Issue Six Scratching Post

DAILY DOSE Explore how social media and the internet have become the life-blood of society

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EDITOR EMERITUS R����� K������� MANAGING EDITOR D������� M������ OPINION EDITOR T����� L��� SPORTS EDITOR R���� B������� STAFF REPORTERS G������ H����, T������ R������, A����� H����, S�� A������, G������ M�����, N���� T�����, K��� S������, E��� M�����, B��� C�����������, A���� L���, J���� G�����, S���� C�����, C������ L����, R����� L����, H���� N�����, B���� L�������, M����� C������ DESIGN SPECIALIST K������ T����� PHOTO EDITOR A�� A������-M���� ADVERTISING MANAGER J��� G������ ADVISOR A������ G������ PRINTING T�� W�������� W���� COVER ART R����� K������� MUG SHOTS P������ P���������� Advertising: The Scratching Post will not run any advertising that we believe to be factually inaccurate; designed to mislead, deceive or defraud; containing malicious, vindictive or unsubstantial attacks; offering goods and/ or services illegal for teens to possess, buy or use; libelous; obscene; creating imminent danger or disruption to school.

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ISSUE SIX- MARCH 18, 2015

The Scratching Post is published every three weeks by the Journalism Class, and is sanctioned by the ASB of Eastmont High School. It is an open forum for student expression and it provides the student body with the opportunity to voice their fierce independent opinion through the medium of journalism.

PAGECONTENT NEWS............

04

A new club hits Eastmont

06

SPORTS..........

08

FEATURE.........

10

FEATURE.........

14

OPINION........

Michael Don takes over as the new head of the Wildcat football program

The impacts of technology on everyday life and the realm of education

A new mentorship program helps a student beat the odds

Diving into underground music

RIDING THROUGH SILENCE

Photo provided

Above: Johnie Bryant competes in a mounted shooting competition.

Left: Bryant poses for a photo, holding a “riggan” in his hand. Riggans are the only lifeline used to hold onto when riding.

”

I can’t hear the buzzer, I can’t hear the people and when I get off I have to know where that horse is,

”

-Johnie Bryant

Post Photo/Reilly Kneedler

Rodeo rider overcomes hearing disability B� D������� M������ M������� E�����

Rodeo is a competitive sport that arose from cattle herding. The �irst rodeo was in 1869 and has evolved since. And senior Johnie Bryant has been competing in them since he was �ive.

Bryant competes in two riding events, saddle bronc riding and bareback bronc riding.

Bareback and saddle bronc riding styles are very different. In saddle bronc, the rider uses a specialized saddle with free swinging stirrups.

The rider grips a simple braided rein that is attached to a leather halter worn by the horse.

The bareback rider does not use a saddle or rein, but a leather rigging, often compared to a suitcase handle. All horses involved in saddle bronc and bareback riding wear a “�lank strap” around their abdomen. Bryant’s favorite event to is bareback riding, it is more physical.“I started the rough stuff, the bucking horses when I was 12, 13,” stated Bryant. Bryant also competes in trapshooting.

Trapshooting is one of three major disciplines of competitive clay pigeon shooting. The other two are skeet shooting and sporting clays. In trap shooting, the targets are launched from a single “house” or machine, generally away from the shooter. Trapshooting is practiced all over the world. Trapshooting was originally developed, in part, to augment bird hunting and to provide a method of practice for bird hunters.

Riders must stay on their horse for eight seconds. If they succeed, they will be scored and the highest score wins.

Bryant was born deaf. He received a cochlear implant when he was younger, “I take my implant out when I ride, I count the time in my head so I know when to get off,” explained Bryant, “I can’t hear the buzzer, I can’t hear people and when I get off I have to know where that horse is.”

Bryant has won six belt buckles and is placed �irst in Washington state. He has quali�ied for high school national �inals for the past two years and is on the wait list for the third for saddle bronc and bareback riding.

“It competes against all other states including Hawaii, Australia and Canada,” Bryant explained.

Rodeos are very dangerous and physical.

Bryant has been stepped on and kicked by horses numerous times. He has been hospitalized three times and has obtained injuries such as internal bleeding, a torn ACL, concussions and many others. The rodeo season lasts from early April to mid-fall.

A NEW CLUB EMERGES AT EASTMONT

B� A�� A������-M���� P���� E�����

Mario, Link, Pikachu and many more characters can be found in the popular game Super Smash Bros and now at the new after school club, Smash Bros Club. The club created by juniors Alex Racus, Killian Tucker, Anthony Piccirillo, Elliott Thomas and Carlos Hernandez.

The purpose was to bring students together who are interested in the game. “We thought it would be a good idea to get a community of people to play and knew a lot of people here [at school] play the game so we might as well start a club,” said Racus.

Relative to the many other clubs of Eastmont, the Smash Bros club is very unique by having been created by students instead of the schools staff. The club also provides a new hang out session for the community of students who don’t have similar access to the game or equipment as others may have at home. “It was de�initely easy for me to come here because I don’t actually have this game, and [now we] have a reason to stay over as well” said member junior Dylan Lamb.

The students describes the

Post Photo/Ana Amezola-Milan

Election packets are due: Mar. 23 Election meeting: Mar. 24 Elections are: Mar. 27

Above: Smash Bros. Club creators Anthony Piccirillo, Killian Tucker, Alex Racus and Carlos Hernandez pose for a photo with gaming apparel.

process of becoming a club to be fairly simple. The �irst step in order to become a Dylan Lamb, 11 school club is to �ind an advisor. “Since we �igured Mr. Rime was a big nerd, he would be okay with us playing video games in his room,” said Racus. Then they spoke to assistant principal Stacia

THE NEXT BIG THING

Hardie in order to receive the proper form. Then they had to write up a constitution, and after completing the requirements ,the students got approval four days later by ASB. The �irst meeting began Jan. 29.

The club has been very successful so far and is still continuing to get new members almost each week, “It has de�initely grown, it only had like six members and I haven’t been here for long but now we have like twenty!”

B� A���� L��� R������� When Microsoft announced their newest project, the MicroLens, people were in shock as they saw holograms and virtual realities were coming in the near future.

With the MicroLens only in a testing phase, we can already see technology most people would have never thought possible.

The HoloLens headset covers the person’s eyes with a screen-like pair of lenses and allows them to see things they would have never been able to see before.

“Look around. Technology is all around us. We use it in every aspect of our lives.

It enables us to do amazing things, but what if we could go further? What if we could go beyond the screen; where your digital world is blended with your real world? Now we can,” said an anonymous developer of the Microsoft HoloLens, according to an article from Lybio.net.

The price of this new technology is not yet determined or released to the

S����� P�������� A�������� ��� N��� Y���

public but people can assume it will be pricey. As the public learns more people begin to get more eager to try out the actual headset but for now people must wait for more information from Microsoft as they develop the HoloLens further.

The headset speculated to project onto real surfaces and blend the virtual world to the real world instead of one over the other. With this technology, your cell phone, computer, and even your wallet have been con�irmed to become all holograms and you will no longer need the physical items with you to access them. With this technology the world will have new ways of learning and interacting with its environment including walking with digital dinosaurs, native people and other historical objects. It will not only used for work and education. This headset will be used for video games, music, Skype and many other daily activities.

Welcome to Urinetown B� A���� L��� � J��� ������� R�������� On April 16-25, Drama Club will be putting on a performance of “Urinetown.”

In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a governmentenforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities regulated by a single malevolent company that pro�its by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs. Among the people, a hero decides he's had enough, and plans a revolution to lead them all to freedom.

said Lamb. Club meetings are held at Mr. Rime’s room every Thursday right after school until 4:00pm.

The room is split in half with one side of the room dedicated to the Nintendo Gamecube and the Super Smash Bros game on the other side of the room, set up Malaysia game console.

In the future, the Smash Bros Club wants to start doing tournaments that possibly have cash prizes soon as they can.

Junior Gabi Gillespie plays Hope Cadwell the daughter of rich Mr. Cadwell, the controller of the water. “I like being around the people that I’m with, because they are all really talented,” Gillespie explained, “it’s kind of nice to just be around people that have the same interests as you and the same drive as you.”

She has only ever really had a problem with her lines when someone else messed up before her. “Sometimes stuff like that happens but it all ends good,” she said of the moment.

Sophomore Jorge Aguilar plays an angry rebel known as Hablades Harry. He is always angry and a bit crazy. He tries to make people join him in killing because he's tired of having to pay to pee. Aguilar's favorite part of Urinetown is the �inale of act one. "Even though it was really dif�icult it's just the music in it that is very lovely," he said. Aquilar is in all of the dance songs and has to know all the dances even though the dif�iculty is high he still has it down.

Anyone who enjoys singing, dancing and plenty of acting will love to watch this play from beginning to end. Tickets are available for purchase at either 509-663-ARTS or Numericapac.org.

ASB President Leads senate meetings Works with advisor Presides over all ASB activities Part of executive council Goes to Leadership camp during summer ASB Vice President Aids president in presiding over activities The “go-to” for guidance and questions if president is not available Goes to Leadership camp during summer Part of executive council ASB Secretary Takes notes of all meetings Makes sure all Senate decisions get signed by all ASB of�icers Works closely school Secretary Mrs. Bromiley Part of executive council Goes to Leadership camp during summer ASB Treasurer Two year position Keeps records of all spending and earning within ASB account Signs all reports for �inancial transactions Helps to create budget Works closely with school Secretary Mrs. Bromiley Part of executive council Goes to Leadership camp during summer ASB Publicity Of�icer Manages advertising throughout the senate and for events Manages social media accounts Part of executive council Goes to Leadership camp during summer Sophomore Class President Presides over all Sophomore class activities Leader in senate class Goes to Leadership camp during summer Sophomore Class Vice President Aids Sophomore Class President Leader in senate class Goes to Leadership camp during summer Junior Class President Presides over Junior class activities Chooses class motto and graduation announcements for their class Leader in senate class Goes to Leadership camp during summer Junior Class Vice President Aids president in choosing graduation announcements and motto Leader in senate class Goes to Leadership camp during summer Senior Class President Presides over all Senior Class activities Makes end of year speech at graduation Leader in Senate class Goes to Leadership camp during summer Senior Class Vice President Aids president in any class activity Goes to Leadership camp during summer

SENIOR CELEBRATION INFORMATION S�������� �� S����� C���������� C��������

Post Photos/Reilly Kneedler

TRAINER LORRIE HOWE RECEIVES AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE B� R����� K������� E����� E�������

Lorrie Howe is everywhere. One can hardly go a single day without seeing her patiently watching a sporting event or working with expert speed to tape an ankle or check for a concussion.

For the students, especially the athletes, of Eastmont, Howe is an allstar.

It may have taken awhile, but last week the Washington State Athletic Trainers Association (WSATA) �inally took notice of her unof�icial allstar status and chose her as the recipient of the Excellence in Service Award.

The award looks to recognize athletic trainers within the state that exemplify the morals and ideas set out by the WSATA. “Lorrie has shown all of these qualities during her years of service as an athletic trainer,” Chair of the WSATA Awards Committee Kain Garces, 12 Marcie Walters said. “One of her most honored qualities has been her dedication to exposing youth to our profession, and

Above: Eastmont’s Lorrie Howe recently received the WSATA Excellence in Service Award.

Top: Howe tapes an athlete’s ankle before a football game.

teaching sports medicine at the high school level.”

Howe has instructed countless athletes and perspective trainers over her many years at Eastmont.

“She de�initely deserves (the award), she puts in a lot of work and hours,” senior athlete and sports medicine student Kain Garces said.

“She de�initely needs to be respected by everybody here because she does a lot for us athletes.”

Apple to Update Emojis B� N���� T����� R�������

Do you use emojis?

From smiley faces to sea animals, it seems that emojis have become a cultural sensation. Pop superstar Katy Perry recently featured emojis in her music video “Roar”.

Emojis have become an entire language. The current set of emojis may include an Indian man wearing a turban, or an Asian man wearing a gua pi mao cap, but no African-American people have been represented.

The new set of emojis, set to be released within the next few months, includes

racially diverse emojis.

The new update will allow people to choose from six different skin tones and more relationships.

Many people have been looking forward to the release of racially diverse emojis since the release of the iPhone, however these new emojis have caused an uproar of controversy instead of excitement. The six skin tones, set to represent all people from Asian to African-American, have failed to please the critics.

“Apple rolling out new racially diverse emoji!

Not sure how I’m feeling about these ultra-yellow Asian emoji,” tweeted Yurie Kwon, an associate account executive at SutherlandGold Group.

However there does seem to be a problem, Apple forgot to add the little ginger emoji.

Redhead lovers took the dilemma into their hands and start a petition on for apple to bring back the red head emojis. TheChange. org petition started two weeks ago and so far has almost 5,000 signatures.

Apple is also adding many more relationship emojis.

Same-sex relationship emojis like families with two mothers and two fathers will be added.

The Eastmont High School Class of 2015 will be having their Senior Celebration on Friday June 5th, 2015.

Doors open at 9:30 pm to 3:00 am.

Come join us for one last time to build lifetime memories �illed with fun and laughter with the graduates of 2015. The night will be �illed with food and many activities like dancing, casino games, basketball, volleyball, a hypnotist, a magician, a jousting pit, photo booths, airbrushing, and much, much more. You will not want to miss this great event celebrating our wonderful Graduates. We will be giving away many prizes and you might even get a chance to enter the cash booth and grab as much money as you can! Our goal is for every graduate to leave with a prize! We hope to see you there on June 5th, 9:30 pm to 3:00 am.

To make this event happen for our Seniors WE NEED DONATIONS! The Celebration is funded solely on donations from the community and parents like you. If you can donate an item, money, gift card or food, the Seniors would be greatly appreciative.

In addition, there will be several guessing jars for the graduates to guess and win. We are asking parents to �ill jars of different sizes with various items (any kind of candy, jelly beans, smarties, pennies, nickels etc.) and write the number of items that are within the jar and tape it to the bottom of the jar. This event takes lots of planning and preparation if you would like to volunteer the night of

the event or you can make a donation please contact us at EHS2015grads@ gmail.com or you can donate directly by getting on Facebook and going to “Eastmont High School Class of 2015” and click on our Fundraiser We need your support please help make this event a Success! Stay informed about the event details by checking out the Facebook page.

The T-shirt contest for the Senior Celebration is going on now! Students interested in designing the Senior Celebration t-shirt can pick up the form from Mrs. Wirth in the Activities of�ice. All entries need to be submitted no later than February 17th. The Contest winner will get their design placed onto the Senior Celebration t-shirt and will win a $50.00 cash prize plus entry into the Senior Celebration. These t-shirts will go on sale March 1st. Each student will need to purchase a t-shirt to get into the Senior Celebration on June 5th.

There will be a Spring Craft Bazaar at EHS Commons on March 21, 2015 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Crafters may purchase a 8’x8’ space for $45 or 2 spaces 4’x16’ for $85. This Bazaar is a fundraiser for the Senior Celebration.

The Celebration Committee is asking that the Senior Class assist the crafters in hauling in their items and with the set up of the booths. More information will follow with this event. If you are interested in selling your crafts and would like a booth please email EHS2015grads2015@ gmail.com for more information.

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N�� C���� T���� E�������’� R���� B� R���� B������� S����� E�����

Eastmont High School football program has been under the leadership of Doug McGill for 25 years. All that has recently changed when McGill announced he would not be coming back for a 26th season. With the football program and surrounding community in shock, people were asking themselves “Who is going to be our new coach?”. Roughly two weeks went by and Russ Waterman held a meeting with the football players about the process in hiring a new coach. Without going into speci�ics, there are several committees that evaluate each of the candidates.

At the end of all this, one coach made it through: Michael Don. Don was born and raised in Prosser Washington and has been coaching High School football for over 10 years. He is currently the weight training and PE teacher at Meadowdale High School in Lynwood, along with being head football coach there. He is set to move to East Wenatchee in June and is looking to become a teacher as well as the Eastmont Wildcats new head football coach.

Don is excited to build new relationships and get the athletes as far as they want to go in football. It will de�initely be bittersweet leaving Lynwood to come here, but it will be worth it.

March Madness

B� G������ H���� R�������

It is that time of the year again, March Madness. March Madness is possibly the most anticipated sporting event of the year. March Madness starts off

with Championship Week, a week full of mini tournaments of just the teams in their league, for example The Big 12 tournament, or Pac-12 tournament.

The winner no matter what their record is, gets a ticket punched into the big 64 team NCAA tournament. The

Photo/Dominick Bonny

Michael Don speaks to Eastmont players during a meeting last Thursday.

rest of the teams are chosen from their portfolios over the course of the season that includes wins and losses and also wins against a top 25 team. The Selection Committee then seeds each team 1-16 in four different regions, East, West, South and Midwest. For those who have a competitive spirit you can �ill out a bracket and pick the winner of each game, but the chances

of that are extremely unlikely. A DePaul University math professor calculated the odds of �illing out a perfect bracket at one in 9.2 quintillion. Prior to the 2014 event, Warren Buffet made a public offering of $1 billion to anyone correctly picking all 63 games of the tournament.

None of the millions of entrants even had a perfect bracket by the end of the

event's second full day.

This makes March Madness even more exciting because there is always still a chance, and you can watch it right in front of your eyes to see if your bracket stays perfect, or your favorite team works its way through the biggest tournament of the year and is crowned National Champions of the 2015 season.

B� S������� A������ R�������

she is quite dedicated to it.

And she plans on continuing her love for track for as long as possible.

However it is often the track coaches that can make or break the season of an athlete.

Gary Millard, Eastmont High School’s head track and �ield coach, has coached the sport for 28 good years and enjoys every bit of it.

“I’m a track fanatic, I like all the events. My dad coached track for 42 years, I just grew up in the whole environment of track and �ield and I love it,” commented Millard.

He also explained exactly how the whole district and state competition for track works.

“The week before districts, all of the coaches in the league get together and we submit the kids that are basically trying to get to districts in their event, there are 24 kids with the fastest marks in their event that’ll get into the district meet,” Millard said. “Then at districts we have our big competition. All seven schools in the league have this meet that goes for as long as three days and from there the two top placed winners in each event get to go to the state meet and compete from there.”

Track is an extraordinary sport for high schoolers to participate in throughout their time at Eastmont. Students involved in track and �ield have a unique and engaging opportunity to strengthen their athletic career and build life-long bonds in the process.

ATHLETES ON TRACK TO SUCCEED

Post Photo/Reilly Kneedler

Sprinter Jake Ulrich kicks off the 200 meter dash at a meet against Eisenhower last spring.

Track season is on it’s way and Eastmont’s athletes are prepared for what is to come.

But no matter whether or not one’s forte is sprinting or pole vault, one may ask what does it take to get to compete in the infamous track and �ield state competition?

Jake Ulrich, a sophomore at EHS, explained that track is pretty fun and he really enjoys it. “My favorite part is winning, but the races always are nervous for me,” he said.

As for the build-up to the postseason, Ulrich said he knows good and well that “it takes a lot of hard work to go to state.”

Betsy Arlt, a senior track star who’s been to state three times, had much to say about her track experiences.

“Track and running in general is a huge part of my life,” she said. Arlt participates in the 800, 1600 and 4x400 relays. Not thinking about losing and making sure to stay moving are two of the many methods Arlt utilizes to stay calm at the starting line while patiently waiting for the gunshot. When it comes to getting to state, Arlt said it is always a goal of her’s to beat her personal records and work hard to get to districts each season.

Arlt stated that “it’s a sport that I’m truly passionate about.”

It is a big part of her life and

S������� V�� ��� I������� B� G������ M����� R�������

Electronic Sports (also known as e-sports or competitive gaming) is a term for organized video game competitions. These competitions have seen a large surge in popularity in recent years.

Availability to live stream video game content with popular video game streaming platforms like Twitch has become a major part of Esports. With live streaming comes more funds for professional players to support themselves and streaming also helps many players get noticed into the game they play competitively. The earliest known video game competition took place on October 19, 1972, at Stanford University for the game Spacewar, where students were invited to an "Intergalactic spacewar olympics" whose grand prize was a year's subscription for Rolling Stone. Competitions exist for many titles and genres, though currently the most popular games are League of Legends, Dota 2, Smite, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and StarCraft II. Not only professionals play competitively in these games for prizes. Lakota Kerby, a student at Eastmont High School enjoys games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends (LOL).

Kerby plays ranked inside LoL and has so far gotten up to Gold in Ranked Solo Que the previous season. This season Kerby has gotten to silver but is still rising on his off time from his girlfriend and school work. Kerby’s favorite team for both CS:GO and LOL is Fnatic, a European team and “Everyone jumps on the Cloud 9 bandwagon.” Competitions are also often conducted over a local area network or LAN. As esports have developed, it has also become common for players to use automated matchmaking clients built into the games themselves. Esports tournaments are almost always physical events in which occur in front of a live audience. Competitions usually have referees or of�icials to monitor for cheating. Esport competitions have also become a popular feature at gaming and multi-genre conventions. The number of female viewers has been growing in esports, and in 2013 30% of E-sports enthusiasts were female, an increase from 15% in the previous year.

However, despite the increase in female viewers, there is a mere few of female players in high level competitive esports and all under criticism and controversy.

Team Siren, an all-female League of Legends team, was formed in June 2013. The announcement of the team was met with controversy, being dismissed as a "gimmick" to attract the attention of men. Twitch is by far the most popular streaming service for competitive gaming. While coverage of live events usually brings in the largest viewership counts, the recent popularization of streaming services has allowed individuals to broadcast their own game play independent of such events as well.

COMMITMENT IS THE INEVITABLE KEY Post Photo/Reilly Kneedler

B� B���� L������� R������� With the Eastmont Wildcats baseball season under way, Griffey Halle will be entering his fourth and �inal season of high school baseball. He made his �irst varsity appearance

Out�ielder Griffey Halle throws a ball last spring.

during his sophomore year.

Eastmont assistant baseball coach, Matt Lewallen has nothing but good things to say about Halle’s development from sophomore year to senior

ATHLETE PUSHES THROUGH KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

year. college athletics.

“Griffey is a Halle’s junior hardworking young season �inished man who has made strong; not only huge strides from his did he contribute sophomore year. He greatly to the team, played some varsity but was awarded the his sophomore year Columbia Basin Big and �illed in great. Griffey Halle, 12 Nine �irst team all He’s one of the best league out�ield. Halle hitters and center has high expectations �ielders in the league. for the upcoming He always leads by season. example on and off “I have high hopes the �ield and he’s a that the team will joy to be around,” come out on top and said Lewallen. accomplish becoming Ever since he Big Nine league continued to improve Tyler Burch, 12 champs, hopefully and holds that same giving us a shot at varsity spot to this day. Fellow state,” he said. “We de�initely senior Tyler Burch also spoke have the talent to get there.” about his teammate: “You can Halle plans to give it his all de�initely see his progression this year, striving to become as a player through the years a better player and a good and it starts with his great role model for the younger worth ethic. With the way he classman. practices, he comes out every As for the future, multiple day with a purpose and he’s colleges have shown interest focused on improving and in his abilities, including always getting better. He’s a Columbia Basin College, great leader for this team.”

Wenatchee Valley College Halle comes into this season and Point Loma Nazarene more focused than ever. University.

Wanting to pursue baseball Halle is looking to have a career after high school, he successful senior season that knows that now is the time to will help him continue playing buckle down and push himself the game he loves as long as he even harder to reach his goal of can.

really inspired me to start up basketball. I wanted to gain the relationships they had and become a family with my team. They are great role models and I am thankful that they inspired B� E��� M����� me to try out,” she said.

R������� Although the season was Life is full of surprises. If you have ever met junior Kylie Lewis, hindered at times because you probably know of her outgoing, always-positive attitude and of her medical issues, that charismatic smile. But what you might not know about Lewis is did not stop Lewis from the experience she had that made her the person she is today. making the best of it. Her On August 1 1998, Kylie Lewis was brought into this world with favorite memory was when a kidney disease. With multiple cysts on her kidney, it eventually her teammate passed her was going to lead to complete failure. She was also diagnosed the ball, in the excitement with a collapsed lung and high blood pressure, all at the age of of it all, she really had no two months. Her parents were living a nightmare with the health clue what to do with the of their child in jeopardy. Lewis would have to receive medical ball. The hoop was open, Photo provided attention for the rest of her life.

Lewis shoots, and scores Kylie Lewis stops for a photo From ultrasounds to echo’s, more blood test than one can the last point of the game count and shots, Lewis de�initely had her hands full. Along with with just two seconds left. while recovering from a transplant surgery. the all that, she also has to get blood drawn once a month for the She loved everything about rest of her life. the season, and loved the relationships she made. This may seem Then on July 3, 2013 Kylie Lewis underwent like a huge step for someone with medical a kidney transplant. The kidney came from problems, this basketball season was only her very own mother Lisa Lewis, “My mother a small stepping stone for her. and I are so close. Ever since she gave me her This spring she is joining the Eastmont Ever since she gave kidney we have become so close, like best track team. She explains that science me her kidney we have friends. She’s my hero and I really look up to teacher Shane Brookover inspired her to become so close, like her,” Lewis explained. do track, and that she is so appreciative The kidney transplant was a scary of his support. She has high expectations best friends. She’s my procedure for all of Lewis’ loved ones but going into the season, hoping to make it to hero and I really look Lewis put all her faith in God that she would state for the 400 meter dash. up to her, be just �ine no matter what the outcome was.

Her kidney transplant inspired her to Faith is a huge part in her life and throughout become a �ighter, and try her hardest at everything she’s had to endure in her life everything because this experience has she’s always used her faith to get through the made her more thankful for life, and she tough times and become the person she is today. wants to cherish the little moments.

Lewis tried out for the Ladycat basketball team this year, She hopes that people will view her situation in a positive a challenge none the less, but something that turned out to be light and acknowledge that she strives to inspire others, help the just what she needed. She proudly landed a spot on C-team. needy, and ful�ill the life she was given, no matter what medical “Savannah Jackson and Mason Rookard are two people who state she is in.

”

”

-Kylie Lewis

G.E.D. Test Now Requires Internet B� D������� M������ M������� E�����

Technology use in schools has been skyrocketing since the release of the iPhone.

Nowadays, teachers expect students to have access to computers or various apps. Students who don’t have immediate access to computers may struggle to turn assignments in on time or take different tests such as

the G.E.D. The G.E.D. tests students on four different core subjects.

When passed, it shows that students have a high school education and they receive high school credentials. The G.E.D. test as well as test preparation requires students to have immediate internet access.

The 2010 U.S. Census indicated that more than 39 million adults, aged 16 or older, lack high school

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credentials. Over 50,000 people in Washington state are living below the poverty level and approximately 32,000 school children are homeless.

About 213 of those school children currently attend Eastmont. Statistics show that less than half of those students graduate, let alone have immediate access to the internet.

The lack of technology in one’s life could lead to a

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lower G.E.D. test score or a lower G.P.A. Children and teens living in poverty today encounter more hardships than one should have to face in their lifetime, and they shouldn’t have to worry about not passing a test.

Students who take the G.E.D., although they may have struggled, are trying to receive high school credentials and perhaps turn their life around.

High school credentials lead to higher paying jobs.

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1939

A SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION

• Commentary B� H���� N����� R�������

First off, I’d like to say that I love twitter. I love the types of ultra-minimal statements that people say and I love how twitter makes people shorten what they have to say to only the core of the ideas they are expressing.. But, I still manage to have good grades and not browse dank memes during class.. The lure of social media and the constant barrage of new and (debateably) relevant information that you could potentially care about can be very hard to pull away from. Something is always happening on social media

and nobody wants to be the one who missed a clever joke or a sick burn and be ‘that guy’ who is always behind on what’s happened.

However, if every student followed the rules and only used their phones at lunch (except to listen to music), nobody would be missing out on anything. No one would be online posting things for you to miss. The teachers are satis�ied, the students don’t miss out on anything and everybody’s happy right?

Maybe in a perfect world, but not this one. Social media addiction can be very serious.

Now, this of course isn’t true for everyone, but there are people who get so sucked in to social media that they sacri�ice real life relationships and even their relationships

with their families so they won’t have to ever stop. For example, I suggest watching the movie Life 2.0 on Net�lix.

The �ilm follows the lives of several people who are very seriously addicted to a game called Second Life, which is quite literally a game about living another life; a virtual reality in which consequences are almost non-existent and no real physical danger exists.

The �ilm shows how strong the lure of a virtual reality can be and social media can also be a form of virtual reality.

Personally, I don’t think it’s that addicting or ‘bad’ as soccer moms and luddites may say. Most people use social media responsibly and still live full and happy lives, but it’s a pretty subjective topic. Some people just get carried away.

I’m sure all of us have ‘that one friend’ who is obsessed with social media, to the point that it seems that they spend most of their day scrolling through other people’s posts and ignoring you. Is that really such a bad thing, though?

According to a social impact poll by the Pew Internet Project, it isn’t. The poll states that Facebook often ‘revives’ dormant relationship and that Facebook users have more close relationships, which is in fact social media. It also states that the average user of a social networking site has more close ties and is half as likely to be socially isolated as the average American and that social networking sites are increasingly used to keep up with close social ties. I think its worthing pointing out that

199

71% of people in 2014 use Facebook and 87% of people aged 18-29 use Facebook..

Facebook’s large base of users continues to be very active.

Fully 70% of Facebook users engage with the site daily (and 45% do so several times a day), a signi�icant increase from the 63% who did so in 2013. More and more people are using social media each year and because of that more and more people are becoming ‘addicted’ to social media. But that’s just because there are more people exposed to it, and isn’t social media’s fault that this addiction is happening, its the people’s. If everybody took to heart the valuable advice of “Everything in moderation”, maybe people wouldn’t view social media as such a negative thing.

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Trillion Dollar Baby B� B��� C����������� R������� Apple Inc. is an American company that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne founded Apple in 1976. Apple is also the world’s fastest growing corporation, making more money than Google, Microsoft, and many others. This fast progression is leading them to becoming the �irst company to reach the trillion dollar

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market cap, as predicted by many business professionals.

With the release of the Apple Watch in the horizon, more people are putting down their older, outdated iPhones and replacing them with the iPhone 5s or 6. The reason they are doing this is because they want the Apple Watch, which is only compatible with newer generation iPhones.

The Apple Watch is already in high demand for its innovative features, and it is the �irst of its kind. Its not just an ordinary watch, it is a second

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screen for your iPhone, with the ability to accept calls, text, and access many other apps.

With so many people setting their eyes towards the Apple Watch, there is no doubt that it will boost their sales, bringing them closer to the market cap that they desire, but what about their competition? Samsung, Google, and Microsoft are promising companies as well, threatening the status of �irst trillion dollar market cap.

With the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S6, Samsung threatens the success of the iPhone 6. With many features that the iPhone 6 is lacking, the Galaxy S6 rivals, and maybe to some, surpasses it as the years best phone. They also have the new 4k resolution TV coming out, which is sure

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to boost their sales.

With Google’s Cloud Platform, it will become easier for people, mainly developers, to build and host applications and websites, but with the release of the Google Glass however, it doesn’t seem like they have tech going for it. Even though the glass crashed, Google is still a frontrunner due to the fact that their applications are used on a daily basis by people all around the world.

Microsoft is the company out of them all that most threatens Apple.

With all this in mind, critics believe that Apple will be the �irst company to reach the trillion dollar market cap, but it will be followed soon after by many others thanks to the growth of the industry.

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99

1999

EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY; A TENATIVE EMBRACE B� N���� T����� R�������

There once was a time when students would constantly feel the crisp page of their English textbook.

Eastmont has recently been transitioning from textbooks and paper to having their work done online.

“We have increased our technology by so much just in the past two years,its kinda incredible how kids have adapted to it, we can do very cool things like the morning announcements,” stated Garci Duncan.

The morning announcements has been one of many successful projects that Eastmont has embraced.

Technology plays a huge role on getting the videos prepared. Camaras like 2 sony HVR-Z1 a Tricaster and of course the green screen are used to produce the morning announcements during Broadcasting and Media class. Students get hands on experience with the cameras. Besides being entertaining, the morning announcements have helped students get a more clear idea of what is going on at school, “I think it is better

2008

than hearing the announcements because sometimes you are not paying attention.” stated senior Jose Gerbe.

Technology is helping students archive success in each of their classes. Teachers get a bit of help from Reminder101. Reminder101 is a communication tool that sends out text messages to students about upcoming tests and homework assignments, “It feels good because its a weight off your back,” said junior Juan Valencia. There is just so many things going on in the lives of students sometimes the last thing in their mind is to study for an upcoming test. “I think the program is great because it helps to remind me to study for a test, back then I would go home and just chill and then like at nine I would remember I had a test.” stated senior Joyce Davitt-Timiras.

Thanks to turnitin.com the English department of Eastmont High school is getting the job done faster.

As many students may know, turnitin.com is a website created to prevent students from plagerising and it incurages students to cite their essays correctly.

Mrs. Betzing’s Pre-Calculus class has dumped textbooks for Math XL. Math XL provides students with additional guidance on math homework. Several students agree that the program is very informative. The extra help given to them is excellent, but even though the online websites are very helpful, not all students have access to the internet once they get home.

Not having internet at home can be a disadvantage for many students. Students have access to the library

2009

computers during school hours but what happens when the library closes? ”I hate it, for some people like me I go home and my internet is down, yeah I have access to the computers at school but I can’t come over to school like at six at night.” stated junior Olivia Guevara. Getting behind on homework can drastically bring students grades down, sometimes students are so far behind they have no room for making up late assignments.

Although there is some disadvantages to having online homework, technology is helping Eastmont advance and increase their productivity. For example just about two years ago history teachers would have their students work on a project on Movie Maker. The dilemma was that when students would want to work on their projects at home, some students did not own the program or they had a different version of movie maker. However, Eastmont has recently adopted Google. From creating slideshows, documents and checking our mail, Google has Eastmont covered.

Each student has their own Google mail where they can check up on announcements from their teachers or of�ice administrator. Gmail provides students with an opportunity to communicate with one another.

Technology is starting a new chapter for Eastmont, opening more doors for students and teachers to have a successful time learning and exploring the perks of having access to the best technology.

Post Photo/Reilly Kneedler

THE STARS ALIGN Eduardo Molina sits in one of the many classrooms where he has helped struggling students for the past several months.

Mentorship program for alternative students busts open stereotypes and creates a plethera of opportunity B� R����� K������� E����� E�������

“It was quick, the whole thing happened in about two weeks,” Eastmont Learning Assistance Program Coordinator Jennifer Byrd said. “He showed up the day of the test and we were nervous wrecks, I cried the minute we got the message that he passed.”

She is speaking of Eduardo Molina, Sterling School’s newest - and youngest - paraeducator, who passed his para praxi test last month. In that span of two weeks, Molina earned enough credits to graduate, got his diploma, passed his test to become a para and was welcomed into the ranks of the Sterling staff. He’s fresh on the job, but the journey he has taken to get to this point has been long and challenging.

It all began in a small non-descript portable sitting amongst a slew of others in a gravel lot behind Sterling. Its paint is peeling, it needs new carpet and there’s an unidenti�iable musty smell after years and years of use.

However this year, it has become ground zero for a fountain of opportunity and newfound purpose.

Portable six belongs to Allison Washington, an Eastmont School District APEX and alternative instructor. Last September she met with Byrd and brainstormed an idea to take her alternative high school students on a completely unprecedented trajectory.

It gave me an opportunity to ” show everybody that I wasn’t just

a trouble maker. I tried to change and I did what I had to do.

-Eduardo Molina

”

“Initially I went to Jenn and I said ‘I have these kids and it would be really great if we could get them in the classroom to �ind some career opportunities and make them want to be in school,’ “ Washington said.

That initial desire to rethink how the stereotypical “intervention” student learns in public school resulted in the Sterling Mentorship Program. The idea is simple: take these high school students that have found their way into the intervention program and utilize them in middle school and elementary classrooms as volunteer paras.

According to Byrd and Washington, the idea was nearly inevitable considering these two groups of students landed on the same campus and eventually found that they needed each other.

Back in 2010, Eastmont passed a bond that ensured a complete overhaul of the Sterling building.

What followed was a �ive-year dilemma of scheduling

PROGRAM PERKS

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mentor

Elective Credit Job Skills Career Opportunities Reason to Avoid Truency Supportive Environment Higher Credit Retreval Better Attendence

School

Extra Supervision Pre-Trained Staff Keep Students Engaged “Buy-In” Factor Potnetial Fix to Sub Shortage Volunteered Help

and student-placement that ended in the Eastmont alternative program occupying the portable village just outside the back doors of a K-7 elementary and middle school.

Unsurprisingly, there were a few concerns. “(The program) started for a couple different reasons, when you tell an elementary of any sort that there’s going to be a bunch of alternative kids on their campus, they freak out,” Byrd said. “There’s just this negative perception of what an alternative kid is.”

However there were a select few that saw the

potential in this very unique opportunity.

“At �irst, I was kind of skeptical of joining the program. I was thinking ‘should I do it, should I not?’ But then my friends started joining,” Molina said. “Then I realized this is something I really wanna do. I saw that a lot of the kids just liked having an older kid in their class.”

And it was at that point that the stigma began to break down for all involved. The program started small with just six students from the alternative classes going in for one hour sessions in Sterling classrooms.

Now there are roughly 30 that head in to mentor daily. Their duties range from running math stations in an elementary class to administering an English Language Pro�iciency Test to migrant students.

But more than anything these students just offer their presence, which has turned out to be the most valuable contribution of all.

“From a teaching standpoint, effectively what we’re doing is upping the ratio of adults to kids in the classroom and reducing that class size. Whenever we can do that, it’s a huge positive,” according to Sterling principal Chris Hall. An extra set of eyes or an extra set of ears to listen for problems can be a life -saver for a classroom with a single teacher and 25 kindergartners, he said.

And while Hall can now easily see the bene�its of having the mentors in classrooms, he’s the �irst to admit he was skeptical when Washington and Byrd �irst brought the idea to him.

“I was leary. Let’s be honest, alternative learning has a negative connotation,” he said. “But what I’ve found is that’s unfair because the public school setting is not for everybody. It doesn’t mean they’re bad kids. They’re good kids and they have a lot of potential.”

That potential is being actualized day by day, student by student.

“They’re a part of the classroom culture now, but they aren’t looked at as high schoolers,” Byrd said.

“None of the teachers look at those kids as being high schoolers, they are literally professionals in the classroom. They are being given professional level responsibilities and they’re rising up to the challenge.”

A reciprocal relationship Contrary to popular belief, not all alternative students failed out of high school. As Hall said, public school isn’t for everyone. However they all seem to share a commonality when it comes to this mentorship: The program creates a “buy-in” that just wasn’t there before.

“There hasn’t been anything that’s held them to school and for many of them, they’ve been so buried in credit retrieval that they haven't been able to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Byrd said. “So the desire to keep going is lost. They just think ‘why bother �inishing this class when I have so many left?’”

Yet the newfound responsibility that they experience for a few hours a day has proven to be enough motivation to make a serious adjustment.

“They know that in order to participate in this, the have to be making adequate progress with their grades,” Byrd said. “But the best part is the connection’s been made, the buy-in has been made.

And they’re not doing this because someone told them to do it, they’re doing it because there’s a �irst grader that’s going to be devastated if they don’t show up.”

By the numbers, that theory seems to track.

While the program has only been in existence for �ive months, attendance and credit reclamation has increased for the 25 students - about 30 percent of the overall alternative population - that are involved.

A program such as this was essential for survival according to Washington, who has been on the

alternative beat for a number of years. The alternative program has gone through quite a few changes in recent memory, however the most impactful took place in 2013 when they received their own building, known as 9th Street Academy, which was then repurposed for another cause a year later.

“Making the transition from 9th Street to here was a real let-down for a lot of the kids because they felt as if they really were somebody there,” Washington said. “But then they kind of felt like they were just pushed aside so I went to Jen and said ‘what can we do to make these kids feel important?’”

Which leads back to Molina, who has taken all the skills he learned in the mentorship program to the next level, but he didn’t end up in the alternative program on accident.

“I had a rough sophomore year, and that’s when my grades started to go down,” he said. “I used to be a straight-A student, but that year I started skipping class and lost track. That really brought me down.”

What followed was a year of playing catch-up while working tirelessly to earn credits. Until �inally he found an outlet in the public school system that met him on his own level. “(The program) gave me ideas of what I want to do in the future, before I didn’t really have a plan,” Molina said. “It gave me an opportunity to show everybody that I wasn’t just a trouble maker. I tried to change and I did what I had to do.”

What he then did was pass his para praxi test,

has become ”Thisa vehicle for

them to truly �ind themselves, �ind some self-worth and get their lives on track.

-Jennifer Byrd

”

and he can now apply to any open paraeducator position in Washington State.

As for now, he’s found a home a Sterling.

“He had already created a presence and a reputation there and so he was able to step into that role easily,” Allison Washington Executive Director of Human Resources Vicki Trainor said. Trainor helped the dynamic duo of Byrd and Washington navigate the waters of hiring Molina as a permanent para.

“It’s a great program because it keeps our kids in our own system with us,” she said. “I think it’s both new and ground-breaking. I love the idea that we can kind of grow our own because the workforce is becoming so limited.”

The national shortage of substitute teachers has showed no signs of slowing down anytime soon, so Trainor believes that any program that can encourage education as potential career is a positive.

“If they �ind that they love education, then maybe they’ll stay in town and go through the college and become a teacher,” she said.

The future of the program The Sterling mentorship program began with a small group of people working to better a situation that didn’t seem all that favorable. However the rewards that have been reaped by all those involved are unprecedented at Eastmont.

The project’s future is uncertain, but if Byrd and Washington - who aren’t receiving stipends in any way from this venture - are involved, it will always have a main goal of helping the students.

“I want people to see that there is so much value in what they’re doing here,” Byrd said. “This has become a vehicle for them to truly �ind themselves, �ind some self-worth and get their lives on track.”

davis D furn ture Your home is at the hear t of all we do

COMIC BOOKS THROUGH THE B� TRISTEN RAYMOND YEARS R������� #1

Comics �irst took off in the late 1930’s. In a time when the depression was a reality not a distant memory and World War II was just a hair’s breath away two young men made a legend. Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster took tales of masked “mystery men” that were popular at the time, put a sci-�i bent on the story of Moses, gave him the strength of the mythical heroes of old, dressed him in the out�it of a circus strongman and Superman was born. First published in Action Comics #1, which marked the birth of the Golden Age of Comics and with it the super-hero genre that would come to de�ine comics.

Comic Bo o Many of t ks are a unique m ed he most p opular co ium in modern so been rele m cie ic books s a old today ty. gone thro sed continuously for decad h ugh thick es. They h ave and thin. our cultu T a ve hey have re ke and unint . They provide an equal par pt pace with entional c ts Being rele o ased ever mmentary on am intentional moment e y rican hist m onth t record of cultural c hey provide a mo ory. m hanges an d norms. ent by

#2

Comic book companies jumped to follow the leader, to create their own “superheroes” to compete with DC comics Superman. Fawcett comics created Captain Marvel and All American Comics published Wonder Woman. Each comic was simply another brick add onto the ever growing building of the universe. The universe’s back then were not as fantastic as they would become. Heroes faced off more often against �ictionalized versions of real world problems. Heroes pitted their amazing abilities against the Great Depression and the Axis powers. People enjoyed watching heroes combat their problems.

The poor child liked seeing Captain Marvel search for his family and the soldier overseas indulged in Captain America punching Adolf Hitler. America was just coming into a its status as a world power. At the same time it heroes came to be de�ined by their powers. Comic Books enjoyed a period of prosperity and variety unequaled, but all good things must come to end.

#3

In the early �ifties a panic swept through the nation. Fueled by psychologist Frederic Wertham, who in his book blamed comic books for virtually every perceived problem facing America at the time. “The cry of (insert form of media here) is corrupting our children” has been repeated many times over the years. Blame has been thrown on everything from Lord of the Rings to video games to pinball (yes, pinball). However it is rather unique that these complaints culminated in the creation of an agency whose sole purpose was to limit the �irst amendment. The Comics Code Authority banned comics depicting criminals in any sympathetic light, corrupt of�icials, violence, criminals escaping justice, gun or knife use, use of the words horror or terror in titles, werewolves, zombies, vampires, profanity, no homosexual or interracial relationships. Whether or not one agrees with some of these points there is no arguing that this �lies in the face of the �irst amendment. The Comics Code of Authority was intended to permanently trap comics as a medium for young children.

#4

Being unable to portray realistic con�licts led directly into comics Silver Age. DC comics got around their inability to portray danger by making the comics so bizarre as to be inimitable. Villains wielded freeze rays and overly complicated traps instead of guns against the heroes. Marvel comics began to rise at this time. Marvel made a name for itself by juxtaposing the same style of bizarre plots against the very everyday attitudes and concerns of its characters. The Fantastic Four could quickly switch from �ighting mole people at the center of the earth to ordinary familial bickering. Spider-man might escape from a mad scientist’s death trap only to �ind he was late for class. The Silver Age began in the later half of the �ifties and lasted all the way through the sixties. The era is pretty much de�ined by the word bizarre.

POW !

#5

The 70s and early 80s are known as the Bronze Age in comic book circles. The era was de�ined by a relaxing of the Comics Code authority allowing for characters to deal with more mature topics for the �irst time in decades. The US department of Health, Education and Welfare approached Marvel about publishing a story with an anti-narcotics message.

Famous writer Stan Lee penned a story where Spider-man’s friend Harry develops a drug problem and has to be saved

by Spider-man. Despite the fact that drugs were portrayed as undeniably negative and the story was written on recommendation from the government, the Comics Code refused to give their approval. Marvel took a gamble and published the comic without the Code’s approval. The issue was warmly received and dealt a massive blow to the Comics Code’s reputation. Their rules were gradually peeled back. Comics began to deal with real social and political issues. Anti-drug and anti-racism metaphors began to crop up. Comics books were allowed to portray realistic effects of violence. Heroes could bleed, civilians could die and the stories began to take on a weight they had not previously held. A touch of dark realism was added to the medium, but just enough to balance out the light absurdity.

#6

In 1996 DC Comics published a miniseries. It depicted a world where nineties anti-heroes had completely supplanted traditional superheroes.

Mark Wade’s masterpiece helped move comics away from deconstruction and onward to reconstruction.

This brought us into the modern era of comic books, an era built around �ixing �laws instead of just pointing them out. The theme of the modern era has been rediscovering the light without forgetting the dark.

B������� I�������� B� R����� K������� E����� �� C����

Post Photo/Reilly Kneedler

“Taste the rainbow, support the rainbow.” Jacob Leonard poses for a photo while throwing Skittles.

Mason- Would you ever �lirt with a straight guy?

Jacob- I �lirt with like everyone whether they are straight or gay or a girl or a guy.

M- This is what scares me.

Jacob Leonard, 10 JThe only difference is, when I’m �lirting with a straight guy, it’s just because I’m a �lirty person.

M- Like that kinda helps me understand because most people most people think you should be scared of gays because they’re always trying to get in your pants like randomly.

J- No! We may �lirt with you, but when it comes down to it, I have guy friends who are straight and I respect their limits.

It’s like you respecting a girl’s limits.

M- So most would say like shouldn’t people be scared? Is there no reason for people to be scared?

J- No! Not really, no. There are some really old �ilms that portray these old crusty men going after young boys, but reality is nothing like that.

M- Could you ever be attracted to a girl?

J- Okay, let me phrase it this way. I am not attracted to women at all. I can’t be.

It’s the easiest way to put it.

M- When did you realize you were gay?

It is commonly said that ignorance is bliss. However as the boundaries surrounding sexual orientation and gender roles shift, ignorance of differing views is no longer a valid excuse for hate and intolerance.

In an attempt to highlight some common misconceptions surrounding sexual orientation, I moderated an interview between Mason McEvoy and Jacob Leonard.

Prior to this experience, McEvoy considered himself to be ignorant to the ways of homosexual men - even afraid of them.

Leonard is openly gay, and proud of it.

So the idea was simple: have a thought-provoking conversation between these two opposite ends of the spectrum and just maybe some knowledge may be gained by all.

J- Sixth grade.

M- That seems reasonable, I mean you are �inding out who you are right?

J- Yeah I don’t get when people say, ‘you’re too young to know.’ Let me Mason McEvoy, 10 ask you this, Mason: When did you realize you were straight?

M- I honestly don’t even know. Maybe like �irst grade? I was like ‘Dang! Mom, can I go to her house?’

R- So, after this what have you learned or what did you not know, that you know now and do you feel differently?

M- I’ve actually changed my whole perspective, a little bit.

R- How so?

M- Well at �irst I was actually kind of scared of gays, a lot. But now that I’ve realized they’re not out to get me like 24/7, you know.

Anyways, I’ve actually changed my view and I’ve learned a few things from it so, I kind of support it, a little bit.

R- And Jacob, same question to you.

J- These questions, I’ve been asked time and time again.

Like I always say, it’s better to education you than just instantly labelling someone, because you never know the 100% truth, you only know your side of the story.

A GLANCE AT ELEMENTS OF SOCIETY On this page, there’s a series of articles dealing with controversial societal issues meant to offer a differing perspective to many of the common misconceptions �loating through the realms of society.

Please take a look and form an opinion.

Post Photo/Reilly Kneedler

A������ US F�����: Height: 5’4” Head: 20” Neck: 15” Bust: 35” Biceps: 13” Forearms: 11” Wrist: 6.5” Waist: 35” Hips: 40” Thigh: 25” Calf: 16” Ankle: 9”

B����� D���������: Height: 5’9” Head: 22” Neck: 9” Bust: 32” Biceps: 7” Forearms: 6” Wrist: 3.5” Waist: 16” Hips: 29” Thigh: 16” Calf: 11” Ankle: 6”

EXPLORING STEREOTYPES

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According to dictionary.com, the de�inition of a stereotype is “a widely held but �ixed and oversimpli�ied image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.”

Stereotypes that have to do with both men and women are called gender stereotypes. One of the most common gender stereotypes is the belief that women lack technical skills. Many people, including some women, do not think that women are intelligent enough to repair a car or �ix an electronic item.

This �ixed idea has caused some shops to take advantage of women

who come into their shops alone and women often get ripped off because “they don’t know better.” The percentage of women mechanics in the United States in 2010 was 8.2%.

This number is rapidly rising and continuing to prove this stereotype wrong.

Many people believe that all men are extremely messy. On the contrary, thousands of men consider themselves to be “neat freaks” and conduct common chores like mopping, sweeping and dusting.

Statistics show that AfricanAmerican people endure some of the most demeaning stereotypes of all.

Many people assume that AfricanAmericans are uneducated. More than 17% of the African-Americans have a four-year college degree and

more than 80% have a high school diploma. Another common stereotype towards African-Americans is that they are all good at basketball. Famous athletes such as Kevin Durant, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant may �it this stereotype, however John Stockton and Larry Bird are considered to be two of the greatest basketball players in history and just happen to be white.

White people experience many negative stereotypes, too. One of the biggest stereotypes against white people is that they are all racist. Middle Eastern people have to deal with many stereotypes, especially when traveling to the United States. After 9/11, many people stereotype them as being terrorists.

Many people from other cultures believe that Americans are

materialistic. Only a small percentage of US citizens are considered “rich and well off.”

Stereotypes are an ongoing problem here at Eastmont. Students walk down the hallway and hear comments like “goth” or “punk.” Dumb blonde jokes, although typically funny are offensive and rude to most people.

A white woman will never understand a black person does not intend to steal until she loosens the grip on her purse to shake his hand. A black person will never know that all white people are not racist until he or she talks to one. Humans must start trying to understand other people’s ideals and traditions. Once people start realizing the world’s wonderful diversity, stereotyping will begin to fade.

Manbuns Hit Eastmont

American Horror Story: Hotel B� A�� A������-M���� P���� E�����

Up and Coming Underground

A LOOK INTO NEW AGE HIPHOP B� HENRY NEWMAN R������� El-P and Killer Mike are two of the most unique, funny and intelligent new faces in hip hop that I’ve seen in a long time. Each of their extensive solo works are respectable to say the least.

They aren’t exactly new, however. El-P’s �irst record “Fantastic Damage” is already considered an underground hip hop classic and has in�luenced many hip hop records since its release in 2002 with its dark and gritty minimal production.

El-P’s verses are always very clever and slickly executed, and Killer Mike is just as clever, and his deep south Atlanta accent only adds to the smoothness of his hard-hitting verses. In 2013 they teamed up again as “Run the Jewels”, except with El-P rapping as well this time around over his hard hitting and synthesizer-laced production, and released their self-titled �irst album in 2013, which was also well received by music critics, and have quickly rose to relevancy in the hip hop world.

The duo have quite a history, and their new album “Run the Jewels 2” has been gaining hype for months before its release and is their �irst “of�icial” album, one that is professionally recorded and released from a major label. Unlike their �irst album, and it was de�initely highly anticipated by many people, and it lives up to the hype very well.

They start the album off with a very angry Killer Mike furiously shouting about how he and El-P are going to record how they’re feeling like it’s going to “change history”, like a thesis statement for the entire album. Run the Jewels 2 is de�initely a very diverse album; they take great care in the production of each track, and you can de�initely hear it. They de�initely have a very distinct style, using a wide range of instruments, from heavy sub-bass to synthesizers to soaring saxophones and wild energetic drums that bring to mind wild places like the jungle. They also have lots of features on this track, from all kinds of backgrounds, and they de�initely add to each song.

Its hard to imagine bringing that many different elements of sound together into a rap album without it sounding really cluttered and disorganized, but they de�initely pull it off. Half the songs on the album are slow and emotional, and tell unique stories in unconventional ways, like the song “Crown”, in which Killer Mike recounts his guilt for his criminal past. The other half of the songs are totally hardhitting and highly energetic, with aggressive, clean, and punchy beats, which can be easily heard on the second song on the album, “Oh My Darling (Don’t Cry)” and usually have hilariously over-the-top lyrics. The execution of the lyrics on many of these songs are perfect, shooting line after line at you like they’re being shot from a cartoonishly-huge machine gun with an in�inite stockpile of great rhymes.

El-P in particular really comes through on this album; on multiple songs he does some very technically-impressive and fast rhymes, incorporating 16th notes and triplets into his �lows, making each line unique and simultaneously mindblowing. This album is full of extremely quotable lyrics that are just so over the top I don’t understand how anyone could be stupid enough to take them seriously.

Killer Mike and El-P compliment each other musically very well on this album, often exchanging comments on a variety of subjects, from police brutality to piranha tanks to whether they should have become a dentist instead of a rapper.

Now, a warning, Run the Jewels 2 probably isn’t something your grandma would be happy you’re listening to, but if you aren’t put off by “offensive” lyrics and are a fan of great hip hop that never stops being just plain fun to listen to, you should de�initely give this album a shot.

B� K��� S������ R�������

Above: Junior Andy Millard shows off his man bun.

Every year there is always a new hairstyle. Back in 2013, the “hip” thing was short and choppy locks. 2014 came around and in came the long wavy hair. But here it is 2015 now, and it is the year of the manbun. Plenty of students are rocking the manbun here at the high school.

Junior Andy Millard is starting the manbun trend at Eastmont. Millard has been wearing his bun all year and plans to keep it growing, “I started wearing the bun around early summer before my junior year, I got the manbun idea from Jon Bellion,” Millard stated. Jon Bellion is a singer-songwriter, rapper and producer.

Students and teachers are starting to notice the manbun and have many thoughts about it, “If you are lucky enough to have hair, you get to wear it however you want,” said Mr. Kimmel, an art and ceramics teacher. Everyone who knows Kimmel, knows of his lack of hair.

Although there some students here with different views, “Andy Millard looks like a boss, With a man bun. Even without one,” said junior Spencer Canada.

Sophomore Hudson Monroy wears a manbun on somewhat daily basis. His manbun was created after losing a bet, “I was going to grow my hair out before I lost the bet because I was watching “Swamp People” and there’s a Native American man and he had a long braid and he looked like a baller,” Monroy explained. He takes pride in his manbun, “A manbun is not cool unless it is on Hudson Monroy. They’re cool, if you have a manbun you are automatically a male-model.”

We lived in the murder house, escaped the asylum, protected the coven, attended the freak show, and now we will make a reservation at the hotel. The new season of American Horror story has just been announced over social media by Lady Gaga via twitter. Gaga released a short video of her announcing that she will be in the new season of AHS. When season four ended there was a few ideas tossed around to predict season �ive, many were great ideas but Hotel was the of�icial theme. Considering that one of the most well known horror movie/book to

be The Shining, it was talked about having a similar plot and theme with the murders and to have been located in a haunted Ski resort. However in AHS : Freakshow, there was much talk about a paper cup that lead a clue to predicting the new season. The cup was a black top hat that was supposed to represent the classic 1935 �ilm, Top Hat that is also set in a hotel but also led a clue that involved casting Lady Gaga. There has been no con�irmed actors that will be returning or what roles that will be played but it will lead a promising season of what American Horror story does best.

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A LACK OF SCHOOL LUNCHES

Post Photo/Ana Amezola-Milan

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Parking Gone Wrong B� M����� C������ R�������

In the beginning of the school year, students were given an opportunity to purchase a pass to park in the parking lot.

This was to guarantee that each person, who had paid for a parking pass, will have a parking spot every day. However, there is a high number of students who have not paid for the parking permit but still take the reserved parking spots. Students who have paid for parking spots became frustrated, and most of the time, did not get to park inside the parking lot.

There has not been enough strict punishment for those scof�laws since their

cars have not been recorded in any way by the school. They may be charged with a ticket, but the school does not seem to have a way of tracking who owns each car.

According to Ms. Fries, some days lots of tickets are given out, but on other days no tickets are given out at all.

This problem has happened to many pass-holders at our school. “The parking in the Eastmont High School parking lot has been a problem for quite some time now. It is very frustrating that we pay for parking passes, but other students park without them and do not get punished. As a student in the Health Occupations Program at Wenatchee High School, it is very frustrating getting to school with a parking pass and not having a place to park.” said

senior Kimberlee Beler.

“Sometimes in the back of the parking lot, cars were parking incorrectly and taking up two spaces” said Julia Sanchez.

I think that our school should get a better security system to manage this parking issue. I think that we should start towing these cars to make sure that the school will get the ticket fee paid. Students should have to pay for the school ticket and the cost of their car needing to be towed. Offenders should have to come pay at the of�ice in order to get their car back. This will decrease the number of offenders since the owners know that they will have harsher consequences, so then they will have no way of getting around it. The school should take this problem more seriously and make the student body aware that it is in fact a major problem.

School lunches have always been known to be not that great. The food is usually bland, there are huge lines, and you have to pay an entire dollar for one cookie, even though you could get a whole package of cookies at the Dollar Store by Safeway for the same amount. The condiments and toppings like onions and jalapenos de�initely do help, but it’s only covering up the actual problem. And, to add insult to injury, almost every day they run out of food. This problem doesn’t only happen to our school; it happens all over the country. I often �ind myself waiting in huge lines, only to �ind out that there out of food once I get to the front, and I’m not the only person who experiences this. Now, why is this happening?

How could they spend millions of dollars on a new building and yet they can’t afford to feed all their students?

One answer I’ve found is that according to www. educationnext.org, there could be families/students

that are getting free lunch who are not legible. In order to get free lunch, the parents of a student must �ill out a form for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and turn it in. Another signi�icant factor is that state governments give out bene�its, according to free and reduced-price lunch percentages, meaning that the amount of bene�its is based upon how many students are getting free lunches/reduced price lunches are at each school.

To put it simply, if we had more money we would have more food, and if there were more students who were paying for their lunch, maybe the school could afford to get more and better food. Now, there are always food options left over after certain food options are exhausted, and one might say that the students could still eat if they wanted to. They might also say that they can go out to eat somewhere else.

However, many students would rather just not eat then have to eat something that tastes awful, including me, and usually by the time I get to the front of the line they

are out of food and I’ve just wasted time I could have been using waiting for another food option that is still available. Also, usually by the time I get to the front, there is only one other food option left, which is often pizza, and they’re out of all the healthy sides such as salad too, which is not a very healthy palette of food options.

And, its not like we haven’t considered other options besides school lunch. A lot of students at our school do not have a car to use to go to off-campus eateries and fast-food restaurants instead of eating schoolprovided lunch.I don’t have time to walk to a fast-food restaurant, eat, and come back, and neither do any of the students here at Eastmont without cars. I think it is very unfair of the school to assume that everyone can afford to eat out everyday, especially when they know that they have kids on reduced-price and free lunch already. I’m sure that a lot of students, including me, would be willing to pay a little more to insure that the school always has enough food for everybody.

Expires 4/15/15

Post Photo/Ana Amezola-Milan

No Cups At Eastmont B� K������ T����� W�� S���������

Everyone knows of Eastmont’s latest rule of no unsealable drinks being allowed past the commons.

As an attempt to reduce litter around the school, trash cans have also been placed along the halls. The administration has even taken to strictly patrolling the halls in the morning and during lunch to assure that all students throw away any food or drink before arriving to class.

It seems to be that only the administration cares about this issue. I, and many others, have yet to witness a single teacher to enforce this rule. I have also seen a lack of litter around the school, even before the administration had begun patrolling for unsealed drinks in the morning. Even if I had witnessed litter it was typically a wrapper of some sort, not a can or unsealed beverage. The only place where litter commonly appears, especially unsealed drinks such as the smoothies sold in the morning, was in the

• Commentary

restrooms, a place where there is no waste bin.

I could see how this is bothersome to the administration, but instead of simply placing a trash can in the restrooms, the administration has taken to patrolling the halls for unsealed drinks. That’s a lot of wasted time and manpower for something so easily solved. In other cases, such as the hallways and classrooms, spilling is an understandable fear. Even a sealable container can spill while it is open or if it is improperly sealed.

It is somewhat understandable that the administration wants his new school to be clean, but having four or more administrators standing in the halls at a time is just over the top. A much more reasonable and surely more effective solution would be simply providing waste bins where they are currently not available. The majority of students are lazy for sure, but they aren’t animals. If there was a simple trash can nearby, students will go use it instead of throwing their trash on the ground or leaving it on a sink.

By Editorial Cartoonist Deyd Williams

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• Commentary

Advertisement and social media have ruined the minds of a generation.

Young males look for certain qualities in girls that are only realistic in women, however, young girls are beginning look like they are twenty years old when they are only twelve.

Sports Illustrated is known for its infamous covers of half naked women because in this day and age, sex sells. That is a well known fact for advertising companies. That is why so many family commercials are so provocative. For example, a Carl’s Jr. (a burger franchise) commercial could double as an advertisement for an XXX rated movie. Although men are sexualized in propaganda as well, the female body as a whole is sexualized a lot more.

In a PG-13 movie a women’s full body can be shown but not a male’s full body. It is a sense of inequality because the woman’s body is a lot more sexual than the man’s.

The female body is an object to society, it is thrown and tossed around as if it is not signi�icant. The way young girls have started to portray themselves is sad because they are starting to wear makeup and dress more scandalous at a very young age.

Girls strive to look like celebrities such as Kendal and Kylie Jenner who have unrealistic features for girls that age. Also, young girls have started becoming more sexually active in middle school because of how much they are exposed to it and how they believe it is okay.

Young girls are very impressionable so when they see a woman throwing herself onto a guy or half naked on television or in a movie, they, in their minds, believe that’s what they should be doing. Society has taken the respect out of the female body but still slanders women who engage in the same activity as a man. Although there is no respect for the female body in the media, girls who choose to dress a little scandalous or become sexually active are labeled as horrendous things, when in reality, society has taught them that this is what normal is. However, if a female chooses to wear skimpier clothing, it does not necessarily mean that she is looking for sexual attention. Believe it or not, people do not only dress to impress others. There are several double standards for women and that needs to change. Media needs to start portraying women and girls as something other than sexual objects.

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