STRIKING AT STATE
Altitude VOLUME 16.3 • 2.12.2016
Bowlers dominate state competition see page 4
Hanford High School • Richland, Wash. 99354
THE GAP
inside 3 MUSICAL
A behind-the-scenes look at the sold-out show, ‘The Little Mermaid.’
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SUPER BOWL
6
THE GAP
One student’s commentary and opinion on Super Bowl 50.
How socioeconomic factors affect education.
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GRANT SANDY
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NETFLIX
Student diagnosed with leukemia explains his experience.
Reviews of recent Netflix originals ‘Jessica Jones,’ ‘Making a Murderer,’ and ‘Master of None.’
up & coming Feb. 14 Valentine’s Day
Feb. 15 Presidents’ Day No school
Feb. 22 Pennies for Patients fundraising begins
Feb. 29 First practice for all spring sports
March 3
THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP Education can be the “great equalizer,” the open door towards equal opportunity. However, socioeconomic boundaries keep this door shut to the people that need it most. Meet Elliot, who went from crop fields to college campuses. continued on page 6 reporting by emily tan, caroline waring graphics by emily tan photography by katie peurrung
Solo and Ensemble Concert @ 7 p.m.
March 5 Sadie Hawkins dance @ 8 p.m.
News
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THE BUZZ what have you heard in the news?
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Donald Trump lost in Iowa. On Feb. 1, Donald Trump lost to Ted Cruz. Cruz won the caucus with 51,666 votes and 28 percent. Donald Trump had 45,427 votes and got 26 percent of the caucus votes. Marco Rubio came in third. On Tuesday, Feb. 9, Trump won the New Hampshire primary with 34 percent. Bernie Sanders won the Democratic primary with 56 percent of the votes.
KEORI DEXTER (09)
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President Obama went to a mosque for the first time during his presidency.
On Feb. 3, for the first time in his two terms, President Obama visited one of the largest mosques in the nation, the Islamic Society of Baltimore. Obama’s goal when visiting this mosque was to show that Muslims are also part of the United States and that attacks towards their faith are unacceptable in a country founded on religious freedom.
LILLIE BROWN (10)
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I heard that a truck crashed and killed two people and injured five on Snoqualmie Pass. Two semi-trucks were involved in an eight-vehicle car wreck on I-90 on Friday, Feb. 5. Two people died, and five people were injured. The portion of I-90 where the crash occurred was closed for most of the day afterwards. The semi-driver lost control of his vehicle and started to drift, causing the cars to crash. The driver has been arrested and is being investigated for vehicular homicide.
2.12.2016
SADIE’S STARTS EARLY DANA SMALL AND SARAH LATKA news editor and staff writer
A month before the event happens, the sophomore class council is hard at work preparing for this year’s Sadie Hawkins Dance. Sadie’s will take place March 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Small Eyrie gym. In order for Sadie’s to take place this year, the sophomore class council needs to sell at least 300 tickets a week before the dance. The money made from ticket sales goes towards paying for the dance’s DJ, photographer, decorations and more. Because of how important it is to sell all 300 tickets in time, the council is doing a lot of advertising all around school. “We hope to attract more people to come to the dance by making the tickets more easily accessible,” said sophomore Navnoor Khurana,
president of the sophomore class council. To advertise the dance more and reach their goal, members of the Leadership class have made posters for the dance. These posters hang all around the school in the hallways to promote and make students aware of the dance. “We are trying to make it known that you need to buy your tickets sooner rather than later. We are trying to be more informative so that there are less surprises,” said sophomore class adviser Pam Kehret. Planning for this event started all the way back in summer time. The council handed out a survey on Falcon Prep Day, before the school year began, asking students what theme they wanted for Sadie’s. The theme that won was Glow in the Dark.
Gathering the materials needed to represent this dance’s theme has been a challenge for the members of the council. “Materials for the Glow in the Dark theme have been challenging to find, but the members of the sophomore council are pretty creative, so we’ve come up with a great way to maximize our tight budget,” Khurana said. The council plans on meeting at least once a week starting a month before the dance to finalize all the plans. During these meetings, the council will work and plan how they will tackle each of the different needs of the dance. “As a council, we make some decisions. These are the decorations we like, here is the budget, how do we make that happen,” Kehret said.
Year of the Monkey
Chinese New Year says farewell to the year of the sheep
OWEN ROLLISON (11)
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The Broncos won the Super Bowl against the Panthers. On Sunday, Feb. 7, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers faced off in Super Bowl 50. The Denver Broncos won by 14 points with an ending score of 24-10. The Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was named the Most Valued Player after the game.
COURTNEY MEIGS (12) reporting and photos by jessica olson
ruimin tan
An Wang and Ryan Wang perform at the Tri-Cities annual Chinese New Year Gala, which was held in Richland High School Auditorium. They were the masters of ceremony for the evening. HANNAH BRYAN staff writer
shelby schumacher
February is Black History Month, or National African American History month, a month dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the contribution of African Americans to the United States and the world. Seniors Elizabeth Kelly, Viviane Giurgiuman and teacher Victoria Russell have planned an assembly to honor Black History Month. “It’s important to teach people about other cultures,” Kelly said. “Viviane and I went to AWSL [Association of Washington Student Leaders], and bigger schools over in Seattle do lots of stuff revolving around ethnic culture, and I thought it was a good idea because we’ve never done it before.” The assembly was held Thursday, Feb. 11. reporting by caroline waring
Families from a variety of cultures flooded into the Richland High Auditorium. After a brief introduction, adults and children arrayed in bright dresses joined together on stage to open the celebration with a dance. While Chinese New Year began on Feb. 8, the Tri-Cities Chinese American Association’s (TCCAA) annual celebration took place on Saturday Feb. 6, with dancing, singing, traditional pipe music, Chinese skits and food. This Chinese New Year celebration is the Tri-Cities annual Chinese New Year Gala. The new year welcomes back the year of the monkey. According to tradition, this will be an unlucky year for anyone born in a monkey year. After the dance, a group, including seniors Ryan Wang and An Wang, gave their New Year’s greetings to the audience. “I feel like this festival is a good reminder of what Chinese culture is really like because we’re living in such an American society. This festival really exists just to remind people of our roots,” said An, when asked why she feels it’s so important to be part of such an important cultural event. People all over the world, Chinese or not, celebrate this New Year with their own festivals
and celebrations. Although following traditions like exchanging gifts of money, eating foods like dumplings and lighting firecrackers is still common, many now just watch China’s New Year’s gala on TV and keep in touch with their families through social media. When asked what Chinese New Year means to her An said, “It means good food.” Food is an important aspect of Chinese New Year celebrations and traditionally eating certain foods symbolizes certain hopes coming into the New Year “We eat the lotus petals. It means purity of the body and mind,” Ryan said. The New Year’s celebration is a family event, and Ryan and An have been attending the New Year’s gala with their families since they were children. Over several years they have participated in the performances in one way or another. An and Ryan were in charge of opening and closing the show. As masters of ceremonies, they also introduced each act, providing historical background. An welcomed the opportunity to take on a new role. When waiting to go on stage and greet the audience, An said, “It’s the New Year. We gotta welcome it in in all manner of festivities.”
News
2.12.2016
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katie peurrung
Senior Quin Hanrahan and junior Shane Morrow sing the finale for “The Little Mermaid,” the wedding between the now-human Ariel and Prince Eric.
Hanford Center Stage goes ‘under the sea’
SONALI MATTA A&E editor
From little boys and girls to senior citizens, hundreds flocked to the auditorium’s plush gray seats to watch Hanford High Center Stage present one of the first-ever high school productions of “The Little Mermaid.” From opening night on Jan. 29 to the closing show on Feb. 6, cast members, costumers, makeup and hair artists, technical staff and many more came together to perform seven sold-out shows of the winter musical. “The Little Mermaid” featured senior Quinlan Hanrahan as Ariel and junior Shane Morrow as Prince Eric. For months, the cast and crew have been working countless hours to prepare for opening night, and everyone’s hard work definitely paid off. With eight performances in nine days, the production completely sold out each and every show. One of the eight shows was put on during the school day to present the musical to local
elementary schools. “My favorite part of being in ‘The Little Mermaid’ was definitely the little kids. They make an amazing audience because they’re willing to suspend reality and become invested in the show, and I loved watching their faces light up as we brought the story to life,” sophomore Kanako Kawabe said, who played the part of The Sea. After opening weekend, the production even added another performance on Tuesday, Feb. 2, to be able to spread the musical to as many members of the public as possible. People lined up outside of the south entrance of the school as early as 1:30 p.m., with the line stretching down the walkway and even around the corner. That single performance sold out in a little over an hour, adding up to a total of around 4800 tickets sold. Students auditioned in November and rehearsals begun soon after, with the cast working alongside teachers, costumers, technical staff, set builders and many others.
“Every day after school for rehearsals, we would go until 7 p.m. pretty much. Winter break, one of the days was a nine-hour rehearsal, which is a full-time job. It’s a lot of work, lot of time,” Morrow said. In the end, each individual segment of the show joined together to create a beautiful production to present to the public. “It’s a bit like taking different pieces of ingredients and putting them in one big stew. So you take the dancing and the costuming and the lighting and the acting and the technical bits of it, and you work together on all of those until you get something that blends and works together to tell the story,” said Matt Leggett, drama teacher and director of the show. “I saw [‘The Little Mermaid’] advertised and took a look at it, listened to the music, and jumped on it as being a really great option for us this year, which I think has turned out to be really fun for everybody,” Leggett said. For Hanrahan, Morrow, and many others, drama has become an important part of their
lives. Both Hanrahan and Morrow have been acting since they were young, with similar roots based in organizations like the Academy of Children’s Theater (ACT) and Mid Columbia Musical Theater (MCMT). “Theatre is about telling the truth and as an actor it is your job to truthfully portray a story. This notion is so beautiful to me. I love that I get the opportunity to be authentic in my work and have the possibility of changing someone’s day or someone’s life,” Hanrahan said. Hanrahan plans to go to Pace University in New York City, majoring in theatre and business management. “Theatre is such a beautiful art and is meant to be shared. I love the idea of giving the audience something so truthful and touching. It’s magic that cannot be matched by anything else,” Hanrahan said. “Producing a story like this one bonds the audience and the actors and in that moment a special connection is formed. There is truly nothing like it.”
New food, new place Rising up to the 4A KYLE REISENAUER sports editor
katie peurrung
The view on George Washington Way is changing due to the new restaurants being constructed. ISABEL BARTHOLOMEW copy editor
Ever since construction began last summer on the empty plot of land on the corner of George Washington Way and Swift Boulevard, Tri-Citians have waited with bated breath to see what would emerge. The two newly-built buildings are filled with restaurants – Jimmy John’s, Dupus Boomer’s, Taco Time and Sweet Green Salads. Jimmy John’s is a national sandwich chain, and it’s already created quite the buzz. “I like Jimmy John’s,” said senior Brenden Buckley. “I’ve been there three times already.” Taco Time, located in the same building as Jimmy John’s, is planning to open in early 2016. Expectations are also high for Taco Time.
“I love Taco Time,” said senior Leigh Flaherty. “I didn’t know they were building one in Richland!” The other building will house Dupus Boomer’s, a full-service restaurant and lounge. The restaurant will specialize in classic American food. Dupus Boomer’s is not a widely-known chain; many weren’t sure what to expect. “I’d never heard of it prior to its construction,” said senior Emma Pope. The restaurant is named after a comic character from the 1940s who worked at the Hanford site. The comic shared humorous shorts poking fun at workers of the Hanford site and life in Richland. Dupus Boomer’s is expected to open this summer.
Hanford athletics are moving up in the world. Starting next year, Hanford will join the other 4A schools in the Mid-Columbia Conference (MCC): Richland, Pasco, Chiawana and Walla Walla. “I think it will be a good thing for Hanford to move to 4A,” said Paul Mayer, head coach of the boys basketball team. “It will put us on equal footing from here on out.” The process of moving from a 3A to a 4A school was a long one. A headcount of all students from freshmen to juniors is taken, and if that number is large enough to be in the top sixty five schools by population in Washington state, then the school is considered to be in the 4A division. Being a 4A school will not affect Hanford’s sports teams during the regular season. “It won’t affect the conference, but it will affect the teams as they start qualifying for the state tournament. So they’ll play different teams in the region,” athletic director Eric Davis said. “I think that if you’re good it doesn’t matter what level you play at, your athletes and your teams are going to get recognized if you’re producing quality product.” Even though not much is changing for the conference, Hanford will have to face new teams in the coming year. Starting next year, Hanford will compete against Mead, Ferris, North Central Valley and
other 4A high schools in Spokane. “I think it will have very minimal affect. I mean, we have been playing mostly 4A schools all of this year and last year,” Mayer said. Junior Kara Shibley, a varsity track runner, feels both nervous and excited to meet these new teams next year. “It should be interesting to see where we compare and how everything plays out,” Shibley said. As for the hardest part about facing new opponents will be, she thinks that it will be just that: facing someone new. “The hardest part for us in track will be not knowing our competition. The past three years, we have built up friendships and we know general trends as to how our competition performs,” Shibley said. “Next year it will be a whole new group that we don’t know anything about, so we can’t really expect anything from our competition.” To keep up with the competition, Shibley does not plan on changing anything. “I will prepare for next year the same way I have prepared in the past. Hard work in the off-season and continually training throughout the year to give myself an advantage at the start of the season over those who didn’t train,” Shibley said. This is a big leap for Hanford, but overall, not much will change. “Overall, it will be tough, but our teams can definitely rise to the challenge,” Shibley said.
Sports
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2.12.2016
Girls bowling strikes at state, takes championship Girls bowling win the state 1A/2A/3A match to take home the trophy JESSICA OLSON staff writer
The girls bowling team came away from the state tournament in Tacoma with some hardware. Some really big hardware. On Feb. 5-6, seven bowlers competed at Narrows Plaza Bowl in Tacoma. The team included senior Amanda Knowles; juniors Megan Bean and Danyelle Moore; sophomores Kylee Horner, Emily Goodnight and Sara Harris; and freshman Bryanna Decker. They held a high score for both days, beating out second place Everett by 103 pins. They were the first team from the
Tri- Cities to win a state championship in bowling. Sara Harris placed 4th in the individual standing. The team’s score even beat the returning winner of the 4A division, Wenatchee High School. Hanford bowled 7473 pins; Wenatchee, 7548. According to coach Tim Faix, the team had a clear challenge in the State competition: “We had to prepare mentally, and we had to do better than average to beat them. We had to bowl as well as in the season and better.” The bowlers, including Goodnight and Harris, practiced every day after Districts to make sure that they had confi-
dence as they went to State. They practiced the individual skills that they needed work on. They left Thursday, and practiced before the competition started on Friday, Feb. 5. “I prepared by practicing every day and working on my spares,” Harris said. The teammates encouraged each other, making sure that everyone kept a positive mindset. They supported each other not only as a team, but also as friends. They also had their friends and family cheering them on and watching them play. Faix said, “There is the mental game and physical game.
We had to prepare mentally. There are always distractions when you get on the lane. They had to learn to push the negative voices away.” This concentration was especially important at State. “State was very loud. The bowling alley is 40 lanes long. It was very crowded and stressful, but I had a good time with my team. It was very exciting,” Goodnight said. Most of the students on the bowling team are underclassmen, so many of will be returning next year. “We are very fortunate because we have had a strong team since we started,” Faix said.
courtesy of eric davis
The girls bowling team celebrates winning the State Championships, the first time a Tri-Cities team has done so. The team won 13 games this season, losing only one match, as well as posting a six-game win streak this season.
Cheer and dance win big at competitions Cheer and dance head into competition season with honors at state and local championships
courtesy of suzanne broetje
On Jan. 30, the Falcon Fever Dance team competed at Kamiakin against multiple schools from around the surrounding region, like Pasco, Kamiakin and West Valley. The team qualified for districts in all three of their routine categories. Junior Hazel Wilburn said, ”I thought we did really well for our first competition.” The dance team will compete at state on March 26.
courtesy of rae’lu mcbride On Jan. 30, the cheerleading teams competed at the state championship and brought home several honors. The Purple Team took first in the 3A/4A large division with a score of 81. The Gold Team placed fifth overall in the non-tumbling division. “So when we went out onto the mats and performed as well as we did, I was overjoyed with the result of our hard work,” said junior Rae’Lu McBride.
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Sports
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Spring athletes hit their stride reporting by annabelle bills
Dmetri Kennedy (10) • baseball “I’d prefer working out in the weight room to prepare myself for the season over an open gym.” Dmetri Kennedy plays catcher for the boys baseball team. He is practicing catching fast balls from the team’s pitchers after school with Coach DeWitz. katie peurrung
Gavin Cooper (10) • track “I have been working on weight lifting with Coach Jay and occasionally working on shot put with friends.” Gavin Cooper throws shot put for the boys track team. He is getting ready for the start of track season by working out and throwing shot put after school for one to three hours every day.
katie peurrung
Joshua Casey (10) •boys soccer “As a team, we do Saturdays, and in February on Tuesdays we meet in the gym. By myself, I work two days other than that.” Josh Casey is preparing for the start of boys soccer season by lifting weights and running, outside of school. He is not attending open gyms because he is training on his own.
katie peurrung
Rilie Berg (12) •girls softball “I’m working out six days a week, with heavy explosive training and lots of speed training. Then I’m practicing probably seven days a week ... and doing a lot of mental conditioning to get ready too.” Rilie is also teaching and getting younger players ready to play at the start of the spring sports season.
katie peurrung
Christina Xantheas (12) •girls tennis “We have outdoor hitting Wednesday and Thursday after school,” Xantheas said. She is working out in open gyms and by herself. “I want to get stronger, but I need to work on skills also.”
katie peurrung
Team captains Christina Xantheas and Viviane Giurgiuman, both seniors, lead open gyms for the tennis team so they can get stronger and be more prepared for the upcoming tennis season. Xantheas is also working out at CBRC in order to be ready for the start of tennis season.
Cheer team reflects on Nationals
courtesy of kim mayer
The cheerleading squad poses for a picture at the National High School Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida. KYLE REISENAUER sports editor
The cheer team just came back from competing at the National High School Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida, barely missing the finals cut. The team felt both nervous and excited going into the competition. This was sophomore Payton Mayer’s first national championship. Going into the competition, she felt both
“really nervous, but really excited.” This was senior Kiera Lucas’s fourth championship: “Mrs. Mayer always says it doesn’t matter what you do in warm ups, it’s all about what we do on those mats,” she said. While there, the team had several goals. “Our biggest goal was to get from semi-finals into finals for game day and from pre-lims to semi-finals,” Payton said. The team is serious about
the competition. “As a team, it’s always to hit a clean routine and be focused on our goal. Yes, it’s a bonus to go to Florida and Disney World, but we’re there to compete and do our best, not to skip school and have vacation time,” Lucas said. Lucas felt especially nostalgic going to Nationals. “This was the last time I’d compete as a Hanford cheerleader, so I wanted to finish strong and make tons of
memories,” Lucas said. Part of the experience is also seeing the top competitors from around the nation. “We were just looking forward to seeing all of these other great teams and to just be a part of it,“ Payton said. For the first time, the team also competed in the Game Day Division, which focuses on sideline cheering. “I was excited to see how that went and being with my team,” Lucas said.
jourdan plante takes on
SUPER BOWL 50 AND PEYTON MANNING With Super Bowl 50, Broncos were sitting on a we’ve had half a century 10-0 lead in the first minutes of the display of the best of the game. athletes and best teams ever The Panthers could move to play the game of football. the ball with ease, but they The game has certainly come weren’t able to drive it into a long way since its origins the end zone until the end of back in the 1920s. the first half of play. At halfThe game of football is time, it was 13-7, Broncos. tough, and it takes a great At this point, it was anyamount of work and dedione’s game. The third quarter cation. However, in the end, yielded Denver another field there can only be one Super goal; the Panthers also scored Bowl winner. a field goal. Denver’s defense Not being a huge fan of kept pounding Carolina’s either team, I was not particbeleaguered and exhausted ularly excited to see this year’s offensive line. This pressure Super Bowl. Nevertheless, I persisted throughout the rest still love football, so I needed of the game. to see what they had in store Let’s skip ahead to the last this year. five minutes of the fourth Right from the beginning quarter. of the game, you could tell What sealed the fate that both teams were there of the Panthers was a pass to battle to the end. Not one interference penalty that put single ounce of energy was the Broncos directly in front wasted; it was a battle the of the end zone. It was at this whole time. moment when the Broncos Leading the Denver Bronput the nail in the coffin of cos was quarterback Peyton Carolina’s Super Bowl dream, Manning, with a 2-yard arguably one of touchdown run by At least Denver and the best to ever C.J. Anderson. one of the league’s play the game I was happy best gets to end on a of football. with how it all high note, a rarity so Personally, I turned out. I went few experience. am a huge fan from not showing of Peyton Manmuch interest at ning, and I was hoping that he all to almost jumping off my would end his career on the couch. best note possible. Adding a This very special Super nice shiny ring on his hand, Bowl was especially super due along with the silver symbol to the massive celebration of the NFL, the Lombardi and gravitas of half a century Trophy, would be ideal. of football. This Super Bowl As for the Carolina Panbroke set several records, as thers, leading them was none Peyton Manning became the other than quarterback Cam first player to win a Super Newton. This beast of a man Bowl with multiple teams, as is 6-foot-5 and weighs 260 well as becoming the oldest pounds. player to start and win a Super Newton is no doubt an Bowl. intimidating opponent in I hate to end on a more anyone’s eyes. His statistics melancholy note, but I feel going into the postseason that something else needs to were outstanding, worthy of a be addressed. Super Bowl appearance – but We as a football commudespite Newton’s stats, he was nity could have witnessed unable to pull out the win. Peyton Manning’s last game The game was a nail-biter as a player. at times. A real sitting-onI feel a great sense of forthe-edge-of-your-seat type of boding for the future of the game. I couldn’t take my eyes NFL without its unyielding off for a second. Sheriff. At least Denver and What really made the one of the league’s best teams game interesting was that in gets to end on a high note, an the first quarter, not even experience that so few get. halfway in, the Broncos set Hopefully, the young and the tempo of the game with immature Cam Newton will a touchdown off of a strip become humbled and will be sack, where Von Miller ripped more respectful during games the ball right out of the hands and after a tough loss, after of Carolina’s usually steady having gloated and paraded and aware quarterback, Cam during this season. Newton. Congratulations to the This defensive goal Broncos on an exceptional followed a field goal, so the win!
6
The Gap
“Obviously, I see people with stuff I don’t have, but I accept my situation and I’m fine with it. If you have access to the public library, and you have enough to eat and drink, you shouldn’t really have any academic handicap. I had access to books and access to the internet, so—boom—public library in my house. People should not just read, but do math and science stuff too. They’re going to have time. You’re at some disadvantage, but that’s no excuse to do super badly in school. Nobody had an expectation for me to do well in school. Once I gauged my own abilities, that’s what the expectation is: how well I can do.”
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The Gap
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4
The
GAP
Avg. number of AP classes taken by students with family incomes over $100,000.
7
1 Avg. number of AP classes taken by students with family incomes lower than $25,000. (Statistics self-reported from Hanford’s senior class.)
FROM CROP FIELDS TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES He grew up with six siblings and government money. Now he’s commited to one of the highest ranked universities in the United States. CAROLINE WARING editor-in-chief
Every day, Elliot* gets into his minivan and speeds for thirty minutes down country roads, watching fast-food places and hotels fade into fields of tumbleweeds, splintered barns, and distant penny-sized horses. Once he arrives home to the desolate farmlands of T—, Elliot will often spot his neighbor strolling through his backyard, a ragged twenty-something who Elliot says stopped attending classes in middle school. “People don’t really care. Maybe he just didn’t go to school, but he was still enrolled,” Elliot said. While it does boast an average graduation rate, poverty pervades the T— School District itself, with 73.7 percent of students receiving free or reduced rate lunch, almost twenty percent above the state average and over three times Hanford’s rate, according to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Elliot’s family owns two acres of land, his house encircled by the burgeoning roots of strawberries and grapes, plus the odd, decrepit neighbor. “Our neighbor shouts a lot of racial obscenities at us every time we walk past him,” he said. “My brother and I spend a lot of time in our yard, so we had to hear that. Whenever he’s shouting that at us, we haven’t really given him a lot of reaction, so eventually he’s just going to get tired.” Elliot himself attended T— schools until second grade, at which point his mother elected to take him on that now-familiar thirty-maybe-forty minute drive to Lewis and Clark Elementary. “I felt like I was at a kindergarten level when I went into second
grade. There was no schooling in T—. We didn’t really do any learning there,” Elliot said, who calls his T— era classes “rowdy” and “redneckish.” For the most part, he supplemented his early education with books. “I read by myself. My mom taught me to read when I was really young. She got me on the right track, but I mean, there’s five of us, and she couldn’t devote that much time to each one,” Elliot said. “We have a lot of books in our house. We have a massive room for a library, and the walls are all covered in books.” In between reading, though, Elliot says he spent upwards of ten hours a weekend working chores on his farm, plus whatever needed to be done after school, work he started before he even turned eight. “It was tough,” Elliot said. “But once we got past eight, my dad – he thought he was an entrepreneur – made a business, and we worked there instead.” At the idea of private lessons, Elliot laughs. “Definitely no private lessons, yeah. That was out of the question.” But other than that – the lack of music lessons, Chinese school, the working weekends – he doesn’t believe his financial situation affected his schooling in any palpable way. “If you worked eight hours a day – that’s a lot of work in one day, and you’re still going to have eight more hours to do stuff and eight more hours to sleep. You’re at some disadvantage, but that’s no excuse to do super badly in school.” Rather, he believes most success stems from motivation, from recognizing education as a priority, from the very first time he sat in a cold room and took the GATE test in third grade – now called QUEST, a program for “gifted and talented” elementary
schoolers. “If people want to go into GATE and if they’re motivated enough to take the GATE test, then they can just go into GATE,” Elliot said. It just so happens that most kids who take the GATE test in the first place are from higher-income families, and even more kids who receive acceptances are, too. For the most part, Elliot found his own motivation in his friends; they were why he took the GATE test, why he muscled his way into advanced math classes and why he continued to take on more AP classes. “Because my dad grew up on a farm, [my parents] weren’t too big on education, it was secondary to housework,” he said. “My friends inspired me to take harder classes and attempt the GATE test.” Now Elliot’s been accepted to a Top 20 University. And, just like his experiences with the GATE program, in middle school HI-CAP and in his AP classes, Elliot will be in the economic minority at his elite school, too. In fact, one 2006 study reported that of those undergraduates attending the United States’ most competitive universities, only 14 percent came from the bottom 50 percent of income distribution. But, honestly, Elliot doesn’t mind wandering in a milieu of high-end degrees and private services. “Obviously I see people with stuff I don’t have, but I accept my situation and I’m fine with it. I’m fine with everything,” he said. “I’m pretty content as a person.” *Elliot chose to remain anonymous.
The Gap
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2.12.2016
Q&
Who takes the SAT? The decision to take the SAT, a college entrance exam required by many universities, varies dramatically by income.
with Superi Dr. Sc
79
How should kids from lo incomes approach the is
23
What are some other iss is struggling with, beside
percent of students with family incomes greater than $100,000 took the SAT.
percent
*Percentages were obtained from self-reported income and test score surveys handed out to the Hanford senior class.
of students with family incomes lower than $25,000 took the SAT.
Inside the AVID classroom
the classes also often include many low-income students or those who have been held back How AVID prepares highly motivated students with restricted access to due to personal struggles. In the national 2013-2014 AVID senior educational resources for college from a young age and onwards class, 75 percent of the students’ parents did not attend college. AVID’s overarching goal? EMILY TAN editor-in-chief Closing the achievement gap for students underrepresented Since three years ago, a select group of freshmen, sophoin higher education with calculated strategy and education – mores and juniors have made up a group of highly motivated AVID starts as early as third grade. students, part of a program called AVID. “These kids don’t have anyone to help them strategize or Established more than thirty years ago, AVID – Advance- show them the strategies for how to be successful after they ment Via Individual Determination – targets high-potential leave high school, so AVID is a class that tries to teach them students who haven’t yet had the opportunities to prepare some of those skills,” Koch said. “We do a variety of things, them for success in high school and beyond. mainly tutorials. Some of these tutorials are like: ‘How do “I think that the challenge that we’re trying to overcome you do a study group?’ ‘How do you come prepared and with AVID is that idea of unawareness,” said sophomore know how to ask for help?’ ‘How to note take,’ ‘How you AVID teacher Ben Koch. “They’re just unaware of some of study,’” the things that you need to do to go to college.” However, the actual AVID curriculum varies from year to Most of the kids are first-generation college students, and
“Well, one thing that we try to kee family is a private matter. So we d thing and we don’t want to create with the income of your family or and you know we value diversity, income as much as we value any o least with my experience with stud as much bias maybe as some of u that even children, if a family can know whatever the latest fad is, an that maybe came from goodwill o sister or something like that, what make fun of someone else, or put differently because they maybe ca fashionable person, and also just i of activities and people into the a one of the things that we keep tra ricular activities for sports and clu time kids don’t have access to the have transportation, or they can’t work after school and so reaching kids in activities would be a good
“I would say something like Adva example of that issue. Kids from sign up for Advanced Placement we have money that we can pay th maybe they don’t know that or th that’s one of the reasons why AVI especially kids from those backgro do things that maybe they didn’t t then to provide access to let’s say taking the test that they don’t hav the elementary schools, they have and there’s a pretty strong correla and whether or not they get selec program. It’s not absolute, but the from non-low income homes that whereas kids that come from low get nominated as often, and they There is a connection even at elem through Advanced Placement.”
year as each grade level focuses on a different aspect of college preparation. “Year by year, they have different things they do. For example, this year I have the sophomores and one of the things we try to do this year is PSAT prep,” Koch said. “Freshman year, we do some things with colleges, like looking at how much college is going to cost. Junior year, they start looking at where they want to go.” After working with the AVID students for the past semester, Koch expects to see improvement coming their way soon. “I think some of my sophomore students this
The Gap
2.12.2016
&A
intendent chulte
ower and higher ssue of money?
ep is that income of your don’t want to make that public e this stigma that is associated r the education of your family, and we value the diversity of other kinds of diversity, so at dents is that they don’t have us older people do. But I know n’t wear the latest fad, you nd they’re wearing something or from their older brother or t students can do is that don’t t them down, or treat them an’t be the trendiest or most incorporate just a wide variety activities that we do. You know ack of for all of our extracurubs and those things is a lot of ese activities is that they don’t buy uniforms or they have to g out to include some of those thing to do.”
“AVID is a big initiative that we’re doing, and we’re doing it starting it now as early as third grade and starting it throughout all the grade levels. So that’s probably our single biggest thing that affects the most students. The second thing that we’re doing, we call it Community in Schools. We just started it last January, so it’s been one full year now that we’ve had it, and it’s where we have different social workers, and we place them in a variety of schools, and their job is to make sure that families that need help can get it. There’s a lot of services available in the community, but not every family knows how to get to these services, whether it’s food bank, or health care or even things such as fixing windows or getting transportation or a phone. A lot of times low income families don’t have those needs met, and they don’t know how to do that. So the AVID is a district wide thing that affects everybody, and the Community in Schools social workers is an effort addresses individual things as we have them.”
“Actually it’s one of our goals – we call it the achievement gap between the non-low income students and the low income students. One of our goals is to close that achievement gap, so that kids in these families are achieving as well as the kids from the higher income families. And we do that, and I mention AVID and the social workers but we’re starting even as early as preschool because we know that students who come to say Kindergarten already come behind if they come a low income family with less education their vocabulary is smaller, they have fewer experiences that are useful in school. You know, full day kindergarten is one of the things we’re doing, We’re trying to do more preschool, we’re working a lot with the day cares in the community in order to teach them in order to teach what it takes in order to have somebody be prepared for the start of school. These skills are important for kids throughout high school and for graduation and we’re focusing on having these kids have goals of going to some kind of post-secondary schools.”
Why do you think the gap occurs and what are your opinions of how the correlation exists?
anced Placement classes is an lower income families don’t classes as often, even though he cost of taking that test, but hey don’t think about it. So ID is encouraging all kids, but ounds to think that they could think they could do before and for AP classes, we can pay for ve to take themselves. Even at e the highly capable programs, ation between family income cted for the highly-capable ere’s a lot more kids that come t qualify for the highly capable, w-income homes, they don’t don’t get selected as often. mentary school, but all the way
99%
23%
77%
92%
“Probably the most intuitively obvious thing is that it’s more likely that a low income family has less education to begin with. If a parent has less education, they may talk to their kids less, read to their kids less, they may have smaller vocabulary than families that come from a more educated background and then also just for low income families just the stress and pressure of not having enough food or clothing, and healthcare, that stress and pressure puts just so much of your energy into basic survival skills so that there’s no more energy to put into things that families who don’t have to worry about that can put into. Families that don’t have worry about that can go to museums, and parks, and join soccer teams and Cub Scouts, or Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, but if you’re worry about where’s your next food meal is going to come from or if someone’s ick and you need a way to get health care, you don’t get a chance to worry about all those other educational things so there’s really a variety” of factors.
IMPACT OF AVID *all data was collected from www.avid.org
Statistics from the top four percent How does the top four percent of Hanford’s graduating class compare in income and parents’ education? To find out, we conducted a survey of the summa cum laude students and asked them to self report income and extracurricular activities. Fifteen out of nineteen respondents said their parents had at least a Master’s or a Doctorate degree.
Are there any current controversies about this sort of issue?
sues that the district es transportation?
s
How does the district address these socioeconomic issues and the gap corresponding to achievement in high school?
9
A
B
C
D
a: took college courses/dual enrollment b: took at least one course of rigor (course of rigor defined as advanced placement, international baccalaureate, advanced international certificate of education) c: completed four-year college entrace requirements. d: graduated high school on time
Students with parents who have advanced college degrees live in a household of expectation to succeed in educational opportunities. This correlation reveals the impact that a family’s emphasis on education has on real and material academic achievement. Statistics collected as part of a self-reported online survey for 2016 top 4%. *colored pencils represent top students whose parents have advanced degrees.
$170,000 Self-reported median household income of top four percent versus median household income in Richland in 2013, according to City-Data.
year, we’ll be able to see some of that [taking higher level classes] happening next year.” At the national level, AVID excels statistically. In the 2013-2014 class, 77 percent of AVID students took at least one class of “rigor,” defined as an Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or Advanced International Certificate of Education course. In terms of college preparedness, 99 percent graduated high school on time and of that group, 78 percent were accepted into an accredited four-year university or college. However, Koch thinks there are certain aspects in the high school curriculum that inhibit kids who start late from catching up. “Take
annual income of top 4% students
VS Richland annual income (2013)
$67,496
math for example. We work them and then we go: ‘Yeah, this kids needs more advanced math,’ but how do you get that? In high school, everything’s already on a track, you can’t just jump a math class. So that’s something we’re trying to work with among the teachers and administration,” Koch said. And Koch doesn’t believe that socioeconomics has nothing to do with these “late starts” in the first place. “There’s definitely a correlation. I don’t think it’s definite, as in I don’t think there’s cause and effect. But there’s definitely a correlation,” Koch said. “I think in most cases, it makes it a lot tougher on students and it’s understandable that students without those opportunities at home, their grades will probably not be the best. “When we look at the data, socioeconomic status does seem to be the strongest indicator of student success, and it really shouldn’t be. “But,” he added. “I think there are opportunities to work around that and help them take tough classes. I feel like we’re trying, but there’s definitely a lot more we can do to try to close that gap in achievement.”
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2.12.2016
Dealing with cancer: A life-changing diagnosis JADON FICKLE staff writer
COURTESY OF LORI SANDY Grant Sandy (12) stands in a hospital room in Spokane where he was initially treated for leukemia. Sandy was diagnosed four months ago and is now completing a last round of chemotherapy.
Oct. 25, 2015, was the day senior Grant Sandy went in to the doctor because he had not been feeling well for a couple of weeks. A high fever got him kicked over to the emergency room, and a blood test revealed a high white blood cell count in his body. Given a choice to be moved to either Seattle or Spokane for testing, his family chose Spokane, and less than 24 hours after leaving Richland, Sandy was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, a rare and aggressive childhood leukemia. “When I found out I had cancer, it was, of course, a huge shock. I thought to myself that something had to be wrong, I couldn’t actually have cancer,” Sandy said. “It was really hard to think of myself as having cancer, and to be honest, I had very little time to actually think about it.” Within 48 hours of arriving in Spokane, Sandy was diagnosed with AML and began receiving chemotherapy, which involves chemical substances
and anti-cancer drugs used to combat cancer in one’s body. For Sandy, his biggest struggle was breaking the news to others. “The hardest part about being diagnosed was telling my friends and family,” Sandy said. Many people have come to support Sandy since his diagnosis. While some may resent being treated differently because they have a terminal disease, Grant has found that dealing with his illness has shown a lot of the good in society. “People are more willing to help and seem more open to talking with me,” Grant said. “It is interesting because it has shown me that in general people are good and willing to help a complete stranger, or at least do what they can to make someone’s day a little bit better.” People have shown Sandy as much love as they can through his situation. However, while Sandy has enjoyed his friendships and bonds outside of school, he is starting to miss those he had while in school. “What I miss most about
being in school is the people that I knew. I miss my friends and teachers at Hanford. I also miss working in the woodshop,” Grant said. Some people view life as a race to acquire anything and everything they can. Money, fame, the next big movie or video game. But in a split second, your world can completely change, and so too does your outlook on life.” The sum of his experiences has left Grant with a new view of the world. “Leukemia has given me an appreciation for what I have in life. Life is not just about material possessions. In fact, material possessions mean nothing in the end,” Grant said. “You can build up your empire of dirt throughout your life, and in the end it is nothing to anyone. Life is all about the people you have in it, and when it comes down to it that is everything.” Sandy is currently undergoing a last round chemotherapy. Keep in touch with Grant by joining the Facebook group “Grant Drops the Gloves.” It is a closed group, requiring permission to join.
FASHION FRENZY WITH KETSIA KAHAMBWE
“ CASSIE BAUNE (10)
ZACHARY CHANDLER (11)
I actually pulled this shirt last night because I haven’t worn it in a while, and it’s really comfortable.
I really like how the colors all go together.
“
Be comfortable and cute. Comfort is a necessity for most high school students, but the balance between not looking like you just rolled out of bed but wanting to feel like you did is key. Cassie really made comfy look incredibly trendy. Stripes have been considered trendy in the fashion world since the spring of 2013 and are still a safe, trendy basic. The trick is being able to properly tie it together. Cassie’s slouchy, striped shirt works well, because it’s well complimented with a skinny jean, creating a well-proportioned silhouette.
Layer it up. You can turn a basic outfit into an exceptional one. Adding layers and accessories adds both depth and interest to an outfit. Denim jackets have been a basic staple since 1880, when the Levi Strauss Company came out with the very first one. With vests is high trend, Navnoor was able to layer her vest over a basic cream sweater. That added depth. The statement necklace, another musthave in fashion according to Vogue, added the interest. The riding boot has also become a trendy piece outside of the horse corral.
Be resourceful. A good deal never jumps at you; you need to be willing to search. Zachary picked up half of the pieces in his outfit from Goodwill and his mom’s closet. Outerwear jackets don’t just have to be worn outside. By cinching in the drawstrings, Zachary created a defined waist. His grunge styled outfit definitely complemented the cloudy, grey weather outside. And down to his feet, combat boots add a militaristic feel to any outfit. They are versatile enough that it can be paired with virtually anything and add a rougher edge to it.
“
“
NOOR KHURANA (10)
Yesterday, I didn’t really feel cute, and today I wanted to be comfy but also stylish.
Slouchy Shirt - Aeropostale
Riding Boots - Famous Footwear
Rain Jacket - Mom’s Closet
Skinny Jeans - Aeropostale
Denim Vest - Target
Sweatshirt - Goodwill
Shoes - Unknown
Skinny Jeans - American Eagle
Jeans - Goodwill
Statement Necklace - Target
Combat Boots - Sugar Pop
Earings - Unknown
Features
2.12.2016
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Love through the ages reported by dana small
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER? JP: Around a year and a half. WHAT DREW YOU TO EACH OTHER? BZ: I thought she was cute. JP: His personality – he’s funny and he tells jokes. FAVORITE THING ABOUT EACH OTHER? BZ: I really like her eyes and that she’s really dorky and stuff. JP: He’s really sarcastic. FAVORITE ACTIVITIES TO DO TOGETHER? BZ: We like to go to the park together. JP: We also watch a lot of TV, mainly “Futurama.”
katie peurrung
Kat Collins (12) poses with some of the different textbooks she uses to study. With all the languages she has learned, Collins does admit that she sometimes gets them confused. “Sometimes I’ll start speaking the wrong language in class, I do that daily. People look at me,” Collins said.
Loca for languages ISABEL BARTHOLOMEW copy editor
While many high school students struggle with mastering even one world language, senior Kat Collins has taken on the challenge of learning every world language offered at Hanford -- and then some. Collins is studying French, Spanish, and German at school, as well as teaching herself Gaelic and Japanese at home. French was the first world language that Collins learned – she started studying it by herself in eighth grade, and she’s now taking AP French. “I feel I can speak it fluently,” Collins said. “I found myself in love with the language . . . I went to France, and I just really discovered how communication is a basic part of life.” To test her fluency in French, Collins is preparing to take the Diploma in French Studies (DELF) at the end of the year, an international exam. Even though French comes easy for Collins, other languages have been more difficult. Gaelic, which Collins has only been studying for three or four months, is the language that
she struggles with most, mainly because it has “insane pronunciation weirdness going on with it; it’s all backwards and flipped over, and your subject is before everything, but your verb’s around your subject!” Collin’s passion for languages can be seen clearly on her “to-learn” list, which currently contains Arabic, Greek, and either Portuguese or Swedish. She would also like to learn Latin because “it’ll help with a lot of Romances languages,” she said. “Languages are like puzzles for me, so I like to figure them out and connect them.” Luckily, Collins has some advice to share with all of those who find themselves struggling with world languages. “For me, whenever I start learning a language, I learn the alphabet so I can learn how to pronounce it. Then I learn the pronouns, and then specifically how to conjugate a specific verb to [each pronoun],” Collins said. “Vocab’s also important. If you don’t know how to say ‘I,’ you won’t be able to say anything.”
BRYCE ZAHLER (9) AND JENNA PATTERSON (9)
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER? DA: Almost two years. HOW DID YOU GUYS MEET? DA: We had swim lessons together in the fifth grade, and I absolutely hated him. When I switched to Enterprise in eight grade, he was my only friend. RR: I just want to point out that she hated me because I was a better swimmer than her and kicked her in the face because she was behind me.
DANYNN AFFLECK (10) AND ROSS RAWLINGS (10)
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER? DS: 11 months.
Oh captain, my captain
WHAT DREW YOU TO EACH OTHER? DS: I’ve always thought she was attractive, and I’ve liked her since freshmen year. PM: We were both athletes and had a lot in common. I liked that.
courtesey of ben casas
Vincent Silva (12) and Ben Casas (12) display their captain badges pinned to their lacrosse uniforms. During his freshman year, Casas won the “Ironman” award, which gave him a “sense of accomplishment.” NAVEENA BONTHA AND NATALIE SCHUEDDEKOPP features editor and staff writer
Although Richland and Hanford have an ongoing and well-known rivalry, the two schools put it aside for one sport: lacrosse. This year, about 10 Hanford students will play for Richland’s lacrosse team. Senior Ben Casas has been playing since he was 13, rising to team captain during his sophomore year and keeping that position for the last two years. “I like lacrosse because it is really fast paced, a combination of football, soccer, hockey, and basketball all put into one sport,” says Casas. “Baseball got really boring, so I decided to try lacrosse and I fell in love with it.” Casas shares the captain position with senior Vincent Sliva. Sliva has been playing lacrosse since fifth grade, saying that one of his favorite things about lacrosse is the way that it “combines creativity with physicality.” For Casas and Sliva, lacrosse doesn’t end with one season. “In the summer and fall, we play for a select team, but in the spring, we play for Richland,” says Casas. “Being captain is most important to me because I get to lead on the field and by effort and passion,” Sliva said.
Casas also says that the captaincy means a lot to him because of all the hard work he has put into the sport. “[The captaincy] gives me a sense of accomplishment,” Casas said. Casas plans on playing club lacrosse during his time at Sonoma State University. “One of the reasons I would play club lacrosse instead of collegiate lacrosse is because club doesn’t rule your life but [you] can still play and have fun at school.” Sliva also wants to play club lacrosse in college. He is thinking about attending a PAC-12 school, preferably Arizona State University. Both Casas and Sliva are excited for the upcoming season. “We’re pretty good this year, and we haven’t graduated anyone in the last two years, so this is the first year we’ll actually have seniors on the team,” says Casas. “We’re probably going to make a run in the playoffs, and finally make lacrosse relevant in Eastern Washington,” says Sliva. While Casas says that the reason he started playing lacrosse was to get in shape for football, Sliva attributes it to a simpler reason. “I heard lacrosse players get hella girls,” he said with a smirk.
FAVORITE THING ABOUT EACH OTHER? DA: I like his sense of humor, even though he makes fun of me a lot. RR: She’s pretty cute and fun to hang around.
DESMOND SAMPLE (11) AND PAYTON MOORE (11)
FAVORITE THING ABOUT EACH OTHER? PM: He’s really generous with his time. He helps everyone else before himself. DS: This is hard. She separates herself from the other people. She doesn’t try to be like the rest of the school. An example is her style of clothing. She wears what she wants to wear and doesn’t care about what others think. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TOGETHER? HT: Almost three-and-a-half years. WHAT DREW YOU TO EACH OTHER? HT: We both really liked the same thing. Like sports are a big common thing for us. We are really both really chill so we went together well.
TYLER MILLER (12) AND HANNAH THOMPSON (12)
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES TO DO TOGETHER? HT: We like to play basketball together. TM: That’s a lie. We like to go to the movies. We go to the movies a lot. HT: What, we don’t like to play basketball together? We do it all the time. Well, we end up fighting. TM: We never play basketball.
A&E
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2.12.2016
NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES: BINGE-WORTHY
Television connoisseur Shibani Datta analyzes the pros and cons of some Netflix Original Series Netflix Originals have become a common sight, the little red logo in the left hand corner showing up all over my recommended list. I admit that there was a time that I wouldn’t dare click on one of these series, but over the last few months I have grown to embrace and even hunt for new ones. Taking a chance and spending time on something unknown not created by a well known TV network was frightening. But at some point you have to take that leap of faith and push your limits. Am I making this topic a way bigger deal than it really is? Yes. Let’s dive in. shibani datta
“Making a Murderer” is my current obsession. The first thing I heard about this show was that it was something moms love. Naturally, I started watching the very next day and dug myself three onehour episodes deep. This is a real story, and Netflix does a wonderful job of keeping the viewer hooked. A documentary series, it follows Steven Avery, a man accused of rape in 1985 and put in jail for 18 years until his release in 2003. Of course, shortly after his release, he gets put in prison again, this time for murder (hence, the title). The lawyers are certain that the police have framed Avery for the murder just as they allegedly did in 1985. You have to devote your undivided attention or you may miss a new murder
suspect or advancement in the case. It feels like you’re actually with them once you overlook the editing and cliffhangers. If you’re into this type of thing, this show should definitely be on your queue. If you don’t dabble in the murder side of TV but are looking for something new and scintillating, this may be for you too. Did he do it? Will his lawyers prove his innocence and pin the death on the police? Watch Avery and his family, the Manitowoc police department, and Avery’s two dedicated lawyers work through the case.
“Master of None” is going to be the future of television (err, Netflix). It’s different from the typical comedy show. It’s not just that it lacks a laugh track, but it also appeals to another untapped side of humor. The jokes aren’t all obvious and laugh out loud, but are a little slower to develop. The show centers around American-born-Indian Dev Shah (played by Aziz Ansari) and what he faces as a 30-year-old actor in New York City. “Master of None” includes its fair share of romance and follows Dev’s relationship with adorable music publicist Rachel. This sounds identical to many other shows; guy in big city, looking for love, etc. But one of the major differences is that each episode tackles a new issue, some ex-
Making a Murderer
Master of None
House of Cards
Genre: Documentary Seasons: One Episodes: Ten Release Date: December 18, 2015 IMDb Rating: 9.1/10
Genre: Comedy Seasons: One Episodes: Ten Release Date: November 6, 2015 IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Genre: Political Drama Seasons: Three Episodes: 39 Release Date: February 1, 2013 IMDb Rating: 9.0/10
amples being race, immigrant parents and feminism. These topics may sound intimidating, but Ansari’s take combines the perfect amount of seriousness and humor. There is also an element of awkwardness to the show, because it approaches each setting in a real way. It cuts the crap, and it feels like you’re watching a real person’s life. Fans of “Parks and Recreation” know and love Ansari as Tom Haverford, but in Master of None, you’ll see him in a new setting – and there’s a chance you’ll like him even more.
“House of Cards” is the definition of intense. I don’t think if it would be possible to discuss Netflix Originals without talking about this show. Going into it, I didn’t know what to expect, but right off the bat, I knew Frank Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey) and his wife Claire (Robin Wright) were people that you do NOT want on your bad side. Starting out serving as House Majority Whip, Underwood is passed up for the office of Secretary of State in the new presidency. Humiliated and angry, he makes it his one and only goal to become president by any means necessary. Underwood is charming with his Southern drawl and manipulative to a degree that you haven’t seen in any character before – guaranteed.
The Underwoods are a team in every sense of the word. They show, to an extreme extent, how far people will go attain their goals. “House of Cards” is dark and complex, and not something to watch while doing homework. No, you need at least a few hours to watch, and a few more to mull it over. Over three seasons we follow the Underwoods’ cunning ways and see how Frank develops his character. If you like politics, the power-hungry, death and blackmail, then this is what you need.
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY YEAR IN REVIEW
ella sperline
2015 was definitely a year for artists to go big or go home. Last year produced tons of new, wonderful songs from hip-hop, pop, and country music. This article will recap some of last year’s best (and worst) songs. Country artist Jason Isbell topped the charts of 2015 with his album “Something More Than Free.” “I keep my spirits high, find happiness by and by” are the words spoken in “If It Takes a Lifetime,” a song about a man struggling with lowered expectations of a lonely life. Eric Church also topped the charts
with his song “Mr. Misunderstood,” which addresses a misfit teenage boy. Cam sparked interest with her album “Untamed.” The album featured “Burning House,” a song with a simple acoustic guitar melody written based off of a dream she had about saving her ex-boyfriend from a burning house. On another note, two of the worst ranking songs in the country category produced in 2015 were “Girls on Bars” by Bret Michaels and “Kick The Dust Up” by Luke Bryan. In “Girls on Bars,” Bret Michaels, a former ‘80s rock star from the band Poison, attempted to move to country with absolutely no success, producing a shallow song about men and their love of strip clubs and cold beer. At least “Kick The Dust Up” had some rhyme and reason to it, but even it was another variation of the regular country song – boots, girls, trucks, and (how could I forget!) cups getting filled up. At the same time, rap/R&B music gained traction with artists such as Drake, The Weeknd, and Nicki Minaj
releasing great new albums. Drake released “Hotline Bling,” a catchy song most likely written about an old flame of his from Toronto, Nebby. The Weeknd released many notable songs in 2015, but the one that rises above the rest is “The Hills.” The tune of the song certainly sticks in your head, but The Weeknd’s (birth name Abęl Tesfaye) captivating voice is what really sets the mood for this song. Somewhat of an anomaly in the male-dominated rap scene, Nicki Minaj made waves with her song “Anaconda” from “The Pinkprint,” an album of hard raps, shiny pop and personal detail. Aside from some truly golden tracks that were produced, other songs that were annoying – maybe even unnecessary – also stood out. “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” and “Hit the Quan,” produced by Silentó and iLoveMemphis respectively, were definitely the worst songs of 2015. “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)” and “Hit the Quan” are more of a
dance routine than anything else, and shouldn’t be considered real songs. Fun to dance to, sure, but not as fun to listen to and enjoy as “music.” Rather, I suggest listening to “Acquainted” and “Often” by The Weeknd, “Marvin’s Room” and “Know Yourself ” by Drake, “All Things Go” and “Get On Your Knees” by Nicki Minaj. Pop music also topped the 2015 charts. Taylor Swift was placed in the Top 40 charts with “Out of the Woods,” a song about the “fragility” and “kind of breakable nature” of some relationships, as Swift told ABC News in an interview about her album “1989.” The song is rumored to be written for her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles. Another notable song is “Love Yourself ” by Justin Bieber. Bieber put out some intense lyrics and definitely threw some shade, but he made up for it with his talented singing. And last – but certainly not least – Adele with “Hello,” a simply-named song with intricate meaning. You would guess that this song
was composed for an ex-boyfriend, but Adele said that it’s more about “reconnecting with everyone else and myself ” in an interview with Matt Lauer on NBC News’s “Today.” Apart from these wonderful tracks, songs such as “Dear Future Husband” and “Bitch I’m Madonna” are bad notes to a good year. “Dear Future Husband” by Meghan Trainor, despite the catchy tune, uses the same generic sound that Trainor has used for many of her other songs. It lacks originality. “Bitch I’m Madonna” by exalted singer and songwriter Madonna features many other celebrities – to name a few, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Chris Rock. At the end, though, the song is just pointless – at worst, it’s desperate, and at best, it’s just a dumb song that brags about how extravagant she is. Looking back, 2015 provided a variety of greatly composed songs and wonderfully talented artists, but there are always those couple of bad songs mixed in with the good. We just have to accept that.
BAND AND ORCHESTRA DOMINATE AT SOLO/ENSEMBLE SONALI MATTA a&e editor
On Saturday, Feb 6, members of the band and orchestra gathered at 7:00 am at the Chiawana High School theater for the 2016 regional Instrumental Solo & Ensemble Festival. Musicians performed by themselves or in small groups in front of a number of adjudicators and an audience, later getting the chance to work with the judges on their pieces. Students received their distinctions and feedback as the day went on. “I love performing and Solo/Ensemble is another outlet for that. I think that it’s really important for students to learn how to work together in a group effectively because no matter what you end up doing with your life, you’ll always be working with a group or a team,” junior Omar Ibrahim said. Hanford ended the day with a number of awards, including twelve first place finishers who will continue on to the state festival at Central Washington University.
Small Strings
Trombone
Large Percussion
Large Woodwinds
First Alternates: Diana Wang and John Paul Custodio Winner to State: Diana Wang
Winner to State: Cole Lobdell First Alternate: Nathan Salyer Second Alternate: Kaitlin Hopkins
Winner to State: HHS African Percussion Ensemble First Alternate: HHS Big Dawgs
Winner to State: HHS Woodwind Quintet First Alternate: HHS Woodwind Choir
Large Strings
Tuba
Flute
French Horn
Winner to State: Nathan Salyer First Alternate: Andrew Lanning
Winner to State: Grant Bender
Second Alternate: Fletcher Smith
Winner to State: HHS Large String Ensemble
A&E
2.12.2016
13
MOVIE REVIEW: And the award goes to... ‘KUNG FU PANDA 3’
michelle chou
This movie, probably one of the biggest to come out in January, had a lot to live up to. Many movies in a series simply can’t top – or even be equal to – the first. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed both “Kung Fu Panda” and “Kung Fu Panda 2,” I was expecting something of the same caliber. I was not let down. The plot had some cliché moments, such as the classic example of the hero (Po, in this case) accidentally leading the enemy (Kai) to the good guys’ base (the secret panda village). It also had the theme of being yourself rather than changing for someone else. It’s reasonable, though, for an animated movie to have more archetypal characters. There were also fewer fight scenes, with most scenes focused on the ending battle between Kai and Po. While I thought that it was good that they focused on the characters’ development and inner battles, I would have preferred more combat scenes, particularly because of the great animation by DreamWorks. The battles always combine a good amount of comedy due to Po’s seemingly
incompetence compared to the older experienced master and Po’s ingenuity to think up moves that no trained kung fu master would’ve ever thought of. I think it helps to show how he so uniquely qualifies for the job because only he brings this adaptiveness to the job. The plot itself was rushed at times because they had to fit in a lot of scenes about character development and still have enough room for critical fight scenes. The only complaint I have is that the fight scene when Po and Kai are still in the earthly world is too short to be a proper fight. Po was hit around a couple times and then all but surrendered to Kai’s strength. I was craving a more defiant Po, one who would stand up to the new bad guy walking around his home. But enough with the negativity. Let’s talk positive now. This movie did a good job of lightening the mood. Whenever it seemed as if Po and his friends were under pressure or the movie took a darker turn, there was always a comedic line or a cute scene to immediately lighten the mood and bring back hope. The animation was just gorgeous, what with the blend of colors and the attention to detail – even blades of grass and water were drawn meticulously. This is definitely one of the movie’s strongest selling points. All in all, though this movie may not have lived up to the first or the second, it is a humorous, inspirational film that is appealing to most ages, especially for a family with younger kids.
Stars gather to celebrate despite Academy controversies
kevin jenkins
This award season has suffered several hiccups, one of the biggest ones being the Oscars somehow leaving out all people of color. That’s right – his year, the Oscars only have Caucasian nominees. This issue has gained high media covera ge, spawning a hashtag of its own: #oscarssowhite. Several stars, including Jada Pinkett Smith and Mark Ruf-
falo, are boycotting the award show. Alas, the show must go on… Without further ado, here are my predictions for the winners of some of the biggest categories in the Oscars and Grammys. I predict that Best Picture will go to “The Martian.” This amazing film, directed by Ridley Scott, shows fictional astronaut Mark Watney’s journey to survive after being left behind on Mars for 300 days. Personally, I think this Oscar should really go to “Straight Outta Compton,” produced by F. Gary Gray. For Best Actor in a Leading Role, it will go to Leonardo DiCaprio (coincidentally, my favorite actor) for his role in “The Revenant.” The movie has received glowing reviews from some big name critics.
But, this award could have easily gone to Idris Elba for his breathtaking role in “Beasts of No Nation.” Jennifer Lawrence is a shoo-in for the category of Best Actress in a Leading Role due to her inspiring and tear-jerking performance in “Joy,” a movie about a woman who founds a business dynasty and becomes a true matriarch in her own right. Record of the Year has always been one of my favorite categories in the Grammys, and this year, Ed Sheeran is going to win it with his romantic song “Thinking Out Loud.” His moving lyrics have touched millions – “Thinking Out Loud” has over nine million views on YouTube. Album of the Year, I’m sure, will go to “1989” by my girl Taylor Swift. If she doesn’t
win, the Academy and I will definitely have some “Bad Blood” between us. The way Swift and her producers have put together this soundtrack while still bringing in the amazing aspect from her music videos is a hit, much like we have seen in the past. The last major category is Song of the Year. There have been many strong contenders, but this Grammy is going to the final farewell to the late Paul Walker, “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa. This song has touched many of its listener’s hearts, including many of Paul’s former co-stars. Even though the Oscars are lacking diversity, some amazing works of art have still been nominated and will most definitely be taking home the gold – or at least some gilded silhouettes.
Classical music makes its mark Fry St. Quartet makes a statement on the local music scene
diana wang
Situated in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, the Tri-Cities is centered in the nation’s greatest hub of jazz music. It is not uncommon to hear a three-piece jazz band at a local restaurant or an acoustic singer at a coffee shop down the street. When it comes to classical music, however, things
seem to be out of luck. On Saturday, February 27, the world-renowned Fry Street Quartet will be flying up from their home at the Caine College of the Arts at Utah State University to perform at Hanford High School. “I’m excited to learn about technique things, like shifting and bow hand. It’s cool playing with them. I am glad to be a part of this unique opportunity,” freshman Inthat Boonpongmanee said. Cellist, Marc Johnson, founded the Fry Street Quartet in Chicago in 1997, with hopes of beginning a distinct quartet, one comprised of musicians of promising backgrounds. The musicians hold degrees
from Oberlin to associate concertmaster seats in prestigious groups such as the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. When all four talented musicians come together, the Fry Street Quartet perfects the “blend of technical precision and scorching spontaneity” (Strad). The group made its mark in Israel when they studied with Isaac Stern at the International Encounters Chamber Music Seminar. After working with the quartet, Stern arranged for them to study at the Isaac Stern Chamber Music Workshop in New York City as well as arranging the group’s Carnegie Hall debut in 2001. Alongside physicist and educator Dr. Robert Davies,
the Fry Street Quartet has created the Crossroads Project, an all-encompassing performance that combines poetic lectures, paintings, and music, all in response to the issues of global sustainability. Crossroads: Rising Tide has seen more than 25 performances in three different countries and has been featured on NPR’s “joe’s big idea.” From the group’s endeavors in completing the entire Beethoven Quartet Cycle to its passion to reach out to communities like the Tri-Cities to perform, the Fry Street Quartet is definitely not one to miss. It is about time that classical music has made its way into the area.
SIDE-BY-SIDE: BREAKFAST AROUND THE TRI Local breakfast establishments stack up against national chain restaurant With the ending of IHOP’s All You Can Eat Pancakes this weekend, I went ahead and paid some local breakfast businesses a visit to see how they stacked up to the chain restaurant. Plus, I’ll take any excuse to eat breakfast at obscure times of the day. michelle wang
Magill’s
One location: 3214 Road 68, Pasco Waffle with whipped cream and raspberry topping - $8 I started off my search by doing what any other person would – turning to Google. A quick search revealed that Magill’s was the proud three-time winner for “Best Breakfast” of the Tri-City Herald’s annual People’s Choice Awards. My waffle came bare and a beautiful golden brown color, while the toppings came in a little side dish. The waffle was perfectly cooked; it was crispy enough on the outside that I could hear a satisfying crunch with every bite, yet still soft on the inside, a perfect balance I know my
michelle wang
waffle maker at home can’t achieve. The fruit topping was too sweet and artificial tasting for my liking, but I probably shouldn’t have used all of it anyway. To sum it up: amazing waffles. Toppings seemed very lackluster in comparison.
Sterling’s
IHOP
Three locations: 890 George Washington Way and 2500 Queensgate Dr., Richland; 3200 West Clearwater Ave, Kennewick Raspberry crepes - $7.99
Two locations: 5015 Road 68, Pasco; 6511 West Canal Drive, Kennewick Berries and Cream Waffle - $8.89
Next, I decided to pay my go-to breakfast spot a visit. Unfortunately, upon attempting to order my waffle, I learned that they only serve breakfast until 2 p.m., which is honestly super disappointing considering that most breakfast places serve it all day (IHOP, Magill’s, Shari’s, Denny’s, McDonald’s, etc.). I had to settle for crepes, which apparently are considered dessert and are therefore served all day. The crepes themselves were alright, but personally I found them a little too hard and they tasted very plain and eggy. The raspberry topping was sweet enough to balance out the cream cheese filling without tasting overly artificial. The cream cheese filling paired nicely with the raspberry, but by itself I found it a little too tangy.
michelle wang
However, the amount of whipped cream piled on the crepes was absolutely wonderful. To sum it up: I’m still really upset that breakfast ends at 2 p.m., but the crepes were decent. The fruit topping definitely stood out to me the most.
And of course, time to put the national chain to test. My first impression was how beautiful and mouthwatering my waffle looked. The waffle was nice and on the soft side, and it came smothered in toppings. The sweet vanilla cream topping was absolutely incredible and balanced out the slightly tangy strawberry sauce. My only disappointment was the strawberries, which were obviously still frozen and cold to bite. The blueberries were alright, though. To sum it up: the waffle itself was alright and the strawberries were icky. However, the sweet cream topping was delicious. Overall: Honestly, if I could have a waffle from Magill’s with sweet vanilla cream topping from IHOP and raspberry sauce from Sterling’s, that would be abso-
michelle wang
lutely incredible. I really wish I could’ve tried waffles from Sterling’s, though, because my personal bias of waffles being better than crepes might have affected my review of them.
School & Career
14
2.12.2016
STUDENTS TAKE JOBS FOR MONEY, EXPERIENCE
Jaeson Olander LAWN CARE
Lexi Fredrickson KADLEC INTERNSHIP
Max Beeson CHESS TEACHER
Reilly Smith CATERING
Lydia Webb LIFE GUARDING
Junior Jaeson Olander has a summer lawn business care. He started his business by passing out flyers to neighbors. “We started getting people who knew us or our parents that needed stuff done, and that was enough work to keep us busy,” Olander said. Olander loves having a little extra cash in his pocket. “They pay me money, and I like being outside,” Olander said. He works until the job is done. He particularly keeps an eye out for any potentially undesirable jobs. “If you do the jobs nobody wants to do, like cleaning gutters, they will pay you,” Olander said. “I feel like if I don’t work, I will end up being broke.”
Senior Lexi Fredrickson has a semester and summer internship at Kadlec. “The internship is unpaid and is a 90-hour shadowing experience. I’ve volunteered at Kadlec since the summer before my junior year, and I’m going to continue to do that this summer if I can,” Fredrickson said. She is planning to go into a medical field later in her life. The internship has shown her new professional skills. “It will introduce me to a wide array of healthcare careers, and colleges really like high school students with clinical experiences,” Fredrickson said. “I think the experience I gain will help me later in life.”
Junior Max Beeson has a summer job teaching chess. He strives to make his students learn new strategies and skills. “It pays pretty well, and I like watching my kids wreck other kids,” he said. He teaches chess twice a week for four hours. “I really don’t have that much going on. If I wasn’t teaching chess, I would be watching Netflix and be really lazy, so it gets me out of the house, too,” Beeson said. It may not be a long-term job, but it has helped him develop stronger character. “It’s made me a stronger player and taught me how to work with kids, and I’ve had to learn to be a lot more patient.”
Senior Reilly Smith works during the summer catering. “I work to earn extra money mainly for the necessities, like gas money and money to spend while I’m out with friends,” he said. He enjoys the opportunities to work during the summer. “It was worthwhile. I was able to do something during the day that gave me a sense of completion and fulfillment separate from the usual lazy days at home wasting summer away in my house,” Smith said. “I like my job. It gets infuriating at times, but challenges are how we grow. I also felt like I had a purpose there and contributed to making someone’s special day unforgettable.”
Junior Lydia Webb works as a lifeguard during the summer. She tests chemicals in the swimming pool and makes sure that everyone is safe. She has background skills in CPR and first aid as well. She savors the opportunity to lifeguard. Webb said, “Lifeguarding has a really flexible schedule. It is a really good job for people who are busy in high school because we can pick what hours to work.” Working has helped Webb gain invaluable job expertise. Webb said, “I’ll do it during the summer, and I’ll keep doing it because it’s a job that gives me experience in a work field that I’ll be in for the rest of my life.” reported by kyle campbell
Reassessing the SAT Washington Scholarships Students prepare to take the new SAT, while adjusting to the new changes and challenges. ROSE WANG AND KYLE CAMPBELL that the math portion of staff writers the SAT is now more about
Beginning in March 2016, knowing how to manipulate the newly redesigned SAT tests than about knowing will replace the previous mathematics.” version. This new SAT will Though there are many have only two sections: Math opportunities to prepare for and Evidence-Based Reading the SAT, not all students have and Writing, rather than the the time to study for it. Many Critical Reading, Writing, and students that are busy with Math sections in the music, sports, previous test. or drama don’t “The more practicing The formerly have flexible and preparing, the required essay will better outcome you will enough schedbe optional. Each ules to devote perform on the SAT.” section will now be hours to graded on a scale study, instead Rich Quadrel of 200-800, and the studying in a 0.25 point deduction more indirect for answering incorrectly will way, like junior Amy Huo. “I be removed. Furthermore, try to study for the classes I’m there will only be four answer taking now, and it covers a lot choices rather than five. of what I need to know for The content of the new standardized tests,” she said. SAT will heavily involve ComMarilyn and Rich Quadrel mon Core, math and reading provide services to accomstandards that have been modate students that need accepted by most states. individualized SAT counseling. The goal is to test students They work very closely with more on what they have the junior and senior class learned throughout their years counselors, Cathy Kuwamoto of schooling, rather than on and Debbie Bell. obscure vocabulary words. The Quadrels recommend Skills not widely taught in that students take the SAT schools, such as memorizing multiple times to maximize vocabulary, will also be retheir scores. Rich Quadrel moved from the new SAT. wants to guide these students Not everybody is totally to succeed in college. happy with the all changes. “We’ll teach them what “Personally, I find the new scores mean, the importance SAT to be a less thorough, of them, and when to take the more condensed version of SAT. The more practicing, the the old SAT,” said sophomore better outcome,” Rich said. Victor Kuan. Their program, Sage Col“It’s nice to see that the lege Prep Services, is geared new SAT lacks a range of towards giving individual high-level vocabulary words. attention to each of their The writing and reading secstudents. The Quadrels also tions are noticeably simplified share their advice on the SAT and easier, I’d say. With refor all students during lunch at gards to the new math section, the Career Center. “We try to I am disappointed in admitting tailor the SAT material to your
homework assignment to get the best out of those practice materials,” the Quadrels said. In preparation for this new version of the SAT, the College Board recommends familiarizing yourself with the test, taking practice quizzes for at least thirty minutes twice a week, starting several weeks before the test date. Students can build up stamina for reading and understanding the writing sections, which will require a prolonged concentration, by practicing the full length example tests offered by the College Board. Unlike in the old SAT, calculators are restricted to only one of the math sections, so students should practice doing their math without dependence on a calculator. Even with all of this advice, some students haven’t spent a ton of time studying. “I haven’t really practiced for the SAT at all,” said junior Amy Huo. “But I want to take the new SAT because it relies less on memorization and more on logic, which is something I’m better at, at least from what I can see.” But with all these new changes to the SAT, it can be difficult to notice all the things that are staying the same between the two versions of the test. The new SAT will still be three hours – or three hours and 50 minutes, if you decide to take the essay portion. The test will still be long and exhausting, and it will test to see how well students fare under high pressure in high-stakes situations, along with testing students’ academic prowess. Some things never change.
A list of scholarships available for graduating seniors as well as upcoming seniors.
Gesa Scholarship
All high school seniors are eligible if they have a Gesa account. They must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. They will be judged equally on their academic success, extracurricular activities, community involvement, and financial need. A $2,000 and $5,000 reward is given to these students. The $5,000 award is given to students going to a college in Washington.
This scholarship benefits all students who are graduating seniors from Benton County, targeting those interested in technical institutions and careeers centered around that. An applicant form is required, along with a 300 word essay and your high school transcript. A $2,000 payment is given to the winning students every four years.
Association of Washington Cites Scholarship
Working with the Richland School District, the city of Richland nominates one local candidate to compete for this state-wide scholarships. Six selected Washington state students will recieve a $1000 scholarship per year. These students are actively engaged in their community and the city government. Completed applications are due Feb. 17.
The Washington State Opportunity Scholarship supports low and middle income students who are pursuing high-demand majors such as science, technology, engineering, math, or health care. Applications will be due Feb. 29. It rewards several students with a range of $2,500-$7,500 per year.
Benton REA Academic Scholarship
Benton REA Trade/Technical Scholarship
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship
The Benton REA Academic Scholarship benefits all graduating seniors from Benton County. This scholarship requires an applicant form. Students must write a 500-word typed essay and a bibliography on one of three topics provided by the Scholarship. Students should also include a copy of their high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores. A $2,000 payment is given to the winning students for four years. reported by kyle campbell
Opinion
2.12.2016
15
IT’S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MONEY On Tuesday, Feb. 9 – the night before we submitted our issue for printing – we sat down as an editorial staff to think of how to introduce this issue. How do we talk about money, about that silent gap in achievement corresponding to socio-economic status? Above all, we felt the need to acknowledge the fact that as a whole, our staff is relatively well off. You might be, too. You might not be, just as easily. Whether you are directly affected by the issues we covered in our main story, we hope you care. Horace Mann, an American education reformer, famously declared that “Education, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer.” Yet schools are often a startling representation of the difference between those of lower and higher income families. Students
gather in economically-segregated classrooms, all because a job might take precedent over the daily grind of homework, or a worry over who will watch a younger sibling, more pressing than the verbal SAT score. And these are realities here at Hanford, too; not in some far off inner-city school, or across the river, but in the grid-glass walls of our Commons. For some students, the thought of college is daunting because the biggest concern isn’t which school they will get into, it’s if they will be able to pay for their education. We valorize Ivy Leagues and doctors’ masks, make saints out of Harvard alumni and billionares, their monetary successes scultped like the epitome of achievement. We forget the carpenter next door, the mechanic in our garage, the factory worker building our iPad; the success of community
college, of work experience, of education without price tags. So why is it time to talk about money? If we don’t talk about money, we walk through life blind. For those who are on the higher-income side, be humble and grateful. Although it may not occur to you, your circumstances have allowed you to accomplish things that others may not have had the chance to pursue. Even so, our origins don’t have to dictate where we end up. Look at Elliot’s story, at the AVID program, at the community’s support system. And despite societal faults, we all have individual initiative. The staff editorial is the consensus of the Editorial Board.
Jamba Juice just isn’t worth the price Hype, cost consideration and kale
Who needs it? “Well, people are like ‘Jamba Juice is so good,’ but it wasn’t that good, like, I wouldn’t spend my money on it. If someone gave it to me I would drink it still, but I wouldn’t buy it. It’s kind of a waste of my money.” Nyenuchi Okemgbo (09)
NATALIE SCHUEDDEKOPP staff writer
As an avid smoothie fan, hearing about the arrival of Jamba Juice in the Tri Cities was kind of like a dream come true for me. Finally, I had a place where I could get the healthy and fresh kind of smoothies I love so much. My first trip to Jamba Juice can be summarized in 2 words: huge disappointment. My mango smoothie was underwhelming, the service was slow and clumsy, and the prices were ridiculous. But I had not given up hope yet. I wanted to like Jamba Juice so badly that I decided to give it a second chance. I made a bold move and decided to go with the kale and apple smoothie, a decision that came at a price: six dollars, to be exact. Even if this had been the
most delicious kale smoothie I had ever tasted, six dollars still would have been a little too high of a price for me. But this was not, in fact, the most delicious kale smoothie I had ever had; it was actually significantly less flavorful and delicious than the ones I usually make at home. They say the third time is the charm, but I’ve given Jamba Juice all the chances it deserves. Its smoothies have proved themselves to be lackluster and disappointing, not worthy of the expensive price that comes with them. All in all, if you’re a fan of mediocre smoothies and have no value of money whatsoever, Jamba Juice was made just for you. I’ll continue making my smoothies at home and saving my precious money, and my search for a quality smoothie joint will go on.
I need it! “I’m super happy that Jamba came to the Tri-Cities. They have the best smoothies by far, and they’re healthy! I feel like they’re a little overpriced, but considering it’s all fresh ingredients, it makes sense.” Abby Andrews (11)
A LT I T U D E 12 Feb. 2016
volume 16.3
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF emily tan caroline waring
EDITORS
isabel bartholomew, copy dana small, news naveena bontha, feature kyle reisenauer, sports kyle campbell,school&career sonali matta, A&E shibani datta, opinion katie peurrung, photo amanda anderson, humor
PHOTOGRAPHERS calvin carr shelby schumacher
STAFF amanda anderson, annabelle bills, hannah bryan, michelle chou, jadon fickle, kevin jenkins, meg johnson, ketsia kahambwe, sarah latka, jourdan plante, natalie schueddekopp, michelle shin, ella sperline, diana wang, michelle wang, rose wang, max weil.
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 Hanford Student Media, 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 Yakima Herald, Yakima, Washington.
Money can’t buy happiness
I swear, if I hear one more. . .
maxwell weil
megan johnson
2016 has already contained quite a few memorable events. One of the most significant was the $1.58 billion Powerball lottery held earlier in January. Tickets everywhere were quickly snatched up by hopeful citizens. On Jan. 13, thousands eagerly awaited for their numbers to be called. But what were they looking for? Fulfillment? Happiness? One common misconception is that money can buy anything, even happiness. A 2010 research project conducted at Princeton University found that after any one person earned more than $75,000
per year, he/she did not show a significant increase in happiness compared to others also making above $75,000. Based on this study, money can indeed make one feel more secure about life, but whether one makes $1 million or $75,000, there’s not a great impact on the overall happiness of the person. So if money isn’t a factor in overall happiness, then what is? Truth be told, no one knows for sure. Every person defines happiness differently. Regardless of how we define our individually happiness, there are a few ideas shared by many. Finding joy in the daily pleasures of life is perhaps the most frequent idea that people have. One of the most satisfying moments for a student is to come home from a long day at school and realize that you have no homework, no activities and no sports. You just have the entire evening to rest, eat, and watch Netflix. Enjoy it, you deserve it. Hap-
piness isn’t owning a mansion; happiness is the little things. At other times, giving assistance to those in need can be very rewarding, from picking up a piece of litter to holding the door open for others. Simple selfless acts help many, including the person doing them. Happiness isn’t owning fifteen Ferraris; happiness is giving. When some horrible event inevitably plagues our lives and causes us pain, one of the first places we’ll go to be comforted is to our loved ones. Happiness isn’t living on a private island; happiness is our loved ones. Yet happiness cannot be entirely dependent on the outside world. Though we can find great pleasure in life from friends and service, the greatest source of happiness is internal. The ability to accept yourself and to be proud of the person you are is the most crucial way to lead a joyful life. Happiness isn’t money; happiness comes from within.
“Someone left a bunch of @#$% on the table!” Really? Someone did? They left that on the table? Gross. “I am so &@*$ing stoked right now!” Um, okay. Do you know the definition of that word? Because it really doesn’t make sense in this context. When people swear, they often use curse words as nouns, adjectives, verbs, or for any other conceivable function in a sentence. The thing is, since curse words are so overused, their usage is hardly original anymore.
They have lost their power and potency. People think that swearing is a form of rebellion, but really, it’s just following the crowd. Swearing may alleviate pain in extreme situations, but people often use the strongest curses to express annoyance over minor inconveniences. If the lunch line being long constitutes a big enough catastrophe to justify using the f-word, then perhaps you should evaluate how quickly you anger. It’s okay to feel angry and disappointed sometimes. You are capable of finding an outlet for these feelings that doesn’t involve offensive language. Choose to react positively in tough situations. Think about how your language reflects you. Swears are filler words that represent little effort People sometimes swear to be funny. I believe there are other ways to get laughs. You are an intelligent individual capable of being funny without
profanity. Earlier this year, one of my friends took me by surprise by saying to me “@#$! you.” She meant it as a joke, so I tried to be a good sport about it and put on a smile. But inside, it really unsettled me. People assert that their friends are comfortable with swearing, but why would someone use vulgar language to address their friends? Why not treat them with respect? Many say, “I shouldn’t change my habits to please other people.” You’re right. Don’t stop swearing for other people; do it for yourself. You are free to make your own choices. You can swear if you want to. Use vocabulary that reflects your intelligence, self-control and consciousness for others. But remember that those around you – in the hallways, in the classroom, or at sports practice – have to listen. And it bothers a lot of people. After all, they’re called bad words for a reason.
Humor
16
2.12.2016
Love me like you don’t
my dream boyfriend
like traveling through Dante’s have a heart” and “Who needs ninth circle of Hell. People love when you can spend the in the hallways on Valentine’s night catching Pokémon?” Day can be sorted into these These are the people that go three basic categories: to the dumpster during lunch 1. The “We Are So In and burn masses of flowers, Love!” Couple: Girl with choc- cartons of chocolates and olates, teddy bear, balloons voodoo dolls made of human and flowers. Boy with the hair. Need I say more? dazed, jittery smile that seems 3. The PDA Couples: And to scream, “How do I get her these people, my dear reader, to let go of my are the bane of hand, oh my god my existence, Hi, Gag Reflex? Are my palms feel SO the thorn in you there? It’s me, sweaty!!” I think of my side. These Naveena. two things when I people are the see these couples. peanut butter in First, how does she carry all of my cheese and chicken quesathis? How many arms is she dilla – they have no business hiding? Second, what did her being there. boyfriend sacrifice to pay for PDA couples make me all of this? His left hand? His want to PRA (puke right away). kidney? His left hand AND his Whenever I see them trying kidney? to swallow each other whole, 2. The “Love Sucks” I literally have to suppress the People: These are the people urge to go between them and who stomp through the tear them apart, screaming, hallways, rolling their eyes “LEAVE SPACE FOR THE at the grandiose displays of GHOST OF YOUR GREAT affection. These are the people AUNT SALLY!” I’m okay who tweet things like “I don’t with hand-holding – although
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PDA? More like ... PRA (Puke Right Away)
naveena bontha
Ah, Valentine’s Day. What a day. If you have a valentine, you know this day is going to rock. From that oh-so-cute text message in the morning to that candlelit dinner on the banks of the Yakima River, you’ve got it all. I, on the other hand, am stuck in a loveless relationship with my calculus textbook. I mean, I’m putting all the work into this relationship, while it won’t even make the smallest effort. But enough about me. Let’s focus on the real issue here, shall we? Walking through the halls is
I still get the heebie-jeebies when I think of all the sweat pooled in between their palms and their skin becoming stuck together, a testament to their true and everlasting love. But when they act like they haven’t seen each other for 18 years? Hi, Gag Reflex? Are you there? It’s me, Naveena. So, members of PDA couples, if you’re reading this: please, please, PLEASE keep your mouths separated. And if you guys are heading to a restaurant, please don’t feed each other. PLEASE. Are unlimited pancakes actually worth watching a couple (Huggybear and Chiquito – but we’ll tackle nicknames next year) make airplane noises as they lovingly shovel food into each other’s mouths? I’m not too sure. But I am, however, taking applications for a valentine (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). Who wants to be the Funfetti cream cheese to my rainbow bagel?
Mysterious as the dark side of the moon
2 Multiple layers, like an onion (think Shrek)
3 Master of Yu-Gi-Oh
4 Knows entire “Breaking Free” duet from High School Musical
5 Meme lord
6 Always willing to pay for Taco Bell
7 Cookie maker extraordinaire
8 Gives courtesy laughs at your bad jokes
9 Has a closet full of borrowable clothes
10 Khakis
Single on V-Day?
Helpful tips to help singles survive Cupid’s Day
sarah latka
caroline waring
For those like me, the end of January signifies only the completion of the first month of the year. For others, though, the first of February is the beginning of a time which has the sole purpose of filling hearts with temporary infatuation. How does one navigate through the excruciatingly painful holiday known as Valentine’s Day? I have some tips that I dust off every February to help me stay sane through the dreadful romance. It seems that everywhere we look there is a tacky form of red and pink to remind us how lonely we are. Because of this, my first recommendation is to avoid any obvious destinations for Valentine’s Day. Any movie featured on Feb. 14 is sure to have a predictable, love-centered plot. [Cue eye roll.] If you’re looking for something to really thrill, I recommend streaming “Sharknado 2.” As Valentine’s Day approaches, there will be an in-
crease in love-themed candy. I advise buying all of the candy for yourself. As you unwrap the wrappers with messages like “You’re the one” and “I love you,” you can be satisfied by the fact that you don’t have to share your chocolate with anyone. If we’re being honest, is there really an amount of chocolate that demands sharing with others? Boyfriend or not, I am going to eat all of the candy. My final recommendation is to avoid all forms of social media. We can all predict the posts about how amazing someone’s boyfriend is and how blessed they are to know them. The ten days they have been together have been “life changing #love.” If you’re really feeling like Valentine’s Day posts are going to be too much, you could unfriend everyone in a relationship, delete your Facebook and then move to Uruguay. But I only advocate this if you’re willing to deal with the consequences. The seemingly biological need for teenagers to find someone to share Valentine’s Day with is unavoidable. However, there are ways to endure it long enough to survive to the true holiday, President’s Day. Conveniently, it’s Feb. 15, which is perfect timing to recover from the aftermath of the least festive of holidays, Valentine’s Day.