2014 15 issue 4

VOLUME 39• ISSUE 4•FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015• KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA 99336

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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From left to right: sophomore Aaryn Frewing, senior Tanner Hundahl, and sophomore Nathan Acevido-Simo helping with the clean up effort. Photo By: Ryan Folta

Custodian Appreciation Day: many hands make light work

By RYAN FOLTA GUEST REPORTER

W

ho picks up our dirty messes and receives little reward for it? That would be our custodians.

On Jan. 8, a group of students helped show their appreciation for them. The group vacuumed and swept floors, washed windows, and took out all the garbage. These are some of the things custodians do daily that no one notices. They work incredibly hard to pick up all the garbage we leave behind, vacuum the crumbs we drop, and wash away our spills.

Without our custodians, Kamiakin would look like a city dump with students climbing their way around. Students leave bags, boxes, cups and other trash everywhere. We just don’t realize how easy it is to walk a little ways to one

of the many garbage cans.

But custodians aren’t just picking up garbage after our school day. They wash the windows, vacuum all the floors and sweep and mop all the tile. They wash the tables we eat on, too.

After ASB taking notice of this, a large group of around 50 people got together after school and took care of those things for them. After the large cleaning, which with 50 people took over an hour, the students thanked the custodians for what they do and shared pizza with them. It took 50 people over an hour to do what some of the custodians do every day, and there is only four of them.

Some of the students who helped had some interesting things to say afterwards. Sophomore Aaryn Frewing said, “It feels accomplishing me to help out the janitors for the

day. You have to be really patient and to do this every day after school seems overwhelming.”

Sophomore Alyson Lindholm stated, “It feels right on how they help us all the time and to give back to them. The janitors deal with high schoolers who don’t really care how their messes are taken care of and yet still assume they will be taken care of.”

Sophomore Dillon Ecclestone said, “I was surprised by how many people actually showed up. I figured maybe 10 – 15 people tops. Then I walk into the class before starting and people just keep piling in. Seeing that many people want to help our janitors and know I was one of them made me feel good.”

The appreciation day will happen again next year. The date has not been decided yet but will surely be announced.

Swing Club: a swinging good time

By EMILY BAER STAFF REPORTER

The phrase “it’s complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe what one does when attending a meeting of Swing Club. Each person has a dance partner, and every week on Thursday the dance couples are taught new dance moves by the more experienced Swing Club members. Although these students seem to be doing difficult and complicated maneuvers, they assure outsiders that swing dancing is not as hard as it appears. Sophomore Emilee Taylor said, “For those who are less athletic, it may be a little difficult. For me, in the beginning it was a little confusing, but now that I have multiple dances down, it’s easier. It will hopefully get harder as we go along!”

During lunch every Thursday, mem-

bers of Swing Club meet in the west gym.

The first 10 to 15 minutes are spent eating lunch, and after that time passes, senior Monica Patillo announces that they can start working on dances. Normally the lessons are taught by senior Monica Patillo and junior Michael DeFord or by juniors Shavon Madder and Ammon Montgomery. This club is very organized, and it’s completely run by the students. They have a very efficient system that makes room for a lot of learning opportunities. Anyone can join Swing Club, even if they don’t have a dance partner, although it would be much easier if they did have one.

The dance moves that occur in swing dance can be impressive, with different kinds of moves such as the Back-Flip and the Cartwheel. These dance partners move

fluidly through their technique. They work hard to achieve this skill, and it looks like their hard work pays off. Swing Club provides a place for students to not only learn how to swing dance, but a place where they can build friendships.

Overall, these groups of talented students have worked hard and have carried out the legacy of swing dancing at our school. Together they create a healthy environment of friendship and learning. Students can come to these meetings and discover that they have a talent for this kind of dancing, and they might even come to find that they enjoy it.

(Right) Senior Monica Patillo being swung by her partner, junior Michael DeFord.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk Kamiakin High School

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Marching with the big dogs; the transition from high school to beyond

By SPENCER HOLLE STAFF REPORTER

T

he most common response to the phrase, “I’m in drum corps” is almost always “Oh… so what is drum corps exactly?” and nobody can blame them. For those familiar with marching band, it’s certain that they’ve heard the term one too many times. For the rest of the world, it’s likely they’ll be scratching their heads as to what they’ve been blabbering about.

Ever wondered why marching band is always considered unimportant or boring and something nerds do in their spare time? Now imagine a marching band which focuses less on having a good time but more on their performance.

That’s what drum corps is all about.

Drum and bugle corps is a semi-professional version of a typical marching band and evolved from the idea of taking a marching band and stepping their game up. Corps typically rehearse all of June, Mondays through Saturdays for a usual 12 hour rehearsal. If football teams think they still work harder than everyone else, they should take a major reality check. In the blistering heat, corps members endure killer sunburns, endless drill repetitions, and ach-

ing muscles to do what they most love doing.

Drum corps isn’t exactly the most well-known among sports fans, but for the ones participating in it, drum corps turns into not only a passion but a lifestyle. For everybody in a high school marching band, there are no high expectations for what level of performance is required of them.

That being said, once they switch to drum corps, it’s a whole different style of performance.

First of all, corps aren’t required to keep you. Unlike in high school, being cut from a corps is a real thing, meaning that if members lack a professional attitude, it is a possibility that they will be kicked out. Second, corps is a much more intense activity than high school is. This isn’t being said to scare potential marchers away. It’s being mentioned to show how much better the experience can be for the performers.

At Kamiakin, band teacher Keith Russell says, “There are two types of fun, fun one, and fun two. Fun one means a fun to get immediate pleasure, like making stupid jokes and watching TV. Fun two involves working hard to achieve greatness, and that’s what marching is all about.”

Drum corps is dedicated to the idea of “fun two.” Al-

Teacher Spotlight: Valerie Feth

By NATALIE DOWNARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“My favorite part of teaching is almost all of it! I love the interaction with students, I love the actual subject matter, I love learning new things from my students, and seeing when my students learn new things. I especially enjoy seeing students that have struggled with something finally overcome the difficulty, whether it is a personal problem or an academic problem, and find success!” teacher Valerie Feth said. She has been teaching English at Kamiakin for seven years now. Before becoming a teacher, Feth was a para-educator for 11 years.

“Life is so full of fun things to explore and do, and I really enjoy going new places, trying new things, and meeting new people!”

Feth said. When Feth isn’t teaching, she enjoys travelling, listening to music, shopping (especially online), watching her favorite TV shows with her husband, going to movies, reading, playing games, crafting, hanging out with friends and family, and going to water aerobics. She also likes to write, especially poetry, and aspires to write a novel one day.

Feth grew up in Southern California. Her family moved and lived in eight different places, but they never left San Diego County. Her favorite place in the entire world to be is the beach.

“From the earliest I can remember, the beach has been a part of my life,” Feth said.

She and her family would go on annual trips to San Diego in the summers, and now that her kids are grown, Feth and her

husband try to go to Seaside, Ore. at least two or three times a year.

“I have been married to my high school sweetheart for 34 years! We met at 16 and have been together ever since. We married young, went away to college together, and started our family just a few short years after we started college,” Feth said. They have four children, Mandy (30), Roni (28), Beka (25), and Tim (24), and nine grandchildren.

“We are a loud, fun, close, and loving family, and my grandkids are the apples of my eye!” Feth said.

Teacher Valerie Feth with her daughters.

Photo Courtesy: Valerie Feth

though it may seem corps is all work and no play, corps members are some of the most fun people you’ll ever meet.

Drum corps seems harsh and difficult at first, but those who participate in it not only learn to enjoy it, but it becomes a lifelong passion.

The logo of the Columbians, a local drum corps.

Working hard, but still playing

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

Involved in Cross Country, associated student body (ASB), and on his way to becoming an Eagle Scout, Jared Deatherage seems to have his hands full his senior year, but this 17-year-old seems to be enjoying every second of it.

In eighth grade, Deatherage started his journey in cross country. He started running for Kamiakin’s cross country team his freshman year and just finished his last year on the team, and even earned his letter. “I really love my teammates.

They’re really inspiring and it’s really cool to be able to see people who are dedicated and inspired to better themselves,” he said.

Along with being a part of cross country, Deatherage has also become involved with ASB this year. The ASB is a group of students who are the representatives to help share students’ ideas, interests, and concerns with teachers and school principals. The ASB also is in charge of doing our assemblies and other activities that happen at school. Deatherage’s favorite part about being in ASB is being able to see students have fun at events. “I really love putting on events for the student body and seeing them have a good time,” he said.

Outside of Kamiakin, Deatherage is working on becoming an Eagle Scout, a goal he is close to accomplishing. When he was 5-years-old, Deatherage became a Cub Scout and graduated to a Boy Scout

around the age of 13. “My former scout master has been the most influential person to me. He really inspired me to find what I love and do it,” he said.

Deatherage has an adventurous side to him as well. When asked what he would do if he could do anything before he died, he said, “I think it would be super sick to target shoot while skydiving.”

This humble senior who lives by the words “work hard, play fair, and be nice” has big plans for his future. Deatherage wants to become a forest ranger or forest firefighter so he can spend his life being in the place he loves, the outdoors.

Senior Jared Deatherage posing for the camera.

Around the Campfire

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FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 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: The Tomatalk: Kamiakin High School, 600 North Arthur, Kennewick, WA, 99336, (509) 222-7015, email tomatalk@ksd.org, or go online at www.tomatalk.com and comment there or take a poll.

Staff:

Adviser: Laurie Bender Editor-in-Chiefs: Natalie Downard and Chloe Grundmeier News Feature Editor: Natalie Downard Sports Editor: John Mantanona In-Depth Editor: Chloe Grundmeier Opinion Editor: Emily Aardahl Entertainment Editor: Andy Ha Online E-I-C: Andy Ha

Staff Reporters:

Alejandro Andrade, Alberto Anguiano, Emily Baer, Jordan Carreras, Noah Erhart, Spencer Holle, Daniel Hutchins, Luke Mauth, Katelyn Neal, Samuel Perrins, Parker Pruneda, Sierra Reams, Noah Rhea, Rhiannon Rogers, Ethan Sessions, Staci Trivett MISSION STATEMENT:

The purpose of the Tomatalk to to inform, entertain, and further educate the students at Kamiakin High 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.

Follow us on Twitter! @KaHS__Tomatalk

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Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Editorial: Litter around school reflects irresponsible and lazy students

O

ne would think that because our school has garbage cans all over, that our campus would be neat and tidy with little to no litter. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The worst time to see the ridiculous amount of abandoned wrappers, sacks, plates from the cafeteria, and food strewn all over is right after lunch.

This litter issue even extends outside the gates and worsens in our parking lots. The parking lots almost always have trash strewn around. One will practically always see fast food wrappers and bags, soda and coffee cups, and numerous other items on the pavement, sidewalks, and even worse, stuck in the fence.

This problem shows that many students do not respect and care about our campus or the environment. Litter makes our school look dirty and uncared for. The only way that litter

would be somewhat “acceptable” is if we had a shortage of garbage cans, or if they weren’t in convenient places, but this is certainly not the case.

The amount of trash around campus also shows just how lazy some high school students are. It is not hard whatsoever to gather the trash that one accumulates over lunch, or any other time, and put it in the nearest garbage can. As previously stated, Kamiakin does a great job of making sure there are cans all over campus.

This issue is an easy one to resolve; clean up after yourselves! Littering is a lazy choice and completely unnecessary when there are so many trash cans conveniently spaced around the school.

Double-standards on civil disobedience made clear

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

Any historian will elaborate for hours on end about the heroic acts of the Revolutionary War and the effort of the rebels to fight for their freedom. In class, students learn about the efforts of the Americans to secure their rights and break from their oppressors: England. The fight for civil rights during the 60s is looked back on with high esteem, strengthening the sense of pride in a country where everyone is equal and free.

However, current displays of civil disobedience (the refusal to comply with certain laws or to pay taxes or fines, as a peaceful form of political protest) are looked upon with disdain. This mode of thinking sometimes even leads to violent acts by authority against protesters who have done nothing to infringe upon the law. Many people today seem to be of the idea that everything is perfect and there is no further need to protest for anything.

This opinion became wildly popular with the verdict on the indictment of Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown.

Despite the inconclusive evidence surrounding the case that would normally warrant a trial, Wilson was let off with no charges whatsoever.

In retaliation, protesters took to the streets across dozens of U.S. cities, and even overseas.

News outlets have given mixed reactions to the protests. Some condemn them as riots, others lift

up the protests as a shining example of people using their right to their freedom of speech.

“If you need to fix it then you need to fix it,” said junior Melissa Knopp. “There comes a point when all you can do is fight back—you can’t just talk through it. You have to take action against it.”

Though nonviolence is a tactic that worked fairly well in the 60s, when Martin Luther King, Jr. was figure-heading the civil rights movement, progress cannot be made just waiting around for the oppressors to simply stop oppressing those who are oppressed. There comes a point when just ‘being nice’ isn’t enough, when the civil disobedience needs to get a tad more disobedient.

“Something has to be protested against when people are dying because of it. Or when there are laws being broken,” said junior Melissa Knopp.

And people have died. And laws have been broken. But instead of seeing the protests as a way for people to express their anger at a system that clearly doesn’t care about them, the general public only sees a bunch of rioters. They’re missing the point, condemning the very sort of actions that ensured Americans their freedom, that ensured women the right to vote, and that ensured that segregation would be outlawed.

Tribal Talk

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OPINION & EDITORIAL

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Taking a step back to segregation

By SPENCER HOLLE STAFF REPORTER

P

retend you are openly gay—whether you agree with it or not—and think of how life goes. This is a heterosexual-dominant world where straight men and women can do whatever they want and leave the scraps to gays. Entire countries or even continents are now blocked from safe usage for gay people, for traveling there would end in blood.

Now, with this image, picture being in the only neighborhood grocery store, about to check out, when the cashier exclaims, “We don’t serve queens here. Leave your grocery bags and get out.”

Upset? Well, now this sort of thing could be a reality in Michigan, where a new RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) may be passed, which would allow Michigan residents to deny service to customers on religious grounds.

LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) people everywhere are in outrage over this disturbing bill, especially after successfully striking down a 1993 federal version of this bill.

Although there are aspects of this bill that would help restore some of our religious freedom, if the bill is made into law, gay people everywhere could lose their very quality of life and be denied basic human rights.

For many people, this is a major social digression, and protesters outside the Michigan court-house claim that this bill is “nothing but a license to discriminate.” These protesters feel like this bill is a step back into the 60s. That yet another door to discrimination is opening once again.

Imagine what terrible atrocities Michigan could be capable of achieving, like if doctors started refusing medication, medical attention, or even EMT services to LGBT persons.

Diners could easily be segregated once again, and churches themselves could deny entry to any member they wish.

For the Tri-cities, this is a familiar issue. In 2013, the owner of Arlene’s Flowers refused to help cater a samesex couple’s wedding for religious reasons. In retaliation, the couple sued Arlene’s for discrimination and the case is currently starting back up. Although it is likely that Arlene’s is going to lose the case, this shows that this bill is not that far from home.

For thousands of years, gays haven’t had real rights

until the Stonewall Riots of 1969, which was the first time western culture really thought of LGBT people as real people with real feelings. Even after the 50 years since Stonewall, gay people are still not equal to straight people, and this bill will be a huge step in the wrong direction.

Obviously, the Michigan RFRA is absolutely infuriating to anybody affiliated with gay rights. What is being done in Michigan is an atrocity to everything accomplished in the history of American social issues.

Parking mania: the morning scramble for spots

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

By RHIANNON ROGERS STAFF REPORTER

With a little over 1,700 students at Kamiakin, and almost half of the student body driving to school, there is not enough parking to accommodate the amount of student drivers and teachers. With three parking lots for all student drivers, many students have the complaint that there aren’t enough parking spaces or that the spaces are too far away from the school, as seen with cage.

Junior Tyler Evensen said, “I have trouble finding a parking spot if I don’t get there early enough. I usually have to get up super early and be there early to get a parking spot.”

Another problem Evensen has is the trouble of having a truck, and the other students’ parking is also a problem. “With my truck parking, it is difficult if other students don’t park in their lanes. Sometimes they’re too far to the left or right and I can’t even park there because I’ll get a ding on my door. I have to drive around trying to find another parking spot.”

Finding a spot in band or jock lot can be nearly impossible in the mornings since they’re the closest to the school. Although many teacher spots go unused, no student is allowed to park there. Evensen said, “Many spots that are reserved for teachers go unused. They should let students use those spots if they’re unused.”

Cage is a last resort for students to park in, usually when they’re running late for class or when they get to school and the band and jock lots are already full. Even then, parking in this lot isn’t always guaranteed. The tendency of students to use the wrong openings in the

fence to go in and out also adds the danger of a crash to parking out in cage.

There just aren’t enough parking spaces on campus for the student body to actually park in, and this creates problems for teachers and students alike.

Students that would be on-time for school can be made late by striking out on a parking space and having to go all the way out to cage, then walk in. These students getting to class late interrupts their first hour class, and teachers sometimes have to go to the trouble of telling the student to go back and get a note from the office.

With a remodel in the future, the school should definitely look towards getting another lot for students to park in. This would decrease congestion in the parking lots at the end of the school day and result in less near-crashes.

(Above) Cars fill every spot in the lot.

(Right) The band lot is packed with

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Are cops the good guys or the bad guys?

Good

By NOAH ERHART STAFF REPORTER

O

ver the last several months, law enforcement has been receiving negative attention. Police officers are getting a bad reputation for something that does not happen all the time. Tragedies such as Ferguson or the Eric Garner case in New York have been part of the fuel feeding the fire that is giving police a bad name. Not all cops are bad and in fact, most police officers do more to help their community than harm. Officer Chris Buroker said, “Being in law enforcement for almost 20 years, 98 percent of the time we are helping somebody at some time.

Most of us go into this line of work to do that. We want to help people and the community and be leaders within the community.”

The disrespect towards the police is clearly out of hand. Officers are being killed in the line of duty because there are individuals that hate the police. Police officers are just doing their jobs just like everybody else. Officer Buroker said, “I would feel that kids would look up to law enforcement and firefighters more often…Law enforcement are people, too.”

Bad

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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n 18-year-old boy leaves a convenience store and is chased down by the police. He expresses that he has done nothing wrong by raising his arms in the air in surrender. He is still pursued by the police and a struggle ensues. During the struggle, he is shot 12 times.

He is unarmed. The boy is black; the police officer is white.

A 43-year-old man is being followed by the police. He explains that he is doing nothing wrong and he is tired of being harassed. The officers move to arrest him and he tries to defend himself. He is put in a choke hold and repeats “I can’t breathe” eleven times before he loses consciousness and dies at the scene a few minutes later. The man is black; the police officer is white.

A 12-year-old boy is playing in a city park with a toy gun. He is having fun just as any other child would with an Airsoft gun. The police arrive and when they see him reach for the gun as he plays, they shoot twice hitting him once directly in the chest. The boy dies the next day while in the hospital. The boy is black; the police officer is white.

These stories all have one thing painfully in common: racial profiling. And while they are scary enough to seem

One of the largest factors of police receiving so much negative attention comes from the media. The media tends to advertise more negative events than positive events happening either locally or nationally. The news always shows the bad things involving cops and almost never shows all the good things that they do the majority of the time.

The media is less of an information source and more of a business. They compete with each other to make more money than the next news source, and they do this by using negative topics such as an officer shooting and killing an individual. Officer Buroker said, “The media is a business and they’re out there to make money. I feel they don’t get all the facts and put information out there that’s not factual.”

The news only ever reports officer-involved shootings that include a white officer and black suspect, yet it happens when it is white on white but we don’t ever hear about it because it doesn’t make the news. The media has helped to keep racism alive and is very guilty of doing so and should be ashamed. Officer Buroker said, “Working with other agencies in our local area, I can say I’ve never

seen an officer that was racist in any form or fashion.”

Police officers must go through a process before they can become an officer and begin patrolling the streets. Police officers must go through background checks because the department must be able to know whether that individual is trustworthy and safe to hire. To be an officer, one needs to be mature and responsible with themselves and others they may deal with in the field.

Officer Buroker said, “When the department goes to hire somebody, first they need somebody who is very mature because they’re going to deal with everybody from babies to 90-years-olds. Number two, you have to be professional, and number three you have to be safe. You need to be safe for yourself and others… The mentality I believe is to do the best job that we can.”

Much of America’s view on cops is changing due to all the negative influence from the media. Senior Jeremy Marboe said, “My view on cops is that they are there to do the job that they are paid to do. They uphold the laws and everything else that needs to be enforced and if someone gets in their way of enforcing those laws whether it’s good or bad, they’re going to react on their instincts.”

like made up stories that one would tell their children to keep them from ‘misbehaving,’ they are all very real.

Michael Brown: an 18-year-old boy who was shot 12 times after doing nothing wrong. Eric Garner: a 43-yearold man who was choked to death after doing nothing wrong. Tamir Rice: a 12-year-old boy who was shot in the chest after doing nothing wrong. These black males were not questioned, they were not given a chance to explain themselves; they were killed.

Racial profiling is a far too common occurrence in today’s society. “Racial profiling affected me once, but where we live it’s not really a big problem. The cop who asked me what I was doing did apologize after but I don’t think it would’ve happened if I was white,” sophomore Connor Arambul said.

Many people do not believe corrupt cops is that big of an issue because in some locations, it simply isn’t. “In metropolitan cities like Los Angeles and New York, the police are generally more corrupt and just bad but places like the Tri-Cities tend to have fewer corrupt cops,” junior Sean Howland said. “I’ve lived in places that have the potential to have corrupt cops. That fact alone has altered my opinion on the police slightly.”

The media holds a huge part in the way many see the police. They keeps things hidden that should be out in broad daylight; they over-exaggerate things that already have plenty of attention; they stage photographs to show something in their favor.

A photo was released of Sgt. Bret Barnum hugging a 12-year-old black boy – Devonte Hart – at a rally supporting Michael Brown in Portland. Many smiled and even shed a few tears when seeing the touching picture. “He supports Michael Brown! Maybe the police aren’t all bad after all!” they said.

A few days after the photograph was released, a few more photos came to light proving the ‘touching moment caught on camera’ was nothing more than a hoax. It was staged. “They must’ve staged the photo to convince us that not every cop is racist,” Howland said. The fact that the photographer felt they needed to prove this just proves how bad a problem racial profiling is. “Racial profiling is still a bad problem. In my experience, police are more likely to be polite to a white person rather than someone who isn’t white; and sadly this applies to children, too,” Howland said.

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

8

THE BELOVED SHO

Senior Shayla Burruss

Junior Raella Green

Shayla Burruss nearly had the shoes scared off her when she wore her knee high boots to Scarywood at the Silverwood Theme Park.

Raella Green wore her well-worn sneaks to a week-long church camp in Spokane.

Popular sneakers around campus

By ALEJANDRO ANDRADE STAFF REPORTER

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hat name brand shoe do you wear?

The top three shoe brands on the Kamiakin campus are Nike, Vans, and Chuck Taylors, also known as Converse. Nike has a wide variety of comfortable shoes and those are the types that teens look forward to wear-

ing as they walk to each of their classes. Vans and Chuck Taylors are also used by teens because of the stylish look and affordable prices.

“I personally like my Kobe Supreme 7’s,” sophomore Miguel Razo says. “They have some cool features that make them look good but at the same time comfortable and well balanced.”

The Kobe 7s are some high tech basketball shoes made by Nike. It’s a Kobe Bryant inspired shoe. The shoe has two interchangeable insert options allowing wearers to switch out the cushioning and ankle support to match their style.

Also the shoe is light weight and weighs a whopping 13.3 oz. The retail price on these is $180.

Vans are a popular shoe among a lot of people. They are very stylish and overall a good looking shoe. “A simple shoe that can go with any of your outfits is one of the reasons that I enjoy the shoe,” junior Erik Farfan said. “My favorite pair of Vans are the

run

original black on black shoe,” Farfan said. Vans are priced at $45.

“The Chuck Taylors are different from other brands in a good way,” senor Adrionne Robinson says. “They are fresh and are the top three because they’re classics.”

The Converse have been around for a long time. In fact, the brand was founded in 1908. Back then the Converse All Stars were the shoes of choice on the basketball court.

“Original ballers wore them,” said Robinson.

Players like Bill Russell from the Boston Celtics hooped in the Chuck Taylors.

For the Nikes, 22 people out of the 39 surveyed wore them.

Twelve out of the 39 wore Vans. Five out of the 39 wore Chuck Taylors.

All of the shoes have their benefits. They bring a variety of features such as comfort, style, and their own personality. These are the shoes that are seen most frequently around the Kamiakin campus.

What do your shoes do to yo

By RHIANNON ROGERS STAFF REPORTER

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pproximately 49 percent of women wear heels, and 71 percent of the women experience pain in their foot maybe an hour after they wear them. Despite a woman’s favorite pumps doubling as an adversary to her foot, they have a tax on other parts of the body, too.

To give a little more background on a woman’s suffering calcaneus bone (heel bone), the feet are normally shock-absorbers that cushion the heel from the strenuous effect of walking. When high heels are worn, it shifts the body weight onto the calcaneus bone and her dainty, delicate phalanges (toes). The loftier the heel, the larger the impact. Wearing heels forces a woman to have more of a staccato walk, which could result in bone and nerve damage, along with blisters and ingrown toenails.

Wearing heels can stiffen the Achilles tendon, which is the tissue that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. The Achilles tendon is obligatory for everyday activities such as walking, running, or just moving the foot in general.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Chief Legends In Depth

OES OF KAMIAKIN

Sophomore Noe Ramirez

Noe Ramirez plays basketball, so he laces up his kicks whenever he hits the court.

Senior Amanda Plowman

Amanda Plowman wears her boots all the time, ever since she took them off the shelves in Value Village.

Signature shoes rise to popularity

By PARKER PRUNEDA STAFF REPORTER

ou? The real harm in high heels Treatment for a tear necessitates wearing a cast or having surgery to repair the tissue, accompanied by rehabilitation. Wearing heels can also cause spider veins, which are dilated capillaries (non-functional veins that are more than two millimeters in width and may be longer than two centimeters) on the skin, resembling spider legs.

Hips play a big part in the “staccato walk” while wearing heels. The back is arched, hips are pulled forward, and chest is pushed outward.

Under some circumstances, wearing heels can predispose a person to developing premature arthritis in the hips. Part of the reason why is because a woman’s hip flexors are overly used due to her feet being forced in a downward position and have reduced power to move her body forward.

High heels can also take a toll on knees. The knees are shock absorbers as well as the heel bone. The knee is the largest tendon in the body and when heels are being worn, it stresses out the inner sides of the knees. Strenuous wear can result in osteoarthritis.

T

oday, it's normal to see celebrities and famous athletes wearing their own signature line of shoes. A few decades ago that wasn't very common.

It all started when rap group Run DMC wore the Adidas Superstar on stage.

The fans of Run DMC noticed and quickly popularized the Superstar. Soon everyone was wearing them and the shoe even got the nickname, “shell toes” because of the shell shaped toe cap. Though the Superstar wasn't Run DMC’s signature shoe, it was as close to it as you could get.

Then in 1984, Nike gave NBA player Michael Jordan his own line of shoes and apparel. This took the shoe industry by storm.

No one had ever seen someone with their own shoes before. Other companies started signature

lines after they noticed how much money Air Jordan was making for Nike.

It's become normal to see many signature shoes in public. Currently, Nike’s main shoe endorsers are Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James.

Just in the past year, NBA players Kyrie Irving (Nike) and John Wall (Adidas) have been awarded their first signature shoe. Athletic shoes aren't the only signature shoes out there either. Rapper Kanye West had Nike’s Yeezys and is now working with Adidas to make another shoe for everyday life.

With the name attached, there generally is a lot of hype for the shoe, and it is sold at a high price. It now costs up to $250 for Kobe Bryant or LeBron James basketball shoes.

Kanye’s Yeezys were sold at around $2,500. Companies, especially Nike and Jordan, are making billions just on shoes. Society knows they are paying for

overpriced shoes but either like the shoes or the social status they bring.

We can only expect more signature shoes in the future.

Bo Jackson’s Air Trainer SC’s.

Andre Agassi’s Air Tech Challenge II tennis shoes.

LeBron James’ LeBron 10 basketball shoes.

Tribal Games SPORTS

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FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

The Dance Team performing at half time of a basketball game Photo By: John Mantanona

Dance competition season ready to begin

By JOHN MANTANONA SPORTS EDITOR

T

he dance competition season is upon us, and the dance team is ready to compete.

The team has struggled with a little bit of adversity as they need to replace graduating seniors, but they have performed admirably.

During the summer, the girls started to get together to do some conditioning as the season for dance is long and takes a toll on their bodies. This was the first time that the freshmen really got to interact with the other girls and the team as a whole.

During pre-season, the girls went to camp at Great Wolf Lodge from July 14-July 16 where they worked with professional dancers. They danced for over eight hours a day for three days straight trying to learn the routines and perform them on the last day. During this time, the girls gained camaraderie and started to see the potential for this season.

Now, as the season is approaching, the girls are excited for all of their hard work to be recognized by the public. “Everyone is hard-working this year and that’s a good change from last year. I think we have a huge shot for this year to be a lot better than last year,” said sophomore Kelsey Dearing. The coaches have been putting in countless hours as well. They have been helping the girls and the program this year by setting up countless opportunities for the girls out in the community and for performances.

The dance team practices twice a week after school and on Saturdays, they have practice from 9 a.m. until noon. The team is constantly dancing and working to perfect their routines.

In addition to practicing seven hours a week, they perform at half-time during basketball

games. Being on the dance team is a big commitment for everybody on it.

The first dance competition is Saturday, Jan. 24 in the Kamiakin gym. There are currently 11 teams signed up and there will be 23 performances. Doors for the competition open at 10 a.m. with the competition starting at 11 a.m., and the admittance fee is $5. The girls will be performing their hip-hop and jazz routines.

“I’m really excited. We have better routines, people are showing more work-ethic than normal and I am excited to improve so much and for the new girls to get to a higher level than they were at the beginning of the year,” said senior Becca Helmann. The dance team is ready to show what they have been working on and become the best that they can be.

The dance team performing at half-time of a basketball game. Photo By: John Mantanona

Girls basketball season off to a strong start

By LUKE MAUTH STAFF REPORTER

The girls basketball team has been owning it up lately in conference and overall. Late last week when they took on the Kennewick Lions and Richland Bombers, both ended in victories. With these wins, they are now 5-0 in conference and 9-2 overall. This ties them for first place with Walla Walla in conference and ties them with Chiawana and Walla Walla overall.

The game on Friday the 9th was good for the girls with a 58-50 victory over the Lions. Senior post Tabitha Wellsandt ended the game with 21 points, helping the Braves out a lot in the game, and senior guard Lindsey Schauble scored 16. Combined, those two scored over half the points the girls made that game. The girls played to their strengths, and it showed.

On Saturday against the Bombers, the game got a little more interesting. In the first half,

the Braves seemed to be in control of the game with a 13-23 lead. The second half, thoughstarted to go downhill a little. The girls scored little in the third period and let the Bombers pull ahead by 5. Both teams had a girl foul out, for the Braves Tabitha Wellsandt and the Bombers Gia Sorn. In the fourth period, the girls made a comeback despite losing one of their best scorers. It was close to the end, but fouls are what got the Richland girls, letting the Braves make penalty shots which were no problem for the girls. The score ended at 44-39.

This year has been solid for the girls, and it looks like it will be another good state title run. With the team having so many seniors, five out of the nine, it’s many of their last chance to get the title of state champion. If this year stays on the same track, it should be a fun season to watch.

The girls run the floor during the game. Photo By: Luke Mauth

Senior Tabitha Wellsandt prepares to shoot a free throw. Photo by Luke Mauth

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Games SPORTS

Freshman Garrett Paxton and Sophomore Isaiah Brimmer defend against Kennewick. Photo By: Alejandro Andrade

Basketball team working to improve

By JOHN MANTANONA SPORTS EDITOR

T

he basketball season started with a bang, but has slowed down as the team has a 6-6 record this season. The team has been working together and has played with a maturity of an experienced unit. The coaches have been pleased with how the team has come together in this short amount of time and are keeping the same expectation of playing together and being coachable.

The team has established themselves as one of the top teams in the MCC as they are 3-3 so far in league this season. Team basketball has been a main point for the team this season, and it has shown so far.

This team is working hard in practice and it has transferred into the games. “The kids have worked extremely hard on becoming more fundamental and learning to play against pressure. Those fundamentals have really started to show in the game,” Coach Brian Meneely said when talking about the teams’ practice habits. They have been putting in hard work during practice, something that people on the outside don’t see.

The team is working hard in practice to improve their overall team game and to dominate in all facets of the game. A strength of this team is that they are lengthy and they have great versatility inside, but they are looking to improve as an offensive team. The defense has been a strength of the team as well, holding teams to an average of 49 points per game.

The team this season has brought up a few underclassmen and they have greatly contributed to the success of the team. They have stepped in during big moments in the game and have contributed greatly to the team. Watching the underclassmen grow and start to integrate into the program has been good and the team looks set to make a playoff run this season. “The underclassmen have adjusted nicely to the speed of the game. Lately we have faced some pretty athletic teams, and we have had minimal turnovers. That is always a great sign because it means they are not getting rushed and making poor decisions to the speed of the game,” Coach Meneely said.

The basketball team has suffered some growing pains though, as they went through a five game losing streak after starting the season 5-1. “Just staying fundamental as a team,

talking on defense and just staying together,” senior Tyler Herman said when talking about how the team has worked through adversity during games. The resilience and the attitude of the basketball team hasn’t changed throughout all of the rough moments they have faced this season.

The student section cheering during a game. Photo by: Luke Mauth

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Reviews A journey ‘Into the Woods’

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

O

nce upon a time, on Nov 5, 1987, a musical called ‘Into the Woods’ premiered on Broadway. And now, almost three decades later, the fairy tale mash-up has made it to the big screen. ‘Woods’ starts with the main characters--Jack (from Jack and the Beanstalk, portrayed by Daniel Huttlestone), Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), and a baker and his wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt)-singing about what they wish for, setting up the beginning of the story. Jack wishes that his cow, Milky White, would give milk. Cinderella wishes to go to the festival that the king is holding in her village. The baker and his wife wish to have a child.

From here, a slew of other fairytale characters are introduced, including Red Riding Hood and the wolf, two ‘Prince Charmings,’ and a witch (Meryl Streep) who placed a curse on the baker’s family line that will prevent him from ever having children. To lift the curse, the baker and his wife have to get four things for the witch: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold.

This is the premise for Act One, which brings all the main characters together across intersecting storylines.

Such a production can only work when there’s a lot of effort put into making sure that all the elements that tell the story come together to form one cohesive narrative. In some movies, CGI effects are flashy or overused or even laughable, depending on their quality. However, with ‘Woods,’ the digital animation made some of the scenes feel like they were going to pop right out of the screen. Along with the effects, every actor’s voice fit extremely well with their characters--but more importantly, when they were singing in chorus, their voices blended.

Act Two entails a twist ending that will have theater-goers on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what happens next. ‘Woods’ gave the characters their happy endings and then asked them if they were really all that happy.

‘The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies’

Another long CGI journey

By ETHAN SESSIONS STAFF REPORTER

The majority of the newest Hobbit movie can be summed up with five words and an abbreviation: “Greed, and excessive amounts of CGI.” Peter Jackson did a much better job on ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ compared to the previous Hobbit movies. However, Jackson still left much more to be desired, and he also left in much more than was needed.

The film starts by ending the cliffhanger of the previous movie. Smaug, the great dragon that destroyed the town of Dale and captured the kingdom of Erebor, begins the movie by dying in an extremely melodramatic way within the first 10 minutes of the show. While the opening scene can be mocked by how easily Smaug died, it still did its job of setting the overall theme of the movie. The corruption of greed can be seen by many characters all throughout the movie.

Beyond this first scene, the quality of the movie picks up dramatically. Richard Armitage’s portrayal of Thorin, the newly enthroned dwarf king who is being driven to the edge of insanity by

sheer amounts of gold and lust to find the Arkenstone, was done exceptionally well. Same with Bilbo Baggins, the “honest burglar” whose role was played by Martin Freeman, as well as many other fantastic performances by other actors.

Then the movie returns to the same mediocrity of the opening scene. As the battle gets more and more intense, the story becomes harder and harder to follow, with many of the battle scenes looking like a computer tried to simulate what would happen if a bunch of dungeons and dragons figurines were thrown into a washing machine. With many of the characters moving in ways that don’t quite look natural and with Azog the Defiler looking like a walking piece of plastic, the movie could have done with using less computer generated characters.

Aside from the moments that were hard to follow and the poorly done CGI, the rest of the movie was done exceedingly well.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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An amazing experience at the Alley

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

small restaurant located on the corner of Creekstone Drive and 27th Avenue that serves amazing food with a great ambiance and amazing service, what else could anyone want? The Alley, an artsy type restaurant with all these things, is the answer.

The small restaurant gave off an almost barlike quality while being completely family friendly. The establishment had a huge variety of seating choices such as large booths to fit six or seven, smaller booths for four, along with high tables scattered around to give a rustic feel. Each table of the darkly lit restaurant was accompanied by perfectly adjusted lights so each plate of food was lit up for the person who enjoyed a meal.

The ambiance wasn’t the only thing that was incredible; the food was amazing. The start to any good meal is a good salad, and that was what was served. The very fresh and large salads were an amazing start to the whole dinner.

The entrées were phenomenal as well.

A delicious recommendation that anyone could enjoy would be the Alley Pub Burger with Kobe beef. The bacon aioli sauce that can be paired with the succulent burger is to die for. The brioche roll the burger was served on added a bit of sweetness to the slight kick left in the back of one’s throat by the aioli.

Another amazing choice is the rib eye steak. This steak is new to the restaurant with its new owners, and it was completely delicious. It was grilled to perfection and seasoned just right. The green beans served with the meal were also fresh and lovely.

Another amazing thing about The Alley is their staff. Even though the place was fairly busy, the wait staff was very attentive throughout the whole night. The service was definitely a great touch to the amazing food and beautiful atmosphere.

Overall, the whole experience was completely wonderful. The food was great, the atmosphere was great, and the food was great.

‘Annie’: The modernized classic

By NATALIE DOWNARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The latest remake of the 1977 Broadway musical, ‘Annie,’ which opened in theaters on Dec. 19, is a must see film.

Not only is it full of laugh out loud scenes, it also features heart- wrenching and heartwarming scenes.

This movie features Quvenzhané Wallis, who does a phenomenal job portraying orphan Annie. She is funny, adorable, and smart- everything that one would expect in Annie. Wallis will make you laugh and may even cause a few tears with her moving emotions in some scenes. She not only is an awesome actor. Her singing is astounding as well, and she does a great job with all her solos and musical numbers. Wallis was the perfect girl to be casted for this role.

The other headline star is Jamie Foxx, who plays Will Stacks-the modern day version of Daddy Warbucks. He also is the perfect man for the job. Throughout the movie,

the audience watches as Stacks (Foxx) makes a complete transformation. Once a pompous, self-centered, greedy businessman, Stacks turns out to be a caring, generous, and loving father. Foxx also does a surprisingly good job on his musical numbers.

Other notable actors in the movie are Cameron Diaz, who plays the awful Ms. Hannagan, Bobby Cannavale, who plays one of Stack’s business consultants, and Rose Byrne, who plays Stack’s assistant and love interest, Grace. Overall the casting for this movie is spot-on.

The movie was a very well done remake. One of the highlights of the movie was the inclusion of many of the original Annie songs. Some that were included in the movie were “It’s the Hard Knock Life” and “Tomorrow.”

Student poll grades school

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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‘Hate List’ an interesting read

By SIERRA REAMS STAFF REPORTER

B

eing blamed for something you didn’t do can be hard.

But what if it was because your boyfriend shot up your school using the list you two made of all the people who you hate as the targets?

In the novel ‘Hate List’ by Jennifer Brown, Valerie’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire at the beginning of a normal school day in the cafeteria, harming many people in the large room.

Before everything that had happened, Val and Nick had made a list of everyone in the school they hated and who had wronged them in the years past. So when Nick used the list to pick who he would shoot, Valerie had to go on trial as a part of the crime.

After five months of recovery, Valerie is going back to school to start her senior year. With all the guilt she feels and the memory of her boyfriend, whom she still loves after the

things he did to the school and to her haunting the halls and memories of the past, Valerie must come to terms with the loss of friendships, the loss of her first love, and the relationship with her own family.

‘Hate List’ does skip around from the day of the shooting to the first day of Valerie’s senior year. This book has a lot of details adding to the very intricate plot and setting. You start to become a part of the story and a part of everyone’s story who was there and who lost someone close to them that day.

This book is very good, but also sad, with all the loss that happens. It gives people a new perspective on the events of some school shootings and the people involved. ‘Hate List’ is not based on a true story.

The Illuminati: Not Just a Triangle

By SPENCER HOLLE STAFF REPORTER

Beware! The Illuminati has taken over the media! Although not in the way it is depicted, media is obsessed with the Illuminati and often makes humorous accusations of celebrities and blockbusters as these secret conspirators. Others jokingly claim that they are part of the Illuminati, but this secret society is no laughing matter and shouldn’t be spoken of highly.

This group has its roots in 18th century Belgium, and was started with the intent of freeing mankind from the binds of the church, and enlighten the world of true social equality through what they called the New World Order. The leader of Belgium worked with the Roman Catholic Church to eliminate the newly formed society which, at its height, reached around 2,000 members throughout Europe. Although that is all that we truly know about the organization, many chilling conspiracies are what make the Illuminati so mystifying to the world.

The most prominent theory of the Illuminati is that they still exist today, living through the media, and most importantly, our own Hollywood, and send their secret propaganda throughout movies, but who hasn’t heard of that? Others

believe that the Illuminati are passionate Satan worshipers, that the enlightener that they worship is not God or knowledge, but rather the Devil himself. The final conspiracy is that the Illuminati has secretly already taken control of the governments of the world so as to prepare the way for the Antichrist, or the son of Satan, who was prophesized to rule the world’s governments for 42 months in preparation for the Rapture.

Some even believe that America itself was born in the eyes of the Illuminati, with the help of the Freemasons, who were known collaborators with the Illuminati. The Freemasons had a prominent prevalence in the American Revolution, and it is widely believed that they were the ones who put the all-seeing-eye on the one dollar bill, a symbol of both the Freemasons and the Illuminati.

Although the possibility of the Illuminati actually existing today is extremely thin, one would think that the Illuminati would surely be grateful for all the free publicity. With the constant obsession over the Illuminati, it seems that the organization doesn’t need control of Hollywood and Washington DC because they’ve already manipulated the masses into believing in the New World Order.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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FRIDAY, JAN. 23, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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