May 26, 2017
Volume 96, Issue 10
An Open Forum for Student Expression
Supporters of The Garfield Messenger Benefactors Bridge Partners Susan Byrnes Patrons Anonymous (2) Beth Britt Ellen Chestnut Gabrielle Coulon Harry Cheadle Kim & Michelle Gould Tana Lin & Paul Holland Friends Anonymous (9) Ann Hollar Argeres Family Deborah & Keith Ferguson DeBody, LLC Elana Jassy Heath Foster Psychology Janet Gwilym and Bing Tso Jay & Alicia Edgar Joseph Hurley Julie Wohle & Rick Kolpa Karin Brooks & Simon Woods Kristen Rooks Laura Gardner & Hiroshi Matsubara Margaret Sullivan Nancy Sapiro & Lincoln Miller Phebe O’Neil Porter Family Shelton Family Theatre of Possibility Thury Gudmundsdottir Tracy Rowland & Larry Reid Trina Blake These contributions help make the production and publication of The Garfield Messenger possible. If you would like to support The Messenger, please contact us at garfieldmessenger@gmail.com
Editorial and Letter Policy The purpose of The Garfield Messenger is to present student perspectives on issues and events related to the Garfield High School community. The Messenger’s editorial responsibility lies not in presenting a particular viewpoint or agenda, but in representing a variety of opinions. Views expressed in publications by The Messenger do not necessarily represent those of our staff, supporters, or the Garfield High School student body and faculty. The Garfield Messenger welcomes responses to our publications as well as opinions concerning issues relevant to Garfield. Please send editorials, opinion columns, or letters to the editor to garfieldmessenger@gmail.com Contact The Garfield Messenger The Garfield Messenger Garfield High School 400 23rd Ave Seattle, WA 98122 Phone/Fax: (206) 252-2270 E-mail: garfieldmessenger@gmail.com
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/17
Contents
Volume 96 Issue 10 May 26th, 2017
News
A&E
Get to Know: Tuesday Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Sunny Season. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
by Alex Ferry
by Lily Laesch
News Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Three Days, Two Acts, One Musical. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
by Alex Ferry
by Sydney Santos
Cap It All Off!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Summer Jams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
by Esther Chien
by Susana Davidson
“The Unspoken Truths”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Hip-Hop Unadulterated. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
by Cipher Goings
by Hannah Tacke
It’s Belles (and whistles) of the Ball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 by Bella Rowland-Reid
Features
Guide to a Stylish Summer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
New Faces of ASG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Quest for the Best: Ice Cream . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
by Toby Tran
by Esther Chien and Cipher Goings
by Delphi Drake-Mudede
Upstander of the Issue: Yasna Vismale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 by Quinn Sullivan
The Faces Behind Your District. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Sports
by Jasmine Fernandez
Opinion: Addressing Assault In the NFL . . . . . . . . . . .16
Cinco de Dinero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
by Emma Cooper
by Bella Rowland-Reid
Economic Disadvantages Creep into Soccer. . . . . . . 16 by Josh Chestnut
Why You Are Not a Big Baller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Opinion
by Jamaica Aytch
Hitting the JUUL is not CUUL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
by Ann Shan
A High-Flying Act. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
by Anonymous
Senior Advice to Freshmen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Spring Sports Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 by Elena Orlando and Josh Chestnut
by Hannah Tacke
Writing Executive Editors Flora Taagen • Julia Lin Photo Editor Ruby Seiwreath Arts Editor Ana Matsubara NFO Editors Jessica Morales • Claire Boudour Arts & Entertainment Editors Susana Davidson • Sydney Santos Sports Editor Josh Chestnut Business Executive Paulette Argeres Advisor Corey Allan Martin
Writers Alex Ferry • Ann Shan • Bella RowlandReid • Cipher Goings • Delphi DrakeMudede • Elena Orlando • Emma Cooper • Esther Chien • Hannah Tacke • Jamaica Aytch • Jasmine Fernandez • Lily Laesch • Quinn Sullivan Photographers Freya Wiedemann • Peter Kubiniec • Toby Tran • Elliott Hoppe Illustrators Ariel Cook • Brianna Kleckner • Cora Anderson-Bicknell Business Staff David Wilner • Julia Reguera
The Faces Behind Your District, pg. 7 Art by Cora AndersonBicknell
Cover photo by Tuesday Smith
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News Get To Know
News Briefs
Tuesday Smith.
By Alex Ferry
So fire I got heatstroke On Monday, the temperature hit 83 degrees, which is the warmest Seattle has been since August 26. Seattleites are quite happy with this weather shift, especially because this has been the first dry week since September, for anyone keeping track. With the warm weather, people are flocking to the water to cool down and hangout, which is all fun, except that many dangers come along with that. Water temperatures have been abnormally cold this year, and water levels are also higher than usual, making them move quicker.
By Alex Ferry
Gone South Seattle’s weather took a turn this past week, but so did weather in the south. There have been three reported tornadoes, as well as flooding and heavy winds. The tornadoes have been reported in North Carolina and Georgia. Highway 90 in Atlanta was closed Tuesday and ten structures were damaged. Flooding occurred on various roads in Charleston, and tornado watches were issued in Georgia, Alabama, South carolina, and Florida. About a dozen airplanes were damaged by heavy winds in north Texas.
Climate Change is making the earth greener?
Photo by Peter Kubiniec
Garfield will be saying goodbye to many talented seniors this year, among them we have the incredible artist, Tuesday Smith. Art is something that can be practiced over and over just like any talent or sport, but some people have a natural talent that just can’t be taught. “I think I’ve always been kind of interested in art, so I’ve been teaching myself since I was little,” said Smith. “I loved looking at art books when I was little; I would just draw things out of them, and then I started drawing on my own.” Her art includes a wide range of projects, but her greatest passion is drawing. “I like to draw things out of art books, and draw characters for books, stuff like that. I used to illustrate my own books when I was little,” said Smith. “I also enjoy drawing from life a lot.” Nowadays, Tuesday focuses her work on the everyday life around her. “Last year I did a series of pieces on public transportation at night. It was all pieces about the Seattle Metro System,” said Smith. “One of my pieces won the congressional art competition and is in DC right now in the cannon tunnel building,” she said. Busy with her 5 AP class schedule, Tuesday doesn’t have a ton of time to draw for
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fun anymore, but she still finds the time to be involved with art in her community. “I volunteer at the Seattle Art Museum with the teen art groups so I still have something artistic in my life, because I really don’t draw that much,” said Smith. As Tuesday moves into her future, art will not be her main focus, but it will remain her passion. “At first I thought I wanted to be an art conservator, which overlaps art and science so it seemed like the right path, but I’m not entirely sure what I want to study anymore. I enjoy art and it’s always going to be a part of me, but it’s not what I want to do with my life,” said Smith. Moving forward, Tuesday plans to go outside the realm of just drawing. “I really want to learn how to do oil paint better, but it’s a lot of work. I also want to get better at printing,” Smith said. For any young artists in search of inspiration or just beautiful art, here are some of Tuesday’s all time favorite spots to go. “I go to the SAM all the time, occasionally the Frye. The Broad in LA is another one of my favorites,” said Smith. “I like the Met…I want to live inside the met. I decided that in the third or fourth grade... it’s still my dream,” she said.
The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
Climate change is continuously affecting various areas of this world, especially antarctica. Climate change has caused increased winds as well as precipitation on the Antarctic peninsula, but a new study also has found that it is also causing a new expansion of plant life in this area. A research team studied moss and found that the biological activity has greatly increased within the past 50 years. With increasing amounts of ice melting from glaciers, there is more freed up land in which moss is rapidly growing upon. The Antarctic peninsula is gradually transforming into a much greener area.
News
Cap It All Off!
What one graduation gown color means for Garfield. By Esther Chien he idea of “One Garfield”, as represented by identical gowns and caps in color at graduation, has been discussed for a while, but the issue became increasingly controversial in recent years. Last year, former class of 2016 ASG vice president Hannah Farrell and other members of ASG strongly advocated for a single color gown. The senior class vote was extremely close, and the final verdict was to continue with two colors. This year, ASG tried once again to implement this issue, and faced similar backlash and controversy to last year’s attempt. As a result of negotiations, the senior class was presented with the option (on the manual form) to choose between two colors without a direct correlation to gender. Traditionally, graduating male students wear purple gowns at the ceremony, and graduating female students wear white. However, this raises concerns for students who identify as non-binary or transgender. Many students recognize this issue, and strive to create a welcoming atmosphere for all students. Barnaby Woods, senior class vice presi-
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dent, is among these individuals, and believes that the issue isn’t as small as people perceive it to be. “Many people were quick to point out, ‘Oh, it’s such a small amount of transgender people at this school,’” said Woods. “The thing is, we don’t know, because it’s only recently that society has started accepting transgender people more. [This way] you can feel comfortable no matter what gender you identify as.” Woods also thinks that the change isn’t limited to transgender students. “It’s also for the people who may be questioning their identity. I just want people to live in a world where they can feel comfortable expressing themselves.” Sophomore Sam Sheckler, is gender-neutral, and while they don’t strongly support either side, they do believe that Garfield’s intentions need to be reconsidered. “[Garfield] wasn’t actively trying to send a message that [we] are transphobic, but that’s what is being thrown across with ‘girls wear this color, guys wear this color.’ It was accidental, but the fact that they haven’t done anything to change it sends a whole different message,” said Sheckler.
However, while both Woods and Sheckler want to see greater change in the community, senior class president Felecia Bazie has a different idea in mind. “Imagine [that] you wanted to wear the color white since you were in middle school, and I tell you you’re graduating in purple. That’s a slap in the face. It’s disrespectful, ” Bazie later added. As for the issue as a whole, Bazie says an idea as complex as gender cannot be fully addressed by altering gown color. “I don’t think one gown color is going to [bring inclusivity]. Even if you [have] one gown color across the board, there are going to be people at graduation who aren’t happy. One color wouldn’t mean that everyone is at peace,” said Bazie. Bazie adds that the issue has less of a correlation to gender than people think. “It’s hard to do but [we have to] get away from the stigma that purple has to do with male, and white for female.” said Bazie. Both parties have yet to reach a consensus on how to approach this problem, and each have different ideas for Garfield’s future. “I think the purple gown will become more and more dominant to the point where we
are almost all graduating in one color, and we will have the gender neutral graduation I am in favor of,” Woods said. On the other hand, Bazie raises a different point. “Choose what color you want. Howard said we can wear whatever we want. You do what Art by Brianna Kleckner you want to do with it. Don’t let gender keep you in box.”
The Unspoken Truths Seattle traveling museum coming soon to GHS. By Cipher Goings Coming soon to Garfield High School’s (GHS) library is an African-American history exhibit for two days on May 31st and June 1st. “The Unspoken Truths” traveling museum is a museum founded and ran by Delbert Richardson, a community scholar and second generational story teller. The museum will be set up for all social studies classes to have a hands-on experience for the two days. This museum contains over one hundred artifacts and storyboards emphasizing African-American history that isn’t taught in schools. Some people think that the artifacts are the most crucial component to the museum, Richardson thinks otherwise. “I’m learning and embracing that I am probably the most important piece [of the museum] because I make the museum and the items come to life,” said Richardson. Richardson was born in Detroit in 1954 and was raised here in Seattle, he for a long time lacked in knowledge of any AfricanAmerican culture due to the lack of teaching. “If you know anything about American history, 1954 is a turbulent time regarding civil rights so as a black child I had no expo-
Art by Ariel Cook
sure to black history in my elementary, middle or high school. I didn’t know I was black until I got to college,” said Richardson. The museum is divided into four sections, each portraying a transitional period in African-American history. The first section is Mother Africa which talks about the contributions Africans have made to the world, followed by Channel Slavery, Jim Crow which talks about white superiority and the racial caste system,
better understanding of the rich history? I do this by teaching what isn’t taught in our schools.” History teacher Richard Truax mentions the goals that will come out of bringing the “Unspoken Truths” museum to GHS. “The idea is that students are going to come, walk through and linger, [Richardson] will be in [in the library] and give his narrative but he’s mostly interested in students talking with each other about how the exhibit is changing their perspective,” said Truax. The museum is not only for history classes but is open to anybody who happens to be in the library throughout the two days. Feel free to stop in and check out the insightful African-American museum, see you there!
ending with Still We Rise. Richardson is not only implementing the museum in just the community but is also planning on implementing the museum in schools to cover the information that has been ‘sanitized’ according to Richardson. “One of my main focuses of the work is how do I support the schools and children with having a
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Features
New Faces of ASG Meet your 2018 ASG staff.
Photos by Elliott Hoppe
Anh Trang C: What got you involved with ASG? A: I’m very extroverted, I really enjoy working with people, and I was successful as the ASB vice president so I wanted to continue that work as the ASG vice president.” C: What are some of your goals for the next school year? A: My goal is to make Garfield more comfortable and safe for everyone. Allen Bickham C: What got you involved with ASG? A: I participated in ASB for the whole year and I really enjoyed doing things like setting up school dances and assemblies and more. Once I experienced that, I realized that this was something I wanted to do.” C: Have you had any experience with with any other leadership positions? A: I’m involved with a group called Keystone which is affiliated with Rotary Boys and Girls Club. This group focuses on community service.” Hannah Luu E: What got you into ASG? H: I’ve been on ASB since freshman year. I thought ASB was just about dances and spirit weeks. I didn’t realize how much responsibility it really was until I got into it. E: What has ASB taught you? H: [ASB] has taught me to step up, and helped me feel comfortable doing [that], because if you don’t step up, there’s a lot of unanswered questions and it’s better to clarify than to not know the answer at all. Zack Cohen E: Why did you want to do ASG? Z: Because I want to help out with Garfield and have my voice be heard. E: What does ASG mean to you? Z: It means a way for the students to be in charge of Garfield and have their voices heard.
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
Yasna Vismale. By Quinn Sullivan
By Esther Chien and Cipher Goings Tianna Andersen C: What are some of your goals for the next school year? T: Apply what I’ve always been doing as class president to the whole school. For example, unity in the student body. C: What does ASG mean you? T: I think of ASG a lot like ASB, just with a greater responsibility since we’re dealing the whole school rather than just one class. Whatever you do impacts everyone.
Upstander of the Issue An Upstander is someone who acts to make positive change. Senior Yasna Vismale is a co-president of Girls Who Code and the Multi-Racial Student Union at Garfield. Next year, she is headed to Columbia University to continue her great work. Here is what Yasna has to say and a few of the reasons that she is an Upstander:
Photo by Elliott Hoppe
What is Girls Who Code all about? I started Girls Who Code my junior year. I am part of this organization called Young Executives of Color which led me to create a [Girls Who Code] team and together we implemented a club. Now it’s like actually up and running and we have this girl Amy Lee who teaches the girls and we also have two instructors - one’s from Google and one’s from UW. Alex Storm also cofounded the club and now she’s co-president. We are trying to empower girls and after the implementation of this club this year the enrollment of girls in computer science classes has risen to forty eight percent. What do you do with Google? We just talk about ways to help empower more girls and understanding how to get into the tech industry. We talk to the recruiter of SpaceX and Google, I’ve met the head of Google Maps, she’s really cool. I think networking wise I’ve definitely gotten a lot better. It’s always scary to meet new people and try and connect with them, but it’s fun. How does this connect to your goals for the future? I want to be like a CEO or an entrepreneur of a company and then hopefully acquire enough money to create a foundation in order to help support my community. In business there is so much bad policy and in order to make the change you want to see you really have to be apart of it and that’s why I really want to be a part of the business world because I see so much improvement that I want to happen. Where does your interest/passion come from? In my situation I realized how lucky I am to be where I am today. As a statistic I would be low income, black, single mom, but I had a mom who was a supermom. She literally went out of her way to find the AP program which is usually really inaccessible to low income families and people of color, but she did all of this work for a hope of my suc-
cess. Every day I wake up and I’m like: “How the hell did I get into Columbia?” I guess she’s part of my motivation to really achieve because I don’t want to just waste all of her efforts. My mom’s occupation made me realize the difference between a job and a career. A job is something you do to make money, but a career is something that you are passionate about, but also get paid for. So a career is something I’m striving for.
You won the Coca Cola Scholarship. What is that all about? It’s where 125 people get selected throughout the country. I went to their seminar in Atlanta and I realized that they don’t look at ethnicity or income, it’s purely merit based. I also got a full scholarship to Columbia with room and board. But at the Coca Cola retreat I became really good friends with this person who is taking a gap year before going to Harvard and she and her partner created a textbook about ethnic studies, promoting it in high school, middle school, and elementary because we don’t have enough of that. There are some college programs about ethnic studies, but that’s kind of too late. So they’re already on their third edition and they recruited me so I’ll be working on it with them. They got a grant from Princeton’s Black Studies program and they have like a whole adult advisory board and they have like seven chapters around the world. What are some words of advice you have for others? Don’t let other people undervalue your achievements and also don’t undervalue other people’s. I had to work my ass off and I understand that I’m also super lucky in my circumstance and I appreciate that, but it’s kind of annoying when people assume that my achievements are due to my status as a black and low income person. There are so many microaggressions that I’ve gotten. A band mom said to me: “Oh you’re so lucky that you’re black and you have a single mom, that’s why you must have gotten that scholarship.” I think it’s just important not to assume. Every single person’s story is different and every person is not two-dimensional. To be a leader you have to listen as much as you input your own opinion. If you don’t listen to other people, you won’t know how to create a solution.
Features
The Faces Behind Your District How you can celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. By Jasmine Fernandez
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ou eat it, praise it, and use it on the daily, but do you know where it comes from? Only a ten minute drive from Garfield High School, the Chinatown-International District (ID) is the center of Seattle’s grand Asian Pacific American community. While it is all too common to find Seattleites sipping boba, roaming
Uwajimaya, a n d posting pics of the Chinatown Gate in the ID, it’s not everyday that the faces behind these luxuries are actively acknowledged. With May being Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, it is extremely important to recognize the ways in which Asian and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have combated racism, xenophobia, and the “model minority” stereotype, all the while significantly contributing to Seattle’s complex foundation.
Railroads From the 1840s until the mid-20th century, the first wave of AAPIs arrived in the United States. While some relocated to escape the devastating effects of floods and wars, others sought financial opportunities. All in all, they had hoped to be welcomed into the
Art by Cora Anderson-Bicknell
country with open arms. Instead, they were unexpectedly greeted with racial discrimination, unfair wages, dangerous explosives, and railroad tracks. One of the most notorious projects that Chinese Americans helped build was the Transcontinental Railroad, which ran from California to Utah along the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Due to unfair and perilous working conditions, laborers held strikes to bring about equality within the workplace. One issue they aimed to bring attention to was the wage gap, which on average was 60% of their European immigrant counterparts’ pay. In terms of Washington-based railroad systems, many Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and South Asian immigrants played critical roles in the construction and maintenance of railroad lines, including the Northern Pacific. As a result, new means of transportation, communication, and commerce were developed between Washington and eastern states. Despite their hard work, AAPI groups were not readily recognized for their accomplishments. For instance, although Chinese immigrants made up 90% of the Transcontinental Railroad labor force, they were not allowed to be pictured with the finished track.
Agriculture The impact of AAPI farming in the Pacific Northwest has not only assisted Asian Pacific American communities, but has benefitted populations in the West Coast on a larger scale. Initially, Chinese migrants were the first people of color to work in the U.S. as farm laborers; however, by the onset of the 20th century, Japanese Americans became one of the most prominent farming groups in Washington. After acquiring their own fruit and vegetable farms, farmers supplied substantial quantities of their produce, greenhouse, and dairy products to major cities. Some even went on to sell their goods at stalls in the Pike Place Public Market. All in all, the labor of Japanese, Chinese, South Asian, particularly Asian Indian, and Filipino farmers and gardeners enabled Seattle’s agriculture industry to thrive. According to the Washington State Commision on Asian Pacific American Affairs, Asian immigrant groups equipped the city with berries, vegetables, small fruits, apples, strawberries, and half of its milk supply during the 1920s.
The Arts James, an Interpretive Lead at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in Seattle, noticed that when it comes to the AAPI identity, Pacific Islanders are oftentimes excluded from that label. “[Pacific Islanders’] barriers have been a lot harder for them, compared to those of other Asian Americans,” he stated. Although the contributions of Pacific Islanders are generally overlooked in conversations centered around AAPI achievements, their presence in society is no less influential. “They have made more cultural contributions than physical contributions,” he noted. “Especially in terms of dance, music, and language.” Growing up, James recalled that the haka, an ancestral war cry dance from the people of Maori in New Zealand, was popular in his high school. Even though the dance was originally performed by New Zealand national teams prior to rugby games, the haka has recently transformed into an internationally known sensation. Additionally, the hula, ukulele, Tahitian dancing and drumming, and the art of poi performance each possess Polynesian origins.
Business In order to prevent the establishment of houses in the area, Chinatown was initially developed as a business-oriented neighborhood. For this reason, the ID became the birthplace of shops, restaurants, parlors, and hotels founded by Asian Pacific American migrants. An import-export store called The Yick Fung Co. is one primary example of an AAPI institution that catered to the greater Seattle population in the ID. The store was run by Jimmy Mar, who, according to James, went by two names. “His name’s [also] Uncle Jimmy,” he stated. “He’s not my uncle, but that’s what they all called him.” In 1913, the Yick Fung Co. was moved to the ID, soon becoming the first stop for incoming immigrants.
Not only did it act as a safe haven for AAPIs, but its doors were open to immigrant groups entering Seattle of all racial backgrounds. In the same way, many AAPI businesses played crucial roles in “the American experience,” as they serviced and stood beside both AAPI and non-AAPI communities.
Maritime Asian labor was the muscle that laid the foundation for the West Coast. It especially supported the fishing, salmon canning, and oystering industries within the region. However, not all AAPI migrants were allowed to work within the field from the start. A 1915 state law that banned Asian immigrants from commercial fishing forbade Filipino and Japanese individuals from partaking in maritimebased professions. Thus, Chinese migrants became the first non-Native American fisherman in Puget Sound. This soon changed after the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, which minimized Washington’s Chinese labor force drastically. In response to this shift, Japanese and Filipinos, also called Alaskeros, stepped into the picture. Behind the doors of fisheries and canneries, AAPI laborers continued to work under discriminatory conditions and brutal labor contractors. Yet in spite of it all, they prevailed. Without the contributions and influence of Asian Pacific American migrants in all aspects of society, Washington would not have devevloped into as beautiful, progressive, and diverse of a state it is today.
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Features
Cinco de Dinero
Are marketers exploiting your culture for money? By Bella Rowland-Reid
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t’s a sunny Friday afternoon -- as the sidewalks fill with students heading home to enjoy the weekend, down the street, a much different story is present. Bars line the sidewalk, filled with streamers and miniature sombreros, garlands with alternating Mexican flags and margarita cutouts, and fliers emblazoned with the words “Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Style” in an ad for Dos Equis beer. Bars line the sidewalk, filled with streamers and miniature sombreros, garlands with alternating Mexican flags and margarita cutouts, and fliers emblazoned with the words “Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Style” in an ad for Dos Equis beer. But what exactly does “in style” mean? For some, it can be adorning madein-China ponchos and attending “Cinco de Drinko” parties, binge drinking the night away in alleged celebration of what many (falsely) believe to be Mexico’s Independence Day. For others, celebrations may consist of toasting to Cinco de Mayo’s real origin, Mexico’s underdog victory at the Battle of Puebla against the French army -perhaps
topping off the festivities with a beer of two. Either way, liquor companies cash in. According to an article by Business Insider, big beer companies -such as Corona, Busch, and Miller, among others -- have, “turned a minor holiday into America’s favorite Mexican drinking day.” The celebration of Cinco de Mayo in America gained popularity due to The Good Neighbor Policy, a 1933 policy signed in effort to cultivate a friendly relationship between Mexico and the States. In attempts to capitalize off the policy, beer marketers used alcohol as a signifying factor of a good time,
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or a brotherly love between the two nations. Thus began the reign of Cinco de Mayo. The holiday, one of minimal celebration in Mexico, became a hit in the United States. An excuse to drink and throw parties, beer companies ran with the idea, and people followed. These same companies also worked to pander to Spanish-speaking youth audiences. In 2009, over $171 million was spent on Spanish advertising alone for Cinco de Mayo. Additionally, according to the Center
said Cynthia Duarte, a sociology professor at California Lutheran University. Recently, activists within the Mexican community have started to push back against these advertisers, citing cultural insensitivity and racism. “I mean, what is it about? You want to eat our food and listen to our music, but when we need you to defend us, where are you?” said Irazoqui Ruiz, a Mexican-American activist, in the article. However, the alleged exploitation doesn’t start and end with Cinco de Mayo. In similar instances, big beer companies have come under fire for supposed cultural insensitivity towards Irish
Art by Ariel Cook
on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, alcohol advertisers spent over $23 million to place ads on 12 of the 15 most popular television programs among Latino youth-- shows such as Bernie Mac and The Simpsons -- in 2002. According to an article published by the Associated Press, Cinco de Mayo advertising often relies on white actors, frolicking along the beach with a mixed drink or beer in hand. If one removes the Spanish name from the holiday, it doesn’t seem to differentiate from a run-of-the-mill advert. “The narrative around Cinco de Mayo seems to say, ‘this day really isn’t yours’,”
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demographics surrounding St. Patrick’s Day. Much like Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day is billed as a drinking holiday. Around the holiday, one can walk into a big name store such as Urban Outfitters and be bombarded with holiday-themed memorabilia, from a greek flask with a four leaf clover tshirts emblazoned with “Kiss me, I’m drunk and Irish” on the chest. While these tokens of holiday cheer have been involved in multiple scandals for cultural insensitivity, when comparing the holiday and its advertising to that of Cinco
“[Advertising creates] a good feeling about a product by surrounding it with other things that you like.” de Mayo, race can play a major role. Upon immigrating to the United States in large portions during the early 20th century, the Irish, particularly those of Irish Catholic heritage, faced persecution by the American masses. After a century, alleged anti-Mexican claims by the current president, roped with centuries of structural racism towards Mexican and Spanish communities, the cultural repercussions of Cinco De Mayo can carry much more strength than that of St. Patrick. While it may seem impossible to put the blame on just one group or factor, advertising consistently contributes to this cultural exploitation. According to an article by Psychology Today, advertisers attempt to sell a fantasy, one that people want to follow, and, in doing so, buy the product they are being sold. “[Advertising creates] a good feeling about a product by surrounding it with other things that you like,” reads the article. Meaning, when people see a good party filled with mariachi music, a Miller beer, and the phrase “For a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta,” they believe that they can achieve the same fun festivities. So, whether you’re spending your next drinking holidays gathered around friends or chugging beers in shamrock-emblazoned cups and bright sombreros, consider how much advertising it took to get you there.
Opinion
Hitting the JUUL is Not CUUL Nicotine is bad for your health. By Anonymous 7 out of 10 teenagers are exposed to e-cigarette advertising. E-cig vapor often contains toxic chemicals and carcinogens that have adverse effects on the body. The FDA has not approved electronic cigarettes as a successful method to stop smoking.
Nicotine is a cardiovascular stimulant and can increase the risk of heart disease.
70 to 90 percent of e-cigarette users are “dual users,” meaning they continue to smoke regular cigarettes after they begin vaping.
There are over 250 e-cigarette brands.
News for Students, Statistics Brain, Live Science, and JuulVapor.com
There is insufficient research about e-cigs and not enough to know how consequential they really are.
Senior Advice to Freshmen
Nicotine is poisonous in its concentrated, e-liquid form.
Information from: National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Journal of Physiology - Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Science
Art by Ana Matsubara
“Higher nicotine or other product levels may adversely influence upper airway irritability, reflex bronchoconstriction and other key aspects of airway function.”
30-60 milligrams of nicotine can kill an adult. Only 10 can kill a child.
Although originally designed to help smokers quit, in 2010 e-cig use began to expand and has become especially high among teens.
1.5% of high school teens had tried e-cigs in 2011, compared with 16% in 2015.
Nicotine is very addictive!!!
Each JUUL pod contains 0.7mL with 5% nicotine by weight, approximately equivalent to 1 pack of cigarettes or 200 puffs.
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n the final months of the school year, a new epidemic has “taken a hit.” Under tables, in the sleeves of arms, and out in the open air, juuls, juuls, juuls are everywhere. But what if these thin, rechargeable gadgets are slowly killing Garfield students? All jokes aside, electronic cigarettes, tobacco-free smoking alternatives, can still be dangerous. Let’s take a closer look at how they impact adolescents and the harm that they may cause.
2 times as many boys use e-cigs as girls.
Nicotine has the same short term effects on the lungs as smoking tobacco products.
By Hannah Tacke As another school year ends, we prepare, yet again, to say farewell to our beloved seniors. Through their four years of experience of academic pain, trials and tribulations, and mistakes, seniors leave behind ripe wisdom like a well aged, seasoned Scotch fillet steak. Below, some meat of knowledge is provided on a silver plate, so eat up freshmen.
“Do Y-Scholars if you can. Get that internship, stay on the grind, don’t let anyone sh*t on you for being a nerd.” -Alex Storm
“Advocate for yourself with your teachers.” -Amira AbdelFattah
“The forks cost money and don’t set off fire alarms.” -Van Pham
“Don’t try to take on “There’s always leadership roles too gonna be another early on; take the time mountain, you’re to learn then pass on always gonna wanna that knowledge.” make it move. Some-Matthew Liu times you’re gonna have to lose.” -Daniel Leong
“Get straight As before junior year because it will get harder later on.” -Maya Kneip “Focus on being a good person more than a good student, and take advantage of when school is hella easy.” -Maggie Rosen
The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
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Head downtown for classic and mouthwatering gelato from this colorful Italian cafe.
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Here’s where to coo
Gelatiamo 1400 3rd Ave
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Greenlake You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie
The Wallingford shop offers countless flavors of colorful popsicles made from seasonal and local ingredients.
Reading Recommendations
From local author and bestselling author comes a gripping memoir of family, love, and loss.
1401 N 45th St
The smoothie spot on the edge of the International District offers a number of fresh and fruity drinks.
Jucivana Smoothies II0 Boren Ave St
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The popular food truck has transformed into a pristine ice cream shop in the heart of Ballard offering a large variety of flavors.
Parfait 2034 NW 56th St
The Fix by David Baldacci A detective witnesses a murder that turns out to be a national security crisis.
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Mt Baker Beach
Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly An intriguing tale of three womens lives during World War II.
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South Lake Union
City of Saints and Thieves by Natalie Anderson Tina and her mother arrive in Kenya after fleeing the Congo as refugees.
Seattle Pops
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Grab a tasty and refreshing treat at any one of these charming locations across Seattle.
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Second Beach
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Hit the road and head to the Second Beach trailhead on the Olympic Peninsula and camp right next to the Pacific Ocean.
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Diablo Lake
Tucked into North Cascades National Park is a bright turquoise reservoir created by glacial runoff perfect for kayaking and canoeing.
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Want to get out of the busy city for a few days? Here are some of the top destinations across Washington State.
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Head to Leavenworth to river raft, hike, bike, or just eat in the Bavarian themed town in Central Washington.
Trend Predictions
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A&E Three Days, Two Acts, One Garfield Musical A look at In the Heights. By Sydney Santos
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In the what?” ma of a community of close-knit Hispanics, many of whom had A veil of uncertainty and confusion has shrouded the recently immigrated to the United States. Mr. Hawk found this theater department upon the announcement of the premise promising last spring when looking for a new musical. planned 2017 musical production last spring; responses “I was looking for something to engage all of Garfield. A lot of like these peppered the Garfield hallways with mystery and musicals are very one-dimensional, looking at a certain slice intrigue. Not many people had heard of In the Heights, the first of life. I was really looking for a musical that was looking at a musical triumph by Lin-Manuel Miranda, now best known as broader spectrum, and In the Heights does that. It opens up playwright and lyricist of Hamilton. Although it may not be as the eyes of a lot of people to the community of the play, so that popular as Momma Mia! or Grease, In the Heights is an eclectic when they come to [In the Heights] they see the richness of the and modern-oriented peek into a relatively unknown commu- culture,” said Mr. Hawk. nity of Americans. One issue? Garfield is only 8% Hispanic. As a result, many of In the Heights was originally a book written by Quiara Alegría the main characters are played by non-Hispanic students. One Hudes, an American playwright who grew up exposed to Latin of the exceptions is Lefkowicz, who identifies as Latinx but culture due to her father’s Puerto Rican ethnicity. She became doesn’t feel like the lack of representation was an imperative a visiting professor in the Wesleyan University theater depart- obstacle: “I understand it’s hard with the demographic of lament, where she met a young Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda, tino people at Garfield, so I haven’t really felt very weird about although now wellit just because there are known for composother Latinx people in ing Hamilton, had his the cast, and it’s just initial rise to fame something that I’ve through In the Heights’ been observing and the success. After writing cast has been observthe music and lyrics ing,” said Lefkowicz. to accompany Hudes’ The issue of repstory, In the Heights resenting a character came to Broadway in that doesn’t share the 2008. same ethnicity as the In the Heights is difactor has prompted ferent than most tradimany discussions intional musicals due to side the cast. Although it’s modern elements, some theater students especially through haven’t agreed with the use of rapping in this tactic of combataddition to singing. ting appropriation, Mr. This genre is new to Hawk thinks that the the Garfield theater discussions have been Photo courtsey of Jill MacCorkle program, but theater an important part of teacher and musical the production. director Mr. Hawk “There are times The cast busting a move during a musical number. found this change when people have manageable to work been uncomfortable with. about [playing a Hispanic character when they “Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the show so well that it’s easy for aren’t Hispanic themselves], but they are working through people to pick up the rap because it’s right in with the music... being able to honestly represent the community...Years ago, Actors that are not particularly versed in that genre, getting when we did Hairspray, we had lots of similar discussions as more familiar with it and making it sound natural… Everyone well,” recalled Mr. Hawk. He added that there are some parts of has really been doing a fabulous job,” remarked Mr. Hawk. the musical in Spanish, and that with the help of Spanish tutors Freshman Aimee Lefkowicz, who portrays the local hottie in pronunciation, actors are helping to build towards an honest Vanessa, finds this element a very attractive attribute of the representation: “ We are honoring the richness of the language show, especially for teens. but not trying to make a caricature out of the language. That’s “It’s definitely more in tune with popular music than Les Mis something that I stressed early on.” is, I enjoy it and I think it’s really catchy...a lot of people are goNonetheless, the cast is ready to perform it’s seven shows; ing to like it.” each performance starts at 7PM and goes from May 24th to The story is set over the course of three days inside the June 3rd. Tickets are $15.00 for adults, $10.00 for students and Washington Heights neighborhood in New York City, a region seniors, and $5.00 for children and can easily be purchased at that is predominantly Dominican-American. It follows the dra- gstage.booktix.com!
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
Summer Jams What’s on the Messenger’s stereo. By Susana Davidson The End/Best Coast California band Best Coast’s album Crazy For You (pictured above) divulges from their traditional indie-rock background into something more beachy. Vocalist Bethany Cosentino and cohort Bobb Bruno craft a lighthearted and honest album who’s surf-rock style and layered vocals fit perfectly into summer. Boom Shack-A-Lak (2016 Redux)/Apache Indian Apache Indian, or Steven Kapur, combines British, Indian and Jamaican elements in his dancehall reminiscent song, Boom Shack-A-Lak. After amassing incredible attention, this song made Kapur the first artist of Asian descent to make it onto the UK charts. Sweet Sun/Milky Chance German duo Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch released album Sadnecessary in 2013 which many considered an experimental album, different from the traditional American pop we are used to. Despite this, Sweet Sun is a catchy, introspective song that is a new and interesting take on the love song. Hips Don’t Lie/Shakira Although now wildly popular, Hips Don’t Lie, was originally intended to save Shakira’s first English album Oral Fixation, which was a flop. Fulfilling it’s purpose to the max, Hips Don’t Lie, rocketed Shakira into the American spotlight. Featuring Haitian rapper Wyclef Jean, the song is a reggaeton inspired banger. San Diego/Hinds Madrid based, garage-pop band Hinds has made their debut album, Leave Me Alone, with messy, fun loving, and catchy jams. The songs are full of mismatched and exuberant vocals, that, although generally simple, are beautiful in their vulnerability. Sunflower/Rex Orange County 18 year old Alex O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, has already received a lot of hype. Blending jazz, bedroom-pop, dream-pop, and rap he has already gained the attention of Tyler, the Creator and Badbadnotgood. Sunflower, one of the lighter songs on the album, is a relaxing, introspective, warm piece that . Kitana/Princess Nokia Destiny Frasqueri, better known as Princess Nokia, pays homage to 90s New York rap in her new, confident, carefree and infectious mixtape, 1992. She raps authoritatively and easily while working to empower women, more specifically women of color.
A&E
Hip-Hop Unadulterated
Koga Shabazz fronts a new era of local hip-hop.
By Hannah Tacke n a perpetuated culture of music production where tunes are specifically curated to hit the charts, an epidemic of shallow, looped riffs and calculated drops has taken over. There are few remaining purists who work tirelessly to preserve hiphop’s name, and one of Garfield’s very own is pioneering the way. They call him Koga Shabazz, Angel Cielos by day. A product of Seattle’s Central District, Koga Shabazz is a trained writer and vocalist whose dynamic style of hip-hop is grounded in such influences as MF Doom, The Fugees, and Fela Kuti. With intriguing lyrics that reveal the mind of an avid thinker and a consistently high production value, his pure love of the genre is reflected in every track. In a world of dubbed performances and singles that retread established genre tropes, Koga Shabazz’s dynamic reflects intricate rhymes defy easy categorization. Cielos started his career in fourth grade at the Umoja Peace Center near 23rd and Union, and he credits his talent to an early submersion in the Central District hip-hop community. “Growing up in the Central District in the first place allowed me to know guys like Nyles Davis and Otieno Terry,” Cielos said. With the mentorship of local rappers, Angel Cielos became Koga Shabazz as he began to channel his voice through music. “It’s a form of expression, and I’m a very vocal person. I’m really good at using my voice and getting people’s attention,” said Cielos. Cielos sites Pokemon and Malcolm X as the inspiration behind his stage name. “Koga
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comes from Pokemon, he’s a fifth level gym leader, a poison type and a ninja and I thought he was badass,” he said. “His gym has invisible walls and it’s a puzzle to get to him, and I think my lyrics are very puzzling and complex.” “Shabazz comes from el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz which comes from Malcolm X, and when I started rapping he was a big influence. I read his autobiography twice, watched interviews and wrote a research paper on him. I was really into him and thought that a lot of things he stood for I stand for as well,” he said. Though Cielos had been developing this voice for years, it wasn’t until his freshman year that he started to gain recognition. “I had to reach out to people and go to shows because the Seattle hip-hop community is so small and so connected that everybody knows each other,” said Cielos. Since then, Koga Shabazz has played electrifying shows all around the city including this year’s Upstream Festival which headlined huge names like Flying Lotus, Shabazz Palaces, and Mike McCready.
For now, Cielos is still sonically developing, collaborating and producing with local artists. “One of the biggest destinations in your music is your message and finding it. Right now I’m staying true to where I’m from and representing the Central District, being authentic and always enjoying the ride more than the destination,” he said. Cielos is planning on studying sound engineering as to pursue a career in music production. He also has an upcoming West Coast tour with Sam Lachow and Dave B, and a new EP dropping this summer produced by Lachow called “Overture to the Unknown.” “I define success as mastering your craft, and I feel like as long as you put the work in and meet the right people anyone can get their name out in Seattle. The hard part is getting out of Seattle. That’s where I’m at right now, I want to keep on moving.” Koga Shabazz is onto great things, so stay tuned by following his Instagram and SoundCloud @sirkogashabazz.
Photo by Maximillian B. Guelmine
Belles (and whistles) of the Ball The pros and cons of promposals. By Bella Rowland-Reid With prom season just around the corner, Garfield halls are abuzz with the latest dance gossip. From picture taking so dancing the night away, many of the extravagances of prom take place on the big night. Even so, one of the most important parts of prom happens weeks before the big occasion: the ask. For some, a simple “Will you go to prom with me?” suffices. However, for those looking to go big, the trend of ‘promposing,’ or lavish gestures done in order to ask someone to the dance, is the perfect way to kickstart an unforgettable night. Popularized by social media platforms such as Twitter, promposals entail one person asking another to the dance, often in a
expensive or creative fashion. But what does that actually look like? Take Twitter user @ caitlannnn_, whose promposal tweet went viral earlier this month after her boyfriend bought her a pair of almost $700 Christian Louboutin shoes, declaring on a white sign “If the shoe fits, make up your mind. Prom?” The tweet, which gained thousands of retweets, quickly divided up users on the website, some finding the gesture cute and thoughtful, while others claimed the gesture was too extreme for a silly high school dance. This is the prom controversy: how much is too much for prom? For Garfield senior Andrew Ni’s prom ask, simplicity was key.
“I bought taro bubble tea and made a poster that said ‘I am taro-ble at puns, but prom with you would be tea-riffic,” said Ni. “I had a lot of friends help me on my poster -- it was a pretty simple ask. But simple is classic.” Ni’s ask, while punny and creative, still ranks as relatively tame on the promposal scale. For others, like senior Harrison White, going the the more exorbitant route is a way to make the ask truly stand out. “[Will Driver] dressed up in a gorilla suit and attacked [askee Hayley Miller]. I saved her by killing him with an axe and said, ‘since I saved your life, will you to prom with me?’” explained White. “Everyone else was doing posters, I wanted to stand out.” While promposals may be a sweet gesture
of asking someone to accompany you on the big night, a grand plan can pressure people into saying yes. Additionally, while running the risk of rejection is a gamble some are willing to take, spending copious amounts of money or time to be turned down is a sting others would rather not feel. As for the large signs, bad puns, and even, yes, the Louboutins -- it’s all up to the asker and the askee. Know your budget, know the person you’re asking. Are they wanting a simple gesture with a rose or batch of cookies? Or in favor of a viral-worthy ask, complete with $700 shoes? Either way, a thoughtful gesture is sure to win them over and make your prom a night to remember -even before it begins.
The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
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Guide to a Stylish Summer. by Toby Tran
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The Garfield Messenger 5/26/2017
A&E Quest for the Best: Ice Cream A hunt for Seattle’s hidden gems. By Delphi Drake-Mudede
Frankie & Jo’s
Kurt Farm Shop Flavor: Flora’s Cheese Creaminess: 6.5/10 Originality: 10/10 Presentation: 7/10 Price: $$$$ Total: 7.5/10
Flavor: Mexican Morning and Harvey’s Strawberry Milk Creaminess: 9/10 Originality: 8/10 Presentation: 7/10 Price: $$$ Total:8/10 Frankie & Jo’s is an all Vegan, plant based ice cream shop on the corner of 10th and Union. Harvey’s Strawberry Milk and Mexico Morning were two of the most popular seasonal flavors. The Mexico Morning contained bits of almond shortbread and dulce de leche. The Harvey Strawberry milk was made with strawberries, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and chia seeds. Surprisingly, the vegan ingredient alternatives did not affect the creaminess, nor flavor of the ice cream. The only unusual taste in the ice cream is the coconut milk,however it blends nicely with the other flavors. The shop is has a Southern California decorative feel to it. The wallpaper features tropical leaves, and the walls are lined with images of beaches.
Central Disrict Ice Cream Co.
Photos by Freya Wiedemann
Flavor: Peach Orange Blossom and Raspberry Rose Rhubarb Creaminess: 8/10 Originality: 5/10 Presentation:7/10 Price: $ Total: 7/10 The Central District Ice Cream company, on the corner of Union and 21st, is a short walk from Garfield High School. The shop serves eight flavors that rotate monthly, and sells other sweet treats by the pound. Although the flavors were pleasant, they were not necessarily outstanding. The Peach Orange Blossom flavor resembled a run-of-the-mill safeway rainbow sherbert. That being said, the ice cream was very reasonably priced for it’s size. The interior is festively decorated with bright blue paint, fairy lights, and portraits of famous black icons.
Kurt Farm Shop in the heart of Capitol Hill is the perfect place if you’re looking for unique new flavors. This adorable hidden treasure is a petite ice cream store on Eleventh Avenue. It is a rather small venue crammed between a few other bijou shops and boutiques. One of their flavor specialties is Flora’s Cheese, which features chunks of cheese from their cows on Vashon Island. Their farm is a short ferry ride from Seattle and home to a dozen Jersey cows At three dollars, the scoop itself is relatively small for its price. However, the ice cream is extremely rich allowing the customer to be satisfied by the relatively small portions .
Full Tilt Flavor: Thai Iced Tea Creaminess: 9/10 Originality: 8/10 Presentation: 8/10 Price: $$ Total:8.5/10
Full Tilt is a small chain that can be found in Columbia city, Ballard and White enter. The shop has a variety of vegan and non-vegan flavors including Mexican Hot Chocolate, Birthday Cake and Black Licorice (all non-vegan). Although the outside of the store has a gritty appearance, the inside is charmingly decorated with bright blue paint and pinball machines.The Thai Tea ice cream itself was mouthwatering. It was extremely creamy and incredibly sweet. If you crave more tart ice cream, I would not recommend this flavor.
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
Sports Economic Disadvantages Creep into Soccer The prevalence of having money when it comes to high school soccer. By Josh Chestnut
Opinion: Violence against women is still okay in the NFL. By Emma Cooper
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n any sport, there is bound to be some degree of unfairness. Whether it be being the coach’s kid, having a parent on the board, or any number of reasons, it’s safe to say that sports aren’t always fair. But some aspects of sports can be controlled, such as opportunities being equal for all kids regardless of their income or experience. However, this unfairness is evident in the context of the Garfield Soccer program. Of the twenty two members on the Garfield Varsity soccer team, there are only two players lacking extensive, expensive, year-round coaching, in the form of club soccer, prior to playing for Garfield. “The biggest advantage for club players is they’re just playing, so if the kids are not playing during the offseason, they’re not developing like they could be,” says Garfield and Seattle United soccer coach Carlos Enriquez. This “development” that Enriquez
However, the club soccer system isn’t totally rigid and structured. Many large premier clubs, such as Seattle United, do offer financial aid to its lower income players. “[Seattle United] is pretty special in the sense that if you qualify, which [means] if you have free and reduced lunch or if you can show with your income papers or tax papers that you are under the poverty line, you automatically qualify for financial aid,” says Enriquez. But Enriquez says the process is not
mentions not only includes technical skills and abilities, but most importantly where to position yourself on the field in the context of a game. ¨In a way it is because [club players] tend to come a little more familiar with [the] system of play so just being able to underalways fair. stand in an 11 aside lineup,¨ states Enriquez. “A lot of This gap in opportunity stems from [these scholara large income disparity when it ship dilemmas] comes to those who can afford happen because club soccer and those who can’t. our club guaran¨[There are] a lot of things tees that there’s that come with playing preaid if you apply by mier ball that makes it the deadline. But difficult, like travel, what happens a lot being able to get to and of the time is the infrom practices, being formation isn’t really Art by Anika Vojir able to get online and out there for the kids to have the team communiknow and they will join cation that’s needed, so a team once the deadlines it’s really more than just passed,” said Enriquez. “There’s only a certhe fees; there’s a lot that goes into [club tain amount of funding that our club has, soccer] that makes it difficult for kids to so if they apply after that then there’s no keep the commitment,” says Enriquez. guarantee and usually funds go quickly.”
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
Additionally, kids can be deprived of scholarship money if their parents work their way above the poverty line. “The way it’s setup is that you have to be below the poverty line that is set up by the IRS and if you make above that then you don’t qualify for aid,” said Enriquez. In order for kids to get an opportunity to play varsity soccer in the first place, they must be able to afford Garfield Soccer, which consists of a $50 ASB fee. However not all kids are able to afford the ASB fee. For those kids who can’t pay the $50, they are deprived of an opportunity of getting better, and put their varsity spot further in jeopardy. But access to scholarship opportunities surrounding the ASB fee remain vague and ambiguous. According to former Athletic Director Ed Haskins, “There’s a reduced rate for free and reduced lunch kids.” When asked whether there are full scholarships, Haskins replied “No.” But often athletes are unaware of the scholarships being available from the start. When asked about how this information is spread, Haskins replied, “They are told by either coaches, or admin staff, or teachers.” Student and current Garfield Varsity Soccer player C o s t a Glass admitted, “I have
never heard of these price reduction opportunities.” The opportunities for Garfield Varsity sports are limited to a certain economic class, even when the resources are available for all. But it’s about spreading awareness so that all economic classes get an opportunity to get an opportunity.
After public uproar about the NFL’s lenient punishment for Ray Rice, a player for the Baltimore Ravens who was caught on video punching his fiancee, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement saying, “The public response reinforced my belief that the NFL is held to a higher standard, and properly so. Much of the criticism stemmed from a fundamental recognition that the NFL is a leader, that we do stand for important values, and that we can project those values in ways that have a positive impact beyond professional football. We embrace this role and the responsibility that comes with it.” Ray Rice’s case was not unique. According to VICE Magazine, there have been at least forty-four NFL players since 2000 who have been accused of assault. Goodell may have promised positive change in 2014, but the fact is that NFL Code of Conduct is still not followed as rigorously as one would like to think. In the recent NFL draft (April 27-29), where teams within the league employ new players, at least five players who have been accused of assaulting women were drafted (Gaeron Conley for the Oakland Raiders, Joe Mixon for th Cincinnati Bengals, Dede Westbrook for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Caleb Brantley for the Cleveland Browns, and Jourdan Lewis for the Dallas Cowboys). At least another four current NFL players - Ezekiel Elliott (Dallas Cowboy’s running back), Ethan Westbrooks (Los Angeles Rams’s defensive end), Ra’Shede Hageman (Atlanta Falcons’s defensive tackle), and Josh McNary (Jacksonville Jaguars’ linebacker) - have been accused of assaulting a woman. The NFL claims to hold itself to gold en standards, but the uncomfortable truth is that they do not. Motivated by profit, the NFL tolerates law-breaking and hatred of women, only cracking down when there is strong disapproval by the public. In permitting the employment of potential assailants, the NFL condones violence against women. If the NFL is the leader they claim to be, they will take responsibility for their actions and hold their players to a higher standard.
Sports
Why You Are Not a Big Baller The craze behind Lonzo Ball’s signature shoe. By Jamaica Aytch
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op 3 NBA draft pick Lonzo Ball will make history as the first player to enter the draft with a signature shoe. The signature shoe was unveiled as ZO2: prime by Ball’s father, LaVar’s independent business, Big Baller Brand. Both father and son have made media headlines for the players performance at UCLA, and the father’s controversial tendencies as a public figure, heavily influencing Lonzo’s draft stock. However the shock behind t h i s new
footwear wasn’t based around the look, the brand, or the player. It was the hefty price tag of $495 that drew both criticism and praise from the media. “Real ‘big ballers’ don’t overcharge children for shoes,” said former NBA player and current TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal. O’Neal was one of the first to publicly pass judgment on the shoes over social media, in response to the father of the NBA prospect, LaVar Ball’s claim that if you can’t afford his product, you’re not a “big baller.” Unsurprisingly, many celebrities have publicly given support to Shaq’s claim, while other members of the urban community such as rapper, The Game, have posted their digital receipts of the shoe online, with praises for LaVar Ball as a man simply looking out for his Art by Ariel Cook family through unorthodox means.
“...I also think it’s funny how n****s will go buy gucci flip flops but then complain when a kid and his family is trying to make a name for themselves and grow their own brand,” stated The Game over an Instagram post. Regardless of celebrity opinion and criticism, Ball proudly stands his ground, taking full responsibility for the pricing of the shoe. “I figure that’s what the shoe is worth. When you are your own owner you can come up with any price you want,” said Ball during an ESPN interview. Ball is known for his eccentric personality, which in the past few months has drawn attention to him and his sons Lonzo, LaMelo, and LiAngelo, For a reference point, average retail for major brand basketball shoes sits around $150-$170; even the notorious yeezy brand by Adidas has a starting price of $220. So, in its essence the ZO2 Primes now sit amongst the likes of Gucci, Prada, and other high end designer brands, instead of a tradition play-
er sponsored shoe. Before publicly announcing the shoe, the Ball family sought partnership with Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor, but were turned down by all. Later, In the first week on release, Big Baller Brand sold a total of 477 pairs of the sneakers, 121 of which were the “wet” model, which featured a golden signature by the NBA prospect on the heel, along with a LED illuminated glass case. Despite how unusual the circumstances, the release of the sneakers did hold up to the ball family standard of making headlines. However, having already been compared to past all-stars such as Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant by his father, time will tell if the ZO2 primes will be Lonzo Ball’s beginning, or prolonged disaster in his coming career.
A High Flying Act Two bulldogs’ experience with acrobatics. By Ann Shan Picture a traditional red and white striped circus tent, complete with trained tigers, red-nosed clowns, and dressed up horses. Now forget all that, because none of it applies to the circus performing twins Leah and Anna Zuckerman. The two seniors take part in modern circus, comparable to gymnastics or even theater. “There’s an idea of circus being tents and elephants, and that simply is not what modern circus is. That’s like traditional old circuses,” Leah said. “I actually tend not to say the word circus [because] you never know what someone’s interpretation of that word will mean. I say acrobatics.” Anna and Leah started from the age of six for fun at The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA). They began performing with the youth performance troupe there when they were 10. “People always ask [us how we got interested in circus] and I think it’s kind of funny because it’s just like gymnastics or dance,” Anna said. “You know, when you’re little and your mom makes you try soccer and ballet and whatever, and one of the things we did was circus.”
To just say they do circus is an understatement, however, as the twins specialize in several elements of acrobatics, including hand to hand, a type of partner acrobatics. “[I also specialize in] group acrobatics, which is banquine [an acrobatic act including aerial tricks], and pyramids,” Anna said. “Basically throwing people around and climbing on people.” They have a particularly long history with their trio unicycle act. “It’s acrobatics, but on a unicycle,” Leah said. “Our trio unicycle act is pretty special because we’ve been working at it since I was ten and the other girl was eleven, so it’s been a long time.” Having been training and performing for so many years, circus is hardly a foreign word to the twins. However, they acknowledge that there are some differences between circus arts and other sports: one difference is that circus arts encompass a broad variety of skills. “Hardly anyone will do just one thing,” Anna said. “You could be a tumbler, but to be considered well rounded, you probably also know how to juggle and climb a rope.”
Another difference is that circus does not have formal competitions. However, there are still plenty of opportunities for achievement. “When I say circus isn’t competitive, there [aren’t formal rankings], but there are pretty competitive auditions,” Anna said. “It was really cool when we first got into the touring troupe that we do on the East Coast.” A problem unique to circus is deciding the next step after high school, because colleges don’t generally have more than a casual club or two relating to circus arts. “[If you] are serious about circus [and college], you have to pick one or the other if you want to continue at a high level,” Anna said. “[For me,] that was a really hard decision because you’re basically giving up one major part of your life.” All in all, the two seniors don’t think their athletic experience is very different from that of other athletes. “Just like in any sport, [I’ve learned] dedication, working hard, working as a team,” Leah said. It’s a teamwork that is also expressed in
the sisters’ relationship. “We do everything together,” Anna said. “People always think ‘don’t you want to do different things from each other?’ but not really.” Anna and Leah will stay together in the fall, as both seniors Art by will be attending Ariel Cook one of their top choice academic schools next year. They express hope, h o w e v e r, that circus will remain a part of their lives.
The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
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Sports
Spring Sports Girls’ Track This year’s Girls’ Track team includes 10 seniors, each one doing their part to lead the team to their second straight Metro League championship. Iman Brown is one of these seniors, and has individually had an exceptional season. “I am Metro League Champion in four events: high jump, long jump, one hundred, and two hundred,” said Brown. The knowledge and experience that comes with a majority senior team has aided their performance this season. “The fact that we’ve all been together for so long has allowed us to form a strong bond. Every girl team has their problems[...] but at the end of the day we kick ass,” said
By Elena Orlando and Josh Chestnut Photos by Toby Tran
Brown. Along with Brown, senior Kirkland Kelly has worked hard to encourage and bond with the younger members of the team this year. “We have grown more as a team [this year]. All of us seniors are really trying to be good at communication and leadership with the underclassmen,” said Kelly. In addition to the increased communication between seniors and underclassmen, an increase in the number of coaches has also differentiated this season from years past. “This year we have more coaches, which is helpful. We have a coach for every event,
Photo Courtesy of Kirkland Kelly
whereas we used to just have Coach Quad,” said Brown. The new coaches, including UW alum Julian Bardwell, who has been especially hands on, have provided an increased level of support for the athletes. “The coaching staff has been very motivating and has helped us achieve our personal and team goals. They have also been better at communicating and making sure we know that [...] to succeed in a sport it takes hard work and dedication,” said Kelly. As to why the team has done so well this season, Brown had only one thing to say: “It’s our senior year. We don’t want to lose.”
Boys’ Soccer
True to form, the boys soccer team has made it to state. Their path to get there, however, has been less than consistent. “This season has been weird,” said Junior Peyton Menti, the team’s right back. We’ve had some good moments and some bad moments, but we’re hoping to do well going into state.” The breakdowns of the season have partly come been the result of something that no team is able to prepare for: injuries. “We’ve had injuries
throughout the season...but [we’ve] had to keep playing our game and not argue with each other[...]” said junior Brian Doherty, the goalkeeper of the team. The success of the team on the field has a lot to do with the the closeness of the players in everyday life. Made up of mostly juniors, the team, identifiable by their matching purple raincoats on game-day, can often be seen eating lunch together on the field when the sun’s out. “We get along. Most of the team are friends off the field[...]it translates really well onto the field, [so] we have a lot of good chemistry,” said Doherty. Doherty said the strength of the team is their ability to possess the ball and be patient for the right time to attack, but their weakness comes in how they respond when
uted to a powerful senior class that paved the way for a successful season. “We had great senior leadership from Alex [Gregory], Zubin [Kopischke], Jae [Abrams], George [Otis], and others that stepped up during the course of the season,” said Coach Moedritzer. “They did a good job leading by example and helping create a positive atmosphere for the team. Without that, I don’t think we would have had much of a playoff run.” Overall, the baseball season was full of ups and downs, and Gregory notes that his favorite moment of the year came from beating a powerful Seattle Prep squad in the playoffs. “Everything clicked that game and we
were firing on all cylinders and stepping up,” said Gregory. “We hadn’t beat Prep since my sophomore year (2015) and we were able to beat them 7-0 in a loser out game.” Despite the heartbreak of nearly reaching state two years in a row, Coach Moedritzer can see positives from their situation. “This year’s team was one win short of state. It’s tough for the seniors because the season ends right there, but it can be good for the younger guys out there watching that see the other team celebrating and realize that you want to be on the other end of that in the future.”
Baseball Once again Garfield’s baseball team was able to put together a successful season, finishing sixth in their Metro division and being one win away from a state tournament bid. Senior third baseman and pitcher Alex Gregory noticed how expectations this year were tempered, as many people noticed a gaping hole, evident in the mass exodus of key senior players. “I think we did a lot better than anyone expected us to do this year, especially after we lost a lot of seniors and some players didn’t come back that were expected to, so there was definitely uncertainty going into the season but we pulled it together,” said Gregory. A lot of the team’s success can be attrib-
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
the game isn’t going their way. “I think the most important thing for a team is to be united, but when something wrong happens, the stability of the team goes down and everyone gets frustrated,” said Juan Gonzalez, the manager of the team. The team’s mentality will be tested at 4:00 pm today when they take on Roosevelt in the state semi-finals held at Sparks Stadium. No matter the result, boys’ soccer has had an incredible season and is looking positively towards next year. “The team is going to continue to get better. The underclassman and the junior class are very good. This is just the start,” said Doherty.
Highlights
Sports
Softball
Garfield is not known for it’s softball team, but under the leadership of new coach Whitney Jones, it has the potential to be. Second in their division with a record of 19 wins and 6 losses, this is the best softball team Garfield has ever seen. Senior Fiona Skerritt attributes the change in part to the difference in how the team approaches the game. “We’ve changed our mentality. Last year, we were very focused on our mistakes and there was a general negativity, but this year we have a new mantra of ‘expect to win,’” said Skerritt. This new mentality has been established by Jones, who Skerritt says has “made the team a family.” “One of the core things that she’s preached is that we’re a family, and nothing comes between your family. She’s really created a safe space,” agreed junior Josie Barker. The team has also switched tactics this year in how they approach their opponents, referring to every team by the same name, so that the other team’s reputation doesn’t alter how they play their game. “We’ve stopped trying to address teams as individuals. We call them all ‘Sally.’ We think about our own mentality and how we’re going to take the field,” said Skerritt. Jones’s coaching has also helped create a positive atmosphere, and her experience has been a great benefit to the improvement of her players. “The way she teaches things really makes sense. She knows what she’s talking about because she came from playing at [the University of Washington]. She understands the mistakes we make and is really forgiving...
it’s a great learning environment,” said Barker. This season has brought many unfamiliar experiences for the team, including a newfound spotlight. “Having this success is a new thing for us, so pressure is something that we’ve been having to deal with, that we didn’t before[...] We haven’t been in the spotlight or this far into playoffs, but I think we’re handling it really well,” said Barker. Softball has made it to state for the first time in Garfield history, something that seemed unimaginable even last year. “It feels invigorating [to make it to state], but it’s mostly a nod to the hard work we’ve put into this season. The program has been through so much stress in recent years, but we threw that out this year and put all we had into every practice and game. This is only the start of what I hope to be a longlived competitive program,” said Skerritt.
Golf To say the least, Garfield Golf has evolved over the years. The team, coached by science teacher Walter Spangenberg, is only two years removed from a winless season full of Hawaiian shirts and struggles on the course. Now, after a successful season, many Bulldog golfers are returning to the course with the state tournament. “It’s kind of weird because most of golf is a fall sport but you also have to wait until state in the spring. Districts are in the fall and state is in the spring,” said Gabe Curhan, a senior captain of the team and state participant. “For all of the 4A schools golf is a spring sport, so when Garfield made the switch to 3A, we switched our schedule as well.” The odd schedule can have different effects on a given golfer, most of the time de-
pending on their situation and confidence at the moment. “Waiting goes both ways because if you are playing well then you want to go straight into state but if you are struggling then you have all of winter and spring to get ready,” said Curhan. “It was kind of nice for me because I had more time to get ready.” Curhan will be joined at state by Nelson Huffaker, Marli Koba, and Rachel Dahle in Richland, Washington. On top of having a great amount of talent this year, Garfield golfers were able to have a lot of fun while coming closer as a team, as noted by senior captain, Qiyi Wu. “This year especially the team was able to really bond and unite as a team,” said Wu. “It was really fun to see a high team morale and fun spirit.”
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The Garfield Messenger 05/26/2017
The Backpage
Horoscopes
Gemini
Taurus
May 21 - June 20
Tis the season of the scam! Finally the stars have aligned and our time has come. Although we slay 365 days of the year, starting May 21, the universe is on our side. Now that the sun is shining as bright as our fun and flirty personalities, our glow will transcend into every aspect of our life. Our love lives will explode with passion, our grades will soar, and we will be on top of the social scene. But I mean, what’s new? ;)
April 20 - May 20
It is no coincidence that Taurus is an Earth sign and the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a Taurus as well. I think you all know what this means. Strive to be more like Dwayne, Taurs. Get down and dirty and grow some luscular, musclar pecs like Dwayne. It’s what the stars want.
Aries
Cancer
March 21 - April 19
June 21-July 20
Entering the season of hot weather and hot bods, we don’t have time for your hot temper! We say you should use your extensive amount of energy and channel it into positive self growth! Because we all know you need it!
It’s no secret that you people are a bit more emotional than most, which could be a disadvantage as the stress of the end of the year piles up. Suck back in those tears about what prom party you’re going to or what your grade in AP Calc is cause, honey, it’s just high school.
Pisces
Leo
February 19 - March 20
July 23 - August 22
Hey Leos, we just have one thing to say... The weather may be warmin up, but please, cool it! You are trying to take on way too much this summer season and that will add a lot of stress into your life. Try to simplify things in your life and just step back and enjoy some time to yourself.
Virgo
August 23 - September 22
Dayum virgs, just writing about you makes our buttholes clench! Could it be the constant judgement and controlling you inflict on others? Probably! We say your goal for the end of the year should be to take a step back, let the stars do their thang, and just go with the flow.
Libra
September 23 - October 22 The stars have spoken and they have told us that your confusing ways are keeping from you from thriving to your fullest potential. We urge you to use your skills of balance to discover what your true goals are for the end of the year and how to keep a balance between social and school life.
Why, hello, my fish king and queens! Although our signs aren’t the best of friends we still wish to give you our intellectual findings from the stars. While your kindness has made you end the year with a plethora of friends, you are lacking excitement in your life. It’s time to add some spice to your day to day life and hop on the fun train! Ask the girl you like out! Wear your best fit! Talk to new people! Live a life of no ragrets!!
Hey GHS baddies! The king and queen of the dawg house, David and Paulette, are back and better than ever! Why are we suddenly thriving and superior to everyone you ask?? Why, because it’s Gemini szn of course! But don’t worry! The double trouble duo is here to spread our extensive knowledge of the stars so everyone can attempt to flourish as much as us Gems. The sun has come out and the school year is coming to an end, so let us guide you toward your chosen path of success.
Love,
Paulette and David Your fave Geminis ;)
Scorpio
October 23 - November 21
You are currently stuck in a rut and it is really affecting your day to day life. It’s time to do some experimenting and move on from the same old same old and try something new!
Sagittarius
November 22 - December 21 Ok all y’all need to take a chill pill. Please just do what is right for you and block out the haters. Do yourself a favor and, as Edna Mode from the Incredibles would say, “PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER”
LM: Lakeview Park Fun
Aquarius
January 20 - February 18
Makeover! It is time for a change. You must stop your basic lifestyle and really change up what has you kept in this boring routine. Make time for new friends and meet as many new people and have as many cool experiences as possible. Life is short and high school is all about trying new things.
Capricorn
December 21 – January 19 Sorry babes, still irrelevant.