Garfield Messenger: Volume 96, Issue 6

April 20, 2018

Volume 96, Issue 6

Supporters of The Garfield Messenger Benefactors Anonymous Bridge Partners Karen Cooper Nancy Chapin Real Estate LLC Richard Albrecht Patrons Anonymous Al and Sue Raitt Britt Anderson David Bills Elana Jassy Ellen Chestnut Hazel Pearson Janet Gwilym and Bing Tso Jennifer Kerns Karen Santos Metro Dog Pet First Aid Nancy Sapiro The Samuelson Family Friends Anonymous Barbara Kelley Barbara Staley Carol Rava Ciaran and Jillian O’Kelley Diana Peterson Elli and Kiran Lingappa Heidi Flora Joanne Harvey Kari Kaill Kim Franklin Leah Klein Leslie Davidson Michael Seiwerath and Rachel Kessler Mou Ferry Patricia Taagen Phebe O’Neill Roman Weil The Argeres Family The Woods Family Tova Gaster Val Shank

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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

Volume 96 Issue 6 April 20, 2018 Cover by Ariel Cook

NEWS

A&E

The 24 Credit Affect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Teacher Babies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Give Blood Now . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Throwback Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

The ComPROMise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Meet the Musical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

A Super Interesting Super Intendent . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Bringing Home the Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

By Carlin Bills

By Sophie Reichert

By Delphie Drake- Mudede

By Patrick Walsh

Attendance Policy Shakeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

By Sophie Reichert

FEATURES Praise Perez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

By Carlin Bills

By Freya Wiedemann

By Susana Davidson

By John Volk

By Hailey Gray

GHS Secret Talents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

By Tsion Belgu

Student’s at SAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

By Sara Javkhlan

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

By Ava Klubberud

Meet the Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

By Sara Javkhlan

Sports

What’s Up With SAAC?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Young and Ballin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

By Téa Fortune

Student Submissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 By various students

Question of the Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

By Sav’ell Smalls

Garfield Boxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

By Azure Savage

Softball Sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . .19

Compiled by Flora Taagen, Julia Lin and Ke’von Avery

By Ava Klubberud

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

Executive Editors Flora Taagen • Julia Lin Photography Editor Ruby Seiwerath Art Editor Ana Matsubara NFO Editors Claire Boudour • Sydney Santos A&E Editors Susana Davidson Sports Editor Josh Chestnut Business Executive Paulette Argeres Advisor Corey Allan Martin

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

Writers Carlin Bills • Delphi DrakeMudede • Hailey Gray • John Volk • Kevon Avery • Azure Savage • Ava Klubberud • Patrick Walsh • Sav’ell Smalls • Tsion Belgu • Téa Fortune • Sophie Reichert • Sara Javkhlan Photographers Toby Tran • Peter Kubiniec • Freya Wiedemann Illustrators Emma Riddick • Arlo Van Liew • Ariel Cook Business Staff Izzy Woods • Jefferson Ashby

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News The 24 Credit Effect Potential schedule changes are in store for SPS.

By Carlin Bills

S

eattle Public Schools is discussing a potential schedule change for the 2019-2020 school year in order to expand credit earning opportunities for students who need 24 credits to graduate as well as improve student learning and engagement at the high school level.

Starting with the class of 2021, Washington State law requires all students to earn 24 credits to graduate, which is three credits more than previously. With the current schedule, students have six credit earning opportunities each year and 24 throughout the typical 4-year high school curriculum. To increase the success of their students, the SPS district is looking to increase credit-earning opportunities and enhance course offerings across high schools.

“Currently, based on the analysis of our data from the start of the year, 26% of all students across Seattle Public Schools are typically earning fewer than 6 credits per year,” said Caleb Perkins, the Director of College and Career Readiness for Seattle Public Schools.

If the district doesn’t add any credit earning opportunities for students, it could significantly hurt students’ ability to earn their diplomas.

“If we only offer 24 credit earning opportunities and students need to get 24 credits then approximately one out of four students would be off track,” said Perkins.

When discussing this potential schedule change, expanding credit earning opportunities isn’t the only element the board is

taking into consideration.

“In addition, there’s the discussion of the benefits of having longer instructional blocks, for example having a science lab that’s able to meet 90 minutes as opposed to 45 minutes,” said Perkins.

There is also discussion centered around how to maintain the presence of AP or IB programs at schools and how to promote other learning opportunities such as work site learning, participation in Skills Centers or taking academic support classes.

Attempting to balance these factors requires time and thought.

“We decided that next year was too soon to make a large schedule change” said Perkins. “We anticipate what I would say is the final parameters for the 2019-2020 schedule will be determined in the fall.”

The ultimate goal of this process is to determine guidelines for a schedule that ensures student success within existing constraints. Next year, both the freshman and sophomore classes will need 24 credits to graduate but will only be offered 6 credit earning opportunities per year in most SPS high schools. The district will be taking steps to support these students and keep these students on a path to graduate.

“We are providing additional dollars to our high schools to support the 9th and 10th graders,” said Perkins. “We want to make sure schools are doing what they can within the existing schedule to ensure they stay on track whether it be additional tutoring or smaller class sizes.”

Between now and the fall the SPS staff is opening engagement opportunities for school leadership and parents.

“We are putting together a detailed communications and engagements plan which has begun to lay out when we’re going to engage various groups, including parents,” said Perkins. This plan is designed to ensure families and communities have access to the latest information.

District staff will continue to engage with the School Board and other key stakeholders, including the Seattle Education Association, weighing their options and brainstorming how to balance all the parameters in order to make decisions that will ultimately lead to success for the district’s students.

However, it will be important going forward for parents and guardians to engage within their individual school communities as well.

“All of the parameters we put together for the schedule will be common but we anticipate schools will have some latitude to dictate the exact variation that they implement for their schedule,” said Perkins. “The open question is how much latitude and that’s where I couldn’t tell you exactly yet.”

Seattle Public Schools hopes to engage a broad range of com-

munity stakeholders affected by this change so that the schedule for the 20192020 school year addresses a broad range of interests.

“It will ultimately be difficult to decide on a high school schedule that everybody will love completely but we believe that we’re trying to implement a plan that will have benefits for all groups of students and we look forward to providing opportunities for folks to learn more about this work.” said Perkins.

Art by Ana Matsubara

Find the Bulldog!

Somewhere hidden in this issue is this drawing of a tiny GHS bulldog. The first person to find it wins a PRIZE! If you find it, take a photo and email it to garfieldmessenger@gmail.com. There is no second place prize so snap a pic and send it quick!

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News The Steps to Donate:

General Donor Requirements:

One:

Two:

Three:

Bring a photo ID to the donor center or mobile center.

Then you will be registered and will fill out a questionnaire to confirm eligibility

A short health interview and checkup will be done.

About one pint of blood is collected. You can donate blood through Bloodworks NW, which supports over 90 local hospitals, and through Red Cross.

Register

Exam

-be at least 18 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds -16 or 17 year olds may donate with with parental consent with a Bloodworks NW permission slip signed by a parent or guardian.

-First time 16 or 17 year old male donors must weigh at least 114 pounds, and first time 16 or 17 year old female donors must weigh at least 125 pounds to donate at a mobile center -16 or 17 year olds who weigh at least 114 pounds may donate Bloodworks NW donor center.

-Have not donated blood in 56 days

Donate

Art by Arlo Van Liew

By Sophie Reichert

Where do We Stand in Comparison to Other Seattle High Schools?

These are the statistics on both the number of drives and the amount of Blod Collected Most Blood Donated in 2018

Least Blood Donated in 2018

Franklin Hosts a 2-day blood drive 3 times per year

February Drive:

-Registered 60 donors -Collected 46 units

Get Involved:

Roosevelt

Hosts a 1-day blood drive 4 times per year

February Drive:

-Registered 40 donors -Collected 28 units

-Bloodworks NW Offers a Scholarship program that awards biannual scholarships to college bound seniors who organize and host blood drives during winter and summer -Students who recruit 50 donors earn a $500 tuition award; those who recruit 36 donors earn $400.

-Donate at Garfield Fall of 2018- and Bloodworks brick and mortar buildings are open- check website for times and the locations of mobile centers

Ballard

Cheif Sealth

Cleveland

Hosts a 1-day blood drive 3 times per year

Hosts a 1-day blood drive 3 times per year

We Stand Here

February Dive:

February Drive:

-Registered 25donors -Collected 19 units

-Registered 54 donors -Collected 35 units

Hosts a 1-day blood drive 2 times per year

February Drive:

-Registered 15 donors -Collected 9 units

Garfield -Friday, (March 30) 24 bulldogs, including both staff and students, registered to donated -19 units of blood was collected, that’s enough to save 57 lives -Friday’s drive had a very low deferral rate, meaning a high percentage of donors who registered to donate passed the health screening. The units collected include those individuals who passed the health screening and were able to donate an entire pint of blood.

April 2016: registered 39 donors, collected 32 units

Oct 2016: registered 27 donors, collected 17 units

March 2017: registered 30 donors, collected 16 units

Sept 2017: registered 33 donors, collected 18 units

The ComPROMise June 8th is chosen as the date for this years prom.

By Delphi Drake-Mudede After much consideration and discussion, a date for this years prom has been chosen

by Garfield’s ASG and Senior class ASB. During the week before spring break, ASB and ASG clarified to Garfield staff and students that prom will be held on June 8th, despite rumors of alternative dates.

According to Senior Class President Karl Ingram, April 27th was prom’s placeholder in the beginning of the year. However, this date was unrealistic for several reasons.

“April 27th was way too soon for prom and the senior class didn’t even have enough money to put on the prom until [later],” said Ingram.

Many issues arose when choosing the date for prom because of conflicts like this year’s musical, UrineTown, which

runs from May 23rd to June 2nd, and Boys Ultimate Frisbee Nationals, from June 8th to June 10th.

“It was difficult to pick a date because there were a lot of factors and people to consider. We were also on a time crunch which made things a lot more high tension between us and our constituents,” said ASG President Tianna Andresen.

This year, Ramadan, a holy month of fasting, prayer and reflection observed by Muslims around the world, begins on May 15th and ends on June 14th. Concerns about prom overlapping with Ramadan were brought up to ASB and ASG by several students prior to the senior class meeting in March. May 11th was suggested as an alternative date for prom, however it was decided to be impractical.

“The date May 11th was suggested for this reason, but as time passed deadlines weren’t met so May 11th was taken off the table due to logistics,” said Ingram.

“It has been proposed that we as ASB somehow get the seniors affected into another school’s prom but the chances of that are slim.”

A Senior Class meeting in Mid-March sparked tensions between the student government and the senior class.

“We as Senior Class ASB just wish our meetings were taken more seriously and had better attendance,” said Ingram. Topics brought up at the meeting introduced more conflicts and increased the difficulty

of choosing a date for prom.

“There was a lot of communication that had to be done as well with administration, advisors, peers, and among each other which added more layers to the problem,” said Andresen ASG and the Senior Class ASB deemed June 8th as the best option because it has the least amount of schedule conflicts and is financially available.

“Ultimately, and this is from an ASG structural point of view, June 8th was chosen based on a vote after talking with all the groups involved,” said Andresen.

Art by Emma Riddick

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News

A Super Interesting Superintendent Meet Denise Juneau, Seattle’s new superintendent.

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By Patrick Walsh

ed Howard has a new boss. On April 4th, the Seattle School Board voted unanimously in favor of Denise Juneau, making her Seattle’s first Native American superintendent. The decision came after a two month search, in which Juneau bested 67 other candidates. When Juneau takes the reins July 2018 from current Superintendent Larry Nyland, whose term has completed, she will be the district’s third superintendent in six years.

The superintendent’s power is almost as massive as the positions’s $300,000 paycheck. Essentially the school district’s CEO, superintendents set the district’s vision, control its resources, and manage its employees. When she steps into office on July 1st, Ms. Juneau will take the helm of a district whose problems are plentiful and resources are scarce. According to a Stanford study, SPS has one of the largest racial achievement gaps in the country, and under the current superintendent, Larry Nyland, that gap widened. Fortunately, increasing equity has been Denise Juneau’s life work.

Juneau grew up on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana, where poverty and underfunded schools result in countless

obstacles to student success. But Juneau’s parents were both teachers and ensured she made the most of her public school education. She qualified for Head Start, a Federal program which provides free preschool for kids from low-income households. The program gave Juneau an early boost which allowed her to excel in school, and after high school, she continued her education at Montana State University, and then Harvard, where she earned her Masters in Education.

Juneau could have used her degree as a permanent ticket out of Montana, but instead she came back home. For three years, she worked in the Montana’s superintendent’s office as the Director of Indian Ed-

ucation. Three years later, she was elected as Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.

During her eight year tenure, Juneau focused on improving the outcomes of Montana’s underprivileged. She started a program called Graduation Matters, which increased the high school graduation rate by seven percent. Another program, Schools of Promise, focused on five underperforming schools where generational poverty and trauma kept students from succeeding. Through this program, Juneau addressed mental health issues through counseling and provided resources to increase accessibility. The results were remarkable. Within three years, reading proficiency in the

Attendance Policy Shake Up

five schools increased by 15% and math proficiency more than doubled.

Soon enough, Juneau’s success brought her to the national stage. In 2012 she spoke at the Democratic National Convention, and in 2016 she ran for Congress. In her campaign, Juneau publicly came out as lesbian, making her the first LGBTQ candidate in Montana’s history. She lost the campaign (No democrat has won Montana for 24 years), but still managed to win over 40% of the vote.

Juneau was selected as superintendent of Seattle Public Schools in the hopes that she could increase equity in Seattle as she did in Montana. However, making Seattle Schools more equitable won’t make everyone happy.

Fortunately, Juneau understands this fact.

“Sometimes fair is not equal”, she said at the April SPS Board Meeting. As Seattle’s superintendent, Juneau plans to redirect resources to the schools which need them the most, positing that PTSA funds should be pooled into a district fund. She also wants to initiate a districtwide discussion about privilege and equity. “We have to have a lot of difficult conversations”, said Juneau.

Art by Ariel Cook

The recent policy defines an excused absence.

By Sophie Reichert Vacations, hiking trips, out of school sports games: all thing that now cannot be excused with a pre-planned absence form at Garfield.

Many students have noticed this change as their attempts to excuse absences are hindered by the recently-enacted policy.

“We started having the pre-planned attendance policy which was for kids to...do educational vacations,” Ms. Portia Beard, the Truancy Intervention Specialist for Garfield, commented in an interview.

These forms initially were for anything that didn’t fall under the typical medical, dental, and other appointments.

“Over the years we’ve been using the preplanned as a way for kids to go on vacations or and do sports, things of that nature,” Beard continued.

The predicament is, Garfield is out of compliance with the school district’s policy on excused absences, and has been for years.

January 2nd was the deadline for getting back into compliance.

Although the policy is recent to Garfield, it is the norm for all other high schools in the district.

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“That’s why we went back to no more pre-plans for vacations...because no other school in the district gets that, only Garfield,” Beard stressed.

The policy has struck a nerve for many students, as it affects what work can be made up in missed classes.

“If your absences are not excused, then you are not supposed to be able to make up school work,” Beard stated.

Furthermore, the protocol has alarmed numerous students, as too many absences can result in the declaration of truancy. Officially, a student is considered truant if they miss 5 or more unexcused days in a month or 10 or more unexcused days in a year.

After one unexcused absence, a call home to inform the child’s legal guardian will be made. After three, a conference or conferences with the legal guardian and child will be scheduled, in order to to outline a plan to eliminate or reduce the student’s absences.

If the actions taken by a school district are not successful in substantially reducing a student’s absences, then, by the seventh unexcused absence in a month or the tenth unexcused absence during the current school

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year, the school district is required to file a petition to the juvenile court.

This can result in a variety of court order for the legal guardian and student such as time in a juvenile detention facility, fines.

The student can also be ordered to attend a different public school or an alternative education program.

Nonetheless, there are still things that can be excused, such as Garfield recognized sports and class field trips.

“Where the dilemma begins is with outside sports and trips that are not associated with Garfield.

“We can excuse… a family emergency but we have to evaluate what a family emergency means,” Beard said.

This can include more critical things- like death in the family, and a family member in the hospital.

What constitutes as an excused absence is outlined in the WAC, a legally binding document all public schools in Washington must use as a standard. The different codes pertaining to education can be accessed online, as well as an official list of what absences can be excused.

For example, the WAC states a “Religious or cultural purpose including observance of a religious or cultural holiday or participation in religious or cultural instruction” is an excused absence.

For an unexcused absences it provides a much broader definition, characterizing it as anything that does not fall under the specified excused absences.

The excused absence policy is officially here to stay, so Garfield students will have to make the best of it.

Art by Ariel Cook

Features

Praise Perez

Meet the Pen

Get to know a beloved teacher.

By Carlin Bills s soon as you step into room 236, a vibrant yet comforting energy envelopes you. Colorful student posters, the ones with admirable yet meager attempts at art, line the wall and students can always be heard passionately singing along to a Shakira song. This unique environment is typical of a class taught by Elizabeth Perez, a Spanish teacher new to Garfield this year.

Perez has a kind smile and welcoming energy that draws you in from the first time you meet her. She’s quick to share about her life: how she’s an avid soccer fan, currently

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Through hard work and perseverance, alongside the support of teachers Perez moved to Seattle to pursue her goal of receiving a higher education.

“I am the first in my family to have graduated from a college and I received two masters degrees,” said Perez.

While completing her Hispanic masters studies program at UW, Perez had to teach intro level classes to freshman and sophomores. A moment from one of these classes made her realize teaching was the career path she wanted to follow.

“I had a student tell me at UW that my

Photo by Toby Tran

rooting for Cruz Azul and Mexico in the world cup, how her favorite food is ceviche and even how she’s going to get married in 2020. However, the more you get to know her, the more you uncover her beautiful and inspiring story.

She grew up in the small town of Grandview, Washington, home to about 10,000 people. It was a town that shaped her despite its challenges.

“In that area of Yakima there’s high crime rates and a high dropout rate.” said Perez.

teaching changed her life. When she told me that … I had no words to say, like how can my teaching change your life? I don’t know what I did,” said Perez.

That moment, combined with the impact of a strong role models, solidified Perez’s decision to become a teacher. She decided to pursue Spanish because of her cultural background as a Mexican-American, but also because of the value teaching Spanish holds.

“The idea that I can teach a non-dominant

language to my students to me is a form of social justice. It’s showing my students that they can learn a language but they can also change their perspective or be challenged by non-dominant perspectives through a language,” said Perez.

However, for Perez, the importance of teaching goes beyond the subject matter.

It expands beyond the confines of learning information and into supporting the well beings of individuals through being honest and emotionally open.

“Personally I’ve been able to be more vulnerable after I experienced the loss of my brother who was 22 years old and not even two months ago I lost my cousin who was 18,” said Perez. “All of these life experiences make me feel the need to always support the youth and be there as much as possible because education is important, but their lives are also important. Your lives are important, especially now we find ourselves in a difficult time in our nation and there’s that need to have teachers who are going to go the extra mile, who are also going to care about the whole individual.”

Part of caring about the entire individual for Per ez is understanding students’ backgrounds and being able to support them in an equitable way.

“It’s so important [to bring social justice into the classroom] because every single student in the classroom has a story and it’s how you connect and bring their stories into the classroom that really matters,” said Perez. “Once you start validating the stories you bring from home those are the moments you’re being equitable and show them you not only value them as a student in the classroom but you value their stories and their languages too. That’s social justice education at work.”

If you’re lucky enough to get Perez as a teacher, you are in store for an engaging classroom environment, personalized care and best of all having your day brightened, without fail, by a kind and warm smile.

Learn about this Garfield institution.

By Sara Javkhlan Garfield High School is full of talented musicians, athletes, scholars- you name it. Many of our students possess a wicked talent, and The Pen is just one of the many opportunities here at Garfield where writers and artists can showcase their work.

The Pen is Garfield’s literary and arts magazine where any student can submit their work. Students’ poetry, short stories, visual art and photography are published in an annual magazine.

This Garfield institution operates as a weekly club, led by officers Kathryn Porter, Jonny Sabbath, Yuie Montsaroff and Susana Davidson, and advised by Language Arts teacher Stephanie Taylor. Their meetings are spent completing a variety of tasks, such as sorting through submissions or planning for an upcoming Coffeehouse, which is an open mic night for students.

This year is especially significant for The Pen, because it is the publication’s 80th anniversary. It’s important to the club officers to preserve the school’s literary traditions, and showcase a new era of talent and creativity.

“I think having something to look at, seeing your name in it, and then putting it in the box of all the Pen’s published since the 1930’s is incredible,” said Sabbath. “It’s cool to have this be part of the school’s history.”

If you are a writer, artist or photographer, and you are looking into submitting your work to the Pen, you still have time.

The deadline for submissions have been extended to April 27.

If you are interested in singing, acting, poetry, or showcasing your talent, come by the next Coffeehouse Open Mic on May 22 in the GHS library.

What’s Your Favorite Thing About Ms. Perez? ““I love that although she is a spanish teacher, she teaches more about life and caring and being a human than she does just spanish” “She cares so much about each student and it shows every day in her teaching” “Ms. Perez is a teacher that I know I can come to if i have personal problems and she’s an adult I can actually talk to” “Ms. Perez knows all of her students really well, she’s really good at one on one relationships and it makes it feel like a good community, a family.”

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Features

What’s Up With SAAC?

A look at Garfield’s sexual assault awareness club.

By Téa Fortune

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he Sexual Assault Awareness Club, or SAAC, which was created at the beginning of this school year, is a group of students at Garfield who discuss how to make Garfield and Garfield-affiliated events a safe place to talk about sexual assault. SAAC meets officially every Thursday in room 232, where all students are welcome and can talk about the ways they can spread sexual assault prevention awareness around the school, including giving lectures and making posters. On Wednesday is the clubs designated preplanning time, where anyone interested in leadership meets to plan their official Thursday meetings. SAAC doesn’t have officers but rather whoever shows up can help facilitate discussions.

“Our goal is to get students to have more of a voice. Students need more of a voice because teachers don’t really listen.

The school could work better as a whole,” said Paige Anderson, a junior at Garfield

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and a leading member of SAAC. On March 28th, several members of SAAC had the opportunity to speak at a staff meeting, where they worked with Garfield faculty on ways to carefully handle topics of sexual assault and consent in classrooms.

“We talked about being aware of things like trigger warnings,” said Anderson, “and giving them a perspective through the students to understand.” The student speakers referenced real-life situations Garfield students had endured.

It took SAAC two months to make this staff meeting happen, as it was repeatedly rescheduled. “ [As] someone who’s new to the building, I quickly realized we weren’t responding fast enough,” said Mr. Al Snyder, who is a history teacher at Garfield.

After the meeting on Wednesday, the staff have continued to discuss these issues that were at hand, and some have even

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talked about these prevention methods in their classrooms.

“I realized that I wasn’t being careful about the content I was putting out in the classroom” said Mr. Snyder.

Aside from their main goal, SAAC members have other aspirations for their new club they want to achieve within Garfield and in the larger outside community. SAAC hopes to increase their club’s membership.

“We definitely want to collaborate with other clubs within the school. We probably won’t be able to do it this year but next year we are looking to collaborate with other clubs in the school” said Anderson.

If you want to know more about SAAC and be apart of the movement be sure to come to their meetings on Thursdays.

Staff learning from SAAC members.

Photos courtesy of SAAC members

Members of SAAC after the staff meeting.

Opinion Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed by student submissions do not necessarily reflect the opinions or viewpoints of The Garfield Messenger.

To the boy who thinks that I’m a scaredy cat Poem by Isabel Yueh, ‘021

So, you think that I’m not brave enough?

That when that man, a complete stranger mind you, said that I was “Lookin’ fine” I should have stood up to him? That I should have fought back? Maybe yelled and flipped him off?

Well, let me tell you something.

You are not a girl, will never be a girl, don’t want to be a girl.

You will never understand what it feels like to have all your power taken away with just two words.

To have some man you’ve never met before catcall you as you walk home from school.

You see, I couldn’t have done anything.

How was I going to?

He was at least three times my age and you don’t understand that it is terrifying to have someone that much older than you having ‘intentions’ about you.

So when you tell me that I was not “brave”, you are saying that it’s okay that he ‘wanted it with me’ That it’s okay that I had no control over how my body looked to another person.

So don’t tell me that I’m not brave.

Don’t tell me that I should have done differently.

Because you don’t understand how I can be brave enough to walk down the street again.

With my head held up high. Brave enough to be that girl that he thought was “Lookin’ fine”

Student Submissions Showcasing the talent of Garfield students.

Compiled By Sydney Santos

What Would MLK Do?

Op-Ed by Daniel Page, ‘019 I would like to preface this article by acknowledging a few points. First, I am an upper class white male, and I strive to recognize the impact this has on my opinions. That said, I ask readers to judge my ideas based on their content, not my demographics. Second, I recognize that many people oversimplify Martin Luther King’s views. Finally, there may be errors of fact or interpretation below; I welcome corrections and reactions.

I believe institutional racism still plagues our society and I am no fan of Donald Trump.

I am disappointed, however, with parts of the social justice activism occurring at GHS, particularly at our last MLK Day assembly. I am concerned that our school is failing to live up to the standard King set.

King taught us to reform institutions from within instead of tearing them down when he met with presidents and congressmen to help pass the Civil Rights Act. Speakers at our last MLK Day assembly asserted that any power derived from institutions, including politics, was “without merit.” This is not what King preached.

King taught us in Strength to Love that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.” Not once did he resort to name calling, even when threatened with death.

Speakers at our last assembly responded to Trump’s bigoted comments by referring to him as “our s***hole president.” This is not what King preached.

Given our polarized times, it is more important than ever that we heed the genius of King and meet hate with love, both at assemblies honoring him and during day-to-day interactions. While King would have criticized Trump’s rhetoric, he would not lash out at our president and his supporters with disdain. As he said in his most controversial speech, Beyond Vietnam (1967), “We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation.”

In this spirit, King would have us peacefully protest, seizing on strategic opportunities to win the support of powerful institutions such as the media, the federal government, and political parties. He understood that we rely on institutions to achieve progress — we needs governments to pass laws, the media to shape public opinion, and political parties to forge compromise.

Regardless of whether all, or only some, Trump supporters are racist, smearing anyone as deplorable, racist, or white trash only exsacerbates isolation and despise. Instead, we must come to understand, connect with, and genuinely appreciate those we most fervently disagree with. As MLK wrote in Strength to Love, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” This does not rule out respectful critiques of others and ourselves, it does rule out vitriol.

We must transcend derision; we must enumerate and embody a better vision for the world. If we seek a community that is welcoming we must put an end to our palpable disdain for certain voters. And if we seek a nation without rabid hate we must cease to call others “white trash.” It will be a trying process. But if we fail, there will be no critical conversations, no change, and no justice.

This is the strategy I believe will be most effective at creating a community free of loathing for people and cultures. How do you think we can best accomplish this?

As with every article in our paper, any responses to student submissions are welcomed and encouraged, and can be submitted to garfieldmessenger@gmail. com. If you have any other artwork, photography, or writng you are passionate about, contact us to submit your work!

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9

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST

In May, our question of the issue will be “What is your favorite thing about Garfield?”. If you have an answer to this question or a solution or response to one of the problems addressed in this piece, we encourage you to write us at garfieldmessenger@gmail.com with the chance to be featured in our May issue.

When you walk down the hallways at Garfield, it’s not uncommon to hear people saying “I hate Garfield”, “high school sucks”, “I can’t wait until I’m out of here”. As part of a year end series, we wanted to give students a place to publicly voice the issues they see at this school.

PROBLEM AT GARFIELD?

A&E Teacher Babies

Match the teachers to their babies!

By Freya Wiedemann Match the teachers to their babies! Match the teachers to photos of them as babies! If you think you have everything right, take a picture of the page and email it to garfieldmessenger@gmail.com and we will let you know when you can come collect your prize!

Baby Teachers*

Teacher Babies

songs for nostalgia Mrs. Griffin

By Susana Davidson Art by Emma Riddick

1. Bossy - Kelis 2. London bridge - Fergie 3. Nothin - N.O.R.E. 4. Frontin’ - Pharell 5. I Feel for You - Chaka Kahn 6. Lets Groove - Earth Wind and

Mrs. Soroko

Fire

7. Bite the Apple - Rainbow Team 8. PYT - Michael Jackson 9. Bonita Applebum - A Tribe

Mr. Young

Called Quest

10. Don’t Let it Go to Your Head 11. Black Harmony Outstanding - The gap bandJust

12. Friends - Amy Winehouse 13. Brite n’ Sunny Babe- Al Jarreau 14. Dont Worry Baby - Beach Boys 15. Five String Serenade - Mazzy

Mr. Martin

Star

Mrs. Hellmann

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*Mrs. Hellmann does not have a photo of herself as a baby

A&E

Meet the Musical

Garfield musical fans: urine for a treat.

I

By John Volk

f you thought it was a joke when you heard this year’s musical was called Urinetown, that’s exactly what you should have thought.

Set in the not too distant future after a twenty year drought has caused a water crisis that could only be stabilized by regulating urination, Urinetown truly is, at least on the surface, a show about pee. In an effort to conserve water, the government has implemented a ban on all private toilets and as such, all citizens are now forced to pay to pee at public toilets run by the villainous Urine Good Company. Anyone caught disobeying this law is shipped straight to the enigmatic and feared Urinetown.

Tired of this oppressive rule, the city’s lower class community launch a revolt led by Bobby Strong (Tony McCahill) to take back their rights to free urination.

“The show is so irreverent and so over the top, that we’ve had a lot of laughing at ourselves,” said director Stewart Hawk. “The show is done in a very serious manner, but all of the stuff is so zany.”

Through this humor, the show serves mainly as a satire from which just about nothing is safe from parody. From capitalism to communism, from musical theater as a whole to the play Urinetown itself, everything is put under the microscope.

“It makes fun of big business and envi-

ronmentalists and it is a parody of a lot of different things,” Hawk said. “It also pokes fun and parodies other musicals. Within the musical itself there are parodies of Les Mis, West Side Story, and Fiddler on the Roof. It’s making fun in a clever way of how other musicals have done things.”

Of course the lens through which all of this is seen is one of pee puns and classic bathroom humor.

As the musical moves forward in production, it will have to do so without its director and a mainstay of Garfield theater Stewart Hawk.

“It’s going to be difficult for me to walk away at this time,” Hawk said, “but I really feel confident that the show is in good hands, not only with Ms. Gress, who is going to be my long term sub, but I also have a fantastic stage manager in Julia Haralson who I feel confident will be able to guide the show where it needs to be.”

When Hawk makes his return to the theater for the show’s closing night he will get to see a show full of fun, laughs, and pee.

“If you’re not easily offended, come see this show,” lead actor Nia Stewart said. “If you like teenage boy humor, come see this show.”

The show opens May 23 at 7 PM, with other showings at 7 PM on May 24, 25, 30, and 31 as well as June 1 and 2. To preorder tickets visit gstage.booktix.com.

MEET THE CAST OF URINETOWN Photos by Freya Wiedemann

Tony McCahill- Bobby Strong

Sophomore Tony McCahill plays Bobby Strong, the hero of Urinetown and leader of the revolutionaries. McCahill has participated in theater since he started with the Seattle Children’s Theater at age 9 and is in his second year with the musical at Garfield.

Manny Herrera- Caldwell B. Cladwell

Senior Manny Herrera plays Caldwell B. Cladwell, the nefarious and powerful owner of the Urine Good Company. Herrera considers himself an anomaly in the musical community, having started with theater just last year.

Emili Rice- Hope Cladwell

Senior Emili Rice plays Hope Cladwell, the main romantic lead and Caldwell B. Cladwell’s naive and optimistic daughter who sees the best in everyone. This is Rice’s first year with the musical, but she is no stranger to the stage with a strong opera background.

Chloe Ingram- Little Sally

Sophomore Chloe Ingram plays Little Sally, a part time narrator and part time poor city dweller with a tendency for breaking the fourth wall. Ingram has been acting since age five and loves the musical’s family-like community.

Nia Stewart- Penelope Pennywise

Senior Nia Stewart plays Penelope Pennywise, the operator of the filthiest urinal in town and a character Stewart calls “a hardass businesswoman.” Stewart has been doing theater since she was six and is in her first year at Garfield, having moved to Seattle from southern Ohio just last year.

Now You’re in Urinetown: Character Quiz Q:

You’re walking down the hall and see your best friend in the middle of a fight. What do you do?

(A) Keep walking. They’re probably fighting for the right reasons!

(B)Hop in and help your friend pummel

Q:

Who is your personal role model?

(A) Bob Ross (B) George Washington (C) Donald Trump

Q:

What is your go to beverage?

(A) A pamplemousse La Croix. (A) “Urine luck! It’s right down Calorie free, sweetener free, sodium free!

this clown

(B) A good ‘ol fashioned (root)

(C) Try to turn a profit by setting a view-

beer

ing fee for other onlookers

Q:

Your significant other is at your home for the first time and asks where the bathroom is. You say…

the hall”

(B) “Don’t pee afraid I’ll show you!”

(C)“That’ll be $5”

(C)The tears of the peons below you

Mostly A’s:

Mostly B’s:

You are Hope Cladwell. You are kind, sweet, and always see the best in people but may not always see the whole picture

You are Bobby Strong. You are a strong leader with a clear sense of moral responsibility but can tend to be a little head strong

Mostly C’s: You are Caldwell B. Cladwell. You are a greedy troll who looks out only for your own personal interests. Seek help.

Art by Emma Riddick

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A&E

Bringing Home the Gold!

GHS theatre awards from Regional & State Thespian Festival.

By Hailey Gray

L

ights! Camera! Action! The theatre and other performing arts programs at Garfield thrive in their ability to put on fresh and entertaining productions year round. However, at a sports dominated school, these creative programs are often

masked by the shadows of the basketball courts and football fields. Despite this fact, the Garfield Theatre program was determined to bring its name to light at this year’s State Thespian Festival, a theatre competition where around 1,500 students from

over 50 schools gather at a university to perform and compete in their performing and technical/management skills and abilities.

In addition to the whole theatre program winning the Silver Troupe Award, many individual Garfield students returned home

with a variety of shimmering metals, gleaming awards, and polished plaques to make a home in our theatre’s trophy case.

Stage Manager Showcase Award Awarded to Junior Julia Haralson The theatre program would be nothing without the hard work and dedication of the tech crew, especially of its stage manager. Stage managers are graded for their diligence in creating a professional blocking and production call books, as well striving to properly achieve the director’s vision for the show.

“Particularly for the show She Kills Monsters, it’s supposed to be a show that represents the LGBTQ community, but it doesn’t do a great job of that...in a way I kind of wanted to prove to myself that real actual gay women...could do so much more than what the show presented” said Haralson. “Winning that award, with that [She Kills Monsters] prompt book...was very meaningful because I felt that I proved to myself I wasn’t the stereotype represented in the show.”

It was no surprise that a student as organized and zealous as Haralson would be deserving of such an award.

Superior Excellence Monologue Award Awarded to Senior Morgan Gwilym Tso (won at the regional level, qualifier for nationals) Although performing alone, Senior Morgan Gwilym Tso received a superior award at the regional level, which allowed him to qualify for the competition at a state and national level. This an award given to those who can convey their monologue performance with advanced acting techniques and effective use of the script, “Knowing that I as individual was able to win it, was something to be proud of,” said Morgan Gwilym Tso. Due to his lengthy experience in theatre, Gwilym Tso’s ability to properly recite a monologue in a creativity, unique, and dramatic manner is a skill set he was able to master.

Lighting Design Production Showcase Award Awarded to Senior Elam Grekkin Aside from the importance of the on stage performance, a show simply would not be attainable without lighting. Senior Elam Grekkin was awarded for his high levels of expertise in his original lighting designs. With advanced creativity and fresh ideas, winners of this award must present a lighting design that works to actively capture the director’s vision and highlight the stage in an effective and skilled manner.

“I was a little surprised...it was a lot of work that was put into it” said Grekkin.

Although lights may be something that a typical audience member may not appreciate, it’s important to highlight the hard work and dedication many tech students put in, in order to create a visually appealing show.

Double Excellence for One Act Poor Shem Awarded to Senior Lily Mundell (director), Junior Olivia Goss (actor,), Junior Becca Salenjus (actor), and Junior Georgia Skerritt (actor) At Thespi Fest, four students worked fervently for months to perform the one act, Poor Shem, which originally faced some hurdles on its journey.

However, it’s apparent that this show had a cast of diligent and creative workers, in order to bounce back from its rough patch, and perform with resounding success.

“I was originally told not to do [the show], but I decided to do it anyway. I had this extra pressure to make the show really good...we were like the underdogs” said Lily Mundell.

Although this show was first met with apprehension and distaste, it surprised many due to its unique plot and superb acting.

Poor Shem was rewarded when it received a double excellence award, meaning it was in the top 20th percentile of its category.

“The fact that out of 1500 students, the 4 of us made it, I was really proud of us!” said Georgia Skerritt. “I had never done Garfield Theatre before, so it was exciting to...get feedback that was positive,” said Olivia Goss.

Photo by Peter Kubiniec

GHS Secret Talents

Check out these talented teens and teachers.

By Tsion Belgu

Ms.Otterby Sings Karaoke

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Lucy Berliant Roll her tongue

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Henry Ho Can play the triangle

Maya Christianson Synchronized figure skating Photos by Peter Kubiniec

A&E

Student Art @ the SAM Garfield artists take on the SAM.

By Sara Javkhlan

S

wtudent artists spend hours creating masterpieces intended to share the way they experience the world through their own unique perspective. For students in Seattle Public Schools, and especially students of Garfield, there is one special occasion for them to display their well-crafted pieces at one of the finest art institutions in the region.

The Naramore Art Show is an annual exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum, which features the works of Seattle middle and high school students. The exhibit is named after Floyd Naramore, a prolific Seattle architect who designed some of Seattle’s high schools, including Garfield.

Every spring, student artists submit their art, hoping to get the opportunity to be featured at the museum. These students are usually enrolled in an art class at their school, such as Garfield junior Mabel Baumgardner.

Baumgardner is currently taking AP Studio Art, a course taught by Bonnie HungateHawk. Students in the class are required

in the course to create various pieces of art through different mediums, and must choose a specific concentration to base additional pieces around.

Students end up with an impressive portfolio that demonstrate their artistic strengths and abilities, but they may not know of many options to showcase their work. Luckily, the art teachers at Garfield are more than committed to providing these once in a lifetime opportunities to their students. “[Ms. Hungate] will get contacted by other people looking for art to display,” said Baumgardner. “Then she’ll pass the message on to her students who are looking to submit their pieces.”

Baumgardner and their classmates were encouraged by Ms. Hungate-Hawk to apply to get featured in the Naramore exhibit.

Submitted pieces were looked at using a specific set of criteria for technical ability and composition. At the end of the selection process, fourteen students were chosen to have their art up at the SAM exhibit.

“I think this exhibit is such a cool opportunity for students to get their art featured,” said Baumgardner. “It’s empowering for students to get their work out there.”

Not many students can say that their art has been in an art exhibit, much less at the Seattle Art Museum.

Looking through the exhibit, you can see for yourself the creativity of students. The art that they’ve created is their expression of thought, feeling, and emotion.

“I think that art for me is a way for me to express myself.” said Baumgardner. “It gives me a way to speak out about issues that I think are important and make other people think about those issues in a nonverbal way.”

If you would like to see Baumgardner’s piece, or any of the other Garfield submitted pieces, visit the Naramore Art Exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum. The exhibit runs through May 27.

“Food Prep” by Mabel Baumgardner.

The piece criticizes the glamorization of burgers in the media.

Events in May

What’s going on in Seattle this month.

By Ava Klubberud

4/7

4/17

Taco Libre

Seattle International Film Festival

Cost: As much as you are willing to spend on tacos Location: Fremont Sunday Market

4/23

4/25

Opening Night: Urinetown

Cost: $10 Cost: $75 for six movie Location: Quincy Jones passes Location: Various theaters Performance Hall @ 7pm around Seattle

NW Folklife Festival Cost: Free!

Location: Seattle Center

Hosted by the Mobile Food Get a chance to see some of The Folklife festival is a A production showcasing Rodeo this day is a chance to the most talked about movies showcase of the PNW varied Garfield’s many talented taste some of the best tacos of the year in your own neigh thespians. Check out page 13 artistic creators. This year it in the city. Browse the many borhood! Featuring over 400 is celebrating Mexican and for more information. trucks and pick your favorite Chicano/a culture. pieces there will be some to award the best taco of the thing for everyone. day!

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15

Sports Young & Ballin’

Underclassmen athletes looking like vets

By Sav’ell Smalls

Possessing one of the richest histories of athletics in Washington State history, some pretty phenomenal athletes have come through Garfield High School. Brandon Roy, Deandre Coleman, Joyce Walker, the list goes on and on. Garfield’s network of impressive alumni have helped Garfield attain such a rich athletic history. Fast forward to today and you will see the younger generation of Bulldogs hungry to join their ancestors in the record books. These underclassmen are already competing at the top level, all of which ooze with athletic potential.

One of these athletes is sophomore baseball player Oscar Kopischke. Being a utility player, Kopischke plays multiple positions on the diamond, including 2nd and 3rd base, plus shortstop. After the departure of Kopischke’s older brother Zubin, a former captain, Oscar has been tasked with keeping the family name alive.

“There’s been a little pressure to live up to my brother,” Kopischke said. “But in my opinion I’m definitely overcoming his standards and what he did.”

But even if he thinks he’s on his way to passing his brother, he doesn’t discredit him.

“I started playing baseball when I was around five or six years old,” Kopischke said. “[As a child] my brother, dad, and I would always play catch, so I started playing little league and I just fell in love with it.”

With his brother’s absence, some of the upperclassmen on the team have stepped up and have acted as a mentor to young Kopischke.

“I’ve become really good friends with a lot of the varsity players. There was never any intimidation,” Kopischke said. “From the start the upperclassmen were really helpful and supportive.”

Given his teammates supportiveness, Kopischke feels a sense of duty to fulfill their expectations.

“Being one of the only underclassmen on varsity, you don’t get as much playing time as the upperclassmen,” Kopischke said.

“But I try to do everything I can for the team to help us win games. Whether it’s diving on the dirt to make plays or hitting very efficiently, I’m going to do everything in my power to produce.’’

On a upperclassmen heavy team, Kopischke definitely has the tools, and the mindset to not only take his game to a high level, but contribute to the success of the team as well.

Another underclassmen star in the making is track star Jyotkia Chung. Being one of the faster athletes on the team regardless of grade, Chung participates in the sprints, the one hundred and two hundred meter dash.

16

“I started track in middle school when I was in sixth grade at Mercer Middle school,” Chung said. “My mom, dad, and grandpa all did track when they were younger, so from them there was some motivation to start.”

Although Chung’s parents and a grandparents participated in track, the competition in the family comes from a different branch in the family tree.

“My dad did the four hundred meter dash and my grandpa did the triple jump and long jump, so there was a little competition but not much,” Chung said. “But my older brother Avi is on Garfield’s track team, so we’re always looking to see who had better meets.”

With a lot of family that has history with track, one would assume that the speedster would want to keep things going beyond high school.

“My grandpa actually had the national record in triple jump for awhile, but I’m not sure if I want to do it in college or after yet.”

Chung said.

For now, she’s just enjoying the sport.

“I just want to continue meeting new people and improving my times. At the end of the day I just want to have fun,” At Garfield we’ve become accustomed to seeing the Garfield dance team hype us up with their moves at assemblies and games.

One of these dancers that has become a student favorite is freshman Aziza Alabe.

“I started dancing when I was younger,” Alabe said. “I did drill team for a long time, and dancing seemed fun so I wanted to try it.

But Alabe’s first stint with dancing wasn’t with the Garfield team.

“When I first started dancing I was apart of a dance group called Remix,” Alabe said.

“It was my moms old dance team that was brought back, so I started with them.”

Through her involvement on the Remix dance team early on, Alabe got experience with dancing in front of big crowds.

“We danced at this really big dance competition held in every state called the World of Dance,” Alabe said. “We didn’t do that good, but we got to go up against a lot of good teams and the experience was super fun.”

Being on the Remix dance team is a big part of why Alabe is so skilled today.

“On Remix we basically did every type of dancing in our routines, and after those I’d be so tired.”

After Remix, she didn’t dance again until being on the Garfield team.

“Being on Garfield has been really fun,” Alabe said. “I like dancing in front of big crowds so the assemblies are probably my favorite thing, but our performances out-

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side of school are pretty fun too.”

At the next performances, be on the lookout for Aziza Alabe!

The lone underclassmen on the Garfield boys soccer team is sophomore midfielder Ezana Hagos.

“I’m real happy to be on varsity,” Hagos said. “Sometimes I have to carry the water bottles and the cones and all that but I’m real happy to be apart of it.”

When you’re a younger player on one of the best teams in the state, a team that has been to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and championship each of the last three years, you have to find different ways to help the team besides playing.

“I get a good amount of playing time, but when you’re not on the field you got to be on the bench hyping up your teammates,” Hagos said. “Coach does what’s best for the

Sports

team and you have to deal with it.”

Being the lone young gun on the team can be overwhelming, but the captains have made sure that isn’t the case for Hagos.

“Josh, Peyton and Jasper are the captains, and they’ve really took me under their wing.” Hagos said. “They’re not afraid to coach you up, tell you what you’re doing wrong and tell you what you need to do better so that’s been helpful.”

The captains that are leading Hagos and the rest of the team, were among many that were a part of the team that was defeated by Roosevelt High School in the 2017 class 3A semifinals, the school Hagos transferred from over a year ago.

“I got friends over at Roosevelt off the field, but once we get on that field there are no friends,” Hagos said. “I want to beat those

Photographs by Toby Tran

guys. As soon as I transferred I was no longer a Rider, I’m a Bulldog and that’s that.”

Representing cheer is sophomore Lanisa Powell, who has some pretty impressive accolades under her belt “I used to do competitive cheering for a team called South Elite,” Powell said.

“There’s a lot more traveling involved than high school cheer and we do a lot of competitions.”

One of these competitions is considered as one of the biggest of youth competitive cheering.

“In 2015 my team and I went to the UCA nationals for a three day tournament,” Powell said. “There were a ton of teams and a lot of competition but we ended up winning.”

To do something like win a national championship in any sport requires a lot of hard work and experience, all of which Powell has.

“I started competitive cheer when I was six because I had a lot of energy so my mom put me in it,” Powell said. “I stopped after we won the championship because I lost interest in it.”

Years after winning a national championship, Powell has developed a newfound interest in the sport.

“Garfield cheer is a different environment,” Powell said. “It’s really fun because I get to travel to all the different games and I get to interact with the school more.”

Be sure to catch national champion Lanisa Powell and the rest of the Garfield cheer squad when it kicks back up this fall.

Last but not least in our bunch of phenomenal underclassmen athletes is three star ranked sophomore tennis player, Andrew Suver.

“I started playing tennis when I was seven,” Suver said. “My grandpa grew up playing in Texas and at one point was the best player in the state and he went on to play at Texas A&M. He was the first person to introduce me to the game of tennis and I just kept playing since then.”

In his nine years of playing, Suver has racked up a lot of accomplishments, and plans to keep them coming in.

“When I was eleven I went nationals in Austin, Texas” Suver said. “After that I’ve been to other big tournaments around the state, and this year I beat the 2017 state champion, so I hope to keep the momentum going and get a run at state.”

Playing tennis outside at Garfield definitely prepared him for metro play.

“High school tennis is way more laid back and more about getting your team to win,” Suver said. “But in the league I usually play

in, it’s super competitive because people are fighting for [college] looks and births to national championships.”

Suver also says he wants to follow in the footsteps of his grampa.

“I definitely want to go play D-1 tennis,” Suver said. “My top school is UCLA, and I really like the other California schools, but my goal is to just go play college tennis.”

Another underclassmen who’s enjoyed her share of early success is Gabbi Hughes from the currently undefeated softball team.

Hughes, a catcher, gave praise to her elder teammates.

“A lot of the upperclassmen have really helped me with more than just softball,” Hughes said. “They help me with school, sports, and just life in general, so it’s really cool to have those connections with other kids.”

But Hughes is used to this type of mentorship, specifically found in her relationship with her sisters.

“Both my older sisters started playing softball way before I did. I started going to games when I was a baby,” Hughes said. “I just saw them playing so when I was around seven I decided I wanted to follow in their footsteps by playing.”

But just because she’s young, doesn’t mean Hughes hasn’t been producing on the class 3A top ten ranked Bulldogs.

“Our starting catcher was the only catcher on the team, so she had to catch every game which isn’t good for your body,” Hughes said. “But now with me coming in I’m able to alleviate some pressure from her.”

For now Hughes just wants the trend to continue.

“I just want to keep having fun,” Hughes said. “We’ve been running through teams and we’ve had a lot of fun and got closer while doing it. We’ve really became a family and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Being a young athlete isn’t the easiest thing to do. Especially when you’re at a competitive school like Garfeild, where phenomenal athletes are littered throughout the school.

Seeing alumni like Jalyen Nowell, Aaron Kovar, Debbie Armstrong and many more can be a daunting task to live up to. But the seven of these young athletes have stepped up to the plate and delievered thus far.

With so many outstanding athletes walking through the Garfield halls, it’s guaranteed that the rich athletic history will be continued for years to come.

Whether it’s a cheerleader or a runner, Garfield always has, and always will have the legacy.

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17

Sports

Garfield Boxing

Spring Schedule

Only a few steps away.

W

By Azure Savage

alking in, you see punching bags and other workout equipment. A welcoming atmosphere hangs in the air as people are preparing for a

workout.

Although they are a hidden gem, free boxing classes are available to all Garfield students who are interested.

Classes run every Monday through Thursday, from 4-6 pm at the Garfield Teen Life Center. The instructor, George Credit, is currently on a break, but the classes are expected to resume by May. “Boxing was one of my jobs, and I bought it to the GTLC. I found George Credit to coach, and that’s just how it began,” said Kevin Roberson, the co-instructor and cofounder of the boxing program.

There isn’t a ton of boxing going on in Seattle, according to Roberson. A few gyms are available, but it isn’t nearly as popular as it is in other areas. This has allowed GTLC boxing to work with the few other boxing gyms in the area.

“Sometimes we go to other gyms and see what other people are doing. We try to model our practices after professionals,” said Roberson.

The GTLC tries to give Garfield students a place to learn, grow and build lifelong skills. Similar to occupational education classes, boxing can become a job and this class passes on abilities for employment. The GTLC has offered multiple classes such as photography and fishing.

Having marketable skills is an easy way to succeed later in life.

Like many sports coaches, Roberson and Credit have gone through the same training that they now instruct.

“We teach through our own experiences. We learn together and focus on what we know and don’t know,” said Roberson.

Coaches treat the class like any other sport. Hard work is asked for, whether you come one time or everyday. You can expect to be treated like a professional athlete when you show up.

“Boxing is tough, it’s an everyday thing.

We try to instill professional habits that would be expected in the job and practice religiously,” said Roberson.

Every class starts with a warm up to get people moving and their blood pumping. Then it moves into basic exercises.

These are the base for all boxing that happens in the class.

“We always work on hand-eye coordination, footwork and punching mechanics. All of these skills build muscle memory, which is a critical piece of boxing,” said Roberson.

After basics are covered, the class begins working on advanced technique. However, advanced is relative, as all levels are found in the class and everyone is working at their own pace.

“A lot of what we work on in this time is tailored to specific people. We work on building strengths, and more importantly, improving weaknesses,” said Roberson.

Classes aren’t all work though, and when you go you can

18

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expect to have a good time. The class is structured to be fun and have people feeling accomplished after.

“We take breaks and a lot of the time you’re free to work on what you want,” said Roberson.

Like many other sport practices, the session closes with a core workout.The class varies from about 6-8 people coming regularly, but more are welcome.

“Each class we usually have one or two people who are just trying it out, and the rest are regulars,” said Roberson.

Anyone is welcome to join the class and there is no previous skill required to join. You can earn P.E. credit, build self defense skills, and learn about boxing.

Boys Soccer (7-1-2) Upcoming Games:

Bishop Blanchet Tuesday, April 20 2018 Bishop Blanchet High School 7:00 PM

Ballard Wednesday, April 25 2018 Memorial Stadium 6:00 PM

Lakeside Friday, April 27 2018 Lakeside High School 4:00 PM

Softball (8-0) Upcoming Games:

Bainbridge

Art by Ariel Cook

Friday, April 20 2018 Bainbridge High School 4:00 PM

Chief Sealth Wednesday, April 25 2018 Garfield High School 4:00 PM

Ballard Thursday, April 26 2018 Lower Woodland 4:00 PM

Baseball (6-6) Upcoming Games:

Roosevelt

Friday, April 20 2018 Garfield High School 4:00 PM

Boxing Classses: Monday - Thursday 4 - 6 pm Free @ the Garfield Teen Life Center No experience necessary

Newport

Sunday April 22 2018 Safeco Field 2:00 PM

Lakeside

Monday, April 23 2018 Magnuson Park 4:00 PM

Sports

Softball Sisters

Siblings make the softball team a family affair.

By Ava Klubberud laying on the same team as your sister may seem like a disaster waiting to happen, but for the Hughes and the Simpson sisters it could not be better.

Miquela and Gabbi Hughes have been playing together since little league.

“It is fun. We fight but it never gets in the way of playing,” Miquela said, a junior second baseman.

Similarly, sisters Kaia and Nicola Simpson enjoy playing softball together.

“It’s our first time since little league, it’s good!” younger sister Nicola, a freshman said.

Both juniors Kaia and Miquela have contributed greatly to the softball team’s success in the past two years through their dedication and passion for softball.

“I love softball season so much.” Miquela said.

P

Their sisterhood introduces another level of team building that cannot be found anywhere else.

“The team dynamic is so amazing, we laugh all the time and are always having fun together. I just love all the girls,” Miquela said.

“In sports it is easy to get wrapped up in individual play but Garfield softball does not have this problem,” Nicola said. “We don’t really play for ourselves, we play for each other.”

As a captain, Kaia has great respect and trust for her teammates.

“It’s not that hard [to be captain] because the team is so great. I just get to be proud of us and how far we have come,” Kaia said .

The team itself relies on their four core covenants: accountability, selflessness, bulldog fever, and relentlessness.

“Everyone cares about each other and wants to see each other succeed. If you’re not having a good day I’ll be there to pick you up.”

MESS GUESS

Week 6: Staff Edition

9th Grade: For tune

“Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day this is what as a team we need to do. Having these keeps our core connected,” Miquela said.

By adhering to such high standards the team can come together much easier.

“Everyone cares about each other and wants to see each other succeed. If you’re not having a good day I’ll be there to pick you up,” Nicola said.

Both Gabbi and Nicola are excited to contribute to the team’s future.

“If I can do anything to contribute to make a positive impact and to keep growing[…]then that’s really going to help us make a name for ourselves,” Nicola said.

Hoping to continue their winning record, the team is focusing on their day to day progress.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time... trusting our practice, our swings, the reps we’ve put in and going out there and executing,” Nicola said.

10th Grade: Sa v’el l Smal ls

Photos by Peter Kubiniec

11th Grade: Joh n Volk

12th Grade: Sydney Santos

Staff: Corey Mar tin

NBA: Pelicans vs Trail Blazers

Pelicans

Blazers

Blazers

Blazers

Blazers

MLB: Indians vs Orioles (series winner)

Indians

Indians

Indians

Orioles

Indians

GHS Boys Soccer vs Lakeside

GHS

GHS

GHS

GHS

GHS

College Softball: Stanford vs Oregon

Stanford

Oregon

Stanford

Stanford

Stanford

MLS: Crew vs Revolution

Revolution

Crew

Revolution

Revolution

Crew

In this issue of Mess Guess, the Messenger staff has been asked to step up to the plate. Sydney Santos has a huge responsibility in representing the senior class with only a one game lead over their closest opponent. The teachers are close behind and in good hands with Mr. Martin, despite his complaints about there not being an NHL game to pick. The race for last place is getting closer and closer each issue, but the junior class is losing the best out of all of their peers; John Volk is hoping to change that. Lastly, Sav’ell Smalls and Fortune are hoping to dig the underclassmen out of their rut.

Tally: 9th: 9-11 10th: 9-11 11th: 8-12 12th: 11-9 Staff: 10-10

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The Garfield Messenger 04/20/2018 garfieldmessenger.org

The Backpage

By Delphi, Kevon, and Ariel

Dear Bulldogs,

Look no farther. We have made you a map showing everything you will ever need to know about Garfield Highschool. Please know we mean no harm and love everyone in this beautiful school :). xoxo Delphi, Kevon, and Ariel :P

People that graduated in 2015 but still hang around

Alder

Juulers

No Mans land

Greenhouse

Orchestra Room

Sophmore territory

Courtyard THE HORNIES

Library

Freshmen with Senioritis

Officer Benny :)

Bike racks

Commons Magic the Gathering

Rawr XD hallway

People who call Madrona the Central district

Front Steps

Sexually charged Hallway

Cool Math Games

Soundcloud Rappers

Running Start

Where the teachers gossip about students

Scooby Dooby Doo Bap

Botanica l Baddies