Talisman

TALISMAN VOLUME 102 ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

ballardtalisman.org

‘LIVING HISTORY’ Why is our time historically significant? p.8

NEW TVS IN LOBBY p. 4

STUDENT TEDX TALK p. 10

HOLLYWOOD ACTIVISM p. 15

02 EDITORIAL

ballardtally@gmail.com

Mission Statement

The Ballard Talisman is an open public forum for student expression, and exists to give a student perspective on issues relating to the Ballard student body and community. Please send signed letters with author’s name, class or position (e.g. parent, student, teacher, etc.) to the editor.

Advertising Policy

The Ballard Talisman reserves the right to refuse any advertisement deemed unacceptable for publication. The Talisman does not run illegal, libelous, or otherwise inappropriate advertisements. If you are interested in placing an ad, e-mail us at ballardtally@gmail.com.

Letters to the Editor

Letters submitted must be signed. Though, in some cases, the author’s name may not have to be printed. There is a 500 word maximum. Anything longer may be submitted as a guest article, subject to being edited for length

Editorials

Unsigned editorials represent the majority view of the staff editorial board.

Disclaimer

The staff reserves the right to refuse or edit editorials and letters for libelous content, obscenity or material considered inappropriate for publication. The Talisman staff is aware of sound journalistic practice found in the ‘Code of Ethics,’ as part of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Corrections

The editorial cartoon on page 2 was not credited.

It was drawn by Sam Rainvile.

The graphic on page 4 should have been credited to Tess Petrillo.

The graphic on page 12 should have been credited to Samantha Swainson.

Style Deviation

Contrary to the AP Stylebook, the Talisman editorial board has decided to capitalize Black, Brown and White.

Cover art by Ian Davino Photos courtesy of Charles Edward Miller Oscar Chan Jonathan Eyler-Werve John Englart

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

CORONAVIRUS: FEARING MORE THAN INFECTION

C

OVID-19 (more commonly known by the more general name “coronavirus”) is currently sweeping the world, both in the literal sense of the rising number of cases and its widespread media coverage.

As the number of cases has risen from a few hundred to tens of thousands, so has the hysteria and the many misconceptions about the virus.

Earlier on in the virus’ spread, searches for “corona beer virus” and “beer virus” spiked, according to Google Trends.

Consequently, Corona beer’s shares and reputation took a dive, proving that the general public, for the most part, knows little about the virus.

A more significant negative effect from misinformation about the virus, however, is the rise in xenophobia and racism against people of East Asian descent, because the virus originated in the city of Wuhan, China. There have been people harassed on the subway, patients refusing to be aided by East Asian doctors and even a comment by a Howard Stern staffer that the popular K-pop group BTS was carrying the virus.

This racism is not merely incidental, it is widespread, as proven by statistical evidence. A recent survey from market research company Ipsos MORI shows that coronavirus-influenced racism is very real.

The survey reported that 17% of Americans say they would avoid contact with people of Chinese origin or appearance so that they wouldn’t contract the virus.

One can recall similarly racist and xenophobic reactions to the 2003 SARS virus and, in West Africa, to the 2013 Ebola outbreaks. This fear comes from the untrue notion that people from the Global South are, in general, “dirty,” without an understanding of the fact that a disease can originate from anywhere.

The survey also found that 18% of Americans say they’d avoid eating in Asian restaurants. This effect has been seen locally, as one Talisman staff member noted that a Cambodian restaurant she visited over mid-winter break had significantly fewer diners than usual, and another student who works at a local hardware shop shared that a customer came in recently and bought $800 worth of surgical masks to “stock up.”

There have also been cases reported in Everett and Olympia, effectively sandwiching our city and leading to even more Seattlites believing that we are at risk of contracting the virus. On Feb. 27, Bothell High School even announced a

shutdown despite health officials advising against it.

So how real is the threat of the coronavirus? Over 2,100 people have died from the virus, but that is far less than the number of people who die from the flu each year — well over 290,000 (although the coronavirus has a 60% higher virus me.” transmission rate). The virus also does So not cause as aggressive symptoms as please, other pandemic diseases — why are some be an people buying hundreds of dollars worth ally and of surgical masks for a virus that has killed shut down Cartoon by Sam Rainville far fewer? these kinds of The hysteria is not based on actual racist attacks. You’re a participant of a evidence, but rather racist beliefs. It also racist system if you are leaving people seems to be another case of Westerners’ to fend for themselves and letting the self-obsession. Instead of worrying about attacker think that their opinion is valid. being within a mile radius of an Asian Support local Chinese-owned businesses person, shouldn’t we be more concerned that are suffering from a lack of customers. about those living in China who are Combat the stereotypes and let people actually suffering from the effects of the know that coronavirus jokes are one: not virus having to prevent its spread? funny, and two: not true.

In an interview with CNN, Tanny Whether we are all at risk of dying from Jiraprapasuke, a woman who is of Thai the coronavirus or not, (which we aren’t) descent, shared an experience she had there’s no excuse for singling out an ethnic on the New York City subway earlier group and blaming something on them this month. There, a man ranted at her that they are a victim of. about how Chinese people are dirty and spreading the coronavirus. Ten minutes into his rant, Editors-in-Chief Staff Sam Rainville Staff Artist and still no one had Ian Davino Editor-in-Chief Zev Golden-Zagorski Staff Photographer Piper Sloan Editor-in-Chief stood up to support Julian Whitworth Staff Photographer her in this potentially Brown Staff Reporter dangerous situation Editorial Board Peter Eli Campbell Staff Reporter where she was labeled Tess Petrillo News Editor Adria Cooper Staff Reporter as an “outsider.”

Paige Anderson Sports Editor Frances Kleinsmith Staff Reporter Samantha Swainson Features Editor “At that point my Josie Laur Staff Reporter Elliot Armitage A&E Editor best bet [was] to try Alex Montes Staff Reporter Dhani Srinivasan Opinions Editor to see if there [were] Christian Moran Staff Reporter Hannah Weaver Copy Editor allies on the train with Lukas Ramakrishnan Staff Reporter Skye McDonald Photo Editor me,” Jiraprapasuke Brett Richter Staff Reporter Lila Gill Business Manager Will Shepard Staff Reporter said. “Nobody on the Adviser train except for one Michael Smith African-American woman would look at

NEWS

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtalisman.org

Freshmen are provided with personal laptops for schoolwork Students receive new district computers

03

Sam Rainville Staff Reporter

A

s of Feb. 3, freshmen have received new district-provided laptops. Each student was given their own Dell Latitude 3300 computer that they can use for assignments at school and at home.

Students were required to pay a $25 fee for their laptops, as well as signing an agreement regarding care of the laptops and responsible use.

They also were provided with a laptop sleeve and a cover they could decorate.

The laptop distribution is a part of the district’s 1:1 plan to have a laptop for every student by 2021.

This plan started with schools that were in the most need of new technology and is now reaching schools with less need.

Assistant Principal Laura Roesener explained the goals of the new initiative.

“Historically you would have seen a gap: either the wealthiest schools had the most technology, or within a school, the wealthiest students had the most technology,” Roesener said in an email. “It would snowball from there.”

Roesener also explained that the laptops are meant to work alongside the existing school curriculums.

“Putting a laptop in the hands of every student instantly gives people access to some powerful learning tools,” Roesener said in an email. “Any time there’s a new concept at hand, teachers can ask themselves if there is a digital resource that will make the skills more attainable or the content more interesting.”

So far, students are focused on the academic benefits of the new laptops. Freshman Gabe Kenison explained how the laptop was useful for his schoolwork.

“I think it’s going to be incredibly helpful for typing up big essays,” Kenison said. “You can actually work outside of school and do things you need to do online.”

Kenison also saw value in the cost-benefit of the program.

“You don’t have to pay 300 to 600 actual dollars for it,” Kenison said. “It’s just kind of nice to have it around, so it makes it easier for projects.”

However, while most students acknowledge the benefits of the laptops, they have concerns with the way the program was designed.

Freshman Casey Middleton explained how the laptops aren’t as useful if you already have internet

access at home, and that there wasn’t a way for her to opt out of receiving one.

“Some people, including myself, have their own personal laptop, and now they have two because there wasn’t a way to get out of receiving one,” Middleton said. “I get the idea of everyone having a laptop, but the school has chosen to focus on equality too much instead of equity.”

Middleton explained that for students who already have computer access, the program was providing resources they didn’t need.

“I just think that the school could’ve been more effective and saved money if they had given laptops only to students who didn’t have their own already,” Middleton said.

However, administration disagrees, instead claiming to have different goals for the school-wide distribution.

“The universal distribution will hopefully lead to everyone having the same resources and connectivity,” Roesener said in an email. “For example, a privately owned laptop runs the risk of being blocked on the network, with techs unable to help troubleshoot. With District-supported equipment we’re hoping for a more streamlined experience, with techs on hand to help when there are glitches.”

Students have also shared concerns about the laptops being a part of the school system. Freshman Harrison Lillibridge felt that the laptops weren’t truly for each student’s use.

“I don’t like that it’s so locked down,” Lillibridge said. “I get it for sites and certain downloads but we can’t even play basic games.”

Roesener explained that some sites are blocked because the laptops are part of the school computer system. However, while they have blocked sites, students also have access to programs that they may not have at home computers, such as the different Adobe Creative Cloud.

Administration also has information about accessing affordable internet for students who don’t have access at home, but as Roesener explained, they believe the laptops will aid students’ educational careers regardless.

Despite the questions and backlash they received, administration is continuing with the initiative.

“Next fall — provided that the school board approves it — all students will be given a laptop.”

Roesener said.

Freshman Jesse Katz with his new laptop provided by the school district.

The laptop distribution is a part of the district’s one-to-one (1:1) plan to have a laptop for every student by 2021. This plan started with schools that were in the most need of new technology and is now reaching the school. The laptops were put in place in order to expand the curriculum with more technological aid. The goal is that they will help students understand the content and complete assignments outside of school. Depending on further funding all high school students in the district could recieve laptops next fall. (Julian Whitworth)

Principal Wynkoop presents speech to eighth graders and their families. (Zev Golden-Zagorski)

Open house introduces students to high school

Parents and kids explore the building Adria Cooper Staff Reporter

T

he school opened its doors on Feb. 6 to prospective students and their parents, allowing them to get a feel for what high school is like. The open house featured clubs and activity tables in the commons, a welcome program in the gym featuring Principal Wynkoop alongside current students, and an opportunity to explore the building.

During the tour of the building, teachers answered questions, choir, band and orchestra performed, and the numerous programs and academies advertised their worth.

This show case was particularly targeted towards eighth graders as they make their decision on where to go to high school and begin planning their future. So, what did these prospective students think of high school?

The overall consensus of middle school students as stated by Catherine Blaine K-8 school student Catalina Kim, Eagle Staff middle school students Addy Wynkoop and Julia Palmer, and Whitman middle school student Tom Delaney, was that the school is “very big.”

While navigating the school may seem like no big deal to seasoned high schoolers, these students are coming from schools with populations in the hundreds, to a school with close to 2,000 kids.

Despite some nervousness concerning the size of the school, the open house was successful in gaining interest in attending the school and joining a sport of academy.

Dylan Wallvlom is a seventh grader at Blaine and is already looking forward to high school. “I really want to meet new friends, join a lot of clubs and play sports; football mainly, but baseball and basketball too,” Wallvlom said.

For Addy Wynkoop and Palmer, what was most exciting was the prospect of joining the Biotech Academy and having classes together in their cohort.

Some students are just excited about the freedom that high school contains like the open campus or chances to choose classes. For Delaney, it is the opportunity to travel.

Overall, the middle schoolers were impressed by the school. “I really like all the students here that are talking to us and I liked how the principal introduced the school,” Wallvlom said. “Its given a good sense of how people interact here. I feel like there is a greater sense of community here than other places,” said Addy Wynkoop.

04 NEWS

February 28, 2019 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtalisman.org

Washington Middle School teacher suspended

After a long history of student confrontations and abusive actions, WMS teacher is suspended yet again

Brett Richter Staff Reporter

Junior Ian Douglas walking past the new first floor TV. (Skye McDonald)

New TVs installed in main foyers

Administrators plan to use TV to promote CTE opportunities Elliot Armitage A&E Editor

T

wo new TVs appeared in the school’s hallways last month in the first and second floor lobbies. The TVs will project information primarily about CTE (career and technical education) opportunities, but administrators may use them for other purposes as well.

The TVs were funded by the school district as part of the CTE program. Although the TVs were funded by the CTE program, Principal Wynkoop said that other school-related information will be displayed as well. Currently, administrative secretary Cindy Peterson and Career Connected Learning Coordinator Brent Martin have control over the TVs. Martin is one of many Career Connected Learning Coordinators hired recently by schools around the city as part of a district-wide initiative to promote CTE in schools. “I connect industry to the students and bring in employers to offer jobs, among other things,” said Martin.

He intends to use the TVs to advertise CTE opportunities for students. “We work for the students. We recruit employers and bring them into the school for you guys,” he said.

Martin, an army veteran and former hiring consultant for multiple companies, is still learning how to use the TVs. “In the crawl-walk-run process, we are currently crawling,” he said.

“I’m trying to find the best way to give info to the students.”

Martin said that he and administrators are still figuring out what information would be most helpful to students. “We have put random stuff up there, sporting event info, pictures of students,” he said. “What is the

most effective and efficient way to give info to students? That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”

Principal Wynkoop said he had previously wanted to get TVs. “It’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while,” said Wynkoop. “It’s a partnership, and it’ll be about half CTE stuff and half school related stuff.”

Some of the CTE events that Martin plans to advertise on the TVs have already appeared at the school. So far this year, American Eagle and some other companies have set up booths in the commons to advertise job opportunities to students, and Martin has plans for more job fairs in the near future.

“A big part of our focus is 21st century tech,” said Martin.

“We are trying to bring in tech to you guys in the most efficient and effective way possible.” He has already contacted rising tech startups, such as a Washingtonbased company that waters crops using drones, and aims to connect students to such employers by advertising on the TVs. Currently, Martin and administrators are working through technical problems, specifically with the upstairs TV. “We are collaborating with our vendor and supply chain to solve this issue,” said Martin.

Although Martin aims to use the TVs mainly to promote CTE opportunities, students thought that other information could also be helpful. Junior Griffin Guyer thought that advertising events would help students. “Upcoming events, sports, dances, spirit weeks, and stuff like that would be helpful,” he said. Junior Scout Brown said that putting the schedules up would also be helpful.

I

n 2018, Meany Middle School (MMS) math teacher James Johnson punched one of his students in the jaw after being shoved by the student in a conflict spurred by an argument in class, according to a district investigation summarized in a series of KUOW articles.

He claimed this was an act of self-defense. He also reportedly jabbed another student in the throat.

Earlier this year, Johnson was placed yet again on administrative leave after public radio station KUOW launched an investigation into the situation.

KUOW’s reports about a district investigation into Johnson confirms that he sexually harassed female students at Meany, touching their legs and arms in class.

He also baked a batch of brownies for one girl and, despite a disciplinary letter, called her names like “baby girl” and “honey.”

Another student stopped coming in for extra help during lunch because he started to “creep her out,” reports an investigator who participated in a school district investigation into Johnson in 2018.

Despite these findings, Johnson was then employed at Washington Middle School (WMS). After starting there, students complained about his inappropriate behavior, including him touching them against their will, calling them names, and reportedly nagging one student to remove her hijab.

The student reports eventually made their way to the WMS PTSA, where parents were alarmed by the apparent silence on the school’s end. The attitude held by the parents’ was similar to senior Vivian Mourad’s.

“I don’t care if you’re looking to hire somebody from Harvard Law, if they are not good around kids

do not hire them,” Mourad said. “The children are your number one concern.”

Johnson’s past conflicts with parents, students and Seattle Public Schools, and is hard to navigate. It started in 2004 at Lakes High School, in Lakewood, Washington.

There, Johnson pushed a student into lockers, breaking their chain necklace.

In 2010, Johnson was working at The Nova Project High School (NHS) in Seattle.

In an email, he was called out as a danger to the school by the school’s Principal, Mark Perry. Perry ended Johnson’s contract, but he was given a pass by then-Superintendent Maria Goodloe-Johnson and returned to NHS. In 2012, a faculty member at McClure Middle School called 911 after the principal seemingly ignored the reports of Johnson walking through the halls, holding two 13-year old girls by the waist.

Moving to 2018, Johnson punched an eighth-grade student at MMS, claiming it was in self-defense after the student pushed him away.

Though human resources encouraged the school to fire Johnson, previous Superintendent Larry Nyland

granted him a five-day unpaid leave after hearing support in favor of Johnson from the Principal of MMS, Chanda Oatis. Summer of that year, sexual assault claims were made and the district ended up reassigning Johnson to tutor struggling students at The Center School, a one on one job.

To prevent situations like this in the future at any Seattle Public School, teachers such as math teacher Marie Lassely believe that more conflict resolution training may need to be put into works.

Conflict resolution can help train teachers to recognize the early warning signs of conflict, improve communication skills between co-workers and students and navigate disputes (all used to help avoid or calm conflict both in class and with fellow teachers).

“We don’t really have a lot of conflict resolution [training]. I think from what I know of the incident, it sounded like they needed some way to de-escalate an intense situation,” said Lassely.

Students walking to class at Meany Middle School where teacher James Johnson previously taught. (Maya Krisman)

NEWS

February 28, 2019 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtalisman.org

How you should prepare for the SAT

05

Studying tricks and tips to use in preparation for the SAT on Mar. 4 Tess Petrillo and Hannah Weaver News Editor and Cody Editor

J

uniors will take the in-school SAT on Mar. 4, after taking the in-school PSAT on Oct. 16 of this

year.

There are a plethora of free resources available to juniors nationwide, such as Khan Academy practice problems and practice tests.

Students will often also enroll in a SAT preparation course in order to prepare for the SAT. All methods are effective for different people. A survey was taken of students who have taken the SAT to see which methods were most helpful.

76.4% of

students who had taken the SAT and the PSAT said that they scored higher on the inschool SAT than the inschool PSAT

A survey found that 69.4% of respondents felt that an SAT score is not an accurate representation of a student’s academic ability Amount of times that students took the SAT

All the data is derived from a Instagram survey taken of 55 students.

Students were asked about their strategies for taking and preparing for the SAT.

Recommendations from students who have taken the SAT “Get a test prep booklet and make Khan Academy a routine” “Study far in advance, it’s okay to retake until your happy”

“Study how the sat words problems and the test itself, rather than just the material”

“Study far in advance, it’s okay to retake until your happy”

“Rest up” “Study far in advance, it’s okay to retake until your happy”

“Taking full practice tests in a test environment. It’s a test of endurance, not of knowledge”

TAF program at Washington Middle School

School will phase out cohort model for one that benefits students of color Dhani Srinivasan Opinions Editor

D

ue to growing complaints over the inequity posed by the Highly Capable Cohorts (HCC) program in Seattle Schools, the district is planning to phase it out in favor of a program that will boost the outcomes of students of color at Washington Middle School.

The racially diverse Washington will be jointly run by the Technology Access Foundation (TAF) starting in fall of the 2020-21 school year.

TAF works to build opportunities for students of color to engage in STEM education.

Fittingly, on their website the TAF mission reads “We build collaborative

relationships with public education the future of the HCC program as a to create access to transformative whole. However, this past November, systems of learning for students Superintendent Denise Juneau and teachers of color endorsed a change in the to eliminate racecohort model. based disparities in an “There is something increasingly diverse fundamentally wrong with society.” a system that upholds The nonprofit racial segregation and organization has continuously produces achieved success in such clear disparities while several other districts failing to address them,” said Juneau in an opinion in Washington such for the Seattle Times. as in Federal Way and Aneesa Roidad (12) is in Nationally, the Seattle Tacoma.

School District ranks as one There has not yet been favor of district changes to the HCC model. of the highest in terms of a district proposal on

the opportunity gap between Black, Indigenous, and Latinx students in comparison to White and Asian students. Senior Aneesa Roidad is currently on a district team that is reviewing the HCC program and making a recommendation on it. “[TAF] is much better than a program like HCC because it is made for Black and Brown students whereas HCC is a segregated program that takes White students from students of color who are disproportionately not in HCC,” senior Aneesa Roidad said. “Washington currently is a very segregated [middle] school.”

06 SPORTS

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtally@gmail.com

WINTER SPORTS REVIEW Wrestling

T

he wrestling team ended with a record of 3-4, sending six people to state after passing through metro competitions and then regionals.

At metros the athletes must place in the top eight to reach regionals, while to get to state they need to be in the top four in their division.

Wrestling requires its athletes to become incredibly fit and maintain that for the entire competition season. According to sophomore Cooper Vaughn, being on the team means being a piece of a larger whole.

“It’s a big family who has lots of fun and goofs off,” Vaughn said.

Hugo Swangstu (11) (Ian Anderson)

Unified basketball

U

nified basketball ended their season on Feb. 8 and after their last game celebrated with pizza and karaoke.

Sophomore Lily Bayliss, who has been on the team for two years now, loves the positive, non-competitive atmosphere that makes up the unified team.

“The games are always so fun because you’re not just cheering for your own team,” Bayliss said. “You end up all cheering for each other and it’s a great environment.”

The team welcomes everyone and, according to Bayliss, “anyone should join because it’s a great experience.”

Luke Sarantinos (12) (Skye McDonald)

Girls basketball

G

irls basketball played their last game in playoffs on Feb. 11 against Bishop Blanchet. The 5436 loss marked the end of their season and they finished with an overall record of 9-12.

Senior Jessica Coacher, who has been a part of the program for four years, has seen the team give their all throughout the season.

“We improved a lot over the course of the season,” Coacher said. “Although I was sad to see it end, I knew we put everything that we had out onto the floor.”

The team had to adjust this season after losing last year’s seniors.

“It was fun to see our chemistry grow over the course of the season,” Coacher said. “At the end, we were all playing a lot better as a team.”

Jessica Coacher (12) (Julian Whitworth) Ty Herrman (12) (Julian Whitworth)

Boys basketball

B

oys basketball finished their season on Feb. 11 after losing in a playoff game against Bishop Blanchet. The team lost by only one point with the final score being 52-51.

Senior captain Ty Herrman although was disappointed about the final score, was proud to see his team give it all.

“It definitely didn’t end the way we hoped because we felt like we could’ve beat them [Bishop Blanchet],” Herrman said. “Losing the game was pretty heartbreaking especially after how much work we put into this season.”

The team finished with an overall record of 10-11.

Sabrina Paskoff (10) (Skye McDonald)

Gymnastics

F

inishing with a record of 13-1, the gymnastics team won the Metro competition for the first time since 2001. While the team lost at districts, five team members made it to the State Championships for their individual performances.

Through their dominant season, sophomore gymnast Audrey Lepper believes it’s a fantastic atmosphere and one that promotes competition.

“It’s a great environment, and all the girls are really nice,” Lepper said.

Boys Swim

D

espite a new head coach and having to drive to Queen Anne every day for practice, boys swim had a successful 2020 season.

Boys swim ended with a record of 4-2, and 27 of their 37 swimmers qualified for the Metro Preliminary Championships. Out of those 27, two qualified for state.

The team’s new coach, Kyle Morean, believes that the commute everyday for practice strengthened the bond with each other.

“I think the carpooling has stitched the guys together very well and they have a good camaraderie,” Morean said. “There’s a lot of success stories and I’m excited to coach again next year.”

Ben Caffee (11) (Ian Anderson)

SPORTS

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtalisman.org

07

The Red cheer team before performing at state. They placed third at this year’s competition at Battle Ground High School in Vancouver, Washington on Feb. 7. (Courtesy of Stella Gardner)

Cheer ends their successful season

The program finishes 17th in the nation and claims third at state Will Shepard Staff Reporter

T

he cheer program finished their long season with the Red team placing third at the 2020 State Cheerleading Championships and the Black cheer team reaching semifinals at 2020 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship in the Small Varsity D1 division.

The difference between the Red cheer team and the Black cheer team lies in their routine rules. The Black team is a tumbling cheer team while the Red team is a non-tumbling cheer team. Both compete at a varsity level and have the opportunity to compete at state and national Competitions.

A

The Black cheer team takes on nationals

lthough the Black cheer team wasn’t able to compete once again for their state championship title, they placed 17th in the Nation. Leading the state in all of their local cheer competitions, Head Coach Samantha Nieto and the team had to decide between nationals or state.

“This year we had a huge problem and choice that we had to make which was that the State Competition was on the same day as Nationals,” Nieto said. “So Black team, who has placed first the last three years at State, didn’t have the opportunity to go this year.”

In 2020, the team was the only one in Washington to make it Nationals and is one of only three teams in Washington to have ever qualified for Nationals in Orlando, Florida.

Once at Nationals, the event is unlike any that these cheerleaders have been to before. Competing against over 25,000 other cheerleaders can even leave senior Mclaren Hadley in awe.

“Going to Nationals is really awesome because you are among the best teams in the nation,” Hadley said. “The atmosphere is really competitive, but it has a fun aspect to it. You get to hang out with the other teams and see what skills they are performing.”

The team spends months perfecting their routine since they only have one chance on the mat to perform.

“By the time Nationals come around, they should feel comfortable in their routine, it’s just about managing nerves,” Nieto said. “In so many other sports, there are several chances to score and [in cheer] there is one routine, two minutes and thirty seconds, you don’t get any piece over again.”

Competing against elite cheer squads from all over the country provides a challenge for the team, something that they don’t often face at other competitions.

“At a competition that Ballard walks into, the other teams are excited just to watch Ballard warm up,” Nieto said. “The school is aware of the fact that

we have a successful cheerleading program, but I don’t think that it’s quite understood the skill level of some of the skills that are performed.”

Both the team and coaches consider this season a success, placing 17th overall for the entire nation.

“We want to continue our consistency and encourage those who have thought about cheerleading to give it a try,” Nieto said. “We want to encourage them to give it a try because it’s such an interesting group of people we have put together and every single one of them has found a home.”

T

Red cheer teams experience at State

he Red cheer team was riddled with injuries and the loss of a large number of cheerleaders this year, which plagued them all the way until state. Madison Harth, a sophomore on the Red cheer team, spoke about the surprising and unexpected challenges this season presented.

“Our original division was a large non-tumbling team, and then we ended up being moved down to a medium non-tumbling,” Harth said. “So that is a whole other group of [cheerleaders] that are probably using harder skills then we are.”

The constant injuries prevented the Red team from competing in numerous smaller competitions across the year that help build and hone the routines that are practiced on the mat. Cheerleaders and coaches can try new skills for their routine, and work out what does and doesn’t work in an environment much more realistic to state and national competitions.

“This year we only went to two competitions before state [while] last year we went to five,” Peters said. “We never got that because of scheduling conflicts and injuries. We had to pull out of a competition because of my back injury.”

In addition to the injuries, the team was mostly made up of new cheerleaders this year.

“We only had six people return out of 14 of us, and a bunch of people quit at the beginning,” Peters said.

Christina Fitzpatrick, one of the two head coaches of the Red team, wrote about the loss of many returning cheerleaders in an email.

“This season our team consisted of mostly rookies so we really had to take a step back and focus on our technique while executing skills,” Fitzpatrick said. “We are very proud of how flexible the girls were able to be when it came to filling in different positions and making quick changes.”

The Red team quickly qualified for state in their first competition. To qualify, the team had to score a 59 or above on the score sheet out of 90. The Red Cheer team scored a 62.5 on their first attempt.

State Competition is a whole different

atmosphere and experience than any other competition.

“Once you walk into the hotel you realize that this is real,” Harth said. “You have all of these nerves going around and then the adrenaline starts kicking in and you have a whirlwind of emotions, everything is crazy.”

Next season, the Red team hopes to build on the standards they set this year.

“Next year we’d love to have a more consistent season and be able to increase our strength and further advance our technique in order to put out a more difficult routine,” Fitzpatrick said. “ We would be ecstatic for the girls to put out a final clean zero reduction routine and achieve all of their goals that were set at the beginning of the season.”

Freshman Lucy Holman and her stunt group, preparing for nationals in Orlando, Florida.

(Courtesy of Hailey CarneyWoods)

08 FOCUS

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtally@gmail.com

LIVING IN THE MOMENT

By Ian Davino & Piper Sloan Co-Editors-in-Chief

C

onsider the events that have monopolized the media for the past few years. Crisis after crisis insists that every day history is being made. Rapidly advancing technology, constantly changing political landscape and unprecedented global communication have marked our time period with an undeniable distinction from the rest.

A major part of this distinction is the impending climate crisis. For the first time, people around the world are experiencing firsthand the effects of decades of pollution and rising global

temperatures. This ongoing catastrophe necessitates immediate action, yet for an age characterized by its need for global cooperation there is an dangerous surplus of polarization.

Communication technologies catered to individuals’ common interest has blinded people to the realities of conflicting opinions within their own community, which only deepens any political or social divide.

Despite the advancement and growing connections synonymous with the modern era, the net cultural change appears lackluster. Women are still demanding the same rights they sought after over

Two students walk out in San Diego at the 2017 Women’s March (Courtesy of Bonzo Mcgrue) over the 1970’s Women’s Strike for Equality (Courtesy of Eugene Gordon / Getty Images)

Y

outh protests are often undermined today by a supposed lack of experience.

Strikes and marches are too quickly dismissed under the blanket of youthful rebellion, rather than valuing the message behind the movement.

The truth is that the issues all have their roots in the past — everything the students of today protest about is what their parents before them stood for.

On Aug. 26, 1970, 50 years after women received the right to vote, tens of thousands of women marched down Fifth Avenue in New York to demand equal rights in Congress in the Women’s Strike for Equality. Almost another 50 years later, on Jan. 21, 2017, over 400 million women took to the streets in the National Women’s March to demonstrate the inequality that remains pervasive in Congress to this day.

40 years ago, scientists continue to fight for recognition of a global crisis that has been disregarded for too long, xenophobia across the globe seemed to have decreased ostensibly only to return with an added zeal in recent years.

Though discussions of inequity have staked their claim in mainstream media, little tangible progress has been made in regards to tackling the widespread prejudice and discrimination that pervade our culture.

The fragile political balance in which we reside has rendered it such that any minor issue turns into a widespread crisis, serving only to stoke the flames of a never-ending ideological conflict within our

country. In a world that is facing an unprecedented global challenge, too much time is being spent focusing on the polarizing differences between us.

We are living in an age where we have been granted the resources to be either incredibly influential or exceedingly passive.

Years from now, someone will ask what we were doing at such a turbulent moment in history, it’s up to us to have a good answer.

Greta Thunberg speaks at the UN Climate Summit Speech in 2019 (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images) over the first meeting of the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988. (Courtesy of the IPCC)

S

ince the idea of climate change was first introduced, it has been neglected and disregarded by politicians and other individuals in power. It was decades until the issue became a mainstream conversation topic, despite scientists and other experts urging people to take action.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change met for the first time in 1988.

According to NASA, at that time the mean temperature was 0.38 degrees Celsius above the global average. In 2019, the global temperature increased by 0.98 degrees Celsius. This issue has become much more pressing and yet experts and activists still struggle to have their voices heard in the fight for climate justice.

Our time is characterized above all by the need to address climate change, so why is our action still comparable to that of decades before?

FOCUS

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtalisman.org

09

President Trump delivering his acquittal speech after his impeachment trial over former President Bill Clinton delivering his in 1999. (Courtesy of The White House / YouTube screenshots)

What makes this time period historically significant?

Carol Faust Economics, World History

Gregory Feise AP US History and

Alonzo Ybarra US History, World

This time period is historically significant because of the level of globalization and the ease of communication and movement of peoples. Never before has information moved so quickly, and the world’s people been so interconnected...We learn to get along with others, use resources more efficiently, and honor our differences through our contact with others. Diseases can quickly become pandemics and some react by factionalizing and isolating through nationalism. It is an interesting time to study because so many parts of history are being repeated like xenophobia, though the new interconnectedness make those experiences different than before.”

On the one hand it is easy to lose historical perspective when we focus so intensely on the present that we live in. Our country has at times been convulsed by social, economic and political turmoil.

Think about assassinations and riots involving war and civil rights in the 60’s, World War Two and the rise of Fascism, the Great Depression and Civil War in our own country. On the other hand Ballard students face the profound challenges of a changing climate, rapid technological innovations and an extremely divided political system that at least on the national level seeks to undermine the very institutions that have provided the constitutional foundations for our country.”

I believe this current time period is significant because we are witnessing the fragility of our democratic republic and the inability of our government to address the most pressing needs of the people including climate change, environmental justice, economic inequalities and human rights. The future of our country will be determined by the energy of young voters to change the political landscape by rejecting the politics of fear, choosing instead to bravely organize in solidarity for the future of the nation and the planet.”

III and AP World History

American Government

History I and III

Jack Thompson Honors and AP World History

The current historical period is significant because the environmental consequences of industrial growth that began in the 19th century are coming to a head.

This emerging reality challenges deeply held cultural values in the West related to free-market capitalism. This makes community efforts to bend the economy towards environmental sustainability very contentious and fraught with cultural and political obstacles.”

10 FEATURES

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtally@gmail.com

Jay Pierce (11) spoke about his research on differences of treatment for atypical people based on gender.

(Courtesy of Flickr, Suzanne Pierce)

Student presents TEDxYouth talk on neurodiversity and gender studies Junior shares personal experiences and studies to educate about aspects of neurodiversity Tess Petrillo News Editor

J

unior Jay Pierce is currently attending Running Start courses at Bellevue College while also committing to extensive research on gender, autism and neurodiversity — the belief that brain differences are normal rather than deficits — outside of formal schooling. Pierce has gained a wealth of information from his research and decided to share it with the rest of the world in a TEDxYouth presentation.

This opportunity came about when Pierce was doing his daily routine, watching TED Talks. “I like to keep an eye out for these things — I saw that the Youth TED Talk was coming to Seattle and I was like, ‘I have some things to say,”’ he said.

Pierce wants to bring attention to the oppression forced upon people who are neurologically atypical, including the ways in which people with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or schizophrenia have to cope with the exclusivity in society.

He spoke about how people who are not neurotypical have a significant amount of difficulty getting a job, or simply being accepted in society as an equal, because society is under the notion that those who are anything besides neurotypical can only be dangerous or dysfunctional.

Originally, his main field of study was not in

“Symptoms for autism are different for each gender, but we only diagnose based on the symptoms of the male gender.”

-Junior Jay Pierce

neurodiversity. “My original topic was going to be just autism, but I knew I could expand on it,” he said.

“I knew that only two or three people watching would have autism, so I figured if I talked about an issue that covered things such as schizophrenia or ADHD, more people would be affected by what I was saying.”

Pierce’s chosen subject is actually part of the reason he got the chance to speak. “There were six to nine speakers and half of them were talking about climate change so when I said neurodiversity they were like ‘join the party,’” he said.

When constructing his speech, he wanted it to reflect his own personal dialogue in the best way possible. “You know when you’re in the shower and you have an argument with yourself? My process was basically like that but I wrote it all down.”

With the finalizing of the speech, Pierce was given some extra help to aid in the revision process.

“When you do a TED Talk, you get a speaker coach to make sure you are following all the rules,” he said. “TED Talks have very strict rules, for example, I was not allowed to mention any companies in my presentation.”

Specifically, he discussed how having a mental disorder on your resume greatly reduces your chances of getting a job. This aspect is frustrating to Pierce, given that often times people are able to control the symptoms caused by their disorder.

“Like I have ADHD, I can’t sit still — but I can manage that,” he said.

This is part of the issue that Pierce is trying to solve, and a main reason that prompted his research.

Before venturing into the broader topic of neurodiversity, he decided to research autism when he learned a disheartening fact about the process of diagnosis. “Symptoms for autism are different for each gender,” Pierce explained, “but we only diagnose based on the symptoms of the male gender.”

Wanting to solve the problem, he set to work on researching the symptoms of autism found to be

specific to females.

Due to lack of information in published pieces, he derived most of his information from social media. He did this by going on Wordpress blogs and finding records of neurologically atypical people’s personal history and diagnostic status, along with their most frequent symptoms. Then, he sorted the symptoms that were most common and used those symptoms to formulate questions that could be asked of someone to see if they have these symptoms.

As he delved deeper into the topic, the aspect of gender in the totality of neurodiversity became apparent.

“If a boy has autism, ADHD or even schizophrenia, it is seen as more acceptable than if a girl was to have any one of those — the boys are also more likely to be treated and cared for than the girls,” he said.

Pierce also became increasingly concerned with the way that people with schizophrenia or dissociative personality disorder (formerly known as split or multiple personality disorder) are portrayed in the media and television. “Because of how these people are portrayed in the media, if they have an episode they are labeled as a monster — causing them to get depression or anxiety which causes their symptoms to worsen.”

While he conducts the majority of his research outside of school, Pierce has also started taking classes related to his field of study. “I am taking psychology and human development, which goes extensively into the topic of autism,” he said.

He also noted that our high school’s special education program was doing well in comparison to what is offered elsewhere in the district, but recommended that the health curriculum be reconstructed to include education on neurodiversity, as well as gender.

As for the students, Pierce has one request.

“Many disorders are not problems, but differences — differences that society can’t handle right now.

Accept people that are different from you as equals, and try to gain an understanding of those people.”

FEATURES

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

ballardtalisman.org

11

Students share their miscellaneous collections Samantha Swainson Features Editor

E

veryone has a quirk. For some it could be routinely eating an orange once a day and for others it could be never taking off their rank beanie in public; for these three students it’s about collections.

Whether tickets, glass figurines, sweatshirts or crystals, each started on a whim and ended up spanning years.

You don’t need to travel far and wide to see the oddities of life when they reside in our very community. Everyone’s got a thing that sets them a part, read below for student recounts about the collections that do the same for them.

O

ne ticket stub mistakenly left in her pocket led theatre aficionado and senior Lillie Wirth on the ticket collecting journey of a lifetime.

What do you collect?

“I collect tickets and programs from shows and movies I go to, or Senior Lillie Wirth anything really that has a ticket or program.

I’ve got my movie stubs, I go to a good amount of theatre so I’ve got all that stuff. I try to find tickets

R

ead the intriguing recount about senior Emma Bergeron’s collection of over 100 sweatshirts that span the walls of her room.

What do you collect?

“I have a sweatshirt collection, you could say.

I don’t specifically collect Senior Emma Bergeron them, it’s not a valuable collection.”

Do you know how many you have?

“Probably around 106 by now. I wear all of them consistently, they’re just a mix. I have [some] from

T

hey started as a gift and ended as one. The windowsill of Senior Elle Murray’s room is littered glass figurines in the shapes of animals.

How many figurines do you have?

“I started with about 40 glass figurines, when I was moving I dropped Senior Elle Murray them all and a ton broke.

Now, I think I have around 20.”

Where do you get them?

“My grandma gave me some, my other grandma gave me a bunch of hers. I say that I collect, even

from shows I’m in or the ones I direct. I participate in an annual theatre festival and I always save a program from that festival.”

pieces of paper on the wall, so a scrapbook sounds like a good idea, but it also sounds like a lot of work.”

What compelled you to start?

“I don’t know. I started when I was ten years old maybe, it’s just been a nice way to remember all the things I’ve done. I can look back at a certain movie I saw or a certain show and it’s a nice little way of remembering that moment in time.”

Anything else to say?

“I really don’t know, I started on a weird whim as a fifth grader and just kept doing it. It’s a nice way to remember stuff.”

Do you take tickets from other people?

“It’s just me, unless I go to a show with a friend and lose my ticket, then I might ask.”

Where do you keep them?

“The programs are in my desk drawer and I keep the tickets in a box.”

Do you have an endgame in mind?

“I really don’t know, I’ve been thinking about scrapbooking. I have a lot of random

Lillie Wirth (12) collects tickets. She is inspired by her involvement with school theatre and outside school productions. She looks forward to a college career directing their local theatre.

(Courtesy of Lillie Wirth)

travel, college, ones from thrifting. Some of them are sentimental, I have some from my grandfather that he gave me before he passed away. I think I have some of my sister’s ex’s sweatshirts.”

How are they all organized?

“They’re all on bookshelves. I have the sports ones with lacrosse and all the Ballard sports, the college ones and travel ones on a separate shelf.”

What do you do with them? Do you have any plans for them?

“Here’s the thing, I wear all of them. I’m like a factory for trading sweatshirts, it’s like one of those tiny libraries where you take a book and you give one back. But I’ll probably give them away.”

What’s the oldest one you own?

“I think I have one from McClure in there, I don’t know why.”

Do you have any specificities for a sweatshirt?

“I just go for a sweatshirt. I see one and say ‘I like that.” though I’m only gifted them. When they [the grandmothers] think of me, that’s the attribute that comes to mind for them.”

Organized by relevance, the shelf above is dedicated to sports. (Courtesy of Emma Bergeron)

“I will probably leave them all, just so I don’t break them.”

What’s the first figurine you had?

“The first one I ever got was a little pig.”

Are they lifelike?

“They’re definitely not realistic, they’re like cartoons. I don’t enjoy them for their realism.”

What do you do with them?

“They’ve been collecting dust for awhile, a good six years.”

What’s the plan for when you’re at college?

Above are a glass dog, an owl and an elephant. Elle Murray (12) was gifted these glass figurines as a kid and continues to look after them.

(Courtesy of Elle Murray)

12 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ballardtally@gmail.com

Mac Miller’s career comes full circle

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

Musician’s estate releases first posthumous album, and last that Miller himself had planned Lukas Ramakrishnan Staff Reporter

S

ept. 7, 2018, Mac Miller was found dead in his Los Angeles apartment from an accidental drug overdose. At the young age of 26, Miller’s career as an artist was cut incredibly short, and he was just beginning to realize his musical talents.

“Circles” is the first posthumous release from Miller’s estate. The album’s producer, Jon Brion, who has previously worked across a myriad of film scores, stated that the album was a continuation of the last album released by Miller, “Swimming.”

The grand theme of the two albums were two opposing styles coming together to complete a circle.

I’ll be honest, it is hard to listen to this album after Miller’s passing. The first track, also titled “Circles,” immediately opens with the line “Well this is what it looks like, right before you fall.” While this is likely about a downturn in fame and not really knowing

where one is a going, it is hard to not see this as a foreshadowing of Miller’s death.

The album is a perfect evolution of Miller’s sound over his years as an active musician. His music has shifted from the much younger, faster rapping of his early projects such as “K.I.D.S.” and “Best Day Ever,” to the entanglement of fast, hard bars and an early foray into singing on “GO:OD AM” and finally into “The Divine Feminine” and “Swimming” which are much closer stylistically to “Circles.”

The genre of “Circles” isn’t as clear of some of Miller’s previous work.

Elements of jazz, R&B, pop, hip hop and even some indie folk can all be found in the album, and there is sure to be at least one song in the album each listener will enjoy.

That’s not to say that Miller completely shifted into a jazzy R&B singer though, as he definitely harkened back to some of his more youthful sounds in this album. Tracks such as “Blue World” and

“Hands,” while certainly slower than “Donald Trump” and “Knock Knock” of years past, still encompass a quick tongue, with some clever lines spun into the lyrics.

Despite this album releasing over a year after Miller’s death, there is no part of it that feels incomplete. Unlike XXXTentacion’s posthumous album, “Skins,” “Circles” leaves no feeling of shallowness, or the impression that small amounts of vocals were distorted into a full-length song.

The worst part of this album is knowing that this is it. This will be the final complete album from Miller, with everything beyond this album likely being a looser mish-mash of unfinished products.

That being said, I don’t think Miller could have released a better album that so wholly encompasses his career.

“Circles” is the perfect conclusion to Miller’s story. It is a fitting closing-of-the-door he opened when he first started releasing music. This is a “don’t be sad because it is over, smile because it happened” moment in music history.

Circles (2020)



Season two of “Sex Education” is better than the first

Diving deeper into the complexities of relationships, the show improves and expands its formula

Tess Petrillo News Editor

N

ever have I ever laughed, cried and pondered the concept of sex all throughout the duration of a single episode, for every episode of an entire season, until watching the second season of “Sex Education.”

Like the first season, everything about the show remains colorful and exciting, perfect for someone like me with the attention span of a goldfish. From the costume design to the cinematography to the screenplay, there is not one part of this season that did not interest me.

This season went a bit more in depth to the lives of each character, an aspect that played an important role in the overall emotional appeal of the show. Each character, even the minor ones, have a story that some portion of the audience can relate to — an aspect as intriguing as it is important.

Including characters with many different sexualities provides representation, which leads to their acceptance and normalization of these sexualities. This also gave opportunities for the show to bring to light the many different sexualities that fall in between those that are most commonly known. Not only did it educate about sexualities, it also educated about sex itself.

Sex is arguably one of the least discussed topics in the average high school education space while also being one of the most common activities in high school. “Sex Education” touches on this topic while also educating their audience of primarily high school students about the areas of sex that aren’t taught in high school.

Topics like sex drive and masturbation, fetishes, in television or in the media become destructive anal douching and the spread of STIs; it doesn’t get when kids start thinking that their feelings are more entertaining than that. The brilliance of the too much, or invalid — because all they see are show lies in how it educates about all these topics. intangible realities.

From the kid with a “masturbation addiction” to the In “Sex-Education,” not only are there girl with a tentacle fetish, the show demonstrates relationships concerning all kinds of sexualities, the comedic but the different complexities that issues that can arise exists within the in a relationship are realm of sex. acknowledged as well.

Often, when This aspect aids in sex is depicted the normalization of in television or problems people have cinema, it goes no in their love life while farther than the providing a story that idealistic, overly they can relate and romanticized connect to. It’s going and heterosexual to make you cry. version of sex.

And if you don’t What makes the have and don’t want comedic aspect a sex life or a love of this show so life, watch this for Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, and Aimee Lou Wood star in season important is the soundtrack and two of “Sex Education.” The show follows Butterfield’s character Otis the cinematography. that it depicts the as he educates his fellow students on sex. (Courtesy of Netflix) many other things Of course both of these sex is — weird, uncomfortable, confusing — and elements are included to enhance the story lines, demonstrates an actuality that its high school and yes they were the reasons why this show made audience can relate to. me so emotional — but they are a work of art in Besides the sex, “Sex Education” dives deep into themselves and deserve appreciation. the interpersonal relationships between all the I recommend this show to anyone. If you’re a kid, characters: this is the heart-wrenching part. The watch it. If you’re a parent, watch it. And if you’re a superficiality and oversimplification of relationships brave kid, watch it with your parents.

13

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

‘The Circle’ is pretty freaky

ballardtalisman.org

It’s all fun and games until the sunglasses come on in Netflix’s new drama/reality TV show

Brett Richter Staff Reporter

N

etflix is apparently on a forming-connections-withoutactually-seeing-others kick lately. The release of the US version of “The Circle” (originally from the UK, and expecting to have spin-offs hitting Brazil and France later this year) also came with the release of other shows, like “Love Is Blind” (single men and women look for love and eventually get married without ever — surprise!

— seeing each other). Even the slightly horrifying drama series “You” from late last year focuses on a man who sees a girl and proceeds to cyber-stalk (and just regular stalk) her. Obviously, someone over at Netflix is in the mood for some commentary on social media.

But after a while of watching “The Circle,” you just realize the players are a bunch of competitive millennials talking to intelligent screens scattered around a “luxury” apartment they can’t leave.

week straight is healthy for anyone... I think too much [exposure to the internet] isn’t good for you, because it affects how you view the world around you and the people around you.”

Sasso was commonly seen in the show wearing sunglasses while lounging around the apartment.

While the viewers assumed this was a “fashion choice” it was Cartoon by Sam Rainville Usually, players can be split into later revealed in two categories coming in: those the interview that he was instead who want to prove a point by being wearing them because of the constant themselves and those who want to bright lighting in the apartment-- so The premise prove a point by being other people. that the producers could better see he whole idea behind it: lack Usually, it’s something about how what activities the contestants were of human interaction, reliance in their everyday lives they feel like up to. Sasso went as far as to say, “I on screens, so on and so forth, people don’t respect them, or make don’t care if I look like the biggest seems scary. The show itself takes assumptions about them, or don’t see toolbox in television history, I’m the idea of social media and pushes the REAL person behind the face. It’s wearing sunglasses because my eyes it to the extreme. Honestly, it’s an all very emotional. are killing me.” interesting look into human nature.

Players try to connect with their Even so, “When everybody saw The show starts with eight players fellow contestants through minigames each other’s profiles for the first time, entering an apartment building and chats. At the end of every episode, they immediately had assumptions. decked out with 12 trendy rooms. the players rank each other. The two [They] had to be careful about Each player got their own room, and highest-ranked players — the most what [they] wrote, just to present according to contestant Joey Sasso in Health risks liked players in the Circle — become themselves as someone they thought a Wired interview, “You don’t know unior Ian Killoran comments “Circle Influencers,” and gain the other people would like,” freshman what time it is! So I can’t even answer on the health risk of such a ability to choose who to “block” Lulu Andersen says. how long we were in the apartments show. “I mean, I can’t say that from or kick off of “The Circle.” The The players tried to fight for, from start to finish. I know the highest-ranked player at the end wins stereotyping and judgment by entire experience, overall, was about a being locked in a room for like a — and takes home stereotyping and judging others. It’s a sweet $100,000. natural, but still presents itself on For any “Black paper as what it is — an oxymoron.

Mirror” fans out It’s also pretty common to see contestants jumping on the there, this may bandwagon, whether it’s ganging up sound familiar. on one of the other players, or being Many viewers the “nice guy.” They all just wanted to have observed be accepted when it came down to it. the similarities Which, again, is natural. between the To be honest, though the show reality TV show started out with a group of try-hard and the episode attention seekers fighting for each “Nosedive,” based in a world where other over social media for 100,000 social media followers, it morphs into a group rankings control of people forming connections -everything. seemingly real connections -- because when it comes down to it, that’s just what people do.

Reflections And the contestants are REAL s the show people. Actors, maybe. Fakers, continues, sometimes. But so is everyone. When a few Chris Sapphire sits in his TV apartment while participating on Netflix’s new reality TV show “The Circle.” All eight it comes down to it, they’re just of the contestants on the show lived in the same building, but never interacted with each other in real life — interesting trends human. only through social media. Netflix adapted the show from a UK version. (Courtesy of Netflix) start to pop up.

T

month.”

At least the contestants had outdoor space, which they were permitted a few minutes of a day. And other facilities like a gym, which can be assumed that it follows similar rules.

Then it was back to their apartments, cut off from all non-players.

So… a high-tech month-long prison stay.

Usually, players can be split into two categories: those who want to prove a point by being themselves and those who want to prove a point by being other people.

J

A

14 OPINIONS Sound off: Should we be celebrating Valentine’s Day? THE BAD THE GOOD

February 28, 2020

ballardtally@gmail.com

Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

Cartoon by Sam Rainville

Paige Anderson Sports Editor

Elliot Armitage A&E Editor

T

hink, for a second, about how many of those disgusting high school couples you see smooching to high heaven every year on Feb. 14 Now, imagine having to see that nauseating scene every single day of the year.

That’s the world that Valentine’s Day haters are trying to create.

If you were lonely on Feb. 14 be thankful that you only had to endure one day of hyper- focused romance. It’s in your best interests to contain the disease.

Do you have a Valentine? If not, why are you crying about it? Take this opportunity to turn your crippling loneliness into motivation. The worst things are often the best motivators, like capitalism.

Valentine’s Day is no different. If you don’t have a Valentine, it serves as a day of reflection, a time to transform your pain into constructive characterbuilding; if you do, it’s a day to appreciate your significant other, which is an objectively good thing.

Holidays have indeed become more of a consumerist jerk-off than an actual celebration.

However, to advocate for the death of a holiday simply because of that consumerism is ridiculous.

To give up, to say that celebrating holidays is pointless because of how intertwined they have become with capitalism would be to let our economic system claim victory over our emotions.

If you don’t have the means to spend exuberantly on your valentine, I sincerely hope that your significant other is an understanding, kind person.

At worst, Valentine’s Day is a litmus test for a--holes who value material wealth over love.

In the end, I agree. Valentine’s Day should not be the peak of a relationship; it should simply be a day of appreciation. There’s no reason to get rid of Valentine’s Day altogether, though. What would that accomplish? Feb. 14 would just be another normal day living in the dingy, overcast city, another unbearable high school morning.

And the worst of all these mitigable complaints: the mascot. What would you rather it be, a high school couple going at it in the hallway? A naked adult wearing a diaper that shoots arrows at people?

Shut up, baby hater.

W

hen Valentine’s Day comes around, it has the same effect on me as when I see that one couple making out in the middle of the hallways. That feeling is uncomfortable, unnecessary and the underlying message being sent to you is that you’re single and alone.

I know that I’m not the only one when it comes to my hatred towards the so called holiday. Those who don’t have a Valentine dread Feb. 14, while those who do have one are creating high expectations for themselves that will most likely be crushed.

My earliest memories of Valentine’s Day are in elementary school when my classmates and I would have to pass out cheesy, store-bought cards to each other with a single Hershey kiss on it. This is what started the consumerism that feeds into the holiday.

According to the National Retail Federation in 2018, the United States spent an estimated $19.6 billion on Valentine’s Day products.

The holiday encourages showing love and affection through tangible items and if you don’t receive any of those store bought products, you just feel alone and can’t wait till Feb. 15 when that box of chocolates is half off.

The holiday is plagued with fake romance and is designed for couples who already flaunt their relationship during the other 364 days of the year.

It’s hard to blame them; society — or rather the consumers market — has shaped Valentine’s Day image into something so magical when it’s really not.

Valentine’s Day is all about romance and although it may give someone a reason to give their crush a love letter, the real romantic thing to do is to be spontaneous.

Don’t wait till the day everyone else is buying their loved one a bouquet of flowers or a pair of sparkling earrings. Valentine’s Day takes away the surprise of romance and makes it seem less special and unoriginal. Don’t wait for a specific day to show your loved ones that you love and appreciate them.

Also the “mascot” for the holiday is a diaper wearing baby that shoots arrows at people. Who signed off on that?

2020 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE ROUNDUP

Dhani Srinivasan & Hannah Weaver Opinions Editor and Copy Editor

A

head of Washington’s Democratic primary on March 10th, we interviewed seniors that will be eligible to vote in the general election on the candidate that they are going to back.

Students shared a statement on why they are supporting a particular candidate in the primary.

This provides a snapshot of what motivates each student to vote.

Due to the size of the Democratic primary pool (and the absence of a complete Republican one) we restricted the number of candidates that are still in the running.

Only candidates polling at our above 5% in February 23rd’s CNN poll are shown here. The exception to this is Amy Klobuchar who we were unable to find a supporter for.

All cartoons by Peter Brown

“A lot of what a president is able to do is based on their ability to project foreign policy in the world. I think that has been Trump’s big weakness is his inability to deal with nations in any competent sense. [Biden] was in the vice president role. He does have that experience dealing with foreign nations. .”

-Ransom Miller (12) for Joe Biden

“There are policies that Bloomberg created [in New York] that are here today in Seattle like the sugar tax and reducing smoking... He’s using his own funds to fuel his own campaign and I think that is important because it shows he is willing and has the drive and wants to enact his own change.”

-Callum Bone (12) for Mike Bloomberg

OPINIONS

February 28, 2020

ballardtalisman.org

Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

15

From tweets to award show speeches in Hollywood

How much credit do these stars deserve for their attempts at making a difference?

Lillie Wirth Guest Writer

P

rominent among the red carpet coverage of the Oscars was Natalie Portman, who shocked audiences by wearing a Dior cape embroidered with the names of snubbed female directors. In a video taken on the red carpet by Amy Kaufman for the LA Times, Portman said, “I wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year, in my subtle way.”

As someone who has been very vocal about the lack of recognition, I initially applauded Portman for her brave stance. But as I thought about it more and scrolled through the endless articles and tweets that questioned Portman’s decision, I began to wonder if “subtle” is enough.

Hollywood is full of A-list celebrities making bold statements championing causes. It gets a little old though, seeing Kim Kardashian tweet “Climate change is real” as she flies on her private jet to her mansion in Beverly Hills.

Of course, not all Hollywood activism is as feeble as this. But so many of the statements these stars make feel like empty words. Portman, for example, has only worked with three female directors on feature films in the span of her nearly thirty-year career.

“I guess [Portman’s cape] is middling activism,” says Ariana Williams, a student at Roosevelt High School. “But in the end, it’s not an active step.”

Not all of the activism in Hollywood has been of the “middling” kind though. Perhaps the best example of this is the Time’s Up movement, which began in 2018 with an open letter to

the New York Times. The letter was signed by over 300 women in the entertainment industry, including Portman. It contained a pledge of solidarity with the women in less high profile industries who had experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as a call for men in leadership positions to stand up to this injustice.

As promised in the letter, the women also launched the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, which works to provide legal help to women who have experienced harassment in the workplace.

Also through Time’s Up, actress Tessa Thompson launched the 4% challenge in January 2019. The challenge got its name from a study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which found that “only four percent of the top 1,200 studio films from 2007-2018 were directed by women.”

Thompson challenged creators and studios to work with one female director on a feature film within the next 18 months. Dozens of stars made this pledge, as well as several large studios including Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Entertainment.

Working with just one female director over the course of 18 months

“I like his moderate views, I appreciate [him] not being too forward with his ideas...I used to be a big fan of Bernie but I think that when you’re making big claims, like healthcare for all, it’s not that realistic and if somebody’s gonna beat Trump, it’s going to be someone in between that the other side can agree with.”

-Arlo Breslaur (12) for Pete Buttigieg

is a low bar, but at least it is an example of Hollywood stars working to create concrete change within the industry.

Additionally, much of Hollywood activism happens out of the public eye according to senior Marley Rankin.

“I know a lot of celebrities have donated tons of money to organizations, but it’s against their contracts to make controversial opinions in public for their safety,” said Rankin.

Cartoon by Sam Rainville

For example, Timothée Chalamet promised to donate his wages from Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” to two different sexual assault charities, including Time’s Up, and one LGBTQ+ rights charity.

Chalamet said that due to “contractual obligations” he was unable to give any more information on the subject.

Rankin adds that those who do speak publicly about social justice are

“[Bernie’s] really clear about his plan of action. He’s not trying to use any flowery language to appeal to a more educated class of individuals, he’s really straightforward and I like that transparency... He’s definitely an ally of women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color.”

-Indigo Mitchell (12) for Bernie Sanders

actually doing a lot just by speaking out.

“By using their platform they’re already making a bigger statement than an individual without such a big following,” Rankin said.

Movements like the 4% challenge show that speaking out can make a difference. The wave of activism has definitely made more filmmakers conscious of creating equity within their work. Senior Sebastian Zufelt agrees with this sentiment.

“While actions are stronger than words, this activism is helping the next generation of filmmakers go into the industry with a new mindset,” said Zufelt.

As a filmmaker himself, Zufelt says the level of activism has made him much more conscious on his own projects of “the ratio of guys to girls on set, both cast and crew” and “[making] sure everyone’s comfortable when the balance isn’t there.”

If Hollywood activism is influencing young filmmakers like Zufelt, then it’s definitely doing something right. Its true actions speak louder than words, but maybe words are enough on a celebrity’s part if they spark others into action.

Whether or not Hollywood activism is done “correctly” depends entirely on what a star is saying and how they are saying it. It’s hard to define which of these statements made by celebrities are genuine and which are self-righteous attempts to seem “woke.” At the end of the day though, I think there needs to be more positive acknowledgment of the courage to say anything at all. Each time a celebrity speaks out against injustice they are taking a step in the right direction.

If it is true that words lead to action, then I think the words of a few celebrities with such huge followings are a pretty good place to start.

“[Warren’s] not a career politician so she’s super into rooting out corruption within our government... She also is extremely wellversed and educated. That’s really appealing when you look at other candidates like Biden, or Trump himself who can’t hold their own in a debate.”

-Nora Levasseur (12) for Elizabeth Warren

Register to vote online

by March 2nd for the primary

16 BEAVERTAIL

ballardtalisman.org

BEAVESDROPPING

February 28, 2020 Ballard High School (Seattle, WA)

HEARD IN THE HALLWAYS: WOW YOU GUYS AREN’T GETTING ANY FUNNIER

“GOD, your cat looks like a roasting turkey”

“I DON’T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SEQUIN CHEETAH PRINT”

“I WEAR UNDERWEAR FOR “BRUH YOU’RE HARSHIN’ THE MY CAT” FREAKIN MELLO” “I need you to turn off the poptropica music” “YOU LOOK LIKE A SPANISH OVEN”

“I was so distracted by Avril Lavigne that I got on the wrong bus and rode to Northgate”

SATIRE: Addicted to moisturizing those lips

Teen shares her harrowing story of Carmex addiction in Ointment’s Anonymous Samantha Swainson Features Editor

T

he room is devoid of reds and yellows; attendees were explicitly told to avoid wearing them. This is a safe space, a place without damaging strawberry reds, all consuming yellows, and addictive lip balms.

All voluntary participants must abstain from involving themselves with these influences.

For some it was convenient, for others it was a necessity. At a point these reasons became excuses and soon enough the addictive and overbearing influence of Carmex consumed them. It was a constant struggle to not offend polite society by manically lathering on the paste and finally feeling the soothing relief of Carmex.

There’s no other rush like the numbing effect

Cartoon by Peter Brown

that hits immediately after application, the slightly acidic sensation that spreads throughout their jaw has each Carmex junkie smacking their lips for more.

“There was one point when I forgot my Carmex. I had the driest lips. I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t use anything else because nothing hit right,” our anonymous interviewee said. Watching her smile bitterly, I noticed her lips were bare of the enchanting shine left behind by Carmex.

It’s rumored that Carmex contains shards of grinded up glass to cause the magnificent glisten users often fiend for. Whatever it is, the hankering for Carmex has left hundreds across America devastated.

The issue is one of the most talked about in local politics. The youth seem to be the most susceptible. The community organizes weekly cleanups of the local parks and high schools, where luminous Carmex bottles, salve containers, and squeeze tubes litter the ground.

“It’s not something I ever pictured myself doing,” she recounted. “Before I knew it, I was applying after every meal and beverage. I needed Carmex. My lowest point was sneaking out in the dead of winter just to put some lip balm on. It was dirty and I needed to hide.”

Addiction is an easy trap to fall into, but the four steps to recovery are no walk in the park; the road to recovery is filled with potholes.

The first step is admitting the problem. Our source had this to say about the moment she

recognized the issue, “It was so anticlimactic. I was practicing in band, but I had to stop playing my tuba every couple minutes to reapply.”

The second step is to find your support. To recover from a serious ointment addiction, trust that there are others out there who had the same uncontrollable itch to moisten their lips.

Step three involves the dreaded detox. “My detox was so flakey.” In any chapstick related detox, tremors cause intense facial twitches throughout the sordid process. “I was so nervous, everything felt stilted and I couldn’t stop licking my lips.” These acute tremors are often followed by an outpouring of upper lip sweat and extreme dry lip anxiety.

The next stage of the process isn’t a traditional step. Early lip balm sobriety requires tremendous effort in establishing a routine; find what level of flake is too much and what’s just right. “I knew nothing would ever feel the same.

It was like breaking up with your first love, you’re never gonna love another lip balm the same way.”

Being addicted to applying healing lotion to your face isn’t as conventional as most drugs out there, but the dangers of Carmex lay in wait for the next sloppy application. Fortunately, the world marches on. There are hundreds of other ways to alleviate the pain of shriveled lips.

Forsake Carmex to prevent your home from becoming a wasteland. Follow Burt’s Bees propaganda for healthy lip care.