up in the morning, going out to the tree, and opening all of your presents with your family.

Now, these are some common traditions for the holidays, but people have different and unique things that their families do during winter time.

“Advent calendars, Christmas decorating around the house and the tree, and building gingerbread houses,” freshman Skyler MacKay said.

Food is another focal point that brings people together around this time of year.

“On Christmas Eve, we have this giant Polish dinner, and then we wake up and just have the normal Christmas experience,” Freshman Marisha Mcclanathan said.

But a lot of holiday cheer arrives when spending time with others.

“Christmas dinner is the big one, because everyone just goes all out,” senior Rhett Crowell said.

“Christmas parties with our family and friends, and the light festival at the baseball field. I also like walking around U-Village.”

After a filling meal, it’s perfect to end off the night with a warm, homemade dessert.

“Baking cookies and decorating the tree [are favorites] for sure,” Kayley Lewis said.

With all of these fun traditions, the real meaning of the holiday season is getting to spend time with your friends and family, giving to each other, and just appreciating each other. Getting to bake cookies with your relatives, showing off your house decorations to your neighbors, and decorating the tree with all of your favorite ornaments bring an innate positivity to the holidays. H

school-related,” Math Man said. “There’s other things out there in the world, people need to have their days saved.”

Since December 2020, Math Man’s journey has been documented on YouTube, with productions from music videos constructed from full math a cappella to elaborate tales of defeating supervillains. So far, there have been eight episodes of Math Man, with a ninth currently in the works that’s almost ready to premiere.

No matter what he’s doing, from caroling to saving the day, Math Man inspires joy in Terrace’s community.

“Everybody needs a pick-me-up every once in a while. I might not be your favorite superhero and that’s fine, there’s lots of other great heroes out there, but we all need a little bit of encouragement along the way and to make math more fun for more people, more enjoyable and more understandable,” Math Man said. H

‘Tis the season to bundle up and stay cozy

By Evan Kerani and Ciara Constantino HAWKEYE STAFF

As the winter season approaches, people are dressing comfortably stylish. From turtlenecks, flannel, fuzzy socks, jeans, cashmere sweaters, beanies and boots, the new season of style is slowly beginning.

While walking around the halls or outside, you’ll notice people wearing simple hoodies and flannels, or something extravagant like trench coats, turtlenecks and scarves. Gone are the days of short sleeves and shorts, and in are the days of bigger and fluffier clothes.

“You have got to get the fluffy stuff. Layers are great. Colorwise, avoid warm colors” said sophomore Kelly Lai.

During the winter season, you need more layers because of the colder weather. This leads to much bigger and fluffier clothes covering more skin. Cooler colors fit into

the season, while warmer colors stick out like a sore thumb because of their contrast with their surroundings. Bigger and bulkier clothes are more in style as well because of their ability to insulate.

One piece of clothing that it is in this time of year is the trench coat. Although it’s not typically seen at our school, it’s most likely seen on the streets. You have probably seen someone walking into a store or cafe with a long, stylish trench coat, maybe even with boots to match. They are comfy and warm, covering more of your body than other coats.

Another winter fashion staple are high boots. During the season, it is essential to get your hands on these. In addition to being fashionable, they are also comfy and practical, as they help withstand the cold brought on by the winter season. They are a

must have for any fashion lover.

Yet another piece of fashion that is in right now are cashmere sweaters. The cozy sweaters are perfect for the cold winter months. They’re cute, comfortable and stylish, and are a perfect kickoff to the winter season. They’re the perfect sweater to wear while sitting next to a fireplace reading.

Nothing can equal the warm, cozy feeling you get when wearing them. Additionally, cashmere sweaters avoid the itch of other kinds by using a less scratchy, more comfortable type of wool that nothing else can rival.

As winter break approaches, consider checking out these outfits. Who knows? Maybe you will feel the warm, fuzzy feeling of wearing a sweater and socks by the fireplace while sipping a nice, warm cup of hot cocoa! H

CHARLI GLICHRIST | HAWKEYE

RODNEY

RODNEY BUDDEN | HAWKEYE

FLURRIES OR WEATHER WORRIES?

Story by Halle Connell Graphics by Rodney Budden and Lucas Barquin HAWKEYE STAFF

For the past five years, Seattle has seen an increase in unusual snowy weather conditions. Despite the obvious indications, this could be caused by the growing climate change issue, which has had an effect all around the planet.

Seattle is known for its rainy season all year around, but as of the past decade, the average amount of snowfall has increased significantly. In the February of 2019, the city received 14.1 inches in the first 10 days of the month, giving it a record of the coldest and snowiest February in Seattle in 30 years. On Feb. 13, 2021, Seattle recorded its snowiest single day in 52 years.

“I don’t enjoy it, it makes things difficult,” freshman Marisa Henriques said. “The snow is pretty annoying and it doesn’t melt fast enough.”

A possible cause for the increase in flurries is one that has threatened the planet for many years. Climate change, the long term fluctuation of the planet’s temperatures and weather patterns has proven to be an increasingly serious problem, soon to be irreversible.

The climate change impact refers to the increase in global temperature, which has been raised about one degree Fahrenheit over the past 100 years. Although this seems like an objectively small number, the overall impact and trends it predicts could be detrimental.

Global temperatures began to rise around 1760, during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, which marked the start of the burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels, fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas, are energy sources that were formed from organic matter deep underground, and must be dug up or mined in some way.

This form of non-renewable energy, energy that cannot be created again, became popularized to a point where it was used for most energy sources, and is still used continuously today.

Most fossil fuels involve digging up coal and oils in order to power everyday things, which includes cars, heat, electricity and lights.

Greenhouse gases are gases emitted into Earth’s atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

These chemicals have been, and continue to be, emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere, now more prominent in the air than anytime within the past 800,000 years. Fossil fuels have been the main contributor for Greenhouse gas emissions over any other human activity.

When carbon dioxide molecules, the main greenhouse gas emission, are released into the

More than 7 inches of snow fell on the MTHS campus on Nov. 29 and 30 closing schools all day Wednesday, Nov. 30 and forcing a two-hour late schedule on Dec. 1. While there were only scattered snow showers in the days that followed, because of unseasonably low temperatures, there were still snow drifts on campus through the weekend of Dec. 10.

The predicted sea level rising in 2100 is at a low of 0.5 of an inch and a high of around seven inches.

The melting of ice and snow around the globe has contributed to the ocean rising, and will only continue to do so.

Since 1992, the ice sheets that cover Greenland and Antarctica have decreased by 100 billion metric tons every year. The amount of snow lost between 1992 and 2018 is enough to increase ocean levels by seventenths of an inch.

Between 1972 and 2020, the amount of snow covering in North America has decreased by 1,870 square miles per year. NASA’s satellite observations have also observed a severe decrease in snow cover within the past 5 decades.

Though Seattle is ranked second most likely not affected by climate change, the impact can be seen through the differing weather patterns and trends in air quality.

Scientists predict severe sea level rise, or SLR, in Seattle by 2050. This could mean monthly high tides, referred to as the Mean Higher High Water, or MHHW, 2 feet higher than that of today’s average. Storm surges could prove to be an even bigger issue, possibly averaging up to 4 feet higher than today’s MHHW.

Lately Seattle has not only seen freez ing temperatures, but also a big increase in heat and droughts. The average Seattle tempera June through August currently has a high of around 72 degrees Fahrenheit and low of 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Last year in June of 2022 the city saw a high of 108 degrees Fahrenheit, 17 degrees higher than the daily record.

“I do have a lot of questions and concerns about climate change,” freshman Daisy Lewis’Gist said. “The summers are reaching 100 degrees, it’s not normal.”

atmosphere, the atoms absorb the heat, trapping it inside and thus trapping heat in the air.

Over the past century, climate change has increased the global temperature by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. This global temperature increase can largely impact the risk of natural disasters and other environmental disasters.

Global sea level has averaged at about an eight to nine-inch increase since 1880, and in 2021 the sea level set a record high of 97

millimeters (3.8 inches).

These increases in sea level have set us at a higher risk for natural disasters.

Nuisance flooding, which is more frequent high tide flooding due to an increase in sea levels, is likely to increase along with deadly destructive storm surges, leading hurricanes more inland instead of on the coast, some predicted to be as rampant as Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Michael, and Hurricane Irma.

Many people have expressed concern over the subject, and what they can do about it. Many solutions, while effective, are not realistic currently, such as cutting out all use of fossil fuels. Instead, there are smaller but still productive choices people can make in their everyday routines to lessen climate change and its damage.

Taking public transit or walking when possible will always do well to reduce each individual’s carbon footprint, as well as reusing plastic and clothing.

Another effective course of action is voting to promote decisions and choices beneficial to the planet. Politicians voted into office hold a lot of power when it comes to the laws put in place, and these decisions are what will truly make the biggest difference in the long run. H

HAWKEYE STAFF PHOTO

WHY DO WE STILL HAVE FINAL EXAMS IN SCHOOL?

It is finally getting to the most stressful time of the year for many students at MTHS and across the state and country: finals season. The time of the year where you hope that this one test is not enough to ruin your entire grade and plans for college, which makes me ask the question: Why do we still have finals at all? To me, one test is not an accurate reflection of the work you do over the entire semester. Especially when in all six of your classes you have a final, it is really not a reflection of what you’ve done all semester when you are studying for all six assessments at the same time.

One of my main problems with finals is that they are generally around ~20% of your grade depending on what class you are in, which is generally a large enough percentage of your grade to be able to lower it significantly, but not a large enough percentage to raise your grade. For example, assuming that in a class, going into a final, you have a solid 85% in the class, a B. And assuming that the final is worth 20% of your grade (and that there is no extra credit), your grade cannot be raised up to an A, but it can be lowered potentially to a D if you fail. The final is effectively just a bigger test to obstruct you from getting a better grade. Additionally, many finals cover material that you’ve already learned and already tested on. If you’ve already learned and tested on this material, what is the point of having a final in the first place? This is especially true if you have already aced the tests and material that the final covers. It just doesn’t make sense to me that you have to do something all over again for no reason except to take a test that is useless in the first place because you already covered the material.

One problem with regular tests is that a 50 minute-one day test is not really a good representation of what you’ve done for the whole unit that will have probably taken place over weeks. This problem is amplified with finals:this time a whole semester worth of learning is crammed into one day. If you’re having an off day, it can potentially ruin your entire semester grade. That just does not seem right to me. This causes a very high and unnecessary amount of stress that could just be very easily bypassed by not having finals at all. Additionally, on finals covering previous material, you are obviously not going to remember all of the material for all of your classes, and even by doing lots of studying are probably still not going to be able to remember all the material. The only group of people that finals really end up benefiting are those that are really good at memorizing things in a short time period, which is obviously very different from actually knowing the material.

Doing well overall in the class does not guarantee that you will do well on the final, while some kids that do well on the final did terribly in the rest of the class. It just doesn’t seem fair compared to other systems.

The finals I’ve had are for the most part multiple choice, which is easy to grade, but I don’t think is actually a good indicator of how much a student knows or has learned throughout the semester. Multiple choice questions are by definition narrow, having a set answer compared to something like an extended response/short essay question which cover the material more broadly and are also more open ended. Even though I still think finals would not be a good system, I still think they could improve by shifting more to just one or a handful of questions covering broader topics and themes taught over the whole semester. The more common format of having just multiple choice questions or mainly multiple choice questions encourages memorization more than anything else. If the goal is to try to actually make sure students understand the material, I think that this would be a better system. But even this would still not be a good system because I still think it would put too much emphasis on one test, and one test is still simply just not an accurate reflection of someone’s knowledge. Putting emphasis on this one test does nothing but contribute to stress and just puts up an obstacle to getting a good grade in a class. Especially if you’ve already done well on the material during the school year, why should you have to take a final to verify what you already know? It just

seems like a completely arbitrary standard that serves no real purpose.

Yet another reason why I think finals are not with it is that they just contribute to a lot of stress. Even if they did have some good effects, I don’t think they are worth the stress that they cause. Studying for finals can take up weeks of your life, causing you stress for weeks in your life. The fact that your grades depend on this final is fundamentally what is the root of this stress. Additionally, when you have six of these tests all in the same short period of a couple days, this significantly increases your

stress significantly. The amount of work and stress that goes into studying for and taking and waiting for the results of the final is just kind of overwhelming and can be too much to handle. It just doesn’t seem to be worth it. So why do we have finals at all? They cause unnecessary stress and drama, discount the value of other work during the semester, and don’t seem to actually meaningfully help in any significant way. For the most part, it doesn’t seem like they serve any real meaningful purpose. You’re just testing on material you already know and have tested on. H

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

FINALS: WHAT’S YOUR OPINON?

So, now that you’ve read Evan Kerani’s editorial column about the subject, what is your take on the issue of final exams? Are they a relic from the past? Are they a necessary and valid way to determine student learning? Are they fair? Who benefits from finals? Who is hurt by finals? Do you have a better idea for assessing student learning and skills? Now’s your chance to share your opinion with all Hawkeye readers – including teachers and administrators. To make sure your voice is heard, simply follow these directions to submit a letter to the editor – a response to Evan’s column – that Hawkeye editors will consider publishing in the next issue of the paper and/or online in the Op/Ed section of TheHawkeye.org. This is your public forum, but it’s up to you to use it. Here’s how:

• Go to TheHawkeye.org, click on the Op/Ed menu and drag down to Submit Letter to the Editor and follow the directions on the Google Form.

OR

• Go this this URL: Tinyurl.com/HawkeyeLTE which gets you to the same Google Form

OR

• If you prefer to hand deliver your letter, type it up, print it out and bring it to room 130 after 2 p.m. any day.

In any case, make sure you follow the requirements listed on page 3 of each Hawkeye. H

LUCAS BARQUIN | HAWKEYE

Evan Kerani HAWKEYE STAFF

BEWARE THE IMPACT OF SEASONAL DEPRESSION

Do you ever get that feeling? You come home from school in mid-winter or fall, it’s already dark and you feel like it’s hopeless to even do anything. That could be seasonal depression. Seasonal depression is a form of depression that usually lasts for two or three months, most often in winter or fall. It can be more severe than regular depression, and affects many aspects of everyday life. Low motivation during the colder months, feelings of hopelessness, heightened feelings of frustration over insignificant things; seasonal depression can creep up on you.

I used to think that seasonal depression was made up, or only very few people experienced it, but the truth is, seasonal depression is more common than most people think. According to MedlinePlus, seasonal depression affects 0.5%3% of the general population and 10%-20% of people with major depressive disorder. Especially living in northwest Washington where we get around 164 days of partial or full sun, seasonal depression can hit you like a truck. Being in school doesn’t help either. Between finals, homework and being inside most of the day, it’s really easy to develop feelings of loneliness and depression.

As the mental health crisis is reaching an all time high in our generation, it’s important to look out for symptoms in either yourself or others around you. Seasonal depression, otherwise known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) comes in a wide range of symptoms for those who suffer from it.

Difficulty concentrating, feeling fatigued even when getting enough sleep, sleeping too much, having little to no energy, and feeling hopeless just to name a few.

While all of these symptoms overlap with major depressive disorder, their defining factor is an increase of these feelings during certain times in the year. As someone who has struggled with depression, I can feel a noticeable shift in how I feel, think, speak and interact with others during the fall and winter. Wake up, it’s dark. Go to school, it’s still dark. During the school day it gets a little lighter, but it’s still cloudy. School ends, and we only have maybe three hours of sunlight left, not to mention staying after school for clubs or sports.

Now that we know what seasonal depression is, and how it affects people it’s also important that we talk about how it especially affects students. It’s the same feeling as coming home from school, falling asleep, and waking up at 2 a.m. unable to sleep. That sinking, hopeless feeling as you realize you have nothing to do but

just sit. The stigma surrounding mental health, especially for teenagers, causes us to push these feelings aside as just “winter blues” or just “being a teenager,” but this is a larger issue than we realize.

In my experience, when seasonal depression hits it can feel a lot different from my normal depression. I feel a tiredness that makes it feel like it’s impossible to do anything. I feel a kind of haziness, like nothing feels real, my days blend together and I get a general feeling of frustration, even if it’s about nothing in particular. It’s not the same for everyone, but from people I have spoken to about their own mental health, those three symptoms keep popping up.

Almost all the symptoms of seasonal depression interfere with school and learning. It can be hard to focus on anything at all, let alone schoolwork, especially when your depression hits that low point in early December to mid-January. Right now, it feels like we’re being hit with assignments left and right, with no time to stop and think. It can leave you feeling overwhelmed, anxious and frustrated, along with the already present feelings of depression.

As younger people, whether it be parental pressure, societal pressure or even your own internal feelings, it can feel really hard to talk about how you’re feeling. When you have three projects due this week and you’re running on a few hours of sleep, the last thing you’d want to do is talk about how you’re feeling. So, how do we help students struggling with mental health, especially in the winter months?

Understanding is a huge part of helping students. It’s important to understand that it will be harder for some in or

out of school. If you see your friends, your students or your family struggling with mental health, it can be hard to know what to do, especially if you don’t want to make it worse.

Talk to them. Even if you just ask them how they’re doing, it can provide a safe environment for someone to open up. If they want to talk about it, great, now you know how they are feeling and maybe ways to help. But if they don’t, (as long as they’re not planning to hurt themselves or others) it’s important to give them space as well. Talking about mental health can be scary, especially when you don’t feel like you’re in a safe situation to do so, and pushing someone to talk can push them further away.

Whether it’s a close friend or a family member, everyone wants to feel like they have a close group of people who care about them. Just letting someone know you’re there for them can help them feel safe and able to talk if they want to.

If you’re struggling with your own mental health, it can feel like your problems aren’t as important as those around you. You feel like you have to help everyone before you can address your own issues, but truly, the best thing you can do for yourself and your friends is to take care of yourself.

If you’re trying to help someone while you’re also struggling, it can pull you deeper into your depression, and often leads into an unhealthy state of mind. Talking to your friends and those close to you about mental health is important, and can help everyone involved, but there comes a point when it can feel like you have to “fix” everyone’s problems. So before you focus on those around you, make sure you’re okay too.

Because seasonal depression makes school and life incredibly difficult, it’s important to pace yourself, find and hold on to the things you enjoy, and hang on. Depressive episodes and seasonal depression can feel like they’ll never go away, but that’s not true. It may feel like you’re alone, and nobody can truly relate to how you feel, but I promise you, there are people out there who are experiencing the exact same thing, and people who have gotten past it. My depression used to be a lot worse than it is now and I never thought it would get any better, but through talking about it to my friends and finding a support system and ways to help myself, it has. It will for you too, but until then, hold on, talk to those you feel safe around, and as cliche as it sounds, it will get better.

During the winter holidays, remember to take it slow, give yourself time and to not isolate yourself.

Stay safe out there. H

Suicide and Mental Health Hotlines:

Text HOME to 741741 to text to a real counselor instantly.

Dial 988 for the nation-wide suicide and crisis hotline.

CHARLI GILCHRIST | HAWKEYE

Lucas Barquin HAWKEYE STAFF

The beautiful game in Qatar

Underdogs Morocco and Croatia take on the titans from France and Argentina in the semifinals. The U.S. fared well, but was eliminated in the Round of 16 by The Netherlands

By Efrata Solomon HAWKEYE STAFF

As we kick-off the semi-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, here’s a recap of its most shocking and impressive moments, filled with details of all the upsets, surprise wins and devastating defeats, with plenty of the most iconic goals of the tournament detailed along the way.

This year’s World Cup has provided plenty of interesting historical records, being the first World Cup to have teams from all six qualified continents enter the knockout stages. It’s also the most expensive World Cup in the history of soc cer, with Qatar spending roughly $220 billion on World Cup infrastructure as the first Middle Eastern nation to host the most watched tournament on the planet. On a negative note, Qatar is also the first host nation to lose all of its three group stage matches in Group A.

If there was one main theme early on in the World Cup, it would be the underdogs coming out on top. Eyes locked and mouths agape at the TV screen, the whole world gasped as Saudi Arabia triumphed 2-1 over the third-best team on the planet, Argentina. It was described as “the biggest shock in the tournament’s long history.” One of those two historic goals was scored by Saudi Arabian player Salem Al-Dawsari, who displayed incredible footwork and ball control to pass four defenders and scored a powerful curler to the right side of the net. This stunning victory truly launched the 2022 World Cup into one that would break historic records and preconceptions, and also foreshadowed surprising victory for the Arabic world later in the tournament despite Saudi Arabia later failing to make it out of the group stage.

Japan was also a big standout during this tournament, beating Germany and Spain to top Group E in the group stage of the tournament, although they did end up losing out to Croatia on penalty kicks in the round of 16. In their 2-1 victory against Germany, Japanese player Takuma Asama would slot the ball past the goalkeeper while being chased down by a larger defender at an almost 180 degree angle. South Korea also had a shocking victory against Portugal in the group stage, although they would end up losing to Brazil 4-1 in the round of 16.

Senegal was favored as Africa’s best hope to become the 2022 World Cup winners, especially since this year was their first qualification for the World Cup as the champions of the Africa Cup of Nations, out of three qualifications since 2002. They had a victory against Ecuador 2-1 in Group A, but lost out to England 3-0 in the round of 16, still marking an impressive run. In the group stage, Cameroon had a surprise late victory 1-0 against tournament favorite Brazil with a header from Cameroonian player Vincent Aboubakar, but was eliminated from Group G, ranking in third place. Another stellar goal from Aboubakar took place in Cameroon vs. Serbia, where he used masterful footwork to avoid a Serbian defender and lob the ball into the net while the Serbian goalkeeper was out of the range of the goal. There were also some shocking defeats taking place this year, such as Germany bombing out of the group stage for the second time since 2018, ranking third in Group E, a

concerning position for the team ever since their win of the World Cup in 2014. These disappointing outcomes can be attributed to aging stars and inexperienced newbies, creating an uneven squad that wasn’t prepared for this competitive tournament.

Brazil, the first-ranked team in the world, losing to Croatia in the quarter finals on penalty kicks left the world in awe of what they had witnessed. They were doing quite well for themselves this season and were favored to take a sixth world cup home, only losing to Cameroon from games against Switzerland, Serbia and South Korea. One of the most iconic (and photogenic!) goals of the tournament so far, and perhaps of all time, was scored by Brazilian player Richarlison in their game against Serbia, featuring Richarlison making

a stunning scissor kick into the net to further their lead 2-0. Another flashy goal of the tournament was also scored by Richarlison in their game against South Korea, which Brazil won 4-1. It featured him seal-dribbling the ball three times, then juggling it before triangle passing to his other teammates and shooting the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner.

Perhaps the most surprising flop at the World Cup was Belgium not making it past the group stage, finishing in third place in Group F despite ranking second in the World Cup listings. In previous tournaments, the talented group has made it to the quarterfinals in 2014 and to the semifinals in 2018, but has struggled to win or make it to the finals, held back by a collection of world-class players but not a cohesive team.

All of these upsets are rightfully significant and historic, but the true highlight of the tournament has to be Morocco making it to the semifinals after winning against Portugal 1-0, reigning over such talented teams such as Belgium and Canada in the group stage, as well as Spain in the round of 16. Their performance stupefied the Arabic world and left those who wanted to see Christiano Ronaldo and Portugal play against Lionel Messi and Argentina in tears. They change history as the first African and Arabic team to make it to the semifinals ever, trailblazing the path forward for more teams that aren’t from South America or Europe to succeed in the tournament. If Morocco were to win this tournament, it could change the landscape of soccer forever.

Their goals cementing their place in the history books include two from Hakim Ziyech, one of those from Morocco vs. Canada, where he caught the Canadian goalkeeper off guard when out of the goalpost area to kick a long-range shot in. The other one of his goals was in Morocco vs. Spain, which they won on penalty kicks 3-0, lobbing the ball into the left side of the net.

Accompanying Morocco in the semifinals are Croatia, mentioned earlier in their victory against Brazil, France, winning against England in the quarterfinals, and Argentina, beating the Netherlands. Croatia will play against Argentina and Morocco will play against France. France will be a tough team to beat, especially since they contain the top goal scorer in the tournament, Kylian Mbappe, with five so far. Two of his goals were scored in France vs. Poland, won by France 3-1, showing off his talents by shooting two powerful curling shots into the net from the side.

As for the young U.S. team, they made great strides making it to the Round of 16 before bowing out to The Netherlands 3-1. This was a significant improvement over 2018 when the Americans failed to qualify at all for the World Cup. The 2026 games, by the way, will be hosted in North American – including some games at Lumen Field. A lot of factors have contributed to the shocking successes in this year’s World Cup, most prominently the decision to move the World Cup to December due to Qatar’s climate, meaning teams only had about a week to prepare for the tournament. Teams that had players in leagues in other places of the world struggled to form a cohesive unit, while teams with players mostly in only one country thrived early on but lost some momentum later in the game. The lack of preparation led to not enough rest and physical preparation for everyone, but also leveled out the playing field for all teams, letting underdog teams find opportunities to beat bigger and favored teams in a true David vs. Goliath situation.

All of these shocks have set the stage for the semifinals, with Croatia facing off against Argentina and Morocco facing off against France on Tuesday, Dec. 13. H

LUCAS BARQUIN | HAWKEYE

December’s Logic Puzzle

THE CURSE OF THE WHITE ELEPHANT GIFT EXCHANGE

Created by Jakob Nacanaynay SPORTS EDITOR & PUZZLE MASTER

The Scenario

A group of five friends (persons A, B, C, D and E) had a gift exchange consisting of each person contributing a gift to a pool of gifts, then the gifts being randomly assigned to a recipient.

The gifts were:

• a teddy bear

• a board game

• a camping mug

• ugly socks and

• fancy soaps

The Swap

Some friends decided they didn’t like their gifts, so they decided to do some swaps:

• Persons A and C have each swapped exactly twice (meaning they swapped with someone in the group not necessarily each other), B and C have each swapped once, and D has not swapped

• Person E has swapped with person A immediately after getting their gift

• Person B was also swapping a gift while A and were swapping

• Person A had the board game before the swaps and person C had the fancy soaps

• The campfire mug was swapped with the fancy soaps immediately after the initial random gift exchange as were the ugly

socks and board game

• Person E either had the ugly socks or teddy bear before the swaps

Your Task

Figure out what gift each person received at the end.

Your Deadline

• 1/20/23

Swag for the Winner

Print your name and your answer on this page and bring it to Room 130. The winner will receive some HSM swag and a shout-out in the next issue! H

BY LUCAS BARQUIN | HAWKEYE