Back to School Issue

Back to School Issue | September 6, 2019

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #19 Mercer Island, WA MERCER IS SCHOOL DIST 400

Graphic by Lena Hardisty

The MIHS Islander investigates MISD’s high rate of 504 plans compared to local and national school districts on pages 4 and 5.

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FEATURES | SEPT 2019

ABOUT

The MIHS Islander 9100 SE 42nd St. Mercer Island, WA 98040 mihsislander@gmail.com www.mihsislander.org

EDITORS IN CHIEF

Online | Ellie Gottesman Print | Annie Poole Business Manager | Ethan Preston Managing Editor | Isabel Funk Front Editors | Ellie Gottesman and Annie Poole Features Editors | Annika Bhananker and Maya Virdell Spread Editors | Ellie Gottesman and Annie Poole Opinions Editor | Isabel Funk A&E Editor | Natalie Chen Back Editor | Kiran D’Souza Sports Editor | Ethan Preston Copy Editor | Annika Bhananker Editor | Lucille Shield Cartoonist | Lena Hardisty Sports Columnist | Alex Levin Adviser | Chris Twombley

PUBLICATION NOTICES

Purpose: To provide news to the Mercer Island High School student body and

members of the surrounding community in a manner that accurately reflects readers’ interests. The MIHS Islander is an open student forum, and the opinions expressed within do not represent those of the high school or district administration.

Ads: To print an ad in a future issue of The MIHS Islander, contact Business Manager Ethan Preston at mihsislander@gmail.com for rates and information.

Privacy: All electronic mail messages in connection with Mercer Island School

District business which are sent or received by this account are subject to the Washington State Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties.

Corrections: We pride ourselves on accurate, fact-based journalism. If you believe

The MIHS Islander has gotten a fact or quote wrong, please contact us and we’ll print a correction in the next issue.

Nondiscrimination Notification: The Mercer Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Mercer Island School District offers classes in many College and Career Readiness Programs, admission to which is non-discriminatory. Lack of English-language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in these programs.

The following people have been designed to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator; Harrassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) Coordinator; Title IX Compliance Coordinator: Erin Battersby, Senior Director. (206) 230-6227, erin.battersby@mercerislandschools.org Section 504 & ADA Coordinator: Dr. Lindsay Myatich, Director. (206) 236-3326, lindsay.myatich@mercerislandschools.org

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Radio Captures Seafair this Summer ISABEL FUNK

Managing Editor

Thousands of people filled the grandstands. At least 30 boats waited on the lake. Music filled the park and news broadcasts played through the loudspeakers. Food stands lined the main path and at the end sat the KMIH radio booth where two MIHS sophomores, Scott Pirak and Gabe Gottesman, interviewed a hydroplane racer moments before his race.

This summer, roughly a dozen students at the MIHS student radio station, KMIH 889 the Bridge, spent the first weekend of August reporting and broadcasting live from Seattle’s Seafair Weekend Festival.

“On one level it was fostering a connection with the Seattle media ecosystem, but on a secondary level it was actually giving kids the opportunity to see the intricacies of what it takes to put on a huge broadcast,” general manager Lila Shroff said.

The Bridge’s relationship with Seafair began far in advance of this year’s event. In 2018, Shroff covered the event in a short piece that won a national award for Best Community News Piece.

“That day we talked to Blue Angel pilots, we talked to Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, we talked to hydroplane racers, we talked to everyone we could find and then we put together a piece,” Shroff said. This piece encouraged the program to expand their coverage of the event into a full broadcast.

Preparation for Seafair began at the end of the school year, when students recorded promotional clips to air in the weeks leading up to the event, according to Shroff.

In addition to giving students broadcast experience in a real world setting, the event helped boost recognition from the community, with the coverage giving them the most listeners ever.

The students spent Thursday setting up before the broadcast began Friday, running through the end of the event Sunday, Aug. 4. Students worked the technical side, interviewed people and shadowed professionals.

Gottesman said the most memorable experience was interviewing hydroplane racers before their race.

Photo courtesy Joe Bryant Radio students smile in front of the Oberto race boat.

“You see them in the boats, racing around, and at first I was freaking out a little bit,” Gottesman said. “I’m just a high schooler and I’m interviewing these professional racers that thousands of people are coming to watch.”

Shroff and Gottesman both found it impactful to see their work going out into the world as official as any professional station.

“The booth was set up next to these huge loudspeakers and at one point, I was interviewing somebody and I take off the headphones and I hear ten seconds later it’s going out to the whole area and I thought ‘oh my god that’s my voice,’” Shroff said.

Although other radio stations had booths at the fair, Gottesman said they were mostly there to advertise their station rather than cover the event.

“It was really cool walking out as a sophomore in high school after interviewing the biggest drivers and then seeing these professional people that have already graduated college wanting to do the same thing that I just did,” Gottesman said.

Moving forward, the station hopes to maintain their relationship with Seafair, continue building connections to the community and create more opportunities for students to experience live coverage broadcasts.

“I’ve loved working here just because I feel like it’s cool to have people want to hear what you’re saying,” Gottesman said.

Reflecting on the experience, Gottesman was proud of the work they did and what they were able to produce as high schoolers.

“It was just us and we were able to make this entire thing possible,” Gottesman said. “It was just our work, our voices.”

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

FEATURES | SEPT 2019

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Jamie Margolin is Margolin attends a rally for fossil fuel not backing away from the divestment at Harvard’s ‘Heat Week.’ climate crisis. © Kai R. McNamee, 2019 The Harvard Crimson, Inc. “This is zero hour to act on climate change,” MargoAll rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. lin said. “There is no more time.”

Margolin, a co-founder of the youth-led organization ‘This is Zero Hour,’ has been sounding the alarm on climate change since 2017.

The Seattle native, a senior at Holy Names Academy, helped organize a national climate summit and sued the Washington state government for lack of action against climate change.

Zero Hour has been taking steps to expand the reach of the climate change movement through education and protest. In July, Zero Hour organized a national youth climate summit in Miami, a city that will soon experience the effects of climate change firsthand.

These impressive feats aren’t for her resume.

Margolin is one of many teens around the world who has thrown herself wholeheartedly into tackling this gargantuan issue.

Among other educational events, the organizers of the summit staged a “die-in” protest outside of the Miami City Hall to call attention to their cause and the situation’s urgency.

“The die-in wasn’t simply protest,” Kendall Kieras, a Zero Hour organizer, said. “It was foreshadowing for Miami’s future if we continue on our current path of climate inaction.”

The keynote speaker was Greta Thunberg, the Swedish 16-year-old Nobel Peace Prize Nominee who is known for her weekly climate strikes. The summit, which aimed to unite and educate youth about the crisis and its roots, was successful, Kieras said. Zero Hour trained a group of over 350 youth on how to combat climate change.

“We sent a message to people around the world that the youth are rising, and we will not be backing down any time soon,” Kieras said. “We will continue to raise our voices and be loud in our fight for climate justice.”

In part, local events such as the wildfire smoke in Seattle spurred Margolin to raise her voice. She described being scared to get involved with such an all-consuming movement, especially as a student, but ultimately saw the situation was too dire to do nothing.

“I could just see the entire PNW environment deteriorating in front of [my] eyes.

So that [wasn’t] fun,” Margolin said.

One of Zero Hour’s main objectives is addressing climate change from an intersectional viewpoint.

“If you’re not taking an intersectional approach to this then you’re simply not addressing the issue,” Margolin said. “Because this is an issue that arose from centuries of oppression and colonialism, so if you try to address it outside of the context of the people it’s affecting and the things that caused it, then you’re really not addressing the problem. It’s like trying to address police violence without addressing racism; you just can’t.”

Zero Hour is determined to continue the momentum from their July summit and is urging support for the next global climate strike Sept. 20. Zero Hour’s objective hasn’t changed since the last global strike, Kieras said, but this time they will, and must, be louder.

“The first and easiest thing you can do is to change the narrative,” Kieras said. ‘Climate change wasn’t caused by all of us; it was caused by deliberate actions taken by corporations. Personal changes are great, but they’re not going to change the world. We need to hold corporations accountable and demand revolution … Protest and strike Sept. 20 at cal anderson park Annika bhananker & annie poole on September 20th.”

T H I S I S

Z E R O H O U R

Features Editor & Print Editor-In-Chief

https://globalclimatestrike.net/

How Does MISD Stack Up?

% of students with 504 9.1% plans:

14%

Percentages corroborated by ed.gov, CRDC, 2015 survey.

3.9%

2.7%

Graphics by Lena Hardisty

Mercer Island School District

Bellevue School District

“504 plans are a great thing because the intent is to level the playing field by providing equitable opportunties. It’s not about fair.

It’s about equity.”

Fred Rundle

Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services

Seattle Public School District

National Average

“Your child would probably benefit from it, but they don’t qualify for it. Anyone would benefit from extra time.”

Kati Mcconn MIHS English teacher

504 Plans

Data suggests wealth threatens eduational equity By ellie gottesman and annie poole Editors-in-Chief

As the 2019-2020 school year starts, the high expectations of an academically rigorous school in a privileged community heighten student anxiety.

The New York Times recently cited MISD as one of the school districts in the nation with one of the highest number of students receiving 504 accommodation plans, which often accommodate students with extra time on standardized tests and school exams.

504 plans are an extension of Section 504, a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilites. The goal of 504 plans is to provide students with disabilities an equal access to education.

The Times insinuates that one reason MIHS students have five times the rate of 504 plans than the national average is that wealthy families take advantage of the system. In the wake of the college admissions scandal, inequity within school settings is being more openly discussed in the media.

School districts surrounding Mercer Island have noticeably lower 504 plan rates per student population. The national average rate is 2.7% of students with plans. MISD falls at 14%, while Seattle Public School District has a rate of 3.9% and Bellevue School District has a rate of 9.1%.

Is it true that people in wealthy, predominantly white communities use their money to unfairly give their kids an edge?

Fred Rundle, who serves as the MISD Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services, acknowledges that a competitive nature might push families to seek 504 plans for their children.

“I know parents want to advantage their kids,” Rundle said.“So, yes, if I can get my

kid a 504 so that they can have more time on the SAT or ACT, there is a corollary there.”

English teacher Kati McConn also notices a group of students using 504 plans to gain academic advantages.

“One group is students who have needs that require special accommodations such as anxiety, dyslexia or ADD. Those disabilities really do impact their learning,” McConn said. “I also have another group of students. One student, for example, who epitomized it, told me he was only getting it for the College Board.

Another student said that she only got accommodations because she had a really hard class that year and she just wanted it for that class.”

The line between a need and a want for extra resources is fuzzy. 504 plans are indeed important to many students who need extra resources to succeed in a traditional school setting.

“Freshman and sophomore year I didn’t actually have a 504 plan. I was struggling a little bit at the end of sophomore year so I got a 504 plan,” an anonymous senior said.

“It helps me out with my dyslexia, as it provides a way for me to compensate for where I fall Short.”

MISD is committed to providing each student with a personalized education. This school year, the School Board introduced Board Policy 0001, which emphasizes the importance of the whole child and equitable learning.

“We absolutely should be meeting the needs of every student and how we best do that is by supporting our educators so that they can differentiate between the needs of each student,” MISD Superintendent Colosky said.

But if 504 plans are necessary for students with learning disabilities, when plans are unfairly granted, how does it affect the students who actually need them?

“It is important to give the right students the right accommodations. Are we overidentifying [students that need 504 plans]? If so, what happens to the student who really needs those accommodations?” Rundle said. “I worry about those students who really need the accommodations versus those who are just trying to get an advantage.”

However, one anonymous student argues that all of his peers at Mercer Island receiving accommodations truly have a need for extra help.

“I don’t think high rates are a product of students faking these [disabilities]. I think it’s because Mercer Island students have access to counselling and psychologists to receive diagnoses they need to be successful.”

Potential overidentification also poses challenges for teachers, because they are required by law to meet the needs all students receiving accommodations.

“I feel that it leads to an imbalance in the amount of time and an imbalance in the resources served because I could spend more time with my students who have the actual need versus the time I spend planning for the students that don’t need it and only want it for AP exams and the SAT,” McConn said. “Extra time is hard because you have to take away your planning time, take away your lunch and take away time before and after school.”

The Administration had been aware of MISD’s high rate of accommodations long before The New York Times released its exposé. The key to providing equitable education, as Rundle and Colosky see it, is to assess which students truly need accommodations.

“We are always looking at things that put [MISD] askew from what the average would be. We have to be sure we are supporting students in the right way with the right tools,” Colosky said.

The Times also offers another explanation for the stark difference in national 504 rates: in wealthy communities, could parents have more resources for the testing required to diagnose learning differences and other mental health challenges that support the allocation of a 504 plan?

“The opportunities for resources are the same across the state, but there’s a difference in the level of awareness. Additionally, if you have the money to pay for an evaluation you can have the ability to get a diagnosis,” educational psychologist Kara Moscovitz said.

According to Moscovitz, the price for her full, private evaluation falls at about $3,500, a hefty price for less wealthy neighborhoods.

Whether or not families are taking advantage of the system, the wealth gap creates disparity between those who can afford to capitalize on available resources and those who

The steps to a Diagnosis Educational psychologist Kara Moscovitz shares her process to a diagnosis

1 Intake Parents provide developmental history and anything to help Moscovitz understand the child’s social-emotional history.

2 testing

Professional evaluates cognitive ability and development through direct assessment.

3 More testing

Professional continues to test skills, including memeory, problem solving ability, visual attention, and communication skills.

4 Recommendation

Looking at all the testing and information, the professional offers a diagnosis and suggests options for educational support and/or therapy.

A snapshot of a senior block class. The 22% of bodies in red represent students with 504 plans, either for health concerns or for educational accommodations.

lack the means to.

The story of 504 plans on Mercer Island is a microcosm of a much larger social issue in the United States. Civil rights legislation attempts to provide the necessary tools for all people to succeed, but often do not take into account wealth and privilege.

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Opinions | SEPT 2019

We Want World History, Not Just European History Natalie chen A&E Editor

Background and history—the good and the ugly— provides an individual with a greater sense of identity and greater connection to their heritage.

Each person grows up with certain customs that might be unique to their family, community, or culture. History gives these customs depth and adds to their significance. History also gives allows an individual to develop a sense of cultural pride.

Education on history outside of Western culture not only allows students of color to learn about their heritage, but also is important not only to giving more context to certain events.

Immigration, trade wars and climate change are significant issues that dominate the news cycle.

Although we often view these issues with an American perspective, they are nearly impossible to understand without knowledge of Mexico or China. Yet, we attempt to understand world history with minimal context outside of Western culture.

By the time most students enter MIHS, they know that Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor pushed the U.S. into entering World War II. However, few students know why Japan entered the war. Leading up to the war, the nation experienced a shortage in resources and feared European dominance, resulting in a rise in imperialist sentiment. In early 1930, a Japanese general prophesized a showdown over control of Earth’s resources between the Eastern and Western powers. Japan represented the east and the U.S. represented the west.

This additional piece of information is one of many that allow students to better understand the circumstances in which Japan entered the war; there was no sudden decision among Japan’s leadership to “turn evil,” but rather a series of events that led to a shift in ideology.

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

“I think that by learning more than European history, we can expand cultural awareness and begin eroding stereotypes and racist attitudes caused by cultural ignorance,” Jasper Geer said.

A basic knowledge of a particular culture also allows others to be more empathetic towards certain customs or traits that are part of that culture.

For example, the backlash over the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea could have been anticipated if the scientists behind the project knew how sacred the land was for Native Hawaiians. Many Hawaiian people have joined in a peaceful protest against the construction.

What students do learn about non-European nations is exclusively in the context of European history, such as education about regions of Africa to understand the Atlantic Slave Trade or education about Cuba in the decade leading up to the Spanish-American War. Learning each facet of a variety of complex cultures in the span of one curriculum would be nearly impossible and quite impractical. However, that should not stop us from rising to the challenge.

By limiting what world history includes, we limit ourselves, our knowledge and our perspectives.

The value of education outside of European history would be worth the struggle. If the curriculum is ultimately not expanded, at the least the course should be renamed to European History.

While we cannot be expected to learn every piece of history from each nation, broadening our knowledge with basic history from cultures outside of Europe and the United States will allow for deeper understanding of international relations and empathy between people of diverse cultures. graphics by lena hardisty

Sample World History Curriculum 2 WEEKS 3 WEEKS

Middle Ages Renaissance

4 WEEKS

Reformation 5 WEEKS

Colonization and Monarchy

5 WEEKS

Enlightenment and the French Revolution

3 WEEKS

Industrial Revolution and Romanticism

3 WEEKS

Imperialism and World War I 3 WEEKS

Fascism and World War II 2 WEEKS

Cold War and Later

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

2019 is 100 Percent That Year for Lizzo Annika Bhananker Features Editor

Lizzo. The name evokes both a general sense of empowerment, positivity and, of course, the woman herself: the powerful vocalist and flutist who embodies it all.

To many, the singer’s popularity seemed to explode almost overnight, earning her acclaim as a breakout star, and even a Song of the Summer nomination from MTV. Recently, Lizzo’s work has garnered mainstream media attention, and her confidence and catchy lyrics are sure to keep her in the public’s heart.

“She’s popular because she’s genuine, funny and relatable,” Grace Zhang said.

Even if you’ve never explicitly downloaded one of her songs, chances are you’ve heard them.

Lizzo has established herself as a powerhouse, especially with her two most recent EPs, “Cuz I Love You” and “Coconut Oil,” released in 2019 and 2016 respectively.

Her success story, beginning with her love for music as a 5th-grade “band nerd,” to performing at Capitol Hill Block Party and Coachella in 2019, is largely as a result of her unique style and combination of influences.

Lizzo’s songs, best described by the singer as “church with a twerk,” draw inspiration from the soul of gospel music and her teenage years in Houston experimenting with freestyle.

In addition to being a singer and rapper, Lizzo is classically trained in flute.

She went to the University of Houston on a music scholarship, and reportedly practices up to four hours a day when she can.

The flute, dubbed “Sasha Flute” in reference to Beyoncé’s album “Sasha Fierce,” is featured heavily at live shows and even in her album recordings, adding a unique aspect that fans have come to love.

For years she was considered an underground indie sensation, and her first studio album, released in 2013, “Lizzobangers” featured the same unique combination of traditional music and inspired rap and blazing energy that many fans love about her most recent album.

“What makes Lizzo such a positive icon is that she has this energy and passion that is so clear when seeing her perform,” Eden Voss said.

“Truth Hurts” is considered the song that put Lizzo on the map, and it’s not hard to see why it got such a positive reception. The hit track is a self-empowerment anthem with lyrics such as “I put the sing in single / Ain’t worry ‘bout a ring on my finger,” stressing her independence and self-worth.

Many of her songs are upbeat and easy to dance to, with meaningful lyrics about relevant social issues. “My Skin,” “En Love” and “Like a Girl”

all embrace issues of feminism, identity, race and sizebased discrimination, one of the reasons her work appeals so strongly to so many.

“I like Lizzo because her music is unique,” Zhang said.

“As a person she is a good role model since she’s always just unapologetically herself.”

“I can’t wake up one day and not be black,” Lizzo said in a Teen Vogue interview.

“I can’t wake up one day and not be a woman. I can’t wake up one day and not be fat. I always had those three things against me in this world, and because I fight for myself, I have

to fight for everyone else.”

“I think it’s extremely important for people with a following to use their platform to speak up on important issues,” Zhang said.

In her song, “My Skin,” she writes about the irony of loving her black skin even as it is weaponized and used as a characteristic to define her and so many others.

“I want-

Lizzo performs during the 2019 BET Awards held June 23.

Photo courtesy Chris Pizzello

A&E | SEPT 2019

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ed to write a song about [my blackness] too, and talk about how I’m proud of it no matter what,” she told NPR. As Lizzo continues to rise her music will invariably evolve, and now that she has a strong following, her impact will be positively felt throughout the music community.

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BACK | SEPT 2019

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org If you’ve heard enough of “Señorita” or are sick of sunset pictures at Gasworks Park, The MIHS Islander has compiled the best parts of Summer 2019 that you probably missed. Assembled by Annie Poole.

Movie Photo courtesy A24 Films

“THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO” Joe Talbot’s directorial debut is a thought provoking commentary on belonging, friendship and gentrification.

Book

Song

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D2

“NORMAL PEOPLE”

Photo courtesy Penguin Random House

“Normal People” by Sally Rooney is the perfect book to finish in one sitting. Her simple, matter-of-fact writing conveys the implications of a relationship across social classes that starts in high school and continues throughout college.

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“Ricky” by Denzel CUrry Puffy Shoulders

Denzel Curry’s song “Ricky” from his fourth studio album ZUU, pays tribute to his father – the namesake of the song – and his late brother Teron Johnson. Curry raps about growing up in Carol City, Fla. and he shares the advice he was given by his family.

My daddy said, “Trust no man but your brothers / And never leave your day ones in the gutter”

Puffy shoulders, reminiscent of both the ‘80s and royal ball gowns, is the perfect trend to feel powerful and fun at the same time.

Bhy Kracke Park, hidden in the Queen Anne neighborhood, has the best views of Seattle without all of the tourists at Kerry Park.

Seattle Spot

Bhy Kracke Park

fashion Trend

Photo courtesy PITCHFORK

Photo BY ANNIE POOLE