The MIHS Culture Issue

Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit #19 Mercer Island, WA MERCER IS SCHOOL DIST 400

February 24, 2020

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INSIDE | FEB. 2020

ABOUT

The MIHS Islander

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

EDITORS IN CHIEF

Online | Ellie Gottesman Print | Annie Poole

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org The MIHS Islander would like to acknowledge that MIHS is on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and the Duwamish Tribe.

Managing Editor | Isabel Funk Business Manager | Ethan Preston Front Editors | Ellie Gottesman and Annie Poole Features Editors | Annika Bhananker & Maya Virdell Spread Editors | Ellie Gottesman and Annie Poole Opinions Editor | Isabel Funk A&E Editor | Natalie Chen Back Editor | Kiran D’Souza Sports Editor | Ethan Preston Copy Editor | Annika Bhananker Illustrator | Lena Hardisty Sports Columnist | Alex Levin Adviser | Chris Twombley Senior Staff Writers Max Hense, Sabrina Hubbell and Sandra Pedersen Staff Writers Morgan Dawson, Brooks Kahsai, Alli Hixson, Hannah Howison, Kyu Kim, Mia LoBosco, Braeden Nett, Kieran Rogers and Honor Warburg

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 administration.

Ads: To print an ad in a future issue of The MIHS Islander, contact Business Manager Ethan Preston at mihsislander@gmail.com for rates and information.

Corrections: We pride ourselves on accurate, fact-based journalism. If you believe The MIHS Islander has gotten a fact or quote wrong, please contact us and we’ll print a correction in the next issue.

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.

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 designed to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: 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

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

SPIRIT

Edited by Ellie Gottesman and Annie Poole

4-9

TRADITIONS Edited by Kiran D’Souza

10-11

SOCIAL DYNAMICS Edited by Isabel Funk

12-15

ACADEMICS

C ON TE NTS

Edited by Annika Bhananker

16-21

PRIVILEGE

Edited by Natalie Chen

22-27

CAMPUS LIFE

Edited by Ethan Preston and Annie Poole

28-29

STAKEHOLDERS

Edited by Max Hense and Maya Virdell

30-31

TIMELINE

Compiled by Sandra Pedersen

In an attempt to capture key events that have shaped MIHS culture, a timeline on the bottom of pages 4-31 starts with the naming of Mercer Island and ends with the resignation of current principal, Vicki Puckett.

CONTENT | FEB. 2020

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THE MIHS ISLANDER EDITORIAL BOARD STATEMENT To our readers –– Welcome to The MIHS Culture Issue.

We all know the inevitable reaction when people find out that we are Mercer Island High School students. The high-pitched “oh,” the slight eye-roll and the silent judgement. Suddenly, the name of our school– synonymous with entitlement and privilege–defines who we are.

To start, we surveyed the student body to describe MIHS culture in one word. The most commonly repeated descriptions were competitive, toxic, fake, spirited and okay. As editors, we discussed these aspects of our culture in the brainstorming process, but were surprised to see that a majority of students responded with words that carry negative connotations.

Looking at these numerous responses, we clearly saw that the name Mercer Island High School stirs strong reactions in people, both positive and negative. So we wanted our next issue to explore what makes people react to MIHS in these ways.

Why do so many students think of Mercer Island in a negative light, yet continue to come back generation after generation? Or do the responses not tell the whole story?

Mercer Island is known for strong public schools, safety and a tightknit community. While there is nothing wrong with living and going to school in a privileged community, it is important to acknowledge that Mercer Island is not an accurate reflection of the world at large.

We didn’t want our voices to stand alone in capturing the many facets of MIHS culture, so throughout the issue we’ve asked other stakeholders to write about and describe their experiences.

We attempted to capture the most essential elements of our culture, while also discussing some uncomfortable, yet impactful topics.

MIHS culture is constantly changing. Forty-five years ago, we had a racist mascot. Twenty-five years ago, Snail Pound, Flag Dudes and Islander Girls did not exist. Eight years ago, MIHS hired its first female principal of color. Just four years ago, cap and gown colors were divided along gender binary lines.

Changes in culture cannot be realized without community involvement and support. We–the students, staff and administration, coaches, parents and other community members–need to create dialogue about how to change the damaging aspects of our culture and how to bolster our strengths.

We hope this issue can inspire courageous conversations, encourage students to actively change the negative preconceptions of MIHS and prove that our school is more than an amorphous mass of entitled students.

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SPIRIT | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Photo courtesy Curtis johnston

THE MIHS MASCOT: HOW HAS IT CHANGED?

Graphic by Lena Hardisty

From 1957 to 1975, the Islanders represeneted themeselves with a caricature of a Pacific Islander.

PHOTO BY ANNIE POOLE

This abstract design of mountains and water to represent Mercer Island’s surroundings looked similar to a snail.

MIHS has informally adopted Herbert the Snail as its current mascot.

1854

Judge Thomas Mercer hosts a Fourth of July party, naming Mercer Island, Lake Washington and Lake Union

The MIHS Mascot’s Racist Past Isabel Funk, Max Hense and Annie Poole Senior Staff Writers

While the MIHS mascot is informally Herbert the Snail, when the school opened 63 years ago, it was a racist caricature of a Pacific Islander.

This history is an important and undeniable facet of MIHS culture that still subtly infiltrates school lingo.

“It was this wooden sculpture that looked like a South Island caricature,” Ron Adams said. Adams began teaching at MIHS in 1975 and still substitutes.

This sculpture was situated in the front entry hall, directly across from the main lobby. It also appeared on banners, sports uniforms and logos.

The Mercer Island Ethnic Cultural Club first brought the offensive nature of the mascot to the attention of the student body. Eventually, more students, parents and teachers on the island became aware of the harm that the mascot and similar images perpetuated.

There was no denying MIHS’ mascot was racist, and at the behest of many students, administrators began to phase out the islander imagery.

“I think that most of the students recognized by that time that [the mascot] was not an appropriate image, but nobody knew what to replace it with,” Adams said.

After the removal of the mascot, Adams recalled that students were encouraged to participate in the creation of a new mascot.

“There were a few legitimate attempts, but nobody could really come up with something,” Adams said.

“What I recall is that they pretty much

1855

gave up on trying to have anything be an Islander.”

Eventually, a graphic designer came up with a new logo to represent the environment of Mercer Island: mountains and water. However, students still looked for a character to represent the school.

“During the mid-90s, a senior came up with a gorilla costume and it became our mascot for several years,” history teacher Dino Annest said. “He did a wonderful job getting everyone fired up at everything from assemblies to sporting events to around the hallways.”

The gorilla costume quickly faded and students noticed that the abstract logo looked like the shape of a snail.

In the last 15 years, the idea caught on and MIHS students adopted Herbert the Snail, which is recognized today as the unofficial mascot.

While Herbert has become an icon amongst students, MIHS still primarily refers to itself as the Islanders, not the Snails, and is known by others as the MIHS Islanders.

The Pacific Islander caricature has been gone for a while, but terminology associated with stereotypical native culture is still used as a way to show Islander spirit.

Students refer to the stadium as The Jungle, spirit chants encourage primal noises, the frisbee team is called TRIBE and there are still wooden sculptures and shrunken head staffs that spoof native imagery.

“We shouldn’t forget the history of our mascot,” senior Grace V. Zhang said. “But at the same time, we must also remember that there is still a lot to improve upon.”

Duwamish Tribe signs the Treaty of Point Elliot, exchanging 54,000 acres of land including MI for a reservation and other benefits (neither were upheld)

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

SPIRIT | FEB. 2020

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Sportsmanship Influences the Reputation of MIHS Students Hannah HOWISON Staff Writer

Athletic events are a time for students to gather in support of their team while representing school pride. Sportsmanship plays a large role in visitors’ perceptions of the MIHS student body. “[Bad sportsmanship] leaves anybody attending our matches with the impression that [Mercer Island athletes and fans are not] good sports and we are not somebody they want to be around,” history teacher Dino Annest said.

Although not all MIHS students are directly involved in sports, the entire student body carries the reputation that our athletes and fans have created and continue to create.

Most problems arise when sporting events are against major competitors, namely Bellevue.

“Obviously we’re not going to love Bellevue, but we’re not going to vandalize [property] or anything,” football player and wrestler Mark Hou said.

Despite the fact that there have been some instances of vandalism on cars and stealing flags between the two schools, not every student has had this negative experience.

“My own personal experience with MI sportsmanship has overall been positive,” Justin Kirkman, a student from Bellevue High School said.

However, other members of the Mercer Island community also acknowledge the negative behavior in which some MI fans engage.

“The culture here at Mercer Island definitely has some of these [unsportsmanlike] behaviors and it’s something that we deeply want to alter and change for the future,” Associate Principal Nick Wold said.

The administration and MIHS Leadership class have been working with other administrations and leadership programs from local schools to try to alter the culture surrounding name-calling and derogatory chants during sporting events.

“The old rivalries really sink deep, and we’ve gone to great lengths to change that culture,” Athletic Coordinator Kyle McKenna said. “There’s a great deal of pressure on people in the school community and the community at large when it comes to rivalries, to get involved, to get loud, to out-spirit the other team. Sometimes that takes a negative turn.”

MIHS’ sportsmanship also affects the athletes who are competing in the event. “[Bad sportsmanship] makes players unmotivated to perform to their best ability,” Girls Basketball player Kate Larsen said. “It affects everyone in a game scenario because it just brings down the mood and the tone of the whole game,” Larsen adds.

When students get angry over the score or how their team is performing, some competitive students tend to start yelling disparaging comments towards the other team.

“When we have a larger volume, some of the worst behaviors come out,” Wold said. “We want sportsmanship to be about being proud of your school and not targeting other players from other schools.”

Chants led by the cheer team Let’s, get, a little bit rowdy,

R-O-W-D-Y.

M-M-M-E-R,C-C-C-E-R, M-E-R, C-E-R,

go-Mercer-go!

Photo BY Chris Twombley The student section at MIHS Boys and Girls Basketball’s senior nights versus Bellevue.

1889

First school opens on the ferry dock

1911

Frank Nolan starts MI’s first newspaper, Mercer Island News

Spirit | FEB. 2020 -u se

fR po

alston’s flag

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org All photos by Annie Poole

Ac lo

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Th eb

Kailyn Baccetti, ASB Spirit commisioner

ac k

“I custom made my spirit jacket with patches so it jacket is one of my favorite pieces to wear. I have always etti’s c c loved Mercer Island spirit and I want to promote Ba of postive energy through what I wear.”

“I like wearing extravagant, crazy outfits because it shows fun spirit. Past Flag Dudes pass down bags and bags of maroon and white clothes, enough to fill your entire car.”

Ethan ralston, flag dude

Spirit Fashion 1940

“When I’m wearing this uniform, I think it’s important to embody what Mercer Island stands for, team camaraderie and support.”

Tara manhas, drill team

The Floating Bridge is constructed

“Our blazers are passed down. Each varsity team member gets their own.”

Nate wenzel, boys basketball

“My favorite drill clothing item is the tracket because it has a personal touch.”

Claire cheung, drill team

1957 MIHS is founded

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

spirit | FEB. 2020

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opinion

Spirit is More Than Wearing Maroon and White

“It is good to feel a part of something bigger, to know that people are behind you, supporting you,” sophomore Lucas Vorkoper said. “[Wearing maroon and white] is how you show your spirit, but the school spirit comes from loyalty [to MIHS].”

The countless MIHS students who stroll through the hallways decked Most would agree that certain spirit groups serve as a perceived epicenout in maroon and white are typically defined as “spirited.” ter of school spirit at MIHS. This poses two significant conflicts, the first However, there is a lot more that goes into school spirit than simply being the groups’ notorious reputations. wearing school colors.

“If [there are groups] that are representing our school well, not doing How many of these students are actually proud to call themselves illegal activities, not bullying and intimidating each other, not being excluIslanders? How many think about exactly what they are representing sive, then I fully support these when they put on their MI gear? spirit groups,” Principal Vic“I would say school spirit is about of course wearing maroon and ki Puckett said. “But when white, but more about feeling proud to be an Islander and they choose to not do those sharing the pride with the Mercer Island comthings, it sheds a poor light munity,” drum major Katie Stoops said. on us, especially if they’re Similarly, there is a common miswearing MI gear.” conception that attending school In addition to their quessporting events makes you a spirtionable behavior, even if ited person. every member had a perfect reTo a certain extent, going to cord, the groups would still not games is a great way to support adequately showcase school spirMIHS, but there are many other it. Wearing maroon and white ways to do so as well. plays a considerable role in “School spirit to me is where a our school culture, but is community, such as our school, ralonly a miniscule part of lies together and celebrates its acthe equation. complishments,” Leadership adWhen was the last viser Toby Swanson said. “That time every Snail Pound could be sports, it could be arts, member attended an asit could be academic achievesembly? Or when was ments. But there is a concern the last time the Cheer [about] whether that spirit you squad made an appearance have on game-day carries through at a tennis match? the rest of the week and how you Snail pound enthusiastically cheers the badminton team.

Graphic by Lena Hardisty Students can put on their treat your fellow classmates and maroon hoodies all they how you feel about your school.” want, but it will solely demonstrate a minimal sense of enthusiasm.

As long as students do not solely base their school spirit on wearing Legitimate school spirit involves applying yourself in every possible outmaroon and white, school colors can actually be quite beneficial. The let to make the school a better place, which might include participating in tradition not only serves as a visible symbol of one’s commitment to clubs, volunteering in the community, engaging in less popular events, and the school, but also gives newer members of the community an easy most importantly, celebrating the ability to call yourself an Islander. way to fit in.

Alex Levin

Sports Columnist

1960

Mercer Island becomes an official city

Barack Obama’s mother, Stanley 196o President Ann Dunham, graduates from MIHS

Spirit | FEB. 2020

q&A With

Snail POUND’s Jack Hixon

Why join?

I have been on varsity tennis since freshman year, but tennis, like some other sports, plays in the shadows. It was great support my junior year against rival Bellevue that Snail Pound brought a large supportive group. I also saw the same support for girls soccer and wanted to be apart of that.

What is your best memory?

Snail Pound brought a record fanbase for senior tennis day on a Friday afternoon before a football game, although it also made me the focus of some good natured ribbing from friends during the match.

1963

Danny Scalzo

FLAG DUDES Washington State’s Primary Highway 1 sees Evergreen State Floating Bridge, now called Highway 52, opens, relieving traffic on the I-90 floating bridge

1963

ole Po

jack hixon

as one of the fo

The group has allowed me to get to better know other seniors and juniors. However, Snail Pound doesn’t define me or the friends I associate with.

ur F l a gD ud e s.

P ho to b

Anything else?

cted sele as

There was some legitimate criticism from some players about being literal and figurative fair weathered fans. If you’re spirit group, it’s probably best to stick it out than to meander on to other social activities.

Flag dudes add spirit, inclusivity and fun to MIHS culture. As a Flag Dude, I have taken on the responsibility of making students feel welcome at school and in the community. I want to be a familiar face to every student.

I know it may be scary for an underclassmen to confront me because I am a senior, but I am always available to talk if they need anything.

The most prominent effect Flag Dudes have on the Mercer Island culture is our spirit. As a Flag Dude and member of Snail Pound, school spirit has always been very important to me. I am very proud to be an Islander and there is no better way to show it than by supporting the Mercer Island community in all ways possible.

We love to bring everyone some fun. Being in such a stressful environment, it is very important that everyone has a chance to loosen up and laugh or smile.

Speaking for all four of us, we are very proud to be Flag Dudes. Being a Dude is freaking awesome. There is no better feeling than running out in an assembly, cheering a team to victory, making students feel welcome or putting on maroon and white every single day.

A very common stereotype in the community is that Flag Dudes are wild and crazy, and when it comes to school spirit, we most definitely are.

I have learned many things as a Flag Dude, most importantly the value of communication.

Whether it is writing a script, creating a post, starting a chant or collaborating with the Administration, everyone needs to be on the same page.

I want to address some situations that have come up this year.

An hour before the winter assembly, we were informed that we would not be performing our skit or running because of a sentence in our script that apparently alluded to snorting cocaine.

Having no idea of what this could have been, I was frustrated and confused. Had I known the sentence was in the document, I would have questioned its meaning, but the changes and additions that were made were not communicated.

Similarly, we must all be on the same page when we start chants at sporting events. The chants we start are to support and cheer for our team, not target the opposition. Yes, there have been cases where players have been targeted but individual actions should not reflect on the Dudes as a whole. I will always Da do my best to prevent or stop inappropriate things nn yS from being said but we do not control the actions c of other fans.

The biggest mistake people make is judging all Flag Dudes from what they have experienced with past Dudes, but we always strive to be better and write our own chapter. We want to leave a positive image for whoever is next. ow alz

What would you change?

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Boys Cross Country wins state championship

ie nn yA

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THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

REFLECTIONS

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t o co urt e s yA ud

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MIHS Chess wins state championship

lan

The Is der Girls’ Despite this, I do not regret wanting to be shir ts c oll nor choosing to be an Islander Girl. I ec ti think my perception of Islander Girls as having the agency to promote school spirit was perfectly valid.

Conversely, my understanding that the Islander Girls held toxic social command was equally legitimate. This is where I reached my dilemma.

How could such a group foster a healthy and spirited school environment while possibly fitting both of these qualities? The answer, in my opinion, is that it simply can’t.

Upon realizing this, I began to question the legitimacy of my position. Was being in Islander Girls even worth it?

When I first accepted my “letter” to become part of Islander Girls, I wore the letter ‘R’ with pride. I saw Islander Girls and the other spirit groups for their positive aspects: to lead the school in spirit, to organize Snail Gates and to encourage others to show their pride on spirit days.

I chose to disregard the negative social branding I knew came with the position, ignoring the assumptions that I may be perceived as exclusive, a partier, or someone who didn’t care about their grades. I believed that my positive attitude was sufficient in “debunking” the ugly stereotype of what it means to be an Islander Girl.

s ly

1967

ISLANDER GIRLS ve

This year and in recent years, the “spirit groups” of MIHS have come under scrutiny, and for legitimate reasons.

As a freshman new to MISD, I remember walking into MIHS and being completely oblivious to the significance of what it meant to be an Islander Girl, Snail Pound member or Flag Dude. At first, I only saw senior girls and boys decked in peculiar outfits: bowling jackets for the boys, letters for the girls, and some wielding tattered maroon and white flags.

I had input from many sources; my mother warned me to be cautious of these groups because of their bad reputation of drinking, partying and exclusivity. Some peers informed me that these people were members of the “popular group.” Others said they were acclaimed to be the most spirited.

Ultimately, I had to form my own judgement about these groups.

Were these people a group of leaders who modeled spirit for their community? Or were they simply a group of partiers who commanded the school out of personally instituted social authority?

This question has been up for each of us to decide as members of the MIHS community. As a current Islander Girl, I’m here to provide my opinion from my personal experiences with these spirit groups the past four years, both as an outsider and as a member.

I think that within the MIHS community, there are numerous answers to the question, “what is the point of these spirit groups?”

Personally, as a freshman entering MIHS wanting to assimilate into high school culture, I did look up to the Islander Girls, Snail Pound and Flag Dudes to demonstrate what it means to be “spirited.” This, I believe in essence is what I think is the most powerful aspect of these groups. Now being a part of Islander Girls, I realize that these groups come with a responsibility of influencing younger students.

While these groups did indeed inspire me to be passionate about my school, they also seemed to encourage exclusive and rowdy behavior that I ultimately received as intimidating, rather than welcoming or communal.

Everyone seems to have had differing experiences with these groups, however I think we can all agree that to some extent, they have affected our perception of MIHS culture.

When I became an upperclassman, I wanted to have that same power to shape the culture of my school. Honestly, I chose to overlook the poor reputation they had for the alluring social authority they seemed to command.

MIHS’s school spirit is heavily defined by three groups: Snail Pound, Flag Dudes and Islander Girls. In this section, you will find statements and reflections from each group.

Read the rest of Audrey’s reflection online at mihsislander.org!

Audrey Wen

1968

MIHS students participate in Vietnam Protests

y

SPIRIT GROUP

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spirit | FEB. 2020

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TRADITIONS | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Senior Sweatshirts In past years, seniors have created sweatshirts for Senior Babes and Senior Dudes. Usually the sweatshirts parody alcohol and drug brand logos, often isolating students who don’t want to advertise this behavior.

PHOTO BY HANNAH HOWISON

PHOTO COurtesy Kiran D’souza The senior and junior girls who participated in the 2019 Scavenger Hunt.

The MIHS Drill Team marches in the 2019 Homecoming Parade.

“ I think it is not great that there are drug references on the sweatshirts. It feels immature to have it. ” - Annie HOCHBERG

Hamlet Tag

MIHS Marching Band members congratulate each other after a successful halftime performance.

PHOTO Courtesy Sydnee Martin

Near the end of senior year, senior English students memorize a soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Teachers then try to catch their students by making direct eye contact. If caught, students have to recite the sonnet on the spot or within 24 hours.

“ I saw all the seniors doing it

The senior mural for the Class of 2019.

1971

PHOTO Courtesy Jada Merritt

Contract High School opens as alternative learning school

PHOTO Courtesy Sydnee Martin

Students mosh in the amphitheater after a football game.

1972

last year and It looked so fun.

They were closing their eyes in the hallway and looking through their phones. I don’t want to get tagged.

I want to win. It encourages students to learn the material in a fun way. You have to really know it and it’s not something you can just fake. ” - Emma Poll

Boys Tennis wins first of 27 state championships

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Gauntlet At the beginning of the year, teachers line up and form a gauntlet to cheer for the freshmen who are beginning their journey at MIHS. During the senior assembly, the teachers form the same gauntlet and cheer for the graduating seniors. “ It was a cool experience as I thought about how I will eventually be exiting that same gauntlet at the end of my four years at MIHS and about the good times to be had with the people traveling through it with me. ”

Mosh Pit

- Connor Lamb

After football games in the courtyard, students create a mosh pit while the Mercer Island band plays. Since MIHS’ largest rival is Bellevue High School, students chant “Buck Fellevue” to the song “Hey Baby.” Popular songs include Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” and the MI fight song. “ We get to play with such high energy and everyone is jumping. It’s a lot of fun because you can feel that everybody is excited to be there. ”

- AMADOU GAYE

Homecoming Parade

- THOMAS LEE

Senior Mural

As an attempt to bond across grades, senior girls create teams with junior girls to compete in a scavenger hunt with each other. Each group dresses up with their assigned color and performs dares, often including sexual acts.

Senior artists create a mural that includes inside jokes and memorable moments throughout their four years of high school. Last year, the administrators did not allow the mural to hang in the hallways for its inappropriate references.

“ Obviously a lot of the tasks that girls completed could have been perceived as degrading, but I never felt any pressure to participate in them. ”

- ANoNYMOUS

Senior Assassin Seniors can enter to play a game where each person is assigned a target to “shoot” with a NERF gun, knocking them out of the game. The shooter then seeks to shoot the target of the person they previously shot. The last one standing wins the money collected to play.

Dance AfterParties After school dances, it is tradition for students to throw a themed afterparty with their group.

These parties contribute to the binge drinking culture, as students often use these nights as an excuse to push limits.

Common AfterParty Themes: Western Glow in the Dark Lax Bros and Yoga H*** Black Out Pajama Party

MockUMENTARY pROJECT Each semester, groups of sophomores and juniors in Curtis Johnston’s and David Willecke’s block English and history classes film and edit a 25-minute “mockumentary” about an assigned topic for their final project. The project is infamous for its all-nighters, pizza runs, creative uses of old Halloween costumes and in-depth historical analysis. “ The mock was a mixed experience for me. It was fun to work with a group of friends and have a break during finals, but it can also offer some unnecessary stress and work. ”

- Charlie Kwak

MIH

S TRAD

NS

“ I love how the homecoming parade brings the whole community together. It’s great to see people of all ages fill the streets to support the parade, especially the little kids who get all hyped for the candies. ”

Scavenger Hunt

O ITI

During homecoming week, the school hosts a parade through downtown Mercer Island. The band performs and the cheer and drill teams march. Each grade makes a float that is inspired by the homecoming theme and winners of the homecoming court throw candy from convertibles.

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TRADITIONS | FEB. 2020

“ In my experience, girls put as much effort into finding the perfect homecoming or tolo dress as planning the perfect afterparty outfit. ”

Tennis wins first of 1973 Girls 33 state championships

- Kate Hamilton Graphics BY LENA hardisty

1975

The original mascot, a racist caricature of a Pacific Islander, is removed

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social dynamics | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Tight-knit Community Leads to Rapid Rumor Spreading Morgan Dawson

Staff Writer

Gossip and rumors define the social dynamic of Mercer Island, with children, teens and adults alike engaging in its spread.

On Mercer Island, particularly at the high school, there is a desire to know the details about everyone else’s lives.

“Talk can be about drama, relationships, friendships, breakups and everything else in between,” freshman Mimi Hartman said.

As with any high school, MIHS has a gossip epidemic, and being in a small community does not help the case.

“Social media is a huge contributor,” junior Michelle Travis said. “Through platforms like Snapchat, rumors get spread so quickly and so easily.”

Rumors are not just limited to school.

Weekend activities and parties are shared and talked about online, creating a tricky web that can lead to misperceptions.

“The rumors themselves have not changed so much since I was a student, but the way they get around has,” said Image teacher Lori Emery who graduated from MIHS in 2009.

The development of technology has greatly altered the gossip culture on the Island. It is also the community’s general wealth, as well as its proximity to Seattle’s tech hub that allows for the majority of students to have access to constant online communication.

Emery taught in the Steilacoom School District, as well as the Tacoma School District before returning to Mercer Island.

“In those schools, the students weren’t talking about who was getting a 4.0, but rather who was coming in and out of juvie, or who was pregnant,” Emery said.

“The topic of the rumors was very different from here.”

The subjects of rumors vary greatly from district to district and issues that are important to one community are not always as relevant to MIHS students.

There is also a general consensus among the student body that rumors differ by gender.

“Girls just tend to be a lot meaner to each other than

boys,” sophomore Lydia Wampold said. “While girls seem to overreact more to gossip, boys play it off more subtly.”

Most female students seemed to share a similar stance, acknowledging this notable distinction.

“There is a big difference, especially with rumors regarding sexual topics,” senior Gracie Burke said. “It is treated as more of a scandal when referring to girls, while boys are getting praised for that sort of thing.”

This double standard ultimately contributes to fostering

Did you hear...

1975

Girls Track wins state championship

This standard is not specific to Mercer Island, but is a major aspect of how the gossip culture plays out.

Rumors can have many different faces, some goodintentioned and some mean-spirited, but the latter can harm students’ mental health.

“A lot of students at MIHS take medication for anxiety and depression,” junior Sophie Gottesman said. “I think a lot of that is due to their peers and is induced by gossip and rumors.”

Gossip allows people to feel connected with the community, regardless of whether the information being exchanged is positive, negative or even accurate.

“I think it is just the way things are.

It has been like this forever,” Luca Palermo said.

“The way word travels may have changed over the years, but the desire to spread

Apparently last weekend...

Well according to...

Oh didn’t you know about...

At the party yesterday...

insecurity among girls and fueling the spread of rumors among boys.

From a male student’s perspective, this disparity seemed to line up.

“I would say that the amount of gossip is greatly increased for girls,” sophomore Luca Palermo said. “To me it feels like guys just don’t spread as many rumors.”

1981

Undercover CIA operative who worked at MIHS disappears

r u m o r s seems to have stayed the same. It is the human condition– or rather the Mercer Island condition.”

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Social dynamics | FEB. 2020

Opinion

Stigma around Sex Contributes to Gender Inequity Ellie Gottesman and Annie poole

Editors in Chief

Let’s talk about sex. High schoolers are having it – that won’t change– but the conversation around it can.

We understand discussing sex with your teacher and peers can be uncomfortable, but these conversations are a vital part of normalizing sex. Creating a culture where sex isn’t taboo is the first step to developing a better understanding of rape culture, sexual preference, consent and pleasure.

“When you don’t have heatlhy conversations about sex, you are only left with aphorisms,” English teacher Kati McConn said. “Your sex education becomes ‘a condom is cheaper than a baby’ or’ abstinence is the only way.’ You only have the functional education and are not exposed to the emotional reality of sex.”

Without having those healthy conversations, people have false understandings about what sex looks like and how to respect their potential partners.

“The general rule that I’ve had for myself is that at a party, if I think a girl is under the influence, I just don’t do anything,” senior Joe Gormley said. “If you are interested in that person, wait until [she’s] sober.

But a lot of people at MI don’t follow this.”

While students talk about consent in the classroom, it feels like people often forget these conversations during real, intimate experiences and hook-ups.

“In high school, your job is to push boundaries and I think that sometimes people forget that consent is not a boundary to push,” McConn said. “I feel like asking for consent has become this sterile thing when it shouldn’t be. Consent should be part of the experience.”

People also feel pressure to start having sex out of a fear of being called a prude.

“The biggest social issue around sex at Mercer Island is the pressure for people to start having it,” senior Ava Wampold said.

Teenagers should never feel pressure to engage in sexual behavior before they are ready.

“We spend a lot of time comparing ourselves to others,” R&R Counselor Ariel Schachter said. “How can you check in with yourself and make sure you are

making decisions based on your values, where you are at, and your own process?”

But it goes the other way too; there’s also judgement for having too much sex. Girls are either virgins or whores.

“Girls want to be careful about how they portray themselves because there is this fear that if you are this ‘Madonna’ figure then you can be easily taken advantage of,” McConn said.

Boys also face sexual expectations from peers.

“There is an underlying pressure in certain friend groups where guys are expected to have sex in high school,” Gormley said.

There is nothing wrong with being sexually active in high school. It is a normal experience that teenagers should feel comfortable having. However, sex also requires a certain maturity level of those involved to be smart, safe and respectful.

Graphic by Lena hardisty

Shadle Park defeats MIHS in controversial state Boys Basketball Championship

1981

1984

13

“When sex isn’t normalized and conversations aren’t happening, people are getting pregnant too young,” Wampold said. “While unwanted pregnancies aren’t talked a lot about on Mercer Island, they do happen.

A lot of people here tend to have the resources to deal with that through abortion or Plan B.” The concept of “virginity” and more specifically “losing your virginity” carries weight for many teenage girls.

“Losing your virginity, that term and that thing, is a social construct,” Wampold said. “It’s a boundary put up by men in order to control women and give them labels. Losing your virginity or popping your cherry isn’t a real thing.”

This patriarchal narrative extends into the classroom where students are constantly exposed to stories involving sexual abuse, usually where women are the victims. While sexual assault is not exclusively a female’s reality, it often gets represented as one.

“Juliet was 13 and Romeo was 18. In our world, that’s rape,” McConn said. “In Purple Hibiscus, Mama is being raped and beaten. Unfortunately, we only hear about these bad things that happen, but I think that it’s important to normalize those experiences to a certain extent so that people who have experienced that can feel safe coming forward.”

So how can we have these complex conversations in a school setting?

“If you teach a bunch of freshman about sex, the maturity level isn’t there. But at the same time, for some people, that’s when they have sex,” Gormley said.

Even though most students are receiving a formal sex education in Image, the conversation needs to go beyond a singular, often awkward health unit.

“Personally, I would love to talk about sex in class,” Wampold said. “I think it adds a whole other dimension and intricate layer to the conversations we have.”

“It is important to have open communication [about sex] because it aligns with development,” Schachter said. “[Students should] not feel shame or guilt around curiosity.”

Mary Wayte, 1983 MIHS graduate, wins gold in the Olympics for swimming

14

social dynamics | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Graphic by Alli hixson

1984

Carl Buchanan, graduated in 1974, wins an Olympic gold medal in sailing

1985

Quinn Snyder, who led the Boys Basketball to a state championship, ranked number one in the US by several sources

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Social dynamics | FEB. 2020

15

The commons satire

Compiled by Mia LoBosco

Power

The lunchroom is governed by an unofficial rulebook, dividing the tables by grade, cliques and extracurricular interests. This map is The Islander’s approximate representation of the Commons. Social power increases up the vertical axis.

“It does reinforce the whole senior-ontop mentality which isn’t that great.”

Jack Swartz, senior

“

We talk about inclusion, and bringing people in and stepping outside the box, but we really don’t do that.

”

Kelly John-Lewis

“[A mixed lunchroom] builds more friendships to get to know more people instead of it being inclusive to just your grade.” sophia sandwith, senior

1985

9th graders included in the high school for the first time

1987

Contract High School is renamed the Crest Learning Center

16

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Academics | FEB. 2020

Student-Based Programs Help Special Education Students Lena hardisty

Illustrator

Personalized Learning Programs aren’t an aspect of our school that the vast majority of students know about, but these programs are an absolutely vital and important part of our school and the supportive environment Mercer Island hopes to cultivate. PLPs are programs for students who need to have most or all of their instruction in a separate classroom. The program refers to substantial changes to content, or the pacing of content or instruction. Additionally, the programs also may provide instruction on non-academic subjects, whether it be vocational training or general life-skill instruction.The programs are designed to fit and help students in the way that serves them best, so no two are alike. It’s a form of educational accommodation on various levels and degrees. “What we’re looking for , for students in this program, is natural support, in school, in the workplace, in daily living out in t he community,” Kenyon said.

Not every part of Mercer Island’s

PLP

“We want people to be comfortable that they can help others in need who might have a disability. And so by having that regular exposure at the high school, and having the Peer Mentors Program, I see those culture can be as visible as Flag Dudes or wearing maroon. But the natural support growing,” Kenyon said. The supportive educational systems Best Buddies, Peer Mentors program is also part of PLPs, and the students who take the much like Peer Mentors, is focused allowing students who take the Peer Mentor opportunity to support their on close connections between the general class to mentor and support students with fellow classmates are valuable education students and students with Individual Educational Programs. contributors to MIHS’ school developmental disabilities. However, instead environment.

Peer-to-peer communication is a fundamental part of a class, Best Buddies is an internationally of a school environment whether it be academically recognized extracurricular. Therefore, it allows or socially. This class hopes to foster natural supports: any general student to help those in Special Education those who can be both a guiding hand and a friend. without the scheduling commitment of Peer Mentors. At Owen Pronovost, a senior Peer Mentor at MIHS MIHS, Best Buddies has monthly events for the entire expressed that these friendships are mutually chapter of the program with the intent to practice beneficial. communication and build friendships.

“I’ve found it very therapeutic for myself, that I “Asking teenagers to let go of social pressures loved myself more when I [helped] other people,” and be vulnerable with others to build he said.“[The program] prepares them for life friendships can be difficult and awkward but is outside of school. It’s helpful to me, it’s always worth it,” Best Buddies member helpful to them, and it’s a big Katie Stoops said.“Best Buddies empowers encouragement, which I students to learn about patience, communication and look forward to every what it means to be a friend which impacts both the day.”

Mercer Island community [as well as] who we are as friends and young adults,” Stoops said.

Best Buddies 1989

Debate team wins first of seven state championships

199o

Graphics by Lena Hardisty

Peer mentor

Two sections of the I-90 floating bridge separate and sink during a storm

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Academics | FEB. 2020

17

Raise Your Hand: How Required Participation Plays a Role in Student Experience

a certain amount of participation points, makes it pretty stressful, and sometimes it brings about unneeded anxiety,” Kwak said.

While participation can have detrimental effects on the student, teachers see a different perspective, contending that it helps foster student growth.

“Participation is a way to clarify things that aren’t clear the first time they are taught, and to offer [student’s] own insights and opinions,” said history teacher Dino Annest, who utilizes participation in his classes. “When everybody participates, the class is better for everybody in the room, the experience is better and you learn more when way more people participate, as opposed to just having a teacher talk at you.”

Even though they may view it in a generally positive light, teachers can see that there can be drawbacks with its effects on Mercer Island culture.

“I think one of the biggest downsides is that if you say there is a participation grade and points are given if you participate, some people are going to go out of their way to raise their hand and say something just to get the points,” Annest said.

Class participation, widely seen throughout MIHS, appears to elicit different responses and opinions from teachers and from students.

Although this tactic can offer benefits to students, it also deters a large group of students and plays a large role in driving the negative competitive culture at the school.

Ethan preston

Either a positive method of encouraging student growth or a stress-inducing practice that can discourage students, class participation brings both benefits and drawbacks to MIHS. In many classrooms, especially in English, history and world languages classes, teachers opt to have class ‘participation’ play a role in a student’s grade.

Participation can be shown in a variety of different in the classroom, such as in-class discussions, and oftentimes is coupled with a grade. For many students, the pressure of a grade forces them outside of their comfort zone, which adds significant stress for many.

“It [makes class] harder for people who prefer to learn in different ways, and are more quiet during class, or prefer not to talk in front of [a large group of people],” junior Charlie Kwak said.

If someone feels discouraged to speak out, which many do, it can negatively affect their grade.

“Especially near the end of the quarter, when people are worried about missing points, it can be stressful,” Kwak continued.

As a part of the culture, MIHS is often plagued with intense grade competition among peers. This widespread culture can have damaging effects on the student, many of whom feel like they fail to live up to the standards of others.

Class participation only exacerbates anxiety in this environment.

“AP classes are already competitive, and the fact that there is a limited amount of time and a limited amount of answers, and that we all have to get

1991

Comedian Joel McHale graduates from MIHS

Graphic by Lena Hardisty

Business Manager

1996

Boys Lacrosse wins first of eight state championships

18

Academics | FEB. 2020

P E R F E C T I O N I S M:

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

OPINION

THE MIHS ISLANDER EDITORIAL BOARD

MIHS: incessantly checking Skyward, pestering peers to compare test scores, staying up until 2 a.m. to study for a test and never asking for help. This is perfectionism culture.

It’s not worth it.

Admittedly, in journalism, we often fall victim to this overachieving mindset. Putting out a newspaper requires high levels of selfmotivation and substantial time outside of school. However, we have seen our friends, our peers and ourselves lose authenticity in an impossible bid for perfection.

As an Editorial Board of upperclassmen reflecting on the damage this environment inflicts on us and our school community, we have come to the conclusion that this culture needs to change.

We are told that high school is more than striving for a 4.0 GPA and building up an impressive résumé; however, in reality, it feels like these are the only things that matter.

As young adults, high school should be a time for discovering who we are and what we love to do. Yet, this goal often takes a backseat to the more pressing concern over tests and homework.

When we stay up until the early hours of the morning perfecting projects, we sacrifice time we could be spending trying a new sport, activity or taking time for ourselves.

Why do we sacrifice our sleep, mental health and passions to curate the perfect persona?

Simply put, it’s the desire to live up to the academic achievements and rigor of our peers.

IT ISN’T WORTH IT

1996 Flag Dudes created

8 pm

HOMEWORK clubs

2 am

sleep

School 3 pm

7 AM

We are constantly comparing grades, test scores and college decisions. It becomes almost impossible to celebrate our peers’ achievements.

“I think it makes it harder to realize your success if you’re always thinking someone else did it better,” sophomore Devon Benaroya said.

The pressure of reaching perfection is extremely isolating. When you feel as if you have no option but to excel, asking for help and allowing yourself to be vulnerable can feel impossible.

Relaxing the urge for perfection should not equate to a lack of effort or hard work. Rather the conversation must consider that all students have different needs, capabilities, goals, strengths, amounts of time and states of well-being. Always striving for 100% neglects these imperative factors.

Aiming for a near impossible goal can only leave students feeling like failures and decrease their confidence.

Failure is a natural aspect of life, especially in school. However, in the high-strung competitive atmosphere of Mercer Island, it can feel like the end. When we put such pressure on ourselves to succeed and

1997

Boys Water Polo wins first of eight state championships

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org perform to our highest capabilities, feeling like you have fallen short can be devastating.

One of the most depressing realizations of arriving at the end of your high school career is that many students have exhausted their capacities for passion. We are emotionally burned out from stressing over grades, tests, college applications, extracurriculars and everything in between.

Students get so lost in crafting the perfect résumé – interesting and unique, yet comprehensive – that we forget what we really enjoy doing, or if we even enjoy anything.

For many, there is no end in sight for the emotional roller-coaster built by exceeding and falling short of expectations.

We lose count of how many times we’ve said: “I can’t do it anymore.”

the 2019 Healthy Youth Survey shows that:

90 mihs sophomores said that they have “little hope” for their future

Academics | FEB. 2020

THE PERFECT PERSONA LETTERS OF REC SUBJECT TESTS EXTRACURRICULARS PASSIONS RIGOROUS COURSELOAD TIME LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WELL-ROUNDED DEADLINES SANITY TEAM FRIENDS INTERESTING ESSAY TOPIC PLAYER NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLAR AP TESTS PERFECT SAT SCORE FAMILY GPA DEMONSTRATED INTEREST EXPLORATION ‘HOLISTIC’ ADMISSIONS RELATIONSHIPs INTERNSHIPS MULTI-FACETED RELAXATION

71% of sophomores report sleeping less than 8 hours on an average school night

meaning

SLEEP

HEALTH

“I CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE.”

The percentage of students who enjoy being at school “often” or “almost always” drops from 58% among 6th graders to 39% among 10th graders

1997

Major renovation of MIHS

19

1998

Girls Water Polo wins first of eight state championships

20

academics | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

College-focused Mindset Increases Student Stress Maya virdell

Features Editor

Every year, thousands of high school seniors undergo the college application process. Hours are spent stressing and pouring over essays and supplementals, and begging teachers for letters of recommendation.

MIHS is no different, yet the competitive environment that the community fosters creates unique expectations.

There is an expectation for students to take prep courses to boost their SAT/ACT scores. The advantage of having these courses, in addition to college counselors and advisors, is significant. However, they come at a cost and further perpetuates the role that money plays in education and college admissions.

“Kids take the SAT either their sophomore year or start of junior year and depending on their score they almost always do tutoring,” English teacher Curtis Johnston said.

Joyce Zhang, a junior, has felt the pressure since freshman year.

“There definitely is a pressure on MI that you need to have an idea of what you want to do and then strive to get into the best college in that field,” she said.

Preparing for the future is not confined to the last two years of high school, but lingers throughout all years at MIHS. “I think that overall we [and the school] all push that college agenda a lot,” Johnston said. “Probably at least ninety percent [of the time] when someone comes in and asks about their grade, they say ‘because I need a better grade to get into college.’

It doesn’t matter what grade level they are, they are always thinking about college.”

The college application stage in senior year arrives with its own stress and anxiety.

Anouk Orillon, a senior, describes this as strenuous.

“Everyone has their own personal experience, but I realized the climate can be kind of hostile. It is competitive, and if you’re not applying to the right places, some people will judge you if you go to a community college or state school.”

1998

“There is a lot of pressure to get into top ranking school and there is a stigma with those who end up going to a lesser ranked school,” Zhang said. “I do believe there is an issue with those who shame and judge those who go to a state or lower ranked school because most MI kids have been instilled into them at an early age to go to a ‘name-brand’ school. I think students need to realize that there are a lot more factors about which college to go to besides the ranking and the name.”

Although the typical college path is ingrained in the student population, that does not mean it is the right path for every student. Post-secondary education does not have to be limited to a typical four year college.

“There are plenty of alternative means to getting a really powerful degree, I think that’s a conversation we need to be having,” Johnston said. “There are plenty of students who would benefit from technical college.”

The price tag or financial burden of higher education is another factor to consider, since not everyone has

Snail Pound formed as co-ed spirit group

the same financial or situational means.

“I think a lot of the pressure comes from parents.

They want their kids to succeed. I also think this pressure has been brewing for a while,” Orillon said.

“Mercer Island is a very affluent suburb, so maybe there is an ingrained pressure to go to an Ivy League simply because we live on Mercer Island, and simply because we can afford it.”

The pressure to attend a prestigious school may put financial and mental strain on families and students.

“I wish as a teacher, that kids would think about how much money they would have to borrow to go to some of these schools,” Johnston said.

At 17- and 18-years old, students are being expected to make decisions that have the potential to affect the rest of their lives.

“It’s been really stressful. I think it’s the most stressed I’ve been in my entire life,” Orillon said.

“It makes me think about my future way more, and makes me doubt myself. Will I succeed? Will I get in?”

Graphic by Alli Hixson

1999 Art gallery removed from MIHS

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Academics | FEB. 2020

21

OPINION

How it Feels to be “Gifted”: A Reflection on my E2 Experience Ethan preston

Business Manager

Mercer Island’s gifted program, commonly referred to as E2, plays a critical role in the lives of MI students starting from the early days of elementary school, even if it “goes away” in high school.

To be accepted into this “gifted program,” students have to score above a certain threshold on a standardized test that demands excellency in reading, writing and math skills. Every year, parents desperately attempt to motivate their children to perform well on the exam, out of fear that their child might not receive the best education they possibly could get under the gifted program.

This was also the case for me. Despite the fact that I came up just short of qualifying on my first attempt, my parents pushed me to try again, assuring me that it would ultimately be the best for me. Sure enough, the second time around, I just barely managed to pass the test in order to be accepted into this exclusive program.

As soon as I entered the class my first year in the program, I noticed a few things were wrong with the picture.

Elements of the toxic, “grade grubbing” and academically competitive culture frequently associated with Mercer Island can be traced back years before people first step foot into the high school.

When I sat down in class with 20 other “gifted” kids, one thing was clear: people had this mindset of “I’m better than you,” which sparked heated competition among students even at the fourth grade level. Because of the qualifying test that marked them as “gifted,” many of my peers were trained to believe that they were actually “superior” to others, and, consequently, they were compelled that they needed to outperform everyone else.

I quickly fell victim to this culture. Before I knew it, I was competing with my friends to see who could get the highest grade on a math test, an essay, and much more, an occurrence that is very familiar to many high school students. I was less than 10 years old at the time.

Another thing seemed a little strange to me: being a

member of the gifted

program almost automatically meant that your friends had to also be from the program.

But upon further investigation, why wouldn’t it be?

In elementary school, your main class is always with other people of the program, along with PE and Music class. Whenever

my class would collaborate or work with another class, such as on a field trip or a project, it would always be with the other gifted class. Even at lunch, I was forced to sit with my E2 classmates.

Almost by default, all of my friends were from the E2, as was the case for many of my other peers.

There was a clear separation between those who were deemed “gifted” and those who were not.

While this barrier has been broken down to an extent since reaching high school, it is still visible today. Many of the friend groups still existing have been largely dictated by a mostly meaningless distinction years ago, even if some people have ventured out to other groups. More importantly, however, is the impact that this trend has had on us students.

By separating students into two groups, with one being supposedly more intelligent than the other, it leaves an impression drilled into students’ heads. Students were taught that because they were determined to be “gifted,” they must live up to that standard regardless. On the flip side, the students who didn’t meet this unrealistic standard were left with the idea that they weren’t good enough to compete with others, discouraging them from living up to their true potential.

One shortcoming of this process of deeming kids to be gifted, in my opinion, is the test itself.

The test administered to make this determination is a standardized, no different in its essence than the tests we are required to take such as the SAT or ACT. Personally, I don’t respond well to this method of examination.

It seems to me unrealistic to judge someone’s “gifted” potential on the basis of a multiple choice exam.

From my perspective, a lot of the toxic culture and behavior revolving around academics at MI can be traced back to our earliest days of elementary school.

Graphic by Lena Hardisty

2006

MIHS is recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence

2006

Boys Golf wins state championship

22

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Privilege | FEB. 2020

https://keyworldwidefoundation.com Opinion

MI Tutoring Culture Borders on Buying Success Annika Bhananker

Add to cart

Features Editor

AP Calculus Prep

dy/dx

$350.00

A+ $450.00

College

AP U.S. History Prep

Essay

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$250.00

Elite College

AP Physics

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Many Mercer Island students don’t give their academic or economic privilege a second thought.

Prep classes, individualized tutors, premium prep books and even an atmosphere in which the majority of students take advanced tests, offer a significant advantage to students.

You hear about an SAT subject test prep book better than the one you already have, and one minute later ordered on Amazon.

On Mercer Island, Privett and other personalized tutoring services are utilized as resources to aid in academic success.

However, with Mercer Island’s perfectionism culture and overachieving mindset, which comes with having an affluent and educated populus, is combined with availability of resources, there is the potential for overuse of these services.

The expectations placed on students in privileged communities such as Mercer Island mean that students and their families are often able and willing to seek extra resources for academic development.

However, this intersection of high achieving goals and plentiful means can also breed a privileged mindset, enabling parents eager to shoulder any cost to achieve the ‘ultimate goal’: a top-tier school.

Among Mercer Island students, a prevailing mindset is that academics are solely a stepping stone to elite schools, and courses are less about learning.

Catie Shurygailo, a junior at MIHS, said she has observed this mindset among her peers when it comes to

prioritizing grades over learning.

“The vibe here is that everyone knows that they’ll be okay in the long run, so there’s not always a lot of hard work or incentive,” Shurygailo said.

Shurygailo attends Privett to take Spanish 4, a class only offered online at the high school.

MIHS has a partnership with Privett Academy, a private school on the island, which approximately 85 MIHS students take advantage of for one or more periods a day.

“I think a lot of kids go to Privett for the right reasons,” Shurygailo said. “But as soon as you go to Privett for the right reasons for one class, such as Spanish like I am, and then learn it’s easier to get good grades. Then, you’re more inclined to take advantage of that resource for classes that you don’t necessarily need it for, which I think is what happens a lot.”

This potential for overuse is at the center of Mercer Island’s entitlement issue; many feel that they deserve an A or A-, or commonly an A rather than an A-, in any class they take, and will go to any level to achieve this.

These lengths include Privett, which provides individualized teaching and tutoring proven to be beneficial for many students, but also costs around $5,000 per class.

This stems from more inherent entitlement which is rooted in the expectations given to students to get into top-tier colleges and

Graphic by Natalie Chen

2008

Girls Cross Country wins state championship

2011

MIHS Band marches in the London New Year’s Day Parade upon Royal invitation

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

Purchase

high-paying jobs after college. “[The grade-focused mindset] is prevalent on Mercer Island specifically,” Principal Vicki Puckett said. “We have a unique clientele of students for whom grades are a big deal, and school is a big deal. In other districts I’ve been in, most students are working part-time and they’re trying to go to school full-time so there isn’t as much emphasis on grades.”

Puckett said that she has experienced parents contacting her about changing the grade of their student.

Another way in which students can leverage their economic status to contribute to further academic success is in regards to AP classes and standardized tests.

Sandweiss Test Prep in Bellevue, is one such service which helps students prepare for standardized tests, offering individualized and group sessions as well as admissions counseling.

Steve Sandweiss, the owner of the agency, estimated that the average course at his agency will coast approximately $800-900, but said that his service is “not the most expensive test prep company in town by far.”

Sandweiss also acknowledged that prep services can be costly, and are not available to all.

“Anything that costs that much is going to be a barrier to some students income-wise, and we are certainly conscious of that,” Sandweiss said.

To many Mercer Island students, however, these costs are not obstacles,

Privilege | FEB. 2020

Sale

allowing them to take advantage of the resources which are plentifully available.

Not all Mercer Island residents are in a position to shell out anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 for a college counselor, but many in the community consider it a necessary expense.

“Test preparation can work effectively,” Sandweiss said. “That’s because standardized tests tend to test the same concepts over and over and over again.”

“That makes the tests predictable which is why not only my company, but this entire industry exists,” Sadnweiss added.

“If the tests weren’t predictable we couldn’t really help people in an honest way. So, taking test preparation definitely provides an advantage to students.”

There are advantages that come with being able to afford personalized tutoring, both for classes and standardized tests, which offer an emotionally supportive and welcoming environment.

“For a lot of people the obstacles on standardized tests aren’t so much academic or intellectual, they’re emotional,” Sandweiss acknowledged.

“So having a positive relationship with a teacher or a tutor can also help alleviate some of that stress. “ Private tutoring can cost anywhere from $60 to $125 per hour.

Seeking outside help isn’t negative; it should be encouraged for those who need it, but especially when it is solely because an A- is undesirable, it should be recognized as it is: privilege.

Golf wins first of three 2011 Girlsstate championships

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“People should be conscious to the degree to which a family’s socioeconomic status and resources can make a huge difference in the educational opportunities for their kids,” Sandweiss said.

However, it’s important to recognize that having an income which allows parents to pay for additional opportunities, can foster academic success in more than one way, so it’s important to use and not abuse the opportunities which we are privileged to have.

“I do see the disparity there: the haves and the have-nots,” Puckett said. “The kids whose families can afford to send them to private school as opposed to kids who could benefit from those services, but because it’s private, their parents maybe can’t afford to send them there.”

“But there are advantages of course to having money, and that’s going to be true throughout society and not just when it comes to education,” Sandweiss said.

“And I think it’s important that students on Mercer Island and elsewhere in this area be aware of that and recognize that if they’re fortunate enough to enjoy these opportunities, they should at least consider small ways to give back in the future.”

“Being privileged isn’t a bad thing and you shouldn’t feel guilt for it, but you should use it for the right things, and most importantly recognize your privilege,” Shurygailo said. “Because as soon as you recognize your privilege and you start noticing the advantages it gives you then you’re able to even the playing field.”

2012

MIHS Band marches in Rose Parade for the third time

23

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org 24 Privilege | FeB. 2020 Three Dimensions of Privilege and Entitlement: OPINION

What does privilege make of us?

Natalie Chen A&E Editor

It’s no secret that MIHS and the Mercer Island community has a reputation as an entitled, affluent bubble with limited self-awareness of the world outside its insularity. Privilege itself does not repel people from Mercer Island but what does is the perception that Islanders lack self-awareness regarding it. Removing the privileged Mercer Island stigma is not something that the MIHS administration, Mercer Island parents or even the best of MIHS students can do alone. Removing the stereotype must be a concerted effort from each member of our community.

Poor behavior at MIHS isn’t just a result of typical teenage recklessness. Students ignore the possible consequences because they feel entitled to protection that fits with comfort.

The Mercer Island community puts a lot of pressure on its students to be successful. Success is often valued over being a good person; comfort outside of academic responsibilities is maximized to maximize achievement.

Although not every student is striving to get into an elite college or maintain a 4.0, the competitive atmosphere exists throughout the school. Therefore, diversion of responsibility and relaxed attitude towards discipline is widespread.

Most students do not seek out trouble. Those who do cause trouble—a fairly small, yet significant minority—often put on a mild demeanor in the classroom and at home. However, the moment they are put into an environment in which crowd mentality takes over or it is difficult to single out people, they act out.

Behavior Reputation Most of us have felt that feeling of hesitation before telling people where we’re from. We brace for the raised eyebrows and questions like, “do you live on the water?” or comments like “you must be really rich.”

There’s a reason we are often met with disdain--to people off Mercer Island, we appear ignorant and sheltered in our isolation, arrogant and elitist in our affluence.

Senior Audrey Wen volunteers at Global Visionaries, an organization based in Seattle. When Wen initially introduced herself to other members, most of whom were from Seattle, she felt sheepish.

“I felt insecure about the fact that I was from Mercer Island, because I don’t want to come off as privileged or that I fit the stereotype. I also didn’t want to come off as ignorant because I come from an island,” said Wen.

2012

Vicki Puckett becomes first woman of color to be principal of MIHS

2013

Seattle Sounders and USMNT player Jordan Morris graduates

Privilege | FeB. 2020

Grade Grubbing

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

From clandestine test-answer networks to being “sick” on test day to blatant cajoling, MIHS students flaunt a long catalog of tips and tricks that take a 92.7 to a 93, because an A is so much better than an A-minus.

I’m not here to tell you not to cheat, although you shouldn’t; I’m here to encourage you to think about how these habits are shaped by entitlement at the high school and the Mercer Island community.

There are two primary forms of the toxic grade culture at MIHS: cheating and grade-grubbing.

“The single greatest illustration of entitlement that I receive as a teacher is when any student asks me for a grade bump,” said Physics teacher Aaron Noble. “One side is that you deserve the bump and the other side is really insulting to the teacher: that the grade you have is actually wrong and needs to somehow be fixed.”

Read the full article Online at mihsislander.org

Graphic by Natalie Chen

2013

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Girls Volleyball wins state championship

2014

MIHS alumna Jean Emerson completes 42 years as King 5 news anchor

26 Privilege | FeB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

A Look Outside the Bubble: How Funding for Seattle Public Schools Compare Annika Bhananker and Maya Virdell Features Editors

ballard

MIHS Students often have a reputation of being snobby and rich, of living in mansions and being apathetic to the world outside their “bubble.”

An important part of recognizing our privilege on Mercer Island is recognizing various equity issues in our larger community, and the extent to which, not only Mercer Island affluence but also demographic, gives students considerable academic advantages.

Henterson Carlisle, one of MIHS’ associate principals, has the experience of working on Mercer Island as well as in Seattle. One of the major differences between the two areas, he said, is the diversity of the community both economically and racially.

“I think when you work in Seattle your population is much more diverse. Diverse in the needs and in the type of the families. The number of people you have to pull from is larger so of course you are going to get more diversity,” Carlisle said.

This difference in diversity can lead to a drastic disparity of resources available to the community, which often goes unexperienced by the MIHS community.

Take Rainier Beach, for example, America’s most diverse zip code, which is located across the I-90 bridge. This year, due to lack of funds and staff shortage, students are unable to take a full year of history.

“The school hasn’t been remodeled since the first day it has been made and just recently I found out our floors are actually orange, not brown,” Nyshae Petty, former ASB president of Rainier Beach said. “We are super underfunded. We hardly have two teachers for the same subject, or even one.”

Part of this funding disparity is correlated to

demographic. Although the district allocates money on the basis of need, supplemental organizations, which are often more prevalent in affluent communities such as MI, contribute a significant amount to the school’s funds.

“As a school predominantly of color, I do believe that there is a funding disparity between Seattle Public Schools,” Petty said. “Every other school but Rainier Beach High School has been funded for [non-athletic] programs.”

“The demographics of the school definitely plays a part in funding. It’s a complicated model, but essentially every student has a price that they come with a price tag that the school gets,” Carlisle said. “But then when you have

Rainier beach Photo courtesy Seattle Public Schools

students who have different factors that could increase the funding, there are schools that have a higher free or reduced lunch will get extra funds because that’s seen as a barrier. Poverty is really seen as the number one barrier to success.”

Based on data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 51% of students from highpoverty public schools entered college in the fall following graduation, compared with a rate of 76% for low-poverty schools. A lowpoverty school is designated as such if more than 75% of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch.

Keven Wynkoop, principal of Ballard High School, agreed that a school’s demographics, whether positive or negative, have an impact on the quality of education available.

“There is a lot of research that shows the demographics of a school will impact a lot of private fundraising that goes on related to it,” Wynkoop said. “For example, more affluent communities have considerable amounts of

Photo courtesy Sydney Gladu

2014

E-Coli Outbreak on Mercer Island

2015

Art, Science and Robotics wings added to MIHS

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org money that is beyond what the district provides.”

Last year, the Mercer Island Schools Foundation raised upwards of $1 million through the fall Phon-a-thon campaign alone.

Another issue many MIHS students may neglect to consider is housing because for the most part, MI residents are secure in their housing situations, unlike many of our peers in the greater Seattle area.

Gentrification in Seattle has an immense impact on the quality and availability of education.

Public schools draw from the population in their vicinity, which, due to the exodus of many minority groups from historically nonwhite areas, are constantly changing demographic.

“Neighborhood schools are a good thing but it provides situations where when you have segregated neighborhoods, like Seattle does, it leads to having segregated schools which is not best for anyone,” Wynkoop explained.

When other groups move into areas historically populated by minority groups, especially African Americans, the new influence produces changes,

Privilege | FeB. 2020 both positive and negative, which impacts new and old community members.

A mere twenty minutes away, Garfield High School is currently undergoing the throes of gentrification.

“Garfield is one of the most segregated schools I’ve ever seen, especially in the Seattle School district,” Linda Phan, a senior from Garfield said.

“Although we try to pride ourselves with ‘diversity,’ the reality is that Garfield is getting more and more gentrified as it is located in the Central District, historically known as ‘Africa-Town’.”

Migration of wealthier families to new areas also serves to shake up communities and redistribute resources.

The effects of equity and displacement further widen the divide in an academic environment. At MIHS students are expected and sometimes even pushed to enroll in AP classes, but fail to recognize the demographics of those advanced classes and the privilege that comes with knowing they are supported and can succeed in a state of higher learning.

Garfield

b o t h Photo courtesy Seattle Public Schools

2015 state championship

Boys Baseball wins

“There are some social implications that come with being one of the few people of color in an advanced class,” Carlisle said. “As a result, making sure that

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they are supported and making sure that all students are supported is important. Although, I think a lot of times you get just the students who really believe they can do it and maybe not [all of] the students who probably have that potential.”

At Garfield, AP and advanced classes are often described as ‘segregated’ because of the disparity between students of color and white students who are enrolling in these classes.

“AP classes are … typically upper-class white and Asian students, while low-income black and brown students remain in non-AP classes,” Phan said. “This disparity has only grown, despite Garfield’s attempts at integration through 9th grade honors for all for history and language arts classes, where all students are expected to take these classes at the honors level.”

Some suggest that this disparity is rooted in the lack of support from a younger age for these students.

“The reason why: students don’t all get the same support as a result of implicit bias or straight up bias from teachers, and this effort at integration is abandoned once students leave 9th grade,” Phan said.

At Rainier Beach, although the school has an IB program, the AP program is nonexistent; students do not have the opportunity to challenge themselves in college-level classes, despite being fully capable.

“At other schools, there’s AP programs, clubs that are enabled to go on trips and more, but at Rainier Beach, if the club cannot fund itself, then there is no funds within the program [to help it out],” Petty said. “People argue and say ‘what about the IB program, or the program partnered with Boeing?’ However, with not having the proper funding, there is not proper training to teach these IB classes.”

Economic status should not be a limitation to a student’s success and academic potential, but it has been shown to be one of the major determinants of access to higher education.

“I think [all schools] should get more [funding], because if we’re all trying to get to that level where students are equipped to go out and make choices to pursue their own career paths, then it’s our duty to give them what they need,” Carlisle said.

Soccer wins state 2017 Girlschampionship

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CAMPUS LIFE | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

OPINION

Honor Societies Contribute to Résumé Padding Sandra Pedersen

Senior Staff Writer

MIHS offers are a multitude of opportunities that allow students to engage in extracurriculars; however, in a school that perceives high school as simply a more drawn out application process, many of these opportunities are not being used for their intended purpose.

Honor societies are a prime example. With an easy application process and simple requirements, numerous members of these clubs acknowledge the lack of interest of many members.

“I do think there are some people who join honor societies because they think it looks good on college applications,” Boaz Malakoff said, a member of the Tri-Music and French Honors Society.

Many students are drawn towards honor societies simply to strengthen their resumes.

“I think many members share a sense of passion for the subject, but for

their resume but it depends on the club,” Oliver Schaaf, co-president of Chinese Honor Society said. “The higher commitment the club has the more likely the people attending are gonna be passionate about that subject.”

Students over-padding their resumes in attempts to seem academically competent instead has the adverse effect—being superficially invested in anything depletes student motivation and dilutes their sense of passion.

“Many people think that the more you do, the better it looks,” said Dyani Agulia, president of the French Honors Society.

Overwhelmed by a multitude of clubs that the members themselves might not even care about, it subjects students to parade superficial experience as their own and devalues the basis of college applications.

It is evident how students become stressed by the sheer pressure of their commitments, and it is not simply a result of internal pressure but rather Mercer Island’s overwhelmingly high standards.

From left to right are the logos for honor societies supported at MIHS: Spanish, National, Chinese, French and Science Honor Society.

students that are just involved for checking it off, you can tell they don’t really care,” Lila Shroff said, president of Spanish Honor Society.

Acknowledged worldwide, these societies draw many students, particularly those in pursuit of improving their college applications, and these underlying motives are what strip the societies of their meaning and adds unnecessary pressures.

“There are definitely some kids who join for apps—clubs themselves don’t exist for this reason—but some students get involved in certain clubs because they want to be able to put it on their resume and list that they’ve participated in all these different things,” Leadership Adviser Toby Swanson said.

To claim that extracurricular activities exist purely to fuel student applications would not be entirely true, but the motivation for a vast section of the student population is not simply to focus their passions.

“I think kids definitely join for the purpose of having something to boost

2017

Girls Basketball wins state championship

“I think there is an overall pressure at this school to be ‘successful’ and that’s seen in grades, testing, and participation of activities,” Shroff said.

“There is a pressure created by the students themselves, by the community and their parents to be high achieving students.”

Prompted to believe that attending a prestigious school is the paramount aspiration of high school, students will sacrifice any means to get there— even at the expense of their character and sense of self.

“In Mercer Island culture, the main goal since kindergarten through the end of high school is focusing on getting into college,” Schaaf said.

“There’s a lot of focus on doing whatever you can to achieve that.”

This pressure has become internalized and almost expected of the average student—if you’re not stressed, you’re not working hard enough.

“In reality students can’t ever be 100 percent dedicated just one or two things because school pressures make filling up your application more of a necessity than an active choice,” Lily Clark said.

2017

Cap and gown colors change to maroon only, removing gendered tradition

CAMPUS LIFE | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

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Photos Courtesy Sarah Wang and NICOLE HIBI

Snapshots of Campus Life COMPILED BY ANNIE POOLE, ETHAN PRESTOn, Alex Levin and staff writers Photo By Brooks Kahsai

Photo COurtesy Taylor Richards

DRILL

2020 seniors pose on senior night.

From left to right: Paul Noone, Caitlin Liang, Amanda Wion, Taylor Richards and Jack Dilworth

DECA

DECA is an association that encourages MIHS students to explore careers in business, marketing and leadership through various competitions and courses offered at the high school. “DECA makes me feel like I am part of a community, and it allows me to express my creative business side,” sophomore Kayla Levin said. Throughout the year, students attend conferences to learn how to better their business skills and compete for awards.

Photo COurtesy MARIA REYES

Grace Shaddle takes on her defender as Joy Francke trails in support.

The MIHS Drill Team showcases school spirit through their dance performances throughout the year. Their precise dance routines and fun tricks during assemblies, halftimes and competitions entertain everyone in the audience. “It is fun to perform for peers and families, it creates a fun spirit,” senior member Tara Manhas said.

SPORTS

MIHS boasts a collection of different successful sports teams, but many notice how girls sports are often treated unfairly. “The fan culture is definitely biased towards boys sports; you can see that just in attendance for the different games,” Girls Basketball player Mattie Lee said. “I really don’t think it has anything to do with our performance. My freshman year we won state, and we had three people come to our state championship game, and no one ever showed up for the regular season either.”

2020 seniors pose on senior night.

CHEER

The MIHS Cheer Team affects school culture with an emphasis on enthusiasm and support of estudents at MIHS. “We always attend each senior night for every sport and activity to help support our classmates,” stunt captain Cayla Prophater said.

Photo BY HANNAH HOWISON Photo COURTESY LILA SHROFF

The trombone section marches down the streets of Mercer Island as part of the Homecoming parade.

The Laramie Project cast poses for a photo on the stage.

THEATER

Daniela Melgar creates a safe and inclusive environment for young thespians to express themselves on the stage. “I heard amazing things about the drama teacher Ms. Melgar. I really wanted a class where I could do something that I love and want to do when I’m older,” Sadie Jensen said. Most recently, the Drama Department put on “The Laramie Project.” To read about it, visit mihsislander.org.

2018

Senior Lila Shroff (right) interviews performing artist and MoPOP Sound Off winner Maiah Wayne (left).

RADIO

MIHS’ own radio station, KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, is run by the students in the radio class and brings entertainment and more to the community.

“Our vision is to teach the great broadcasters of the future and produce multigenerational formatted programming that both parents and students can enjoy,” radio manager Joe Bryant said.

Student walkout against gun violence

2018

BAND

At over 280 members, the MIHS Band Program includes many students who have been involved as early as 5th grade. Band creates the soundtrack for MIHS spirit and dominates school culture through their marching band, concerts, competitions, participation in the 2019 Rose Parade and partnership with BEG. “[Band] has impacted the community because we get to play at sporting events and the homecoming parade,” alto saxophone and flute player Julia Harper said. “We rev up the spirit at basketball and football games. I think our school would be less spirited without band.”

Connections, a 5-minute period, added to the MIHS schedule

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THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

stakeholders | feb. 2020

REFLECTIONS ON STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR IMPACT ON MIHS HISTORY

It is an oft-repeated observation that no one moves to Mercer Island for the culture, nightlife or architecture– the island’s real draw is its high-performing schools.

Over the last two school years, The Islander estimates that the annual giving for the Mercer Island Schools Foundation averaged approximately $1.5 million. These funds are shared between all five island schools for a variety of curricular initiatives.

The high school’s PTSA funds classroom enrichment grants, parent education, and has supported a variety of needs, including the College Night Lecture Series, Reflections art program and Staff appreciation lunches.

Club and sports boosters also play a crucial role in supporting MIHS students by providing funds for coaches, equipment, travel and specialized training.

Taken in all, the community has shown a real financial commitment to ensuring all Mercer Island schools and students have what they need to succeed. Of course, it is nearly impossible to calculate the number of hours MIHS administrators, teachers, staff and coaches dedicate in the service of their students.

It would be disingenuous, however, to ignore the weight of expectation this generosity exacts on Islanders, many of whom shoulder a real fear of failing to live up to the high bar set for MIHS students.

It is no understatement that parents and staff shape MIHS culture in a profound way. To gain a deeper understanding of how they do so, The MIHS Islander asked stakeholders two questions: ‘What influence do parents and staff have on MIHS culture?’ and ‘In what ways have you observed or experienced changes in this influence over the years?’

Compiled BY Chris Twombley

“I

think we need to realize that parents and staff shape the culture at MIHS, that adults are responsible for creating an educational and life experience for students. All of our actions as adults–positive and negative–have an effect on kids that we must take responsibility for, including when we ignore behavior that we know is not in line with school expectations.

We also need to do a better job of supporting students’ social-emotional well being.”

Kelly John-Lewis

Homecoming royalty, 1969

PHotos by Maya Virdell and Max Hense

“F

“I

don’t think my students feel entitled, but I have had many parents who feel entitled.”

Eric Goldhammer

The MIHS CHEER TEAM, 1973

“T

Mercer Island goes IN FOR THE SHOt, 1973 Marching Band marches at the 2019 MIHS Rose Parade for the fourth time

oday parents have a greater understanding around the struggles that students can encounter in a highly competitive environment. The ongoing struggle is helping students to create a healthy balance between academics, extracurricular activities and self-care.”

Chris harnish

2019

rom my vantage point, the most noteworthy change over the years has been the receptiveness to parental influence. When I first started, I felt that we more frequently responded to conversations generated at the school board level; now, I think I hear more about responding to individual conversations with parents and families–well-including the surveys. ”

“I

t is my impression that a good majority of parents move to this island because they actively seek to value their child’s education.”

Jane stafford

First Unity Assembly in response to anti-semitic events on MI

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

stakeholders | FEB. 2020

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“T

his doesn’t feel like a safe community for students to explore what they want.

In my first year, one of my students began crying when I asked her what brings her joy. She told me that she does everything to please her parents, but nothing that she wants to do.”

LAURA TOTTEN

Spirited teens cheer at an assembly , 1969

“T

he incentivisation of grades was something that I have seen all throughout my school career on Mercer Island and it is one of the most disturbing as well. Aside from the fact that students should be doing their best because they simply care about their future.”

“T Students Pose for a photo outside, 1977

hese student’s parents have them taking classes at the highest levels that are likely too hard for them in the first place. This establishes the culture continuing throughout high school of sacrificing anything for a grade and reaping the consequences later, whether that be a lack of a social life, turning to illegal substances or a mountain of mental health problems.”

Francesca risco

“K

ids have become more cruel and competitive on an academic and social level. The need for "clout" particularly among the girls, is often obtained by exclusion of others from either small or large gatherings.”

ANONYMOUS PARENT

“I

don’t know that the parent culture has changed; I think that the overwhelming majority of parents are here to support their kids and teachers. It’s only a small minority of parents that have always been demanding, never satisfied with the efforts of the schools on behalf of their kids.”

DINO annest

Students partcipate in an assembly, 1992

THE football team lounges around, 1993

2019

Girls and Boys Lacrosse win state championsip

2020

Principal Vicki Puckett announces her resignation

32 next steps | FEB. 2020

THE MIHS ISLANDER | mihsislander.org

IF YOU COULD change one of these aspects of MIHS culture, which would you choose and how would you change it?

We compiled over 150 student responses to the question “if you could describe MIHS culture in one word what would it be?” The larger words were repeated more frequently.

ISOLATED

“

An island cultivates an environment in which there is a cliquey mindset which can be very toxic. It’s also very affluent so then there becomes a lot of competition and with money also comes privilege.

The biggest way to change that is to be more aware and more mindful.

TOXIC

“

KELSEY COCHRAN, SPANISH TEACHER

Students need to be honest with themselves about what they’re willing to acknowledge about the negative elements of school culture and have an open mind about what could change. Our efforts to make the school less toxic in the eyes of students need to have the participation and buy in of students.

FAKE

“

”

AUDREY WEN, SENIOR

”

VICKI PUCKETT, PRINCIPAL

The word ‘fake’ is disturbing to me because I don’t understand what that means. I would want to spend time talking about why the students think that the environment is ‘fake’ and what that looks like and what we can do as a school collectively to combat whatever concerns are coming up with why people want to say that our environment is fake.

”

Graphic courtesy wordart.com