February issue

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MERCER IS SCHOOL DIST 400

February 23, 2018

mihsislander.org

Putting Privilege to Good Use How H.E.L.P. Club supports homeless communities in Seattle Features 3

Volume VII, Edition 5

A Love Story for Everyone

Affirmative Action

Why "Call Me By Your Name" is a Best Picture nominee A&E 11

Staff writer Walt McKelvie takes a look at this controversial policy Opinions 8

On National Signing Day, MIHS Athletes Become Collegiate Athletes Hannah Whobrey staff writer

For many high school students, senior year is fraught with uncertainty, thanks to the college application process. For some students, however, committing to play a college sport provides an opportunity for reassurance and safety.

Officially, prospective student-athletes can sign a National Letter of Intent during their senior year, which binds them to a college for one year in exchange for athletic financial aid.

However, the road to commitment is different for every student, even at MIHS, where future athletes from the Class of 2018 finally confirmed their commitments Feb. 7 at National Signing Day. “The recruiting process for lacrosse players on the West Coast is different from the East Coast because lacrosse is so big there,� Katie Brodsky, who committed to play lacrosse

Arizona State University, said. “Normally, players can email coaches to watch them play whenever they want, but for me, I had to attend a showcase and email coaches to watch me.� “This one day, I got a letter from the school, and I was like, 'Oh, well, that's cool!' and then I just reached out,� Kayla Lee, who committed to run track at the University of Pennsylvania, said. “I'm not really sure how they find people.� “I was recruited by the men’s coach first, because my brothers play there,�

Grace Bethards, who committed to Whitworth University for tennis, said. “Then the women’s coach reached out as well. It was a lot different than reaching out to other coaches because it made me feel more wanted by the team, and that made me want to go there more.� “I wanted to learn about what it meant to play soccer in college—I didn’t know anything

The Class of 2018 committing to playing their respective sports at a collegiate level on Feb. 7, National Signing Day.

specific about Macalester or their soccer program,�

Paige Robertson, who committed to Macalester College for soccer, said. “They just happened to be a convenient school to visit. After that, I didn’t correspond with the coach at all until last summer.� “You send your highlights and your tournament schedule, and hope they come watch you play,� Adara Hamilton, who committed to Wheaton College for volleyball, said. “I spent endless hours

putting together film and talking to coaches,� Kelly Behrbaum, who committed to play volleyball at Cornell University, said. “It was nerve-racking to play in front of college coaches because one play could decide your future.� “I had to reach out to all of the coaches that I was talking to,� Ella Warburg, who committed to play golf at Wellesley College, said. “Most schools on the West Coast don’t have squash teams,�

Anna Moscovici, who committed

A History of Mistreatment in the Workplace Joy Francke staff writer

Events in the last hundred years have built up the pressure that led to the recent cultural eruption of the #metoo and #timesup movements.

Women have faced a dark and disturbing reality since first entering the workplace. Today, women are finally speaking out against the sexual harassment and abuse of power perpetuated by their male colleges. However, this abuse is in no way a new phenomenon. Society has come a long way since 1920 when women were told to simply quit their jobs if they could not handle the sexual abuse, yet there is still a long way to go.

Among the many important actions taken by women to improve their treatment was a push to get Title VII passed in 1964, which outlawed discrimination based on sex, as well as

race, national origin, color, and religion in the workplace. Another momentous event was the coining of term the “sexual harassment� in 1976 by a group of activists at Cornell University.

One of the most famous sexual assault claims was made in 1991 towards Clarence Thomas by Anita Hill.

At the time Clarence Thomas was a U.S Supreme Court nominee.

Hill alleged that Thomas had repeatedly sexually harassed her while she was working for him at the Department of Education and the Equal Opportunity E m p l o y m e n t Commission.

During the three day hearing, Hill recalled the inappropriate behavior of her boss in detail, despite constant pushback from most of the jury and Republican Party members. “I am not given to

to play squash for George Washington University, said. “My coaches had to vouch for me and reach out to college coaches more than they would have, had we been on the East Coast.� “Getting recruited and reaching out to coaches, at least for soccer, are two parts of the same process,�

Ryan Hill, who graduated from MIHS in 2015 and now plays soccer at Cornell University, said. “There are so many players in the United States that if you don’t reach out to a school

fantasy. This is not something I would have come forward with if I was not absolutely sure of what

I was saying,� said Hill in response to accusations of making false claims. (continued on page 2)

and let them know you exist, then you will never get seen.�

While communicating with coaches directly is an effective way to indicate interest in collegiate athletics, each student’s individual performance remains the most crucial element when it comes to cultivating offers. “I think what helps coaches notice a potential recruit is the level of play and attitude on the court,�

Behrbaum said. (continued on page 5)

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms Ash O'Briant staff writer

Photo courtesy The Atlantic Anita Hill famously testified in court about the sexual harassment she experienced from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Photo courtesy Laura Totten

As the school’s transgender population grows, so does a feeling amongst them of being left behind -– in particular regarding their bathroom use. Art Kim, a gender neutral student, says, “the gender binary system just doesn’t work, especially with bathrooms.�

According to Vicki Puckett, the school principal, the policy is that binary transgender students (students identifying as male or female) can use the bathroom that corresponds with their identity if they chose. However, many binary trans students are concerned with harassment or even having someone suggest that they are in the wrong bathroom.

The nonbinary, genderqueer, intersex, and gender neutral students do not have an opportunity to use any communal bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. These are students of the school who do not identify with male

of female exclusively or at all. “I always get really uncomfortable when I have to use a gendered bathroom,� Art says, “but going to one of the gender neutral bathrooms would mean walking across the school and back; I just don’t have the time.�

MIHS has two singleoccupant gender-neutral bathrooms, one in the nurse’s office and the other in the 100 hall. (continued on page 9)

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A History of Mistreatment (cont.) Film Puts a Face on Teenage Anxiety In a field where lines are already blurred since casting directors can have specific requests in regards to the gender, appearance, and identity when casting, a troubling recurring theme of disregarding sexual abuse claims and cases has developed.

One example, Roman Polanski, a successful director, received a standing ovation after winning ‘Best Director’ at the 2003 Oscars, despite pleading guilty to raping a thirteen-year-old girl in 1977.

Many individuals feel that when men with sexual assault allegations against them continue to find success, a dangerous message is being sent to other males

in leadership positions.

This makes it seem as if sexual assault is not serious, and merely a small mistake that can be fixed.

It disregards the long-term impacts harassment can have on the victim.

Similarly, Casey Affleck, American actor and director, had multiple women file sexual harassment lawsuits against him during the making of his film “I’m Still Here.” After settling the lawsuits in court in 2010, his career still prospered and he went on to win the 2017 ‘Best Actor’ Oscar for his role in “Manchester by the Sea.” Many argue that his abuse of power should have had negative impacts on his

career and prevented him from winning the award.

Since many victims will carry the harassment with them for the rest of their lives, people feel that the perpetrators must also.

Though different in every situation, there should be repercussions and consequences for the perpetuator to ensure they do not act inappropriately again.

These are just a few of the inumerable accounts of sexual harassment and abuse toward women in the workplace. As this topic finally makes its way into conversation, it is important to remember that these events are not a new episode, and have in fact been occurring for a long

Photos courtesy US News

Constance Wu and Casey Affleck. The former is one of several accusers who say Affleck assaulted them.

Kate Francke staff writer

The 55 minute film, “Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety” was shown Feb. 6, at 6:30 p.m., at MIHS. Mercer Island Parent Edge presented this documentary.

Mercer Island Parent Edge is part of the Mercer Island School District PTA Council. Their primary mission is to keep the youth of Mercer Island, Seattle and Eastside community educated through speakers, discussions and films across a variety of parenting and child development topics.

“Angst” discusses anxiety and its causes and effects on youth and young adults. The film interviews kids, teens, and adults, focusing on anxiety’s effects on those who suffer from the disorder, as well as how to manage it.

The piece also features Olympic gold medalist, Michael Phelps, and his experience and struggle with anxiety.

“I welcomed the opportunity to be a part of Angst to further the dialogue around mental health and to help people understand the impact anxiety has on our mental state and encourage people, especially kids, to ask for help,” Phelps said in response to the film.

A clip from the film goes into detail about why anxiety has physical as well as mental impacts.

“Your heart starts going faster, your eyes dilate, your mouth gets dry, your

Photo courtesy MI Parent Edge Angst was shown on Feb. 6 to raise awareness about teenage anxiety.

hands get cold, your muscles get tight, and if your muscles are tight for a long time then you start hurting,” said a physiologist in the film.

Leah Gale is the Content Lead and a representatives on the MI Parent Edge Board at Northwood Elementary.

“Mercer Island Parent Edge is acutely aware that mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and addiction are serious public health problems that affect many children, parents and families in our community,” Gale said.

Anxiety is a common disorder that impacts over 40 million people in the United States. Many Mercer Island students are also impacted by anxiety. “61 percent of 10th graders and 74 percent of 12th graders on Mercer Island report

being bothered by feeling nervous, anxious or on edge, ” Gale said.

Alex Longwith, a student at MIHS, went to see the film Angst. “I learned a lot about anxiety from watching the film. I personally don’t have anxiety, but I learned what several other people are going through,” Longwith said.

Another student at the school has experienced anxiety first hand. “I feel like I suffer from anxiety mainly because of the pressure of our school,” said Michaela Isaacs. “I tend to do poorly on the things that I am anxious about because I get so stressed.”

Whether you are dealing with the impacts of anxiety, want to help a friend or family member, or simply are interested in learning more, the Angst project is a must-see documentary.

As Second Semester Starts and Graduation Nears, Senioritis Strikes

Second-semester seniors share what it’s like to be so close to graduation, but still unable to give up.

Sami Bender, Landon Cobbs, Claire Korthuis and Nikhil Nayar staff writers

As second semester rolls around, so does the infamous senioritis.

MIHS seniors, teachers, and administrators alike are working to get the Class of 2018 down the aisle of Key Arena, but chronic senioritis stands in their way.

The initial months of senior year are filled with college applications, scholarship essays, and countless assignments.

Junior year seemed impossible, the first AP classes combined with grueling standardized tests. But it has nothing on the pressures of senior year.

Some seniors believe that the workload is more extensive if not the same as first semester, while others believe that they are finally coasting through second semester.

“Most teachers are relaxing a little bit but one teacher however, keeps on piling on the work and I am not very happy about that. I’m not gonna name any names,” one senior said.

First semester hit many seniors hard, including Vanessa Radke, “First semester was very intense with college apps and everything,” Radke said.

“I’d say there was a lot to juggle and then this semester we are just waiting to hear back from colleges so it’s kind of more laid back.”

Upperclassmen have

always had the ability to leave school, many of their cars are just a quick walk away, and their homes within a mile

my attendance is a little better this semester after I totaled my car,” Radke said. “So I can’t leave the school as easily.”

“My motivation is a 3.5 [out of ten]

because my second semester grades don’t matter that much.”

“This semester just started and I say skip] about a third of the days.”

radius of the school. Seniors staying during their off periods are doing so reluctantly. “I feel like

[I

For some seniors, who have chosen their college plans for this upcoming year, their senioritis had

an early onset. One student-athlete has been in this state since junior year.

“I would define senioritis as my junior and senior year,” the student said. “I have no motivation to do homework at home and I haven’t done homework at home for two years. I just get good enough grades to pass.” Committing to play a collegiate sport early in his junior year has allowed him to coast. Now as a second semester senior, he has full blown senioritis.

The majority of seniors, however, are still unsure of their plans for next year. But even with mid-year grade reports looming over their conscious, their motivation continues to dwindle.

Attendance has slipped in the first weeks of sec-

ond semester. Without the threat of taking away parking for having over five unexcused absences, taking an extra personal day seems to have more appeal.

Radke has felt the toll of senioritis. “I would define senioritis as Vanessa Radke’s lifestyle,” Radke said. “Taking a few personal days, just not wanting to go to school, ready to graduate.”

The highly anticipated graduation date of June 5 seems close, but with four months until then, it’s too far away to give up completely. The fear of rescinding is real for a reason. The brief pleasure of skipping class and missing assignments disappears just as quickly as college dreams if senioritis is taken too far.

FEATURES

February 23, 2018

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What Comes After the Women’s March for Gender Equality?

Annie Poole and Annika Bhananker staff writer

In hundreds of cities across the country, many protesters took to the streets for the 2018 Women’s March in an act of unity. But many young activists are continuing the movement by creating tangible change within their community throughout the whole year.

The first year of the Women’s March took place the day after President Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 21, 2017, and was fueled by the inequalities women have always faced.

The second time around, the Women’s March was still a place for millions of feminists to make statements, organize protests and storm the streets.

However, beyond these specific events and forms of activism, there are unrecognized but committed people who work hard to keep movements alive year-round.

“Marching with a group of women is amazing and can feel super empowering, but ultimately it doesn’t make concrete change,” student activist Katy Spencer said. “We need to keep fighting sexism, through funding reproductive health clinics, electing women,

Photo courtesy NBC News

Women from around the United States gather outside the white house in protest.

and supporting victims of sexual assault.”

Last year, the first year of the Women’s March, people were angry from the newly-elected President’s comments about women. This year, people had a long-term mentality, starting to focus on an intersectional revolutionary movement.

The 2017 Women’s March garnered criticism for being too centered around “white feminism,” a form of feminism that is largely focused on the oppression of white women and fails to take into ac-

count the struggles faced by women of color and women lacking other privileges.

At MIHS, the Social Justice League brings intersectionality to life by combining all of the social-issue based clubs. MIHS has many clubs surrounding social justice issues, such as Gender Equality Club, the ACLU Club, the QueerStraight Alliance Club, Black Student Union, Amnesty International and Stay Woke.

Sarah Abreu, one of the advisors of the club, created it to bring more people together and highlight

intersectionality.

“I believe in the Women’s March Mission of dismantling systems of oppression through intersectionality, education, and taking action,” Abreu said.

SJL has taken the initiative to talk about intersectional issues with students and teachers, including an upcoming fundraiser to unite the community after recent threats and a petition for MISD to fund the purchase and implementation of books written by diverse

authors.

“Ideally, I wanted participating students to understand that our freedom is tied together; that it is mutually beneficial for us to fight injustice wherever and whenever we recognize it,” Abreu said. “Then, hopefully, they would realize that they form a natural coalition of sorts, and that they could support each other in all of their justice-seeking endeavors.”

Zahra Sow, who has attended Gender Equality Club since freshman year, has felt the need to become more involved after the re-

cent election.

“I think it was a good decision to start [Stay Woke Club] because it gave us a chance to meet people who had the same ideas as us as well and do something about [issues we care about],” Sow said.

Stay Woke Club has encouraged students to go to recent protests, such as one to protest the end of net neutrality and the recent Women’s March to take further action outside of the club.

Another prevalent message of this year’s Women’s March was “Power to the Polls,” urging more voter turnout in order to facilitate change. Since many high schoolers are too young to vote or may be too busy to join another club, there are other small ways to get involved in political issues and further your voice.

All students have the ability to make a positive impact on issues they support. Abreu stresses that for the majority of students at MIHS that cannot vote, there are many opportunities to stay involved. This includes supporting inclusive educational values by attending a MISD School Board meeting, volunteering for an organization, hosting a fundraiser for an issue you care about and creating art in response to

social issues.

“I also recommend finding the issues that you personally are passionate about and looking for ways to support them,” Spencer said, adding to Abreu’s comments. “If politics is your jam, consider volunteering on a campaign or calling your representatives about issues that affect you, if you care about reproductive health, volunteering at a Planned Parenthood Clinic might be fulfilling.”

A core belief of many adults and teenagers is the necessity of youth participation in social justice issues. Abreu believes that youth involvement in social justice issues are what drive the movement forward.

“We are the future of tomorrow so if we’re not the ones voicing our opinions and standing for what we believe in then I don’t know who will,” Sow adds.

Although there are many forms of activism happening at MIHS, there are still ways to activate more change.

“I know that the kinds of conversations that initiate positive change have begun at MIHS, but I do not think that they are happening with the consistency, frequency, and support necessary for us to reach critical mass for true systematic change,” Abreu said.

H.E.L.P. Club Reaches Out to Homeless Communities to Provide Support Kate Francke staff writer

As of 2017, at least 11,600 people are homeless in Seattle. While driving through the city, it’s hard to miss the rows upon rows of tents, cardboard signs and shopping carts. After identifying the crisis, MIHS students, Katherine Gelsey, Zoe Sheill, Élan Ma, Kenneth Wang, Verli Chen and Jasmine Zou developed Mercer Island’s Homeless Education and Living Project.

In creation of the club, the students developed their own website: Help for Homeless, hfhseattle. org. According to Help for Homeless, the club strives “to help homeless and disadvantaged people receive sufficient resources and help their transition into a stable, permanent home.” Élan Ma is one of the founders of H.E.L.P. Club.

“We knew that homelessness was a huge issue in the Seattle area, and generally, wealthier people and communities were unsympathetic towards the homeless,” Ma said. They gathered some friends to start

H.E.L.P. club.

“In a nutshell, it’s educating people, the general population, but Mercer Island High School students especially, about the Seattle Homeless crisis, and misconceptions about homelessness.” said Gelsey, another H.E.L.P. club founder and current member. “Then tangibly, we’re distributing goods and supplies to real people in the Seattle area. We focus on getting hygiene supplies and food and occasionally partnering with organizations like Seattle Union Gospel Mission and Downtown Emergency Service Center.”

H.E.L.P club has done several projects, such as the two-day fundraiser at the Mercer Island QFCs, Nov., 2015. With the help of shoppers, they raised over $700 and filled over 100 grocery bags with vital food items and hygiene supplies. This drive is now held twice a year.

Other than hosting food drives, the club also makes care packages filled with travel-size hygiene items and snacks. Crackers, deodorant, chapstick and toothpaste are some of the

H.E.L.P. Club organizes handmade blankets to give out to the homeless and keep people warm in the winter.

necessities found in the bags. They finish off each package with a thoughtful note to the recipient.

They also deliver homemade blankets, made from fleece.

“It’s so rewarding,” Ma said. “There’s something great in taking some cheap Walmart fabric, and turning it into a beautiful blanket for a person who is homeless.”

“The number of homeless people has been increasing

in the past 10 years, and I’m sure everyone has noticed,” Gelsey said. “I’ve seen so many tents and shopping carts popping up along I-90 in recent years. That has a lot to do with varying laws on how homeless people can’t loiter in certain areas, and they just don’t have as much access to housing and shelter every night. This is what H.E.L.P. club is trying to alleviate.”

For students wondering

how they can help, Gelsey has a few suggestions: “The first step is really giving what you have.” Gelsey said. “Not everyone needs to donate $500 a year to a homeless shelter. It could be just giving a protein bar or a water bottle to someone you see panhandling.”

Gelsey encourages giving food and water instead of money. “I always make sure to tell people to never give money to people you

Photo courtesy H.E.L.P. Club

see on the street, for the obvious reasons, but also because with food and hygiene items, you know that they will be put to good use.”

The group members are dedicated to their mission.

H.E.L.P. club meets every other Tuesday in room 105, as well as on weekends for food and supply drives and to drop off care packages and blankets around Seattle.

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Everyone Included Table Creates Inclusive Space to Eat

How two students decided to create a safe space in the cafeteria so no one has to eat alone.

Cordelia Longo staff writer

Not everyone feels that they are accepted into lunch groups. I was there once; I was all too familiar with the feeling of loneliness while everyone found their friends and sat at tables together. The point is, students who would like to talk to other people and make friends should not have to search. Friends should be there for them, no matter who they are.

With my friend and co-founder, Norah Evans, the effort toward inclusivity continues. We created and now run the Everyone Included lunch table.

“Everyone at this school has a different story. Each story has its highs and lows; we want to take every person’s low points and give them a friend to help them through it,” Evans noted.

I got the idea of the Everyone Included lunch table when I saw some people eating alone. I did not know if they were okay, so my mom and I talked and eventually came up with a solution. That solution was the Everyone Included table.

After I got poster board to promote our table, Evans and I agreed to participate in Start With Hello Week by holding a week-

long lunch table.

Start With Hello Week took place February fifth through ninth. “Start With Hello teaches students, grades two through twelve, the skills they need to reach out to and include those who may be dealing with chronic social isolation and create a culture of inclusion and connectedness,” according to Sandy Hook Promise.

Another goal of the Everyone Included table was to work with classmates with special needs.

I hoped that eating lunch with them could be a nice part of their day.

Everyone Included needed more publicity in

order for more students to participate. During Start With Hello Week, Evans and I partnered with Christine Kenyon, Special Education teacher, to hold a week-long version of the program; promoting it was the main idea when we started.

Programs such as Natural Helpers and student mentoring at school are amazing and I am definitely grateful for the work they do. I cannot express my gratitude towards them, for helping all kids feel included and loved. I am partnering with these programs because sticking together is the best way to help create new friend-

ships.

I wanted to put the table in the commons because high schoolers have few opportunities to interact with people of different social skills and learning abilities. Evans and I chose not to make it a club or have it held in a separate room, since students in the Special Education Program are often isolated from their peers.

During Start With Hello Week, the Everyone Included table attracted more students with the help of cookies and conversation cards. The week-long promotion was very helpful to informing the school about the table.

Photo by Cordelia Longo

Moving forward, I hope to expand and improve the program.

In addition to having conversations with students at the table, participants can come for snacks, games, and activities.

Everyone Included is a way to encourage celebration of diversity and acceptance. The table meets every Wednesday in the commons during second lunch. Everyone Included’s purpose is to start conversations between people of different social skills and backgrounds; absolutely everyone is welcome to come and make friends.

Photo courtesy Sandyhook Promise The Everyone Included Lunch Table partnered with Start with Hello Week to host a week-long table.

The Everyone Included Lunch Table is open weekly on Wednesday during second lunch.

Time For Your Flu Shot: This Year’s Flu Season Surpasses Previous Years Annika Bhananker staff writer

Flu season brings runny noses, body aches, fevers and swirling rumors. Flu activity generally starts around January but began as early as November this season. The 2017-18 influenza season has health professionals and the media running in circles in an attempt to reassure the public.

There are three types of influenza: influenza A, B and C. The predominant strain in the 2017-18 season, the H3N2 virus, a subtype of influenza A, is known to have severe effects and symptoms when it strikes, causing the worst outbreaks of the various strains of influenza.

The H3N2 virus, which has been studied for around 50 years, can bypass the immune system quicker than other illnesses, making it much harder to control. This year more than 80 percent of reported cases involved the H3N2 strain.

Additionally, this year there is another virus laced in with influenza called RSV, Respiratory Syncytial Virus,

a common yet very contagious virus. Dr. John Lynch, Medical Director for Infection Prevention & Control at Harborview Medical Center, estimates that RSV accounts for approximately 33 percent of the respiratory virus patients at Seattle Harborview this year.

One of many prevalent figures causing public buzz is that the influenza vaccine is only 10 percent effective this season. However, this number is an incorrectly-cited statistic that comes from Australia, which experiences the flu during their winter and our summer. Often the “Aussie flu” is used as a predictor for the characteristics of the flu throughout the western hemisphere.

In fact, the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in the U.S. is 30 percent. In Australia, only the elderly and infirm receive vaccinations and are less responsive to the vaccine, making the Australian statistic an inaccurate representation of the effectiveness of the vaccine in the U.S. Additionally, influenza is a constantly mutating virus,

meaning that even if the vaccine is well matched to the circulating virus, its effectiveness is at best 60 percent. In comparison, the measles vaccine is 97 percent effective.

For the most part, healthy adults are not going to have severe ramifications from the flu, Lynch said, but they are the ones who pass on the virus to older people and children, in whom the vaccine does not work very well.

Though vaccines are not at maximum effectiveness this year, health professionals still advise people over six months to get their flu shot.

Lynch emphasizes the importance of vaccinations for the flu season, adding that responsibility falls upon the adults in the community to get vaccinated to prevent transmission. “[The vaccine] helps attenuate the severity of the disease in some people, so decreases spread,” Lynch said.

“The vaccine, which takes about two weeks to produce an immune

response, can be lifesaving,” Lynch said. He said that many people often dismiss their flu-like symptoms as the common cold, but this can be dangerous. “Colds can’t kill you, but influenza regularly kills people,” Lynch said.

Western Washington has not been hit as hard by the flu as in previous years. Though this year’s hospitalization

rates nationwide are high, they have decreased locally.

Yet, increasing trends suggest that the season’s peak has not yet passed.

Thus far, the season has surpassed the hospitalization rate of the 2014-15 season.

As of Feb. 2, many scientists speculate that the season has not yet peaked, warning that the flu will continue for sev-

eral months and that its severity will only increase.

The flu activity has not begun to decline and typically begins to dwindle when the weather gets warmer. Until then, Lynch said there are many ways you can protect yourself, such as getting vaccinated, staying home from work and school and washing your hands.

SPORTS

February 23, 2018

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On National Signing Day, MIHS Athletes Become Collegiate Athletes (cont.)

“The athlete still needs to propel much of the conversation and show interest and ambition to keep the conversation going,” Isabelle Knowles, who committed to row for the University of Washington, said.

Inevitably, deciding to commit to a college forces most prospective student-athletes to seriously consider their educational path far earlier than usual.

“I was recruited during January of my sophomore year,” Brodsky said. “I verbally committed in February 2015, meaning I knew where I was going before a lot of the seniors that year!”

“I felt very proud of myself for committing and doing it early. It felt amazing to see where my hard work had gotten me and gave me confirmation that I was on the right track.”

“It has been a lifelong goal to play college football,” Spencer Luce, who committed to play football at Azusa Pacific University, said.

In many cases, the drive to play in college stems from an intense passion for their

sport.

“I love soccer and simply wanted to play at the highest level I could,” Hill said.

“I set the goal for myself to play college sports when I was in sixth grade. I typed it out on a piece of paper, taped it to my wall, and looked at it every day.”

“I chose to focus primarily on squash because I think I just fell in love with it,” Moscovici said. “I loved the creativity it involves with shot selection, but also the calculation.”

Despite spending years rising above every challenge in their training to hone their talents to the highest degree, future collegiate athletes still face the same increase in rigor that all students encounter upon transitioning to college.

“I feel like I have prepared myself to the best of my ability and I feel ready for college football, but I am sure there will be many additional lessons I will learn and obstacles to overcome when I arrive on campus,” Luce said.

“The game is played at a much faster pace, and the

Photo by Laura Totten Tessa Guerra will be playing lacrosse at Claremont McKenna College

girls are stronger and older,” Behrbaum said. “I feel Mercer Island High School and playing on a club team has prepared me well for balancing academic and athletic pressure.”

“I’m super excited to be playing at ASU, because this year is their inaugural season as a Division I sport, and they will be competing in the PAC-12,” Brodsky said. “I think it will be a big challenge stepping up to that level from high school, but I am ready for it!”

“In high school I expected college soccer to be faster, higher paced, more physical, with more technical players,” Hill said. “However, I was ready for it and did well my freshman year. I prepared academically as well. For me at least, it really wasn’t that hard of a transition.”

For a lucky few, the familial feeling created by college athletics comes from actual flesh and blood relationships.

“Both of my brothers play tennis at Whitworth and they enjoy it a lot, so I am excited to join them,” Bethards said.

“My sister, Brooke Behrbaum, plays volleyball for the University of Pennsylvania,” Behrbaum said. “My future team will play my sister’s team.”

Although the journey is hard, participating in college sports can ease pressure from other sources.

“Having sports definitely made the application process less stressful in high school,” Hill said. “Coaches tell you exactly what GPA and test scores you need to have to meet their school’s requirements. And if you have those, you’re usually good to go.”

“Knowing that I would have assured acceptance has

taken a huge stress out of my life,” Knowles said. “[This means that] when I commit to the coach and sign, I am assured acceptance, so even though UW decisions don’t come back until April-ish, I already know I am in.”

Bringing their most beloved activity to college enables students to ground themselves through a longstanding outlet.

“I found that running as a student is really helpful, because it really helps me get motivated, and it makes me do my work more,” Michaels said. “I think having that as a sense of structure and balance in college will be really nice.”

“I don’t know what I would do every day if I wasn’t rowing,” Knowles said. “I can’t imagine my life without it. It has also provided a second home and friends that makes me feel supported every day, and I want to continue to have a place like that in college.”

“I really liked the team atmosphere and aspect of playing a college sport,” Lee said. “You have someone -- immediate friends -- going into the school. You really have a family you can fall back onto, especially if you’re going outside of the state, and you’re so far away from home. It’s really nice to have a family atmosphere.”

Thankfully, many colleges recognize the vitality of academics for athletic students, and accommodate accordingly.

“The athletes at Azusa Pacific have dedicated counselors assisting them with employment after graduation,” Luce said.

“Academically, I feel very reassured knowing that there are tutors and required study

Cleveland fans when he said, “I’m taking my talents to South Beach.” The special was immediately criticized by most, and just a couple of months after the show aired he said he would have handled his free agency “a little bit different.” This move set the groundwork for poor decision making from James and his camp for years to come.

After spending four years in Miami and winning two NBA finals with the Heat, James made his long-awaited return back to Cleveland.

The City of Cleveland was overjoyed to have James back on their team and had dreams of him winning an NBA final.

Upon his return, he provided his team with MVP caliber play and turned the Cavs into a team capable

of winning the championship. Then LeBron did what LeBron always does; he got ahold of his phone and started to act like a passive-aggressive five-year-old.

As soon as James joined the Cavs, he requested a trade for Kevin Love who is an outstanding player that cost Cleveland the number 1 overall pick in a trade. Halfway through the season, James indulged in his favorite pastime of “subtweeting.” Subtweeting is when someone goes on Twitter and takes passive-aggressive shots without specifically naming the person they are targeting.

James proceeded to take his shot at Kevin Love with this gem of a tweet: “Stop trying to find a way to FIT-OUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my

Photo by Laura Totten Jaeden Pritchard will be playing football at Chadron State College .

sessions athletes will need to attend to make sure our grades stay good,” Brodsky said.

These athletes have worked incredibly hard to be where they are today, but they were not alone.

“The constant support from club coaches and my family helped me reach my goal,” Behrbaum said.

“We counsel and support all student athletes about what the next steps may be if they are interested in playing in college,” Nick Wold, Director of Athletics at MIHS, said.

“I would encourage a student-athlete to pursue collegiate athletics,” Wold continued. “I believe student-athletes find creative ways to balance all of their activities with their studies and therefore I do not believe they have an adverse affect on their academics.

Often times college teams require tutoring which many students do not have access to unless they are a part of a team.”

In spite of the stressful and lengthy road to commit-

ting to play for a college, the Class of 2018’s future collegiate athletes were glad to have traveled it.

“Committing to play Division I volleyball at Cornell University was one of the greatest moments of my life,” Behrbaum said. “I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and happiness, since I had been training extremely hard to achieve this goal.”

“It was really cute!” Michaels said. “My mom and I got the email, and checked on it together.”

“It was really special to have her there to experience that with me, after her being so supportive and such an amazing mom and person.”

Ultimately, the opportunity to carry a deeply cherished part of their lives to the next level has improved the college experience of many MIHS student-athletes. Most importantly, perhaps, committing to a sport allows for much needed comfort in a tumultuous and typically uncertain time.

“It’s really nice to know that you’re going somewhere next year,” Lee said.

thoughts.” If James is trying to be a good teammate what is the goal of these subtle shots directed at players on his team? This is not the only time LeBron has subtweeted his teammates; he has taken his shots at former teammate Kyrie Irving on numerous occasions, David Blatt, and also gone after members of the Golden State Warriors (who defeated him in the finals twice).

What James has been doing lately is even worse than his lackluster social media use. He has been holding the Cleveland Cavaliers organization hostage by not disclosing what he will do during his free agency this summer. James has two routes he could take: he could stay with Cleveland, or jump ship to a different and leave the organization

in shambles. LeBron has put his team in a tough position because this year they are trying to prepare for life after he leaves, while also having a “win now” mentality.

Lebron’s indecisiveness has led the Cavs to make a plethora of roster moves during this year’s free agency. They traded away six players and added four more to try and make one last push for an NBA title.

The summer of 2018 will be full of LeBron James free agency coverage with ESPN’s talking heads arguing over where he will end up.

Will he stay in Cleveland or will he “take his talents to the city of angels” and join the Los Angeles Lakers?

Only LeBron knows, but let’s just see if he can stay away from his phone in the process.

LeBron James Is a Toxic 5-Year-Old Social Media Addict Henry Lemaster staff writer

LeBron James is the most talented basketball player of our generation and the second greatest basketball player of all time. James has transcendent talent, but his personality and social media use off the court makes him unlikable.

James has been under a microscope since he was tagged as “the next Michael Jordan” when he was 15 years old. The eventual number one overall pick in the NBA Draft became such a high profile athlete that ESPN televised his high school basketball games.

James had a wonderful career at a young age, and the talent he possessed was obvious for anyone to see… then 2010 came around.

After a heartbreaking play-

off loss to the Boston Celtics, LeBron had to decide if he wanted to stay with his hometown team in Cleveland or leave and join another team. This is where the first great media mishap in James’s career happened.

Instead of just signing with a team and moving on, James wanted to turn his free agency into a television production. James decided that he would run a 75-minute television special called “The Decision” in which he would announce where he would play for the ensuing season. The special aired on ESPN from a Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. After 30 minutes of keeping fans on the edge of their seats, he announced that he would sign with the Miami Heat, and ripped the hearts out of his adoring

n

The Northwest African American Museum Black History Month through the eyes of one of the most important cultural museums in the Pacific Northwest

Upcoming Events @ The Northwest African American Museum 2300 S Massachusetts St, Seattle, WA

“Black history is

Morgan Freeman

AMERICAN

Visit the Northwest African American Museum — located just across the floating bridge in Seattle — to commemorate Black History Month and learn more about diversity through a local perspective.

history”

Black History Month occurs during the second month of the year and celebrates the cultural struggles the black community went through and are unfortunately still facing today. February is the time of the year to recognize and acknowledge those not commonly represented in today’s society; to celebrate their differences and applaud their accomplishments; and to highlight how much people of color have achieved in politics, art, film, sports, and science. Black History Month remains important, giving a voice to those otherwise silenced. Is one month of twelve too much to ask? As a culture that has battled oppression, strife and racism for many generations and still feels the consequences today, one month hardly seems enough.

Black History Month can create a greater recognition of specific African Americans who have risked their lives for other people of all backgrounds.

Kaleb John-Lewis St. Felicia: Patron Saint of Farwells by Lisa Myers Bulmash

People of color are being recognized for the challenges and

Maya Virdell

success that they have faced throughout many

February 25

LISA MYERS BULMASH ARTIST LECTURE WITH INTISAR ABIOTO Hear local artist Lisa Myers Bulmash speak on the influences and inspirations from her captivating works. She will be joined by photographer Intisar Abioto.

3-5 pm

February 28

COMPLEX EXCHANGE: FIGURING BLACK FUTURES TODAY Features presenters and practices that reference black experience and lives of people of color from a local context.

7-9 pm

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT NAAMNW.ORG Students are encouraged to volunteer their time at NAAM. Spring and summer are filled with events that can fit your schedule. Contact sfbonnelle@naamnw.org if you are interested.

decades.

Channing Martin

African American History is everyone’s history. This month is not just for African Americans; it’s for everyone, every day of the year. It speaks to the challenges, the perseverance and the hope of a people ... my people.

Stacie Ford Bonnelle Visitor and Volunteer Services Manager at NAAMNW Hayward Evans by Henry Luke

Black History Month is important because it reminds people that things have not always been the way they are now. It

The Northwest African American Museum features a timeline of noteworthy events regarding racial equality as leaders and citizens alike fought for justice.

reminds men and women that they should honor those who risked their lives to make America a true free country.

Faith Osei Tutu Photos courtesy Jessica Rycheal

OPINIONS

8

mihsislander.org

When is Affirmative Action Justified in College Admissions?

Walt McKelvie staff writer

Affirmative Action at its best is a temporary, necessary unfairness meant to end centuries of systematic oppression and inequality. It is a sad necessity to bridge the educational and financial gaps between different races, and to ending racial stereotypes. This is why affirmative action programs helping groups facing race-based discrimination, particularly blacks and Hispanics, is a good thing.

Racism is undoubtedly widespread in the United States. According to a 2016 University of Missouri study, people with “white” names are 50% more likely to get callbacks from employers than those with black or Hispanic names. A University of California study found that black people are 3.49 times more likely than whites to be shot unarmed by police. The Department of Education reported in 2015 that black students are 3.8 times more likely to be suspended in K-12 public schools.

The problem with racial stereotypes is that they are self-perpetuating. The more impoverished and uneducated a group of people are, the more a stereotype about the group begins to form. This stereotype causes further discrimination, exacerbating the original problem of demographic inequality.

Union workers protest in support of affirmative programs, which have increasingly come under fire as discriminatory.

Racism is far too deeply ingrained into our culture to be addressed in any direct way, so affirmative action aims to provide a more indirect way of tackling the problem by fixing inequality: giving minorities an “unfair advantage” over privileged whites. In the short term, this might disadvantage ambitious whites; in the long term, however, affirmative action is helping to create a world where race has no correlation to class.

Yet affirmative action at its worst can be a hindrance to equality of opportunity when racial quotas are enforced without colleges specifically examining the demographics of, culture of, and racism surrounding

the group they are curtailing the admissions of. I am talking about, specifically, how Asian Americans are regarded in college admissions.

Proportionally to population, more qualified Asian Americans are applying to colleges because of a culture of a good work ethic and competitive parenting. To maintain racial distribution roughly proportional to that of the US population, college admissions offices have decided to give all Asian Americans a disadvantage in college admissions. This disadvantage is significant and measurable, so much so that a 2009 Princeton study found that Asian Americans had to score a

full 140 points higher on the SAT than their white counterparts to have the same chance at admission, all other things held equal.

This penalty towards Asian American applicants would make sense if it were attempting to fix racism benefitting Asian Americans. However, this racism simply does not exist: in fact, there is still significant racism against Asian Americans.

Many colleges still insist that because the Asian American culture of valuing academic achievement leads to a greater number of qualified Asian Americans, a systematic disadvantage must be applied to all Asians as a means of curtailing their success.

Photo courtesy St. Lawrence Student Activists for Global Equity

This thinking is faulty and racist. While I agree with limited race-based affirmative action with the goal of ending institutional racism, blind enforcement of racial quotas does the opposite.

Affirmative action is quite possibly one of the only feasible ways to end racism in this country.

Since its inception, the American Dream of equality of opportunity has been hampered by an epidemic of racism, fueled by an association between race and class. Affirmative action is a fantastic opportunity to fight racism by ending this association.

However, in the blind enforcement of race quotas, some colleges have lost sight of the goal in

regard to affirmative action: ending institutional racism. Affirmative action targeting an already marginalized racial group for no clear reason not only hinders progress toward the stated goal of affirmative action, but actually undermines it.

There is absolutely no rational reason to hinder the opportunity of a group already facing racism; doing so elicits all of the short-term drawbacks of affirmative action, but none of the benefits.

The goal of affirmative action should thus not be diversity in and of itself, but rather creating equality of opportunity. And policies should be thought out with that goal in mind.

Inclusion of Prop Joints in ‘Good Kids’ Goes Up in Smoke

Neglecting to portray marijuana use missed the point.

Ash O’Briant staff writer

Photo courtesy Mollie Parkinson

The ‘Good Kids’ actors pretend to drink alcohol, but for some community members marijuana crossed the line.

On the opening night of “Good Kids,” student actors who smoked prop joints in the show were told not to use them. This decision was brought on by prior pressure from the Mercer Island community; a parent showed concern about the portrayal of marijuana in the play and believed it could be seen as encouraging marijuana use.

To avoid conflict with the community, Daniela Melgar, the director and drama teacher, cut fake marijuana use out of the play. “I made the split second decision to protect the play and the drama program,” Melgar explained.

When high school students can create art without worrying about what backlash they may receive from the public, they learn and grow — and school administration agrees.

“The person who was challenging me was missing the whole point of the play,”

Principal Vicki Puckett said.

With shows like “Good Kids,” Melgar often consults with Puckett before production begins. This collaboration keeps both focused on the health and direction of the program. “I really trust Melgar in choosing plays that fit our students’ needs,” Puckett added.

“Good Kids” unflinchingly covers subjects from sexual assault, consent, date-rape drugs, and underage drinking.

The cast has covered these topics in a mature manner, both onstage and off. When preparing to produce the show, Melgar incorporated workshops and open discussions into the drama curriculum, especially about sexual assault. These lessons gave the students a chance to learn and speak about these issues so that they could be responsible and educated during the production.

Now, however, many of the drama students don’t understand why their art is being censored, especially

considering that there were many other illegal activities depicted in the play. “The whole point of the show was to be brutally honest about the things that teenagers face,” said Augusta Norman, one of the show’s leads.

Acting in public school theatrical productions has its limitations. Scripts can legally be censored on the basis that they constitute school-sponsored speech, which would not be the case in a private theater. Productions like “Good Kids” are bound to be objected by at least some members of the community. “Drama, and literature in general is supposed to make people uncomfortable,” Norman said.

It is understandable why the prop joints were removed. However, the larger question that remain: Does it serve the growth of MIHS drama students to be act under fear of offending the community? Or should the community trust the integrity of the drama program?

OPINIONS

February 23, 2018

‘Unfounded Assumptions’

9

with humor editor Spencer Klein

Mystery in the 200-Hall Bathroom

Gender-Neutral Bathrooms at MIHS (cont.)

“I always get really uncomfortable when I have to use a gendered bathroom,” Kim said, “but going to one of the gender neutral bathrooms would mean walking across the school and back; I just don’t have the time.”

MIHS has two single-occupant gender-neutral bathrooms, one in the nurse’s office and the other in the 100 hall.

Both can be inconvenient to access during passing periods, causing students to get tardies or be late for class. While they can choose to explain their situation to their teacher, that can oftentimes be alienating and embarrassing for the student.

Despite interest among students, there has been little physical progress in adding a communal gender-neutral bathroom to the high school.

Kuhn points out that it is not as simple as converting a bathroom. “The way the facil-

ity is set up now, it’s difficult,” he explained, citing building codes as just one of the issues at play. If the school moves too quickly, they may face pushback from families, the School Board, and the student body. “I also have to take into consideration students who do specify with a specific gender,” Kuhn said, “And make sure I’m not alienating them”.

While some cisgender individuals may feel alienated if one of their bathrooms was converted to be gender-neutral, a vast majority of bathrooms are specifically designated for them. Meanwhile, transgender people suffer from not having access to the same facilities as majority of the population. A survey conducted by the UCLA School of Law found that 54 percent of transgender people experienced problems such as dehydration, kidney infections, and

urinary tract infections as a result of their lack of bathroom access.

Principal Vicki Puckett says that the school has been discussing this. “We have been very supportive of it,” she said. She has high hopes for how the school will adapt to the presence of these students and their needs, and has hinted at future plans to designate such a bathroom. “We have been talking about it,” Puckett said. “The 200 wing was the one we were thinking about making gender-neutral.”

In the end, the school does have a long way to go, but it seems to be heading in the right direction. It has a strong student body behind the issue and faculty who are willing to listen to their concerns. Hopefully the progress that transgender and gender non-binary students need will happen soon.

Recently, the 200 hall bathroom was closed for vandalism. Although I tried over and over to enter the scene of the crime, I was thwarted by the locked door. Since I can’t find out the truth, I can give you the next best thing: Unfounded Assumptions (yes, that’s the name of the column. I just brought this baby full circle).

Theory #1: It was actual vandalism.

Yes, it’s fun to come up with wacky ideas, but in all seriousness someone probably just drew a penis on one of the stalls.

Theory #2: The admin found the body of the original Dr. Gary Plano in there, like that plot twist in “The Visit.”

If you remember in the movie “The Visit” these two dumb kids are held hostage by these creepy old people, and then they call their mom and she’s like “lmao those aren’t your grandparents” and then one of the kids smashes the old guy’s head with a fridge. After all that the kids find the body of the original grandparents in the basement. In this theory replace the old people with Dr. Plano, except without all the hostage stuff.

And also, Plano definitely isn’t at MIHS right now.

Theory #3: A bunch of Juuls came together to form the Megazord like in Power Rangers and they’re now defending the bathroom from foreign at-

Photo courtesy RangerWiki

It’s just like the Megazord, but made out of sin juice.

tack.

Each vape flavor is a different ranger: Red ranger is strawberry superstar, Blue ranger is blueberry blast-off, Pink is cotton candy crush, Yellow ranger is mustard gas and Black ranger is charcoal dust.

Theory #4: The smoke detectors reported high carbon monoxide levels, but the air content was just more than 50 percent vape.

The notion that smoke flooded the 200-Hall bathroom was quickly dismissed when fire-fighters walked in to the smell of sophomore angst.

Theory #5: Herbert the Snail trailed his gastropod sauce all over the place and they have to clean it up.

This problem can be solved quickly if you follow his trail and have a cold heart and a fistful of salt.

Theory #6: A janitor was mopping when the handle bumped a roof tile and Mr. Gadbury fell out.

While it was previously believed that he moved to Texas to build churches, Samuel Gadbury was recently found pelting vapers with one-kilogram weights.

Theory #7: It was Old Man Jenkins.

He dressed up as an opposing viewpoint to scare all the liberal teens away so he could have all the toilet paper to himself. “I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids,” Jenkins said.

Gendered Photo Lines at Tolo Reflect a Need for LGBT Awareness Lili Szafir staff writer

Walking into Tolo, students were greeted with lines classified by gender for pictures. To many this would seem insignificant. However, for students who don’t fit in a “line” this may have felt exclusive and inconsiderate.

Getting pictures taken is a main event of school dances.

Unfortunately, the unnecessary setup of the lines created an experience that was more isolating if anything for some LGBT students. To create an inclusive environment, the school needs to better consider the feelings of LGBT students. Assuming that all students are either boys or girls does not achieve that.

The administration aims to have a school where all students feel considered, but gender classified lines prove that there is still a ways to go. These lines probably went unnoticed by the majority of students, but they represent that there is still steps to be taken to improve the school

community.

In an earlier issue of the Islander, Annie Poole wrote about spreading awareness of gender pronouns use in classrooms.

Gender pronouns may not be thought of often by all students, but for anyone who does not go by “he” or “she,” these pronouns are extremely important.

Misconceptions and unawareness lead to an isolating environment, oppose to the inclusive environment MIHS aims to foster. Co-President of the Queer Straight Alliance (QSA), Art Kim, also feels that there is still room for improvement and education in the school.

Kim, who has been a member of QSA since freshman year, explained that the club has done a significant amount of work to educate MIHS teachers and students. “We talk to admin a lot.

We do some teacher trainings about how to be more inclusive,” Kim said.

Kim, who is gender non-binary and attended Tolo, noticed the odd set-up of the lines. “It

makes people who don’t necessarily fit into that gender binary feel really excluded,” said Kim. “I asked the person who was separating the lines by girls and guys, where I should go, and I was just automatically sorted into girls, which made me feel super weird. I look like a girl, but I’m not a girl.

People make these assumptions, and we need to undo all of that.”

One of the first steps to create a more inclusive school is for students and educators to take it upon themselves to do some research. “Google ‘LGBTQIA’

Photo courtesy Pinterest

and find out what those terms mean,” continued Kim. “Find out how to use pronouns. Find out what a prefered name is.”

The school community has a long way to go, but with help of

QSA and people like Kim, we are headed towards achieving the community we all want: a community in which everyone feels included, whether they identify as a he, she or they.

A&E

February 23, 2018

11

A Poem: Banishing Bystanderism and Toxic Masculinity This is an an excerpt of the full poem, which can be found on mihsislander.org.

Bystanderism By Élan Ma

I want to address the most important topic that I think we at MIHS can act on BYSTANDERISM - being a bystander We need to call out immature boys making disrespectful jokes.

I don’t hate men, Hear me out: I once sat next to a senior boy who made fun of child trafficking, and ANOTHER SENIOR BOY, who was his friend tried to stop him from making a suicide joke But he still made the suicide joke.

I JUST SNAPPED AT THAT KID I said something like “My counselor tells me boys are developmentally behind, and you are literal proof of that, when will you grow up” He dropped the class I know a junior boy who everyone behind his back talks about – they’re uncomfortable about his dumb jokes, but they never call him out on it.

I regret not ROASTING HIM for his “Imma do blackface to get into college” joke My dad always made sexist jokes at dinner parties, All his friends hated them, But Chinese friend culture is very courteous, so no one ever said anything.

Everyone laughed uncomfortably.

Behind every sexist joke, there’s an insecure, weak boy, with the potential to hurt women, with violence Calling out ridiculous, illogical, damaging jokes feel amazing.

You really want to “be a man”?

Stand up for others, stand up for women

Élan Ma, a senior at MIHS and the author of “Bystanderism.”

Photo by Anna Sham

The Bellevue Art Museum Displays Student Artwork Joy Francke staff writer

Twenty local student-artists will be displaying their work at the Bellevue Art Museum for the “20 Under 20” art exhibition over the upcoming months. The exhibition runs Jan. 12 to April 8, and is put on by the museum’s Teen Arts Council. The council, consisting of students aged 14 to 18, hosts a competition for young artists each year. They feature a manifold of different art forms.

“The show features a

wide range of artistic mediums,” said Julia Milled, Director of Learning & Public Programming at BAM. “We have oil and acrylic paintings, photography, pen and ink drawings, block prints, ceramics, and some mixed media, or collage, works.”

Members of the teen panel review submissions from across the Puget Sound area. The jury the submissions and select only their top 20 favorites to display.

“It is an important project for the members of our Teen Arts Council, who publicize the call for artists,

jury and select artworks, and decide the exact layout for the pieces in the gallery,” said Milled. “They get to chat with BAM’s curators and exhibition installation team to learn about all the work that goes into putting on a show like this, so it is a really great learning experience for them.”

This unique opportunity also offers the creators a chance to display their pieces to the public in a professional environment.

“Our goal really is to showcase interesting and creative art from young

people in our area. We have so many talented teen artists in our community, and we want to encourage them to continue making work and sharing their art with the world,” said Milled.

One of the students whose work is featured in the show is Mekhi Airhart, a student from Lakeside High School. He created a thought-provoking sculpture called “Pain” using plaster, spray paint, and wax to depict a hand with a candle melting over it. Airhart hopes to illustrate that art is a process in his piece.

“I was tired of making work that was static, and was just another piece I just finished and left alone to gather dust, so I made a piece that would always be a work in progress,” said Airhart.

Another artist accepted into the exhibit is Liana Phan. Phan, a student from Lower Macungie Middle School, drew a piece named “Pointillism Portrait of Frida Kahlo,” a portrait of Frida Kahlo, an esteemed mexican painter, in black pen. Phan’s work was inspired by her art teacher.

“My teacher and Frida are both artists I admire, and I wanted to create something to honor that,” said Phan.

“Art is important to me because it speaks to you when you do not have words,” said Phan when about the importance of art in her life.

The gallery showcases incredible art that students have put tremendous amounts of time and effort into. To check out the exhibition, visit the BAM’s Community Education Gallery for free, Tuesday through Sunday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Photo by Joy Francke

“Pain” by Mekhi Airhart is a sculpture made of plaster, spray paint, and wax.

A&E

10

mihsislander.org Photo courtesy Refinery 29

Photo courtesy New York Times

Scenes from “Call Me By Your Name” – a standout movie and top contender to win Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards.

“Call Me By Your Name” : A Love Story For Everyone Annie Poole staff writer

Timothée Chalamet is not the only reason to see Luca Guadagnino’s most recent movie, “Call Me By Your Name,” although the 22-year-old actor is nominated for Best Actor at the Oscar’s and the movie is nominated for Best Picture. This wistful depiction of desire and a first love, portrayed through Chalamet’s boyish innocence, will have you ponder what love means to you.

The adaptation of the novel written by André Aciman, is set in 1983 where 17-year-old Elio Perlman lives with his mother and father in an Italian villa each summer. His father, who is a professor of Greco-Roman culture, invites a graduate student to work with him and stay with the

family every year. Played

by Armie Hammer, Oliver stays with the Perlman’s over the summer.

Among the luscious and sun-filled surroundings of a small town in northern Italy, “Call Me By Your Name” sets up an epic romance between Oliver and Elio.

Most of the movie is very picturesque. Elio spends his days transcribing and playing classical music on the piano, reading, swimming in the nearby lake and hanging out with different girls. However, when Oliver arrives, his days are also accompanied by adventures and conversations with Oliver.

You may find yourself wishing to be in Crema, Italy – riding bikes, picking peaches and going dancing at night. But the harsh reality of all love stories

ending, hits you as Elio, in tears, waves goodbye to Oliver on the train home.

Gay love stories are often overshadowed by disapproval or death, including famous movies such as “Moonlight” and “Brokeback Mountain.”

In fact, the acceptance that Elio receives from his father’s monologue is the most profound scene of the movie because his love for Oliver isn’t something the father rejects, but instead embraces.

Played by Michael Stuhlbarg, Elio’s father delivers a monologue about unconditional love and acceptance. He makes it clear to Elio that he supports the relationship and even envies his close connection to someone, regardless of gender. He gives Elio advice on his first heartbreak and the woeful withdrawal

he will experience.

“In my place, most parents would hope the whole thing goes away, or pray that their sons land on their feet soon enough,” Elio’s father says. “But I am not such a parent. In your place, if there is pain, nurse it, and if there is a flame, don’t snuff it out, don’t be brutal with it.”

These carefully articulated words, with their quiet affirmation of love, makes this speech such an integral part of the movie.

Although “Call Me By Your Name” focuses on the love story between Elio and Oliver, it really is a coming-of-age story. Part of high school is to start discovering yourselves and struggle as you come to terms with your identity.

As you unearth who you are and what you love, it is important to see “Call

Me By Your Name.” Even though Elio isn’t quite sure of himself, his curiosity and authenticity as he falls in love for the first time connects to all audiences.

“Not only was my love story portrayed, it was also portrayed through the queer perspective that I could wholeheartedly relate to and understand,” Brinkley Holshouser said.

“I think the power of Call Me By Your Name is that it speaks to the universality of love, but it also feels deeply personal.”

After the movie, Emi Olson felt like she was in a daze. “We couldn’t find the right words to explain our feelings or talk about what happened,” Olson said.

“I constantly re-played scenes in my head trying to remember all of the colors and music and emotions.”

The hours and days after

seeing the movie, you will reflect on your first love and the heartbreak that followed. ‘“When I got home, I immediately called my ex-girlfriend (at the time), and we talked about the movie for hours,” Holshouser said.

“It’s a love story that many can relate to, but is so effortless and real that people who don’t like romances can still appreciate its beauty,” Olson said, adding on another reason to see the movie.

The overwhelming amount of praise and appreciation for “Call Me By Your Name” comes at a time that is primarily dominated by heterosexual love stories in movies. It is imperative to recognize and celebrate all types of love, as they are equally important as the rest.

Fifty Shades of Horrible, and Other 2017 Burnouts Ben Capuano staff writer

On March 4, actors, actresses, directors and other celebrities will come together for the 90th Annual Academy Awards to celebrate the most creative and powerful films of the year.

On March 3, a motley group of people who hate bad movies will come together in John JB Wilson’s basement and decide what the worst pieces of cinematic garbage released this year are for the 38th Annual Raspberry Awards.

For those unfamiliar with the Razzies, this deliberate spoof of the Oscars has been going strong since the first ceremony in 1981. What’s considered bad has changed since then, for example,

Stanley Kubrick was nominated as the worst director for “The Shining”, which is now considered a horror classic. But one thing that’s been pretty consistent is that most of the “winners” never show up to receive their awards in person.

We’ll start the overview for this year’s Razzies with the illustrious worst picture category. Here, we have the reboots “Baywatch” and “The Mummy,” as well as the sequels “Transformers: The Last Knight” and “Fifty Shades Darker.” Rounding off the list is Co-editor in Chief Grady Short’s favorite, “The Emoji Movie.” Identical choices make up the worst screenplay category.

The worst actress categories includes obvious choic-

es, such as Dakota Johnson for “Fifty Shades Darker” Katherine Heigl for “Unforgettable,” and Emma Watson for “The Circle.”

But the group is not without its surprises, namely Jennifer Lawrence for her role in “Mother!.” Finally, Tyler Perry for “BOO: 2 A Madea Halloween” completes this year’s nominees.

Worst actor contains a few nominees in two movies at once. Javier Bardem for “Mother!”/“Pirates of the Caribbean” and Mark Wahlberg for “Daddy’s Home 2”/“Transformers.”

The rest of the list is made up of the familiar faces of Johnny Depp for “Pirates”, Zac Efron for “Baywatch”, and Jamie Dornan for “Fifty Shades Darker”.

In the worst supporting

actor, many of the same movies share the spotlight, like Russell Crowe for “The Mummy,” Josh Duhamel for “Transformers,” and Mel Gibson for “Daddy’s Home 2”. The rest are dual nominees, Javier Bardem for “Pirates”/“Mother!” and Anthony Hopkins for “Collide”/“Transformers”.

The worst supporting actress category contains the one and only nods towards “Snatched” with Goldie Hawn and “A Bad Moms Christmas” with Susan Sarandon. Razzies powerhouses “Fifty Shades Darker,” “Transformers,” and “The Mummy” dominate the rest of the list with Kim Basinger, Laura Haddock, and Sofia Boutella respectively.

Honoring the filmmak-

ers themselves is the worst director category. We have surrealist Darren Aronofsky for “Mother!,” explosion enthusiast Michael Bay for “Transformers” and the first ever Razzie-nominated animation director Tony Leonidis for “The Emoji Movie.” “Fifty Shades Darker” director James Foley and “The Mummy”’s Alex Kurtzman complete the list.

Finally, the Razzies wouldn’t be complete without their exclusive worst screen combo category.

This category is usually a joking jab at a very specific part of a movie. Any two “obnoxious” emojis make up the nod for “The Emoji Movie,” and any combo of two humans, two robots or two explosion make up the “Transformers” nomina-

tion. The last two nominees are more specific, for “Pirates” it’s Johnny Depp and his worn-out drunk routine and finally for “BOO: 2” Tyler Perry and the ratty dress/worn out wig earned a nomination. “Fifty Shades Darker” had a nomination as well, but it was too obscene to be published in a school newspaper.

Looking at the roundup as a whole, “Transformers” leads the pack with nine nods with “Fifty Shades” close behind with a solid eight. But there’s no way to predict a sure winner for now, and with a relatively consistent series of films across all the categories, this year’s Razzies are going to be a heated competition for sure.

12

Is Leadership Doing its Job?

Photo courtesy Laura Totten

YES

L

A

eadership has accomplished many things that that we believe have positively impacted the student body. We organize everything Homecoming-related each year. We start meeting as a class the month before school starts to plan the dance, Homecoming week, and the very first assembly. The junior class officers also work around the clock throughout the year to insure Prom is a memorable experience for the seniors.

Along with most school dances, all the sports assemblies are organized by Leadership. This is a chance for Leadership to help recognize MIHS students for all their amazing achievements in front of the whole school, along with bonding with your class in competitive, interactive games and getting to know more about the staff.

Two main projects in the works are “Open ASB” and a survey that will be sent out to the student body. Both projects’ goals are to receive feedback from students on how Leadership can improve, which is the sincere desire of the class and its advisor. Many may feel that students in Leadership just dress crazy on Fridays, but I hope my words have opened your eyes to a part of what it means to be in Leadership. We dress crazy on Fridays to show our love for MIHS and our peers, hoping others will join in so we can all make the most of our four years here.

lthough the leadership class strives to promote positive spirit and inclusion, through the means of small projects, delegated tasks from administration, and door-holding and greeting, their attempts have been unrepresentative of the student body’s interests, and in most cases, hidden from view.

This year has been one full of unique challenges and obstacles. I recognize that Leadership has many hurdles to overcome; however, I would like to see our elected high school student leaders reach out to the student body more directly, through polls, surveys, or by scheduling school/ class-wide meetings. Constant and efficient communication is crucial in providing clarity to accurately represent the entire student body’s interests.

It is important to point out, that although we elected ASB and class officers to represent us, that does not mean that every decision they make reflects our best interests.

How has Leadership been communicative/clear about their efforts to reach out to the student body, so far? How can we insure that our needs are being met? Are improvements being made?

by Dylan Notturno

by Dana Berejka

Junior

ASB PR Coordinator

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