November Issue by mihsislander

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #19 Mercer Island, WA

November 9, 2018

Where are the Prom Funds?

Not in the Class of 2019’s bank account, thanks in part to an act of vandalism. Spencer Klein humor columnist

Loss after loss after loss after loss. When it comes to assembly class competitions, the Class of 2019 has been historically lackluster. While it’s a good laugh to watch the four classes go at it, these competitions have more at stake than it seems. Unbeknownst to the majority of the student body, class competitions—in addition to spirit participation—determine the allocation of funds raised by all-grade school dances toward Prom expenses. “Anything that is made during Homecoming each year is divided between the classes,” explained ASB Accountant Valerie Perine. What does this mean for the senior class? It means that Mr. and Mrs. Chess Club can’t keep volunteering to represent the Class of 2019 in class competitions. While the junior class sends in varsity offensive tackles for musical chairs, the seniors nominate a National Merit Scholar doing her best. Senior class volunteers have to be in it to win it, not Snail Pound slackers trying to put on a show. Fortunately for previous senior classes, Prom funds are not solely

amassed through spirit participation and assembly antics. In past years, class officers have organized fundraisers for Prom since their freshman year. “We’ve never actually had a big fundraiser,” said Lily Gile, appointed ASB officer and member of Leadership since freshman year. Aside from piggybacking on a raffle for a trip to the Galapagos (in which the Class of the 2019 only received a fourth of the funds raised; The Mercer Island Schools Foundation netted the other three fourths), there have been essentially no attempts at fundraising. This negligence is partly due to high turnover rates in leadership positions. “I know the Class of 2018 had pretty much the same five to six people in office every single year,” said Gile. “There’s only three of us in Leadership right now that have been through all the years.” Gile summed up 2019’s fundraising projects as “Donut grams, which makes probably like $20 total, and other than that we haven’t really done stuff.” The combination of inconsistent voting and high officer turnover rate leaves the Class of 2019 at a disadvantage for the coming year. (continued on page 3)

MERCER IS SCHOOL DIST 400

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In this issue FEATURES

What’s Up With BRIDGES? Staff Writer Nico Galvin delves into the purpose and origins of BRIDGES.

Radio Students Take Action A spotlight on

MIHS juniors Lila Shroff and Meghana Kakubal for their participation in the KUOW program, RadioActive.

Freshman XC Runner Takes it to State Cross Country’s prospects for the future look hopeful thanks to freshman runner Kai Zettel.

SPREAD

Unified Sports Creating an inclusive community at MIHS

A&E

Spotlight: 3D Design A look at AP art student Stella Goffman’s work.

sman Gotte

SPORTS

Ellie

takes a look at the Flag Dudes’ successes this year.

hic by

Flag Dudes: Keep it Up! The Editorial Board

Grap

OPINIONS

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2 INSIDE

Letter From the Editor

mihsislander.org

by Print Editor in Chief Grady Short

Every four or five weeks, the journalism program here at MIHS goes through the stress-inducing, almost hellish process of assembling a print newspaper virtually from scratch. Staff writers frantically reach out for interviews and draft up pieces; the editorial board must then face the unenviable task of proofreading dozens of articles within a few days. We show up before school heavily caffeinated, come in at lunch, and take time out of our weekends to format pages in InDesign, scan each tabloid sheet for typos, and argue about whether Georgia or Times New Roman better encapsulates the spirit of our paper. The final product that emerges from this logistical black hole, however, more than makes up for what we put into it. We’re proud that the newspaper you’re holding makes every effort to represent the countless facets of this school’s student body; proud that it reports real news while confining biases to the opinions section; and perhaps proudest of all that we managed to publish the phrase “stupid maggot boy” in print using ASB funds. (See Spencer Klein’s piece on the back page for more.) The Islander has continued to grow as a bona fide news outlet so far this year, both in print and online. Newly-minted Sports Editors Ethan Preston and Maya Virdell are live-tweeting key games and covering breaking news on our website while Photo Editor Annie Poole continues to give our paper’s visuals a facelift. The staff writers have been hard at work learning journalistic principles, AP Style, and how to cope with being trapped in a classroom with Mr. Twombley for 50 minutes per day. With each issue, we strive to improve upon the last, and it is this principle that drives us to spend long hours perfecting pages to the best of our abilities. This issue is no exception; it contains some of the best writing I have seen in the Islander to date. Having said all that - turn to the next page and read it for yourself! Let us know what you think by emailing mihsislander@gmail.com. We hope you’ll learn something new about our school.

Volume VIII, Edition II

ABOUT

From the Website

October’s most-read stories at mihsislander.org

The MIHS Islander

MIHS Debuts Gender-Neutral Homecoming Court

9100 SE 42nd St. Mercer Island, WA 98040 mihsislander@gmail.com www.mihsislander.org

Kavanaugh Undergoes Grueling Confirmation

EDITORS IN CHIEF Print | R. Grady Short Online | Ellie Gottesman Business Manager Managing Editor Features Editor Sports Editors Spread Editor Opinions Editor A&E Editor Copy Editor Photo Editor Cartoonist A&E Columnist Humor Columnist

Jacob D’Souza Isabel Funk Hannah Whobrey Ethan Preston Maya Virdell Ellie Gottesman Lucille Shield Annie Poole Annika Bhananker Annie Poole Teddy Fischer Ben Capuano Spencer Klein

Staff Writers: Tahssya Avant, Natalie Chen, Kiran D’Souza, Charlie Fischer, Baran Fotouhiyehpour, Nico Galvin, Lena Hardisty, Max Hense, Sabrina Hubbell, Alex Isbell, Alex Levin, Declan McSherry, Jeff Parkinson, Sandra Pedersen, Jordan Snyder, Roni Talby Adviser

Chris Twombley

SOCIAL MEDIA

< MIHS Embraces New Leadership Adviser Photos by Annie Poole

Football Team Loses to Bellevue in Final Game You Can’t Say No to a Homecoming Ask, Right? MIHS Girls Soccer Advances to State > PUBLICATION NOTICES Purpose | To provide news to the Mercer Island High School student body and members of the surrounding community in a manner that accurately reflects readers’ interests. The MIHS Islander is an open student forum, and the opinions expressed within do not represent those of the high school or district administrations. Ads | To print an ad in a future issue of The MIHS Islander, contact Business Manager Jake D’Souza at mihsislander@ gmail.com for rates and information. Privacy | All electronic mail messages in connection with Mercer Island School District business which are sent or received by this account are subject to the Washington State Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties. Corrections | We pride ourselves on accurate, fact-based journalism. If you believe the Islander has gotten a fact or quote wrong, please contact us and we’ll print a correction in the next issue. Nondiscrimination Notification | The Mercer Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, marital status, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The Mercer Island School District offers classes in many College and Career Readiness Programs, admission to which is non-discriminatory. Lack of English-language proficiency will not be a barrier to admission and participation in these programs. The following people have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:

The MIHS Islander @themihsislander

Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator; Harrassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) Coordinator; Title IX Compliance Coordinator: Erin Battersby, Senior Director. (206) 230-6227, erin.battersby@mercerislandschools.org Section 504 & ADA Coordinator: Dr. Lindsay Myatich, Director. (206) 236-3326, lindsay.myatich@mercerislandschools.org

November 9, 2018

FEATURES 3

Where Are Our Prom Funds? (cont.) Right now, the Class of 2019 has $8,457 in their Prom fund. According to Perine, it costs about $40,000 to hold a Prom. For reference, the Class of 2020 has $4,877, 2021 has $2,113 and the Class of 2022 doesn’t even have an account set up yet. 2019’s Prom bankruptcy (or prankruptcey for short) was further exacerbated by the ignorant actions of a few students. “Last year, some people at our school parked off campus and late at night, they stole some of the Bellevue banners from [Bellevue High School’s] stadium, spray painted them “Mercer Island,” and hung them up,” an

anonymous member of Leadership disclosed. These damages totaled around $6,000 according to Perine. Financial reimbursement to BHS came from MIHS ASB funds— meaning all the money raised from this year’s Homecoming ticket sales, totaling around $4,400. Normally, this money would be distributed among the classes for their Prom fund, money much needed by the Class of 2019. News flash: it’s not a rivalry if your opponent beats you every single time. If there’s $6,000 worth of damage, it better be for a worthwhile cause, not some stupid, one-sided high school

rivalry. “We are still fighting the war in Iraq,” or some other social cry, is potentially the only acceptable thing to spray paint on a public high school’s property. Failures on the parts of Class of 2019’s student officers, a few short-sighted upperclassmen and a competitive spirit akin to the 2017 Cleveland Browns have resulted in projected Prom ticket prices being exorbitantly high (as of now, you could either buy 28 light up LED fidget spinners or one Prom ticket). There are a lot of ways to raise $40,000, but it seems that 2019 can’t think of one that doesn’t end in “-gram.”

McConn and Tapp Rebuild BRIDGES Nico Galvin staff writer

Every Wednesday, MIHS students head to BRIDGES for 55 minutes of crossgrade student advisory. Though some BRIDGES groups have found success, the program is infamous for its many alleged faults. With so much hostility towards BRIDGES, what is our school doing to improve the program? “Officially, the role [of BRIDGES] is to build community in diverse groups of students,” BRIDGES Co-Coordinator Kati McConn said. “We mean between grades, but we could be more intentional with that.” McConn believes that most BRIDGES groups are successful at reaching this goal. “But we’re not delusional,” she added. “We know that some [BRIDGES groups] are just advisory every day; some, nobody shows up to.” MIHS instituted the BRIDGES program because

they view these connections as important for the entire school. “Schools are valuing the opportunity to have this time for students and teachers to be in a different type of class where you can put in some social [and] emotional learning,” Administrative Lead of BRIDGES Henterson Carlisle said. “You’re building relationships in every period, one through seven,” Carlisle said. “BRIDGES is another opportunity to build those relationships.” “I think that a lot of positives can come out of BRIDGES,” math teacher Kate Yoder said. “Not only as a way of connecting students, but doing things that have to be done for the school.” “[In my group,] we laugh, we talk about how our days are going…” Yoder explained. “We do what we need to do, but it’s relaxed.” For some, however, the experience is vastly different. “I feel like it’s a big waste of time,” senior Ju-

lian Tomaselli said. “I know [BRIDGES] has a goal of bringing all the grades together, [but] mostly it’s freshmen talking to freshmen, seniors talking to seniors.” Although MIHS is making an effort to improve the program, McConn explained the challenges. “I think community buyin is one of the biggest factors,” she said. “When you don’t have everyone in the group bought into it — you don’t have that critical mass — it’s not going to work.” According to Carlisle, MIHS had a committee of parents, students and teachers examine the program about three years ago. Their recommendations led to structural changes, including the reinstitution of student BRIDGES leaders, albeit with some tweaking. “What’s a little bit different now is that the leaders are being trained,” Carlisle explained. “Whenever there’s an advisory, the leaders are all meeting to go over what the next several lessons are like.” Nevertheless, the program has a high absence rate. The fact that BRIDGES doesn’t have a grade associated with it further compounds the problem; many students skip because they know it won’t affect their GPA. Scan the code below to read the full article, available on mihsislander.org.

Photo by Annie Poole Tapp and McConn are this year’s BRIDGES Coordinators.

Photos courtesy Susan Robinson Posters like these can be found throughout the school.

MIHS Takes On Bullying Lena Hardisty staff writer

Just in time for Anti-Bullying Month, the halls of MIHS have been adorned with a new wave of posters. With slogans like “No bullying!” and images of puzzle pieces interlocking in friendship, their message is simple—although ineffective in addressing issues plaguing schools today. Officially, the school instituted these posters in order to bring a positive impact. “They’re to bring awareness, to increase the visibility of bullying,” MIHS Associate Principal Henterson Carlisle said. “I hope that after [enough] time seeing them, when an opportunity to stop some bullying comes [they’ll help], or maybe they’ll think twice before [an] action that could be considered bullying,” Carlisle continued. He also noted that students’ physical safety and the creation of a safe learning environment were top priorities. These concerns are grounded in reality. Social, verbal, and cyberbullying all remain strong forces on school campuses today, although thankfully physical violence has become less socially acceptable. There hasn’t been a fight in MIHS halls since the 1999-2000 school year. As the school environment evolves, so does its culture; Mercer Island’s destructive

relationship with hazing has faded over the years. “When I started high school, I don’t even know if it was considered a ‘problem,’” Gavin Cree said. Cree graduated from MIHS in 2000 and now teaches at the school. “[Hazing] wasn’t really acknowledged that much, but it happened a lot. It was almost an accepted part of the culture.” “Today, we would consider what went on more than bullying,” Cree explained. “There would be police involved, like somebody getting taped to a light post on Island Crest Way.” Hazing was officially banned at MIHS in 2003 under the Prohibition of Harassment, Hazing, Intimidation and Bullying Policy. This policy prohibits the physical harm of a student, substantial interference with a student’s education, and substantial disrupting of the orderly operation of the school. Although severe hazing and physical bullying has not occured at MIHS for years, traditional campaigns are not necessarily to thank for this disappearance. Procedures and rule enforcement are more effective; nevertheless, the school must address new types of bullying. When past issues are no longer relevant to the current student body, past solutions are irrelevant. Combatting modern bullying requires flexibility.

4 FEATURES

mihsislander.org

Radio Students Take Action With KUOW’s RadioActive Baran Fotouhiyehpour staff writer

Over the summer, MIHS students Lila Shroff and Meghana Kakubal participated in KUOW RadioActive, a KUOW Radio program that encourages youth involvement in journalism. Through RadioActive, Shroff and Kakubal produced in-depth podcasts about community members. Shroff chose to cover a story that hit close to home — literally. “The story of my neighbor — Werner Glass — predominantly focuses on his being a Jewish German during World War Two,” Shroff said. “I wanted to interview my neighbor because I had heard his story many times, but I never truly stopped to understand everything that he had been through.” Kakubal used her RadioActive experience to learn more about a fellow student, Rohingya refugee Mohamad Imran. “I met [Mohamad] last year,” Kakubal said. “He was in my radio class as a TA, and I’ve read the school’s newspaper article about him.” “This guy [has an] interesting story that needs to be shared, because if you ask people, ‘Do you know what’s going on in Myanmar?’ they don’t know.” Kakubal was conscious of this lack of public awareness as she learned more herself. “I got to know Mohamad a lot better,” Kakubal noted. “It’s different to read an article [than] to actually talk to

Shroff records her podcast in the MIHS radio statio, 88.9 KMIH The Bridge.

a person who’s gone through something like that. I learned a lot about him and about myself; how do I empathize with something when I have no idea what it’s like?” Kakubal and Shroff’s podcasts covered heavy issues, demanding a compassionate approach during interviews. “Usually when you talk about emotional things, you’re just talking to your friend about how she feels about something, you’re talking to someone about what they went through with their test, stuff like that,” Kakubal said. “[Coming] into an interview [was different], hearing about these emotional, heart-wrenching things but also knowing, I need to get

this story out — that means I need to pry,” said Kakubal. “It was a little weird, but I enjoyed the process.” “It was shocking to hear about some of the things [Werner] has lived through,” Shroff said. “I was surprised by the realness of it all.” Now that she is aware of the crisis in Myanmar, Kakubal encourages other students to get involved. “First of all, talk to each other about it,” Kakubal said. “Raise awareness. The government [in Myanmar] doesn’t want people to know about it, so no one really knows how to help people. Looking into refugee programs, raising money to donate to those programs that help children in need: those

Photo by Annie Poole

would be the best ways to help.” Shroff shared similar sentiments concerning student action. “I’m not sure how much students can do specifically about Werner’s story, but take his advice!” Shroff said. “Stay involved in politics, stick up for what you say, and if you can, please go out and vote!” Their RadioActive podcast experiences were not all about distressing events. “I can’t imagine having gone through what Werner went through,” Shroff said. “But while his story is full of hardships, it is also full of determination and passion.” “He can smile, he can laugh, even after everything

he’s been through and that’s really amazing. I don’t know if I would do that,” Kakubal said. “That’s one of the things about Mohamad that never fails to astonish me.” For Shroff and Kakubal, RadioActive’s youth focus enhanced the stories that they produced. “It gives you a perspective that you usually don’t get from the news,” Kakubal said. “You hear stories on the radio or read articles on the internet and it’s just adults talking about adult things; now you get to hear teens talking about adult things.” However, crafting the final product required meticulous attention and effort. “I wanted to do justice to his story,” Kakubal said. “Two years going alone: I need to condense that to seven minutes, but still give everything its value. I didn’t want to make anything seem trivial.” Kakubal and Shroff appreciate the invaluable experience that RadioActive has equipped them with. “It’s not just about radio, it’s about storytelling,” Kakubal said. “You learn so much about talking to people, about respecting people’s stories and boundaries.” “It’s definitely not just a radio site.” Shroff and Kakubal’s podcasts are available on the KUOW RadioActive website. Visit mihsislander.org or scan the codes below to listen to their work.

How my 90-year-old neighbor, a Holocaust survivor, sees America today by Lila Shroff

Imran and Kakubal share a joke while catching up about their podcast and the new school year in the radio studio.

Photo by Annie Poole

A Rohingya teen escaped genocide in Myanmar. This is how he ended up on Mercer Island by Meghana Kakubal

SPORTS 5

November 9, 2018

Freshman Fencer Breaks the Mold Max Hense staff writer

At a school dominated by soccer, football and basketball, freshman Sophia Dondisch is deviating from the norm with the sport of fencing. “My grandma used to be a fencer, and then my dad became a fencer,” Dondisch said. “When I was little I started fencing but it was just for fun. We found a place here and I really wanted to keep doing the sport.” Fencing has played a significant role in her life, not only helping her build community, but motivating her to continue in the sport. Fencing, though an Olympic sport, is not very popular in high school. Few high schools in the US have teams, so most fencers must join clubs or centers to compete. Unlike those who play school sports, fencers with an outside agency often have to work their athletic schedule around their academic schedule. “My biggest struggle is

probably managing my time, because with high school and homework and conditioning and friends, it’s kind of hard to balance those things,” Dondisch said. Fencing is time consuming, and most participants would agree that success requires commitment. “I only have two days a week that I don’t have anything after school, and during the weekends I have practice and conditioning, but it’s worth it,” Dondisch said. Fencing is a male-dominated sport, and, for many females, this is a source of motivation. “I find it so empowering that I’m doing it,” Dondisch said, “Showing other people that you can stab people with a sword and still be feminine.” Dondisch has been fencing for two years, and is currently training at both the Metro Tacoma Center, where she fences on the elite team, and at the Washington Fencing Academy. She often competes in tournaments all around the country, including junior

olympic and national competitions. “You get to meet a lot of new people from all over, cause you’re always going to tournaments every where,” Dondisch said. “There’s more than one way to fence because there’s epee, foil and sabre,” Dondisch said. “The

difference between these types relies mainly on the sword types. Épéeists fight with a longer, thicker blade, while foils have smaller, thinner swords, and sabres rely more on the way they fight then the shape of the sword.” The diversity of type and skill within the sport is

what makes it so different, according to Dondisch, who is an épéeist. Fencing is a taxing sport, taking commitment, hard work, perseverance. A fencer’s skill set is constantly adapting, and Dondisch agrees that her commitment to the sport has been life-changing.

Photo courtesy Sophia Dondisch Dondisch, an épéeist, feels empowered as she faces off against her opponent in a fencing match.

Cross Country Runner Kai Zettel Takes it to State Natalie Chen staff writer

With over 100 students participating, Mercer Island Cross Country is one of the largest sports teams

at Mercer Island High School. Cross Country’s size makes it difficult to climb the ranks, especially for an incoming freshman, but this has not been the case for Kai Zettel.

Photo courtesy Jay Na Freshman Kai Zettel leads the pack for Mercer Island during senior night at Luther Burbank, an impressive feat for a freshman.

Zettel is among the top Cross Country runners for Mercer Island and in 2A/3A Kingco, finishing in the top 10 runners in all five intraconference meets during the regular season, and finishing 12th during the Kingco Conference Championship with a time of 17:08.7. Most cross country runners are not even able to surpass the 20 minute mark, let alone surpass it by three minutes. Head coach Susan Empey commented that Zettel is the only runner who has come close to the school’s record in the past 20 years, a reputable accomplishment for a freshman. Zettel brings energy and excitement to his team, an encouraged role for the inclsuive cross country atmosphere, according to Empey. “[Cross Country] has a very family feel to the team, and he’s a nice team member,” Empey said. “I think he’s gained a lot from the team too, and certainly given a lot to the

team.” Zettel started cross country in middle school, joining Mercer Island’s cross country team with only a few years of experience under his belt. Although Kai is a natural-born runner, he still faces his own obstacles. “The day of and before the meet is really nerve-racking and there’s a lot of pressure,” Zettel said. To help calm these nerves, Zettel says he enjoys the long-running tradition of team dinners. “Our team normally has a pasta feed the day or the night before so we get carbo-loaded,” Zettel said. Senior captain Karsten Mullins emphasized that Zettel’s talent and speed brings a new level of competitiveness to the team, pushing his teammates to train harder both during practice and races. “In races, people pace with him and are able to continue running faster and longer thanks to this new blood of the team,” Mullins said.

Zettel enjoys his cross country family, and feels especially impacted by participating in Cross Country. “I feel proud to represent Mercer Island,” Zettel said. Zettel also credits part of his experience to the team captains: “The captains work really hard to make it a fun experience—they got a lot of spirit, they prepare us, as much as possible, for what’s coming up.” Zettel raced extremely well at Districts, qualifying for the 3A State Championships. Zettel jumped from being seeded 58 to finishing 36, well within the qualifying ranks of the top 42 that make it to state. Zettel ran a 17:01.2, making him the youngest individual in the district to qualify. Due to an unprecedented and astonishing beginning of his Cross Country career, Zettel is definitely on a list of athletes to watch, and the next three years of his high school career should be exciting to see play out.

he Unified Sports club at MIHS, an extension of the Special Olympics, gives students with special needs the opportunity to compete as athletes in sporting competitions alongside peers.

inclusivity.” Unified Sports was initially formed outside of MIHS by Mitchell Meade four years ago, but became an official club at school last year. Unified Sports runs four activities at MIHS: robotics in the fall, soccer in the spring, basketball in the winter, and cheer year-round.

Unified Sports provides students with the chance to make new friends.

Preparation for the first Robotics competition, where students work side by side to build LEGO Mindstorms, has already begun. Weekly practices are held the winter and spring for basketball and soccer. The teams play games on the weekend. “Students should join unified because it gives them an opportunity to connect with students they wouldn’t to otherwise and make a positive impact in their community,” White added.

“On a sports team, one is forced to work together with others to accomplish a common goal,” said President Alex White “During the time spent at practices or games members of Unified create an understanding for each other and friendships that last throughout high school.” Unified Sports creates connections between members of the special-ed community and other athletes at MIHS that would otherwise not be formed.The mission of Unified Sports is inclusion. “It makes them feel more connected and it makes them feel that they aren’t different and it makes them feel more included in the school,” Sparkle Cheerleader Caroline Young said.

Sparkle, a unified subgroup of cheer, was created to highlight and emphasize cooperation. Sparkle cheerleader Jared Ong said that, “[Sparkle] makes me feel more connected to everyone at the school.” Unified Sports creates a stronger, cohesive community at MIHS.

The Unified Sports program also adequately reflects the school motto with the new addition of Inclusivity. “I love it,” said Associate Principal Nick Wold. “Things like Sparkle Cheer and Unified Sports are ways that our school takes an aggressive approach on

“The goal of Sparkle is to show the community that differences can bring people together no matter what,” Sparkle cheerleader Taleah Levin said. “We should be able to work as a team regardless of abilities.”

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8 OPINIONS

mihsislander.org

Why Was There A Hate Symbol At Homecoming? Lena Hardisty staff writer

At this year’s Homecoming dance, two students arrived bearing a 3 feet by 5 feet Japanese imperial flag on an 8 foot pole. The students were dressed in replica Japanese military uniforms and walked around the gym posing for photos with other MIHS students. MIHS staff were present at the dance to monitor students, but the flag-bearing students were allowed to enter and leave without question. At first glance, this appears to be harmless high school fun. However, the meaning behind Imperial Japanese military symbols like these students’ flag and uniforms is much darker. The flag, still used by Japan’s military today, was brandished during Japan’s brutal invasion and colonization quest across Asia in the late 19th to 20th century. To build their empire, Japan occupied Taiwan, Korea, South Sakhalin,

South Pacific Mandate and Manchuria, and conquered coastal China, French Indochina, Thailand, Myanmar, Sumatra, Borneo, New Guinea, the Philippines and dozens of Pacific islands. This flag represents the Rape of Nanking, a mass murder of Chinese citizens. This flag represents Unit 731, a concentration and medical experimentation camp where 250,000 Koreans died. This flag is a symbol of the Empire of Japan’s inexcusable crimes, particularly those in Korea, where Japan exploited Koreans for over 35 years. The implications of bearing this flag are serious. Though there are different interpretations to its meaning, for many people, the flag serves as a reminder of these horrific events. While the students who brought the flag may not personally endorse these messages, the symbol nevertheless represents overwhelmingly negative events. When asked why these

students were permitted to enter Mercer Island’s Homecoming dance with this flag, MIHS administration referenced the Freedom of Expression Policy. “The students with the flags were not creating a substantial disruption,” said Associate Principal Jenny Foster on behalf of the administrative team. “The two students in question were treated in the same manner as everyone else.” The school restricts a student’s freedom of speech “[when] there is evidence which reasonably supports a forecast that the expression is likely to cause material and substantial disruption of, or interference with, school activities, which disruption or interference cannot be prevented by reasonably available, less restrictive means.” An action is defined as a “substantial disruption” in a school if it prohibits or prevents the learning of other students, or is an invasion of the rights of others. While the incident

Political Cartoon by Teddy Fischer

Photo by Lena Hardisty The Japanese Imperial flag that was brought to Homecoming.

did not occur during school hours, it was at a school-sponsored event. Personal opinion can differ, but the deep and offensive history surrounding the flag displays it as a hate symbol. It is doubtful that MIHS staff intended to allow a hate symbol at the dance. In the midst of the night’s hubbub, they had a lot to

Flag Dudes: Keep It Up! The Editorial Board

When President Trump announced his decision to end the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, Ronald Reagan turned over in his grave.

deal with. It’s also possible that the flag wasn’t seen as a big deal in the moment. After all, the Homecoming theme was “Blast to the Past,” offering a more plausible explanation for the students’ outfits. The students who brought the flag to the dance do not see any issue with it. “I don’t think the flag is

offensive because it’s used by Japan’s military today,” one flagbearer explained. However, just because something is still in use does not mean that it is not still deeply offensive. At the root of these unfortunate events, it is vital that the school increases its sensitivity and cultural awareness when handling issues like this. For MIHS to truly live up to “Inclusion” in its motto, staff and students need to make an effort to be more well-informed, and monitoring for these types of occurrences must be more vigilant. It is not acceptable to let something like this slip under the radar. It is not acceptable to permit offensive behavior, especially when that offensive behavior could easily have been stopped. Although responsibility for creating a welcoming and safe school environment falls on the backs of all members of the community, the school’s response to this incident feels like a giant step back for an inclusive school.

In stark contrast to previous Flag Dudes, this year’s crew has gone above and beyond to promote positive school spirit at games and assemblies. The key to their success? A newfound sense of inclusivity present in their performances and cheers. At assemblies, the Dudes—Ben Dunbar, Jacob Moore, Stew Vassau and Scotty Rowe— have worked to ensure that their skits are enjoyable for all students. Rather than resorting to shock value or inside jokes, they’ve incorporated broader, more accessible humor. Their success demonstrates that it is not only possible, but preferable to promote a more universal brand of school spirit while still maintaining strong working relationships with the school’s administration and student groups. In particular, the Dudes

have been extremely communicative with ASB-Leadership, allowing the two groups to help each other out at assemblies and events. “They have gone out of their way to collaborate with the Leadership class and the admins,” said Senior Class Treasurer Nadia Lumba, who has acted as an informal liaison between ASB-Leadership and the Dudes. “I am so thankful for all their hard work and dedication this school year.” In addition to their revised approach to the Dudes’ responsibilities, this year’s Flag Dudes have stepped up at extracurricular spirit events, such as football games. “The Flag Dudes last year didn’t really recognize the band as a 300-person force of spirit in the stands,” Drum Major Brandon Hill said. “This year, the Flag Dudes are saying, ‘Hey, we’re doing this cheer; do you wanna get

the Band in on it?’ and they coordinate with the drum majors, and that way we have a lot more overall spirit.” This newfound affinity between the Dudes and the Band has not been limited to cheers. During football season, they’ve helped distribute water to the Band and led chants of “One more song!” during moshes. “Honestly, I feel like our relationship is fantastic now,” Drum Major Jazzlyn Rowland said. “On senior night, the Flag Dudes gave the Band kids their flags for the senior mosh, which was really cool.” The Flag Dudes are at their best when they act in the interest of the student body at large, rather than to bolster their own personal reputations. They’ve met this challenge head-on so far, and we’re looking forward to seeing the Dudes keep the MI spirit flowing this year.

OPINIONS 9

November 9, 2018

Asian Students Struggle To Stand Out in College App Process Natalie Chen staff writer

tion inadvertently harmed Asians. Zeng agrees with Wang’s point of view, and recognizes the struggle of fellow Asian American students. “[Pressure on Asian students] is definitely there,”

“I think that although Affirmative Action was originally intended to [increase equality between] white people and black people, it disregards Asians,” Zhang said. Affirmative Action

Fall is a stressful time for MIHS seniors, with students squeezing their personalities into a few hundred words in hopes that their dream schools will accept them. For Anita Zeng, this means writing about her roots—her Chinese heritage—and how it helped develop her character. However, Zeng faces a dilemma: distinguishing herself from the pool of Asian “overachievers” applying to college. While writing Photo by Natalie Chen her college essays, In her college essays, Zeng used Chinese food to relate to her Asian identity. Zeng was especially concerned about being Zeng said. “I’ve heard a was created in the midst compared to other Asian lot of stuff about Asians of the civil rights movegirls. not getting in because ment, which many view “I’m picking out my they’re not the preferred as primarily advocating essay topic like ‘I hope minority.” for the rights of African another Asian girl doesn’t In fact, most schools Americans. Affirmative write about this, because including Harvard do Action aims to level the it will make us similar,’” not overtly state race as playing field for all mishe said. Ironically, the a component to their ad- norities, yet seems to have purpose of an application missions process, yet a re- developed an unconscious essay is to make the appli- cent study concerning the cant stand out, showcasing Harvard lawsuit showed their unique character— that Asian applicants were students should not have consistently rated lower in to fear that their personal personality traits. experiences warrant comRani Woerner, a partparison to others simply Asian, part-white senior, because of their race. identified herself as white Similar to Zeng, Mi- on her applications. Alchael Wang, an Asian though Woerner explained American from Califor- that she identified as white nia, faced the disadvan- because she does not feel tages of being categorized a strong connection to her by colleges as a stereo- Asian heritage, she also typical Asian overachiev- feared automatic comparer. As a senior in 2012, ison to other Asian appliWang eagerly applied to cants. many elite schools, in“Someone once told cluding Harvard, Yale, me that once you check and Stanford. In spring that Asian box, you’re 2013, Wang was shocked compared against the othto find that he was rejected er Asian applicants, who from these schools despite typically tend to have his outstanding resume. In better grades, better test November 2014, Wang, scores, and tend to be along with conservative more competitive. So, I activist Edward Blum, wanted to not identify mybecame the face of an on- self as Asian, to separate going lawsuit against Har- myself from that competivard. tion,” Woerner said. Wang believed that Senior Philip Zhang Asian American students took a different approach face bias in the college to his applications, fully admissions process, caus- embracing his Chinese ing many students to heritage without worrying make themselves seem about seeming too similar the least Asian as possi- to other Asian applicants. ble. The lawsuit is central- Zhang suggested that polized around Affirmative icies included in AffirmaAction—a set of policies tive Action might have enforced to limit discrim- a considerable effect in ination against minorities limiting Asian acceptance passed in 1961. Blum im- to schools, rather than the plied that Affirmative Ac- schools’ policies.

bias against Asians among those who operate under its policies. Although Affirmative Action has a positive impact in supporting some minorities such as African Americans, its neglect of Asian Americans is not insignificant. Perhaps there is a way to both give opportunities to minorities such as African Americans and Hispanics while recognizing the more subtle bias against Asian Americans. While the applications process is an uphill battle for Asian Americans, the seniors at MIHS find ways to connect to their heritage while standing out. Zeng finally settled on writing about the Chinese food that linked her to her Chinese identity. Ultimately, race should not be a focal point of the college admissions process. In reflecting on past success or failure, students of any race should feel confident that their qualifications and passion will speak for themselves.

Why Can’t Guys Be Fashionable? Jeff Parkinson staff writer

Since the 1920s, outspoken women have evoked a massive movement for the ability of women to dress and act in typically masculine ways. Unfortunately, societal norms still restrict men from dressing femininely. Why shouldn’t men be able to wear makeup, and why should men’s wardrobes be limited to pants, shirts and jackets? Men still have a fear of appearing feminine that has expressed itself in homophobia and other negative masculine traits. Men who dress extravagantly are often ridiculed in media, or used for comedy in movies and television. This has led men to fear clothing that makes them stand out. Consequently, most comercial stores don’t offer unique and interesting clothing for men. If you look for tops on

American Eagle, which is my personal favorite chain store, you will find there there are 800 options for men within eight categories, and nearly 1000 options for women in 11 categories. If you look at bottoms there are less than 300 options for men in six categories of clothing, and for women there are more than 500 options in nine categories of clothing. And American Eagle is actually better about creating interesting clothing for men than most brands. Because it has become acceptable, and even encouraged, for women to dress in a masculine way, and it is still unacceptable for men to dress in a feminine way, a narrative has formed that feminine things are inherently bad. If men could embrace femininity in clothing, it would help men to see the positive aspects of femininity and reduce sexism. Frankly, masculinity and femininity don’t really mean anything outside of the artificial definitions that society has given them. There’s no reason that having individual pant legs should be associated with men, and one big tube of fabric over your legs associated with women. There’s also no reason that men’s clothing should be so darkly colored, uniform and bland. There are positive influences on men’s fashion right now in the sphere of high fashion from companies like Gucci, and in more accessible companies like Tyler The Creator’s brand Golf, but in general the clothing that they produce is not affordable enough to be accepted by the public broadly. Still, this bodes well for the future of men’s fashion. Our school specifically has very few men who are willing to experiment with their clothing. And that’s not a criticism of the male population. I also feel afraid to dress outside of my three or four typical outfits. But the fact that there is fear shows that as a school we need to be more accepting of people breaking social norms. Otherwise our culture can never evolve or improve.

10 A&E

mihsislander.org

Fall Musical Preview An In-Depth Look at “MAC XXX” Sabrina Hubbell staff writer

MIHS Drama has spent countless hours this fall working on their upcoming

Graphic by Annie Poole

production of “Into the Woods,” hoping to accurately portray a captivating story that deals with the complicated realities of adolescence. The production “Into the Woods,” originally written by Stephen Sondheim in the late 1980s, is a fusion of different fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Jack of “Jack and the Beanstalk.” The story centers on a baker and his wife who leave on a quest to collect four different items. With the help of various fairytale characters, the play becomes an entanglement of fantasy stories while the characters are on their journey. The director, Daniela Melgar, touched on how the intricate story’s themes relate to high schoolers. “It’s really a beautiful musical because life doesn’t always end up happy ever after and all these characters learn really tough life lessons through the course of it.” Senior Jeff Parkinson plays the leading role of The Baker and enjoys his part because “the music [is] really cool in the play and it’s very well written.” The accompanying lead role, The Baker’s Wife, is played by senior Emma Lerner. “[The play] shows the vulnerability of all these characters and that in the end of the day they are all human and make human mistakes, which is something that I think not all theatre touches on,” Lerner said. “All the characters do something that at some point all of us have done.” “A really good way to show school spirit [is] to go to the plays because we work really hard on them,” Parkinson added. Parkinson says he thinks it’s important for people to see the production because several of the students who are involved are seniors and it will be their last musical. The cast will perform “Into the Woods” Nov. 8-10 and 15-17 at 7 p.m. in the PAC.

Ben Capuano A&E columnist

Written by Maria Reyes and directed by Sonya Shaw, “MAC XXX” was one of the five original, 10-minute plays performed at MIHS Drama’s Playwriting Project 2018, titled “I Still Hate You Though.” To apply for the playwriting project, Reyes began by creating a single scene and directly adapted the scene from Shakespeare’s famous tragedy “Macbeth.” Three witches, reimagined as social outcasts at a college, use a tarot-casting app on their phones to read the fortune of star quarterback Mac in a faithful but heavily condensed homage to the original. Her scene showed enough potential that it was selected as a finalist to be fleshed out into a 10-minute production over the course of just one week. When deciding how to expand her script, Reyes stuck mainly to the source material while extending some references into later time periods as well. The names of the three

“witches” have their roots in the names of the first three convicted witches of the Salem Witch Trials, and their mystical powers have been replaced with technology as a commentary on modern hyper-connectedness. Banquo finds a modern parallel in Mac’s friend and captain of the football team Benny. XXX in the title references the thematically adjacent Sonnet 30. “Every name means something,” Reyes said. From an actor’s perspective, the experience was just as hectic and enthralling. Playwrights have complete control over their scripts, but the casting of each play was out of their hands. “I liked it that way,” Reyes said. “Some of the choices Melgar chose were pretty unexpected.” Jack Hamilton was chosen to play Mac, and learned how to portray his character in the same amount of time. Mac isn’t always the easiest person to act out; in Hamilton’s own words, “Mac is a jerk, he’s a real piece of work!” But like the Scottish general who inspired him, there’s more to his character

than that. Many of the quarterback’s bad decisions are a result of him not understanding his relatively privileged existence. “He’s not spoiled yet because he doesn’t realize it,” Hamilton explained. With five rehearsals, from a cold read of the first draft to opening night, Hamilton learned how to represent his character on screen. Some specific actions, like the opening and closing monologues, he was able to work on from the beginning. Smaller details, like humor and Mac’s smug demeanor, were ironed out closer to the end. Throughout it all, Hamilton was aided by critique from his playwright. “It’s rare to have the writer be able to give you feedback on how they envisioned the character to be played.” Like all the plays that made up this year’s Playwriting Project, “MAC XXX” is a product of student expression, hard work and faith in the idea that teenagers can create legitimate art.

Band Prepares for Rose Parade

began learning the choreography and songs at band camp in August 2018. It has been something many have been looking forward As January 1 approaches, the to. MIHS Band is actively prepar“At the end of my sophomore ing for the honor of participating year, we apin the 130th plied. And so Rose Parade after that it was in Pasadena, like ‘oh my god, CA. this is actually During the happening,’ ” fall marching Rowland said. band season, MIHS Band members has a special of the Band place in the have had to Rose Parade, as put in extra only twenty high hours, pracschool marching tice more bands play in routines, and the Parade every deal with the year, which is pressure of Photo by Tahyssa Avant The MIHS Band performs the Seattle Show during the halftime show. seen by almost playing in one million peofront of thouDrum Major Jazzlyn Rowland ple live. sands at the upcoming Parade. “The attitudes [of the students] “It’s more stressful because said. The Show, aptly named the have been awesome,” Band Diwe’re getting ready to march in such a big, important event. Not Seattle Show, highlights Seattle rector Parker Bixby said. “Everyvery many bands get to do it,” said artists such as Nirvana, Jimmy body knows that we’re on a world Hendrix and Macklemore. The stage and the kids are working so band member Laura Landeur. What makes this year so dif- wide range of artists are meant hard.” The MIHS Band’s preparation ferent from years past is not only to show the diversity in not only the urgent pace they prepare at Seattle’s music, but in the Band’s for the Rose Parade, less than two months away, is no easy task. but also the way they are being skill and style. The Band initially found out Although they have much to do, presented. Throughout marching band season, they have been they were accepted into the Pa- Band members are working hard playing pieces of the show at each rade early September 2017, and to give their best performance. Max Hense staff writer

football game, preparing to put it together for the Parade. “I don’t think that the technique or drill is any harder, but the pace that we have to go at to get to where we want to be is quicker,”

A&E 11

November 9, 2018

Spotlight: AP 3D Design and Stella Goffman Compiled by Annie Poole A&E editor

Why Ceramics? “There’s just something about sculptures and 3-dimensional objects that can convey certain things to the viewer,” Stella Goffman said. “They can be read in so many different ways and from so many different angles.”

Artist Statement

Reach

by Stella Goffman

With this sculpture, my first project in AP art, I decided to challenge myself and create the human form, which I had not done before. Although difficult to create without a model, I loved seeing how the piece took on a life of its own as I sculpted, often for hours at a time. The posture evolved and my initial plan for a simple pose became something entirely unique. To me, the posture conceptualizes the complexity of the human form and the emotion that can come from body movement alone. The arms reaching outward and the torso pivoting away convey a juxtaposing sense of openness and frigidity, even without the addition of limbs or a face. I hope this sculpture reduces the stigma and sexualization of the female body because it signifies so much more.

Stacked AP Art Classes Challenge Students and Teachers Kiran D’Souza staff writer

At the end of the 2017-18 school year, in an effort to maintain the AP Art program and expand beginning art options, MIHS administration made the decision to combine, or “stack,” all AP Art classes with their respective beginning art classes. However, this arrangement is now having negative effects on the learning environment of the rigorous AP Art courses. At MIHS, the AP Art classes include AP 2D Design, commonly referred to as AP Photography, AP Drawing and Painting and AP 3D Design. The complicated situation arose last year because of a lack of enrollment in the AP Arts classes. According to Principal Vicki Puckett, each class must have at least 25 students signed up, a quota not met by the AP Art classes this year. In past years, AP Drawing and Painting and AP 3D Design have been combined because there have been fewer than six students in each class. Conversely, AP 2D Design has traditionally been a separate class. Students in

this class thrive in an intimate setting with other artists who are motivated to develop their skills in photography and design. Laura Totten teaches both Beginning Photography and AP Photography, now combined into a single class. “It’s my understanding from going to AP trainings and conferences a n d talking to other AP Art teachers [that] y o u w a n t [about eight] students to have thoughtful peer critiques,” she explained. “And then if you have more than 12, it’s just trickier for the teacher to give individualized feedback to each student.” The AP Art students follow a rigorous, nationwide curriculum that requires them to submit a portfolio to the College Board with around 30 pieces of their best work. Therefore, it is critical that teachers can carefully guide these students and help them

cultivate and perfect advanced techniques in order to develop a diverse portfolio that plays to students’ strengths. However, the nature of this year’s stacked classes is not conducive to the essential support that AP students require. Teachers must now divide their time and resources,

for this year so I really could have used more guidance and encouragement from Ms. Shideler,” Merritt said. “On average, I spend 3 hours after school each day in the ceramic room with a different art teacher who’s helping me develop my artwork.” Beginning students generally require more attention from the teacher, leaving AP students to work individually with little guidance. “I don’t feel like I Laura Totten have been Photography Teacher able to teach to which students on both ends my AP students really at all of the spectrum agree often because beginning students, ends in a disproportionate al- understandably, need so location of much-needed in- much guidance because phostructional time. tography is very technical,” Jada Merritt, a senior tak- Totten added. ing two AP Art classes this As a result, many AP stuyear, says that the new sched- dents have taken on leaderule has resulted in additional ship roles in the classroom to stress. help new students learn basic “I am in the midst of put- techniques. ting together a portfolio for “It’s nice to hear their perart school and two AP Art spectives and to learn more portfolios, AP Drawing and about their vocabulary and Painting and AP 2D Design, grow as a student that way,”

“Either one section or the other is suffering.”

said Hailey Vandenbosch, a Beginning Photography student. However, while helpful for the teacher and beginning students, this new role detracts from the advancement of the AP students. In a class that traditionally has 17 or fewer AP students, Totten is now tasked with handling 14 beginning students and 14 AP students. “Either one section or the other is suffering,” she said. “I am either focusing on AP students or beginning so one or the other is not benefitting.” According to administration, there was little they could do to halt this decision because of funding, enrollment and other scheduling issues, despite wanting to keep them separate. “I would love to see us not have to stack classes, because it is harder on the teacher, and can be somewhat challenging on the students,” Puckett said. Stacking classes saved the AP Art program from being cut this year, but with AP and beginning students suffering the loss of a higher quality education, it is clearly an ineffective solution.

12 KLEIN’S CORNER

Naviance Keeps Telling Me I’m Going to be Poor When I Grow up Spencer Klein

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humor columnist

My name is Spencer and I’ve taken two honors and two AP classes in my time at the high school. I like to think I work hard, but no matter what I do, Naviance won’t stop telling I’m going to be poor when I grow up. Freshman year, we entered our classes into the graduation planner. The next day, I received an email from Naviance: College & Career Readiness Technology Solution.

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