2013 2014 issue 1

VOLUME 38• ISSUE 1•OCTOBER 14• KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA 99336

Table of Contents

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Pg. 15

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

If you would like to comment, write a letter to the editor, or submit a guest article, contact us at Marching Band takes a lot

The Tomatalk: Kamiakin High School, 600 North Arthur, Kennewick, WA, 99336, (509) 222-7015, Laurie.Bender@ksd.org, or go online at www.tomatalk.com and comment there or take a poll.

Staff:

Adviser: Laurie Bender Editor-in-Chief: Zack Julian

Pg. 8 The riders of Kamiakin

News Feature Editor: Zack Julian Sports Editor: Armando Antonio In-Depth Editor: Zack Julian Opinion Editor: Jordan Garner Entertainment Editor: Jacob Mclain Online E-I-C: Jordan Garner Guest Editor: Hailey Paine

Staff Reporters:

Jackie Arnold, Madison Badgley, Oscar Bautista, Madeline Donley, Natalie Downward, Chloe, Grundmeier, Andy Ha, Morgan Haberlack, Sabrina Heijmans, Taylor Marshall, Isaak Penisten, Maksim Shabak, Haley Softich, Kaylee Zuhlke, Taylor Reavis, Sabryna Savage

Club Members:

Pg. 10

Retractions:

We have no retractions. We write too good.

Your teachers back in the good old days of Halloween

Pg. 15 Potter is Back!

Pg. 18 Who’s that Pokemon?

MISSION STATEMENT: The purpose of the Tomatalk to to inform, entertain, and further educate the students at KamiakinHigh School and the surrounding community.

PUBLICATION POLICY: Content is determined by the staff. Students are protected and bound by the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and other protections and limitations afforded by the Constitution and the various court decisions relative to student publications. The Tomatalk has been established as a forum for student expression and as a voice in the free and open discussion of issues. The staff of the Tomatalk is expected to be professional, objective, truthful and accurate.

The staff will adhere to Washington State Law (WAC 180-40-215) which prohibits the following material to be published: 1. Potentially libelous material 2. Malicious attacks on an individual’s character 3. Material which is excessively vulgar or obscene 4. Material which encourages illegal activity EDITORIAL POLICY: Editorials are the opinions of the individual members of the Tomatalk staff and are not intended to express the opinions of the administration, staff, students of Kamiakin High School, nor the advertisers in this newspaper. As a forum for student expression, the Tomatalk will publish letters to the editor. All letters are due one week before the next publication date. The staff reserves the right to edit or omit submissions as necessary. All letters must be signed by the student submitting them, However, if a student prefers his/her name not appear in the publication, his/ her name may be withheld. All letters to the editor must be 300 words or less. In cases involving political or controversial issues, staff members are encouraged to solicit all points of view.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk Kamiakin High School

Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Seeing ‘Pink’ at Kamiakin: Pink Week 2013 spreads community involvement to school

By MADELINE DONLEY STAFF REPORTER

Pink Week: a time where all the Kennewick schools can join together to fight for one cause. We as students spend the week honoring those who survived cancer and those whom we have lost to cancer. We rummage through our closets in search for everything pink and look under our couch cushions for loose change to give.

This is what Kamiakin is all about during Pink Week.

Everyone knows Whitney Harmon. If you don’t, she’s the Link Crew leader and an English teacher. She believes that Pink Week means a good opportunity to become more aware of cancer, honor the survivors, and raise money for this cause. “My favorite part of Pink Week is that everyone comes together for a single cause.

Even though schools have different Pink Weeks, we still come together. I also love the ribbon linking,” said Ms. Harmon. She isn’t a huge fan of pink but wears it on Pink Week during cancer awareness. She knows people with cancer and thinks it’s important to donate money (even just a little bit) because every cent counts.

Many students at Kamiakin support Pink Week. Daysha Lover said, “It means supporting people that have

suffered through cancer. I think it means a lot to show that everyone at school wants them to get better. Mainly I think it shows that we care.”

Lover’s own grandma is a survivor of cancer. She loves the assemblies and has donated to cancer before.

Jadin Mejia thinks Pink Week is a way for our school to come together as much as we can to give back to those who have cancer. It makes our school stand out a little more. “My favorite part of Pink Week is going all out in pink. I think it’s kind of cute,” said Mejia, who wears pink every day even if it’s just a little. During the week she tries to donate as much money as she can.

Vice President Mary Isley thinks that Pink Week means a great deal. She has a friend and a brother who have cancer she wants to honor during the week. “Yes, I do donate. Unfortunately, I buy a lot of doughnuts and I buy t-shirts,” she said, laughing.

Pink Week is not only a celebration but a remembrance of the people who are fighting cancer and the people who, in the past, have fought cancer. During weeks like this, we remember that we are stronger than this illness and that if we come together, we can help to find a cure.

Students and teachers raising money to help fight cancer during Pink Week.

Photos by Madeline Donley

Guitar class tapping into students’ love for music

By SABRINA HEIJMANS STAFF REPORTER

Are you one of those students who has avoided band or choir because you are just not into that kind of music? Well, there is a new class offered that might just appeal to you—guitar. It is new this semester, but teacher Scott Wagnon hopes it becomes a regular offering. Currently, there are 30 students in the class.

“Students have been wondering if anyone could join guitar or if there were any

restrictions.” Mr. Wagnon said. “Anyone can join, but upperclassmen get in first hand, and if there is still space, underclassmen can join.”

Guitar class is fun for these reasons. You get to perform short songs for the class, make new friends, and learn new things.

There are a lot of laughs and smiles shared in the class and some cracked jokes as well.

It’s a great class for those who wish to learn something new. Music is the way of life

and having a guitar ups your game.

Guitar is a little bit different from other music classes. For example, students don’t have to perform in concerts. Also, students need to be able to provide their own guitar because the school can’t provide them.

Still, the class teaches students new things about music and allows them to learn an instrument which may help them in other areas of their lives.

Class structure is similar to band. First,

students line up to tune their guitars with Mr. Wagnon’s. Then they play a few cords, learn new notes, and practice songs. Every now and again, Mr. Wagnon will have students learn a song with all the cords and notes they have recently learned and perform it.

Who knows? If you take guitar and learn to play it, you could win your crush over with a special song played on your guitar or even become a rock star.

Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

There are two sides to every story

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER STAFF REPORTER

Each story has two points of view: That of the protagonist, the “good-guy,” and that of the antagonist, the “bad-guy.” The protagonist and the antagonist are usually in a “good versus evil” situation. But what happens when the protagonist and the antagonist feed off of each other?

Junior Victoria Coronado will be playing Sylvia Barrett, the protagonist in the production of Up the Down Staircase. Sophomore Chandler James will be portraying Joe Ferone, the antagonist.

Sylvia Barrett is a high school English teacher just starting at a run-down school in New York. She is a very persistent woman; she puts up with everything hard and just plain horrible about the run-down school and she actually cares about her students. She wants to do what is best for them.

The school is full of chaos and unmotivated students. Sylvia wants to change this. She tries motivating her students to care about their grades.

She doesn’t just give lectures and expect the students to copy notes and ace the finals and just move on. She holds group discussions, she prompts usually quiet students for answers, and she does other things to get them to understand what she’s teaching.

Joe Ferone is one of the most unmotivated students.

He just doesn’t care. Sylvia holds him after class more than once, pestering him to do as well as she knows he can. She knows Joe isn’t unintelligent, but rather he’s lazy and doesn’t care.

Joe Ferone is a selfish, stubborn, and rebellious ninth

grade student who Chandler James said, “has strong resentment against authority.” He is very intelligent and clever. But he doesn’t use his intelligence the way he should, and he fails most of his classes.

For his own success at playing Joe Ferone to a full extent, James has taken to heart the back story that had been created for Joe Ferone’s character. Joe’s strong resentment for authority comes from the principal at his previous school. The large, authoritative figure told eighth grade Joe Ferone that he was a failure. Joe gave up on his education and just stopped caring.

Joe never had a constant mother figure. His mother left him and his father when Joe was only 9-years-old. Mr. Ferone was a horrible father, which could be the possible reason for Joe’s mother leaving. Joe’s mother had been a good influence toward Joe. She taught him school was important. When she left, all her good teachings went out the window. Mr. Ferone kicked his son out four years after Joe’s mother left. Joe went to live with his uncle, a car mechanic who believed school didn’t matter – which reinforced the losing of Joe’s mother’s teachings.

Joe expresses an even greater resentment toward Sylvia Barrett. Caused by the lack of a mother figure for most of his life, Coronado said, “Joe isn’t used to women bossing him around.”

Throughout the story, Joe’s hatred toward Sylvia lessens.

He finally finds a mother figure that he has craved for so long in Sylvia.

Sylvia and Joe feed off of each other. Joe relies on Sylvia as a mother figure and, as Coronado stated, “Sylvia finds herself in Joe’s rebellion.”

Opening night for Up the Down Staircase will be on October 31 at 7 p.m.

Buddy Club member: Mason Winward

By TAYLOR REAVIS STAFF REPORTER

Have you ever looked around at school and met some of our Buddy Club members? Mason Winward is one Buddy Club member who loves being part of it. She likes Buddy Club because there are so many nice people there to spend time with. I asked Winward enjoys school. About her classes this year, she admitted, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my favorite class is math.” In Winward’s free time, she likes to play video games, watch TV, and use the computer.

In Buddy Club, Winward said she eats lunch and talks to the people at her table. “When someone asks me to play a board game, I usually play it with them,” said Winward. She likes all the Buddy Club members and helpers because everyone is so kind, accepting, and willing to help the buddies.

Junior Alexa Vanmeighem is a peer helper for Buddy Club. Vanmeighem joined Buddy Club because she really wanted to get more involved, and she always saw the buddies around school. Vanmeighem said, “They were

always so happy and bright, so I had to try it out.”

In the future, Vanmeighem is going to job shadow for a special needs teacher because this is the career path she would like to pursue. Vanmeighem said, “My favorite part of Buddy Club is seeing the most funny and kind-hearted kids of our school every Monday, and outside of school.”

Vanmeighem says the Buddy Club members can turn about anybody’s day with a simple conversation. “They really mean a lot to me,” she said.

Vanmeighem’s buddy is Eser. “He is the funniest dude around!” said Vanmeighem. Eser is always smiling. Vanmeighem loves him like a brother. “We both love to dance, and that is one of the things we have in common,” said Vanmeighem. One of the things they do outside of school is every night, Eser calls Vanmeighem. She says he is so sweet and hilarious. Vanmeighem said, “I can’t get enough of him.”

Whenever you’re at school and you are in a bad mood, find one of the Buddy Club members and have a talk with them. They will for sure brighten up your day.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Far Left: Drum Majors senior Bonnie Barton and junior Ryan Blake.

Left: senior Josh Tingey performs a trumpet solo.

Bottom Right: sophomore Rueben Hopper, senior Jehkiah Woodward, and sophomore Kurt Bjerkestrand of the snare line. Photos courtesy of Zack Julian

Marching band requires rigourous training

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER STAFF REPORTER

Marching band: It seems like all fun and games. Just walking around the field while blowing air into something or smacking something else with a mallet, right? The drum majors (the leaders of a marching band) of the Kamiakin High School Scarlet Tide Marching Band beg to differ.

Junior Ryan Blake, one of the two drum majors that wrangle the 88 members of the marching band, commented on how hard marching band really is. Everything– from a step, to a turn, to a note–has to be exactly precise. Moving with this much synchronization takes a lot of practice, along with so much effort and just plain trust in the people surrounding you.

Senior Bonnie Barton, the second drum major, talked about how much physical training being in marching band actually takes. Before each practice, the whole band spends a half hour of rigorous physical training. To be successful, Barton said, “You need to do lots of strength training in your arms and do lots of running.” The physical training is usually followed with basic marching and maneuvering, where the whole band spends another hour keeping their legs straight as they take the perfectly sized steps over and over. Not an easy task.

This year’s show “Resilience” was written specifically for the band by Jeff Chambers, a previous Kamiakin student. The piece consists of three movements: “Naïveté,” “Wrath,” and “Hope.” “Naïveté” is a child-like, fun piece of music. The movements around the field consist of what

See You at the Pole bonds students together spiritually

By NATALIE DOWNARD STAFF REPORTER

On Sept. 25, a group of about 30 students gathered outside the front gate of Kamiakin to participate in a national event, See You at the Pole. It was cold and early, but these students had a purpose: to pray for our school and its students, our teachers and administrators, and our nation.

Junior Alexia Estrada orchestrated the event. She had previously planned one at Stevens Middle School her eighth grade year and thought it would be a great tradition to start at Kamiakin. “It brings the school together through the power of prayer. It unites us. It felt like we were a family out there,” said Estrada later that day. She hopes for, along with the other attendees, to be prayer warriors. “I want it to start a revival,” said Estrada. The attendees hope to rebuild Kamiakin to be Christ-centered.

The affair went off without a hitch, “God was there,” Estrada explained. The event started with a short but powerful devotion which highlighted Nehemiah and his rebuilding of the wall, and the opposition it caused. This was related to how they would like to rebuild Kamiakin, beginning with prayer, even though there will be opposition and obstacles, just like how Nehemiah rebuilt the wall in the Bible.

The group then went into a time of worship led by Crystal Alvarez. Many said that it was an amazing experience to worship on school grounds and that it was a great start to their day. Next the students broke up into small groups and began praying over the school and its students, and for our country. Overheard was the crowd commenting on a sense of togetherness that had never been offered to them by having this event at the school.

See You at The Pole didn’t just occur at our school. Schools all over the country gathered at their flagpoles at 7 a.m. to pray, which Estrada commented to be powerful. Estrada would love to see this unique event carry on at Kamiakin for years to come, just as all the other students involved would, too.

the band calls “play-acting” where they prance around the field channeling their inner child. “Wrath” is a much angrier piece. Flaming red flags chase the members of the band frantically away from their original positions.

“Hope” starts off with crying, stumbling around the field, and the marchers realizing something completely horrible that they’ve just witnessed. “Taps” – the musical piece sounded at funerals and during flag ceremonies sometimes known as “Butterfield’s Lullaby” or “Day is Done” – is played signaling the true meaning of the rest of the show: Hope.

Blake said his favorite thing about the playful first movement is “when the whole band comes in, it’s so loud!”

Barton and Blake both agree the best part of the dark second movement is the “super loud” beginning when the whole band comes straight in with a clashing cord. “It’s pretty sweet,” Blake said.

Barton’s favorite part about the “incredibly awesome” third movement is the melodious violin and cello duet.

Marching band is a lot of work, effort, and just plain will to give up so much free time for the music. The members of the band are definitely sore after practice; it’s a huge commitment, taking about seven hours of outside of school practice time. They began practicing Aug. 1 and practiced regularly during the month of August. But the effort is worth it. At the marching band competition, Calvalcade of Bands, on Oct. 5, the band was awarded best percussion and best visual in their division. They also got fifth place overall. But their greatest award was the people’s choice Students gathering around the flag pole to pray award. photo by Natalie Downard

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Games SPORTS

Top: Braves going for a touchdown against Sunnyside. Sept. 19, Photo by Ries Cope.

Kamiakin’s off to a great start

By MAKSIM SHABAK STAFF REPORTER

If you want to attend a school that has a positive reputation for its sports records, you are at the right place. For several years now, our school has made the headlines for several sports including football, and this year is looking good so far, too. Our offense is performing well, and the defense has been doing their best to stop the other teams from scoring. At the rate we are going, it’s going to be a good, good year On Sept. 27, Kamiakin faced one of our biggest rivals— Southridge. The game was so intense that the crowds were roaring and cheering. This game took place in the

Lampson Stadium. The defense on the varsity football team played their game as if they knew what they were doing. The defense was not too outstanding in the Southridge game because in the second quarter, Southridge scored a touchdown and another touchdown in the third and fourth quarter.

The offense of the varsity team did a great and outstanding job. In the first half, the offense scored two touchdowns with the help of the quarterback, Kylle Robertson. In the second half, the varsity’s offense scored 28 points on the board. The offense was playing aggressively and was striving for a winning game.

Kamiakin played Sunnyside on Sept. 19. In the fourth

Girls soccer promises exciting season

By TAYLOR REAVIS STAFF REPORTER

The soccer season is looking promising so far.

The team has a mostly successful season so far.

Only time will tell if they will make it to their goal of state. One of the most exciting games happened on Sept. 23 when the girls played Hermiston and won 10-0. This game showed the best of what our team is capable of doing.

Senior Brianna Turley is a part of the team. She was one of the people who scored a goal out of the 10. Turley said, “There were a lot of people who scored the goals.”

This soccer team has been working hard since the beginning of summer. Working over the summer and getting to know each other helps them win the games. Turley likes working with her team because they all know each other and work really well together. Turley said, “I think we will make it pretty far. We are a very skilled team, and we have a lot of determination.”

Freshman Kendyl Holle is also on the soccer team. Holle said one of her team’s goals is to go to state. “To get there we have to work together

as a team and utilize our assets, like our speed, and be quicker,” she said.

Holle started playing soccer when she was 5-years-old. She was on a rec team and her mom was the coach.

During the summer, they conditioned and practiced together with the seniors leading the “captain’s practice.” “The chemistry of our team started to gel then,” Holle said.

Holle said also during the summer they went to camps and attended some tournaments.

Holle loves working with her team.

They accepted and included her, and they always had fun. Holle said, “I look up to them and appreciate them for their examples.” She said that they will have to bring their A game to every contest. Holle also said, “We also have to have equal respect for all of our opponents.

Go Braves!”

Our varsity soccer team is doing well. With their skill and will power to win, they can make it all the way to state.

Bri Turley and Heather Donais going for the ball.

Photo by Taylor Reavis

quarter Sergio Flores played and he said, “The game against Sunnyside High School was great because we had an easy win.”

Kamiakin took the lead of the game winning 51-6.

Right now, we have a record of 4-1, which is promising. The only dark moment was last Friday when we lost to Richland in four overtimes. Overall though, we have played our games as if we are striving to make it to state.

With all the hard work that they put in, the football team is something every student should be proud of. They put lots of effort on the field during practice, and it shows during their games. The team is a good example of being the best you can be.

Tribal SPORTS Games

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Kamikain student section cheering for the team

By TAYLOR REAVIS STAFF REPORTER

All the sports teams would agree that school spirit is one of the most essential ingredients for their success on the field or court. Luckily with Run Kano, our school does pretty well in this department, although any school can improve. A couple of people who are not afraid to show their support for our sports teams are senior Trystan Drury and senior Kelsey Forman.

Drury is the Kano leader for our student section. He said he is so spirited because that is the person who he is. He believes that getting involved with football is one of the best ways to show his spirit. “It’s a way for us to branch out and bring everyone together without them feeling like it’s “not cool” or “weird”, and it is also a great way to meet new people,” said Drury.

“Being a Kano leader takes a lot of personal time, creativity, hard work and school spirit to do what I do,” said Drury. He loves it and is honored to be chosen as a leader. Drury wishes that some of the other students would branch out and be spirited. “Some have come out of their shells and that’s what I like to see,” said Drury.

Some of the things Drury does to get involved is reaching out to people on a daily basis, whether it’s personal or electronically. “I’m a people person and I get people excited,” said Drury. Drury says that there are a lot of behind the scenes work that Robertson and Piña do that no one sees, and its more work than he does. “They deserve a lot more credit than people give them sometimes; it takes a certain person to do what we three do,” said Drury. Kylle Robertson and Jr. Piña are also the Kano leaders.

Senior Kelsey Forman is one of our most spirited girls in the school. She doesn’t have a reason for being so spirited;

she just is. “It’s something you feel,” said Forman. In her opinion, school spirit isn’t about who dresses up the most at sporting events or who cheers the most. “School spirit is the pride you have for your school, how much you care and how supportive you are to everyone no matter what their interests are,” said Forman.

Forman thinks the students this year have been more spirited than ever before. Forman is a part of many clubs including, ASB, DECA, and Key Club. She has also tried to make it to every sporting event this year, and she will continue to do so.

It doesn’t take Forman a long time to get ready for football games; she has a bin full of all her spirit clothes. “I just throw something on, and I’m out the door,” she said.

Forman and Drury think school spirit is very important.

Our next football game is Friday Oct. 11. I will see you there!

Photos by Madeline Donley.

Kamiakin student section cheering at Friday’s game against Richland Bombers.

Righteous riders of Kamiakin risk their well-being for the love of their sport

By SABRYNA SAVAGE STAFF REPORTER

Matthew Boehnke doing the whip against fellow opponent.

Photo by Dawn Boehnke

Some of our students here have a secret life that matches the adventures of super-heroes. They take unusual risk and put their bodies in danger’s way on a regular basis. Their parents bite their nails as they watch them compete. They are involved in the extreme sport of motocross.

Motocross takes skill, endurance, and common sense, especially with their diet; they need to be fit for a race. These students have to be coachable and take in as much criticism as possible to be the best they can be.

Junior Brandon Boehnke has been riding since the age of 5, but he started racing when he was 9-years-old.

Boehnke said, “I love the thrill of riding--just the height you get from the jumps feels awesome.”

Several members of the Boehnke family live on edge, and that is what influenced Boehnke to be involved in motocross. “My brother and I were both influenced through our cousin RJ and other family friends we lived by,” he said.

There are a lot of tricks people can do in motocross such as the whip, going wide open and can caning.

“During a series you end up really getting to know your competitors and sooner or later, you’re all good friends,” said Boehnke. “It seems interesting, and of course seeing my peers does this. It made me want to be cool like them,” said Boehnke.

Sophomore Jordan Barnhill has been racing motocross since he was 4-yearsold, and he is still racing to this day.

Barnhill said he enjoys it because “this sport is so fun and the chicks dig it.”

The friends in this sport are also the competitors with each other. “I saw it on TV and they were jumping and doing cool stuff, so I was like I want to do that,” said Barnhill.

What drove Barnhill to this sport was, “I wanted to try this sport because it looked so fun and not a lot of people do it.”

Kamiakin cheer coach Dawn Boehnke has two sons that participate in motocross, Matthew and Brandon Boehnke.

Boehnke enjoys watching this dangerous sport because “On a scale of 1-10,

about a 5 is how much I enjoy watching it. It is exciting yet scary at the same time,” she said.

Boehnke has been going to the races for about 12 years now. She goes to these events about one or two times a month in summer. “The most interesting part to watch as a viewer would probably be watching them jump: it is amazing how high they get and how they handle the bike,” she said.

Motocross is a very dangerous sport to participate in. Watching can either be scary or breathtaking. Racers know once they sign up for this sport and strap on the gear, they are going to get hurt during the duration of their motocross career.

Motocross takes a lot of strength and agility. If the rider makes one wrong move, there is a possibility of crashing and injuring a body part or if it’s really bad, the rider may be hospitalized or dead. Many people are afraid to go out and try new things, but if they have a strong backbone, they may like the sport of motocross to get their blood pumping.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Chief Legends In Depth

True stories of Braves encountering the paranormal

By HALEY SOFTICH STAFF REPORTER

&

By MADELINE DONLEY STAFF REPORTER

“We were living in this old house that was built in the early 1900s and I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. I looked over at the wall and basically I see these two shadows of a little boy and a little girl as if they were standing right behind me. I kind of sort of looked at it like ‘am I really seeing what I’m seeing?’ but it freaked me out so I ran back to my room and dove into my bed.”

–Jadin Mejia

“In my junior year at Eastern, I was living upstairs in an old house and one night I saw an apparition of a head. I covered my head and looked up again and there it was, so I kept my head covered.”

–Mr. Jim Ramsey

“One night I was talking crap about a ghost, who I named Tony, to my mom. I was downstairs and I turned around and thought I saw my mom but it was a lady in a blue robe.

She turned the corner into our food room and I said, “Hi Mom,” and she disappeared into the doorway.” – Cadron Swanby

“I was sleeping and then I woke up to go to the bathroom.

I looked across the hall and I saw a silhouette of a little girl.

She then walked away into another room.”

–Johanna Schan

HAVE A POSITIVELY FRIGHTENING HALLOWEEN!!!!

By ERICH RIEGER STAFF CARTOONIST

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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The fear factor plays into everything we do

By KAYLEE ZUNLKE STAFF REPORTER

Here at Kamiakin, we take pride in the fact that we value the individual, unique, and original. In the spirit of Halloween, we want to know – what’s unusual about YOUR fears?

To follow the cliché, we have a school crawling (literally) with arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. Also, a good percentage of us are falling head-over-heels into the grasp of acrophobia, the fear of heights. But, remember, Kamiakin is far more than just ordinary.

“I’m scared of purses because of Dane Cook; you never know what’s going to come out of there,” juniors Gabe De Vore and Jayson Agli said.

“I love cliff jumping, but I still hate heights,” junior Ries Cope admitted, regarding his attempts to overcome his fear of acrophobia.

Math teacher Brandee Veitenheimer may just be one of those seemingly rare adults who still refuses to eat her vegetables. “Ugh….uaaaagh….agh. I can’t even talk about it without my skin crawling,” Mrs. Veitenheimer explained. “One night, I was cutting green bell peppers. I never even liked them in the first place. That night, I had a dream about a green pepper plant growing inside of my skin. I hate even thinking about them anymore,” said Mrs. Veitenheimer.

There’s nothing less threatening than a harmless little butterfly, right? Wrong, according to sophomore Daysha Lover. “I’ve had a fear of butterflies and moths since I was 6. My worst experience with them was when one flew out of a bush one month ago. I almost cried in fear,” said Lover. This bizarre fear is called “lepidopterophobia.”

“Every fear is legitimate. They must have a reason for fearing it,” Principal Chris Chelin explained. Therefore, don’t ever feel alone or singled out for what you fear.

There is reasoning behind everything!

40 students were interviewed in order to discover their biggest fears

32.5% are scared of spiders

7.5% 5% 5%

20%

15%

are are are afraid of afraid of natural fearless people disasters

are scared of dying

are scared of heights

7.5% 7.5% are afraid of getting teeth knocked out

are afraid of public speaking

Halloween costumes through the ages

Can you pick out your favorite teachers, and the decades these were taken?

1

2

3

5

6

7

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Awnsers. 1. Mrs. Laurie Bender 1970’s 2. Ms. Laura Pearson 1980’s 3. Mrs. Brandee Veitenheimer 1990’s 4. Mrs. Jamie Whitney 1970’s 5. Mrs. Danielle Knudson 1980’s 6. Mrs. Heidi Wilson 1970’s 7. Mrs. Linda Nobbs 1970’s

By JORDAN GARNER OP-ED EDITOR

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

11

Chief Legends In Depth

A Kamiakin Ghost Story 2003

The poor boy ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He went through this too much. He was forced to run from them far too much. They found little John the best target. He was skinny, nonathletic, but man was he brilliant. The other boys were so much larger, in height and width. They were also much faster.

They chased John across the Kamiakin campus after classes had ended. October 31. 3:11p.m. They found great joy in bringing the smaller boy pain. He ran into the cafeteria, trying to find some form of safety. The other boys slowed a bit, giving him some extra time.

He ran past the gym doors toward another set that could lead him to safety. 3:12p.m.

But the door wouldn’t open. The lock was still damaged from the stupid senior prank that locked all the students inside during lunch.

He turned toward the sets of stairs leading to the upper and lower gyms. The other boys rounded the corner, John didn’t have much time.

Michael Carson, the biggest and meanest of the other boys, laughed cruelly at John.

“Got nowhere to go,” he said, popping his knuckles as he neared the boy.

John made the quick decision to go down. It might give him a few extra seconds. He spun toward the down staircase and took the small number of steps needed to run down the stairs.

But John tripped. He fell. 3:13p.m.

Michael was the first to freeze. John lay motionless at the foot of the staircase, his head turned at an unnatural angle as his wide eyes stared up at Michael, his wide, lifeless eyes.

2013

“I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m so screwed,” I said as I left my sixth hour class with my friend, Ashley. “This biology test is going to kill me.”

“Relax, Mary,” she said to me. “Why don’t you just go talk to John Davis?” she asked, laughing as she spoke.

John Davis. The genius who’d attended Kamiakin ten years ago. Ten years exactly. The kid really was a genius.

110% in all of his classes, 4.0 grade point average. Genius.

But then the horrible accident happened. So many rumors had been spread about what actually happened. Some say he committed suicide. There are those who say it was all just an accident and he tripped over his own feet. And of course, others have theorized that he was being chased by someone and fell down the flight of stairs.

Everyone said he was still down there, roaming the lower gym where it had happened. People claim to have seen him, skin pasty white and eyes dark and sunk into his skull. I never believed them.

But what if he still was down there? A genius. He could help me.

“That’s not such a bad idea,” I said, spinning on my heels

3:13 By

CHLOE GRUNDMEIER

to STAFF REPORTER w a l k toward the lower gym.

“Mary, it was a joke. He’s not really down there!” she exclaimed, following me.

“You don’t have to come if you’re scared,m” I said, laughing softly.

“I’m not scared!” she protested, her shaky voice giving her lie away. “But my ride will leave without me,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mary.”

I laughed again and called “Chicken!” back at her before pushing the cafeteria door open. I walked close to the lockers toward the sets of stairs leading to the upper and lower gyms. I took the stairs down two at a time. I walked confidently through the door leading to the darkened lower gym.

“John Davis!” I called. “Boy genius!” I added, laughing to myself. “I request your assistance!” I roamed around the room as I shouted. “My name is Mary Carson! I have to take this awful Biology test on Friday and I’m sure to fail without your help!” I turned around and instantly froze where I stood.

A boy stood in front of me, eyes dark and sunk into his skull and skin pasty white.

“What did you say your name was?” he asked. His voice sounded so calm. Scary calm. Like just before a storm.

“Uh… M-Mary Carson,” stuttering slightly as I spoke.

“Do you have any relation to Michael Carson?” he asked, with the same scary-calm tone of voice.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “He’s my brother.”

He smiled this cold, harsh, terrifying smile. “Excellent.”

Then he was gone.

I walked into my math class the next day 6:42 a.m. I pulled out my text book and a pencil as I sat in my seat, humming softly to myself. I’d nearly forgotten all about the previous afternoon in the lower gym.

Then I felt it, a hot breath on the back of my neck. I spun around quickly and my eyes were met with those dark, sunken eyes of John Davis. His nose was just centimeters from mine. I covered my mouth as I tried to hold in a scream.

His lips contorted into the terrifying smile I’d seen the previous afternoon, and my breath caught in my chest.

“Happy to see you too, sweetie,” he said, his voice cold.

Nobody else could see the boy standing directly in front of me, completely terrifying me. My brain turned to mush and I couldn’t form a single coherent thought.

This continued on for three days. I was always horrified when I saw that pale face. It was clear he loved torturing me.

I begged for him to leave me alone, but he was unrelent-

ing.

I still saw his face everywhere I looked.

Halloween day I walked into my math class, expecting to see John sitting in my seat. He wasn’t. I checked the corners of the room. He wasn’t there either. Not in any other desk. Not behind the teacher. Nowhere. He was gone.

Throughout the day I nervously looked around every corner, expecting to see that pale figure. I never did. I was free.

But it didn’t seem right. I’d expected him to be closest to me on the 31st of October. It was the ten year anniversary of his death. Why wasn’t he following me everywhere?

3:12 p.m. I sat in my bedroom, my biology textbook in my lap as I studied for the test. I glanced up to check my clock and I jumped. John stood at the foot of my bed.

“Miss me?” 3:13 p.m.

Chief Legends IN-DEPTH Halloween events this month

By TAYLOR MARSHALL STAFF REPORTER

•

The Regal Columbia Mall Stadium 8 will be showing RiffTrax Live: Night of the Living Dead on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. The Stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 will watch and comment on the film.

•

At the La Tropicana in Pasco, at 8 p.m. on Oct. 26, there will be a Halloween themed bash. Doors will be open at 7 p.m. Sarah Oliver (Bad Girls Club Season 11) will host the event and there will be a special performance by guest Simon Discastro. High school freshmen and older are invited to the event.

•

Saturday, Oct. 26 the Princess Theatre (Prosser) will be showing Rocky Horror Picture Show beginning at 11:59 p.m.

Props will be passed out to the audience and there will be a pre-show party featuring a costume contest as well as music and games. The price of admission is $15.

•

A Halloween Bunco will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. Admission is $20, and attendants will be treated to snacks, prizes and a costume party. Proceeds of the event will go to Soroptimist International of Pasco-Kennewick and other non-profit organization programs for the less fortunate in the Tri-Cities, as well as various education, awards, cancer services, anti-bullying and female empowerment projects.

•

TRAC will be hosting a blood drive on Halloween from noon until 4:20 p.m. for the American Red Cross. In addition to an opportunity to provide for the needy, there will be food vendors, trick or treating and a free portrait with donation.

•

Life Church on Stevens Drive in Richland will be holding a Fall Fest on Halloween night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. They will have a Trunk or Treat set up as well as bounce houses, games, popcorn, hotdogs and cotton candy.

•

The Crossview Community Church will have a Trunk or Treat held in the parking lot on Halloween night. There is no admission fee, and you are invited to enjoy a chili cook-off, Smoovies and candy from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

•

The Emerald of Siam on Jadwin Avenue in Richland will be hosting a Zombie Prom themed costume party the night after Halloween, at 9 p.m.

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

The monsters without masks

By KAYLEE ZUNLKE STAFF REPORTER

Halloween: the holiday dedicated to tricks, schemes, and frights. However, there’s a difference between “all in good fun” scares and fearing for your life. Make sure to keep the safety of both yourself and those around you in mind to rightfully celebrate the last day of this truthfully-terrifying month of October.

“The leading problem is the little Batmen running around in dark, unreflective clothing that remains undetected by drivers,” police officer Chris Buroker said. Statistically, children are twice as likely to be killed on Halloween as compared to any other day of the year. Coffins, headstones, and tombs are great in fantasy but a real bummer in reality.

The phrase “It’s as easy as taking candy from a baby” fails to mention how you could be charged with a felony if you’re mercilessly “tricking” little kids. “Freshmen and sophomores think that it’s fun to mess with the little kids and steal their candy. They don’t seem to realize that they may be arrested for robbery,” said Officer Buroker. This also leads to a permanent mark on your record, a road straight to juvenile detention, and probably being denied any job for child-caretaking that you might consider applying for in the future. Beware!

One other problem particular to high school students is attending a Halloween party just to drink and drive afterwards. Not only is driving difficult for them in the first place, but it’s also almost a foreshadowing of disaster when there are toddlers and penguins alike waddling around those same driving streets. “That doesn’t ever happen. People are responsible,” you might say. Take a look on the Internet, ask around, or just think rationally about it. Things happen before your very own eyes and just as easily, someone else’s life can flash before theirs.

This Halloween, make sure to have fun without taking away from anyone else’s. After all, you make your own decisions each and every day. Make it your intention to choose the best ones.

Top: Watch out for the coppers! If you do something stupid this halloween you might end up in...... Middle: The back of this officer’s police car. Bottom Left: STOP! Don’t do anything reckless! and watch out for children. Bottom Right: A picture of the Halloween store – A place to find supplies for a safe but fun Halloween.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk Kamiakin High School

Tribal Talk

13

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Should teenagers trick-or-treat?

By TAYLOR MARSHALL STAFF REPORTER

Pro

Trick-or-treating is seen as something that most kids will eventually grow out of. And I’m not saying that this isn’t true because I’m certainly not as interested in running around collecting candy as I might have been six or seven years ago. But I don’t think that there should be any kind of cut-off age for kids who still like trick or treating.

Just because you are a teenager doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be allowed to trick-or-treat if you want to. There’s a stigma with teens that tends to pin them as trouble-makers, like they have some malicious activity in mind while on your doorstep, besides getting the candy that you pass out to them. While some teens probably are more illbehaved than others, most of them have no intent to tee-pee your house or smash the jack-o’-lanterns on your front porch. Free candy is free candy! We enjoy it just as much as little kids do, and we just might like going around dressed in costumes, too.

Some teens take their younger siblings out trick-or-treating on Halloween. It would be a little redundant to go through

the same effort, walking all over the neighborhood with a little brother or sister but not be invited to take part in the activity because of your age.

I personally think that Halloween is a holiday that should be celebrated by children of all ages. It’s not really fair to say they can’t do something that is such an iconic part of the holiday because of their age, and teenagers don’t deserve funny looks and scowls just because they show up on your doorstep in costume. If that’s how they want to celebrate Halloween and they are not deliberately causing trouble, then I don’t think it should be an issue or really anything up for debate. Besides, there are plenty of worse things they could be doing on Halloween night instead, so if they want to do something harmless like trick-or-treating with a couple of friends, then they should be treated like any other child that shows up on your doorstep. It’s their decision how they want to spend their evening.

To me, this isn’t a topic that’s really even up for much debate. Halloween is a celebratory holiday that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

It’s no one’s business to say what you can and cannot do.

By ZACK JULIAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Con

Halloween is fun and it’s a good time.

Who doesn’t love dressing up as your favorite character and running getting candy? But do you know why Halloween is so much fun? It brings out a childlike joy that all but the most serious people have. The thing is, trick-or-treating, one of our favorite Halloween pastimes, is meant for children.

Imagine a group of teenagers out on Halloween, drunk. They just left the Halloween party down the block, and they decided to wander the streets to see if they can get some candy. So they get in their car and head to the neighborhood that hands out those full size chocolate bars. They arrive at the neighborhood and look for a place to park.

A small child dressed as Spiderman is getting a lot of candy. He is getting the most he ever had. He is 10-yearsold and for the first time ever he was allowed to trick-or-treat on his own.

He sees that a house across the street is giving out giant Reese’s cups. He runs across the street to get some and bam! The teenagers’ car hits him.

Teenagers do stupid things. We are at the point in our lives when we are trying to figure out who we are. Drugs and alcohol are some of the things that some of us experiment with. With all the

freedom that Halloween offers us, with parties and such, it is very easy for teens to get wasted. When teens do stupid stuff like that, it is possible for them to injure children, especially when children are roaming the streets looking for candy like hyenas searching for a leftover kill on the savannah.

On Halloween, the deadliest hour is from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 60 percent of the fatal accidents occur from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and 30 percent of the accidents occur at intersections and crosswalks Another reason teens should not trick-or-treat is that they are just too old. The modern holiday Halloween is meant for children.

If you are taking your younger brother or sister around for Halloween, that’s different. But for the most part, Halloween is meant for children to enjoy, to get a lot of candy, and to stay safe. There is a reason for teenagers to feel embarrassed when they go trick-or-treating. They are too old.

There are other things that teens can do on Halloween. Have parties, maybe even a scary movie marathon. But they need to stay away from the streets.

Peer Pressure: Fit in or stand out?

By MADISON BADGLEY STAFF REPORTER

Do you cave in to peer pressure? Do you cave in to fit in? According to sophomore Brittany Minard, peer pressure is “when someone influences you to do something you’re not willing to do.” In today’s society we see peer pressure every day, and it’s not just in school or around friends. It’s in work places and even in our homes. Many people have experienced peer pressure, whether they were the victim, the persuader, or even if they were just the person standing by.

Most teens may be trying to figure out who they are as a person and therefore are more vulnerable to peer pressure.

“Some teens may have a lack of self-esteem and cave to peer pressure easily because they don’t really know what they want,” P. E. teacher Todd Schumacher said.

This makes it hard for some people to say no and just walk away. Teens think that they need to act like others and allow

them to influence their decisions to be cool and fit in even if what others are doing isn’t right, like doing drugs, drinking underage, or doing other illegal things. Many teens do it anyway out of fear of being the odd one out and not liked.

Social status is a big thing for some teens, and they want to be like everyone else and do what everyone else is doing.

Sometimes, teens persuade others to make poor decision because they don’t want to be the only one making a bad choice. They want others to “jump” with them. And they may use threats to persuade other teens to give in, like “if you don’t do this, I’m not going to be your friend anymore.”

In a way, peer pressure is like a form of bullying because the victims are teased and threatened until they come around and do what the persuader wants them to do.

Teens always have a choice. Whether they choose the right way or wrong way is their own decision and no one else’s. It should never be hard to make the right choice and avoid the pressure of peers.

Tips to avoid peer pressure: • Surround yourself with positive and helpful people • Be with people who share your same values and beliefs • Don’t put yourself in a situation where you know it will be hard to say no • Have a trusted adult you can communicate with

Tribal Talk

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

14

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Family matters: adoption is a great option for all involved

By NATALIE DOWNARD STAFF REPORTER

“There are a lot of kids that need homes, that need to know that they can be loved,” said junior Kali Questad. There are approximately 1.5 million to 2 million orphans worldwide. Questad, along with her younger sister Rucy, were adopted from Ethiopia in 2008. Sometimes she wishes she could return to Ethiopia, but she also loves her life here. Questad’s biological mother died when she was little, and she explained how because of her adoption, she now has a mom. Since Kali and Rucy’s arrival five years ago, the Questad family has grown by the adoption of two boys from Ethiopia, and will grow soon again as they are currently adopting a little girl from China.

Questad’s family also has four biological children, one who is in ninth grade at Kamiakin.

Many Kamiakin families have been formed by adoption. Freshman Brayden Vickerman has two younger sisters adopted from China. “To me, it feels like they were just born into our family,” said Vickerman, whose older brother, Taylor, is a senior here. Vickerman said that the adoption of his two younger sisters,

The Questad family

Hayleigh and Maylynn, has been nothing but a positive experience for him and his family.

Editorial: Should celebrities be role models?

Celebrities are a creature unlike any other. They have had the fortune (or the misfortune) to be in the spotlight. Everybody knows who they are. They are human beings who are looked at and criticized for everything they do. It’s no surprise that they are viewed as possible role models.

Celebrities are very influential on the teenage population. Today, teenagers have access to an immense amount of information. Social media is everywhere.

Teens get updates every few minutes about what their favorite celebrities are doing, wearing, and seeing. Teens are at the point in their lives when they are trying to figure out who they are, and well, celebrities are famous. Many teenagers want the fame and adulation that comes with being a celebrity so they do something like copying their life choices.

Some celebrities can be great role models.

Johnny Depp, Sandra Bullock, Helena Bonham Carter, Paul McCartney, and Liam Neeson are just examples of many celebrities that deserve to be looked up to.

But there are too many examples of celebrities who make bad life choices for the entire world to see, and they should not be role models.

Assistant Principal Mary Isley said, “It depends on the choices they make and how they act,” whether or not they should be considered role models.

Amanda Bynes, Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, Kim Kardashian,

and Paris Hilton are a few celebrities who have made bad life choices. There is also the most recent talked about celebrity Miley Cyrus. In Cyrus’s recent music video “Wrecking Ball” she takes an unsanitary ride on a wrecking ball. Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich. had a wrecking ball statue on campus. They had to remove it because of students taking rides on it, with very little or no clothing.

The students are now protesting its removal by singing around the pit where it used to be and making Vine videos. Some of the students’ favorite hashtags include #Wreckingball, #bringbackourball, and #gvsuprotest.

After Cyrus’s performance at the Video Music Awards, the public’s opinion about her has gone down. Parents feel like she is a bad role model for their kids. She created a major fan base of young people when she starred on Hannah Montana, and some of those fans may be ready to follow in her footsteps now.

Celebrities who make bad decisions should not be considered role models. Their lives are criticized just for who they are and what they have done. They are human beings just like the rest of us, and unfortunately teens and children are not discerning enough to know the difference between good and bad celebrities. Teens and children should look to people other than celebrities to admire and emulate.

5 out of 5 editors agree with this article.

Many people can’t quite comprehend how natural adoption feels for a family, but for most, there’s no difference in relationships between them and their biological family. “I can’t imagine loving a child any more than I love my two daughters. Honestly, I forget they’re adopted most of the time,” said English teacher Laurie Bender, who along with her husband, have adopted two girls from China.

Bender would definitely encourage other families to adopt. “It blesses you and the child,” explained Bender. While her daughters, Rachel and Rebecca, have had to overcome some obstacles, like not wanting to eat and not being able to walk, they have grown up to be healthy, talented girls.

It’s not always easy. There are hard times and adjustments to be made, but adoption is well worth it, both to the adopted child and their forever family.

I speak from experience, as my three younger siblings, Jennifer, Woodley, and Nolan, are adopted from Haiti. It hasn’t always been a walk in the park, but I love my siblings to death and can’t imagine my family without them.

High school mentality vs. post-high school mentality or girlfriends, of being in cliques, and of becoming an adult at the end of my time spent there. As an adult, now graduated with a job, about to move into my first apartment and attending college, I’ve totally forgotten about how it felt to be in high school until I helped out with the layout of the newspaper the other day and visited the campus for the first time since graduating. Now thinking back to all those feelings that I had while attending high school, I realized that everything that high school students stress out about doesn’t really matter in the real world.

In high school there are certain pressures to have the right group of friends, the right style, to know exactly what to say and who to say it to while at the same time balancing classes.

To me it seems that not being surrounded by 2,000 anxiety-ridden teens has made life much less stressful.

In the end, I think it comes down to the people you surround yourself with.

Working full time with 15 to 20 fully developed adults is calming because they know how to handle themselves.

It also matters how each person makes their decisions; the students who don’t stress out about typical teen dilemmas are the ones who end up staying calm and collective through high school and are looked up to with respect by their peers.

By HAILEY PAINE GUEST WRITER

As a freshman in high school fresh out of middle s c h o o l , jumping into a pool of kids three times the size of middle school, and ranging in ages 13 to even 19, there is an initial shock that frightens most freshmen. There are many stereotypes that get built up into a new high school student’s head based on here-say from others and on television shows that build up high school to be something that it really isn’t. There is a mentality from the get go that is, for the most part, incorrect about what it means to be in high school.

Sure, what happens in high school is different for each student who attends.

There are those who focus solely on school, those who do actually party all the time at ‘ragers’, and then there are some that barely attend their school at all because of programs like Running Start and Tri-Tech which keep students in a different environment for half or all of their day.

The first few years of high school, I romanticized the idea of boyfriends

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Talk

15

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Electronic cigarettes, not as good as they seem

By MORGAN HABERLACK STAFF REPORTER

Aloha Apple, Blueberry Breeze, Bluewater Punch, Bonzia Banana, Cherry Lava, Choconilla Haze, Coocoo Coconut, Cotton Candy, Grape Escape, Hana Honeydew, Hula Punch, Jungle Fruit, Kawika’s Kiwi, Lolo Lime, Maui Mango, Milk Chocolate. These are a few of the new trendy flavors for the e-cigarette. Are these toxic juices as good as they sound?

The “E-Cig” trend is spreading like wild fire throughout the U.S., but it isn’t just adults using them. Teens are using them as well. We hear that it’s not as bad as real cigarettes so being young and not completely aware, we think it is okay to use, but we are more than wrong. It may be water vapor, but it has nicotine in it, which is a very addicting drug in itself. These electronic cigarettes contain toxic chemicals on top of that.

For example, propylene glycol as a liquid is similar to anti-freeze when inhaled but is on the safe elements list of the Food and Drug Administration because it is normally used as a food additive.

The companies for electronic cigarettes are spending tons of money advertising, but they are not being taxed like regular tobacco companies because the laws regulating cigarette ads do not apply to electronic cigarettes. This new smoking device has made it possible for people to smoke wherever they want, similar to when people were able to smoke in restaurants 10 years ago. The only difference between electronic cigarettes and actual cigarettes is electronic cigarettes are “helping” people quit an addictive habit. A male junior said, “I was trying to quit smoking actual cigarettes, but now I feel like I’m trying to quit this.” In all actuality, it is just a replacement for the majority of the people who use cigarettes. Back in the day when cigarettes first put into production, no one

knew the effects of that new trend, and I believe that is what is happening again.

These companies do not require you to be 18-years-old to buy an electronic cigarette except for in 12 states. They come in flavors that taste good and that are appealing to not just older generations but the younger ones as well. The people behind this have done such a good job at reaching out to everyone that they have even reached out to the younger generation of kids causing the use of electronic cigarettes to double in middle schools and high schools.

The next time one of you goes to pick up your e-cig with your toxic Hula Punch juice to take a drag, remember what it is you are putting in to your body. Also, go and look up some of the other chemicals put into the flavors.

Know that nicotine is put into electronic cigarettes and nicotine is a very addicting drug. I hope that all of our students decide to live happier healthier lives.

Drawing of an e-cigarette by Morgan Haberlack

Potterhead’s are getting their fix

By JORDAN GARNER OP-ED EDITOR

Witchcraft. Wizardry. Spells. Potions.

Creatures. Hogwarts.

All these things remind us of the world of wizardry J.K. Rowling created for us in 1997 and what we all believed ended in 2007. But in this year on Sept. 18, it was released to the public that Rowling was beginning a new series based off a text book Harry Potter had in the original films, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, who will be the new star of the show. This will also be Rowling’s first time penning a screenplay, so the question is: Is continuing the world of wizardry a good idea, or should it be left alone?

The choice to continue the world of wizardry is a great idea for a few reasons. To start, in 2010 when the final Harry Potter movie, Deathly Hollows Part 2 made its debut in theaters, it felt surreal. For most of us now in high school, the series was a part of our childhood, starting with the books and then the movies being released every year or so for several years. And for adults, the movies were something to take your kids to, to celebrate a birthday, or just pure fun and entertainment.

We all know you’d be lying if you said you

didn’t love Harry Potter and wish you could have gone to Hogwarts, too. Kamiakin sophomore Tyler Martinez said, “I’m really looking forward to it just because the Harry Potter series was something me and a lot of other people grew up with, and it was sad to see it come to an end, so it’ll be nice to have something else come from it. And I think it’ll be a good idea for J.K. Rowling to write the script because she’s a genius, and I’m really excited to see what she’ll do with this.”

On a second note, to continue the magical world on screen is also a smart business decision for Rowling and partner Warner Bros. She’s already made billions of dollars from both the Harry Potter book and film series, so there’s no doubt this newly planned spin-off will bring in a large amount of income as well. Kamiakin sophomore Jessica Thom elaborated on this and said, “I think it’s a very smart business move for everyone involved because there’s definitely a large enough fan base to buy into the expansion of the franchise, including myself.”

In conclusion, I think everyone can agree that seven Harry Potter books and eight movies just weren’t enough. Expect to hear more about Rowling’s new adventure, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

16

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Homecoming With Your Own Flare

By MADISON BADGLEY STAFF REPORTER

It’s that time of year again where we girls go out looking for that perfect homecoming dress and those perfect shoes to match. We have our hair and makeup done, the works. If you’re not sure what kind of dress or hairstyle you want, maybe these trends will help.

Anything sparkly is very in and very versatile. Another nice homecoming style is a long embellished dress, or if you want something short, go for a short dress with a little lace and sparkle. This look is a bit more classy and elegant but still very cute nonetheless!

If you want something with a little more edge, a dress with a little bit of stud never hurt anyone. To complete this look, a boot heel always adds a little edginess to any outfit. “I like to shop at Image because they have a lot of dresses to choose from and most of them are affordable,” senior Gabbi Hansen said.

Online shopping is very popular, too, and the Internet has a very wide variety of online stores to choose from. When looking for

a dress, just remember to wear something you love and you’re not going to be complaining about by the end of the night!

When it comes to hairstyles, anything goes. If you are wearing a very sparkly or fancy dress, you might want to wear a more casual hairstyle just to balance everything out. Or maybe it’s the opposite. Your dress may be casual, and so you might want to do your hair up a bit more. Adding headbands or little jewels to your hair is always super cute and can really add so much more to your outfit. Adding your own little touches here and there from your personal style can really make the homecoming look yours and complete the outfit.

Add your own flare, make it your own, and have fun!

‘Battle of the Year’ dance catastrophe

By ANDY HA STAFF REPORTER

Score: 5.5 out of 10 Battle of the Year is a 3-D dance film about the hip hop culture and a form of dance called B-boy. The film is based on the documentary about the B-boying competition of the same name titled Planet B-Boy

by Benson Lee who was also the director of the film.

The choreography by Dave Scott, who is best known for choreographing the 2008 dance film Step Up 2: The Streets, and music by Christopher Lennertz, who is best known for his musical score in the 2007 comedy film Alvin and The Chipmunks and the 2010 Disney film Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, was spectacular, but that seems to be the only great thing about the film.

The film shows different characters who seem to lack development or only have minimal development. The film also had

little-to-no plot twists and was almost too predictable. Josh Holloway’s performance as the coach, Derek, was great and the character seemed to be the only one who showed any development and real emotion. Chris Brown’s portrayal of the character, Rooster, and Josh Peck’s performance as Franklyn was decent, but it is nothing to look forward to. Their characters came off as annoying. Peck’s character, Franklyn, was kind of shy and could be considered a Mr. Know-It-All. Brown’s character, Rooster, came off as rude, ignorant, and extremely cocky. Those traits, though maybe good on paper, turned out bad on-screen.

The choreography and music were the only things that saved the film along with the outstanding list of famous dancers and TV personalities that made cameos throughout the film such as Dominic Sandoval (D-Trix), Sway, Terrence J, and Victor Kim.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Lord of the Rings vs Star Wars

By JACOB MCLAIN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Two of the most important icons of fantasy and sci-fi come together to see which is better in an all-out fight that will turn friend against friend and nerd against nerd. There has been a lot of controversy over whether Lord of the Rings or Star Wars is better. This controversy has pitted fantasy nerds against sci-fi nerds for years. First in this controversy are the books.

The Star Wars book series is a very big series that contains many books and storylines.

This series contains many more books than the Lord of the Rings series. The series was accredited to George Lucas, and its first publication was in the late 1970s. The Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, only contains three books, but those three books are extremely lengthy. These books were written by J.R.R. Tolkien back in the 1950s. Overall, the Lord of the Rings series received a rating of 2.20 out of three while the Star Wars series received an overall rating of 2.07.

The other major component of the debate is over which movie series is better. The Star Wars movie series had its first release in 1977, produced by George Lucas. The budget for this movie was $11 million, and it managed to earn $774 million. the movie also managed to surpass Jaws as the highest grossing film, and stayed there until the release of E.T. in 1982. There are many Star Wars movies out right now, with another movie in production now. The Lord of the Rings movies had its first release in 2001 with The Fellowship of the Ring, which

was produced by Peter Jackson. Although there are only four movies, the shortest o f these movies has a run time just shy of three hours. The Phantom Menace currently ranks no. 14 as the highest grossing film, while The Return of the King is no. 7 for highest grossing movie. In the poll, The Lord of the Rings movies received a higher rating both of the book series with an overall rating of 2.32 out of 3. The Star Wars movie series did better than The Lord of the Rings movies with a near perfect score of 2.8 out of 3.

Aside from the poll, a few students agreed to weighed in to the debate. Dillon Ecclestone decided to advocate for Star Wars.

Dillon commented that Star Wars “had more action and more suspension” and that “The Lord of the Rings had more dialogue.”

For The Lord of the Rings, Raella Greene stated that those actors “got into their characters more” and so they did a better job portraying their roles.

Jesse Fisher took a while to decide on his stance. Like many people caught between fantasy and sci-fi, Jesse had a tough decision to make. He eventually went with Star Wars because it was “more imaginative, more original and it appealed to a larger audience than Lord of the Rings.”

From the poll and testimonies, Star Wars is more popular at Kamiakin than Lord of the Rings.

Although there are many people who still say The Lord of the Rings is better, Star Wars has won this battle.

Jordan 5 “Doernbecher” Go Over $1,000

By OSCAR BAUTISTA STAFF REPORTER

The Air Jordan 5 “Doernbecher” designed by Doernbecher Children’s Hospital patient Isaac Arzate and his family, was officially released on Sept. 14 on Nike.com. The limited edition pair of shoes places inspirational words from a poem written by Isaac Arzate as well as his unfortunate passing date, while the numbers 9 and 31 replace the classic 23 on the shoe. The best feature on the shoe is that several parts of the shoe glow in the dark, including the eyelets, lace toggle, outsole, Nike Air unit and quarter panels. Although it was an Air Jordan 5, it was a rare and extremely limited release, given that it was part of Nike’s Doernbecher “Freestyle” program.

The Doernbecher Freestyle Program is a collaboration of Nike and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital in Salem, Or-

egon. The freestyle program is used as a creative way to raise money and awareness for the hospital since Nike has released highly customized kicks every year with more anticipation and demand in every release, with all proceeds going to the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

In this case with such a highly anticipated release, the shoe resell value is at an extremely ridiculous high value on eBay. Multiple pairs have already been sold for over $1,000 with a few going for over $2,000. The fact that the money is going to a really good cause is a touching subject and the shoe is fantastic, but chances are, people are only buying this shoe to resell, which takes away from the charity and the value of the actual shoe.

As for shoes that will be releasing this October, we can expect to see the following:

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Reebok Shaq Attaq “Big Shaq tus” MSRP: $160 Air Jordan 5 Retro “Bel-Air” MSRP: $175 Air Jordan 1 Retro ’95 “concord” MSRP: $130 Air Jordan 10 “Steel” MSRP: $170 Nike Kobe 8 System “Pit Viper” MSRP: $150 Nike Lebron 11 “King’s Pride” MSRP: $200 Nike Rosherun QS MSRP: $80

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Pokemon of the month Haunter

Type: Ghost/poison Ability: levitate

Areas found: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh Haunter is known as the Gas pokemon. It enjoys hanging around old , abandoned sites and scaring everybody that comes near.

iPhone 5S vs. Samsung Galaxy S4

By ARMANDO ANTONIO SPORTS EDITOR

This year was the first year that Apple released two new iPhone versions simultaneously, the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. The iPhone has been the king of all smartphones for years, but ever since Apple’s founder Steve Jobs died, Apple’s lead on Samsung has gradually faded.

20,000,000 Samsung Galaxy S4s have been sold since they have been released and 6,500,000 iPhone 5Ss have sold since they have released. Will the Samsung Galaxy S4 finally beat Apple’s iPhone 5S? The iPhone 5S and the Galaxy S4 have many similar features. Both companies have their own “voice assistant” software, Apple with Siri and Samsung with S Voice - each allowing users to make calls, send messages, or even search the Internet for information. Both phones also offer a cloud backup service for photos, apps and other personal data, Apple with iCloud and Samsung

with Auto Backup.

Despite all the similarities, some of the real attention grabbing aspects of these phones are the apps and features that are unique to their brands, and these are sometimes what help users decide which device is more appealing to them. Apple’s new Touch ID fingerprint sensor is meant to make it possible for users to simply touch their fingers to the phone’s home button to unlock the screen--no more lock screen PINs or swipe patterns.

Apple says Touch ID can also be used to sign in and make iTunes purchases on the iPhone as well.

Meanwhile, one of the selling points of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is actually a no touch screen control. With Air Gesture, users can answer calls and flip between screens by just waving a hand at the screen. The Galaxy S4 also offers Near Field Communications technology for sharing content with other Galaxy devices by just tapping them together. On the other hand, the iPhone 5S is compatible with Apple’s Face Time, the much advertised in-call

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video chat app that most Android users are still envious of.

The two smartphones run in different software. The Samsung Galaxy S4 runs on Google’s Android software, though this has been heavily tweaked and customized.

Samsung has overlaid it with the glossy TouchWiz, which adds a load of features that some find useful, but it doesn’t feel as sophisticated as stock Android. If you delve through the menus, you’ll find apps for fitness, a useful one for controlling your television and more. The iPhone 5S runs iOS7, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, and it’s the first time we have seen a dramatic overhaul in the design language used. Gone are the glossy icons, fake leather and strange textures, replaced with transparency, pastel shades and a lot of new features. Quick access to the settings menu, something we’ve seen in Android for a while now, is now available through Control Center and all the native Apple apps have been given a new coat of paint.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2013 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School