The Garfield Messenger: Volume 94, Issue 1

October 9, 2015

Volume 94 Issue 1

An open Forum for Student Expression

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 Supporters of The Garfield Messenger

Benefactors Bridge Partners LLC Beth Roberts and Keith Seinfeld TJ Kraft/Norpac Fisheries Mou and John Ferry

Patrons Anonymous Metro Dog Nicholas Cunetta Goss Family Anonymous Anonymous Annie and Dan Wilson Anonymous Cindy Monte and Kevin Fisher Child Care Resources Nancy Sapiro and Lincoln Miller Friends Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Anonymous Marcos and Monica Jones-Borges Gold Britt Anderson Lisa Thoma and Elod Toth Steve and Stephanie Jones Tanya and Chris Camila Amy Barnett and Arthur Furukawa Alica and Jay Edgar Shoshana Driver Mary Sharp Kirk Wohlers David Lundsgaard and Lori Lynn Phillips Kathryn Robonson and Tom Braman Anonymous Karin Brookes Poynter-Veal Family Philippa Webster and John Mulligan Prentice Family Sound Child Care Solutions Gina Anstey Tracey Rowland and Larry Reid Laura Gardner and Hiroshi Matsubara Jeanna and David Hoppe Janet Gwylim and Bing Tso 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

cover by graphics team

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

Issue 1 Volume 94 October 9, 2015

get to know . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

“we’re trying to make better schools” . . . . . . . . 10

news briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

the munchies: fat’s fried chicken and waffles . . 12

hurtin’ for buton. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 5

the pretty uglies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

by Aidin Montefisher

by Aidan Miller

by Claire Broudour

by Bella Rowland-Reid

by Kyle Ting

by Danny Levy

art hoe movement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

by Elena Orlando

is link crew working? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

by Emma Cooper

the race for city council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

by Caleb Stocker

big changes in the counseling office. . . . . . . . 7

by Izzi Olive

no more tissue boxes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

by Bronwen Street

passing muster: health inspection scores . . . . . 14

by Julia Robaidek

movie reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

by Luca Hagmayer

chop it like it’s hot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

by Hannah Tacke

A&E calender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

by Luca Hagmayer

meet dick hendricks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

by Hannah Tacke & Bella Rowland-Reid

Q4TB driver’s ed school . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

by Aidan C, Bronwen, Keenan, Claire, & BriAnna

fall sports recaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

by Aidan Miller & Alex Ferry

aidan & aidin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

by Aidan Chestnut & Aidin Montefisher

life advice with doctos robidiak, braman & mulligan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

by Julia Robaidek, Sami Braman & Kate Mulligan

Managing Editor Carson Jones Graphics Editor Michael Ybarra Section Editors Izzi Olive • Aidan Chestnut Aidin Montefisher Caleb Stocker • Hera Ford Business Executive Delaney Connor Backpage Artist Kate Mulligan Webmasters BriAnna Green Business Anika Thomas-Toth Advisor Corey Martin

Writers Aidan Miller Alex Ferry Bella Rowland-Reid Bronwen Street Claire Boudour Elena Orlando Eli Wilson Emma Cooper Hannah Tacke Julia Robaidek Kate Mulligan Kyle Ting Quinn Sullivan Photographers Jeff Nyugen • Maddie Hazzard Maggie Emerton • Keenan Simpson Illustrators Danny Levy • Luca Hagmayer Urpi Ruiz-Angeles

freshletes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

by Quinn Sullivan

cam mcfilthy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

by Eli Wilson

Cam McFilthy pg. 19

Art Hoe Movement pg. 13

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

News Briefs

by aidan miller (and Aidan Chestnut) Does the Pope have to check his baggage?

The Pontifex came to the United States for the first time in September. He toured both Washington D.C., New York City. and Philadelphia. His trip was highlighted by a speech for a joint-session of congress. The Pope spoke about environmental responsibility, immigration reform, the death penalty, abortions, and the refugee crisis in Syria. He drew applause and critique from both sides of the aisle. He later lead prayers at the 9/11 Memorial and services at Madison Square Garden, in New York. The Pope’s trip ended in Philadelphia with a Snapchat live story and filters in his honor. Hopefully he grabbed a philly cheese steak on his way out of town.

Doctor causalities in Afghanistan

In a tragic chain of accidents, twenty-two people were killed in a U.S. led bombing of a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan on Saturday. Among the dead were nine staff members of Doctors Without Borders and three children. Officials of Doctors Without Borders tried to stop the bombing as it continued for an hour. The organization has since the town of Kunduz and the only hospital in the area capable of treating major trauma. United Nation’s rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein noted that this U.S attack could be treated as a war crime. The U.S. led coalition says, “The strike may have resulted in collateral damage to a nearby medical facility. This incident is under investigation.”

“Stuff Happens”

Roseburg Oregon was the center of national attention when the 45th school shooting of 2015 took place at Umpqua Community Center. Once the chaos cleared, the final tally was ten deaths, including that of the shooter, as well as nine injured. Later in the day, President Obama gave an emotional speech saying, “So tonight, as those of us who are lucky enough to hug our kids a little closer are thinking about the families who aren’t so fortunate.” He ended his speech calling for tighter gun control laws.

Seattle's New Districts

For the first time ever, voters consideed Seattle districts in the City Council primary this past August. Districts were created to help candidates stay in touch individual communities as opposed to just campaigning all over Seattle. Seattle has been split up into seven geographical districts and two all-city districts. With the primary results in, the change seems to have brought younger and more diverse candidates to the forefront. Only two of the leading candidates were older than sixty, four were women and five were people of color.

Big Brother is Watching

All Garfield students will sign a Seattle Public Schools Network Agreement this year., which lays out all the restrictions and rules for using the school wi-fi. Some of the agreements in the contract include: Seattle Public Schools can monitor your computer, tablet or device when you are using the wi-fi, and restrict access to certain websites with prohibited content. Using the school wi-fi also blocks the use of social media apps on your phone. Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are just some of the applications that don’t work on the school wi-fi.

Polar Bears say “Goodbye Shell”

After spending $7 billion over the course of ten years, Shell has given up offshore oil operations in the Arctic. Drilling 150 miles off the coast of Barrow, Alaska, Shell couldn’t find the jackpot of oil that they normally turn an enormous profit from. Global oil prices are much lower now, so Shell may have been investing in a lower-risk expedition with big potential. Shell views Arctic drilling as a sensible investment because of high demand, especially in rapidly growing Asian markets. However, there is certainly a huge environmental impact that draws considerable controversy, most notably by the “kayaktivists” who protested in the Port of Seattle starting last May. The unsuccessful campaign is Shell’s second major setback. In 2012, the company it pulled the plug when a giant oil rig broke free. – AC

Get to know: Liam o'leary With hundreds of freshmen roaming the halls, we handpicked just one for you to get to know. Meet Liam

O’Leary, an individual with a wide array of interests, from parkour to magic tricks. This summer, he worked as a camp counselor at a pirate camp on Vashon Island, which O’Leary highly enjoyed. His favorite part was “making wooden daggers”, which he accredits as one of his most impressive talents.

“If I was a pirate, and had a boat, I’d name it ‘The Dry Bones’,” O’Leary says. He adds that he would probably spend most of his time as a pirate “making daggers for other pirates”.

Besides his secret pirate life, O’Leary has enjoyed the transition to Garfield. “I like being able to have more freedom, to go off-campus for lunch and stuff like that,” says O’Leary.

Single pirates, your dream man has arrived. Look for him in the halls and Photo by Michael Ybarra seas in the future! -AM

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The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

Hurtin' for Burton

Carol Burton’s termination and its affect on GHS.

By Claire Boudour As Garfield students and faculty return to school, everything may seem business as usual. Classes are starting, students are frantically trying to switch electives and new freshmen are wandering aimlessly at the beginning of lunch. But to the more experienced eye, something is missing.

On a choir field trip to New Orleans last spring, certain events led to beloved choir teacher Carol Burton being investigated by the district, which removed her from school with absolutely no warning to her students. On the trip, an incident of sexual harassment was reported, which Burton in turn reported to the district.

Against Seattle Schools field trip guidelines, boys and girls were allowed in each other’s rooms before curfew, and Burton and the other chaperones consumed alcohol.

“I’m not exactly innocent. I had 2.5 alcoholic beverages in 5 days. I can’t defend that, because it was a stupid decision,” Burton admits, but she feels that the district could have prevented the sexual harassment if they had shared crucial information with Garfield. The boy charged with sexual harassment had been expelled from his previous school for a series of similar incidents, and this information was reported to the district when his fam-

ily enrolled him. According to the district press release, Beryl Miller–SPS Behavioral and Emotional Team Supervisor–decided that the boy was not a risk, and chose not to include any of his disciplinary history in his file upon enrollment at Garfield.

“Essentially what’s most critically sad about this young man is that he really needs help. The way this has all played out ended up with him being demonized and booted out of Garfield-- which, in the long run, is going to cause greater damage,” said Burton, who wants to make clear that no single person can be blamed for the events of the trip.

The Garfield choral department has been seriously rocked by these incidents.

A large number of Concert Choir students chose to leave the class when the district made the decision to terminate Burton as a Garfield teacher. According to senior Julia Furukawa, “There are a lot of new faces […] and very few from last year. Maybe five or ten kids stayed.”

The new teacher, Timothy Black, has certainly stepped into a complicated situation. “It is pretty obvious that [Black] knows what he’s doing[...]but many students are uneasy about letting in someone knew when they loved Burton so much”, explains sophomore Anna Vinnedge.

Vinnedge adds that “[Burton] brought such a positive and enthusiastic, while still professional, attitude to the classroom on a daily basis.”

Many choir students are worried about the state of vocal jazz. “I was actually in a ‘vocal jazz’ class with only two other people on the roster. We were just told to go into an empty room and sit there for the whole period,” says Furukawa.

Burton has been approached by local music program Jazz Ed to run an after school vocal jazz club. which would meet twice weekly. “The problem with that is that it’s harder to access, since it isn’t at Garfield. The Jazz Ed class would require transportation and it costs [a lot],” says Furukawa.

Many Garfield choir students stand behind Burton, and have been fighting for her since she was put on administrative leave last spring. There were multiple protests at the John Stanford center, and one outside of Garfield during the school year. Students held signs with phrases like “bring Burton back”, “we love Burton”, and “without Burton our future is uncertain.”

“There are a lot of other teachers in the district-- and at Garfield specifically-who do not deserve their jobs and it’s just

really disheartening to see students wasting their time in classrooms with teachers that don’t teach them anything when [Burton] was one of the few that actually did,” says Furukawa.

The results of the trip have made many of Garfield teachers back away from planning any trips. According to GHS science teacher Jonathan Stever, “The district has definitely locked down on field trip requirements in terms of paperwork. I know a lot of teachers are reluctant to take field trips now because of the way the district has handled even small incidents.”

Teachers haven’t made any official change to field trip policy, but some, such as Mr. Stever, are trying to run trips through outside associations instead.

Burton is filing an appeal to the district’s decision, which will be heard on January 11. She urges as many Garfield students as possible to be there and show their support. “I couldn’t be more humbled by the outpouring of support. I’ve just been blown away. The support from the Garfield community has been the only thing that’s helped me to keep my head up. I love you guys, and it’s just been the most excruciating thing to be forced apart like this.”

THe race for city council Learn about our district candidates.

By Caleb Stocker The race for the City Council has intensified in District 3, an area ranging from North Mount Baker to the Montlake cut.

Garfield High School is a center point in this district as one of the only two public schools in the area, along with The Nova Project. Many Garfield families and students will be directly affected by this City Council election, and it is important to make your voice heard. According to the official City Council site, council members “approve the city’s budget, develop laws and policies that promote the health and safety of Seattle’s residents and oversee the city’s police, fire, parks, libraries, and electric, water, solid waste, and drainage utilities.” Here is a look into the campaigns of the two remaining candidates, Kshama Sawant and Pamela Banks.

Kshama Sawant (Socialist)

Pamela Banks (Democrat)

Former economics teacher at Seattle Central Community College

Former CEO of Urban League Former Garfield PTSA President

Helped pass $15 minimum wage in Seattle

Create affordable housing and control rent

Wants rent control and to make Seattle affordable for all

Build connected transit network and reduce carbon footprint

Advocates for Municipal Broadband-Cut Comcast

Strong schools to serve all students

Tax the Rich

Police reform and safe communities

Fund Mass Transit

“I don’t think we differ much in our values,” Banks said about Sawant in an interview with The Stranger. “The biggest difference is how you get things done.”

Wants to build movement against Corporate politics

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

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Is Link Crew Working?

Hot on the trail of wholesome mentorship.

By Emma Cooper On August 2, hordes of freshmen arrive in the gym. Easily distinguishable by their youthful faces and air of innocent confusion, they are split into groups and led by hulking upperclassmen into the darkest, deepest, and most desolate corridor of Garfield…where they take a tour of the school and participate in ice-breakers and other getto-know-you games. Link Crew for the 2015-2016 school year has officially begun.

Link Crew is a PTSA-funded mentorship program designed specifically to help freshmen connect with upperclassmen. First instituted at Garfield in the fall of 2014, groups of freshmen are assigned Link leaders at orientation, who then take the freshmen for fun activities on campus and mentor them for the rest of the year. Link Crew also provides an alternative to hazing, by allowing freshmen to befriend upperclassmen in a safe environment. “The positive stuff about hazing is that it makes underclassmen feel welcome in a collective community, and you can do that without the dangerous, mean aspects of it, like psyching kids up for Purple and White and just letting them know that there are really a lot of nice upperclassmen and they’re not just scary,” says Karen Gunn, a Link Crew coordinator.

According to Gunn, Link Crew’s goals this year are to “keep the teams more cohesive, with the leaders taking more charge to check in on their freshmen.” [We’re] also trying to help create this idea that it’s a leader- created thing, that our leaders run all the functions and our leaders are going to be our fundraisers.”

After its initial year, Link Crew has been more focused on sustaining the relationship through the school year by having more follow-up events. “We have five [studentled] committees and each committee is going to be planning an event this year. We’re hoping to build more structural support for a more long-term [relationship],” says Ms. Antoncich, a leading organizer for Link Crew.

“Last year, really all we did was orientation,” says Bailey Blume-Harris, a Link Crew leader. “They didn’t really instruct us to keep in contact, which I guess was kind [our responsibility]. But this year, they gave us sheets to fill out with information and we’re also supposed to be texting them and reminding them of events.” On Homecoming, Link leaders were also required to attend either the football game or the dance.

However, there are still variations in the degrees of connections Link leaders have maintained with their designated freshmen..

“They decorated our lockers this week,” says freshman Flora Taagen of her Link Crew leaders. “They’ve texted and emailed us […] it’s really nice.” Other freshmen say that they have been contacted very sporadically.

“I got a text message in a group chat, but no one has said anything other than ‘This is your Link Crew group chat’,” says freshman Thomas Murray.

Other freshmen, including Malijah Jackson and Jaden Paine, say they haven’t seen their Link leaders since orientation.

Freshmen who participated in Link Crew reported that while they felt “bonded” with their Link Crew leaders and would probably greet them in the hallways, they didn’t consider them to be close friends.

“It was just weird because I know it’s supposed to connect you to upperclassmen but you only get to meet your two Link leaders,” says freshman Juliette Jones. “I think it’s a good idea to get that connection, but I don’t feel like I have any strong friendships with the upperclassmen.”

By comparison, those who have been hazed in previous years say that seniors generally don’t independently cultivate strong friendships or hang out with freshmen much outside of hazing either. “I know a lot of people that got hazed my freshman year,” says junior Boyani

Freshmen Forums: Following Up The class of 2018 has certainly not forgotten the days of the “mandatory” freshmen forums, for which all freshmen were required to come in at 7:50, while the rest of the school slept in for a two hour late start. However, it seems as though the administration has. There are no plans to continue this freshmen-oriented program in the 2015-2016 school year.

The forums were originally proposed by Jannette Manuel Family Health and Computer Science teacher Jannette Manuel.“[Manuel] had met with [around] 175 students, and talked with them about not feeling a part of Garfield and the equity issues that are happening around here. She then decided to do a workshop to address these issues,” says Principal Ted Howard.

They were also designed to help freshmen transition into high school in general, though some students felt their messages were directed to a specific freshman demographic. Lily Mundell (Class of 018) attended several forums last year, and has a say on the matter. “I think it was more targeted to students with less drive. I plan to stay all four years, so I don’t really feel like it applied to me as much. I think if they had maybe had more relevant topics and had started at the beginning of the year it would have been more helpful.”

Meghan Griffin, Assistant Principal and coordinator for the forums says, “I think that this year with strike and everything kind of all over the place, [Mr. Howard and I] just haven’t had time to sit down and talk about it.”

Howard is unsure of whether they will be doing forums this year, saying, “We’re getting to know our students, but we don’t know yet if these workshops would best serve that.”

Basically, it has not been decided whether there will be freshman forums this year. You haven’t escaped them yet, 019!

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The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

Moikobu, “But [the freshmen and upperclassmen] didn’t really hang out [afterwards].”

Friendships between freshmen and upperclassmen have been traditionally developed through school sports and other extracurricular activities, like POST. So are the freshmen just looking in the wrong places for a close friendship with an upperclassman? Or does Link Crew need to keep increasing supervised contact between mentors and freshmen?

According to survey collected by the PTSA, hazing instances have dropped over the past two years. However, the data is all self-reported and a decline in hazing may not be directly attributed to Link Crew.

“It’s hard to judge, because there are a lot of things going on to reduce hazing. So is it because of Link Crew?

Is it because of the phone calls? Maybe it’s disciplinary action. We just don’t know how to pinpoint that,” says Antoncich.

The apparent decline in hazing could also be a result of a reluctance to report it in the face of strict policies, instead of an actual decline. Disciplinary action for those who participate can include long-term suspension, expulsion, a prohibition from participating in school functions (which include dances, prom, and graduation), or criminal charges.

It’s only the beginning of the year, so it’s hard to accurately track the progress that Link Crew has made in creating relationships between freshmen and upperclassmen. There are still events scheduled to help knit mentors and freshmen together, like the upcoming Fall Fest.

But based on current freshmen opinions, it does seem like Link Crew needs to continue developing the relationships between freshmen and upperclassmen. Is Link Crew going to be a long-term program? Is it effective at cultivating relationships? The jury is still out.

art of the issue

Art by of Urpi Ruíz, The Messenger’s newest staff illustrator.

Big Changes in the Counseling Office

Counselor reassignments for the 2015-6 school year.

T

By Izzi Olive

he first wave of students crowding into the counseling office at the start of this school year were met with a surprise. As they sorted themselves out into counselor-specific lines -- traditionally separated by alphabetical order of last names -- a few demographic groups were pulled out of the mix.

All freshmen were directed to Kandace Alston, sophomores to Chelsey Thomas, and all Latino and African American males and special education students were redirected to Ray Willis.

Ray Willis, formerly the H through N counselor, has a new position and a new third-floor office for the 2015-6 school year. Principal Ted Howard decided that this year, instead of assigning students solely based on last name, certain grade levels and “at risk” groups will be assigned to specific counselors.

Howard has a long-term plan to increase the amount of attention each student receives from their counselor. This year, with a fifth counselor (Ms. Thomas) added to the mix, freshmen and sophomores have grade-specific counselors.

Principal Howard envisions that even-

Counselor assignments were made differently this year.

tually, counselors will stay with students for all four years. Howard explains that Willis’s assignment is likely temporary, a move designed to give certain groups more support.

“These are our at-risk students,” says Howard, explaining that data collected from Garfield students examining grades and standardized test scores pointed to African American and Latino males and

special education students.

This data, combined with a set of goals outlined in the Counseling Assessment issued at the end of the 2014 school Photo by Maggie Emerton year, led to the changes in the counseling office that we’ve seen so far this fall.

“Our at-risk students need one-on-one support to get up to standard. With five counselors, we have smaller caseloads,” says Howard.

Just like the other four counselors, much of Willis’s job this fall has been working on schedules, planning senior meetings, and talking with concerned

parents. For special education students, case managers act as an intermediary to help advocate for the students’ scheduling needs.

“Mr. Howard, Mr. Westering and I have made a plan to address academics, vocational prep, and college prep with these boys. They need to focus on things other than sports,” says Ray Willis.

Senior Shedrick Johnson, president of Garfield’s Black Student Union, says he thinks it will help struggling students.

“Most counselors can’t relate to African Americans,” he says. “Having an African American role model, an African American figure that we can look up to, will help those students along the way.”

Howard acknowledges that from a parent’s perspective, the reassignment could seem problematic. “No parent wants to hear that their child is ‘at-risk’,” says Howard. “But the reality is that we have to get these groups up to standard.”

is real work, and a lot is tedious and dumb.

There should be expectations.”

Howard is in complete agreement with Stocker.

“I decided this because there are huge inconsistencies in extra credit across the board. Some teachers give substantial projects, while others have students bringing in office supplies. There is no management or standard and there needs to be,” says Howard.

If Howard could have it his way, extra credit would not exist. He believes students should not need further assignments if they thoroughly learn all the material that is covered in class.

“If students don’t understand material, the teacher needs to teach them in a different way until they do. Students should be able to meet the standard they desire without any extra credit available,” he says.

While this alternative to extra credit may hold potential, it is not the decided future solution. Howard and the rest of the Garfield faculty will be meeting in late October to discuss and ultimately decide on the new standards for extra credit.

“Until everyone’s ideas are pooled and we’ve reached a consensus, there will be no extra credit offered,” says Howard.

Have no fear, students of Garfield.

While those extra points may not be available now, they may not be gone forever. You may get that B+ to an A- yet.

However, don’t expect these assignments to make for easy boosts anymore, as they have a good chance of being real assignments that require real work. You might have to learn a little bit in the process instead of just picking up a few tissue boxes from Walgreens.

No more tissue boxes

The new extra credit policy at Garfield.

By Bronwen Street We’ve all had those moments at the end of the semester where we’re scrambling to save, or boost or change that one grade, but then the teacher drops the ball. Suddenly, that test you completely blew off comes sailing in to the grade book, dooming you to a B+ in Geometry forever. Resurrection was possible however, as extra credit reigned in every classroom, bestowing easy points and slightly improved grades on every frazzled student who undertook extra assignments. This year, under a new policy instituted last spring by Principal Ted Howard, extra credit is no more.

That’s right Garfield students, you can no longer bring in 50 boxes of tissues for Ms. Taylor or write an essay about a random Spanish pop star for Ms. Gomez and expect to receive a single point. (Note: The Garfield Messenger does not condemn any of these actions. If any student would like to buy 50 boxes of tissues for

Ms. Taylor, go right ahead.)

When bathroom passes weren’t handed out on the first day of school, questions were raised, and the truth came out: no more extra credit. While this policy was first introduced last school year, Howard says it will be enforced completely this year.

“I decided to take away all extra credit in the middle of last year, and that will continue into this semester indefinitely,” says Howard.

Many students have expressed outrage at this policy. Garfield sophomore Huy Phu says, “every student has a grade they want to make better, and extra credit makes this possible. Taking it away is not what we need or want.”

Others have a more neutral outlook, seeing problems in the way extra credit is offered at Garfield.

“It needs to be managed better,” said senior Audrey Stocker. “A lot of extra credit

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

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Here's to Dear Old Garfield High

Meet Dick Hendricks, Garfield’s Oldest Living Grad

By Bella Rowland-Reid and Hannah Tacke

T

he year 1926 saw the invention of Milk Dud candies, the construction of Seattle’s historic Paramount theater, and the election of Seattle’s first and only female mayor to date, Bertha Landis. The Roaring Twenties was in full swing, a movie ticket cost twenty-five cents, and the first generation of American-made cars were hitting the streets. 1926 was also the year Dick Hendricks graduated from Garfield High School.

Born in 1909, Hendricks is the oldest living Garfield alum, August marking his 106th birthday.

Growing up in Cle Elum, Washington, Hendricks attended Rainier Elementary School before moving to Seattle in 1922. His family settled down on 14th Avenue and King Street, putting him just inside the Garfield school lines.

“Back then, Garfield was called East High School,” says Hendricks of his underclassman years. The name change occurred under principal George N. Porter, along with the induction of the famous purple and white color scheme and bulldog mascot.

During Hendricks’ time as a student, the school was composed of a main building and portable classrooms scattered around the block, housing different subjects.

“You’d have to run from one end of

the school to another,” spirit that has been jokes Hendricks. “I’d with him for decades have second class in a after graduating as portable and third in he sang, “Come with the main building.” all your fighting trim One of the classes come with all your Hendricks took was a strength to win come typing class. Except in and show your spirit his case, students were for the purple and the taught on typewriters white!” instead of computer Hendricks notices keyboards. a difference between “We had to learn violence 85 years ago, to [type] without lookand today. ing at the keys,” says In the midst of a Hendricks. “It was very society where violent similar to how students acts are committed Dick Hendricks pictured in the on a wide scale, Henlearn to type today.”

1926 East High yearbook.

What made Gardricks reflects on days field unique, even then, was the wide where peace was more commonly known diversity of the student body. While than disorder. He worked as a report clerk Garfield today has a wide range of race, for the Seattle and Federal Police Dereligion, and social class, during Hen- partment after marrying his high school dricks’ era, kids from around the city and sweetheart, and remembers the extent of beyond traveled to the school. the police activity.

“We had kids from Mercer Island “There was comparatively no violence, who had to take a ferry,” says Hendricks, not like there is now. The stuff that we “and kids from Leschi who took the cable dealt with in the police department were car to 23rd and walked.” things like theft and drunken fights.”

Something else that set 1920’s GarBecause Seattle stood as a seaport, the field apart from the school today was the city was more culturally integrated than cherished fight song, composed by teach- other parts of the country. The “gateer Milford Kingsbury. way to Alaska” provided a shipping port Hendricks lifted his voice with school that caused interaction from those of the

north and east. Despite the integration, inhabitants of Seattle adapted to tolerance, rather than prejudice.

“We got along with people. Our best friends were people of other cultures, and all of those cultures and ethnicities blended in a workable community,” Hendricks says. “Cultural differences didn’t exist.

Just human differences.”

While Hendricks believes part of his luck with age is genetic, he also has some advice to offer his his fellow Garfield students, both young and old.

“Get into a sync,” he says. “Go to bed every night, get up the next morning, and face the day. [...] Just keep on, keepin’ on.”

As a member of both the Garfield Golden Grads and the Seattle Toastmasters International, Hendricks continues to inspire and motivate others in his community, as so many did for him.

“The people in front of me left me footsteps [to follow in] and have helped me tremendously,” says Hendricks. “Some have even told me I have planted footsteps that have guided them.”

With another school year beginning, and another class graduating in June, Hendricks wishes the next generation of Bulldogs will continue to inspire and encourage those after them.

“Plant some footprints on the sands of time.”

quest for the best: Driver's ed Where to go, and where not to go.

Driver’s education has become a rite of passage for many high school students.

Regardless of whether the thirty-plus hours spent in a driving school classroom is particularly heinous or just mildly boring, driver’s ed is an unforgettable experience. The Messenger has compiled reviews of some of our own driving school alma maters for the benefit of new drivers -heed our advice when choosing where you’ll take driver’s ed.

Swerve Driving School If you’re looking for a well-established but slowly deteriorating drivers ed program, Swerve should be at the top of your list. Swerve has a location converiently located on 21st and Spruce, just a few blocks southwest of Garfield, but the required six drives may be a logistical challenge. Drives used to be offered at central

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locations Miller Community Center, but it’s become rare to find drives available within city limits. While senior Caleb Stocker recalls his days at Swerve as being “unreal,” my own experience was fairly mind-numbing. Kyle Ting remembers his time at Swerve as “the least intuitive experience of [his] life.” His testimony is reflected clearly in his current ability, or lack thereof, to perform a back-in angle parking job. -KS Defensive Driving West Seattle All Defensive Driving Schools use the same workbooks and powerpoints, so your experience in the class depends entirely on who you get as a teacher. Pray that you’re put in Natalie’s class; her attempts at driving-related humor and car accident montages make the daily two hours almost bearable. Whether you’re

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

learning about left turns or parallel parking, the best part of class will always be dashing to get snacks from Safeway during break. All in all, you’ll get what you need out of Defensive Driving – however many corny driving jokes it may take.-CB First Pass Driving School A good representation of the nature of First Pass is the fact that I only attended half of the classes. After every class I missed, I would just come in to the next one and loudly talk about how much I had learned last time. The only thing this driving school is good at is not taking roll, reflected clearly in the fact that I ended First Pass with perfect attendance. Potential First Pass students should take into consideration that this facility does not have electricity. If you don’t like sitting in the dark, this may not be the school for

you. The best part was going to the bathroom, which was conveniently located in the classroom. If I breathed, someone heard, and flushing the toilet was like setting off a bomb. -BS Puget Sound Driving Academy One of two West Seattle driving schools, PSDA did a great job of laying a good driving etiquettes foundation. If you’re looking for a very thorough driving course, this is the class for you. Any driving class won’t be the most interesting two and a half hours of your day, but this one gives you breaks, somewhat interesting and relevant assignments, and fifteen tests throughout to keep you on track. My only advice is not to try skirting through a yellow light on your drive test – it isn’t worth the extra $75 to retake the test. I speak from experience.

Opinion Life advice with doctors mulligan, Robaidek, and braman

Questionable advice from unreliable sources.

By Kate Mulligan, Julia Robaidek, and Sami Braman I have a crush on a guy and I really want to ask him out, but girls never do that at Garfield and I don’t know if I should.

Sincerely, Angered-With-Societal -Gender-Norms Dear Angered, SB: Time for you to change that gender norm, li’l lady. Be Princess Charming!

Sweep him off his feet with a day of romance. Here’s the plan: write him a love song. Doesn’t matter if you are good at singing or not, just call him up (from an anonymous number, of course) sing the song, and then hang up abruptly. It’ll leave him with a little suspicious excitement that will woo him throughout the day.

Then, hit him with a cupid arrow from a different angle (metaphorically -- I would never suggest stabbing him with something!) Pop up outside the window of one of his classes (preferably one next to the courtyard so you can get good footing) and recite a spoken-word poem with a bag over your head so the anonymity is sustained. Finally, when the final bell rings, reveal yourself to him by getting down on one knee and presenting him with a “girlfriend ring” in the alder hallway. Assure him that it isn’t a marriage proposal because that would be WEIRD! When he realizes it’s you, he will be overcome with joy and attraction. A long and prosperous relationship should result, but only if you accomplish these three simple steps.

KM: It can be hard to go against the flow. It can be even harder to do it if you fear rejection, but you sound like a confident, delightful young woman with a good head on your shoulders. Go for it! Follow Ms. Braman’s daring plan, or opt for a more casual ask. Either way, I’m sure this boy will say yes in a heartbeat. And if he doesn’t, who cares -- there are many more dogs in the house! The important thing is that you’re doing what you want, as well as setting an example for all Meet the other ladies walking

around GHS who will be inspired to ask out their potential lovers as well.

JR: Try women.

I’m a really shy musician: How do I find people to play music with at Garfield?

Sincerely, Tired of the Musically Mundane Dear Musically Mundane, SB: You gotta tempt them. Attract them with your flamboyant musical skills and you’ll have a mad rush of people feening to join your band. Arrange a meeting with Mr. Westering and demand an all-school, mandatory, 4-hour-long, solo performance in the Quincy Jones theater. While performing in a sparkly red tuxedo or ball gown, shout a quick, nonchalant audition call to ONLY those worthy of sharing a few musical notes with a god(dess) of your caliber. Wow your audience to tears with your skills -- whether it be jazz flute, glockenspiel, didgeridoo, or the harmonica -- enough that it will take extreme strength to resist the urge to sign themselves right up for an audition.

That, my musical compadre, is how you attract musical connections that will last a lifetime.

JR: If you don’t own anything sparkly and red, try joining a music class, like choir or guitar. Since there aren’t any classes teaching glockenspiel, you might also try starting your very own club tailored to your specific tastes.

KM: If you can’t find an existing one that suits your style, starting your own club is a stellar idea. If Mr. Westering doesn’t go for your solo, try setting up shop in the hallway and wowing your peers with your didgeridoo skills during passing period. You just may be approached by a like-minded maestro or two who share your passion. Maybe you can even get Brad to produce your first record.

I need to take a class in order to graduate, but I hate the teacher. What should I do?

Sincerely, Teacher-Hater Dear Hater, KM: First, explore all of your options.

Is there another class you can take? If the teacher is really that intolerable, is there an affordable class you could take online?

Unfortunately, my friend, if you don’t have any other options, you will have to follow in the legacy of hundreds of Garfield students who have come before you

and suck it up. We’ve all been there. We’ve had teachers who made us question the existence of love, light and laughter in the world. However, we’ve also survived and moved on. We may be more hardened, but we’re also much more prepared for the cold, dark reality that awaits us outside of Garfield’s shining gates.

JR: One of the most valuable things I’ve learned from high school is that even the most boring situations can be made interesting. There are things you can do to make this terrible class survivable.

My brother used to count the number of times a certain teacher said ‘aye’ during his lectures. You could start a bingo game with the other students using all the annoying, crazy stuff your teacher does. Try creating an elaborate daydream sequence.

Meditate. Nap. It is likely that this class is unavoidable, but don’t let it waste your time. Find coping mechanisms. Make a new friend. And I’d have to second the suck it up.

SB: Suck it up? You BECOME the suck up! Make this horrible teacher absolutely adore you. If you’ve never been a teacher’s pet, now is the time to get that train a’ chuggin’. Bring the teacher apples. Take advantage of every holiday to get him/her a new gift -- even Presidents’ Day (especially if it’s a history teacher who enjoys historical president calendars). If they talk about a personal interest of theirs, get right on that bandwagon.

Maybe that horrible history teacher is a fan of salsa dancing! Well, sign yourself right up at the nearest dance hall and become an expert in salsa.

When you tell your teacher all about it, no doubt he/she will be impressed. Then...voila! No longer are they a hate-worthy teacher, rather, they are the wonderful victim of your booty-kissing techniques that will send you straight to an A+... and a middle-aged BFF.

your advisers: senior women Kate W Mulligan, Julia Robaidek, and Samantha Braman.

Have a conundrum?

Email us your questions at messengeradvice@gmail.com!

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

9

“We’re Trying to Make Better Schools” The issues surrounding Seattle teachers’ decision to strike

By Bella Rowland-Reid Photos by Carson Jones and Bella Rowland-Reid Infographics by Danny Levy For students and teachers across Seattle, the morning of September 9 did not go as planned. Instead of sacking their lunches and meeting their new classmates, students slept in past their alarms.

Teachers made their way to their respective schools, toting picket signs and donning red t-shirts. This was the first time in over thirty years that the start of school was delayed by a teachers’ union strike.

While news of the strike was broadcasted all over social media, many students were unsure if school was to begin the next day.

“My mom is a teacher, so [the strike] was nerve wracking,” says sophomore class president Tianna Anderson. “But it was really important for the teachers and the students.”

Garfield language arts teacher Kit McCormick was a zoning officer for the strike, chief organizer of the demonstrations outside both Garfield and The Nova Project, a neighboring high school. While she was busy organizing picket lines, she was also worried over the state of her school’s students.

“Can you imagine?” said McCormick, who is also a district representative. “It was 6:30, the night before school [began], and these kids didn’t know if they were going.”

The strike, approved by the teachers’ union September 3, began after the district presented a new contract August 17. Members of the Seattle Education Association (SEA) felt new policies in the contract were not reflective of their demands and decided to strike until such demands were met.

For six would-be school days, educators, students, and other faculty members marched up and down on 23rd, walking laps between Jefferson and Alder, waving to honking cars and informing passersby of the current situation. Outside of The Nova

Project, a similar protest was underway: teachers circled the front of their building, decorating the cement with chalk designs and hoping to get the word out about the dismal state of the school system.

While the previous contract between the Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools (SPS) was set to expire September 8, members of the SEA were ready to negotiate new contract terms almost six months in advance. However, SPS was not readily bargaining until late August.

“We were bargaining since May,” says Thomas. “But they didn’t come with the biggest proposals until August 17 [twenty three days before school was scheduled to start].”

The bargaining deadline was set at August 19, two days after SPS presented their contract. With little time to decide the fate of the next school year, SEA was faced

with a decision: strike and negotiate for a better contract, or start school on time with a set of policies they were against.

It didn’t take much more than a discussion for a decision to be reached.

“It was a unanimous vote,” says Garfield math teacher Jeff Nomura. “There were thousands of people [at the voting], and not one person voted no.”

In a public statement released by SPS following teachers’ initial vote to strike on August 25, it was announced that all negotiations would be done through an impartial mediator with lawyers present. The first meeting was scheduled for the following friday, August 28. “‘Our goal is a contract which honors, respects and pays our educators,’” said superintendent Larry Nyland in the released statement.

However, a counter statement released

by SEA discredits Nyland’s quote, saying that SPS’s lack of compromise was delaying negotiations from being met. “‘The Seattle School Board has rejected most of our proposals around competitive pay, reasonable testing, guaranteed recess, student equity and workloads,’” says SEA vice president Phyllis Campno. “‘Through their inaction, their lack of serious proposals [...] Seattle School Board members have shown they neither respect nor value us as professional educators.’”

Many teachers agree with SEA, believing the district handled the situation poorly.

“I would hope the district would conduct this like professionals,” says Garfield science teacher Heather Snookal. “[SPS should’ve] come to the bargaining table earlier and more thoughtfully.”

Snookal, like Nomura and many other teachers around the district, is both a teacher and a parent. Without school available, many parents of younger children were forced to stay home from work or send their kids to daycare, some of which was provided free of charge at different community centers around Seattle.

“It was inconvenient,” says Nomura, who has a daughter attending Hamilton Middle School. “But [the strike] was well worth it.”

Other teachers, like Snookal, felt the need to take their children to the picket lines and participate in the demonstrations.

“It’s important for them to know that their voice matters,” says Snookal.

While she is disappointed her children and students will have a shorter summer this year, she believes all will gain perspective and benefits in the long run. “[Striking] is way more important than having summer right now,” says Snookal.

While Snookal agrees striking was an effective measure in negotiating terms with SPS, it was still difficult to reach compromises, especially in terms of teachers’ pay.

“Our goal was just to come back to our pre-recession wage level,” says Thomas. “[Teachers] lost a lot of ground […] we lost a lot of benefits.”

Supporters joined teachers at a rally The SPS released statements claiming that teachers were given a 13% wage increase over the last three years. However, teachers argue these new funds were being paid out-of-pocket for health care.

“The last time I got a [take home] raise, all Garfield students were in elementary school,” says Nomura. “Every year, [teachers] pay more and more

Strike Timeline for health care. My salary didn’t just stay the same, it actually went down.”

The Union’s initial proposal was a 21% wage increase over three years. The District denied the proposal, debating that even heightened living costs did not justify the raise. However, Thomas says living costs are higher than they were back when the last contract was signed in 2013.

outside Garfield “We haven’t had an actual raise for 7 years, and 6 years without a cost of living raise,” says Thomas. “Housing costs have almost doubled since the height of the [2009 recession].”

Some teachers also believed that SPS has been neglecting teacher salaries, instead putting away extra money in a rainy day fund.

“I feel like the district had money

they hid from the contract,” says Nomura. “There wasn’t full disclosure.”

SPS has also been pushing for new graduation requirements: instead of the standard 22 credit requirements, the class of 2019 and beyond will now need 24 credits to graduate - this is the same amount of credits that one

is offered their entire high school career.

“If you fail a class, you’re not going to graduate,” says McCormick. “There’s no safety in that.”

Unless every student passes all their classes, the only way to make up failed courses would be to add an extra class period to the day. “[SPS] can’t hand us a [contract] August 17 and say we’re adding half an hour,” says McCormick. “We can’t even add a period in half an hour.”

The district’s reasoning suggests Seattle has an extremely short day in comparison to other schools. However, Garfield has a typical day of 6.5 hours -- with students spending approximately 5.5 hours sitting in classrooms. This matches the national average, and even exceeds some states like Nevada and Hawaii, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Adding an extra half hour would put Washington towards the top tier of states with long school days, and may result in a shortened lunch period or break to accommodate a seventh period.

In addition to the usual debate over pay raise and amount of testing, teachers also found themselves bargaining over guaranteed recess and student equity.

“We haven’t had contract disputes

over things like recess before,” says Snookal, adding that the strike, while frustrating, was “groundbreaking”.

On September 15, a week and a half after SEA voted on its initial strike, over one thousand educators, students, parents, and other supporters marched 1.8 miles from Seattle’s Pioneer Square to the John Stanford Center for a demonstration and “play-in” on the lawn of the SPS building.

While the district kept the center’s windows shut and doors locked, the next day they took action to prevent another sit in.

“They turned on the sprinklers the next day,” says Snookal.

September 15 also marked the day SPS proposed a new contract, proposing a gradual 9.5 percent over three years. The SEA approved the contract for an interim time span, announcing the same day that schools would begin thursday, September 17.

Four days later, on September 20, SEA members voted to approve the new contract, with 83% in favor of the agreement. Garfield science teacher Rachel

get back to teaching, Finley said many weren’t pleased with the outcome.

“There were so many [educators] who wanted the strike to end,” says Finley. “But they weren’t satisfied with how it went down.”

Six tentative makeup dates have already been planned by the district, falling on October 9, January 29, February 1719, and June 24. This means cutting midwinter break in half and adding an extra day to an already-late summer dismissal.

While many students are upset at the addition of extra days, many, like sophomore Zuberi Wilson, wish the strike wouldn’t have happened in the first place.

“Teachers shouldn’t have to strike,” says Wilson. “It’s unnecessary [strikes] should ever happen.”

As for the teachers, the newly signed contract is set to expire three years from now, meaning all bargaining and subsequent agreements have ended.

As for right now, teachers are left making up the days they lost due to the strike.

“Six days is a lot for an AP class,” says

Garfield students support teachers at the John Stanford Center during a march Petrik-Finley was at the vote, and reflects on the tension that was in the room.

“We felt urgency in using the public opinion and the backing from parents and the city to keep fighting for a better contract,” says Finley. “But we also felt urgency to get back into our classroom and to the students and to the jobs that we ultimately love to do.”

The next day, SPS released a statement saying a tentative agreement had been reached, with a new contract to be voted on by the union later in the week. While educators were anxious to

Nomura, who teaches AP Calculus in addition to precalculus and algebra two. “I’m having to cut days from each unit [so far].”

While the strike may have been an inconvenience for many students, parents, and faculty members, Snookal believes the repercussions will travel far outside the Seattle area.

“We started a citywide conversation about our school system that hasn’t happened before,” says Snookal. “More districts will go on strike, and we will be forced to show the crisis in our school systems.”

The Munchies

With Kyle Ting

Art by Jeff Ngyuen

Fat’s fried chicken and waffles

W

ho would be able to deny fried chicken AND waffles? It’s the kind of thing you would see on an Instagram food porn account that would make you have a “foodgasm.” The unbeatable combo of savory fried chicken seated atop a throne of sticky, maplesyrupy, fluffy waffles with lightly whipped butter: it’s the stuff of dreams. And Fat’s certainly did not disappoint. No, they blazed past my expectations and fried my taste buds with excellent flavors.

Located only a few blocks away from Garfield, Fat’s Fried Chicken and Waffles sits on the corner of Cherry and MLK, within easy walking distance. Sadly, Fat’s is not among the wide selection of cheap lunch eats for Garfielders; they only open at 4:30 in the afternoon. But this is the perfect kind of soul food joint for a filling and substantial dinner.

As I strolled into the restaurant, the soothing songs of Bob Marley and the pleasing cool interior aesthetic sedated me and introduced me to the relaxed atmosphere of Fat’s. The music in the restaurant plays a vital part of the balance that owner Erika White planned for the restaurant. “It’s like a trinity,” says White, “It’s a combination of the music, the food and the people.”

Upon arrival, I was greeted by the familiar friendly face of Upendo Moore, a

fellow Bulldog and White’s son. Moore’s family has lived in the Seattle area for years and the building that Fat’s occupies has an extensive history of restaurants that have been an important part of the Central District com-

With my stomach grumbling, I hungrily ordered a few dishes to satisfy my case of the munchies.

I chose to start my meal off with a classic appetizer: mac and cheese ($7). No one can really dislike mac and cheese, it’s a staple of the teenage diet, a true hallmark of American cuisine. The service for the dish was fairly quick and I was presented with a bowl of the delectable noodles. The mac and cheese was topped with green onions and ground pepper that complimented the white cheese sauce nicely, and one bite sent my

Art by Danny Levy

munity. Moore and his family are very proud that they “ g e t to continue the legacy of the building in the central district with a black owned and black run establishment.” This pride shows in the way that Upendo effortlessly maneuvers through the kitchen and the restaurant, confidently waiting on people and recommending his favorite dishes.

taste buds for a ride.

Ta k i n g up my new job as a food critic, I tried very hard to savor each bite and examine flavors but I soon found myself with my face in an empty bowl wondering where all of my food went. The creamy cheese sauce felt light on my tongue but held just the right amount of cheesiness in each bite

with a smooth consistency.

I then ordered the classic fried chicken and waffles for my entrée ($14).

I could not have been more excited when the dish was placed before me. I chose to have a half pound of fried chicken breast (an alternative choice is two fried chicken legs) on two thin and crisp waffles. The chicken and waffles came with substantial amounts of syrup and butter, which I spread generously. My first bite of the combo was incredible: it was the perfect balance between crispy and soft, salty and sweet, chicken and waffle. The chicken was breaded fantastically, giving a great amount of crunch and an ideal amount of tenderness that was accented by the soft crunch of the waffle. Even the portion size was perfect and not overwhelming; it filled me just to the point of satisfaction.

All around, Fat’s Fried Chicken and Waffles was an immensely positive dining experience that I would recommend to anyone who has a love for soul food.

Great service, dope music and fantastic food combine to give the restaurant a 9/10 Munches. Make your way over to Fat’s for fried and tasty food.

9/10 Munches Price: $ $ $

The Pretty Uglies Sean Devenney brings a new sound to garfield

By Danny Levy Garfield is known by the students who attend it to be a large arts filled community.

One such example of the vibrancy that is the art scene here at Garfield is The Pretty Uglies.

The garage rock-esque band, made up of Sean Devenney, a senior at Garfield (vocals, bass, and guitar), Stella Harvey, a senior at The Center School (guitar, vocals), and Cameron Sonju, a junior at The Center School (vocals, guitar, and bass), have been playing together for about a year and a half. The band’s drummer,Soleil Slawson, a senior at Nathan Hale High School, has been playing with the band since Sum-

12

mer of 2014.

“Before the addition of Soleil, a lot of the music we played was more acoustic,” says Devenney. “We played with no drummer for about a year.” Since the addition of Slawson, The Pretty Uglies music has changed from mellower, acoustic jams, to “fun, surfy rock”, drawing inspiration from bands such as Tacocat and Guantanamo Baywatch.

While The Pretty Uglies write almost all of their own tunes, they will occasionally do covers of bands such as the Growlers and Twin Peaks. A cover of Twin Peaks “Making Breakfast” is incredibly fitting of The Pretty Uglies sound, and just like Twin Peaks, whose first album is entirely

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

recorded on Garageband, The Pretty Uglies proudly write on their bandcamp page (http://the-pretty-uglies.bandcamp.com) that they recorded their latest track, “Hey You”, in a basement.

The tracks that are available by The Pretty Uglies can be described as beachy,

Jeff Ngyuen

garage-y tunes, to be listened to on a hot summer day, kicking it by the lake with good people. The songs on their bandcamp, while few, are written with a airy,, laid-back sound. Filled with hummable melodies, they are guaranteed to put anyone looking for something new to jam out to in a good mood.

While not much of The Pretty Uglies music is online, be on the lookout, as they will be releasing a 6-track mini LP within the next couple of weeks. They also will hopefully be playing a show in October, and for updates and more information, you can peep them at their Facebook page.

The Art Hoe Movement

Empowering women of color through social media

By Elena Orlando

At first swipe, Instagram may seem like a platform for millions of people to take the same picture with a different backdrop, but every selfie is a piece of art in disguise.

Posts can reveal the deepest dreams and fears of a person and with a hashtag and a few words, those pictures have the power to shape identities and spark change.

The Art Hoe Movement is taking advantage of such considerable influence, using Instagram and Tumblr to create a world where women of color are in focus and able to express themselves freely.

Seniors Hera Ford and Sophie Morada are amongst the thousands of women of color, queer, and transgendered individuals taking part in the movement. Teenvogue.com even feautured pictures of their artistic expression after they posted them on the @arthoecollective, an Insta-

lish) and is normally a derogatory way to refer to women -especially black women- as being promiscuous, within the male gaze,” said Mars in an article for The Guardian published August 19th of this year. By placing the hateful word in the title of the movement, the co-founders are reclaiming its history, and turning the pain associated with it into something positive.

Art Hoe posts, while all created with the same message in mind, come in a variety of mediums. They can be photographs that incorporate paintings or other photographs, whether in the background or painted on the image, works of art that feature people of color, writings about the significance skin color has in our society, or any form that helps redefine what artistic beauty is. Amandla Stenberg (Rue in The Hunger Games) and Willow Smith have made the movement more well-known, but the core

freely about the issues they face in finding where they belong in the world.

For those who are unfamiliar with the the types of feminism, Sophie describes “Intersectional feminism as observing how things intersect, and not being able to ignore how someone’s race and their gender can make them less advantaged than someone of the same gender but different race.”

As social media seems to be becoming an increasingly negative space, it’s heartening to see it used to better the world and have the opportunity to create a future where women of color can look outward and easily find rolemodels. Feeling worthy and having a place to belong can better someone’s life by unimaginable proportions. As Hera put it, “Representation matters, when you don’t really see yourself in traditional media it really discourages you.”

Urpi Ruiz Angeles

gram account that brings art hoes even closer together.

The collective does just as the name suggests, creating a space where those involved in the movement can come together to showcase their art and talk about their experiences.

To Ford, the new platform has created “A space for people who have been traditionally excluded from art movements...a space where they’re important.”

The phrase ‘art hoe’ was a conscious choice made by Mars, a gender-fluid fifteen-year-old, and Jam, a 24-yearold artist based in Toronto, co-founders of the stereotype-breaking movement that’s giving social norms a makeover. “‘Hoe’ is AAVE (African American Vernacular Eng-

of art hoe is giving a voice to those largely ignored in popular culture.

With that in mind, Sophie and Hera have created an intersectional feminist club to empower those at Garfield who feel undervalued in society and see their stories missing from what it means to be a Bulldog.

“We wanted to focus on mostly empowering people who have been left out of the mainstream feminist movement…[art hoe] allows us to defy stereotypes that have been created to oppress women of color as...we’re not really expected to be artistic or sensitive” said Sophie about the aim of the club.

Everyone is welcome (even boys) to come to meetings, although it is mainly a place for women of color to talk

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

13

Passing Muster Health inspection scores of restaurants around Garfield.

By Julia Robaidek

S

ome popular Garfield lunch spots don’t do so hot on their health inspections. Do you know what your lunch has been through?

Health department ratings are public records, and some Garfield lunch spots have a mixed record.

It works like this: each violation receives a point value. The lower the overall score, the better the restaurant did. As of 2006, Seattle’s average restaurant score was 11.2 points. Additionally, there are certain violations that are considered public health risks and result in an automatic failing grade. These critical violations are things like inadequate hand washing or improper food storage temperatures: anything that could result in a food borne disease. Enough of this type of violation, and the restaurant is shut down until the problem can be fixed.

The following guide will help you decide just how safe your lunch is before you bite into that fried chicken.

Lotus Thai Cuisine: Though they are doing only slightly worse than the Seattle average at 15.3 points, Lotus has failed three out of four inspections since they opened last year, usually because of inadequate handwashing stations. Since a handwashing station

cannot be used for food preparation, it is fairly easy to be marked down for this if you only have one sink.

Noa Harriott, Garfield senior, comments, “It bothers me, but the food is tasty.”

Maggie Emerton

The Garfield Community seems to remain loyal to their local Thai joint. All in all, Lotus’ safety rating is not too shabby.

Your pad thai is relatively safe.

Saigon Deli: Their average score over the past three years is 55.4 points, just under five times the local average. They have failed their last four routine inspections, and passed only two out of fourteen since 2010. Cited for things like inadequate hand washing and improper food storage, they have been shut down on multiple occasions.

And yes, in some cases rodents were involved.

“I love those sandwiches though,” says

senior Sam David, when told of Saigon Deli’s track record. “It bothers me that it doesn’t bother me.”

If you have a sturdy immune system or you are just highly committed to banh mi sandwiches, eat up. Otherwise, it might be worth your while to find a new lunch spot.

Barbeque Pit says they have addressed the issue.

“I have food handler cards,” says the owner. “That’s my comment on that. We fixed the problem.”

Ezell’s:

Barbeque Pit: Barbeque Pit has an average score of about 22 points, and has passed three out of eight inspections since they opened in 2011. They tend to get busted for employees without current food worker cards.

In order to get certified as a food worker in Washington, an employee must take

Maggie Emerton

an online class and pay a fee, before they can get their card. It does not inherently mean that they are being unsafe, just that they have not received the full training to avoid risk.

“It’s a little uncomfortable,” says Jill Jensen, Garfield senior.

Maddie Hazzard

Ezell’s actually does better than the Seattle average, clocking in at 9.1 points.

They passed eight out of twelve routine inspections since 2010, with only a handful of minor violations every once in a while. Barring fast food chains (which tend to have a near hundred percent success rate in some cases), it’s the best of all the restaurants in the area. Their position as a Garfield classic remains unchallenged.

If you are looking for the safest and most convenient lunch option, Ezell’s is your place to go. Your heart health is another story.

Happy eating, Garfield!

THE REEL With Luca Hagmayer Black Mass- 2015 3.5/5 Biographical crime drama. (Stars: Johnny Depp, Joel Edgerton, Benedict Cumberbatch). Film is set in Boston, during 1970s to 1990s.

Black Mass gives the viewer a true sense of what life was like for Bulger and the people who came into contact with him. Some became close pals or associates, but others became dead rats on the street.

Gangster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) of the Winter Hill Gang is asked by government official John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) to form an allegiance to take down another mob in Southern Boston. The film blurs the line between right and wrong by centering around the question of who the real “bad guy”is, Jimmy or Johnny?

Black Mass was entertaining to watch, embodying harsh crime, slick style, and detailed history. It was action-packed and was constantly in motion with creative scene changes making it interesting to watch. Johnny Depp played Bulger like a rockstar, impersonating both his unpredictable personality and laid back manner he carried.

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The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

Sicario- 2015 5/5 Mystery crime film. (Stars: Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro). Set on both sides of the Mexican-American border in Phoenix, Arizona and Juarez, Mexico in the middle 2010s.

An FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is sent to aid an American government official (Josh Brolin) and a mysterious character whose true identity is not clear (Benicio Del Toro), on a mission that she does not even know the details of.

The filming captured the light blue sky with wispy clouds and the serenity of the desert juxtaposed with the extreme violence of the desert city. Making it seem like the movie took place on a usual day in

the area. Music is normally just heard but in the case of Sicario completely contributes to the visual experience of the film.

Sicario is an adrenaline-packed film, which causes viewers to pulsate on the edges of their seats with no idea of the turn they will face next. Emily Blunt is awesome in her role as an FBI agent (she’s English in real life, wow) portraying the swagger and curious attitude of a person trying to delve into the unknown. Can the viewer get the film out of their head right after one watches it? We intensity levels reaching colossal levels. The answer is: good luck trying.

(Side note: If the viewer hasn’t already watched ANY trailers for Sicario, it is suggested not to. (SPOILER ALERT!)

Chop it like it's Hot

Freshmen Olivia Neumark competes on the Food Network

By Hannah Tacke In the realm of teenage badassery, trends have fallen in and out. Take Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for example, or say, Teen Titans, that ran on Cartoon Network in early 2000’s. But in recent months, a new show featuring the extraordinary talents of young adults has arisen, and one of Garfield’s very own has taken part in it.

“The moment before the competition began I felt this nervous energy,” says Olivia Neumark, a freshman here at Garfield, who was accepted to compete in Food Network’s season two premiere of “Teen Chopped.”

The show features four contestants competing for 10,000 dollars given the challenge to rapidly form a dish comprised of 4-6 mysterious ingredients in as little as thirty minutes, before being held under the scrutiny of criticism from three renowned judges.

At the age of thirteen, Neumark was encouraged to apply for the show by her father, who is deep in the culinary digs in the Seattle area. Starting at a very young age, Neumark’s father nurtured her early interests by surrounding her in an active, professional environment. “I have pictures of myself in a kitchen at two years old just watching and helping everyone.

That’s probably where I got interested.”

Before Neumark had heard of the show, her father was asked if he knew any teenagers with a passion for cooking, and with his relation to Neumark, he told her of the opportunity to cook on television. Neumark was one of the sixteen teenagers chosen out of

11,000 applicants. “They chose me because they liked how I was on TV, and how I presented myself as well as my background with German heritage and diabetes which made me more interesting,” says Neumark.

Despite growing up as a young connoisseur, it wasn’t until the chopped executives visited her in Seattle that she realized her talent in cooking. “I had a

bunch of friends over and we went to Sur La Table so I could teach a class on how to make fresh quinoa with roasted duck and a cherry reduction sauce.

At my house, I made a scallop salad for the Chopped executives all while being videotaped. It was super intimidating because you don’t want to mess up or do any wrong,” says Neumark.

Once Neumark was casted onto the TV show, she rapidly worked to prepare for the competition. “I just

needed to practice and hone in my skills,” Neumark said. The competition was set in New York, and on the eve of the event, Neumark was introduced to her competitors. Neumark stood out as the youngest of the group by 2-3 years. “Meeting everybody was extremely awkward at first. It’s snowing, freezing cold and we were in this tiny hotel with the four of us and our parents. Everyone was staring at eachother trying to figure out what was going on, who we are, it’s nerve racking,” said Neumark.

On the day of the competition, Neumark and her fellow competitors got to meet the judges. “It was so surreal, like that was when I realized that this was actually happening.”

As Neumark lined up to begin the competition, she prepared herself to open the mysterious basket. “I was excited, but I was also pretty scared of what they would put in it. I kind of just went with it.”

During the heat of the competition, Neumark focused in order to isolate herself from the chaos of the kitchen. “I really just wanted to get the job done. I had so much fun with it, but it wasn’t exactly conveyed by my facial expressions.”

Right before the dessert round, Neumark made a beautiful dish of veal chops partnered with swiss chard and an odd component of glazed donuts, but in a close judging round, Neumark was chopped. “It was crushing, but overall it was a really good experience and really inspiring,” she says.

Despite the loss, Olivia Neumark can rest in the glory as one of Garfield’s very own teenage celebrities.

Arts & Entertainment Calendar October 2015

by Luca Hagmayer

SUN

MON

4

11

TUES

5

12

WEDS

6

13

THURS

7

19

1

14

Orchestra Foyer 15 Concert 5:00pm to 10:00pm (performance time 7:00pm)

22

20

Hispanic Film Soul Night 6:00p, Festival in the Commons 6:00pm to 10:00pm

27

Dramatic Paws 3:00pm Black Box Theater

29

25

26

28

SAT

2

9

8

21 18

FRI

3

10 17

16 23 Vocal Music Concert 5:00pm to 10:00pm (performance time 7:30)

Orchestra A Pacific Luthern University Festival 3:00pm (off campus)

24

30

Dramatic Paws 3:00pm and 7:00pm Black Box Theater

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Fall Sports Recaps

By Alex Ferry and Aidan Miller

Boys XC

Football

As the fall months roll by, many switch out their shorts for pants.

The boy’s cross country team goes with a different approach, putting on even shorter shorts and it seems to be working. “We came out very strong and have seen some personal records,” says senior captain Henry Hayes.

Part of the secret to their success has been a huge freshman class, led by many returning veterans from last year.

Their depth has allowed them to shrink the gap in runners times, from top to bottom. If watching one of the best cross country teams Garfield has isn’t enough, Hayes says, “we look good, we win and we’re wearing short shorts.”

Photo by Carson Jones

Girls Soccer

The girls varsity soccer team, with a current standing of 4-1-2, are looking at a shot at state for the first time in three years.

Head coach Jeremy Lugo says, “Coaching in general is a lot of fun because your success comes from other people's success.”

Lucky for Lugo, the girls have proven him very successful considering their standings so far, only losing two games. Senior captain Lucy Kolpa shares her high hopes for the future games saying.

“We are super strong this year, and should do well in the playoffs (*knocks on wood*) I don’t want to jinx it though,” says Coach Jeremy Lugo.

“We’re really strong players, really strong athletes, but when it comes down to state and making state it's just as much if not more so a mental game than anything else,” Lugo says.

Changes from last year include intensified practices and more team bonding. “We really stepped it up this year,” Says senior goalie Miye AokiKramer says.

“Everyone seems a lot more motivated and is pushing each other forward to make it far into playoffs cause we wanna make it to state this year” Junior Olivia Sander agrees.

Photo by Maddie Hazzard

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The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

Garfield had a successful season of football last year for the first time in a long time. The team earned a postseason berth, setting the standard for future GHS Bulldog teams. Now the team is hungry to take it one step further and get past the first round of the playoffs. “We want to be in the hunt for a Metro championship,” says head coach Derek Sparks.

The team has dropped its last two games against Cleveland and Hale, but wins against Beach and Roosevelt in the next two weeks would give them a chance at the title.

Captain Jelani Howard says,“If we come together, play together, and be disciplined I think we can beat any team-- It’s in our hands.”

No doubt the team has what it takes, its just a matter of putting the pieces together.

Photo by Jeff Nguyen

Girls XC Going into the year, there were a lot of questions if the girl’s cross country team could compete this year after losing many from last year.

The question has been answered with a definite yes. Led by captains Maddy Kennard, Izzi Olive, and Kate Mulligan, the cross country team has not only competed but dominated in the process. “One of our goals is to make it to state again this year and place as a team in the top five,” says Kennard.

These girls have found ways to win through their team chemistry too.

Kennard says, “It’s an amazing community that I feel so lucky to be a part of.”

With big events such as the Hole in the Wall Invitational, Metro district finals and state coming up, the girls team is sure to be leaving their mark, and remember, “XC is seXC,” says Kennard.

Photo by Carson Jones

Fall Sports Recaps Boys Golf

The boys golf team (featuring the men in Hawai’ian shirts) has improved drastically over the past couple years and hopes to continue the trend this year. “Last year we won three games so we wanted to win 4 {this year},” says senior captain Gus O’Leary.

The golf team has already started to pull the Cinderella card by beating powerhouse Nathan Hale by one shot in a game that came down to the last hole. The team’s relaxed attitude allows them to breeze by their opponents, while enjoying the game of golf. With big upcoming games against Ingraham and Bainbridge, the men in floral prints have a chance to improve their record further. “Those {games} are key” says O’Leary.

Hopefully the boy’s golf team w i l l be able to unlock their potential for the playoffs in the next couple games.

Photo by Jeff Nguyen

Volleyball After coming up a bit short in their bid to reach state in 2014, the girls varsity volleyball team came into this season with a newfound light and determination in their eyes. They have noticeably been working harder and more like a team, which has shown in their overall performance.

“We’ve had drama and tension in the past, but I’d say this year is the most cohesive [one] we’ve had so far,” says senior captain Deahna Kraft.

Undefeated through nine games this season, the girls are off to thew vstrong start they were hoping for. Having beaten their toughest competition in Roosevelt and Ballard, they seem to be confident that state could be a definite future for the team as well.

Photo by Danny Levy “Our league isn’t very strong” says Kraft, “We are expected to retain our number one spot.”

“We have the talent and ability to finish our regular season undefeated if we can play at our current level. However, to get to state we need to push ourselves to continuously improve,” says head coach Jake Putnam.

Girls Golf The girl’s golf team might be the hidden gem of fall sports this year.

Led by junior captain Rachel Dahle, the team is looking to make a deep run this year, “This is my third year on the team and it’s the best lineup I’ve seen yet,” says Rachel.

Not only is this the best team in recent years, it’s also the deepest, fueled by the addition of junior transfer Marli Koba. “We’ve got a lot of new recruits who have actually played before which is pretty rare,” says Rachel.

With such deep and intriguing talent, girl’s golf games are turning into exciting events that many fans are missing out on.

Rachel notes, “We have some talented players that could make it to state, and it’s a shame that the school is not rallying behind them.”

It’s time us Bulldogs to go support Photo by Nia Price-Nascimento

these diamonds out of the rough.

Girls Swimming The girl’s swimming team has developed a knack for winning over the last few years. This surge has been led by a large group of seniors and captains Hannah Mummey and Gwen Umbach. The tight-knit group led the Lady Bullfrogs to state last year and plan to repeat this year. “This is the last year we have to compete in high school so I think everyone is really motivated to swim fast,” says Mummy.

The seniors leadership has fostered a great “sense of community that we have. Everyone knows each other and gets along really well which makes practice and team events fun,” says Mummy.

Home swim meets are hosted at Medgar Evers Pool, which makes it an easy destination to watch top-notch swimming.

“Swimming is really fun sport to watch. Races are short and can get super intense,” says Mummy.says head coach Jake Putnam.

Photo by Audrey Stocker

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

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Aidan & Aidin

Three Bold Opinions by Chestnut and Monte 1. Forgive Kam Chancellor Arguably the most relevant Seattle topic of September to sports fans was Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor’s contract holdout.

Kam had every reason in the world to refuse to play. Yes, he signed a contract, and yes, he has obligations to his team, but as a player who is in the discussion for one of the top defensive players in the game, Chancellor deserved more than $7 million dollars a year. Take into account that professional players have roughly an 8-12 year window to make money, and I applaud any player trying to get every cent in a contract. This reason stands even higher for Chancellor than other players because he is putting his body on the line as much as any player in the league.

We’re also not saying that the Seahawks are at fault here either. They played their role to the best of their abilities, not giving in on one of their fundamental stances. The return of Chancellor can be accredited to both parties, and the results will speak for themselves. Know that Chancellor did what Lynch did not too long ago, and a year later, weren’t talking bad about Lynch.

Let’s take our last game against the Lions. You cannot say that we would have won that game without Kam Chancellor.

Forcing Calvin Johnson to fumble inches from the goal line saved the game for the Seahawks. Michael Bennett interrupted Chancellor’s post game press conference to tell the media “Pay him!”, and after that performance, he should be paid as much as the top safety in the league (which is his teammate Earl Thomas at $40 million dollars).

Don’t blame Chancellor for holding out. Both sides have moved on, and so should you. Appreciate his presence in the Legion of Boom as the season progresses.

2. Keep Lloyd McClendon The Mariners have disappointed many this year, throwing away what seemed like a franchise in the running for a World Series Championship.

The ownership fired general manager Jack Zduriencik, and replaced him with Jerry Dipoto. Dipoto will attempt to build an analytically-driven team, and is more in sync with the “modern” game of baseball than Zduriencik. This mindset will lead to a decision being made on whether to keep current manager Lloyd McClendon or to find someone who shared Dipoto’s ideol-

Freshletes

The future of Garfield sports

by Quinn Sullivan both soccer and lacrosse as well. Run-

W

ith only a few weeks of high school under their belts, a number of talented rookies have melded right into the Garfield sports community. Bringing skill and energy to the table, these young Bulldog athletes aspire to greatness.

Start with Flora Taagen. This talented freshman cross country runner has never competed before this year, yet she has already moved towards the front of the pack. Nurtured by a family of runners, she has taken on what appears to be the same athletic mentality, participating in

18

Photo by Keenan Simspon

ning 3.1 miles, her fastest meet time has already hit 20:57. Taagen says, “I think I have been improving so far and I think that I can even improve more throughout the season.”

Running alongside Flora is freshman Jacob Neville. Also proud of his quick improvements, Neville says that he “really just wanted to get in better shape because running helps with other sports like soccer”.

Neville doesn’t have an issue with getting fit. In his first attempt, he managed a 19:37 meet time and already sped up to 18:44 by his third. Neville says that his favorite part about the team is that “everyone is really supportive, especially the upperclassmen”. “During the meets they are always cheering you on and making you feel better about your running,” says Neville.

On the girls soccer team, varsity freshmen Lisa Rehder and Lauren Guthrie are a little more experienced in their sport.

Not only do they have eight and nine years of involvement respectively, but the girls also play together during club season.

Combining both their technique and talent, Rehder and Guthrie form a strong freshman midfield for the varsity team.

The soccer girls have high hopes for the season. Among those are maintaining Garfield’s great record in the league

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

ogy. While good managers exist out there, we need to keep McClendon in charge.

McClendon has now been the coach for two years on the Mariners, and the improvement over that span has been incredible. Five years ago we would have loved to have this “disappointment” of a team that was only a few games off .500.

He has no control over the vast underachievements of many players this year, but has still accepted the blame.

The Mariners posted a 15 game improvement under McClendon his first year, but McClendon’s club dropped 11 games more this year than last. It’s not his fault that the bullpen has been effective as high school pitching, or that the front office has rushed several prospects through the system, not giving them the proper time to develop (sorry Mike Zunino and Dustin Ackley).

Dipoto faces a daunting task of restocking the Mariners talent pool, and should focus on that. Give Lloyd McClendon the tools, and he’ll do the rest.

In Lloyd we trust.

3. Sounders will win the MLS cup High expectations. No championship.

New player signs. Even high expectations.

No championship. This is the pattern of

being a Sounders fan the last five years.

The difference between this year and in previous years however, is we’re clicking at the right time.

The Sounders have three wins, three ties, and no losses over their last six games, including a momentum-swinging tie against the Galaxy last Sunday. The Sounders added Paraguay-international Nelson Valdez, Panama-international Ramon Torres, Swedish-international Eric Friberg, and Austrian-international Andreas Ivanschitz over the last two months.

All are international additions and are all immediate impact-makers with the exception of Ramon Torres, who is out for the year with a torn ACL. Nelson Valdez has two goals since joining the Sounders and Ivanschitz has one.

The more opportunity for these new additions to join the already talented Sounders team, the more success the Sounders will have.

The Galaxy aren’t in as good of form as the world may think, even with Steven Gerrard. The Sounders have a real shot at winning the Western Conference, and will face a tough opponent in the final.

Our players need to have enough games to show their abilities. Once given the chance, they will shine.

and maybe even winning state. These two athletes play a major role in propelling the team towards its goals. According to senior captain Lucy Kolpa, “They both bring fire and positive attitude to

Photo by Keenan Simspon

Photo by Keenan Simspon

the team.” When commenting on their diminutive builds, she says, “They prove that size doesn’t matter.”

Moving inside to the volleyball courts, freshmen Ginny Barnes and Alina Zatzick have impressive skills to share, Alina being a setter and Ginny the libero. Making the varsity team was a surprise to both girls. “I honestly thought I would make

JV. I was really nervous and I heard that we went undefeated last year,” says Barnes.

Despite their shock, the girls have become part of the team and have instantly began to love it. “It’s honestly one of our favorite parts of Garfield,” they both agree, “especially because going in, we didn’t know a lot of people.”

They also note that having teammates like Deahna Kraft is a major plus, both to the team and their own growth. Being able to play with such talented upperclassmen means Barnes and Zatzick can improve their game and have a blast in the process.

All spectacular athletes and great new teammates, these freshmen are highly worth noting. Keep an eye out for these gifted new pups. Go Bulldogs and go freshletes!

Cam McFilthy Straight outta Texas

By Eli Wilson fter a breakout year for Garfield football last year, hopes are high going into 2015. Head coach Derek Sparks and the rest of the team are very excited about their chances at a league title, but perhaps are more excited about senior transfer running back Cameron McKinney. Mckinney previously attended Beaumont Westbrook High School in Texas, where he played one year of varsity ball. He is a dynamic player, and gives the Bulldogs a real threat out of the backfield and on special teams.

Junior captain Jelani Howard says, “He’s helped this team a lot by opening up the run game for us again.”

The switch from Texas football to Washington football is substantial. “[In Texas] everything revolves around football. Football is all they have,” says McKinney.

Sparks wants to make the transfer smooth for McKinney and get him on track for college. “The goal is to get him to a point where he can excel as an athlete and get the offers he needs to move out of here,” says Sparks.

McKinney has made the adjustment well, putting up over 600 yards in his first four games for the Bulldogs. Much of the running back’s success is due to the chemistry that has evolved between him, his

A

teammates, and the coaching staff. “First day, we clicked,” says McKinney.

Coach Sparks has been working with McKinney to get him in sync with the Bulldog offensive system. “We’re calling every play with intention, so we’ve been working with [Cam] on understanding when we’re calling a particular play to get him to the pe-

4.3 second 40-yard dash has coaches and players stunned.

While McKinney’s elite speed is evident in the offense, it can also be seen on special teams. McKinney says his vision helps him when he’s returning kickoffs and punts, where he also starts for the Bulldogs. In the third week of the season,

Photo by Jeff Nguyen

rimeter to use his speed,” says Sparks.

“One thing you can’t teach is speed.

When you get a kid that can run like [Cam] can, it makes things a lot easier,” says Sparks.

McKinney speed is outstanding. His

Mess Guess

McKinney opened the game against West Seattle with a kick return for a touchdown, helping lead the Bulldogs to a 21-17 victory.

Aidin Montefisher

Eli Wilson

Aidan Miller

#23 Cal @ #5 Utah

Utah

Cal

Utah

New York Mets @ Los Angeles Dodgers

Mets

Dodgers

Dodgers

Edmonton Oilers @ Nashville Predators

Oilers

Predetors

Pittsburgh Steelers @ San Diego Chargers

Steelers

Czech Republic vs. Turkey (FIFA)

Czech Republic

McKinney has D-1 type talent and Howard is confident in his ability to play at the next level. “You guys can expect a lot more touchdowns from Cam, most of them playing Division One football somewhere,” says Howard.

Despite all the hype focused around him, Mckinney has kept the team’s success his top priority. “Cam is one of the happiest people when we’re on the field, and when people are down he motivates them and brings them back up,” says Howard.

With almost half the season over, McKinney has his sights set on some season goals for himself. “I want to have over a thousand yards rushing,” says McKinney.

This Garfield team has audacious goals for a playoff berth, but after losses to Cleveland and Nathan Hale, there is little room for error.

“We want to be in the hunt for a Metro Championship,” says Sparks.

Garfield will need to bear down to make it all the way, but with a long season anything is possible. Sparks says, “Last year was a treat for Garfield nation who’s been waiting on something like that to happen, and this year our goals are still aggressive... but I think we’ve got even better athletes this year.”

Alex Ferry

Quinn Sullivan

Cal

Cal

Mets

Mets

Oilers

Predetors

Oilers

Steelers

Chargers

Chargers

Chargers

Turkey

Czech Republic

Czech Republic

Turkey

Quinn Sullivan

Another year, another season of Mess Guess. With established vetran Aidan “Don’t Mess with the Best” Montefisher as the obvious favorite, this is basically a competition for second place. Eli “Modeling Over Mess Guess” Wilson might have a chance to dethrone the king by rolling the dice on a few picks. Aidan “The Walking Injury” Miller has watched the wonders of Mess Guess from afar, but is not projected to put much of a career together in the bigs. Alex “Don’t Fool with the Cool” Ferry, from the looks of her picture seems to think Mess Guess is fun and games... shes in for a rude awakening. Finally there is Quinn “I’m a Sports Writer?” Sullivan who seems to be a Boston die hard, but she will need to pick outside her comfort zone to hang with the big guns.

The Garfield Messenger 10/9/2015

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