Garfield Messenger: Volume 101, Issue 12

THE MESSENGER

Cover by Sydney Steinwinder

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

Caspian

Gross-Hamburger

EDITORS

Lakelle Bridges · Editor-in-Chief

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.

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

Teen Health Center will be open during summer – hours TBD

ATTENTION SENIORS!

It’s time for Senior Wills! Do you want to leave a message to your favorite underclassmen or teachers? More information in the QR code below.

OPEN LETTER

In May of 1843, a Japanese teen arrived on a whaling ship -- the first Japanese immigrant to arrive in the US. In May of 1869, construction on the first transcontinental railroad, largely built by Chinese-American laborers, was completed. Today, the month of May serves as not only a time to commemorate these two historical events, but also as a space for our community to celebrate culture and tradition while embracing intersectionality, diversity and individuality.

From the moment our ancestors stepped upon these shores, AAPI communities have faced injustice, oppression, and censorship. The contribution of Chinese-American laborers to the intercontinental railroad - one of the reasons behind the celebration of May as AAPI Heritage Month - isn’t even widely recognized. This history is ever present and undeniable. Nevertheless, we reject the notion that our history is solely defined by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, or the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Our history is defined by us. It is the deep flavor of the food we eat, the vibrance of the communities we’ve built, the diligence with which we work, and the kindness we use to care for our families. We are a united community full of unique individuals with priceless identities. AAPI students at Garfield are actively cultivating spaces to thrive, learn, and collaborate together, joyfully continuing the incredible history of AAPI success and solidarity within and beyond our school.

This issue of the Messenger highlights the undoubtable excellence of Asian-American communities in Garfield, throughout Seattle, and around the world. It begins to recognize the incredible culture, diverse degrees of intersectionality, and amazing achievements of the AAPI community. We deserve to unapologetically celebrate in each and every aspect of it.

By Leo Carlin and Mika Ichikawa

SUBMISSIONS

Buddha, My Father, and Me

By Kenny Phan

I.

On Tết, the new year, Ba would take me to see Siddartha Gautama. His stony eyes would look down on us both.

I kneel & I pray, if just for the humor in it. We were always on borrowed time, but Ba counts up instead of down.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Up.

Pressure raises my forehead off of the velvet carpet, from the back of my hands to the crook of my back until I’m standing & feel the weight in my feet.

That’s what he— Ba, Siddartha, the statue, H nh— taught me, to feel it

in my feet.

I close my eyes & rock clasped hands to their rhythm.

“Nam Mô A Di Đà Ph t.”

one two three four five six seven eight nine ten.

Ba kneels. I follow.

II.

During Tết, Vietnamese Buddhists receive tangerines for good luck. Supposedly, it represents gold.

Ma holds my elbow, & together we reach into the wooden bin to take three tangerines— luck for mother, father, and son. I hand the third one to Ba, & it disappears into a hidden shirt pocket.

Later, silently, Ba slips me the fruit. It apparates from his hand to mine, like a magic trick. This was his sorcery: now I was twice lucky.

III.

We’re outside now, & face another Buddha. I’m grown, so I light the sticks of incense. They fall into my mother and father’s hands, like magic. I hold mine tight, rock it to the rhythm.

“Pray for good luck!” Ba says, his smile betraying the humor in it. onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten.

I kneel, & I pray Ba never counts down.

Mask

By Tula Kurashige

AAPI FEST

By Finian Guinney, Lillian Small, and Marisa Valenzano

On Friday, May 26th, Garfield’s Asian Pacific Islander Student Union (APISU) will host AAPI Fest in the Garfield gym. The affinity event for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) identifying students will feature food, games, and celebration. The event represents the combined efforts of Garfield’s numerous AAPI clubs, including Chinese Student Association, Japanese Student Association, Filipino Student Association, Korean Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, and South Asian Student Union.

Many of these groups are rel atively new to Garfield. Tula Kurashige is the founder of JSA and presides over all GHS AAPI clubs. “I found ed it coming out of COVID, which was obviously a very isolating time to be an Asian American,” Kurashige said, referring to the increase in anti-asian hate crimes during the pandemic. “I wanted to build [AAPI communities] here to make sure that other people didn’t feel the loneliness or isolation that I felt when I was an underclassman.” JSA, along with the other Asian affinity groups, were founded to provide a safe space and community for students.

The typical weekly meetings consist of history lessons, snacks, and activities to promote a shared sense of identity and pride. “The club is trying to provide a safe space for Japanese American students to engage in conversations about identity and race, and to learn their history; especially because at Garfield, there’s a really rich Japanese American history,” Kurashige said. While some of these clubs are affinity groups, meant only for people who identify with it, others are not. “A common misconception is that you have to be Filipino to go to our club meetings when it’s not the case; it is open to everyone who wants to learn about Filipino culture,” Carlo Lesaca said, the Co-Founder of FSA.

While each of these clubs represent very distinct, unique groups of people and cultures, they often collaborate with each oth-

er. “We also have more casual collaborations because we share a lot of members, like earlier in the year, our dumpling event was put on by CSA and KSA…it’s really easy to collaborate between the clubs,” said Olivia Fann, one of the officers of CSA. In addition to these casual collaborations, the clubs are also officially united under APISU. “We have a monthly meeting where we go over our plans for the month, and where we plan school wide events,” Kurashige said.

One such event is this upcoming AAPI Fest. Last year marked the first year of them holding this celebration, and it really marked the beginning of the cooperation between Garfield’s AAPI clubs. “It started last year with our May event. JSA teamed together with VSA and CSA…We wanted to put on this heritage Month event, so the collaboration really started there,” remarked Kurashige. While the event was predominantly planned by students, they received a lot of help from Span ish teacher Olympia Lai, who recently left Garfield. “Last year’s event was defi nitely a lot rockier, but it came together because of the people who were working on it at time, and largely thanks to Ms. O,” Kurashige said. “Ms. O was an absolute godsend. She was amazing and she was so dedicated. She did so much for us, and the AAPI community would not have any grounds to stand on today if not for her diligence.”

This year, they are going all out for AAPI Fest. Each club plans on having a sta tion, which will feature a presentation and food. As an example, FSA will have a karaoke ma chine and serve ube (purple yam) ice cream, a flavor of ice cream originating in the Philippines. “This is an event for Asians to educate and celebrate different Asian

cultures.” Lesaca said. “We’re hoping that this can be an event for anyone of Asian descent in this school,” Fann said. “It is an affinity event though, we want to show people that there is a community here students,” she the future, ever, APISU does also want to host events for the entire school, not just AAPI students.

“Something I’ve been thinking about a lot is, how can we make our work more intersectional? So, in the broader context of multicultural week and in other schools, I want to have more events that maybe aren’t affinity based,” Kurashige said.

No matter what, the officers are optimistic about the future of AAPI clubs at Garfield. “We are definitely going to have more snacks and drinks prepared for the future. Additionally, we would have a more set in stone constitution/ plan for how to run the club smoothly,” reflected Lesaca. Kurashige is hopeful for the clubs’ future leaders. “I’m so proud of the younger officers. It has made me really happy to see them come into their own, to watch them build things on their own, and to watch them lead things, and to throw their own successful events,” she said.

Art by Sly Gross-Hamburger

Fostering community for AAPI students at Garfield.

INSIDE A SEATTLE ZEN TEMPLE A look into the Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji temple.

By Lucy Gaines

THE CONCLUSION OF COVID (?)

COVID-19 public health emergency has expired. So now what?

By S. Avalon Leonard

On January 31, 2020 the Department of Health and Human services declared that COVID-19 presented a public health emergency. Since then, the declaration has been renewed 13 times. But on May 5, the CDC officially announced that the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency declaration would expire. Due to this, it has not been uncommon to hear talk in the hallways that “Covid is over.” While this is a nice sentiment, it is not an entirely accurate one. There may no longer be a public health emergency, but the effects of the three-year global pandemic will be as continuous as they are longstanding.

First of all, what is staying the same?

According to the official announcement from the CDC, vaccines and medication for severe COVID-19 will remain available for free. Through April of 2024, hospitals will be required to report all positive COVID-19 cases as well. However, they will now be reported weekly instead of daily.

Many of the changes deal with

the methods of data collection and reporting. The CDC will be reporting COVID-19 test positivity rates through the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS). This is because with the ending of the (PHE) Public Health Emergency, the CDC’s authority to collect and receive certain types of data ended as well. Also testing is no longer required to be covered by insurance.

As for the reasoning behind ending the PHE, the CDC stated, “As a nation, we now find ourselves at a different point in the pandemic – with more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities.”

This is true, the nation is at a different point with COVID-19. But the ending of the public health emergency does not necessarily mean that it is the end of everything that has happened over the last three years. For example, acts of racism and harassment towards AAPI individuals didn’t simply disappear on May 11. The Center For the Study of Hate and Extrem-

ism reported that anti-Asian hate crimes surged to 339% between 2020 and 2021. These numbers appeared to go down back in November of 2022 but after a change in the way the FBI collected data surrounding hate crimes, it was found that they are still at an all-time high.

Along with this, immunocompromised people are still especially vulnerable to COVID-19, thus the emergency has not ended for them. If feeling unwell, it is still recommended to stay home for at least five days and make sure to quarantine and isolate until testing negative for the safety of others. According to the CDC, “These recommendations do not change based on COVID-19 hospital admission levels,” and it can be assumed that these recommendations will continue beyond the end of the PHE.

Finally, COVID-19 is still a dangerous disease overall, including for people who are not immuno-

compromised. Along with this, a considerable amount of people who get COVID experience what has been referred to as “Long-Covid” or “Post-Covid effects.” According to the CDC, one in thirteen adults experienced post-covid symptoms lasting several months.

Even though COVID-19 is no longer considered a public health emergency it is still important to act with caution and compassion.

Photo of Rev. Genjo Marinello who lives and works at the temple.

The view from the main entrance into the main altar where meditations are led.

Rev. Genjo Marinello standing next to the photo altar of zen masters he’s trained with as well as ancient Zen masters.

The well tended garden outside of the back entrance of the temple.

The courtyard and main entrance to the Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji temple.

Photos by Lucy Gaines and Asmaa Bah

Graphic sourced from CDC

and Asmaa Bah

SUMMING UP DIM SUM

The Messenger’s guide to dim sum in the International District.

By Olivia Thompson and Michelle Tong

Not all dim sum dishes are created equal, and they don’t all add up to the same amount of deliciousness. Never fear, The Messenger is here to help you navigate the multitude of dim sum choices in the International District.

Honey Court

Total: $11.75

Order: egg tarts ($5.20) and corn shrimp dumplings ($5.80) Honey Court’s menu contains all the traditional dim sum dishes, like har gow and siu mai, but the corn shrimp dumplings caught our eye when we were ordering. The aforementioned dumpling is less of a dumpling and more of a patty of roughly-chopped shrimp and corn pan-fried into a hockey puck. The dumpling was a perfect balance of sweet from the corn and umami from the shrimp. However, we found it to be a

bit bland. We suggest enjoying this dish with a splash of soy sauce for added sodium. The main course egg tarts are perfect for dessert. The crust is soft and flaky, while the egg filling is jiggly and not too sweet. Along with their delicious food, there is amazing customer service, making the restaurant a must-visit. (An additional perkthey have a great bathroom that smells like lilac!)

Harbor City

Total: $13.6

Order: pan-fried shrimp and chive dumplings ($6.65) and steamed bean curd rolls ($5.75)

Powerful and delicious flavors are guaranteed to be found here. They work hard to make dishes that have flawlessly cohesive flavors, and their steamed bean curd roll is a prime example. The filling, made of ground pork, bamboo shoots,

BROWSING FOR BOK CHOY

ground shrimp, and wood ear mushrooms, is perfectly proportioned and wrapped in soft sheets of bean curd smothered in a savory sauce. The roll maintained its structural integrity after being cut, which is usually a rarity with this dish. Along with the steamed bean curd roll, their pan-fried shrimp and chive dumpling is a great meal. Even though the dumpling was not as crispy as it should have been, the plate as a whole meshed well together. Harbor City knows how to make a cohesive dish and their dim sum is top-tier.

Homestyle

Total: $11.90

Order: siu mai ($6.95) and steamed barbeque pork buns ($4.95)

At Homestyle, there is a delectable selection of dim sum available. Entering the build

A guide to Seattle’s Asian grocery stores.

By Leo Carlin

While the “Asian” section of western grocery stores has expanded greatly in the past few years, there is still no better place to find the widest variety of Asian foods than Seattle’s dedicated Asian grocery stores. From the relatively upscale “urban convenience” M2M to the vibrant atmosphere of Lam’s Seafood Market, these grocery stores are celebrated pillars of AAPI communities around Seattle. Here at the Messenger we’ve made a small guide featuring the diversity of Seattle’s Asian groceries.

Uwajimaya:

A staple of the Chinatown-International District community, Uwajimaya is the centerpiece of the mixed-use community Uwajimaya Village. The village includes Uwajimaya itself, residential apartments above it, a food court, and a Kinokuniya bookstore. While the food court is a fun place to eat and the bookstore has a large variety of books as well as huggable stuffies, the grocery itself is the main attraction. Uwajimaya stocks something in every conceivable category of Asian food. Traditionally western foods that can be found in other groceries can be found in Uwajima-

ya, like sandwich bread or chinook salmon. However, the aisles are dominated by Asian foods such as bitter melon, chili oil, tofu, and pineapple cakes. One highlight is the tanks of live seafood, with tanks of clams, oysters, dungeness crab, and tilapia for a customer to choose from.

Mekong Asian Supermarket:

Mekong Asian Market is located on Rainier and Walden St, just south of Franklin High School. While fairly small, Mekong is tightly packed with an abundance of items. Right by the entrance, rice is piled high in stacks upon stacks of bags. Further into the store, the small aisles are dwarfed by shelves of absolutely everything. Racks of cookware are arranged next to freezers of fish and stacks of spices are next to assortments of fruit. The prepared foods section is fairly small, though a large array of delicious spicy green papaya salads are available.

Lam’s Seafood Market:

Located on S King St in Little Saigon, Lam’s Seafood Market reminds of the chaotically bustling open-air markets found all around Asia. While having no doors technically qualifies it as open-air, the market

ing, it is apparent that they put the “home” in Homestyle. They create their siu mai with the care of an experienced grandmother; the dish stays fresh for hours after being made. A well-proportioned mixture of ground pork, shrimp, and mushrooms fills the inside of the dumpling, making for a great bite. After munching on their siu mai, the steamed BBQ pork bun is the next tenderly made dish to eat. The bun’s doughy outside stands firm, enclosing a sweet meat filling. Although the dough to meat ratio is slightly skewed, robbing us of the delicious pork flavor, the sweet taste makes up for it. After enjoying a few dishes, it’s easy to notice the gratifying taste Homestyle accomplishes, allowing it to be a staple of the International District. Overall, it is clear that Homestyle deliv

is air-conditioned and ganized. There is a small bar for drinks in the back, may vary. The front produce section has absolutely everything, from sweet potato leaves to white-fleshed guava. Moving to wards the back of the market, tall shelves are stacked with an enormous variety of Asian sauces, spices, and other shelf-stable goods. At the very back, a counter full of seafood is announced by the presence of a very pungent smell. This counter has the traditional salmon and snapper, but also varieties of clams, oysters, lobsters, shrimp, and crabs.

M2M:

Part of the Korean-American supermarket chain H-Mart, M2M is situated right next to the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station. When walking into the main entrance, a customer is warmly greeted by a bakery full of pastries, milk breads, and an Among Us styled chocolate cake. To the left, the main store includes aisles of meats, frozen foods, packaged snacks, and drinks. Produce can be found in the back, though it is mostly a selection of fresh fruit. H-Mart styles M2M as an “urban convenience” store.

Accordingly, the snacks and prepared food sections make up much of the store. The prepared meals work great in a rush, but don’t come close to giving the dishes any semblance of justice.

IDOLIZING THE ID

Unveiling the must visit gems of Seattle’s International District.

By Mia Andreeva, Lakelle Bridges, Havana Hakala, Chelsea Li

This restaurant is a highly esteemed stop in the International District. It features a large menu with generous portions– some choices include pineapple buns, tea sandwiches, and Hong Kong style milk tea. In the 2022 overview of “The Best Chinese Takeout in Every State” by ‘Eat This, Not That’, A+ Hong Kitchen was selected for Washington. Customers seem to agree, many complimenting the restaurant for its impressive replication of Hong Kong food. The line can be long, but it may just be worth it for an authentic Hong Kong cuisine experience.

Fuji Bakery

Fuji Bakery is a must visit Japanese French fusion bakery. Located right across from Hing Hay Park, you can’t miss this bright pink building. They sell a wide assortment of pastries with Asian inspired flavors such as the Ube Malasada (Portuguese fried dough) alongside sandwiches such as their egg salad sando. Customers can grab these treats on the go and enjoy them at the Hing Hay park in the beautiful Seattle summer weather.

Daiso

Fun Facts: Batteries are the top-selling product at Daiso Japan, with 147,500,000 sold every year.

One pair of fake eyelashes is sold every 1.3 seconds. A package of sweet roasted chestnuts is sold every 10 seconds.

Historic Chinatown Gate

Built in 2007 and designed by architects Paul Wu and Ming Zhang, the Historic Chinatown Gate is the decorative entrance to the International District. The gate is decorated with eight thousand ceramic tiles and ornaments imported from artisans in China.

In total, the gate cost up to 500,000 dollars to construct. The red incorporated into the steel structuring supporting top the gate symbolizes life-generating energy and prosperity, as red is a lucky color in Chinese culture.

Daiso was first opened by Hirotake Yano as a street vending shop called Yano Shoten in 1972. Today, it serves as a dollar store with many branches worldwide. There are currently 3000 stores in Japan and another 2300 overseas. Over 40% of their goods are imported from Japan, Korea, and China. The Daiso in Seattle’s international district is smaller than others in comparison, but they still offer a variety of convenient household supplies, stationary, gifts, and snacks–all under $10.

Wing Luke Museum

Uwajimaya

Home to the Kinokuniya bookstore, a delightful food court, and over 35,000 square feet of Asian specialty products, Uwajimaya is a must visit spot in Seattle to experience Asian food culture. Uwajimaya offers an extensive variety of items, from numerous kitkat flavors to sweet dragon fruit. The food court is an easy 10/10, from Japanese Taiyaki to an excellent poke bar, high quality food is guaranteed.

The store also offers adorable stationary, and asian skin care products. After grabbing some food, make sure to check out the Kinokuniya bookstore. They carry Japanese and Chinese books and magazines, alongside local goods and plushies.

The Wing Luke Art Museum is a staple of the International District. It focuses on the art, history, and culture of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities in Seattle. Located on South King Street, the museum empowers authentic AANHPI stories and perspectives. It was established in 1967 as a Smithsonian Institution affiliate in the honor and memory of Wing Luke, a social activist and politician.

It’s currently the only pan-Asian Pacific American museum in the United States. Luke’s legacy lives on through the museum’s many programs, resources, and exhibits that encourage community building, developing young artistic ability, and learning from the past.

Graphics by Fiona Real

A&E

HAMMER TIME

Garfield’s Matilda the Musical opens in a week, and preparations are in full swing.

Garfield Theatre is kicking into high gear for its biggest show of the year, Matilda the Musical. Since January, Garfield Theatre’s various departments have been hard at work constructing the world of Matilda Wormwood, a misunderstood bookworm who uses her wit and moral intuition to fight evil headmistress Miss Trunchbull. The musical introduces new characters and subplots for a more indepth spin on the classic Roald Dahl story of children navigating the adult world while struggling to keep the magic of childhood alive.

At the start of this year, set, costume, sound, lighting, hair and makeup tech students pitched their design ideas to Garfield’s theater director Ms. Gress, and approved ideas were developed during fifth period tech class. “The set is gonna be very colorful, very inviting, and fun enough that it can prompt the imagination of the audience,” tech director Sabina Kamila said. The set department has been ambitiously constructing an 18-platform background set of various heights, all bolted together and braced to support the cast. “[When de-

signing] we had to keep in mind mobility, so if actors are able to walk on it, dance on it, how easily they can move from one part to another…at the core is the safety of the people using the set,” Kamila said.

On stage, the cast is currently busy with scene work and choreography rehearsal.

Madeline Gale and Delia Black worked together to choreograph last year’s spring musical Mamma Mia! as freshmen and have spent every sixth period in the Quincy Jones theater teaching and rehearsing songs. “I really enjoyed [choreographing] last year so I just wanted to do it again and get better at choreography,” Gale said. “Choreography is stressful. It’s crazy. But it’s really fun getting to see people practice your choreography and getting to see the final product. It’s a crazy experience to see

Emerald City Fired Arts, located just off of Rainier and Walden, is a fantastic pottery studio and gallery for people of all ages looking for an artistic escape. The welcoming environment of the space is perfect for a relaxing outing. It is open for appointments and walk-ins Tuesday through Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm. You can learn through professional instruction how to paint and glaze their pre-made pottery pieces, as well as how to create your own unique mosaic or glass fusion. All materials are provided, including pottery piec-

es, over 80 different colors of glaze, and texturing materials like string, twine, stamps, and stencils. The studio will fire your art for you in their kiln and in one week you can come back and pick up your finished masterpiece. Prices range from $6$60, with a price point fit for every budget.

what you came up with out in the world.”

The cast has been equally busy learning their lines and getting to know their characters. Sophomore Nyshae Griffin plays Matilda’s loving school teacher Miss Honey. “Getting to learn [Miss Honey’s] backstory… the pain she has, the love she has, and everything in between…I’ve really gotten to become her,” Griffin said.

All things music fall under the direction of Mr. Saunders, who oversees the execution of each song by the cast and conducts the musicians that will play live every show. The music will be performed in the pit below the stage by a group of 15 Garfield students, who will begin rehearsing with the cast during tech week.

Matilda the Musical’s complicated mu-

sic, set, choreography and other technical elements are resulting in a two-week tech week this year, which will allow the cast and crew more time to get a handle on the complex aspects of the show. With ten Garfield shows under her belt, Kamila is used to the crunch time. “Having two weeks of tech week this year is really nice. Being here every day until ten, it’s exhausting and grueling, but it’s really fun, and it’s where I’ve made my favorite memories from theater,” Kamila said.

Matilda the Musical opens Friday, June 2, and runs for two weekends including some matinee performances for elementary and middle schoolers. Posters around the school and in nearby businesses encourage anyone and everyone to attend. Talk to any student involved and they will describe months of hard work, passion, and excitement to share their experience with an audience. As Kamila puts it, “Every single aspect [of the musical] has gone to an entirely new level that I have never seen before. All of [us] are so hard working, here to have fun and put on a good show. It’s truly gonna be a visual masterpiece.”

By Mairead Averill

GET FIRED UP FOR FIRED ARTS

A look into Emerald City Fired Arts

Studio and Gallery.

The calm and comforting feel of the studio will make you feel right at home and is designed for people with every level of experience. Fired Arts is similar to Paint the Town in University Village, but is much less busy which is perfect for a more personal experience. You can have a great outing with friends and family, but if you’re looking for a place to host a party to remember, you can also rent the studio for birthdays or any other celebrations. At $16 per person for everyone under 18, you can reserve the studio for two hours of pottery, painting, clay hand-building, glass fusion, or mosaics. Fired Arts will provide a demonstration as well as all the needed materials for your chosen medium. Bringing cake and decorations is welcome! If you would prefer to have a pottery party in the comfort of your own home, you can also stop by and pick up all the needed materials to bring to your own space. Once you’re done, simply bring back your art to get it fired in their kiln and you’ll have a finished piece in just one week. Fired Arts Studio is an inviting community for everyone and a great place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Thanks to the amazing staff there is always someone ready to assist you, and you will feel taken care of and valued. It’s the perfect place to sit down and enjoy good company and beautiful art.

By Lea Shaw Art by Fiona Real

A&E

JAPANESE FASHION DESIGNERS

Celebrating their influence and legacy.

By Maile Quenzer and George Martin

Fashion in America as we know it today is an amalgamation of styles and influences from cultures all around the world. One country that has produced some of the most influential fashion designers in history is Japan. Some of the most famous fashion houses have taken heavy influence from Japanese fashion and designers including Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and many more. The impact Japanese designers have had on the fashion world stretches far and wide, but here are some of the designers that are critical to know when be- ginning to explore the subject.

Issey Miyake

Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1938. Some of his inspirations included designers such as Isamu Naguchi and Madeleine Vionnet, and sculptors like Constantin Brâncuși and Alberto Giacometti. He created designs for many settings: ready-to-wear, costumes for dancers, uniforms for the 1992 summer Olympics, and high fashion. A key element included in many of his designs was pleating, which he was credited for reinventing using a new method of heating the fabric. He created a line titled Pleats Please that displayed this technique for the first time. Miyake utilized traditional Japanese fabrics and designs and reimagined them into many never before seen styles.

Yohji Yamamoto

Yohji Yamamoto, a fashion designer based out of Tokyo and Paris, was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1943. He first debuted his designs in 1977, and has won many awards for his work and is considered a master tailor and designer. Yamamoto melds avant-garde concepts with Japanese aesthetics and has been known for using menswear styles for his womenswear designs. He uses the color black in almost all of his designs. He often utilized elements of distressing, which he saw as beautiful when others at the time thought it looked dirty or messy. Yamamoto believed strongly in embracing imperfection which was a key theme throughout his work.

Rei Kawakubo

Rei Kawakubo is a Japanese fashion designer, born in 1942 in Tokyo, Japan, whose work is based out of Paris and Tokyo. In 1969, she started to make clothes under the name COMME des GARÇONS, and in 1971 made it an official label. By 1981 the label had their debut runway show at Paris fashion week. Her designs are often recognizable by the unconventional shape materials and texture, often disregarding things like symmetry. The brand quickly became a staple of Japanese fashion as American celebrities and artists started wearing the brand. Jean-Michel Basquiat even walked in one of their runway shows. In ad- dition to creating COMME des GARÇONS she created Dover Street Market, a boutique store carrying brands such as COMME des GARÇONS, Gucci, Rick Owens and even the became the only retailer in the world allowed to carry Supreme.

Kansai Yamamoto

Kansai Yamamoto was a fashion designer born in 1944 in Yokohama, Japan. Yamamoto’s work had a very unique, avant-garde aesthetic that uses maximalism in a very captivating way. He established his company Yamamoto Kansai Company in 1972, and debuted his first collection the same year in London and the United States. WIth this collection Yamamoto became the first Japanese designer to have a show in London. Despite his many other achievements, what most attributed to Yamaoto’s fame was how in 1972, he designed the stage costumes for musician David Bowie on his Ziggy Stardust Tour. In 2018, Yamamoto worked in collaboration with Louis Vuitton creating classic Japanese art and Kabuki-inspired patterns that were used in Vuitton’s 2018 Resort Collection.

Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe was born in Fukushima, Japan in 1961. He attended Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, and after graduating in 1984 became an apprentice under COMME des GARÇONS as a pattern maker. By 1991 he had his own line under COMME des GARÇONS and was the protege of Rei Kawakubo. His style is easily recognisable by things like deconstructed tailoring, unique patterns, patchwork and use of technical and non-traditional fabrics. Since then he has put his unique twist on collaborations with Converse, Levi’s, Carhartt, Nike, The North Face, Palace and more.

Art by Maile Quenzer

MORE THAN JUST SUMO The wild world of Japanese Pro Wrestling.

As American martial arts undergo a crisis, with UFC spiraling under the concussed reputation of Dana White’s PowerSlap and growing infighting within major wrestling promotions like WWE & F, a new scene is quickly gaining popularity worldwide. Japanese wrestling is everything WWE has to offer turned up to eleven with bright costumes, larger-thanlife characters, and ridiculously cinematic storylines.

The Japanese wrestling world tends to revolve around several main promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling or the women’s Ice Ribbon, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for smaller groups too. Triple Six is a company known for outlandish themes and being banned from several venues after extreme and even destructive performances. They also promote several sub-brands such as Shinjuku Nichome, a wrestling show created in collaboration with the gay magazine Badi and named after the Shinjuku area of Japan’s Nichome district, notable for housing the world’s highest concentration of gay bars.

But trashing stadiums isn’t anything new

By Caspian Gross-Hamburger

to Japanese wrestling. It was 1987, and the king of the NJPW was Antonio Inoki, the man who founded NJPW and had fought Muhammad Ali to a 15-round draw. But with a hero larger than life NJPW’s promotions were beginning to go stale. Enter Big Van Vader. Like his name implied, Vader was a 370 pound monster of a man, who’d earned the nickname Bull from his fights in the Americas, but his character would be completely revamped for this battle. To create the ultimate villain for their king of sports, the president of NJPW (also Inoki) commissioned Go Nagai, known for the Cutie Honey series to create a fresh look and backstory for the wrestler. Thanks to him when Vader entered the hall for his battle with Inoki, fans were greeted by a massive Geiger-esque helmet, sprawling into spiked shoulder pads and equipped with CO2 tanks that could blast steam on command. And, in a sold-out Sumo Hall, Inoki’s fans watched him serve their champion his second loss in the past decade and just keep going, beating the piss out of their ‘King of Sports’. Soon, seat cushions were lit on fire and thrown into the ring. Vader couldn’t even safely retire to the locker room, fans were storming the halls out

DEADLIEST DAWGS

for his blood. It took police over an hour to stop the rioting and NJPW was banned from Sumo Hall for two years. But it worked, and soon people in their thousands began buying tickets to Vader’s matches in the hopes they’d get to watch him lose.

Another interesting promotion is DDT or Dramatic Dream Team. DDT shows feature fantastic characters and costumes and often parody aspects of American pro wrestling. How often championship titles change hands is often a complaint you’ll find from hardcore WWE fans and DDT’s Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship has changed hands over 1500 times and is currently held by Yoshihiko, a long-time fan-favorite member of DDT’s lineup and also a blow-up doll. Previous holders of the title include

A look at some key figures from Garfield’s Senior Assassin.

By Griffin Crabs and Amirah Melvin

Gracie--

Even though senior Assassin seems like an easy thing to set up and run, there are a lot of moving parts in the background. We sat down with the person running senior Assassin this year, Gracie Larson, and got some insight into how the event is planned. It seemed like most of the event went smoothly with targets easily identified and accessible. But there were some kinks that tripped up the system. “People would get frustrated with each other and not know who killed who,” said Larson. The complications extended beyond just disputes between the two people. “They would send me passive aggressive messages,” said Larson. Even though it seems like Gracie was in over her head with the planning, she did have fun watching the chaos unfold. “I was cheering for Melanie for a while.” said Larson after watching Melanie go on a kill streak. She also thought, “the whole backstabbing of Seneca and Kohana was funny”. As the rounds went on the favorability of who was going to win shifted. “I thought Daphne or Melanie would win,” said Larson, as the two of them were very invested in the game. The ways that people got killed varied immensely with some people going to great lengths to kill their target. “My favorite kill was Yutas in the pink outfit,” said Larson. With the game now done Gracie thinks back on how she could have done better and gives advice to the next person that decides to run senior assassin next year. The advice for next year that she gave is: “come up with a bunch of fun and creative rules and come up with a schedule for when each week ends”, “make your rules more clear”, and“bring money into it from the beginning”.

Emmett--

Killing the Business by The Young Bucks, a Japanese swimsuit magazine, a couple of rice cakes, and Danshoku Dino, a DDT staple whose signature piledriver shoves the head of his opponent down his pants to plant it. So if you ever feel like college isn’t for you, there’s always Japanese Pro-Wrestling

With the excitement of Senior Assassin and the constant updates, The Messenger got the opportunity to catch up with the winner: Emmett Marquardt. If you haven’t been aware, the Instagram page @ghs_seniorassasin23 has multiple clips of Marquardt getting crafty with his kills every opportunity he gets. At the beginning of our conversation, Marquardt and I talked about the strategy that ultimately led to him becoming the last bulldog standing . “Waiting outside of peoples’ houses before they go to school,” was his main tactic that he used for killing his opponents, Marquardt said. When Senior Assas first began, participants were given another class mate’s name to eliminate. Marquardt walked us through his first elimination. ”It was Lillian Small. It felt good because I came with a plan and I executed it. I waited outside her house at seven-thirty am and got her walking to school. So, it was really fun.” When more and more participants started getting eliminat ed, it was officially purge time! “Myla was the hard est person to get out. She takes a water taxi home, or so I heard”, Marquardt recounted when asked about purge. Through Marquardt’s Senior Assassin journey, he faced no challenges whatsoever when it came down to eliminating his opponents every chance he had. With Marquardt getting kill after kill, some might even say that he was a target due solely to his prolificness. When asked about what strategy he used to stay away from opponents eliminating him Marquardt said, “I stayed in the house all the time, I was basically a hermit.” All in all, Marquardt had a great time partaking in Senior Assassin.

Vader in his iconic helmet on the cover of issue #12 from Marvel and WCW’s collaboration. Letters by Dave Sharp, cover artist unknown.

Art by Ali Merz

Graphic sourced by Caspian Gross-Hamburger

AAPI ALLSTAR ATHLETES

A highlight of exceptional AAPI athletes.

By Unity Jirkovsky-Gual and Jeremy Cogswell

Interviews with Katie Fiso and Zoe Ozretich:

Q: What sport do you play and how long have you played it?

Zoe: I have been playing soccer since I was in first grade. They kind of just gather up any children they can find and put them on a team with fun names, so I was on the sirens in the McGilvra soccer league.

Katie: I play basketball and I’ve been playing basketball since the fourth grade.

during the summer and then tryouts at the end of August.[We have] those for like three days and then you go straight into hour and a half practices on weekdays when there isn’t one of the two games we have per week.

Katie: It’s a big time commitment. Right after school I have a three hour practice. I don’t get home until 10.

Q: What’s your greatest accomplishment in your sport?

Zoe: For me personally, I got the MVP for this year so I was really proud of that, I worked really hard for it. Also, overall, we were just playing really well as a team, and we mesh well together.

Katie: Definitely just getting an offer. Not paying for college is a blessing and I think that’s everyone’s end goal playing basketball. (Katie has offers from Oregon, WSU, UW, Cal, Alabama, Oregon St, Arizona, Ohio St, Vanderbilt and more).

Q: What’s the biggest life lesson you’ve learned from your sport?

RELEASE THE KRAKEN

A look at the Seattle

By Eli Silver

The Kraken fell 2-1 to the Dallas Stars, in game 7 of the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past Monday, marking the end of their season. Despite this disappointing loss, the season was a historic one for the Kraken. Entering the year with low expectations after an underwhelming debut season in 2021-2022, and predicted by most to finish towards the bottom of the Pacific Division, the Kraken instead went on to win an impressive 46 games over the course of the regular season and qualify for the playoffs. On top of just wins the Kraken also put together multiple 7 game win streaks, a point differential of +37, and did not have a losing streak longer than 3 games.

Much of this success can be attributed to the development of talented young player Matty Beniers, as well as the acquisition of

Zoe: I would say perseverance because it takes a lot to commit that much time and effort especially when things aren’t going your way like when we’re losing, to keep fighting our hardest for that win. Also I’ve been injured so it’s really hard to get the confidence and moti vation to get better so that I can go back to playing soc cer.

Katie: I would definitely say the biggest life lesson would be that not everyone is perfect. I feel like younger me struggled with always trying to perform and just be perfect for everyone but in reality not everyone’s perfect. There’s gonna be bad games there’s gonna be good games and there’s a lot of highs and lows to this game but never get too high never get too low, that’s my motto.

Q: Who is a role model that inspires your game?

Zoe: On JVC last year, Carlos, my coach, he was amazing. He was very strict with us but it really helped us get better and he pushed us to be our best the whole season.

Kraken’s recent playoff run.

players Andre Burakovsky, Justin Schultz and Martin Jones in the offseason. The team focused mentality pushed by General Manager Ron Francis and Head Coach Dave Haskol also played a crucial role in developing a strong team chemistry.

The Kraken began their playoff run against defending Stanley Cup Champions the Denver Avalanche. As the 2nd place finisher in the Western Conference, the Avalanche were a formidable opponent for the Kraken’s first ever playoff series. The Kraken took game 1, 3-1 to earn their first franchise playoff win. The Avalanche then responded with 2 hard fought wins to go up in the series 2-1. Luckily the Kraken were able to find offensive power, with 15 different players scoring goals as well as shutdown defense in goalie Phillip Grubauer to take games 4, 5, and 7 to win the series. The

team became the first in NHL history to knock out the defending champi on in the first round, and thrilled fans who turned out in mass to support the team home and away.

From there the Kraken went on to play the Dallas Stars, another strong opponent who finished 2nd in the central division. With the series tied 1-1, the offense exploded in game 3 with 5 goals in the second period to win 7-2. Unfortunately the Kraken were unable to find a similar spark for much of the remainder of the series, and were unable to come through in a low scoring game 7.

All in all the team and coaching staff view the season as an overwhelming suc-

Katie: I’d say my coach Mo Hines. He’s been there for me since the start so I definitely want to give him a big shoutout.

Q: What’s your go-to pre-game meal?

Zoe: I probably would just eat anything I could find but like hours before, so my stomach doesn’t get upset. Maybe mac and cheese from amazon fresh on a school day.

Katie: My go to pregame meal gotta be some Eggo waffles. Eggo waffles with some apple sauce on them.

Q: What are your goals for improvement in the future?

Zoe: I think I’m just going to try to get tactically better with my touch and moves.

Katie: Definitely inspiring the younger generation to come. Just to show them that girls can really do it too and making an impact on the community and giving back to the community and obviously playing at the d1 level of college basketball.

Graphics by Unity Jirkovsky-Gual

cess. “Our team never quit,” GM Francis said, “the guys believed in what they were doing, and they competed hard.” They also look to build on the season’s success for next year, starting now. “We want to do two things. We want to have a competitive team up top which I think we built, and we want to continue to build from the ground up,” Francis said.

With a base of strong young players, and a city roused with the excitement of professional hockey, the Kraken’s next season looks to be full of promise.

Graphic by Sydney Steinwinder

RACING TO STATE Track and field advances through the post-season looking for a championship.

By Jordana King

Garfield’s track had a very successful week at the Metro League championships. The girls’ team placed first, and the boys’ placed second. Many individual athletes placed high in their events as well. After a great regular season, the Bulldogs are looking to extend their season through districts and state.

Track and field offers a range of opportunities for athletes. There are many events that athletes with varied skills can compete in– from sprints and hurdles to throwing, jumping, and more. Wren McIntosh, a sophomore at Garfield, is the only girl competing in pole vaulting for the Bulldogs. McIntosh has played many sports throughout her life, but pole vaulting holds a special place in her heart. “My favorite part about track and field is how I’m forced to push myself every day,” McIntosh said. She described the intense amount of training that these athletes endure, along with the self-motivation required for success. A

question that is commonly raised regard ing the sport is whether or not it can be considered a team effort. Although McIn tosh and her teammates wear “Garfield” across their chest, are they really com peting as a team? She says,

“I think that it’s mostly a compe tition against yourself.” However, this isn’t to say that the team isn’t proudly rep resenting their school together. Earlier this season, the Bulldogs got the opportunity to attend the Oregon relays. This was one of McIntosh’s favorite moments with her team. “[We were] surrounded by so many high-level athletes in one of the track capi tals of the world.”

Turning to upcoming competition, the Bulldogs are looking to compete through the end. Here is how the metro league championships work: a track ath lete’s placement in the meet determines how many points they earn. The higher (across all metro league schools) in each event earn points, but the

BULLDOGS ON A ROLL

Lady Bulldogs on a roll in the softball

By Imbie Jones

Softball has had an incredible playoff run and are now off to state! The Bulldogs finished the regular season 9-5 in the metro league. Despite their regular season losses when playoffs came this is where they really took off. The 7th seeded Bulldogs took on 10th seed Eastside Catholic in the first game of the Metro League playoffs where they crushed them 12 to 1, moving on to the next round where they beat #2 seed Bishop Blanchet to move on to the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs had previously lost to the Bears during the regular season so this was a huge redemption win knocking off the 2nd seed! In the quarterfinals they took on 3rd seed Seattle Prep where they won 7 to 2. In the win over Prep they secured their spot to districts along with moving on to the Metro League championship. Where they would be taking on 1 seed Roosevelt, but unfortunately fell short of the title 2 to 4.

playoffs.

The team began districts with a good win over Bellevue 13-3. With that win they qualified for the state tournament! They will move on to the district semifinals where they will once again face Bishop Blanchet. With a win they move to the district championship, with a loss they can play for 3rd place. Regardless, they are off to state. Seeding for the state tournament is of most importance– trying to seed as high as possible. Seeding for the state tournament will come out once districts are over then games will take place May 25th- May 27th in Lacey.

Senior Immy Ostrom who began playing for the team her sophomore year said, “I feel like we peaked at the right time. Nobody expected us to get this far.” She explained Towards playoff time everything picked up and we began consistently hitting very well. Ostrom attributes their suc-

Art by Havana Hakala

Graphic by Mia Andreeva

Cotton - Uzbekistan

Cherry Blossom - Japan

Lotus - Bangladesh

Tulip - Afghanistan

Yellow Hibiscus - Hawai’i

Tibetan Poppy - Tibet

Pink Rose - Maldives

Sampaguita - Philippines

White Jasmine - Pakistan

Scabiosa ComosaMongolia

Rose of Sharon - Korea

Dragon Lily - Kazakhstan

Lotus - Vietnam

Plum Flower - Taiwan

FLOWERS OF ASIA

Flower Reference Key

Graphics by Sydney Steinwinder