Garfield Messenger: Volume 101, Issue 9

THE MESSENGER

STAFF

Asmaa Bah

Amirah Melvin

Ali Merz

S. Avalon Leonard

Chelsea Li

Eli Silver

Finian Guinney

Fiona Real

George Martin

Griffin Crabs

Havana Hakala

Imbie Jones

Jeremy Cogswell

Jordana King

Kennedy Greenfelder

Leo Carlin

Lea Shaw

Lillian Small

Lucy Gaines

Marisa Valenzano

Mia Andreeva

Michelle Tong

Nikhil Choudhury

Olivia Thompson

Sly Gross-Hamburger

Unity Jirkovsky-Gual

Your contributions help make the production and publication of The Messenger possible. If you would like to support The Messenger, please contact us at garfieldmessenger@gmail.com, or scan the QR code to subscribe.

EDITORS

Lakelle Bridges · Editor-in-Chief

Maile Quenzer · Graphics & Layout

Mairead Averill · News, Feature, Opinion

Tess Wahl · News, Feature, Opinion

Ellen Taylor · Arts & Entertainment

Taylor Gale · Arts & Entertainment

Mika Ichikawa · Sports

Eden Huschle · Social Media

Sydney Steinwinder · Business

NEWEST ON THE BULLDOG BLOCK

Garfield Superblock renovations bring a new look to

By Imbie Jones

The Garfield Superblock (GSB) is a park and promenade improvement project that is set to begin construction early 2024. The Garfield Superbock coalition led by Robert Stephens Jr. and eight other members, one of which being Sharon Khosla, who explained how the GSB came to life. “It started with Robert back in 2005, [During] the renovation of Garfield and Quincy Jones theater.” She talked about how Stephens was active in the community meetings around the renovation. When he learned they were taking away space from the park in order to build he felt as though additions should be made to improve the park as well. Stephen’s idea was to bring more art into the park, including seven sculptures, each one representing seven different ethnic cultures that have roots in the Central Area. Stephen drafted his original plan for Garfield Superblock in 2005, , but he did not receive any more funding from the district; they did not keep their promise of helping fund the project.. In

2019 he received a 25K grant from the Office of Economic development to revive the project.. The Garfield Superblock coalition began coming up with ideas to improve the park. “A new comfort space, new playground, a walking path that can go all the way around the ball fields so you can do loops,” are all things in the plan, Kholsa explained. They also are planning to install a parkour park, which would become the first parkour park in Seattle.

By doing lots of community outreach, The Garfield Superblock coalition have raised a total of $6.5 million but do still need $2.8 million more to begin the project next year, which they plan to achieve through grants. Once construction begins, the project should take 6 to 9 months to complete. Kholsa hopes that the superblock will have more to offer to the community. “A lot of older generations are going to find it a lot easier to walk around. I think it is going to bring a different level of

our park.

activity because we are actually adding basketball to the tennis courts, so it is a dual multipurpose court.” In the end, the art work is what is most important with this project. “We are really trying to bring the stories out of these cultures and what they endured and being marginalized in this city,” Kholsa said. “The art is going to tell the stories of the legacies which our community is built from.”

Want to leave your thoughts on the park? Scan the QR below!

GOING VIRAL For the first time ever, viruses may be on the menu.

By Sylvester Gross-Hamburger

When we think of viruses, “nutrient-packed” isn’t exactly the first thing to come to mind, but despite circumventing the usual definitions for being “alive”, viruses hold lots of vital components for life. In addition to nucleic acids, viruses also contain nitrogen and phosphorous, both in high demand for life in any ecosystem. Plentiful too, an article by Scientific American estimates that the average human has almost 400 trillion viruses on and inside their body, ten times more than the number of bacteria. Despite this, Virovores, or organisms that sustain themselves eating viruses, were basically unknown. This January a team headed by Professor John Delong at University of Nebraska-Lincoln observed for the first time, Virovores in action. Halteria, also known as the jumping oligotrich, is a type of single-celled plankton known for its hair-like protru-

sions. A sample of cells from a pond by Delong’s house was found to be capable of consuming the chlorovirus that existed in their water and are estimated by Delong to be able consume up to ten trillion viruses a day. According to the study, to check that the plankton was actually treating the virus as fuel, scientists tagged chlorovirus cells with green dye before they were eaten. Soon enough, all the Halteria’s vacuoles, their equivalent of a stomach, were turned a glowing neon green. While virus consumption has been vaguely observed in other food chains, specifically in a study from 1980 proving a certain type of algae could lower virus concentrations in water, this new discovery differs from older examples in one key way: The study from 1980 was vague on if there was any change in the virus eating algae, Delong’s Halteria virus eating Halteria grew to 15 times the size of the

control group. This didn’t just prove that the plankton was able to safely take in chloroviruses, but able to metabolize them enough to be a viable food source and foundation for population growth. In fact, the rate at which the Halteria converted the mass of consumed chlorovirus into its own, matches closely the rates in which algae mass gets added to miniature crustaceans, despite the second interaction taking place on a scale thousands of times larger. While it hasn’t been proven if Delong’s Virovores would look the same outside a laboratory setting, the potential this discovery holds is incredible. While people have already begun speculating about how Virovorous could be used to fight disease, the effect on the chloroviruses observed in this experiment could revolutionize our basic understanding of the global carbon cycle. Chloroviruses specifically target mi-

croscopic algae, infecting and exploding their hosts before moving on to another target in a process that ends up with lots of carbon getting stuck at the very bottom of aquatic food chains. Instead of the algae being eaten and passing their energy up the chain, it gets dispersed back into the water and picked up by other microorganisms, which then could be killed by chlorovirus, restarting the cycle again. Halteria could, by suppressing chlorovirus, significantly reduce this carbon recycling, freeing up lots of carbon and energy to flow back up the food chain. This extra energy could have massive impacts, growing and strengthening population numbers and biodiversity across many different ecosystems. Who knew something so small could make such a big difference?

Graphics by Sly Gross-Hamburger

Graphic by Mairead Averill

THE EPIDEMIC OF FOOD DESERTS

The percentage of food deserts are on the rise in Seattle.

By Asmaa Bah and Amirah Melvin

The epidemic of food deserts has grown tremendously in King County and unincorporated cities. For those unaware of what food deserts are, here is a brief defi nition: a neighborhood, in which it is par ticularly urban, where people experi ence difficulty to afford adequate fresh produce. Residents of these neighbor hoods are usually people of color, those who are living in low-income housing, and those that rely on government as sistance. For families, lack of available produce can be an even larger issue as it’s especially important for children to get sufficient amounts of fruits and veg etables in their day-to-day diet. Many of the grocery stores that carry fresh produce are out of these families’ price ranges. This disparity results in un healthy food options such as prepackaged food and fast food. Generally, fast food is a much cheaper option compared to the rapidly increasing price of produce in most general grocery stores. Seattle community

COOKIE CLASH

member Jacqualine Brown spoke on her knowledge of food deserts and how she felt about them. She herself doesn’t experience any issues in having access to fresh pro

concerned about the people in the community, they’re more concerned about making a profit.” Brown also talked about what it would take to combat the issue of food deserts across the state. “I think there should be some type of population ratio that says if there’s one hundred people, let’s say, that live in one area then there should be a grocery store in that area,” Brown said. “I know someone in particular that struggles with getting fresh produce and what hinders them is lack of transportation.” Brown said when asked about knowing anyone who experiences roadblocks in accessing fresh

Contrary to larger grocery stores with bigger quantities of produce, smaller produce distributors such as Bartells, corner markets, bodegas, and corner stores, often over-price their product. This is because these smaller stores don’t have the time or space available to store and sell the produce within their time frame. But what if there

Ranking the top five most popular Girl Scout Cookies.

By Nikhil Choudhury

With Girl Scout Cookie season now upon us, the age-old debate over the best cookie has been reignited once again. Some swear by Samoas, with their caramelly crunch and hints of coconut, while others stand by thin mints because of their versatility. According to the sales data, the five most sold Girl Scout cookies are Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Adventurefuls, and Do-si-dos. Today the debate ends with the official Messenger taste test and ranking of the top five most sold Girl Scout cookies.

5. Do-si-dos

If you’re a peanut butter fan like I am, expectations for the Do-si-dos cookie are set high. They consist of two crunchy oatmeal cookies with peanut butter filling inside. From the first bite, you will notice the extremely dry texture of this cookie; every bite felt like it needed a sip of water to accompany it. The two oatmeal cookies on the outside taste good but have nothing that makes them special. They taste more like a peanut butter sandwich than a Girl Scout cookie, so if you like peanut butter

sandwiches this could be the cookie for you. It’s safe to say, the Do-si-dos failed all expectations and were underwhelming.

4. Adventurefuls

Adventurefuls are made up of brownies on the outside with caramel-flavored creme on the inside accompanied by a hint of sea salt. This all sounds great on paper, but it fails to execute, taking the same fate as the Do-si-dos. The outside brownies are dry and crumbly, and the caramel in the middle is barely tastable. It is advertised to have a hint of sea salt in it, but the sea salt was nowhere to be found. While it does have a chocolaty flavor, which sets it apart from the Do-sidos, it fails to impress and is better off left unbought.

3. Samoas

Samoas are many people’s number one choice, but I have to rank it at number three sheerly because other cookies on this list go above and beyond with taste. There is nothing wrong with Samoas as they have a perfectly crispy outside with caramel fla-

voring. The hints of coconut and drizzle of chocolate on top perfectly complement the cookie and add a special flare that other cookies lack. Overall, every element in this cookie is great, there are just better options.

2. Tagalongs

Tagalongs fall just short of number one but put up a good fight. The outside coating of chocolate allows for a great crunch when taking a bite. Then, on the inside, you get a mouth full of smooth peanut butter that goes with the chocolate per fectly. Tagalongs offer peanut butter and chocolate lovers of both worlds complement each other perfectly in this cookie. The next time you go shopping, Tagalongs should be on the list.

were government and non-profit organizations offering programs to these small food chains, incentivising them to provide more affordable produce and even freshly prepared meals? Organizations could help supply refrigeration equipment, provide grants to help improve infrastructure, and other necessities to help the stores thrive. Profit shouldn’t be the reason for these stores not being able to provide healthy food to their community, because increasing food options in local stores can encourage people to change their eating habits. Seattle communities of diverse cultures tend to use produce not common in typical American grocery stores. If local stores can provide a wide variety of fresh options they not only can give their community healthier options, but be inclusionary to many families.

1. Thin Mints

Taking the number one spot in the rankings are the Thin Mints! The pure versatility of the cookie makes it better than the rest. Thin Mints can be eaten by its-self as a dessert or snack as well as being the perfect topping on ice cream. The cookie has a chocolate-covered layer, and inside it is composed of crunchy chocolate with a minty hint. This minty hint is what really separates it from the rest; it is subtle and makes it complete.

Art by Lily Collet

Art by Lucy Gaines

SPS (SEATTLE’S PENNILESS SCHOOLS)

The district faces funding issues for the upcoming school year.

By Finian Guinney

On February 28th, Seattle Public Schools announced that it is currently facing a budget deficit of $131 million, which will lead to reduced funding for schools around the district. According to Seattle Public Schools, this deficit comes as a result of decreased student enrollment, closure of programs put in place during the pandemic, and a general lack of funding from the State.

Seattle Public Schools Superin tendent Dr. Brent Jones released a state ment explaining the reasons and implica tions of these changes. He also assured that the district is working on a plan to address the budget defi cit. “This spring we are working to develop comprehensive, multi-year, bal

budget that incorporates solutions,” Jones said. Historically, Seattle Public Schools is notorious for being underfunded. The SPS budget has lacked sufficient funding for school leadership, nurses, social and special education workers, security, building maintenance, and student technology. The majority of these areas rely on local levies for funds.

Garfield teacher Jared Sessink is the co-chair of the building Leadership Team, and plays a role in managing Garfield’s funds. He explained the impacts the budget deficit could have on Garfield. “In terms of an overall discretionary funding to support Garfield, through various ways we spent that money in years past, we’re looking at an over two-hundred thousand dollar difference for this next school year,” Sessink said. In other words, Garfield will be receiving over two-hundred thousand dollars less than last school year. One way this budget reduction will affect the school

is that the school will no longer receive money for Running Start. Garfield used to get money from the district in order to support students who were in Running Start, but also took classes at Garfield. “In general, we’re on a tight, tight budget. We have to be really, really careful that we’re not spending more than we have allocat ed,” Sessink added.

One other result of budget cuts is the certainty of staff layoffs. Seat tle Public Schools stated that they notified some staff that they may be laid off. Sessink believes that Garfield will lose two teachers. “To be honest I thought it was going to be worse. I thought we were going to lose four or five teachers,” he admitted. In terms of who is most likely to lose their position, it’s pretty unclear at the moment. The decision will be made by Dr. Hart and the Instructional Council, and will be based on what credits are needed by

BILL BREAKDOWN

Garfield students in order to graduate. Despite all of this, Superintendent Jones remains optimistic. “As an organization, we have never been clearer about our strategic direction and our commitment to serve,” he assured. “Seattle Public Schools is the educational home to fifty-thousand

The first three months of 2023 have seen eight anti-trans bills passed into law.

How do you go about eradicating a group from public life? You start with bureaucracy apparently. Each bill passed until now falls under one of four categories that target different aspects of the lives of trans people. Here is a breakdown of these categories and their implications.

Healthcare

What does it mean to be stripped of your bodily autonomy? To have your body and the decisions around it to be forcibly removed from your authority? HB 1080, which was passed in South Dakota is a textbook example of stripping transgender children of their right to their bodies.The bill states “A healthcare professional may not, for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or to validate a minor’s perception of, the minor’s sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex, knowingly: (1) Prescribe or administer any drug to delay or stop normal puberty; (2) Prescribe or administer testosterone, estrogen, or progesterone, in amounts greater than would normally be pro-

By S. Avalon Leonard

duced endogenously in a healthy individual of the same age and sex; … (5) Remove any healthy or non-diseased body part or tissue.” Because of this bill, transgender children have no agency to make informed decisions about their bodies, even with parental support. Their options are either sit and suffer as their bodies fight them at every turn or leave.

Freedom of Expression

“Adult Cabaret performance.” That is what is being banned in public spaces for the purpose of “protecting the children.” But what counts as an adult cabaret performance? Among other things, “Male or Female impersonators… regardless of whether or not performed for consideration,” But where is the line drawn? When does a male or female impersonator not “performing for consideration” become a regular trans person minding their business, and vice versa? With this bill in place and without clear language, it is essentially up to each person’s discretion to decide where transgender people in everyday life fall. So, what

is to stop someone from calling the authorities simply because they see a way to eradicate trans people from public life?

EDUCATION

Many trans students dealing with unsupportive parents see school as an escape from a difficult home life. But thanks to a new bill that was passed in February, schools and educators in Utah are now being required to out their students to their parents if they attempt to live as an identity that does not “conform with the student’s sex.” Any attempts to validate a student’s gender identity in school (such as name and sex changes on record) that are “inconsistent” with a student’s sex must be done by the parent. According to the bill, this is part of “ensuring parents’ access to information.” Students now have no say in how they present at school and no say on what information stays confidential and private from their parents, leaving them with nearly no place to go.

CIVIL RIGHTS

This bill, which was passed in West Virginia in early March, essentially makes it near impossible for LGBTQ people in general to sue for wrongful termination if they are fired for religious reasons. The state will not interfere with a medical professional’s refusal to provide medical care or a business owner’s decision to terminate an LGBTQ person’s employment, as it is now deemed to be protected by their right to religious freedom and expression.

It is a fact that through these bills, suicide rates for trans youth will skyrocket. This is not a side effect, nor is it a correlation without causation. Politicians are systemically making it so trans people are not safe, accepted, or celebrated at work, school, or in public.These bills affect cisgender people too because chances are, there are friends and family that are being affected. It is no longer enough to be passively against transphobia, the time to stand with the transgender community is now because the bills have already been passed and if nothing happens, more will follow.

“FOR THE GOOD OF SOCIETY… TRANSGENDERISM MUST BE ERADICATED FROM PUBLIC LIFE ENTIRELY, THE WHOLE PREPOSTEROUS IDEOLOGY AT EVERY LEVEL,”- MICHAEL J. KNOWLES SPEAKING AT THE CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ACTION CONFERENCE

Art by Eden Huschle

3 YEARS LATER...

A timeline of COVID-19.

By: Kennedy Greenfelder

Garfield shuts down:

On March 11 2020, Mr. Howard called over the loudspeaker and announced that Garfield would be closing due to the virus. Parents and teachers were nervous, but there was excitement in the air and talk among students about what to do during their free two weeks. Little did they know, these two weeks were the start of nearly a year and a half of school closure.

The rise of hobbies: Being stuck inside all day fostered an environment of restlessness. Whether it was walking, baking, or learning tik tok dances, people picked up new hobbies to boost their foul moods during quarantine. Now people had the time to try things they never could before.

Vaccine was released:

A ray of hope shined through the gray when Pfizer and Moderna were released as a vaccine for COVID-19 on December 11, 2020. For the first time since the country went into lockdown there was a light at the end of the tunnel. By spring of 2021, most people had at least one vaccine as they became mandatory for travel, sports, and other activities. But this excitement was short lived as the Delta variant emerged late spring of 2021. The increase in cases once again overwhelmed the health system as someone who got Delta was twice more likely to end up in the hospital than those who had the previous variants of COVID-19.

A new normal:

As nice as it would be to go back to how things were before COVID-19 took over the world, it is not realistic. The world will never get that time spent in quarantine back and the effects COVID had on the community will never go away; but after three years, society has found some stability in a new reality. At least one positive of this terrible virus is the widespread appreciation for togetherness, and as humankind moves forward that’s one thing they can hold onto.

Covid comes to America:

There had been stories of a scary virus infecting people in Wuhan, China, but when the first case of the COVID-19 was reported in Washington January 10, 2020, the virus became a reality to Americans. Anxiety began to rise as words like ‘deadly’ and ‘pandemic’ were thrown around. There were shortages of food, masks, and even toilet paper as people prepared for the worst. A lot was in the unknown as regulations were established, then changed. It was clear the whole country was in the

Online school starts:

As soon as it became apparent the lockdown wasn’t ending anytime soon, school faculty had to find ways of educating students from online. Online school was messy at best, and there was a new rule at Garfield that you could not get lower than a C grade. Keeping students engaged and present was a struggle, but by the 2020-21 school students and teachers had adapted to this new form of learning and schooling felt more structured.

The world is literally ending:

Stuck at home, everyone watched turmoil unfold across the globe. Hundreds were dying per day from COVID , wildfires tore through western America, protests against police brutality turned violent in multiple cities, and at one point there was a threat of the start of WWIII. With so much time on everyone’s hands they had nothing to do but watch the news and look at the internet. So much information was circulating that no one knew what was real or made up. Tensions were high and hope felt sparse. Many wondered when and if things would get better.

Schools open back up:

March of 2021 students are let back into school nearly a year after it initially shut down. The new hybrid learning schedule meant that students were split into multiple cohorts who were in the school at different times, to lower the amount of students in the school at the same time. While one cohort was in school the other learned online. Masks were required, desks were separated, and it was encouraged to stay 6 feet apart at all times. However, by September of the 2021-22 school year all students were back in the school. Being able to interact with peers again was exciting, but a year in isolation changed how everyone interacted with one another. Highschoolers, who missed out a couple socially formative years, especially had to navigate social situations in this new reality. Changing rules and spikes of COVID variants made for a turbulent school year, but the Garfield community pulled through together.

Ary by: Fiona Real

By Marisa Valenzano, Jeremy Cogswell, and Chelsea Li

SENIOR PRANKS

There is no official record of senior pranks at Garfield. In an attempt to find the greatest senior prank in school history, The Mess talked to some of Garfield’s longest tenured faculty members about pranks they remembered.

Faculty members agreed that the class of 2007 had the best prank. 2007 was a year in which Garfield was undergoing a remodel. Garfield (the students and staff) were relocated to then-vacant Lincoln High School for 2007 and 2008 while Garfield’s Building was under construction. Seniors were understandably disappointed that their senior year was the one to be interrupted by the change, and they came up with the perfect prank to express these feelings. Seniors took bricks from the original Garfield building

and cemented them together to form a signpost in front of the door to Lincoln and then cemented the 23rd and Alder street sign onto this brick signpost. The signpost paid homage to a long-standing Garfield tradition of senior classes painting on the chimney of the old building.The sign stood for a few weeks and the structure had to be dismantled brick by brick. The class of 2007’s prank wins because of its creativity, expression of school spirit, and

SENIOR

SENIOR SUNRISE

Senior sunrise is exactly what it sounds like, Garfield seniors gathering to enjoy a sunrise together. This event takes place before a school day in the first few weeks of the year, somewhere along the lake. Consider bringing a bathing suit because some say that taking a dip in the lake will grant you luck for the rest of the year.

SENIOR NAME PAINTING

At the end of the school year, each graduating senior gets a chance to paint their name on the wall of the 3rd floor hallway. You can walk through the hallway today and see the legacy of past Bulldogs.

Purple and White, the rowdiest dents, takes place each year graduation. Purple and White day is a non-stop party with their Garfield gear. In the features he senior class running moshpit.

The day has traditionally lip dub. Although this tradition due to safety concerns, you lip dubs on YouTube. After continue this celea nearby

THE CHANGING NATURE OF COLLEGE

The constantly changing landscape of college admissions is building higher stakes than ever. Academic and extracurricular achievements across 4 years of high school lead up to the college application process, a crucial point in a student’s academic career.

However, college admissions have become strikingly more competitive in the last few years. Some schools have been hit by this change greater than others. The University of Georgia accepted 41% of their applicants in 2022, down from 54% in 2016. This is not an uncommon occurrence; There has been a pattern of acceptance rates drop-

ping from percentages around 50% to sub-30%s and lower within a short time period. recent decades. This is largely due to the increase of applicants compared to prior years. While graduating class numbers have remained reasonably consistent, the amount of applications submitted to colleges has increased 150% in the past 20 years. For last year’s graduating class of 2022, the number of CommonApp applications skyrocketed 10% from the previous year, which was already 10% more than the year before.

As more students are choosing to apply to college, acceptance rates are being driven down. Meanwhile, this increased selectivity is caus

HOW TO DEAL WITH COLLEGE REJECTION

COLLEGE REJECTION IS NOT TIED TO YOUR SELF WORTH.

It is important to disassociate the rejection letter with your value as a human. Just because some admissions officer spent five minutes reading about you, does not mean they actually know your worth as a person. A rejection should not be taken personally.

IT’S OKAY TO CRY AND SCREAM

Realize that it is okay to be angry! Trying to sugarcoat a painful experience is helpful for no one. Your feelings of sadness are completely valid and reasonable. It is disappointing to spend 17 years of your life studying and preparing to hopefully attend a dream college, and then all of a sudden not be accepted. Don’t be afraid to cry and breakdown, just don’t let the anger cripple you long term.

ing students to apply further lowers acceptance

Meanwhile, the college admission with COVID, college unclear impressions plying to more schools

More notably policy. This shift used to be a point

DON’T DWELL ON THE “WHAT

While it is okay to be sad for it is important to eventually those negative feelings. Ultimately, must move on with your life and conquer different goals. Dwelling “what ifs” in life is a negative cus only on the things you can

SENIOR TRADITIONS

PURPLE AND WHITE

rowdiest day of the year for Garfield stuyear on a Friday a couple of weeks before White celebrates all things Garfield. The with students and staff alike decked out in morning there is a pep assembly, which running out into the gym and forming a traditionally included the filming of a school-wide tradition has been suspended indefinitely you can find videos of previous Garfield After the school day, most students opt to bration of Bulldog pride at public park.

SENIOR BREAKFAST

Senior breakfast, something that has not happened in recent years, is a long-standing Garfield tradition that should be brought back. ASB officers choose a venue and cater a breakast for the entire senior class.

SENIOR ASSASIN

An annual game where seniors seek to be the last assassin standing. Each week you are given the name of another player that you must eliminate by shooting with a Nerf gun. Just keep an eye out, because someone is out there looking to eliminate you too.

This years game starts on March 26th. You can follow along by following @ghs_seniorassasin23 on Instagram.

SENIORITIS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS

apply to a greater number of schools which in turn, acceptance rates– it’s a self-repeating cycle. the COVID-19 global pandemic has only exacerbated admission competitiveness. With the shutdowns that came college visits were made virtually impossible. Having impressions about each institution, students resorted to apschools in order to offset that uncertainty. though, is the implementation of the test-optional shift has swept through the country, overturning what point of heavy significance in a student application. With

“WHAT IFS”

for a time, let go of Ultimately, you and look to Dwelling on the cycle. Focan control.

only 4% of schools requiring test score submissions now compared to 55% before the pandemic, students have many more options to apply to schools that previously would only accept very high test scores.

As colleges’ expectations continue to change in order to form the student bodies they seek, the application process will change alongside it. While what exactly that entails is unpredictable, college admissions will likely remain competitive and highly emphasized for students across the country.

YOU’RE NOT ALONE.

In Mr. Snyder’s room (227), you can find a bulletin board with pinned rejection letters. Here is a place with no shame of rejection. Feel less alone by adding your own letter or just checking it out. It is important to realize that hundreds of other kids at Garfield are going through the exact same thing as you. People all experience rejection at some point in their lives, and many peers can relate to your experience.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES!

Get excited about what schools did accept you! Undergraduate education is ultimately what you make of it and you certainly don’t need to attend a prestigious university to be successful. In the end, a degree is a degree. Everything happens for a reason, and you should be proud wherever you end up.

March. The time when the very real disease known as senioritis sweeps through the school, infecting seniors one by one. Senioritis is the name for the decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school experience. As Garfield gets closer to June, senior class attendance begins to drop in accordance. Finding motivation to continue participating and turning in assignments on time gets harder as kids get accepted to colleges. The Mess pulled data from multiple senior classes and individual students to show the real impacts of this epidemic.

SENIOR ABSENSES THIS YEAR

LET’S TACO ‘BOUT IT

A review on some of Seattle’s iconic Taco Trucks.

By Griffin Crabs and Eli Silver

Tacos, a classic and integral part of many people’s diets. They are highly customizable and always delicious, but how do Seattle’s street taco locations stack up head to head? Or should we say tortilla to tortilla.

Taqueria El Asadero-

Rating: Pork, Griffin-3 Eli-3.5 Carne Asada: Griffin-4 Eli-3.5

Known to most as “The Taco Bus on Rainier”, Taqueria El Asadero can certainly be described as BUSS. The crispness of the carne asada pleasantly surprised us, and combined quite well with the ci lantro, onion and 3 different types of salsa that came alongside. Unfortunately, our editor mistakenly ordered adoba- do instead of the carnitas that we were hoping to review, forcing us to branch out from the classics. The adobado was definitely a unique flavor, coated with a potent red spice blend, however it lacked the depth of the other meats. When heading down Rainier, Taqueria El Asadero will always warrant a visit.

El Costeño Taco Truck-

Rating: Carnitas, Griffin-4 Eli-4.5 Carne Asada: Griffin

3 Eli 3.8--

Yum Yum Yum! Chucks captivat buds with the moist and flavorful juices their carnitas tacos. The coated our mouths way and left us warm taste. The of grilled onthe cherry on top these as our favor bunch. The carne asada ent story despite its good taste. Small bits of beef combined with a slightly wet texture left the tortilla a little soggy. We also acquired a horchata which can only be described as scrumptious–it was smooth and sweet with a hint of caramel, and had the perfect amount of cinnamon. Overall, Chuck’s is definitely worth a trip.

FROM BULL DOG TO BULL RIDER Western Wear Shopping Guide.

By George Martin

Rating: Carnitas, Griffin-4 Eli-2.5 Carne Asada:

This Taco joint is your go-to spot after flashing some V12s at the climbing gym. The shredded carnitas, mixed with the finely chopped ciwill leave your in delicious carnitas bit on the but it was The tortiand it added meat. The carne asada was your typical meat but still delicious–juicy with small chucks, which guaranteed lots of meat in your mouth with each bite. The horchata was smooth and refreshing but was nothing to write home about. Don’t forget to hit up the Green Door on your way out for your side of veggies!

Western wear is a very versatile style that has influenced so much of American fashion. There are a million ways to do western and everyone has their own interpretation. But no matter what that may be, these items are the most classic and essential western wear pieces for any cowboy.

Wrangler Classic Cowboy Cut Denim

These pants are made to ride. Wrangler revolutionized jeans in 1947 when they released the classic cowboy cut jean designed by celebrity tailor Rodeo Ben. They quickly became a staple of the cowboy and the only jeans to be endorsed by the Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association. They did this by making a few key changes. Wrangler made the pockets bigger and raised them so they were more comfortable on horseback. They smoothed the rivets so they did not leave indents in the saddle. The front belt loops are wider apart to accommodate for big rodeo buckles and extra loops in the back for increased support. The jeans also have flat seams on the inner thigh so they don’t chafe against the saddle and wider legs to fit over boots. They come in three different cuts, Classic fit, Relaxed fit, and Slim fit, and are all available for $39. But if you order them in raw denim, make sure to size up one inch in the waist if you plan on machine washing. The final tip when ordering these jeans is to order two to six inches longer in length than you would for a clean break. This is because you want them to stack over the boots so that when you ride the jeans still cover the entire shaft of the boots, forgetting to do so is a dead giveaway that you’re not a real cowboy. For increased longevity wash very infrequently inside out, then hang to dry.

Wrangler

Cowboy Cut Unlined Denim Jacket

This jacket was also designed by Rodeo Ben to be the perfect jacket to wear with the cowboy cut jeans. It’s slightly cropped to go with the high waist on the jeans. It is unlined, can be worn all year long, and is always available for $49.

Western Shirts

You can’t talk about Western shirts without talking about Jack A. Weil, the inventor of the modern western shirt. Before 1946, western shirts had buttons instead of the iconic pearl snap; Until Denver garter salesman Weil got tired of the buttons on his shirts falling off. He decided to make a new kind of western shirt with durable pearl snaps that would not fall off with wear. The shirts also had distinctive yolks, smile pockets and a slimming tailored look. In 1946, Weil opened Rockmount Ranch Wear in Denver and has not moved or opened another store since, despite their success. Weil died recently in 2008 at the age of 109 and it is said he worked at the store all the way until the end. Rockmount Ranch Wear shirts have been seen on celebrities such as Elvis Presly, Buck Owens, Elton John and Ronald Regan amongst numerous others. Although these shirts are not cheap starting at $108, they are a great timeless investment that will last you a lifetime.

Cowboy Boots

Although all of these things are important, none are as important as the boots. Cowboy boots are expensive and it’s hard to find a good pair under $180. But as an item that has been around forever and continues to come in and out of style, it is very easy to find them at thrift stores. A new pair of heels plus a shine costs about $40 and a pair of boot insoles from Ariat are $23, which will make them feel brand new again.

Photos by Griffin Crabs and Eli SIlver

By Michelle Tong, Mia Andreeva, and Leo Carlin

NOT TOO SWEET Reviewing Asian grocery store snacks to determine which snacks deserve the quintessential Asian dessert compliment.

Mooncakes are a delicacy originating in China and are usually eaten during the Mid-Autumn festival. They are wrapped in a puff pastry shell and often filled with a lotus seed paste, and a salted egg yolk center. We reviewed Kam Wah Egg Yolk Pies (obtained at Costco but also sold at Uwajimaya). The pastry was flaky and the lotus paste was thick and not too sweet, but we were divided over the flavor of the salted egg yolk. Michelle and Leo cherished the dimension the egg yolk brought to the pie but Mia disliked its salty flavor and sand-like texture.

Price: $11.97 per tin (contains 8 pies)

Contains: Wheat, Eggs, Soy, Peanut

Score: split- 0/5 and 5/5

A&E

Yan-Yan is a Japanese snack invented by Meiji,consisting of breadsticks and a creamy dip. The dip comes in three flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. The breadsticks have little animal doodles, the name of the animal, and a quality of the animal written on the other end. We thought the breadsticks had a good crunchy texture, but the cream could’ve been thicker.

Price: $1.49 per container

Contains: trace amounts of peanuts and tree nuts

Score: 3/5

Nori Maki Arare are good for the first 3 servings, but get flavorless after a while. Nori Maki Arare is a type of Japanese Beika snack, made of a slightly spicy cylindrical rice cracker wrapped in seaweed. We found this snack to be enjoyable for a limited amount of time. After a while, the Nori Maki Arare develops an unpleasant aftertaste. We highly recommend putting it in a mix of other similar rice cracker snacks.

Price: $3.59 per bag

Contains: Soybean, Wheat

Score: 3/5

Botan Rice Candy is delicious, fun and nostalgic. The brightly decorated box comes with a complementary sticker inside and 6 individually wrapped jelly-like candies. Sold in Japan as “Dagashi”, these candies are marketed towards schoolchildren. We found the rice candy to have a pleasant fruity flavor, while not being overwhelmingly sweet. If you’re looking for a light snack, this is the one for you. Do not try to peel the “2nd layer” of wrapping off, it’s in fact rice paper and is edible!

Price: $1.29 per box

No allergen information provided on packaging

Score: 4/5

Himemaru are Japanese rice crackers. They are made with glutinous rice and deep-fried, giving them a golden color. They are covered in a sweet and savory spice mix. We found the crunchy texture delightful and appreciated the visual beauty of each cracker’s subtle flower shape.

Price: $2.49 per bag

Contains: Wheat, Soybean, Bonito

Score: 5/5

Dried Squid, as the name suggests, is squid or another cuttlefish that has been shredded, dried, salted, and spiced. It is a popular snack in many East and Southeast Asian countries, particularly Hong Kong. We found the Welpac brand to have a particularly pungent smell, filling the room with the scent of the sea. It is not very spicy by Asian standards, but it does have a modest kick to accompany the slightly tough, chewy texture of the squid.

Price: $3.59 per bag

No allergen information provided on packaging

Score: 4/5

Possibly one of the best drinks out there, (per Mia’s opinion) Calpico is a soft drink originating in Japan. We reviewed the lychee flavor and found that the texture was smooth and delightful, and awesome flavor-wise. It has a distinctive lightness to it, making it easy to chug in one go. Leo and Michelle found the Calpico to be decidedly “mid”.

Mia, au contraire, cannot overstate how good it tasted, expressing it as “simply heavenly”.

Price: $2.99

Contains: Milk, Soy Score: 4/5

Pineapple cakes are a Taiwanese dessert consisting of buttery shortbread pastry filled with pineapple jam. We tasted Isabelle brand pineapple cakes from Costco (although they can also be found at the CID Uwajimaya), and we found the outer pastry to be a tad dry but the inner filling was moist and sweet.

Price: $16.00 per box (contains 16 cakes)

Contains: Wheat, Milk, Coconut, Egg

Score: 5/5

A&E

TV TO TEXT Book recommendations based on your favorite tv shows.

By Lillian Small and Lea Shaw

When the world falls to ruin, will humanity prevail? Reading about surviving the apocalypse is just as captivating as Pedro Pascal.

If you liked Last of Us try out:

Parable of the Sower (Parable series) by Octavia Butler

The Power by Naomi Alderman

The Fifth Season by N K Jemisin

If you long for the thrill of the chase and elaborate puzzles; from powerful resilience to unyielding love, the characters in these books will make you wish you had a mystery to solve of your own.

If you liked Sherlock Holmes try out:

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth E. Wein

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

For fans of intricately crafted worlds filled with politics, magic, love, sword fighting, maybe even dragons, look no further.

If you liked Game of Thrones try out:

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Girls of Paper and Fire (Trilogy) by Natasha Ngan

Cinder (Lunar chronicles) by Marissa meyer

From the ballroom to the gym floor, love, drama, and heartbreak prevail no matter the decade. Lady whistledown would approve of all of these novels

If you liked Bridgerton try out: Red White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

To All the boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

For those searching for something a little bit different, extraordinary, and magic….

If you liked Umbrella Academy try out: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth

The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke

The Scythe by Neal

Shusterman

The Knife of Never Letting

Go byPatrick

Ness

In the Woods by Tana French Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

HONORING THE EQUINOX Spring celebrations around the world.

By Havana Hakala

An equinox occurs when the sun is directly over the equator, heading northward or southward, occuring in March for the northern hemisphere and again in September for the southern hemisphere. This year’s spring equinox takes place on March 20, at 2:24 pm Pacific Time.

Celebrating the spring equinox has roots in Persian and Iranian countries, as far back as three thousand years ago, but is typically linked to the religion of Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest religions in Iran. The festival of Nowruz, meaning “new day” or “New Year,” is the start of the Iranian calendar and lasts twenty-four hours. Nowruz attendees are entranced with dancers in vibrant skirts and shawls, featuring intricately-painted eggs for sale, and raging bonfires late into the night.

The spring equinox is also recognized by Wiccans and Pagans, under the pseud-

onym Ostara. Ostara represents fertility and restarting the agricultural cycle, which is reiterated in the significance of seeds and hares around the holiday. In old tales, the Germanic goddess Ostara turned a bird into a hare, who then thanked her by laying colorful eggs for her festival of fertili ty. Typically, modern Wiccans and Pagans spend time outdoors and meditate or sow seeds to welcome the change in season.

India also partakes in cel ebrating Spring with Holi, though on March 8. Holi rep resents the Hindu folktale of Krish na and Radha, two Hindu gods. Krishna, known for his blue skin, fell in love with Radha, but worried their difference in skin tone would upset her. When seeking advice on the situation, his mother told him to ask Radha to paint his face any color she want ed. This act made Krishna less insecure of his skin and the

Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

pair were married. Holi colors symbolizes their love. The holiday includes a festival of brightly colored dye powder, though white is not excluded; Dye-throwers typically dress in all white to commemorate peace and truth.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V. E. Schwab

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young

Graphic by Havana Hakala

The Spring equinox is a time of change and color, and the tradition of celebrating the new season has been continued for thousands of years–commemorate the change by appreciating nature’s beauty.

Graphic by Kailyn Shaw

$TIPENDOUS $PORTS

The vigorous path of sports budgeting at Garfield.

By Avalon Doll and Olivia Thompson

Behind each and every sporting event is an array of logistics. Each Super Bowl, World Cup, and highschool football game involves a great deal of planning. And with this planning comes debate on hot topics such as uneven wages, overly strict policies, and polarity about the distribution of money. The disproportionate spread of funds appears all too clear when certain teams provide their players with new Nike sweatsuits, but others struggle to come up with the money for tournaments and basic uniform pieces. And within the Seattle school district, there are stark differences amongst schools– the quality of Garfield’s sporting attire falls short of schools like Ballard and Nathan Hale. There often appears to be preferential treatment and advantages for schools further north – and this may hold true. The world of sports, when it comes to funding, is riddled with technicalities, higher-ups, and bureaucracy.

Carole Lynch is Garfield’s Student Activities Coordinator and Athletic Director— but what does that actually mean? There is an assumption that as the school’s Athletic Director, Lynch has control over, and makes decisions on, the direction of funds. “90% of the decisions people think are made by me are decisions where I am governed by a higher power,” Lynch said. Because of the lack of clarity in what actually happens with funding, students tend to unfairly assume that Carole Lynch is actively trying to make students’ athletic lives harder. “I would never try to do anything that would make a mockery of Garfield High School. It’s very hard being a Black female in this position, enduring racism and sexism more than a white male counterpart would have to.” Lynch said.

Many people may be unaware that the only aspect of student athletics that is paid for by the district is transportation. Beyond this, individual fundraising is the majority of what makes up finances for an individual’s sports. “It’s my job to know a lot of [those technicalities], that’s why every school has an Athletic Director,” Lynch explained. “We don’t buy personal items or garments. People aren’t getting handouts, it’s all sys tematic.”

One huge can of worms

regarding funding technicalities surrounds Fall and Winter swim, formerly known as Boys and Girls Swim. The ASB budget, which is required to be paid into when stu dents sign up for athletics, is largely what covers uniform and equipment costs. “Uni forms are bought by the school on a rotat ing basis. The coach gives the uniform idea, if it’s in the right season to buy, it passes through ASB and the coach is responsible for buying the uniform,” Lynch explained. This makes sense and seems fair on the sur face except for one small detail, swimsuits are considered personal garments. This means that funds for uniforms for both swim teams need to be raised individually.

So what happens when students attempt to traverse the tricky path of attaining funds to ensure affordability? Shay Camplin, a Fall Swim captain, made it her mission to organize Garfield Fall Swim in such a way that would allow future athletes to have full clarity on what they could do to alleviate costs. “I wanted to make sure I set up the team when I [graduate], so that they’ll nev er have to fight [for funding] again,” Cam plin said. With tailgates and fundraisers being hard to navigate, the only other way the team could potentially get funding is through the ASB budget. “Everything else, like, equipment wise, and uniforms comes from the ASB budget,” Camplin explained. The ASB budget comes from sport sign ups, football tickets sales, ASB sticker sales, etc. The system is in place for a reason, but it ends up creating starkly different realities for different athletic programs.

It started earlier this year, when students in Fall Swim were growing increasingly concerned about a perceived lack of financial support. Last year, according to Camplin, there were concerns from admin about how money was being raised after years of being self-sustained (depending on how organized captains were). The team hosting tailgates and such, just to acquire funding. “Okay, there are specific rules around the accounts and supervising, [etc.]... it was just a general concern of ‘You guys, aren’t going to do this legally’,” Camplin

to little fundraising being accomplished. “And so it kind of felt like a burden when we went to the next year of like, how are we

she needed to set up a follow-up meeting with Dr. Hart regarding why exactly they weren’t seeing the money come back to them. “The $50 that’s paid into that ASB goes into the ASB budget. And that’s also what they’re pulling from for uniforms and stuff like that, which, to me, just seems like a really flawed system… [because] that’s not even covering a fraction of our suits,” Camplin elaborated. The fact that suits are not covered by the ASB budget along with girl’s swimsuits costing almost double boy’s swimsuits is also an unfair burden to be placed on the swim team.

Distribution of funds is also controlled by Title IX, the law that forbids discrimination on the basis of sex in school sports.

“This is something that our coach also [talks about], there’s just a rule that you have to allocate the same amount of money to boys and girls.” Camplin said. This may seem like the most fair and equal option, but there is then a conversation to be had

on equity vs equality. “Boys’ swimsuits cost $35. And girls’ swimsuits cost $70 [to] $80. So we’re talking more than double here,” Camplin explained. This becomes an issue when both teams are allocated the same funding to provide for their teams, according to Camplin is near nothing. Additionally, athletes felt that the funds they did receive went towards things that were essentially unnecessary. “We had received, like, jackets, [but] never needed jackets. We never wanted jackets that were shared between us and the boys swim team. We never wanted that,” Camplin Camplin also made sure to assert that the blame for this does not fall on Carole Lynch. “She just does an exorbitant amount of work for the school,” Camplin said. And it is true. Carole Lynch explained that the heavy burden faced by the swim team is not something she has control over. “Boys’ swimsuits cost less than girl’s swimsuits. That’s a societal thing, not under [my] control,” Camplin elaborated further, saying, “We didn’t come to blame anyone, we know it’s a public school. We know funding is always going to be an issue. But there is a level of trust that we should put in our public institutions that we all get the same amount of money back.”

As for the future of sports funding, it is uncertain. Seattle Public Schools is facing a steady drop in enrollment which could affect how sports are funded. But if anyone has any questions about that, Carole Lynch asserted that she does have an open door policy and enjoys being an educator for students. But hopefully with more clarity and cohesiveness from the admin as a whole, we can begin to work together to get the most out of our athletics — and our budget.

Graphics by Havana Hakala

SPORTS

A LEGEND IN THE MAKING

Sophomore Legend Smiley steals the court.

By Ali Merz

From the moment he stepped onto the court, Legend Smiley was destined to be – well, a legend.

Smiley’s dad, Roydell Smiley, was a cocoach for the Girl’s Varsity team this past season. He is also a Garfield alumni who played for the team back in 2000. Both Legend and his sister Star have continued the family tradition of bringing home wins for the Bulldogs. “I got into [basketball] when I was like five years old, from my dad. He played, so I always wanted to play,” Smiley said. “For like the first few weeks I wasn’t that good, but I’ve been a stand-out player ever since.”

His freshman year of highschool, Legend’s talent and drive were noticed, and he was placed on the varsity team. But even as the only freshman, Smiley never felt like an outsider on the team. “It wasn’t weird at all

because I grew up with most of them,” he said. “Then we got to highschool and we all played together again. Unfortunately we didn’t win State that year – we should have though.” This year, there were no regrets in the State Championship. The 6150 semi-final victory against Auburn was a sweet revenge after last year’s quarter-final knockout, and in the State Final against O’dea, the team left everything out on the court. To finish out his sophomore season, Smiley scored a total of 30 points; nearly half of the team’s overall score.

SBLive recognized the vital role he played in securing the State Champ title, nominating him for the National Boys Basketball Player of the Week. With 16,428 votes (52.4% of all votes cast), Smiley secured the award. Colleges have caught on to his talent as well. Several schools, including

University of Washington and Seattle University, have offered him spots on their teams. He’s still waiting to see if his dream colleges – Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina – will provide the same opportunities. With two years of high school left, there’s still plenty of time for his aspirations to be real ized. In the meantime, he plans to dom inate in the AAU Seattle Rotary, basketball team which he’s been playing on for years. Moving into next year, fans of Garfield basketball are concerned about the overwhelming majori

ty of seniors that made up the team this season. The coaches will have their work cut out for them as they ter heading into Legend’s third year, but he isn’t fazed. think the Garfield team will be back and loaded next year, coming to win back to back

By Lucy Gaines

Graphic by Ali Merz

Graphics by Lucy Gaines

STICKING TO IT

The struggles and prevails of the girls lacrosse team.

By Unity Jirkovsky-Gual

It’s a common misconception that there “Lots of people don’t even know that there girls are super fun and welcoming” Larson team building activities together throughout the season. “We do a thing called secret sister where we are assigned to give a gift to someone before every game, it’s a really cute concept.” Natalie Zern, a first year player from Franklin added.

Despite the lack of school support and funding, the girls lacrosse team remains one of the last examples of a neighborhood sports team. As the season’s games continue, the training and teamwork proves that the lacrosse team is one to watch out for. For more information on participating or supporting the team check out their Instagram @ghsgirlslacrosse or come to their senior night game May 3rd at Genesee

STAYING TRUE TO THE BLUE

By Jordana King

With Spring Training coming to a close, baseball fans across the country are ready for Opening Day. In particular, fans in Seattle have a newfound anticipation for the season to kickoff. Although the 2022 Mariners season came to an abrupt end, it was a whirlwind of excitement, heartbreak, and prosperity. While some dwell on their eighteen-inning loss to end the season, many are pondering: has postseason baseball found a home in Seattle?

Heading into the all-star week in July of 2022, the team had acquired fifteen wins in a row. This was around the time the Mariners started drawing attention from baseball fans and critics across the country. The team’s notable winning streak was the first shred of hope for long-time Mariners fans who hadn’t seen their team in the playoffs for over two decades. In addition, rising star Julio Rodriquez had been elected to participate in both the all-star game and home run derby as a rookie. And he isn’t the only star on the rise for Seattle. Cal Raleigh, Ty France, and Eugeno Suarez provided big bats in the lineup for the team last season. After extending contracts with both Rodriguez and ace pitcher Luis Castillo, the Mariners are set up for success.

As the end of September neared, it became increasingly evident that Seattle would end their playoff drought. According to Garfield high-school student Nate Butcher, “There’s a lot of attention [coming] to baseball in Seattle right now, there’s so much potential. We’ve not been a baseball city for a long time.”

This is true; for the past couple decades, the Seahawks have dominated the sports headlines in Seattle. Once the Mariners had officially clinched the second wild card spot last season, it seemed as though the team had finally gained loyalty among Seattle sports fans.

Going into the wildcard against Toronto in October of 2022, the Mariners were the clear underdogs. Winning that series meant that they would get to bring playoff baseball back to Seattle for game

three of the Amwerican League Division Series (ALDS) against the Astros. After losing the first two games of the ALDS in Houston, the Mariners returned home to a sold-out crowd who hadn’t seen playoff baseball for twenty-one years. After eighteen innings of scoreless baseball, the Astros came out on top with a final score of one to nothing. Although this may have been a disappointing end to the 2022 season, it certainly gave fans the indication that something big is brewing in Seattle. “We have the future. It’s there and I can see it happening, and it’s really exciting,” Butcher said.

What really separates the Mariners

from other ball clubs is their relentlessness and pure joy for the game. The team’s slogan “good vibes only” isn’t just for show. The Mariners are a group of professional baseball players enjoying themselves like they’re back in little league — this is clear when they huddle into their post-win dance circle. Following the loss of their final game, the sold out crowd joined together in a chorus of “thank-you Mariners’’, a bittersweet moment symbolizing the significance of the 2022 season for Seattle.

The Mariners will open their 2023 season at home against the Cleveland Guardians on March 30th. Although they haven’t announced their starting pitcher for opening day, one of Seattle’s strong points last year was their pitching staff. The roster has only grown stronger over the offseason, so fans should be excited to watch their team this year. After an exciting playoff run in 2022 the collective goal for the Mariners is simple: Seattle’s first World Series title.

Graphics by Unity Jirkovsky-Gual

Graphic sourced from Seattle Mariners

The 2022 season bodes well for the future of the Mariners.

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ATTENTION BULLDOGS! The next Spirit Week has been leaked! Get ready for the best week yet! And check out our best prank ideas for April Fools!