The Garfield Messenger: Volume 101, Issue 11

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

SENIORITIS: A GARFIELD EPIDEMIC

Dogs deathly ill with senioritis.

By Griffin Crabs and Finain Guinney

An epidemic has infested Garfield. It has attached itself to every aspect of school, from activities to attendance. It’s called senioritis.

Senioritis can more easily be described as a loss of motivation that seniors attain during their final year of high school, leading to a sharp drop in attendance. It plagues not just students, but also teachers, who are suddenly faced with empty classrooms. So to hear both sides of the story, the Messenger talked to both Garfield teachers and Garfield seniors to learn more.

The Teachers:

Teachers first started noticing a drop in attendance when the second semester began. “[Senioritis] has been bad all year [but] getting back from mid-winter break is when it got really bad,” Savoie said, one of Garfield’s math teachers who teaches predominantly seniors. Mr. Snyder, one of Garfield’s all-senior class teachers, noticed he really started to see a large amount of “chronic absenteeism” getting into second semester.

Ms. Harris, Garfield’s all-senior AP literature teacher said that this year the absences have been “one of the worst in my 24 years of teaching.” But can the senior class be to blame as they have seen so many unique obstacles to high school?

“No one blames you for being burnt out,” Ms. Harris said. This year’s high level of absences can also be accredited to a lack of consequences. “The district has made it so there are no consequences for not showing up or being late,” said Savoie, referring to district policies that were created during the pandemic. One such rule is the 50% rule, in which students can’t receive any less than a 50% on any assignment, even if they don’t turn it in. This creates an impression on students that they won’t be punished for not doing work or skipping classes, which can then apply to other aspects of their high school experience.

Discussions of senioritis are usually centered around students, but how do teachers feel about students missing their classes? “It’s understandable but tragic… this is the last time that you will all be together in this space, ” Mr. Snyder said. He points out that the repercussions of an unconnect-

ed senior class could be detrimental to the overall community of Garfield. “It robs us of school spirit and energy.” Toward the end of the year, classes shift to more project-based assignments to promote more fun and collaborative work, but when students are gone these projects lose their collaborative aspects. It’s also not just seniors that feel this yearning for the year to be over, “I’m a teacher, I get tired in the spring too,” Ms. Harris said.

In addition, large amounts of missing students impact lesson plans.

“[Classes are a] community and having only a fourth to a third of them really engaged means that there aren’t as many good questions being asked,” said Savoie. Senioritis has a large impact on discussion-based classes because if students aren’t there to discuss then the lesson be-

Senioritis has clear negative effects across the whole school, so how can it be fixed? The main reason for such high absenteeism is that there are no repercussions. “There has to be some sort of consequence to skipping school,” Harris said. But no matter how many rules the school adds, it’s still up to students to change their own habits. “Come to class because that’s the right thing to do,” Harris said.

tors. “Freshman year I was really dedicated to keeping my grades up, and working as much as I could and not doing the bare minimum,” Nguyen said, who attributes senioritis to the COVID-19 Pandemic. “After Covid, I lost a lot of interest in learning, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I used to.” However, while senioritis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, it is a phenomenon that has existed for years. One of its main causes is college admissions. Once many seniors get into a school, they no longer feel like there is a reason to come to school anymore, as long as they maintain a GPA that is acceptable by their college. “Once I was admitted and committed to college, I kind of forgot that I was still in high school,” Turner said. “Part of the senioritis is that I’m just done with the high school part of it, not done learning.”

The Seniors:

For many Garfield seniors, their motivation levels are at an all-time low. “My motivation to complete school work is probably the lowest out of all four years of high school,” Parik Kukreja said, a senior who currently has 270 absences. Turner Snyder, who has 213 absences, started the school year confident, but eventually succumbed to senioritis. “At the beginning of the year, I was pretty motivated to finish strong my senior year, but let’s just say it’s definitely gone downhill from there,” she

comes pointless. Along with impacts on classroom learning, senioritis can also have negative impacts on students enter ing college. “When you go to college and you’re still in senioritis mode, it’s a rude awakening,” Harris said. Students will have a tough time transitioning to college when they aren’t ready to learn. “Pro fessors can definitely grade you on at tendance,” Harris added. It also teach es students the wrong things about life after high school when they don’t have it so easy. “We’re not setting people up for the real world,” Savoie said.

Despite all of this, there are poten tial positives to senioritis. “I do believe in mental health days,” Harris said. One thing that senioritis and COVID-19 has taught people is to take care of their men tal health. “ [It’s good] to know when to take care of yourself… sometimes taking a day off can transform you in a way that gets you ready to function again,” Savoie said.

mum GPA,” Nguyen said.

According to seniors, this annual lack of motivation is a result of a variety of fac-

So what would it take to incentivize seniors to attend school more? One thing that could encourage them is giving seniors more freedom in choosing their classes. “As a Senior, I think it’s just so hard knowing that in a few months, I’m going to be learning things that I want to learn, that I chose to learn,” Nguyen said. “I want to do business, and I’ve taken classes in business, and those were so much more interesting and I felt like I actually wanted to be there.” For Turner, she thinks it’s up to seniors to encourage each other to go to class. “I think we kind of feed off of each other’s lack of motivation sometimes. We can either make it better, like if we all go to class and hype each other up to get stuff done, or it can just be the exact opposite.”

Meanwhile, others don’t think anything can make them come to school more. “I don’t think there’s anything on God’s green earth that this school could do that would make me attend,” Kukreja said.

“SCHOOL IS PRACTICE FOR LIFE, GETTING GOOD LIFE HABITS IS WHAT MATTERS THE MOST. I WANT STUDENTS TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AND HAPPY LIFE, MORE EDUCATION WON’T HURT ANYBODY.”-SAVOIE

“ WE STILL LOVE YOU SENIORS AND WE ONLY GET TO SEE YOU FOR A COUPLE MORE WEEKS”

-MR. SNYDER

“IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S US.” -TURNER SNYDER

JAZZ WASHING AWAY

Washington Middle School jazz band may be leaving classrooms.

By Olivia Thompson

In the upcoming school year, students at Washing ton Middle School are at risk of losing their distinguished jazz band, as well as features of their mu sic programs. Due to Seattle Public Schools budget cuts, Washington Mid dle School faces a tough choice on what to remove. Their current proposal would result in discontinuing their jazz band for the 2023-2024 school year.

This decision seems to many, like anoth er piece of Seattle disappearing. Jared Ses sink, director of bands and jazz at Garfield, expressed, “Frankly, to be totally honest ... as the HCC (Highly Capable Cohort) program [at Washington] is gone, it’s less white privileged families, and now this is being implemented? So, to me this feels a lot like gentrification… there’s no recognition of the culture that used to be there, or the program that used to be there.”

of Washington Middle School since the 1970’s, providing hundreds of students with the opportunity to be a part of the jazz band and the ty that comes with it. During the 40+ years the program has been running, it’s created a name for itself, winning numerous jazz festivals and awards. “It’s really sad because it’s been

AI (ACADEMICALLY INCLINED)

such a long standing part of Seattle’s music education scene,” alumni Bell Thompson added. Thompson is a professional musician who participated in the Washington and Garfield jazz programs.

Jazz band students spend years with their peers, learning how to play together and mastering their instrument in order to succeed as a group. Sessink shared his concern about the long term effects of cutting the jazz band director position, “The worry I have is once you make a decision like this, it’s not like cutting a math class for one year, and then being like, ‘guess what it’s back’ … if you cut something like their jazz band or you cut a program out of the school that kids take over years, it’s really hard to reinstitute and make it successful.”

Although many schools in the U.S. have some sort of musical education, jazz is deeply rooted in Seattle and its culture. “We are one of the few places in the coun-

How AI meets education and your essays...but also ethics.

By Leo Carlin

Chat-GPT was released in late November 2022. Microsoft Bing added a chatbot in early February 2023. Google has released early versions of its own chatbot, Bard, for testing by select users. These recently released chatbots - like Chat-GPTuse AI to mimic human-like conversation while also attempting to provide an endless stream of accurate information. What makes these recent developments so special is the uncanny accuracy of the chatbot’s responses and similarity to professional humans. Students, constantly searching for the cleverest ways to make their life easier, have started using AI to write their assignments, turning multi-hour essays into a twenty second afterthought.

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is a field of computer science focused on computers that can learn, reason, and act much like humans do. The inner workings of AI are a confusing mess of connections that even their developers cannot explain. In principle, AI uses its previous experience - what it is “taught” - to reason and create an output. AI is already used in web search engines, speech recognition, language translation, self-driving cars, and playing chess so well that the best human chess players cannot

come close to beating it. With the constant developments of AI, there is an incredible opportunity to incorporate it into how we learn, potentially changing the education system for the better but also posing a myriad of questions and concerns.

AI can quickly tailor its outputs to specific cases. This opens up the potential for more personalized learning, with feedback and resources tailored to student’s interactions and preferences. Imagine a worksheet that will alter itself based upon the specific responses given to it by the student, addressing the student’s own strengths and weaknesses instead of giving one-size-fits all assignments. Feedback, whether deeply critical or positive, is often much more useful than a pure number or letter grade. Personalization is something that much of the education system sorely lacks, and AI, acting as a human, can be used to plug this gap.

However, the use of AI poses many potential issues. First and foremost, AI in general has ethical question marks surrounding it. AI draws information solely from its prior teachings, so if those prior teachings are biased then the outputs of AI may discriminate in some way. AI also relies on large

amounts of data. For example, the recommendation pages of social media rely on AI-powered guesses about a user’s age, location, gender, socio-economic status, and much more. The security and privacy concern around this data is always a constant worry, and ingraining it within our education system poses more questions and risks than ever. Particularly in education, AI also has concerns with plagiarism. The aforementioned use of AI to write essays may or may not count as true plagiarism, but under most academic misconduct codes it counts as cheating. Plagiarism detection tools such as turnitin.com have had to implement AI detection into their software, which itself may be powered by AI. In the most destructive and pessimistic viewpoint, advanced AI will be

try who have jazz classes that are as valued as any other music class in the school day.” Sessink said. “It’s not just the jazz program that’s being hurt, they’re basically going from two [music] teachers to one… there might be ninety kids in [a] class– you’re never going to get individual help,” Sessink went on to say.

Parents, students and alumni of Washington and Garfield are signing petitions and voicing their opinions over social media in an attempt to save Washington’s jazz band. The future of jazz at Washington Middle School is now in the hands of the school board. With Washington Middle School facing insubstantial resources for the foreseeable future, it becomes unclear how these music programs will be able to flourish. As Thompson put it, “The more school programs that get defunded, the less accessible music starts to become from a younger and younger age.”

Art by Sly Gross-Hamburger

constantly countered by more advanced AI, leading to an endless spiral of improved AI that may replace all of education and then the world as we know it. All in all, AI is still a new tool. It is fairly unregulated, especially by the government. The more questions we answer, the more we will inevitably create.

But if that isn’t the purpose of education, what is?

Graphics by Leo Carlin

DISCORD DISCORD A discord server causes a major breach in government security.

By Kennedy Greenfelder

Twenty one year old Jack Taxeier was arrested by the FBI on April 14th in the investigation into hundreds of leaked classified military documents that began with a small online group chat.

Members of the Department of Defense were increasingly concerned last month after hundreds of classified documents had been circulating online. They thought this may have been a leak from a high member of the bureaucracy, but were shocked to discover the document leakage was traced back to a Discord server called “Thug Shaker Central”. Teixeira, who went by “OG” online, reportedly started the Discord server for gun enthusiasts and gamers back in 2020. Former members of the server told law enforcement that Taxeira had been sharing classified information as early as last summer. Nearly three hundred photos of classified documents were released during this time.

Taxeira worked on a military base for the Massachusetts National Guard. According to a U.S. official familiar with the matter,

Taxeira held a junior position but reportedly had access to an internal Defense Department computer network for classified information, called the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Teixeira was arrested “without incident” in the “alleged unauthorized removal, retention, and transmission of classified national defense information.” If convicted, Teixeira will be facing 15 years in prison.

According to a member of the server, Taxeira had a “dark view of the government,” and found law enforcement to be a repressive force, despite his job in the military. He wanted to “keep us in the loop” a member of the online group told the Post, he thought his insider information would offer protection to the members of the server. But a teenage member of the server shared dozens of these documents with another server, then to another server dedicated to the video game Minecraft in March, and it spread on from there. It would be another month, after thousands

of Discord users saw the documents, that the leak would come to the attention of government officials.

President Biden spoke out about the in cident, “I’m concerned that it happened, but there’s nothing contemporaneous that I’m aware of that is of great conse quence.” Yet, there is still concern that the information leak may bring serious repercussions for the US and can be harmful in the future. The documents contained informa tion concerning how the U.S. gathers intelligence on foreign entities. Some documents reported American surveil lance using wiretapping and hacking into emails. Also among the documents was illuminating information about the sub stantial military weakness in the Ukrainian military, some of which were used to brief high ranking members at the Pentagon. As the Russian-Ukraine war carries on into its second year, there’s potential the leaked information could change Russian military strategy.

MORE LOCKS ON THE DOG POUND A talk with security about Garfield’s new safety measures.

By Sylvester Gross-Hamburger

The years since Covid have been rough for Garfield and Seattle Schools, but the district’s recent changes to security are hoping to fix that. Isaac Yescas is a new member of Garfield’s security staff working in conjunction with Dr. Hart to implement our new security rules. But what are they? These changes are part of district-wide effort to add call-boxes to every school. Hopefully they’ll help school officials to be able to “better con trol who comes in and out of the school” Dr. Hart says. According to Yescas, who previously worked security at Rainier Beach, Ballard, and Ingraham, the new rules, likely catalyzed by the shooting at Ingraham in November, aim to keep our student population safe even as security staff leave. The main doors now will be switched to the leftmost pair on the front of the school and spend most of the day locked by a timed system that will automatically open them during passing pe riods and lunch. People who

take the bus shouldn’t worry though, the school will still be accessible for the first 30 minutes of class in case of late comers. Anyone looking to access the building after the judgment of the man

on the buzzer, students will have to state their name and grade.it should also be noted that students may sometimes also be asked to state their business at the school. This goes for parents too, who will be expected to report straight to the front office after they’re let in. Hart has also said that everyone buzzing in during the school day will be added to a “List of individuals who are buzzed into the building” which will be checked to monitor student activity out of class. Security staff like Yescas hope these new rules will get students more used to using the front

This includes reviewing who has access to sensitive government documents. Though he says the rules were already “stringent” they could still be defied by someone determined to spread information.

door and discourage people from holding open side doors for their friends. While this is for the benefit of Garfield students, some are worried about unintended side effects. The new doors on the left were being used for a long time before the rule change. They are actually a set of ADA doors, the building’s only set of ADA doors in fact. This means that they are required by the American with Disabilities Act for the school to be accessible to disabled students. While it may be too early to know for sure, overuse of the ADA doors could make it more difficult for students with disabilities, none of whom were consulted about the change, to access school. School security is a complex thing. Even in a world where staff could monitor and control the movement of every child in the building, high schoolers would still find a way to go vape in the bathroom. In the end only time can tell the real impact that these changes will have on the school. that these changes will have on the school.

BANH MI(D)? Reviewing Banh Mi spots around Garfield.

By Eli Silver

From its crispy baguette and flavorful meat to pickled vegetables and punchy herbs, banh mi makes for a great meal at a relatively cheap price. But with so many places around both Garfield and the Seat tle area, it’s hard to know which one to choose. We reviewed three places within a five minute drive of Garfield to see which is the perfect spot for a quick, easy, and delicious banh mi lunch.

Saigon Deli 1237 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144

Bread: 3/5

Meat: 2/5

Toppings: 3/5

A popular Vietnamese deli with locations in both the International District and the University District, Saigon Deli is a favorite among many Garfield students. It contains a wide variety of savory and sweet premade options, all at a low price. Unfortunately the chicken banh mi we

tried was a little lackluster. The bread was decent— crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, however due to a lack of either sauce or toppings it became a little bit too chewy. The chicken was shredded instead of the typical grilled slices seen in most banh mis and because of this the flavors and textures were a bit off. The toppings were good— pickled daikon, carrots, cilantro and sliced jalapenos, but it just needed a bit more of everything. Overall the banh mi was good, but certainly not great.

Tahnh Son Tofu Factory: 1248 S King St, Seattle, WA 98144

Bread: 4/5

Meat: 5/5

Toppings: 4/5

Located on the same block as Saigon Deli, Tahnh Son Tofu Factory is best known for

CINEMATIC SENSATIONS

its fresh made tofu stuffed with scallion, noodles, chili and more. Its chicken banh mi is also not to be missed, coming packed with freshly grilled chicken and a good balance of toppings. The bread remained crisp on the top while soaking up just the right amount of sauce, making for a satisfying mix of textures. A nice aioli coated the chicken, enhancing its flavor while the herbs, thinly sliced jalapenos and pickled carrot and daikon worked well together to cut the richness. Tahnh Son is definitely worth a visit.

L L Teriyaki and Pho: 3224 Rainier Ave S. Seattle, WA 98144

Bread: 3/5

Meat: 2/5

Toppings: 1/5

While not typically known for its banh

The most anticipated movie releases still to come this year.

By Nikhil Choudhury

2023 has been filled with exciting releases from Cocaine Bear to The Super Mario Bros, but we have yet to see some of the best movies that 2023 has to offer. As we move deeper into the year the world of cinema is stirring with excitement, having some of the most anticipated releases coming up. In no order, The Messenger presents the top movies coming out this year that everyone should add to their watch list.

Elemental:

Get ready to be swept away to a world where the elements come alive as characters in Walt Disney Studios’ highly anticipated new animated movie, Elemental The movie will be released on June 16 and personifies the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water) as characters living in an “Element” city. The movie features a fire girl named Ember, and a water boy named Wade as they discover their similarities despite their elemental differences. Many people may recognize these char-

acters from the game Fireboy and Watergirl that they played growing up and are excited for the release to see Pixar’s interpretation of it.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: On May 5 Marvel Studios is going to release Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. will star the beloved actor Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as Groot, and Bradley Cooper as Rocket. This will be the third and final movie in the highly success ful trilogy that Marvel has created. ians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 everyone with its action packed plot and humorous lines. Since the series started back in 2014 it has captivated many fans, so don’t miss out on the conclusion to this thrilling trilogy.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Song birds & Snakes:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will take place 64 years before the Hun

mi, L L Teriyaki and Pho boats a teriyaki chicken banh mi that we were intrigued to try. Unfortunately, L L may want to go back to the drawing board on this one. The teriyaki chicken was minimally flavorful and didn’t mix well with the baguette. What really hurt the sandwich was an odd cheese sauce covering the chicken and toppings giving everything an oddly sour taste. The cucumber, jalapeno and herbs were unable to cut through this flavor and we were unable to finish the sandwich. For a banh mi you’ll want to look elsewhere.

ger Games original series. It will feature fore the games she starred in. Instead, the movie will feature Lucy Gray Baird who is played by Rachel Zegler and Tom Blyth who will play young Coriolanus Snow. Any Hunger Games fan should mark the date November 17 on their calendar to indulge in this new prequel.

Spider Man: Across the Spider-Verse: On June 2 fans of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will finally get the sequel they have been longing for. Disney-run Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has created another Spider-Man animated movie featuring the fictional character Miles Morales as he is tasked with saving the multiverse with a team of spider-people he encounters. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is sure to be packed with action, so make sure to see it when it comes out. Art by Havana Hakala

Graphics by Eli Silver

SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVALS ‘23

By Amirah Melvin, Avalon Leonard, Lucy Gaines, Lillian Small

NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE

Northwest Folklife will be putting on its 52nd annual festival, with this year’s cultural theme being Lagom: Not too much, not too little, but just right! According to the festival’s website “This Scandinavian term speaks to the notions of balance. When change happens in a person’s or communities life, you have to adapt to your new environment.” Hosted at Seattle Center, sidewalks and grassy fields are filled with food trucks and street performances all weekend long. Put on by community coordinators and volunteers, the festival has been free of charge since its start in 1972, and features a wide range of musicians and groups that represent the diverse cultures of the pacific northwest. Folklife has many community initiatives throughout the year outside of the festival, including programs to increase youth in the arts workforce, or concerts hosted by local venues. This year Folklife is introducing several new addi tions to the festival such as a fashion show, maker space, and a food justice and sovereignty corner.

HONK! Fest

HONK! Fest West is a non-profit activist festival that is happening in various locations across Seattle, with events on June 2nd in Georgetown from 6-10 pm, June 3rd Columbia City from 12-8pm, and June 4th in Yesler Terrace Park from 12-6 pm. What’s the best part? Tickets are completely free. You can, however, feel free to donate and support this festival to continue keeping music in Seattle accessible and fun. It is not known yet who will be headlining but it is sure to be an exciting experience regardless. Part of the longtime appeal of Honk! iIs the way in which they allow and welcome anyone who can play to put on an excellent show, along with offering an array of bands that travel across the country with the intention of putting on something spectacular. Honk! Fest has always emphasized inclusivity both in the artists who perform there as well as where they are set up. With Honk! Fest West, any neighborhood and any space has the potential to be more for the people who oc cupy it.

WATERSHED

Popular Seattle country music festival at The Gorge amphitheater that features the biggest names in country music, attracts people from ages 16-25. The Watershed Country music festival is a popular 3 day celebration where young country lovers gather for three days to watch some of the biggest Country music stars around. This year popular attractions such as a giant water slide and a ferris wheel. The festival is located in the beautiful mountainous desert of George, WA from August 4th to 6th.

Amenities including bathrooms, campsites for rent, and food trucks surround the festival. Wondering what to bring? This festival can get dusty and temperatures reach into the hundreds so it’s important to prepare accordingly. Here are some essentials to keep the party going and keep everyone safe and happy!

CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY

The Capitol Hill Block Party is a festival staple in Seattle. If you’re not aware of what the Capitol Hill Block Party is, it is a 3-day festival taking place from July 21st to July 23rd which includes headliners of known artists as well as local artists, underground artists, and performers, giving lesser known artists a platform to get their music showcased on the stage. The festival was first established in 1997 by Jen Gapay. At this time, there were nowhere near the number of performers as there are today. Originally, the festival was only one day with one stage, five bands, and a few DJs who performed that day. Over time, Gapay no longer oversaw the festival, and the main coordinators became David Meinert and Marcus Charles. They were the ones who extended the festival to two days instead of one. The festival had its last change in management in 2010 to the current coordinator Jason Lajeunesse. Lajeunesse’s main goal is for local and small bands to get exposure in front of large crowds provided to them through the Capitol Hill Block Party. two types of tickets are divided into two tiers based on the accommodations you receive through the tickets you buy. The initial price for general admission tickets is $195.00 and allows those who obtain this ticket to see all the performers for all three days.

Genre: Pop/Rave

Show: Taylor Rave- A Taylor Swift Rave

Location: Showbox Sodo

Date: April 28th at 9 pm

Genre: Indie

Show: Black Belt Eagle Scout LIVE on KEXP (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)

Location: KEXP Studio (NW Rooms)

Date: May 8th at noon

Genre: Metal/Alternative Rock

Show: The Reckoning Tour

Location: El Corazon

Date: April 30th at 7:30 pm

Genre: Indie Pop

Show: Laura Stevenson

Location: The Vera Project

Date: April 29th at 7 pm

Genre: Pop

Show: The Dead Science

Location: The Vera Project

Date: May 12th at 7 pm

Wanna see music sooner rather than later? Check out these all-ages shows coming soon to a venue near you!

A&E

WHAT’S THE SCOOP? In the world of ice cream, bold is not better.

By Michelle Tong and Mia Andreeva

Fancy-sounding foods have held a place near and dear to foodie hearts everywhere, and ice cream is no exception. Almost every ice cream place has menu items three or more words long that boast the inclusion of wild flavors like pine and olive oil. While elaborate names make ice cream sound more appealing, we found that it does not make them taste better.

MOLLY MOON’S

Total: $13.25

Order: 1 scoop brownie caramel swirl with vanilla bean caramel syrup and 1 scoop cookie dough with strawberry rhubarb sauce

While you can find Molly Moon’s on almost every “Top 10 Ice-cream Places in Seattle” list, we found that it did not live up hype. We visited the Caplocation, and the ambiance was very pleasing. You’re lured in with a sweet waffle cone smell, and stay for the warm coziness of the place. The shop itself is very colorful, the mural inside is fun to look at, and there is a decent amount of seating. Molly Moon’s downfall is their flavors. Their standard menu offers nothing too interesting, but their seasonal flavors spruce it up a little bit. We ordered two kids scoops, one Brownie Caramel Swirl with Vanilla Bean Caramel, and one scoop of cookie dough with straw berry rhubarb sauce (rec ommended by the server). The total came out to $13.25 (ouch). The Brownie Cara mel Swirl flavor was good. However, it was mildly bit ter, and the Vanilla Bean Caramel added a burnt after-taste. Their “cookie dough” is not what you’d expect cookie dough to be. It’s overly cinnamony, making the ice cream seem more like “cinnamon dreams”. Even as we get past this flavor mix-up, it’s not that great of a fla- vor. The strawberry rhubarb sauce had a salty essence to it, but it combined well with the cookie dough. Overall, we rated this place a 5/10. Their flavors aren’t any-

thing special, and it’s simply not worth the price.

SALT AND STRAW

Total: $14.88

Order: 1 scoop olive oil with whipped cream, 1 scoop strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper, and 1 scoop pear and blue cheese

In comparison to Molly Moon’s, Salt and Straw was more affordable, given that we ordered more and the price difference was a little over a dollar. The customer service was great; we were cheerfully greeted by the scoopers, and the employee who served us seemed very enthusiastic about the business. Though we loved the olive oil ice cream, we had mixed feelings about the strawberry honey balsamic ice cream with black pepper and the pear and blue cheese ice cream. The strawberry honey berry kombucha and we couldn’t really taste the honey or black pepper. It seems the two words were added to make the flavor quirkier. If you’re into kombucha or sour strawberry candy, this flavor is for you. The pear and blue cheese ice cream was good at first, but a couple bites in, the blue cheese started making itself known in the texture and the taste. Blue cheese has a sharp flavor, which cuts through the pear nicely, but the grainy, parmesan-like nature of it stays in your mouth after the pear ice cream, leaving an unpleasant sand-like residue in your mouth. We loved the olive oil flavor, which was described by the worker as a salty vanilla, but we would say it’s more like a fattier version of sweet cream. The texture was silky and decadent. Some people might find it too rich, and we recommend pairing it with an acidic flavor (like lemon or strawberry balsamic) to cut through the cream. Salt and Straw disappointed in their toppings, because the only two options were whipped cream and sprinkles. We rated this place an 8/10 because while ice cream flavors are creative, a lot of them are disappointing in the taste category.

FRANKIE AND JO’S

Total: $15.21

Order: 1 “seasonal flight” which includes california cabin, brown sugar vanilla, and mint brownie flavors

Frankie and Jo’s is for the vegans, and the vegans only. This shop offers plant-based and gluten free ice cream, with a mission of changing the way you think about the dessert. We visited the Capitol Hill location, and were immediately impressed by the aesthetic. While there is minimal seating, the pink and green theme of the shop was cute, and they by far have the best mer chandise out of the four places that we visited. The service was lovely, the employee was happy to tell us about each flavor and let us sample them. Frankie and Jo’s offers a fantastic variety of flavors, from California Cabin to Salty Caramel Ash, in a mini, standard and large. They also offer the Seasonal Flight, which includes three of their flavors and a broken up waffle cone, pints, and magic sandwiches. We ordered the seasonal flight with the California Cabin, Brown Sugar Vanilla, and Mint Brownie, and we weren’t impressed. While it looked like your typical ice cream, it was lacking the creaminess people expect. The coconut-base flavor came through in each one, and this distracted from the main flavor. California Cabin, a smoked vanilla and pine flavor, was their most unique flavor. While it was interesting to try, it wasn’t worth coming back for. The pine flavor became tiring very quickly, and reminded us of mint gum. The Mint Brownie came through with a mediocre Thin Mint taste, and the Brown Sugar Vanilla wasn’t bad, but not great either. We paid $15.21 (with tip) for 3 scoops, and for Seattle ice cream pricing, that’s not bad. In the vegan ice cream com munity, Frankie and Joe’s dominates. For the non-vegans, however, Frankie and Jo’s is worth a one-timetry only. Frankie and Jo’s gets a 10/10 for the vegans and a 6/10 for people who

want dairy ice cream.

INDIGO COW

Total: $7.52

Order: 1 mini scoop Hokkaido milk flavor with mochi, brown sugar syrup, and roasted soybean powder

Indigo Cow prioritizes quality over quantity. They only offer Hokkaido milk (milk from the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido) flavor, with the option of adding in ceremonial grade matcha for an extra dollar, or swirling the milk and matcha flavors. There is no indoor seating, which makes this shop a pain in the butt to eat at in the middle of April during a rainstorm. Environment aside, we found the soft serve to be light and refreshing after a long day of eating ice cream. Indigo Cow balances its simplicity in the ice cream department by going over the top with their toppings. There is a house-made fruit sauce, Theo’s chocolate sauce), and the MBR,

which is what we ordered. The MBR was unflavored mo- chi, brown sugar syrup, and roasted soybean powder. The mochi added a nice contrast of textures to the ice cream, but it did get tedious to chew and because it was unflavored, you were left with a ball of glutinous rice after the ice cream melted away. The brown sugar syrup was mid. It didn’t add any depth to the milk flavor, which makes us think that the point of the syrup was to sweeten the mochi. We couldn’t taste the soybean powder and while it was clear that the soft serve was the center of the dish, it was slightly overshadowed by how long it took to chew the mochi. Overall, Indigo Cow gets an 8/10.

Graphics by Mia Andreeva and Michelle Tong

Other than the musical aspect of Coachella, fashion is also a huge part of the festival, and this year of fashion at Coachella has been just as controversial as the music scene. Influencers, models, singers, and actors have shown off both stunning and horrible outfits at this Coachella. Here are four influencers’ outfits from Coachella 2023.

COACHELLA CRAZE

An overview of Coachella 2023 so far.

As one of the biggest music festivals in the world, Coachella holds a lot of responsibility to organize a lineup of musicians to perform for the hundreds of thousands who travel to the desert of Indio, California for the show.

The element of surprise is a key feature in Coachella performances, but, unfortunately, one surprise did not leave concert antendees very happy. Frank Ocean headlined the first weekend, but not without controversy. The artist was over an hour late and cut his performance short. Unfortunately, the second performance was also canceled by Ocean due to a leg injury he had endured since before the first show.

FESTIVAL FASHION

Coachella first took place in 1999, designed to be the “Anti-Woodstock,” aiming for the diversity that Woodstock lacked. But diversifying the setlist has clearly picked up in 2023, with this year being the most diverse one yet and Puerto Rican rapper, Bad Bunny, headlining the second weekend. Bad Bunny has made a name for himself not only in music, but being an advid supportor of the Latin queer community as well, wearing clothing that defended Alexa Negron, a trans woman who was killed in Puerto Rico.

A&E

Alessandra Ambrosio, a former Victoria’s Secret model, blew people away with her outfit that perfectly captures what Coachella is about: beachy, bohemian, and hippy. She wore a cream-colored lace top with a triple tie in the front and diamond shaped cutout bell sleeves as well as a pair of burnt orange cutout, flared 70’s pants. Keeping that theme, she accessorized with beaded jewelry, and a white and gold belt.

One of the best outfits of the 2023 Coachella was worn by Carlacia Grant, a famous actress in Outer Banks, who gave off a desert vibe in her matching green belt and shorts with fluffy boots and sleeves at the end making the outfit overall very cohesive and different from the rest. Her unique top and gorgeous makeup with purple lipstick and simple accessories gave off a y2k feel.

Following the festival’s theme as well as Grant but in a completely different style was Paris Jackson, who wore darker colors, incorporating different shades of brown and black. She had very bohemian, chic, and hippy aspects incorporated into her outfit, but also made it into her own style which was also a mixture of edgy and rocker-chic. She definitely turned heads as she was wearing a cream-colored corset, a dark brown mesh sweater hanging off of her shoulders matching her sunglasses, chunky brown boots, and her snakeskin designed skirt. This outfit showed off her tattoos, aesthetic, and gleaming skin tone.

A very different outfit from the rest was Madison Pettis’s, an American actress, who wore very bright hues of pink and yellow, with a little mixture of purple, blue, green, and red incorporated into her shorts. Although the colors were very fun, they did not go together whatsoever and there were too many colors happening at once. Her neon pink uber cropped top and ill-fitting shorts seemed very uncomfortable, which may have led to a potential war wardrobe malfunction. Even though her outfit wasn’t the greatest and didn’t fit well, she still pulled it off and looked gorgeous.

Graphics and story by Fiona Real and Havana Hakala

BAD BUNNY

FRANK OCEAN

CARLACIA GRANT

MADISON PETTIS

ALESSANDRA AMBROSIO

PARIS JACKSON

SPORTS

SCANDALOUS SPORTS

How have sports’ biggest cheaters been caught for their mischievous tactics?

By Jordana King

People love sports. Athletes dedicate their entire lives to their craft. So why are sports scandals as common as they appear to be? Whether it’s conspiring with outsiders or lying to referees, cheating has and will continue to be relevant to the world of sports.

Cheating Astros

As of late, the most notable cheating scandal belongs to the Houston Astros. In 2019, the team was caught for electronic sign stealing after winning the World Series two years prior. The scandal was masterminded by Alex Cora, who was the bench coach for Houston at the time. Throughout the 2017 season, pitching signs of the opposing team were relayed from the Astros’ center-field camera to their dugout. Pitching signs are used between the catcher and pitch er to communicate what pitch will be thrown. When the oth er team knows what pitch will be thrown, it deranges any advantage the pitcher has over the hitter which can drastically affect the out comes of games. Two years lat er, championship-team member Mike Fiers acted as a whistleblower and revealed their cheating tactics. As a result, head coach A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow were fired. The rep utation of the 2017 Astros is anything but

What were the most popular E-Sports over 2022?

By Lea Shaw

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Platform: PC/Console

Prize pool: $15,651,666

Peak Viewers: May 22: 2,113,610

About: Developed for two years, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released in 2012 to Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Windows. In this game you play as a first person shooter. The teawms are Terrorists versus Counter Terrorists and the most commonly played modes are trying to disarm a Terrorist bomb and trying to rescue hostages from the Terrorists.

labeled a cheater, he may never be able to shake

“The Hand of God” refers to a hand-ball goal scored by Diego Maradona during the quarter of the

erees did not have a clear view of the play in order to see that Maradona used his hand to score, which is deemed illegal. Without replay technology available at the

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Platform: Mobile

Prize pool:$2,819,105

Peak Viewers: Apr. 9: 2,845,364

About: Mobile Legends: Bang Bang is akin to League of Legends as it too features team battle in an arena. Similarly, teams of five must work together to move across three lanes and destroy the other team’s tower while defending their own in a ten minute match. This is another free game, and is designed to be played on mobile phones.

time, the goal stood to give Argentina a 1-0 lead. They then went on to win that game 2-1. This remains to be the most controver-

this day, the ‘Black Sox” scandal remains debatably the most notorious in baseball’s history.

Baseball’s Steroid Era

The infamous ‘Black Sox’ scandal is truly one-of-a-kind. Allegedly, members of the 1919 White Sox conspired with gamblers to games to get paid. This all ties back to betting odds which were initially in favor of the White Sox. Putting money on the underdogs, the Reds, meant gam blers would win more money if the White Sox lost. So, they paid them off. Suspicions were raised when pitchers were hitting batters and walks were given out like can dy– things that you wouldn’t normally see in such high-stakes games. After evidence surfaced, eight members of the scandalous White Sox team were labeled the ‘Black Sox’ and indicted on nine counts of con spiracy. They had even confessed! Myste riously, all paper records of their confes sions vanished over the course of their trial and they were found not guilty. Although legally vindicated, the eight players were banned from Major League Baseball. To

League of Legends

Platform: PC/Console

Prize pool: $7,803,338

Peak Viewers: Nov. 6: 5,147,701

About: In League of Legends, players can work with their teammates, forming competitive strategies to outplay their adversaries and destroy the enemy Nexus before their own is broken. This 2009 arena game, inspired by Defense of the Ancient, is completely free besides certain character customizations.

Performance-enhancing drugs are not uncommon in many sports, but one sport particularly tends to get caught for them. Throughout the 1980s to the early 2000s, numerous professional baseball players

ering 10,000 players. Now the industry is booming with 29.8 million viewers in 2022, and an estimated 34.8 million viewers by 2026.

Dota 2

Platform: PC/Console

Prize pool: $32,526,387

Peak Viewers: 1,751,086

About: In Dota 2, two teams of five face off trying to wipe out the other team’s ‘Ancient’ first. The players all act as different ‘Heroes’ each with different abilities and styles of play. This 2013 MOBA quickly rose in popularity and now is known for making its players the most money.

Art by Lea Shaw

Art by Jordana King

SPRING SERVES

Boys’ volleyball becomes the newest spring sport.

By Unity Jirkovsky-Gual

gether to start the Boys’ Volleyball team. This team is composed of about eight to ten volunteer athletes from various schools.

“I was really attracted to the system of the game. Everything was important in the system as everything built off each player, each touch of the ball was to better the next.” Aurelius Shea, a Garfield junior said. “I saw Garfield have a girls’ team and volleyball, not a recognized sport for boys. So I wanted to make a change.” Shea continued. With the help from coach and advisor, Johnny Sloan, and other assistant coaches, the team was formed. “Every year we have boys from other sports who come in and see the girls volleyball team warming up. They say ‘oh volleyball’s easy. I wanna do volleyball’.” Sloan said. “I said ‘sure, I’ll start a program for you guys. It’s gonna be a spring activity. If you guys wanna put your money where your mouth is, let’s do this.’” Sloan contin-

FRESHLETES

Practices began during spring break, but many players were unfortunately absent. “We got a little late start, because we couldn’t get access to the gym until after the winter sports ended, but we have about five practices under our belt and people are progressing really fast.” Sloan said. Working on improving as a team athletically and working together has been the main focus for the current practices. “Our team has been working a lot on technique and rotation thinking about where our strengths are and collectively building off each other.” Shea said.

The team isn’t an official Garfield sport, which causes its management to be a lot more reliant on volunteer coaches as well as student and parental involvement. There is also no direct approval for the team from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. This means that there also isn’t a formal season. However, the team plans to organize less competitive scrimmages against some other teams. “It won’t be as competitive as a real league,

Freshman athletes that are making their impact this spring.

By Imbie Jones

The transition to highschool sports is already hard enough, so just imagine being a freshman on varsity! The pace, strength, IQ, and knowledge of varsity athletes is something most younger players have not seen before, so this adjustment can be challenging for lots of players. But this year, three freshmen came into the spring sports season on a mission!

Varsity Softball player Joie Cunningham, who has been playing softball for the last seven years, said that the transition wasn’t too hard. “People who are on the team now, I have basically played with every year so it was an easy change.” This year’s team is unlike most, with only two upper-

When asked about how she felt supported by the team, Cunningham said, “Everyone on the team is super nice and welcoming. They bring you up when you are down, so it’s a good environment.” With the season well underway, she is excited for upcoming playoffs and has hopes of making it to state! Cunningham also has aspirations of playing softball at the collegiate level. The next freshman is Nor Luloff from the girls ultimate frisbee team. Luloff has been playing since 4th grade, but began playing competitively in 8th grade.

When asked about the jump to varsity sports she said, “[It’s] definitely a differ ent level, it’s more competitive and there’s a lot of people who are really really good — a lot better than me. Which is different from my middle school experience.” Luloff explained how she has learned so much just in her first season because of the faster pace of the game. But she credits her team for much of her growth. “I felt really welcomed when I was given time to catch up, there were

definitely things that I didn’t know and I needed to be taught. So I thought it was really nice that somebody would take a Luloff has learned a lot this first year, she is already looking forward to future years in the Ultimate program. “ There’s a really big class of freshman have been years… and just having that many people is going to be really fun senior year, just having such a big

The last freshman is tennis player Emi Skerritt, who has been playing for her whole life, but started competitively five years ago. Skerritt said that the difference for her was their being older and better players but she says she feels less pressure playing HS then club. She has only lost two matches thus far, which is a very impressive start — Skerrit usually competes at #1 singles, which is the spot given to the

but everybody’s kind of on the same page of starting new teams this year so it’s really fun that everybody’s brand new.” Sloan said. Currently, games against Chief Sealth, Roosevelt and the biggest competition, Cleveland, are in the works.

Looking towards the future, Garfield boys volleyball has high ambition. “I hope that the team will continue on and play strong schools even after the seniors graduate. I also hope that [volleyball] will become recognized throughout the district as a boys’ sport.” Shea said. “I’m excited to beat other highschools and show them Garfield spirit!” Shea continued. “We plan to bring a win back!” To get more information about the Garfield boys’ volleyball, talk to Ms. Lynch or email garfieldvolleydawgs@gmail.com.

highest performing player on the team. But still being new to the Garfield tennis program, she said, “Everyone has been really supportive and it’s fun because it’s kind of social when we aren’t competing. It’s just like a cool atmosphere, it’s chill, fun and people are nice.” She feels as if upperclassmen have taken her under their wing,feels very encouraged when they cheer her on, and has connected to her teammates in the program right away. Adding to her singles game talents, Skerritt would like to try playing doubles in the future.

Graphics by Unity Jirkovsky-Gual

Free Solo

There are few climbing movies that have gripped any and all audiences in the way Free Solo has. It’s a brilliant film outlining the journey of an emotionally numb Alex Honnold pursuing the unthinkable: Climbing the 2,900-foot face of El Capitan in Yosemite – without a rope. The film aims to explain what could possibly drive anyone to achieve something with such high risk, as Honnold literally puts his life on the line despite his loved ones imploring him not to. Simultaneously funny, sad, and horrifyingly addictive to watch, it will leave you with all of your nails bitten off and an appreciation for the firm ground beneath your feet.

SPORTS FLICKS: MESSENGER’S TOP PICKS Five sports movies you should see this weekend.

By Marisa Valenzano and Ali Merz

Moneyball

Faced with a budget that is only a third of what the richer baseball teams in the league have, Billy Beane rejects the traditional strategies for fielding a team. He hires Peter Brand and together they use statistics to outsmart the richer baseball teams, players that have been rejected or disregarded for their injuries or flaws, making them much cheaper than the well-known names other teams can afford. Instead of purely seeing their weaknesses, Beane and Brand focus on how the players can succeed. When his manager rejects their strategy, Beane must find ways to circumvent his direction and drag the Oakland A’s toward victory. Beane does all this while simultaneously struggling to connect with his 12-yearold daughter, who lives with his ex-wife. Heartwarming and uplifting, “Moneyball” is a classic baseball film that encourages audiences to take the risk, because with some hard work, everything might work out in the end.

Bend it like Beckham

Jess Bhamra, the daughter of a strict Indian family in London, dreams to play professional soccer, but is not permitted to play on an organized team by her parents. When Jess is playing for fun in the park one day, her skills are noticed by Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley), who is able to convince

SEATTLE SPORTS UPDATES

Jess to play for the semi-pro women’s team. Throughout the film, Jess must come up with elaborate excuses to hide her games from her family, all while dealing with new friendships and romantic feelings for her coach, Joe. All in all, Bend It Like Beckham is a classic teen sports film with strong female leads and powerful messages about following one’s passions.

McFarland USA

Inspired by the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows coach Jim White, whose job-hopping leads him to a predominantly Latino high school with low funding in California. While he first struggles to find common ground with the kids, he eventually discovers his students’ exceptional running ability. White ends up forming and coaching a fledgling team of unlikely runners who bond to build a championship cross-country team. But more than the sports storyline, the movie covers the resilience of children from working class families and personal battles each runner must overcome to succeed. The emotional ending makes this movie a must-watch underdog film for the whole family.

Cloud 9

This iconic 2014 Disney Channel original movie has both a cute sports love story and a

Checking in on Seattle’s three major sports teams.

By Jeremy Cogswell

Kraken Playoffs

In only their second season, the Seattle Kraken are competing in the Stanley Cup playoffs. After a disappointing inaugural sea son, the Kraken have had the greatest improvement from year one to year two of any NHL franchise ever. This turn around has been due to im proved play from veterans as well as rookie Matty Beniers stellar play. Beniers is con sidered the favorite to win the Calder trophy (NHL’s rookie

of the year award). As of publishing, the Kraken are tied at two games against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs. Hopefully the Kraken can go on a deep playoff run and bring the most coveted trophy in sports back to Seattle.

Kelenic Resurgence

Although the Mariners start to the 2023 campaign has been thoroughly underwhelming, one bright spot has been the success of Jarred Kelenic. In Decem-

ber of 2018, the Mariners traded star 2nd baseman Robinson Canó and star closer Edwin Díaz for a package of prospects centered around Jarred Kelenic. When a team trades this much for a player, they expect them to produce. And until this year it had not happened; Kelenics batting average never even approached .200. Fast forward to the 2023 season, and Kelenic is playing exactly like the player the Mariners expected him to be. Through 20 games played, he is batting .319 with six home runs.

NFL draft upcoming

This year’s NFL draft is taking place on

banging soundtrack. Starring Dove Cameron and Luke Benward, the movie follows prima donna snowboarder Kayla Morgan, who is dropped from her snowboarding team after breaking up with her boyfriend, the son of the coach. After realizing that her father has rigged all her past competitions, and she actually sucks at the sport, Kayla is determined to prove everyone wrong. She begins training with Will (Benward), a former champion, disgraced after a career-ending wipe-out video. The rest of the movie follows Will and Kayla as they help each other overcome their fears, all while falling in love. Trust, after watching this movie, you’ll have the urge to snowboard at the Mountain with the song Cloud 9 playing in your headphones!

April 27. The Seahawks have the fifth overall pick, the highest they’ve drafted since 2010. The Seahawks acquired this pick from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade last year. With three of the teams above them likely to draft a quarterback, the Seahawks have a real opportunity to pick up one of the top position players in the draft. Some mock drafts project the Seahawks to draft a quarterback, but after extending Geno for three years, this move wouldn’t make much sense. Experts project the Seahawks to draft either Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter or Alabama outside linebacker Will Anderson Jr.

Graphic by Jeremy Cogswell

Graphic by Ali Merz

Recipes to Try

HIBISCUS ICED TEA

1. Spread pesto on the inside of the bagel. Scramble eggs, salt and pepper in a separate bowl

2. Cook eggs on a pan with non-stick cooking spray on medium heat on both sides. Turn off heat, place cheese on the eggs and let melt

3. Put arugula on the bottom half of the bagel and add the eggs on top

4. Place avocado slices on top of the eggs, add salt and pepper, and top with more arugula before putting on the top bagel slice

5. Cut the bagel in half and serve

Ingredients:

- Whole bagel

- 2 eggs

- 1 tbsp pesto

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Slice of Havarti cheese

- ½ cup arugula

- ½ of avocado sliced

CHEESECAKE BROWNIES

1. Microwave the butter and chocolate chips in a bowl (stir in between)

2. Stir in cocoa powder, salt, white sugar, and brown sugar then mix

3. Add coffee and vanilla, then mix

4. Add flour and mix again (with spatula)

5. Reserve half cup of brownie batter in a separate bowl.

6. Place parchment paper in a 9x9 or 8x8 baking pan, pour in the mixture and set aside

7. In a stand mixture, add cheese cream and mix on medium for 4 minutes

8. Scrape sides in between mixing, add sugar and mix on low until thoroughly mixed

9. While stirring, add vanilla and eggs one at a time

10. Pour cheesecake mixture on top of brownie mixture in pan and spread

11. Add 1 tbsp hot water to reserved brownie batter and mix thoroughly

12. Place tbsp sized dollops of reserved brownie batter on top of cheesecake mixture

12. Use a skewer to swirl dollops to create a marble pattern. Place the pan in the oven for 35 min at 350 degrees fahrenheit

13. Let sit in the oven for 20 min before leaving it to room temp

14. Put the dessert in the fridge to firm up before taking it out of the pan and enjoy

Ingredients

1. Place 4 cups of the water, sugar and any of the optional ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves

2. Pour the liquid over the hibiscus flowers, stir and let the tea steep for 20-30 minutes

3. Strain the liquid into a container and put it in the fridge to cool

4. To serve, pour in a cup over ice and add garnish of orange or lime slices if desired

Ingredients:

- 4 cups of water

- 3/4 to 1 cup sugar to taste

- 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers

- 1/2 stick cinnamon stick (optional)

- Allspice berries (optional)

- Mint (optional)

- Lime juice (optional)

- Orange/lime slices for garnish

> Brownie base

- 1 cup melted unsalted butter

- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

- ¾ cup cocoa powder

- 1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

> Cheesecake base

- 16 oz cheese cream room temp

- ½ cup sugar

- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

- 1 pinch salt

2 eggs

Graphics by Chelsea Li