27 February 2014 Cover 1
volume fourteen issue five
ALTITUDE
Hanford High School | Richland, Wash. 99354 | Feb.27.2014
pages 7-9
3 Controversy yields results
Junior Sean Thompson takes a break at the DOE Regional Science Bowl. Thompson and Sathvik Ramanan were members of the first place team that won a trip to Washington, D.C., for the National Science Bowl at the end of April.
In response to the uproar over removal of the concrete letters at Fran Rish Stadium, Superintendent Rick Schulte has created a committee of interested parties, including school officials and students, to oversee future developments related to the issue.
5 Season review sophie lin
photographer
Fever football players celebrate freshmen academic success with high-achieving students the morning of Feb. 18 in the Commons. Freshmen who earned a 3.0 or higher G.P.A. first semester were honored.
courtesy of melanie cushing
Many teams and athletes did well this winter season. School records fell in boys swim and girls basketball. Swim, bowling, gymnastics and wrestling all went to the state competition.
10 Mama mia Where’s the pizza? Whether you prefer sit-in or take-out, a page of A&E is dedicated to everyone’s favorite Italian cuisine.
13 Ordering the court AP government students dust off their figurative suits and briefcases, arguing the importance of their chosen Supreme Court decisions before the highest tribunal in the school, their peers.
2 News 27 February 2014
MURMURS
Science Bowl competitors review science concepts during a lunch break. All three Hanford teams successfully came out at the top of their respective divisions to enter the final double elimination bracket.
WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD IN THE NEWS?
In the Winter Olympics the American ring didn’t light up.” Madi Olds senior Only four out of the five rings lit up at the opening ceremony on Feb. 7 when a technical glitch caused the fifth ring to fail to light up and open. In the closing ceremony, a dance routine acknowledged the glitch by recreating the scene with dancers.
Not so Bohr-ing an wang
Venezuela is protesting against socialistic government.” Cidney Longanecker junior
On Feb. 22, Hanford Science Bowl teams claimed three of the five top spots in a regional competition at W.S.U. Tri-Cities. There were three teams of five members each, varying from President Nicholas Maduro has been trying to control anti-govsophomores to seniors. The Hanford 1 team ernment demonstrations, as inflation topped 56 percent last year, and crime rates soared. For weeks, anti-government Venezuelans made up of seniors Chenchen Li, Sathvik Rahave been marching to show their disapproval. manan and Jonah Bartrand as well as junior Sean Thompson and sophomore An Wang won the competition and will be competing at the ‘The Lego Movie’ came National Science Bowl held in Washington D.C. from April 24 to 28. out, and I really want Science teacher Brian Palmer has been the to go see it.” adviser for Science Bowl for 15 years now. “I Hunter Elms was very confident in our chances to win again,” freshman Palmer said, “as this year four out of the five “The Lego Movie,” a P.G. movie directed by Phil Lord and members of team one won regionals last year.” Chris Miller, came out on Feb. 7. In the movie, the 3-D character The Science Bowl teams meet up every Tuesday Emmet embarks on an epic quest to save the world. On rottenafter school to practice “how the game is played tomatoes.com, the movie earned a 91 percent fresh rating from audience and a 96 percent fresh rating from critics. and how the questions are phrased so the situa-
photographer
tion becomes familiar at competition,” according to Palmer. Senior Sathvik Ramanan has been in the club since his freshman year. “To make it to regionals, you have to show up to science bowl practice every week and show dedication,” Ramanan said. Simply showing up to practices, however, is not enough to succeed. “To do well, you need to make an individual effort to study on a wide variety of subjects over the year.” As he will be graduating this spring, Ramanan expresses sadness. “This will be one of the things I miss most about high school.” Both individually and overall, Hanford performed well at the competition. Seniors Jonah Bartrand, Niraj Suresh and junior Peter Li each received an all-star award. Three out of six allstars were awarded to Hanford students. Additionally, the three teams came out of the double elimination tournament ranked 1st, 3rd and 5th.
A REASON TO CELEBRATE...
Some of these fun and crazy holidays may look familiar to you. Others, not so much.
Feb. 27-Polar Bear Day Feb. 28-Tooth Fairy Day March 1-National Pig Day March 2-Old Stuff Day March 4-Poundcake Day
March 8-Be Nasty Day March 9-Panic Day March 13-Earmuff Day March 14-Pi Day March 15-Ides of March
Blood Drive
C.B.C. Art Show ‘Robin Hood’
Status: Completed
79 38
Status: In Progress
Showtimes: The show runs from Feb. 24 to March 7.
pints of blood were collected, 19 more than the goal of 60.
volunteers helped run the blood drive. One such volunteer was junior
CALEB GREER-SHORT.
Exhibits are open weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and weekends 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The art can be viewed at C.B.C.’s Gjerde Center. Participants include junior
KATIE SMITH.
I got a free shirt. And then it was one free sadwich at lunch.
When it finally arrives everyone’s in a frenzy. . .excited to see who got awards.
caleb greer-short
katie smith
March 17-St. Patrick’s Day March 20-Spring Equinox March 22-Goof-off Day March 23-Toast Day March 25-Waffle Day
Status: In Progress
Auditions for “Robin Hood” occurred on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20.
67
cast and crew members are working to make “Robin Hood” a success. One such diligent person is head costumer and sophomore
ZACH HARPER.
I am most looking forward to making a horse head and putting it on someone’s head. zach harper
27 February 2014 News 3
Results for maintenance, educational programs and operation levy election of Feb. 11, 2014
65.83%
Levy: a tax
34.17%
YES
NO
A 60% majority was required for passage of the levy. This levy replaces the current levy, which expires at the end of this year. The levy provides 18% of the operating budget for the school district. Money raised by the levy pays for a variety of programs, including but not limited to: art, music and physical education programs; bus transportation; building maintenance and substitute staff. data gathered by jonah bartrand
OLYMPICS RECAP 7 silver
9 gold USA 12
bronze
28 medals
The United States skiing team swept the men’s slopestyle skiing event, taking home all three medals. Joss Christenson took gold, Gus Kenworthy took silver and Nick Goepper took bronze.
36-year-old Bode Miller became the oldest person ever to medal in an alpine event after winning bronze in the Super G. Miller, whose brother recently passed away, was deeply moved by this win.
Gold Medalists: Sage Kotensburg-Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle Ted Ligety-Men’s Giant Slalom Jamie Anderson-Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle Maddie Bowman-Women’s Ski Halfpipe Kaitlyn Farrington-Women’s Snowboard Halfpipe Mikaela Shiffrin-Women’s Slalom David Wise-Men’s Ski Halfpipe Meryl Davis & Charlie White-Pair Figure Skating Ice Dance Free Dance
Fran Rish letter effort continues At the school board meeting on Jan. 29, board members discussed the removal of the concrete letters at Fran Rish Stadium and Carmichael Middle School. On Jan. 9, the iconic “R” and “H” at Fran Rish Stadium were removed as part of a renovation effort on the visitor’s side of the field. In order to replace the bleachers, which were a safety hazard, the letters had to come out too. The events leading up to the decision are a bit murky, with Superintendent Rick Schulte saying that the director of facilities told the contractor to go ahead with removal. He thought that he was acting on the will of a group of people, a group that Principal Ken Gosney was part of. However, according to Gosney, removal of the letters was never on his agenda. “I never made any request to remove the letters,” he said. “We’re there essentially five nights a year, and any issue surrounding them was nowhere on my priority list.” Gosney conceded, however, that he isn’t too concerned about it. “It appears that they were going to come out anyway due to construction,” he said, “so I didn’t worry about it when I heard they had been removed.” The board had no prior knowledge of the removal. Schulte said that if he had to pinpoint a single area where the blame should fall, it was in the fact that a formal work order was never placed. Board member Rick Donahoe pointed out, however, that “that type of work is not done through work orders.” Following the controversial removal of the letters, Schulte has formed a committee of alumni, students, staff and community members to discuss future actions that should be taken in regard to this situation. Gosney and Executive Council members Evan Foraker and Marissa Savitch are on the committee representing Hanford. “When I first heard about it,” Savitch said, “I was a little disappointed. I wanted to help as much as I could.” The committee has met only once so far, but Savitch feels like they are moving in a positive direction. “The letters are not only important to me but I feel like most of the district,” she said. “It represents both Hanford and Richland, so it’s important that we have the symbol of both at our home field.”
Field renovation set for May ground breaking The baseball and soccer facilities are far removed from Hanford’s main buildings, which poses a problem for spectators. Sitting in the stands can become a miserable ordeal when the nearest restroom is inside the far-off main buildings, or even worse, a Port-A-Potty. Fortunately, a saving grace has arrived. “The district supported the idea of having water and sewer taken out to areas near our fastpitch fields and our soccer field,” Athletic Director Eric Davis said. “The idea is that the Booster Club, in conjunction with our athletic program, will build a building at each site.” The new facilities are to be built to provide sports spectators with a more comfortable and convenient experience. “Each building would have a concession stand, restrooms, and stor-
age for the teams that are using the fields,” Davis said. Junior baseball player Jacob Anderson said, “The improvements will make the baseball field a better environment for both the players to play and fans to watch and hang out.” There’s been some controversy on the topic among many of the baseball and softball players, but to Anderson, it’s a good project from start to end. “I definitely support it because anything that makes our facilities better is worth it,” Anderson said. “The team and crowd would benefit from improved facilities. The better the field and equipment, the more people become interested.” These improvements will encourage the continued interest of spectators, who in turn will boost the players’ morale. However, these new luxuries won’t be ready until next year. “We are planning on breaking
ground on this project at the completion of the fastpitch season in late May or early June,” Davis said.
courtesy of eric davis
Above is shown the blueprint of the concession buildings to come. The school plans to break ground on the project in late May.
4 Sports 27 February 2014
Gall breaks scoring record How did it feel when you broke the record? jourdan plante
plante
on sports wrestlers soar
T
he weekend of Feb. 22 to 23 was an emotional time for our sports teams as they headed off to state. Many contenders went for gold—some got so close they could touch it, while others were not so lucky. Nevertheless, what a great weekend for our sports teams. One group of four bleach blond competitors went to state and came back as victors. Their grueling practices and hard work paid off spectacularly—they broke a previous record. Day after day they battled to get to state and then put on their best performance. Yes, we all know and love them—it’s the wrestling team. The athletes who competed had been on a roll from the start of their season. For seniors Jeff Weyend, Dallon Grinder and Will Bishop, they finished their high school wrestling careers with a bang. Weyend and Bishop placed fourth at state—Weyend at 285 pounds and Bishop at 185 pounds. Grinder placed second at 285 pounds. As for junior Blake Llarenas, he finished in fourth at 113 pounds. While all of the seniors were returning to state to compete this year, Llarenas is a prime example of just the opposite. Though Llarenas has also been on the team since his freshman year, this was his first year there, after an impeccable season. In a display of great talent and dedication, the team as a whole accomplished something that had never been done before—they broke the previous record by placing eighth overall at the state tournament. “I wasn’t expecting this at all,” senior Will Bishop said. “However, I was happy that we placed eighth as a team, and was impressed on how we performed.” Bishop has been a wrestler for four years and has done exceptionally well, going to either going to state or regionals at the least every year. While all of the seniors were returning to state to compete this year, Llarenas is a prime example of just the opposite. Though Llarenas has also been on the team since his freshman year, this was his first year there, after an impeccable season. Being the new guy has been a hardship but has also pushed him more and more. He fought through the whole season and getting to state was the ultimate payoff. His work paid off and he gained the others respect and admiration. Llarenas has a good standing for next year as one of the leaders.
I felt extremely excited and my family and friends were extremely proud of me. I was running back to defense and it all of a sudden hit me and I was “Oh, I just broke the school record, but then kept on playing.”
Was this a goal of yours in high school? This was not necessarily a goal but I knew at the beginning of this year it could happen. I knew about half way through my career that it was possible to reach it and I wanted to. But winning and being a good teammate was more important to me. It is really exciting beating the record though.
Did you expect it? The night before the game that I broke the record, my dad told me I had eight more points until I could beat it. I didn’t tell anyone so nobody during the game knew I had broken it. But, afterwards, Mr. Woodward announced it and gave me the game ball. Interview conducted by Nismeta Kabilovic.
TEAM PRESSES FULL COURT
ainsley gettis
photographer
The girls play intense defense against Richland, trying to prevent a shot from being thrown, at their annual pink game. They ended up winning against the cross town rival. Clockwise are seniors Ashley Stewart, Coco Gall, Miranda Foraker and Sydney Shintaffer.
maxwell weil
photographer
Senior Collete Gall looks to pass the ball to a teammate in a game against Richland. Gall ended up breaking the scoring record from 1986-87. Her record is 1,429 points.
Winning is best when a thousand hours of hard work tangibly add up. Every loss is just motivation to win the next game. The girls basketball team has hard work, dedication and motivation. With strong seniors, the team had high hopes for the season—and even though they fell short of some of their goals, the season generally went well. Coach Evan Woodward said, “There were numerous ups and downs, but I was proud of how the team fought hard in each competition.” “This year we have worked super hard,” senior Ashley Stewart said. “We really wanted to go to state this year. So we tried to do everything precise and with a purpose. We finished every drill and even practiced with a group of guys to speed our play up.” “Although we ended sooner than we had hoped for,” Woodward said, “it was a positive season in many ways. The relationships made and the memories that will be recalled will last longer than our record.” One standout senior that emerged during the season was
Stewart. “My season this year has been everything I hoped for,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about being a leader.” Even with a great season, the team came first. Knowing one another was key during the season. “Our team chemistry on the court, I would say, was pretty strong,” Stewart said. “Most of us have been playing together all four years at H.H.S., if not longer. So we all know each other’s strengths and weakness.”
The relationships made and the memories that will be recalled will last longer than our record. coach woodward Seniors made up almost the whole team. Knowing it was their last season, they all fought extra hard in each game. “It was a bunch of mixed feelings,” Stewart said. “It was sad to think it was ending, but when I look back at all the memories I have made, it makes me really happy.”
Continuing the legacy
maxwell weil
photographer
Junior Kendall Watson gears up to take a free throw at a game against Richland. The team ended up losing the game.
Junior Kendall Watson tore up the basketball courts this season and made a name for himself throughout the tough Mid-Columbia Conference. Watson has been consistent with either dishing out dimes or pulling up from three. Before the season started he was ranked 10th in the preseason player rankings. He has taken over the leadership role as a junior, with this being his second season on varsity. “I realized that the team feeds off my energy, and decided to be as positive as I can and play hard to set an example” Watson said. Watson’s older brother Jalen played on the team last year, and left with a legacy leading the team one victory shy of
state. Now that Jalen has moved on to bigger and better things, Watson is looking to continue that legacy. Watson’s older brother has taught him a lot about what to
He told me to take the game into my own hand when others aren’t stepping up kendall watson do and off the court. Watson has taken a lot of the advice to heart and displayed it on the court. “He told me to take the game into my own hands when others aren’t stepping up,”
Kendall said. Watson is a two-sport athlete—in addition to excelling at basketball, he plays lacrosse for the Richland Lacrosse Club. Not only does he work hard on the court, he works hard off the court as well, pushing himself to the limit and never giving up. To prepare for the upcoming season, Watson has been hitting Gold’s Gym up every day working on his shot and ball handling. “I am constantly playing basketball, working on my handles, working on shooting and doing plyometrics,” Watson said. “I want to improve to make my goal of first team all-conference and to break records.”
27 February 2014 Sports 5
Breaking records relay with a time of 3:16.70, a school record. Sports aren’t just statisticss and victories, although the trophies and titles may look great on a shelf. “As a senior,” Schumacher said, “I’ve noticed that’s it’s less about winning, which we still do, and more about the boys and having fun.” “Whether it’s from teammates to coaches or friends and families,” Wertz said, “to have others around that can bring you to your full potential; that’s what really helps you grow.“ At state, Wertz won the 200-meter freestyle, touching the wall in 1:41.81 minutes. “The state championship was
At the state swim meet senior Will Wertz became the first Falcon to bring in a state title in the 200-meter freestyle. Wertz also led two relays to new school records. Leading up to this culminating moment was hours of hard work as well as team support from students over the last couple of months. “You can only get better if you keep at it,” senior Parker Schumacher said. Schumacher, along with Wertz, junior James Bennett and junior Joel Johnson placed fourth at state in the 3A 400-meter freestyle
courtesy of shelby schumacher
Senior Parker Schumacher prepares to dive off into the pool at state on Feb. 22. He placed 12th in the 100 and helped the 400 relay team win and break a state record.
athlete Will Wertz Will Wertz James Bennett James Bennett Parker Schumacher Sam Hart
event 200-yard freestyle 100-yard freestyle 200-yard freestyle 100-yard butterfly 100-yard freestyle Dive
awesome,” he said. “I did very well. I dropped some time in my races and won the 200 free, which was a long-time goal.” Wertz, who plans to pursue swim at the University of Seattle, also placed third in the 100-meter freestyle. This season was the last for swimming coach Kathy Piper, who served a vital role in the boys’ success at the state championships. This year’s team was marked by a dedicated coach and hard-working teammates. Schumacher summed up the season of sweat and accomplishment: “Swimming is like a younger brother; you hate him when he’s there, but you pine for him when he’s gone.”
placing STATE CHAMPION 3rd overall 13th overall 12th overall 12th overall 17th overall
time 1:41.81 48.86
How did it go? winter wrap up
girls basketball boys basketball gymnastics sydney galbreath
photographer
Senior post Miranda Foraker closes out on a Richland guard. In the first round of playoffs, the team lost to Shadle Park.
wrestling sydney galbreath
maxwell weil
photographer
The boys won the loser-out game to get into the playoffs, but they ended up losing in the first round to University.
boys swim photographer
Four boys went to state: seniors Will Bishop (above), Jeff Weyand, and Dallon Grinder with junior Blake Llarenas. They placed 8th overall.
courtesy of shelby schumacher
Seniors Will Wertz and Parker Schumacher, alongside juniors James Bennett and Joel Johnson beat the school record 400 relay time at state.
courtesy of kayla lasater
Junior Kayla Lasater placed eighth at state for bars in the 3A division. She is the only gymnast representing Hanford.
bowling ainsley gettis
photographer
The still new team got eight place at state this year in the 3A division, with a combined score of 6,695. Above Junior Robin Hansen lets a ball roll.
6 School&Career 27 February 2014
Senior preparation for graduation A senior Culminating Project and High School and Beyond Plan are Washington State REQUIREMENTS to graduate. Culminating Portfolio: Best works, High School and Beyond Plan, team works and employment documents. Seniors must pick up their Best Works folders from the Career Center prior to the scheduled presentation.
JOB SPOTLIGHT: maxwell weil
Senior Mateja Sekulic: Barista at Starbucks
photographer
What do you do? I make coffee and frappuccinos. And I get to talk and communicate with the customers and make their day a little better. What do you like about your job? I like talking with people. I like being able to meet a variety of people and just the fact that I can say something that could change someone’s day. Fun fact: I know how to make over 87,000 different drinks since working at Starbucks! What don’t you like about your job? I don’t like how it’s very repetitive, and sometimes you get very rude customers, and you still have to be nice and friendly. Has anything exciting happened on the job? There was one time where I saw someone getting arrested right in front of me. There are other times where we catch someone who didn’t pay, and we have to go sprinting into the parking lot to catch them. Interview conducted by ketsia kahanbwe .
Don’t miss these classes Language Arts
5% 18%
Physical Education
9%
Science and Math
Psychology
History
The Arts
Other
5% 11% 20% 32%
Upperclassmen were asked the question “What class would you recommend to underclassmen.” These are the results from a survey of 110 juniors and seniors. The most popular individual classes included Drama, Woodshop and Athletic Strength and Conditioning. Counselors will be in classrooms the week of March 10 to assist students in planning for next year. Final forms are due the end of March. Information collected by an wang.
Tips for a successful portfolio presentation:
March 12-14: On-campus seniors present their portfolios. April 18: Current seniors enrolled in Consumer Economics, Economics and Running Start present their portfolios.
Proofread, proofread, proofread; remember, it must be error free Dress appropriately (as you would for a job interview) Be ready to discuss your High School and Beyond Plan Be prepared and arrive five minutes early
You will receive a yellow postcard in the mail with your presentation time and more tips for a successful presentation. Help is available in the Career Center! Information collected by jane moon.
Making the mark Unlike regular math tests in school, students aren’t supposed to earn a perfect score on the A.M.C. “The A.M.C. wasn’t made to be aced by the average person,” sophomore Ryan Wang said, “so it gives me a good idea of where I am in math compared to others who took it and compared to the top.” On Feb. 4 in the Commons, 228 students took the 2014 A.M.C. 10 and 12. A.M.C. stands for American Mathematics Competition, the first of a series of exams used to determine the nation’s Mathematical Olympiad team. Freshmen and sophomores took the A.M.C. 10, while juniors and seniors took the A.M.C. 12.
A few underclassmen, however, chose to challenge themselves more and take the 12 instead of the 10. One of them was Wang, who took the A.M.C. 10 last year and was the only student last year from Hanford who achieved a high enough score to qualify for the next level of tests, the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (A.I.M.E.). “I take the A.M.C. math tests because I’m used to taking math tests and because I feel pressured by society,” Wang said. “I didn’t really feel anything making it into the A.I.M.E. I feel no honor in it.” One has to score in the top 2.5 percent of all A.M.C. test takers in order to be invited to the A.I.M.E., as Wang was. Competi-
tion math is drastically different from school math and often requires different problem-solving approaches that aren’t encountered in class, which is why extra work is often necessary to do well in math competitions. “I prepared for the A.M.C. by taking a couple practice tests a few days before the actual exam date,” Wang said. Going into this year’s exam, Wang had expectations for his performance. “Everybody expects to get a score within a certain range or at least a bare minimum,” he said, “unless they have absolutely no idea what’s going to be on the test.” Regardless of what those expectations are, A.M.C. results come out in mid-March.
27 February 2014 Under the Influence 7
*Numbers from 2012 Healthy Youth Survey. More information inside.
8 Under the Influence 27 February 2014
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27 February 2014 Under the Influence 9
tant d of ity a aid. assis r viewe cessibil s , i s he s g quite i y e l d ” t c , n t d a n e i a o n . i e g t t P v G . h a o t a o e h A t n en h asy Mik l, said t ted on eral er— the n lly e e’ve be a . eith o in sev e a y p l , e i l m e r c out aa i n w s n b m s c i i o a l r o e d ] a t t c p p a n s ol h b ders juana es arijuan o get, a ith it.” ed dou drug vi rrent a lig ut he i n t ’ e f n g t b i s m s cu [ i w s, ar er es or rin f m hey say it’s easi caught e expr alties f d, “The l.” dule e sport e du day I e o k h o c l v i n s y m e “T aper; sa ha ing ona ultip n’t s it ever t makes uel’s e gett fficials urrent p coach, educati looking o h s w c d d i Sam ved in m I I di ed. “ “It’s ore k hool o f the c ootball e, not tate is licies. d l ort, if I m s c v e nvo f in sp then; explain a t he i es. few everal s ficacy o head e puniti hat the ance po you ne r ce ealthy muel e f r t s r S a d e h e s a l t d n a g n e i ” l , o s a i a . h c y in ll g n , S -t sa m tiv play nd stay out,” you laz ven b Ora violatio ncipal, nt zero ve a kid n or se ’re ree hab r m e ’ ” p k o , a I i o r e s r ar ha pr ,” ug] you s. R urr eap “If t. I try to wo , make nd e ye tion for [dr ney, the f the c is if you ing a w hool— he road or e able u out ol a mor und e p o o t s s o s s c g fe e e h s i h o o s l n e l n t i s th ro op th dn’t b nes yo ru sc en G ctivene r un in l for br ccess to kid dow nto the as s do it a tried, l e all t K o r u w ing z e o u i a e o , d s w f o w s y at eee e ef my tired scho have ever wor r th them here recr alwa dw you at th proble from es not ities fo neling a. T nd the ll asleep oke would hing I n r m of ce n m a s e m u ij ,a fe alan ing Th el the kid do portun ’re fun b ver riends somet new fo y “ l e e mar d stuff h and a h I e p av m a xp ou dt as yf sa me an hig opti cult. H pus is to e s—if th down o tially, y s, an us e st ti aid. “M it. It w t; it wa e r h ing] t I got k t fi fi m n g o o f g o a i g t i o e e i u s t c n s n d r m i x , h e d a i s t d n v v is th an es “T senior got in njoye ot shut said. “E chie itation icant o you ha hemat h not as g a was e y y l l h a , l I t y a , u “ w t x , l e y t o s e, sn yo l,” l.” abi ney are get into now Hue nd I sl id try i I wa Gos crimina g to Go and reh of an ame tim ts that ccessfu n’t k er, they a d ince hat tivity, o , t I s e e d s u n g e n l v n a s i v s l n e m e c n c in ha hat ca en be tio of ord ee tud .” t th whe rent owe ial a h, ider ms t Acc preven he influ , but a r the s rd and ake the and for me his pa ong. 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AT NG PAST I E B ED R THE Y O ENJ L OVE R OO YEA SCH
10 A&E 27 February 2014
localcuisine stick+stone
miranda menard
N
eapolitan, wood-fired pizza is becoming popular in the TriCities. Not only is it delicious, but because the wood ovens are so hot, the food is also prepared quickly. In imported Italian ovens, it takes about 90 seconds to bake a fresh pizza. With the Tri-Cities booming, the restaurant industry is starting to become more upscale as well. Within the past few months, two wood-fired pizza restaurants have opened in our area. One is Fire, located in Kennewick across the street from Red Robin, and the other is Stick and Stone on Queensgate in Richland. Fire is one of the most modern and beautiful res-
*
taurants around, requiring a reservation if you want to eat on a weekend evening. The restaurant is sleek with two floors that are decorated all around with minimalistic photos and a brilliant view. The style of the architecture alone is something you would never expect in the Tri-Cities, let alone the amazing pizza. Senior Tyler Cowen loves the environment. “It had a good vibe when I walked in,” he said. “The building was two stories tall and was very clean. The pepperoni pizza is a lot different than the regular pizza I am used to because the pepperonis were massive, and the crust was cooked perfectly.” Stick and Stone has a mellower atmosphere with neutral colors. They seat customers in a matter of minutes. The servers are friendly, eager to answer questions about the menu and give advice on what is good. The restaurant is very open, and from any location of the room you have a perfect view of the baker spinning pizza dough and the beautiful wood-
fire oven. T.V.s are also placed on each side, pleasing any sports fans who want to enjoy a big game and pizza. They also have a hardy lunch special that includes a personal pizza or sandwich and a choice of soup or salad as a side. The tomato bisque soup is a delicious side to a good pizza on a windy Tri-Cities day. Stick and Stone also offers gluten free pizza, which is just as good as that made with the regular imported “doublezero” Italian flour. Both of the restaurants are excellent choices. They serve customers quickly, the servers are polite, and the restaurants are some of the cleanest and best looking around. Fire is a bit classier but possibly farther of a drive depending on where you live. Stick and Stone, on the other hand, is close and laid back. Both pizza places have unique vibes and are guaranteed to treat you to arguably the best pizza in the Tri-Cities.
Best of... PIZZA Survery of 128 students conducted on Feb. 14
Dominos: Pizza Hut: Papa Johns: Papa Murphy’s: Little Caesars: Other:
vs
28% 24% 17% 15% 10% 6%
venkatesh varada
photographer
venkatesh varada
photographer
“Little Caesars always wins because it’s cheap and the crazy bread.” senior tyler zirker
“Pizza Hut is the best because of the cheesy crust.” senior peter qafoku
“Papa Murphy’s because their ranch pizza has tons of meat.” junior darko stankovic
“I like how Italiano’s is different and not the same like all the normal pizza places.” sophomore cyrus stephens
fire
beck’s return
27 February 2014 A&E 11
RoboCop is NOT bad In 1987, the original film “RoboCop” became both a cult and critical hit for its graphic violence, humor and sly commentary on the culture michael tyree and politics of the time. It told the story of a cyborg policeman attempting to protect a dystopian Detroit from a crime wave and a corporate takeover. I myself was skeptical of remaking such a classic film. But I’ve got some good news for you kids—this film surprised me. While not nearly as funny or gory as the original, the remake is something quite different: thoughtful, grounded and more interested in the question of free will and emotions versus technology than it is in goofy satire. The reboot of “RoboCop” continues the original’s bold sociopolitical commentary as well, but with updated themes to address issues Americans should be debating now and will surely grapple with in the near future. The basic premise of the film remains the same—in the not-too-distant future, a dedicated Detroit cop named Alex Murphy (played by Joel Kinnaman) is gravely wounded and has the salvageable parts of his head and body placed inside a crime fighting robotic body called RoboCop made by a company called OmniCorp, with Murphy’s memories and humanity doing battle with his programming as he cleans up the streets and attempts to untangle a conspiracy linked with his own murder. But, thankfully, the makers of the new “RoboCop” gave themselves some freedom with their adaptation, adding major characters like the well-meaning but conflicted chief scientist heading the RoboCop project (played by Gary Oldman), Murphy’s wife (played by Abbie Cornish), OmniCorp’s head of marketing (played by Jay Baruchel), a military and weapons advisor (played by Jackie Earle Haley) and a bloviating conservative commentator named Pat Novak
(played by the great Samuel L. Jackson), whose persona and TV show are obviously based on the shows and antics of Bill O’Reilly and Glenn Beck. A key contrast in themes between the films is how they treat military issues—while the 1987 film makes a military-industrial complex point with OmniCorp’s plans to refine their robot technology in American cities before making a killing selling it to the military, 2014’s CEO of OmniCorp Raymond Sellars (played by Michael Keaton) makes a forceful argument for bringing military drone technology used overseas to US soil, facing a resistant Senate and American public. He attempts to rebrand his product by adding a human element in order to make huge profits in the States. The focus on drones, how to sell them to the American public and the need for humanity in how we fight wars and crime is where the new “RoboCop” truly distinguishes itself while placing it firmly in science fiction’s proud tradition of using visions of the future to address current issues. The murky ethics of using drones overseas is a discussion Americans as a whole are not having—but we surely will as politicians increasingly consider using them in the U.S. for law enforcement and patrolling borders. And as robotics and artificial intelligence continue to improve, we’re seriously going to need to grapple with who -- or what -- we trust to enforce the law, as well as the lives of human beings. There are a lot of other ways the new “RoboCop” differs from the original, including the fact that Murphy never has his memory erased, and that the rebellious humor of the original (with its use of TV shows and commercials for jokes and social commentary) is sorely missed. But fans of the original will find a lot to like about 2014’s “RoboCop,” which pays appropriate homage to the original while still making enough changes that it feels like it was worth re-making. It’s exciting to think that an action movie like this may spur audiences to think about our current and future ethical use of drones. All in all, it’s a dope movie.
Every time I learn that a new Beck album is released, I always wonder what the genre will be. From his early days of anti-folk to the mix venkatesh varada of folk and rap of his legendary single, “Loser,” to his shift to alternative rock and experimentation in “Odelay,” and then to a mellow, acoustic feel in the groundbreaking “Sea Change,” it is fair to say that Beck really has no genre. He simply graces the title of “musician” with absolutely no barriers. Beck has been on a hiatus since his 2008 upbeat rock album “Modern Guilt,” and many have speculated that he ran out of ideas to produce more albums. However, the musical genius has returned with “Morning Phase,” and with it again proves that his style is limitless. “Morning Phase” returns to the acoustic and folk themes of “Sea Change.” The album opens with the piece “Cycle” that clocks in at 39 seconds. From the first second, the tone of the entire album is set. Just like “Sea Change,” “Morning Phase” paints a watercolor-like picture in front of your eyes and tells a sorrowful yet beautiful story to your ears. The track list is relatively simple, consisting of wishy-washy synthetic vibes that lie behind an acoustic guitar part along with drums, remi-
niscent of Radiohead’s “Kid A.” In traditional Beck style, other occasional instruments sneak in. There are orchestral segments in “Wave,” violin and piano solos in “Blackbird Chain,” and harmonica riffs in “Country Down.” There is a whole lot of music going on here, and Beck was able to connect it all flawlessly. The 47-minute album flows seamlessly from track one to track 13. Albums produced in the last five to 10 years are more single based than album based in the sense that the flow from song to song is not as important as having individual songs stand out. This album’s true glory and art are best heard from start to finish in one sitting. Think of it as one huge song with the track list only pointing out certain segments of the song. The vibes in “Morning Phase” undoubtedly work, and the lyrics flow equally well. Every song, all written by Beck Hansen, has themes of isolation and sadness, but he also occasionally contrasts this with a sort of optimism. “Morning” conveys the sufferings of losing someone; “Wave” discusses entering a world “like some tiny distortion,” all alone, and “Blue Moon” is about trying to get someone to “cut me down to size so I can fit inside” and never leave you. There are dark underlying tones present in “Morning Phase,” yet every spoken word is alluring. Simply put, if you took the lyrics out of “Morning Phase” and read them individually, you would think you were reading pure poetry. “Morning Phase” is a stunning album, one of the most beautiful and elegant albums I have ever heard in my life. It is a must listen to any music fan of any genre.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO The Oscars are Sunday, March 2, at 4 p.m. on CBS. This survery of 124 students conducted on Feb. 14 shows who we think should win.
BEST actress 31.25%
51%
AMY ADAMS
7.29%
SANDRA BULLOCK
american hustle
survey by cataline le graphic by elisa apra
10.4%
CATE BLANCHETT
gravity
MERYL STREEP
JUDI DENCH
philomena
blue jasmine
august: osage county
BEST actor 23.4%
62.8%
7.4%
6.38%
CHRISTIAN BALE
LEONARDO DICAPRIO
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY
CHIWETEL EJIOFOR
wolf of wall street
american hustle
dallas buyers club
12 years a slave
BEST animated movie 70.2%
16%
FROZEN
7.4%
DESPICABLE ME 2
1.06%
THE CROODS
5.3%
ERNEST & CELESTINE
THE WIND RISES
BEST picture 29%
GRAVITY
11%
AMERICAN HUSTLE
21%
WOLF OF WALL STREET
7%
2%
NEBRASKA PHILOMENA
8%
12 YEARS A SLAVE
3%
HER
1%
DALLAS BUYERS CLUB
15%
CAPTAIN PHILLIPS
12 Features 27 February 2014
Club Spotlight: Ecology Club
mickey shin
photographer
Junior Grace Dai poses in front of the Ecology Club bear poster by the foreign language hallway. The club meets every Wednesday after school in Dale Johns’ room, 2613.
Hanford boasts a range of clubs; from Music Club to German Club, there is something to suit everyone’s interests. Among the sea of clubs, one of the lesser known is Ecology Club. By definition, ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment, but this club does more than just sit around and discuss the environment. “We work in the green house, do cuttings on plants and plant vegetables in the spring. We also go on nature walks and do ecologytype projects,” said club adviser and biology teacher Dale Johns. Sophomore Caroline Waring joined the club one Wednesday after school, and she said that she would recommend others to join. “We’re a pretty small club, so it’s all welcoming and fun,” she said. “It’s pretty fun to work in the greenhouse, and we actually get to move
around and do things.” Junior Grace Dai has been in the club for at least a year. “I love the greenhouse. It’s very soothing and calming after a long day of school,” Dai said. The Ecology Club has a plant-sale fundraiser coming up this spring where they will be selling a variety of plants, including tomatoes, flowers and herbs. Along with the sale, the club usually takes a trip to the Portland Zoo in May and has a Bear Day where they just relax and watch a movie about raising a baby bear. Johns said his favorite part about the club is watching the students work with the soil and get excited. “They take care of their plants like little babies,” he said. The Ecology Club meets in room 2613 every Wednesday after school. Currently, the club is planning spring events, including a plant sale in late spring. The club also oversees the plant cultivation in the school’s greenhouse.
courtesy of paige foelber
Junior Hinako Kawabe, senior Paige Foelber, and junior Grace Dai pose at the All-State Treble Choir in Yakima. All three girls are in the chamber choir at Richland High School.
mickey shin
photographer
Seniors Michael O’Toole and Brandon Merkel play a game of “Magic: The Gathering” before school in the Commons. The club meets every friday in room
‘Magic: The Gathering’ of friendship
In the loud Commons, exciting chatter and complicated lingo rises from one of the lunch tables. There’s magic in the air. Senior Taylor Jones, sophomore Isaac Langley and senior Michael O’Toole met a year ago and became closer friends by playing “Magic: The Gathering,” a trading card game that is similar to “Pokémon” and “Yu-Gi-Oh,” but is more strategy based. The game involves two people who battle as powerful wizards and try to defeat the other by using spells, artifacts and magic. Depending on how the deck is shuffled determines how the game will proceed. Sometimes the game can last for five minutes and other times an hour. When asked about how he got into the game, senior Michael O’Toole said, “I was watching my friends for a couple of months and I just got
7011 W Canal Dr Kennewick, WA 99336 509.783.7528 Open all week 11 AM to 10 PM
into it.” O’Toole enjoys being around his friends and socializing. “My first deck was a gift. Then I’ve been trading around and bought some at Adventures Underground,” said O’Toole. Every morning during zero hour and sometimes during lunch the three meet up to play the game. “’Magic’ helped bring the four of us closer together,” Jones said. Langley got into the game when a friend of his started playing. “I eventually bought cards,” he said. “I like this game because it’s easy to learn but hard to master.” Similarly, O’Toole said, “It’s a thinking game. The fun part is the strategy involved.” There is a “Magic: The Gathering” club that junior Zachary Knowles started early this year. “You get to be around friends and socialize. That and it’s a really fun game,” said O’Toole. The students meet in French teacher Sarah McMenamin’s room weekly after school.
WOK KING
international buffet
Choral arrangement Over the weekend of Feb. 15, music students selected from all around Washington State traveled to Yakima to rehearse and perform in All-State honor groups. Seven students from Hanford were selected, and the Jazz 1 band performed as well. “I’m kind of going up there blindly,” senior Caylee Olson said, “like, ‘Hey, let’s play music!’” This was Olson’s first honor band experience; she has played the string bass for eight years, and she was the only Hanford student accepted into the All-State Concert Band. Junior Gracie Dai was selected for the All-State Treble Choir, along with fellow junior Hinako Kawabe and senior Paige Foelber. All three are sopranos who sing in Richland High School’s Chamber Choir. “It’s prestigious to get into it,” Dai said. “It’s a really fun experience that I’ve been wanting to do. I did it in middle school, but I never actually had the chance to do it in high school, so I’m really excited to do it.” Junior All-State is held at the same venue as the high school All-State, and Dai remembered being impressed with the high school students she saw practicing. “It’s just the feeling of being in a really good choir; I’m really excited about that,” Dai said.
“When you go to All-State, you just start singing, and it sounds so good already. Everyone does their work beforehand.” Olson was hoping in part to learn new techniques: “different ideas that I can put in my brain to kind of jive with what I already do with playing,” she said, “and help build up what I play.” In addition to playing with other talented musicians, both Dai and Olson looked forward to playing under the directors based on previous experiences. “One year,” Dai said, “there was the director Vijay Singh, and he’s nationally renowned about his music; he writes music, too. Every single director they have is a really good musician, and they know how to help us get better.” “Every director has different ways they teach: Swisher has a different way, and Newbury has a different way,” Olson explained. “We had Lewis Norfleet come in about a month ago, and he just had so many different ideas, and it was just really, really cool to hear his thoughts on what we were playing, and so I’m excited to get that experience again with different directors.” Senior Hannah Mowry, a trumpet player, and junior Diana Wang, a violinist, also played in the All-State Jazz Band and the Chamber Orchestra, respectively.
27 February 2014 Features 13
trending
@hhs
Breakfast of champions
#backpacks
I’ve always liked Marvel. I like how it’s small and convenient, yet cute. Sydney Lester freshman courtesy of melanie cushing
Senior Madison Whitlock joins freshmen for the honors breakfast on Feb. 18. Freshmen with a 3.0 G.P.A and above gathered for cinammon rolls and milk to celebrate their first semester success.
Debate heats up class
I got this backpack because it was cool. I love its color, and it’s very fashionable. Austin Keck sophomore
I wanted something unique, which no one else had. virginia kuan
photographer
Senior Sasha Townsend speaks about her court case, West Virginia Board of Education v Barnett. AP Government students prepared debates for a class assignment.
To most people “March Madness” means an annual event involving brackets for college basketball. Mentioning the phrase to students in Steve Perez’s A.P. U.S. Government and Politics class, however, might conjure up fairly different mental images—not of colleges and basketball players, but rather of the Supreme Court and important court cases. For the past few weeks, students have worked on a project that shares both its name and basic structure with the college basketball tournament, though it focuses on battles of court case knowledge and debating skills rather than basketball prowess. To start off the project, students each chose a Supreme Court case and were placed into brackets against other students with different cases. Perez instructed students what information to obtain for their cases, but senior Elisa Garrett, who represented Brown v. Board of Education, said that before the competition she was also “getting a basic grasp of the other case” to prepare. During a match, each participant was allowed one and a half minutes to present his or her case before facing off in a short debate: the rebuttals.
The winner of each match, chosen through class voting, advanced to the next round of the competition and then faced off against other winners from the previous round, similar to how the March Madness basketball tournament functions. The process continued until one person in each period was crowned the victor of the competition. Before the competition started in fourth hour, Garrett said that she was “pretty much going to destroy because I’m a master debater,” but when the dust settled, senior Lucy Wang won with the case U.C. Regents v. Bakke. Junior Shanta Katipumula won in second hour with Gitlow v. New York. Senior Wafiq Hossain, who competed with Schenck v. U.S., found the project informative. “I didn’t know much about court cases before this,” he said, “so this is a learning opportunity.” In second hour, senior Nikki Sinton represented Brown v. Board of Education. “I doubt I would have learned so much about these court cases if I wasn’t in A.P. Government,” she said. Representing Schenck v. U.S. in second hour, senior Niraj Suresh made it to the semifinals. “I lost to a case that I absolutely despise,” he said, “and I feel cheated, but even the best people lose sometimes.”
Anya Vidanova junior
It’s the only backpack which can fit the contents of my entire house. Timmy Gormley senior
interviews conducted by naveena bontha
14 Features 27 February 2014
Bringing back tradition
Open House
On Friday, Feb. 21, to celebrate Scholastic Journalism Week, the publications class hosted an open house, with free food and previews of yearbook pages on display for everyone to come see. Scholastic Journalism Week is a nation-wide event that promotes the benefits of journalism and the First Amendment. People dropped by the room, picked up a doughnut or two and stayed around to look at yearbook pages, too. Junior Kristen Baker, freshman Abum Okemgbo and senior Brandon Merkel were in that
students express thoughts on fanbase
group. “I think it’s a really good idea to get the publicity out on the yearbook,” Baker said. “I think something really cool about our school is that a lot of people already enjoy getting the newspaper and the yearbook and have a lot of pride for it because not a lot of schools in the Tri-Cities have a newspaper or a really cool yearbook.” Okemgbo, intrigued by how the yearbook was turning out, said, “It’s pretty interesting to see how the yearbook is.” “We are celebrating journalism,” Merkel said. “Hooray!”
Almost every Hanford student has heard of the Dirty Bird Association (D.B.A.); however, not many students know the truth about its origin. The D.B.A. started back in 1975, nearly 40 years ago, when social studies teacher Paul Mayer was attending Hanford. As Mayer recalls, the D.B.A. was created by two of Hanford’s craziest fans. The two boys would come up with chants, and they had a giant finger they would use to point at people in the crowds. “It was just awesome,” Mayer said. He came back to teach in 1995 and “brought back the idea to resurrect the Dirty Birds,” he said. “I really like how it unites the school as one; it’s our thing;
it shows we’re all together,” junior Marissa Savitch said. Although the D.B.A. started with two fans, it has become increasingly less exclusive. With ideas such as the Baby Birds and the Dirty Birds in training, the D.B.A. has been expanded.
I really like how it unites the school as one; it’s our thing; it shows we’re all together. marissa savitch executive council Not all students agree with these changes. “It should be for fans who are passionate and attend games,” sophomore Evan Foraker said.
The fans of sports teams have helped the D.B.A. to grow. “People got so into it,” senior Tenley Weil said. But as the D.B.A. continues to change it seems to be more about the special T-shirts than supporting the school. Weil has brought up the idea that a fan club would be helpful to create a stronger fan base. “It would be a nice senior structured project,” she said. Webster’s Dictionary defines an “association” as “an organized group of people who have the same interest.” The D.B.A. was not made for the T-shirts, the nicknames or the battles between classes, but rather for a supportive Hanford fan base. As Mayer likes to say, “A rowdy fan base. . .beautiful!”
alisa chuang
photographer
Freshman Daniel Sosa sits at the library doing his homework. Sosa likes to work in the library because it quiet compared to other places in the school.
courtesy of rachel bowman
Jazz I students play at a guest artist concert on Feb. 24. The concert with Mel Haug raised funds for the upcoming music trip to Indianapolis.
Major motivation for advanced jazz students On Feb. 24 at 7 p.m., students and music lovers congregated in the auditorium to attend the Jazz 1 guest artist concert featuring Mel Haug and Friends. This concert was one of the concluding fundraisers for the upcoming Indianapolis trip for the wind ensemble and orchestra. The student musicians were thankful for an opportunity to expand their horizons by playing with professionals. Senior Brooke Patton expressed an added level of motivation. “We played with musicians that have performed with top bands,” said Patton. “We didn’t want to sound like the typical high school jazz band.” Junior Trevor Shibley suggested that listening to professional musicians was a
great way to become a better musician. “Bringing in guest artists gives us a great opportunity [to listen to professionals],” said Shibley. He also expressed his gratitude to the music directors, Kevin Swisher and Chris Newbury. “We are lucky to have such amazing directors who bring in all these great musicians,” said Shibley. “It is really cool to get to listen to great musicians play, but it is even cooler to get to rehearse and perform with them. And not many people get that opportunity!” As for the concert, the students thought it went exceptionally well. “Any time that Jazz I gets together to have a jam session, it’s going to be amazing whether we have an audience or not,” said Patton. Senior Tommy Hill thought the
concert went fantastic. “I really enjoyed playing all the pop tunes, especially with Mel Haug,” Hill said. The musicians all agreed that memories and important lessons could be taken away from this collaboration experience. “The thing I could take away the most was how easily musicians can adapt to any change we made in the music,” said Patton. Hill recollected that “my favorite part was playing exciting tunes with all of my friends.” Shibley enjoyed playing the “Theme from Sesame Street.” “One of my favorite parts of the concert was playing ‘Treasure’ by Bruno Mars,” said Shibley. “I had no idea Mel Haug knew Mr. Newbury while he was growing up!” said Hill.
Library bookworms
Every day, all kinds of people filter into the library. Some need to print homework, while others come in for research. Some people like getting lost in a book, and some just like to read manga online. Sophomore Ariana Kittles does her homework in the library. “I don’t want to do [homework] at home,” she said. “[The library is] like my getaway.” Kittles goes to the library just about every day. Seniors Morgen Hildreth and Cassandra Elkins hang out in the back room and watch videos. Other regulars, such as sophomore Devin Helms, come for the books. “I come daily, to read, usually,” Helms said. “It’s a nice and quiet place to read, and it’s a complete change from the busy and noisy hallway and classrooms. It’s a good place to hang out.” Sophomore Emma Tyree drops in for homework. “So
far,” she said, “I’ve just gone to the library to type and print out assignments. I like the library, but I don’t go very often.” She usually reads fantasy novels, as does Helms. “I like the library, but I don’t go very often,” Tyree said. “I usually use the computers.” Freshman Daniel Sosa, a semi-regular, swings by every now and then. “[I go] to finish my homework,” he said. He usually comes by during lunch but doesn’t read. “I just don’t like reading,” he said. Sophomore Amber McNabb usually comes in once or twice a week. “I usually go for classes,” she said. “I usually run errands or something for my teachers. But I do go occasionally to read.” Her favorite author is John Green, and she plans on reading more of his books in the future. “It’s a nice library,” she said. If you ever need a book to read, or a paper to print, you know where to go. It’s a hangout, it’s a haven. It’s the library.
27 February 2014 Opinion 15
SIFTING THROUGH THE ISSUE
E
very year when we brainstorm ideas for in-depth reporting, drug use always comes up. However, due to the complexity involved in presenting a comprehensive overview of the issue, the editorial staff had always declined to pursue it. The obstacles to obtaining information stem from issues of legality. Though recreational marijuana use was recently legalized in Washington State for those over 21 years old, non-medical marijuana use is still a federal crime for minors. When arranging interviews for this issue, one student declined to be interviewed because he (universal “he”) was worried about the possibility of identification. Anonymity also makes writing the articles more difficult: writers must be cautious to exclude information that might lead to
identification. A note to those readers attempting to divine the identities of the interviewees: Don’t even try. The names used are false, and all identifying information has been removed. Obtaining accurate survey results was another concern: How could we guarantee respondents’ anonymity? Luckily, the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey questions sophomores and seniors across the state every two years over a broad range of topics, including drug use. Principal Ken Gosney and other administrators were more than helpful in providing time and access to information. Another issue that the staff had not fully considered at the time was the potential liability of possessing knowledge of criminal activity.
#Yolo Swag?
Fortunately, the Revised Code of Washington § 5.68.010 protects the “news media” from being required to “disclose the identity of a source. . .that would tend to identify the source where such source has a reasonable expectation of confidentiality.” In several cases, Washington State courts have not contested the fact that student news organizations qualify as “news media.” Our goal in this issue is to raise awareness of drug use at Hanford and to faithfully represent multiple perspectives, from students’ experiences to a drug counselor’s advice. While we will not argue about the legalization of marijuana, we do believe that students would be foolish to consider marijuana use just another harmless activity. This editorial is the concensus of the Editorial Board.
Celebrating free speech SCHOLASTIC JOURNALISM WEEK The First Amendment:
This gives citizens the fundamental freedom of religion, speech, press and for people to peaceably assemble and to petition the Government.
Washington State Constitution:
“Every person may freely speak, write and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right.”
Washington Administrative Code 180-40-215: An extension of the First Amendment, this code gives students the freedom of speech and press, and “no school district shall limit these rights except for good and sufficient cause.”
Freedom of the Press
Have you ever entered a casual conversation only to discover that the person you’re talking to is an offender of everyday language? They open their mouth and out pours an excess of overused slang painful to the ear. Or maybe you’re just tired of seeing #hashtagstatuses on Twitter and Facebook, always faithfully captioning pictures of duck faces or beautiful scenery. Based on the survey below, “swag” takes home the prize for most annoying slang.
THE ALTITUDE
27 february 2014
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier:
Results from a survey of 96 students conducted at the beginning of February. Each participant chose from four choices.
After a Hazelwood East High School’s newspaper article was kept from publishication by the principal, Cathy Kuhlmeier brought the case to court. Hazelwood won because he merely exercised editorial control over the content of student speech. This court case clarified the rights of the First Amendment applied to students, encouraging states to adopt administrative codes regulating student publication content.
PRESIDENTS’ DAY:
Editors-in-Chief jonah bartrand chenchen li
Editors
carolyn rice, copy lucy williams, copy anne liu, business manager emily tan, news an wang, news mickey shin, features venkatesh varada, a&e nikki kabilovic, sports jane moon, career virginia kuan, opinion emelia stephan, humor
Photographers ainsley gettis sawyer henry
Staff
naveena bontha, ben casas, hannah clauss, shibani datta, ketsia kahambwe, shanta katipamula, natasa kvesic, olga laskin, catalina le, miranda menard, ellie mendoza, jourdan plante, joel staudinger, michael tyree, michelle wang, zach willis
Adviser
nancy e. smith
Editorial Policy: The Altitude is an open public forum for the student community at Hanford High School. The paper is published by the Newspaper Club, informing and entertaining its audience in a broad, fair, and accurate manner. The reporting and opinions published in the Altitude do not represent views of the Richland community, school board, administrators, faculty, or student body of Hanford High School. Advertising Policy: The Altitude accepts advertising for most products and services available to the public. Advertising which promotes illegal products under Washington law, opposes any religion, is written in bad taste, or which includes false statements will not be accepted. The Editorial Board has the right to refuse any such ad. Letters to the Editor: Signed letters to the editor will be accepted and published. The staff reserves the right to edit the letters for poor taste, space, libel, and grammar. Memberships: WJEA, JEA, SPLC Printing by the Daily Sun News, Sunnyside, Wash.
FAIR PAY:
Remember to appreciate presidents
$3.2 million salary for a football coach?
the dates or even the existence of the days to honor our presidents. Still others may ask, “Why waste time on a holiday like that? These guys have been dead for more than a hundred years.” Umbrella Day on Feb. 10 is a useless holiday. Hippo day, Feb. 15, is a useless holiday. The day on which we remember men who worked to propel our country to a brighter future is far from a useless holiday. Without Lincoln, slavery could have lasted a hundred more years in the U.S., and there’s a chance that our very country would have split in two. This man, this president, who started like any other man in this world, grew up ultimately to sacrifice his life to make America free and whole. We all know who George Washington is, but perhaps most of us can’t think of a good reason to take a specific day to remember him. But Washington was more than
fairly earned. But government institutions rarely provide a competitive field subject to market constraints of supply and demand. Public universities receive significant funding from the state and federal governments, allowing these schools to draw from a larger baseline budget. Football coaches may be seen as an investment for a university, raising money from ticket sales and media rights contracts. But do these coaches actually generate money for the schools? This issue is larger than exorbitant coaches’ pay. According to U.S.A. Today, only 23 of 228 Division I athletic departments turned a profit. And some of these departments that are not in the red, including the University of Washington, still receive subsidies from the university general fund. The University of Washington subsidy amounts to more than $3 million per year. Is the athletic department
joel staudinger In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected to serve as the 16th president of the United States of America. On Feb. 12, Lincoln’s birthday, America reveres the man who held together this nation in its time of greatest need. Shortly thereafter, on Feb. 17, we observe Presidents’ Day and George Washington’s birthday. Together, these days make February the month we celebrate the men who have led this nation since its birth 220 years ago. However, despite the achievements of these men, many of the citizens of this country are entirely unaware of
just the first president of the United States. Most of the men in power at the time of Washington’s election wanted to make him the king of America; Washington refused. He was one of the men who envisioned a democratic America, and because of him America isn’t ruled; it’s governed by the people, for the people. Washington was a brave, selfless and level-headed man who not only attended but also made possible the birth of the United States of America. So, at the very least, take a minute to think about President Lincoln or President Washington. Google the presidential achievements of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John Fitzgerald Kennedy or Andrew Jackson. Do something; tell someone something about your favorite American president, or just think a little about how much they sacrificed to achieve greatness for our country.
issue 14.5
jonah bartrand The highest-paid public employees in 26 states are university football coaches. In Washington State, the civil servant with the highest base income is Chris Petersen, the new head football coach at the University of Washington. He will be paid $3.2 million. Compared to salaries of coaches in other states, such as Alabama’s Nick Saban at $5.4 million, Petersen’s pay is fairly modest, but there is no getting around the fact that $2.7 million is a lot of money. Now, I don’t begrudge a rich man his money if it is
worth this much? No. Universities are locations intended for the acquisition of knowledge relevant to a student’s future career. With only 1,696 employed N.F.L. players, I would not lay money on any particular college ball player making a career of football. To those arguing that college sports provide a valuable “cultural experience,” then perhaps that value should be reflected by higher ticket prices at the gates. As a current taxpayer and soon-to-be college student, I resent that my money is used to financially support a program that I do not philosophically support. With just the money paid to the head football and basketball coaches at U.W. and W.S.U., $5.4 million, the state could pay the salary of 77 teachers that would teach more than 10,000 students each year. I ask you, which is a better investment in the future?
16 The Back Page 27 February 2014
In a jam: love and poison
naveena bontha
T
o most people, jam is a filling eaten between two pieces of bread. If you’re like my parents, you probably believe that all jam is good jam, and the wilder the flavor, the better. My normally cautious parents have no qualms about jam flavor. As they like to say, “It all gets mixed in your stomach in the end, so what does it matter, eating an orange, peach, and a mango, or eating Orange Peach Mango jam?” This month’s flavor happens to be Cherry Raspberry
Rhubarb. In one word: yuck! I don’t mind cherries, I have a torrid love affair with raspberries, but I’m not really sure about rhubarb. I think the leaves are poisonous and that people make pies out of it, but I couldn’t tell you one way or another with full confidence. Who decides these weird flavor combinations anyway? I always imagine this total Charlie and the Chocolate Factory moment: the dubiously sane “Creator” reclining on a futon, talking to his psychiatrist. “I think that cherries, coconut, pineapple, and mango are good together. Kinda psychedelic, you feelin me bro? The eater can pretend that they are on an island.” Flavor aside, the other thing that bugs me about my jam is the texture. I mean, the flavor is gross, but it’s manageable. Finding
chunks of fruit in my jam is the worst. It’s like drinking a cream of mushroom soup. The
Just like the mushroom, jam becomes blacklisted by my taste buds with the addition of chunky fruit. naveena bontha flavor bugs you, but the soup itself is easy to swallow if you just ignore the taste—now add these huge chunks of gooey, rubbery mushrooms to that broth. The texture and flavor are immediately enhanced, but not in a good way. Just like the mushroom, jam becomes blacklisted by
my taste buds with the addition of those chunky fruits. My stomach turns in revolt every time I see one of those chunks in my sandwich. The worst part is that you get so hypersensitive about the chunk. I like to do the whole eat around the chunk dance. Constant vigilance! Eat around the chunk, eat around the chunk, eat around the chunk, and bang! The chunk slips in. Gag reflex, are you there? It’s me, Naveena. This is probably the most traumatizing moment of my day. Forgot my homework? Pshh, whatever. Got an F on a math test? Don’t care. Find a chunk of fruit in my sandwich? Hyperventilation: activate! The FBI should really use the fruit and weird jam flavor combination to get prisoners to talk. They would squeal their nation’s secrets in no time.
Bird Pandemic
I
t’s been spreading like a wildfire in the Amazon, sweeping the nation in a way never seen before. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Flappy Bird! So it was a bird in the first place, tapping its way into the phones and iPods of people everywhere. jourdan plante If you look, just about everyone has Flappy Bird on their phones. But after a while you get just a tad frustrated with the game and tend to either throw your phone or delete the game. How is this game so fun? This game taps into peoples’ competitive spirits. Ha, ha, see what I did there? It’s one of the most addicting games ever. In the lunchroom people have competitions to see who can get the furthest, and it lasts all but two minutes or so. Every minute, you hear something like “Dang it!” and other words that shall not be named. What’s an average score, you ask? It’s about four or five, and on a good day, six. However, you do sometimes get that one long run that usually leads to your high score. With the immense amount of stress from school, you’d think that students would try and find an outlet to relieve it—but no. Flappy Bird ruins the lives of teenagers. Students play Flappy Bird, adding anger, frustration and stress to the situation at hand. Not only is there Flappy Bird, but there’s more. A rival company has create the hardest game on earth… IRONPANTS! This impossible game is similar to Flappy Bird except there is no bird and it’s 50 times harder. You’d better take up the opportunity to download it, because after only a few short weeks of intense fame, Flappy Bird was deleted from every app store. Despite its unavailability, Flappy Bird will go down in history as one of the best games of 2014. But make no mistake—this is not a good game. It is just a frustratingly popular one. A word of warning to those who choose to read this article: DO NOT PLAY FLAPPY BIRD! But that’s just a suggestion. Do what you want. No one is going to stop you.
the witticism:
T
mickey shin
his article is written for the six of you whose parents actually go to parent teacher conferences. I hope your mid-quarter grades are the best they can be for these upcoming days of awkward interactions. Now, as many of you ellie mendoza inferred from what I just said above, or from eerie calls you may have received from the school district’s automated voice messaging system, this is parent-teacher conference week. Tomorrow our parents are welcomed into our home territory with expectations of getting a glimpse of how we behave in school. They will ask questions such as, “How’s our little Johnny doing in his ceramics class?” Then you hope they’ll receive a response along the lines of, “Oh, your Johnny boy is just a gem, an absolute treat to have in class!” Too bad this never happens. Here’s a more realistic hypothetical conference: “Well, hello there Mr. Math Teacher, how’s my son Bob doing in class?” “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t believe I have a Bob in any of my classes.” “But according to his schedule, Mr. Math Teacher, you have him fourth hour for geometry?” To which Mr. Math Teacher would reply, “Oh! That little darling Bob! He’s just the brightest boy I’ve ever met. Quite the shining star, I’ll tell ya. Such a beautiful kid. You must have been the luckiest mother to have produced such a brilliant young fawn. He’s doing great!” At that point, any parent would be beaming from ear to ear at the seemingly heartfelt comments given by a teacher who has no idea who their sweet Bob is. For all the poor teacher knows, Bob could be that kid who shows up once every two weeks and eats the erasers off his partners’ pencils. Either way, his parent is left content, and our teacher is one parent closer to leaving. Some of you are probably sitting here in disbelief, thinking to yourself that there is absolutely no way any teacher would ever do that. But you, my friend, are wrong. Take this from firsthand experience: it is possible. I hope you all experience the day when your teacher taps you on the shoulder a few weeks after conferences and guiltily explains how he had no idea who you were at conferences, so he just left your mother with some nice general comments. He’ll ask you to have no hurt feelings because he knows who you are now. On the flipside, even though my teacher doesn’t know me, at least he doesn’t know me for being a bad student.