2014 15 issue 5 by Laurie Bender

VOLUME 39• ISSUE 5•FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015• KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA 99336

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Dating Trends around campus By SAMUEL PERRINS STAFF REPORTER

Caption: Sophomores AyJay Mulholland, left, and Koby Bailey, right.

ove seems to be in the air on campus, probably because February is the month of Valentine’s Day. Boyfriends are buying their girlfriends flowers and chocolates, some lucky guys or gals are going on their first dates, and matches are being made all around the world. Every relationship is special and unique, but these special relationships follow trends and may be different now than in the past. It has been said that love has no boundaries. Most people, however, seem to have restrictions when it comes to dating. Freshman Moziaah Vergara said, “I can’t date until I’m 16 and I can’t steady date.” This may sound familiar. Many people

are given rules by their parents about relationships with the opposite gender. Waiting until you’ve reached an appropriate age is a very popular one. Even if parents do not approve of their child being in steady relationships, young couples can still be seen almost anywhere on campus. When asked what she enjoyed most about her relationship, senior Rebecca Helmann said, “We’re really relaxed around each other. Even if we’re just hanging out, he could just be on his computer and I’ll be on his phone on my bed, and we just enjoy spending time together.” These couples around campus defy some of the dating trends occurring in the last few years. These trends suggest that less

high school students are dating. In fact, statistics show that the percentage of seniors who did not date at all went up from 14 percent in 1991 to 36 percent in 2012. These trends are constant with 10th and 8th graders,too. Around here, trends that we notice include twinning outfits, overloading friends’ social media feeds with pictures of teens and their lovers, and stopping to chat in very inconvenient places- such as doorways, in front of people’s lockers, or in the middle of the hallway. One thing has remained constant over the years. Popular dating activities such as going to see a movie, dinner dates, and hanging out at each other’s houses are the most common activities.

Personality type: introvert and extrovert Introvert

By SIERRA REAMS STAFF REPORTER

“Solitude matters, and for some people, it’s the air they breathe,” said Susan Cain, author of the New York Times Bestselling book ‘Quiet’. Often people who are quiet or reserved are seen as “shy” when in reality they are simply introverts. What is an introvert? The term introvert is used to describe individuals who gain their energy from spending time alone and whose energy is drained by being around others. They are more involved with the inner mind, exploring their thoughts, feelings, and events of their day. Various studies have shown that about one out of two or three people you know and

interact with are introverts. Introverts are characterized by their tendencies to retreat into their inner selves. They are very self-aware and thoughtful. After attending social gatherings, they need to spend time on their own to “recharge”. This is very contrasting to their counterparts, extroverts, who need to socialize with others to “recharge”. Introverts see small talk as tedious and monotonous, but they revel in deep and meaningful conversation. This world is primarily run by people who are outgoing and outspoken, or in other words, extroverts. However, many influential leaders have been introverts. So introverts can be social. They just prefer the company of themselves.

Take the quiz to find out which one you are! 1. I prefer one-on-one conversations over group activities. Yes 2. I enjoy being alone. Yes

out highly stimulating environments. In 1990, a study showed that many extroverts tend to wear more decorative clothing. Also, extroverts tend to be a lot happier, and their happiness tends to last a lot longer, even as long as some decades. Some scientists think that the happiness may come from the fact that they try to hang on to the good memories that have happened in the past. Extroverts are more sensitive to rewarding social situations compared to introverts.

By EMILY BAER STAFF REPORTER

Some may wonder what an extrovert is. Or even what makes someone an extrovert. The psychological definition of an extrovert is a person who is concerned primarily with the physical and social environment which means that they are outgoing people and want the company of others all the time. Certain characteristics make up an extrovert. For example, usually they are outspoken, outgoing people. They normally like to be informed about what is going on in the outside world. According to Eysenck’s theory, extroverts seek

Directions: Answer yes or no to the following quiz questions No

10. I often express myself through writing. Yes

11. I seem to care less than my peers about wealth, fame, & status. Yes

3. I enjoy talking in depth about things that matter to me. Yes 4. I’m not a big risk taker. Yes

Extrovert

12. I’ve been told I am a good listener. Yes

6. I prefer not to show my work to others until it is finished. Yes 7. I do my best work alone. Yes

13. I enjoy work that allows me to dive in with few interruptions. Yes

5. I like small scale birthday parties with one or two close friends. Yes

14. People describe me as soft-spoken or mellow. Yes 15. I dislike conflict. Yes

16. I tend to think before I speak. Yes

8. I feel drained after being out & about, even if I’ve enjoyed myself. Yes No

17. I often let calls go to voice mail. Yes

9. I don’t enjoy multitasking. Yes

18. In classrooms, I prefer lectures to seminars. Yes

No No

If you answered yes to the majority of the questions above, you are definitely

If you answered no to the majority of the questions above, you are definitely

an INTROVERT.

an EXTROVERT.

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk Kamiakin High School

Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Street racing pushing Kennewick to the edge By SPENCER HOLLE STAFF REPORTER

he roar of the engine, the flash of the city lights, the sheer intrigue of danger. Teens and adults alike flock to the underground racing scene to experience these feelings firsthand. It’s a little-known fact that street racing is rampant in the Tri-City area, especially in Kennewick. Kennewick nights are not unaccustomed to the sound of thundering engines and skidding tires, but its homeowners are completely fed up with it. Night after night, every weekend, dozens of loud cars can be heard all the way throughout the Hansen Park neighborhood, thoroughly frustrating hundreds of people. It’s now become a recurring activity for many of these drivers, an event which keeps them constantly day-

dreaming of the next race. Unfortunately for the rest of Kennewick, these races take place on the streets, putting lives in danger. In an interview with one of the racers, The Tri-City Herald was told that the races were carefully planned out every week. Their plans vary quite often, when courses, times, and locations change every weekend. Although safety is of high concern to these daredevils, over the last year there have been over 1,000 reports of reckless driving. This not only poses a problem to the people of Kennewick, but to the police force as well. As squad cars dot themselves all the way down Clearwater, it would appear that the men and women in uniform are making a major crack-down on reckless drivers. Flashing red and

blue lights lining the streets suggest frequent arrests are being made in order to combat these dangerous foes. What makes these people want to race down populated streets at blazing speeds at the risk of being arrested? “For me, it was all about the adrenaline and the excitement of the moment,” said an anonymous senior In many cities similarly confronted by this same issue, there have been solutions to reduce these races. Racing tracks have been built in response to negligent drivers in the hopes that they will be able to channel their inner lead-foot in a safer and more civilized manner. In addition, it is said that these racers can bring in a good amount of revenue to the tracks as well.

Winter One Acts: students stepping up to the plate and onto the stage By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Every year, a band of talented drama students works together without much or even any help from the adult staff. These students choose, and sometimes even write, their own plays. They choose the whole cast, costumes, every last detail. These student directed plays are the beloved One Acts, the opening nights being Thursday Feb. 26 and Friday Feb. 27. ‘Stardust,’ directed by junior Blake Britten, is one of these short one acts. The story revolves around two teens – Jill Fault as Luanne and Tanner Jones as Arthur – who find love in each other despite their individual struggles. “The story is about imperfecSophomore Joe Pickard performs during a rehearsal of ‘A tion and acceptance, while Play on Words’ directed by Britt Henderson. After this mo- also being relatable to the aument, Pickard was praised for being so ‘into his character.’ dience,” Britten explained. “I Photo by Chloe Grundmeier. chose this play because it is so painfully awkward while also being so honest,” she said. ‘Clueless,’ directed by se-

nior Branden Schwartz, is just what it sounds like. Two teens are trying to set up their friends who like each other but are completely clueless about the fact that either of them cares for the other. This play stars senior Brandon Granberry as Michael, sophomore AyJay Mulholland as Rachel, senior Britt Henderson as Matthew, and senior Victoria Coronado as Lilly. Senior Britt Henderson went above and beyond with his short play ‘A Play On Words.’ Henderson wrote and directed this play while having to deal with all the other crises that come along with rehearsal. By the title, one can only assume the dialogue is full of puns, and they’d be correct. Henderson said, “I mostly just had the passion to write a play about puns – hence the title. I got the idea to put it in the setting of the dance, and there’s love triangles and it’s all just crazy and super awkward.” ‘A Play on Words’

stars sophomore Joe Pickard, senior Jill Faulk, senior Nate Davis, and sophomore CharLee Bethje. Senior Victoria Coronado has directed ‘The Game,’ a play about the life and death of two people – a poet and a dancer who go to the same place to commit suicide while life and death stand by watching and gambling for their lives. Coronado has cast junior Chandler James as Death, junior Kayla Roles as Life, senior Tanner Larson as Youth, and junior Emily Fiske as the unnamed but all important Girl. ’10 Ways to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse’ directed by Ryan Cranston is another humorous play. The two leads – senior Tanner Larson and senior Mikayla Miller as the narrators – explain the ‘best’ ways to survive the zombie apocalypse. This play also has a fairly large cast with junior Maggie McLain as Christy, senior Tawny Becker as Su-

zie, freshman Easton Clem as Jimmy, junior Brian Ayers as Sam, and a handful of other students as zombies. The final one act, directed by sophomore CharLee Bethje and sophomore Sam Petersen, is ‘The Waiting Room.’ “We have thirteen people in our cast, and it was kind of hard to cast that many people and we ended up casting a lot of inexperienced actors so we could give them a bit of experience,” Bethje said. “They try to work really hard and sometimes it’s hard to wrangle them up, but we’ve succeeded so far.” This play stars freshman Adam DeFord as Daniel James Underwood, a man who is trapped in a waiting room that some like to compare to purgatory. Some people are called back until there is one man left alone. “He is brought in and he’s really confused about why he’s there, and it just escalates,” said Bethje.

Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

What we think... 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: Chloe Grundmeier News Feature Editor: Sam Perrins 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, Emily Baer, Noah Erhart, Spencer Holle, Lindsay Lepper, Luke Mauth, Katelyn Neal, Samuel Perrins, Parker Pruneda, Sierra Reams, Rhiannon Rogers, 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.

Leelah’s death could’ve been prevented: stop discriminating against transgender citizens

girl tells her parents a huge piece of news about her life. Because of this news, she is cut off from the outside world. Her phone is taken. Her internet is taken. Her parents force her out of school to keep her as isolated as possible. She is then sent to conversion therapy. She is called by the wrong name. Because of all these horrible things she’s been put through, she commits suicide. The news was “I’m not a boy.” Leelah Alcorn, 17, was this girl. She was born in 1997 as Joshua Alcorn. At the age of 14, she came out to her parents as transgender. Her disillusioned parents refused to accept her identity, and they continued to call her Joshua instead of Leelah, the name she’d requested. She was put through hell so her parents could “turn her back into a boy.” Transgender rights are a far overlooked and a very important necessity in today’s society. So many transgender teens are forced into conversion therapy (a range of treatments that aim to change the sexual orientation/ identity of an individual) and are misgendered

or misnamed daily. So many other horrible things are forced upon transgender individuals, especially transgender teens. Forty-one percent of these persons have attempted suicide at some point in their lives, compared to 12 percent of all Americans. This suicide rate is alarmingly high and needs to be lowered. Many ignorant people still use slurs against transgender persons, which is only causing this enormously high suicide rate to grow more and more. It’s 2015. Insulting an entire group of people with one stupid comment is just a horribly disrespectful thing to do. Leelah’s suicide note explained her whole story about how her parents telling her that she was wrong about her gender identity made her hate herself. So many transgender people have this same mindset forced upon them by their parents and their peers, and this mindset just needs to go away. To remove this mindset from today’s society, slurs, conversion therapy, and refusing to call someone by the name they wished to be called is the way this can be achieved.

Is the length of the cheer skirts hypocritical? By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

One of the most frequent complaints around Kamiakin is the extremely strict dress code. So when on the topic of revealing clothing, some students are offended by the discrimination between the everyday skirt or dress and the cheerleaders’ skirts. The dress code requires that skirts and dresses worn by students and teachers have to be at least to the wearer’s mid-thigh with a four inch inseam. So why, as many students have noticed, are the cheer skirts allowed to be shorter than the dress code allows? Some students have had to change their clothes for having clothes that did not meet the dress code standards, but they feel like their clothing item was more appropriate than the length of the skirts. In one instance, a student who would like to remain anonymous was wearing a pair of shorts that were seen as too short, and was required to change. She felt that her shorts were longer than the length of the cheer skirts. “I was really upset because I was wearing my shorts on the same day that all the cheerleaders were wearing their uniforms and my shorts were apparently a distraction,” said the student. Many students feel like it is unfair that they are often sent to change their clothing and sometimes sent to ISS (in school suspension) or detention for their clothing, but the cheerleaders

not only get to wear their uniforms to school, but are strongly encouraged to wear them on game days. “I personally think it’s unfair because if there is a dress code, it should be followed equally by every individual without exclusions,” said junior Kaylee Zuhlke. So why are the cheer skirts allowed to be worn at school? Security officer Carl Hamilton said, “The cheer skirts are WIAA sanctioned uniforms. If a wrestler was on campus in his wrestling uniform, you might say that’s pretty inappropriate for school but it’s still WIAA sanctioned.”

Photo courtesy of: Shaina Ruppelius

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Should the amount of required credits be raised? By PARKER PRUNEDA STAFF REPORTER

he school district has recently changed the required credits for the class of 2020 and up. There isn’t a lot of praise for this decision, as would be expected. Most people don’t see the need to change the credit requirement and don’t understand why the Kennewick School District would make such a drastic switch. Twenty-four credits will translate into more work and focus, but it will also teach students more and prepare them better for college. Not many students will be happy about this change, but not many students like school as

it is even though they know it’s vital for their future. It’s common to see students start college but never finish. With this added requirement, students may be better off in college, and it may lower the rate of college dropouts. Out of 3 million college students, 33 percent of them drop out. Out of those dropouts, 25 percent are freshmen. Not only that, 40 percent of 4.5 million students leave college without a degree. Something needs to happen to eliminate this bad trend and keep more students in higher education. The fourth most popular reason for leaving school is unpreparedness. Teacher Tim Bisson

says, “More rigorous education, the demand to take other classes and pass them” may help. Rigorous education can be a big plus because students can’t relax when it comes to school and think it’s okay to fail a class because they can retake it. They will be forced to pass their classes and not take education too lightly. They will learn school is a serious matter and that they must work for a good grade to give them a brighter future. Along with more credits, students will have less room to slack off and they will have to crack down on classes in order to pass them just to get enough credits. Bisson also spoke on the differences,

Con

Pro

“Obviously it means that students can’t fail any of the classes. What I think will happen is that we might possibly go to a seven period day instead of a six, maximizing students’ ability to pass those classes.” One of the biggest adjustments is how the students have to stay focused on studies and work as hard as possible to pass their classes. This could also produce a better average GPA for the students. Bisson said, “Well hopefully students will pass everything they take, but I’m guessing Thirty-three percent of college students drop out of higher sooner than later we education and 25 percent that leave are freshmen. Photo will have to adjust the courtesy of classesandcareers.com system.”

By SAMUEL PERRINS STAFF REPORTER

ith the c h a n g e of credits required to graduate, concerns have arisen with students. The idea behind it and the movement to encourage students to try harder in school is great, but adding more credits is not the way to do it. Requiring students of the class of 2020 and onward to take more classes and pass every single one of them adds more pressure and stress. In a survey conducted The following graph shows the results of a survey conducted by USA Today of 1,018 by USA Today, 1,018 teens (ages 13-17) and 1,950 adults (18+) for the American Psychological Association, students and 1,950 August 2013. Photo courtesy of USA Today. adults were asked where the stress level of teenagers is at. The

survey reported that 18 percent said their stress level was low, while 27 percent said their stress level was high or extreme. The remaining 55 percent of students stated their stress level was moderate. After the change from 21 credits required to graduate to 24 credits, these statistics could greatly change for the worse. The more credits required, the more classes that will need to be taken. The Kennewick School District currently operates on a six period schedule, where students can take six classes during the day. The 24 credit requirement will interfere with students’

choices of registering for their desired classes, and they will be forced to take classes that will achieve the credit limit to graduate. “I think this change will limit the electives they can take. Therefore, I do not think that it’s a good idea,” said Tami Smith, mother of seventh grader Stanford Smith. “I would like my kids to have the opportunity to take seminary without having to take a zero hour. So not only will it affect my student, it could potentially affect my entire family because I do not want to have to take all of my six kids to a zero hour class just so they can take the electives they would like to take,”

said Smith. Most of the elective classes that students can take are directed to their interests. The school district’s change in credits required will cause students to have to set their dreams aside and take classes that will please the administrators and get them the 24 high school credits. One example is seminary, an off campus religious studies class. Seminary does not get you an elective credit, so students before had to take extra zero hour classes or waive PE to take it. Students dedicated to taking seminary will now have to work extremely hard to get these three additional credits.

Chief Legends IN-DEPTH

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

School proves to be a major source of stress By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

tudents are expected to go to school, have good grades, participate in extracurricular activities, be social, and get eight to ten hours of sleep. With students going to school for about seven hours a day, spending an average of three and a half hours on homework every night, and adding the eight hours of sleep, that only leaves students with five and a half hours to do things like eat, socialize, participate in extracurricular activities, and other things needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle. With all of these factors, why do adults still wonder why teens are so stressed? In a study in Baltimore, students were in-

terviewed about what caused their stress. Seventy-eight percent of the students said that their main stressor was school. Stress can cause moodiness, irritability, agitation, and mental overload, as well as a sense of loneliness and isolation, and even depression. Many teens do not know how to deal with their stress and often don’t deal with it at all. Many parents also do not believe that their kids are too stressed out. In another study, when parents were asked if they believed that their child was stressed, only 28 percent said yes. It doesn’t seem like the long school days or amount of homework that students receive will change any time soon, so how can students reduce their stress levels?

People can fight stress by eating well balanced meals regularly, drinking less caffeine, getting enough sleep, and exercising on a regular basis. Often, when people don’t know how to deal with stress in a helpful way, stress can become too much to deal with and they will begin to feel depressed and feel like giving up. These are danger signs that sometimes lead to drug or alcohol abuse, self-mutilation, and even suicide. When these feelings appear, it is important to contact a trusted source or a crisis hotline to receive help, like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-2738255.

Seniors Noelle Wadlow and Brandon Schwartz slave over their textbooks as they study. Photo by Staci Trivett

Finland’s education raising the bar compared to America’s complacency By ANDY HA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

he United States has a high school graduation rate of 81 percent. Finland has a high school graduation rate of 95 percent. That 14 percent may not seem like such a huge difference, but it really is. Finland is ranked fifth among developed nations in education, while the United States is placed at 14th. The United States graduation rate is the highest it’s ever been, which is pretty bad when Finland has always had a consistency in the percentage of graduates. This is a big problem for the United States, especially considering the fact that we are looked at as a global superpower and Finland is the size of Minnesota. Finnish students start school at the age of seven while American students start school around the age of three and four, but Finland has beat the United States in math, reading, and science. How? While Finnish students don’t start

school until they are seven, all of the children under seven have the right to child care and preschool by law, regardless of family income. Because of this, over 97 percent of kids aged three to six attend some kind of day care or schooling. Minister of education and science Krista Kiuru states that the key to Finland’s universal preschool system is quality. “First of all, it’s all about having high quality teachers; Day care teachers have Bachelor’s degrees. So we trust our teachers, and that’s very, very important.” Finland’s education system overall is fairly laid back compared to the United States. What could be done to improve the United States education system? There are several ways to solve this issue at hand. The first possible solution is to have a consistency within the education system in all 50 states. Another possibility is to have higher standards for teachers who are going to be teaching students. Pasi Sahlberg, a

Finnish education expert and the director of the Center for International Mobility and Cooperation in Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture states that in Finland, “teachers are required to have a three-year master’s degree, state-funded, before teaching.” These education positions are highly coveted, so only one in 10 primary school teacher applicants get accepted.

The last thing the United States can do is to follow in the steps of the Finland education system.They have less homework than their peers in other countries. A child's socioeconomic background is less of an impediment to academic performance. Finland also has only instead of the many feared standardized tests that American school systems administrate.

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Chief Legends In Depth

American schools setting the wrong goals By SPENCER HOLLE STAFF REPORTER

tudents have said it time and time again, but to no avail. After spending two hours trying to understand the lecture in algebra, the ever-recurring question, “When am I ever going to use this?” comes to mind. Even when confronted with this question, teachers almost never have a valid explanation as to why we spend years trying to solve for x. Sadly, after years and years of schooling, teens are later found asking themselves how to manage a budget, file taxes, or even

apply for a job, but the formula of finding an object's momentum and genres of mythology are fresh in their brains. If knowing how to diagram a pentagon using plot points comes in handy when students are busy in accounting, then the U.S. education system would be spotless. The only problem is that it doesn’t. Now that the world revolves heavily around the use of technology, computer skills are steadily becoming more and more necessary, yet schools are making waiving computer competency easier and easier.

Likewise, a high school physical education is vital to an individual’s health and now schools are able to let their students waltz around these classes by passing a test showing that they know how to throw a basketball. In today’s universities, students are given the expectation that if they pursue a degree, they will get it by paying attention in school. But out of the students who plan to get a bachelor’s degree, only 25 percent of them will actually earn one. This is mostly attributed to the fact that students are told that their knowledge in their field is

what will get them hired. This simply isn’t true. While today’s employers do take education into consideration, graduates are much more likely to succeed if they have the certain skills and drive it takes to work that job. Since modern jobs are more geared towards better skill sets, it would make more sense to teach kids to pursue what they truly want and have the skills to do. Until the school system’s values are changed, material taught in current classes will only be preparing an ineffective workforce.

Inadequate sex Eduction yeilds poor results By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

ith the size of the U.S., it isn’t a surprise that some areas teach different concepts and ideas than others. There are always the good schools and the bad schools, schools with more money, schools that focus on their athletics programs and schools that don’t. On some subjects, there’s a startlingly large gap in what is taught from district to district and state to state. One of the most crucial subjects is the most dreaded couple of weeks of every high school health class: sex ed. With other facets of education--reading, math, writing, etc.—there’s always a curriculum. No matter how the teacher feels about the subject, or certain parts of teaching the subject, the material still has to be taught and the students still have to retain the information. But with sex education, there are many accounts of teachers skimming over some material while completely covering others. In this school district, information is given about basic contraception (condoms) and the effects and prevention of STDs. In another, the subject material may be completely different. Problems like this could be solved--and students could all be given the same opportunities to learn about the risk of STDs and the use of contraception--if there was one united standard across the entire country. This, however, looks to be largely impossible to coordinate due to (primarily southern) states lobbying for abstinence-only sex education. Experts have debated on whether or not abstinence-only “works” (prevents teen pregnancies and infections with STDs, etc.), and many have come to the conclusion that it doesn’t. Federal reports have affirmed that abstinence-only programs had “no impacts on rates of sexual abstinence,” If anything, abstinence-only programs

result in more teen pregnancies than with other programs, since students aren’t taught about contraception. A study at the University of Washington found that those who receive a well-rounded sex education are 60 percent less likely to get someone else pregnant, or get pregnant themselves. According to Advocates for Youth, 88 percent of pledge takers in virginity pledge programs initiated sex prior to marriage. Due to how these pledge takers were educated, they were also more susceptible to contraction of STDs, and less likely to get themselves tested.

Additionally, most of the governmentfunded abstinence-only programs were found to contain false or misleading information about reproductive health, including the effectiveness of contraception and the risks of abortion. This isn’t the 18th century. As society moves onward and upward, the structure of the system must change to accommodate new ideas. What is acceptable now might not have been acceptable (or even spoken of) a century or two ago…but then a century or two ago, education as a whole was an exclusive item reserved only for the elite.

Only 18 states – and Washington D.C. – require that, when provided, sex education must include information on contraception but only 12 of these 18 require sex education at all. Photo courtesy of The Huffington Post.

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FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Games SPORTS

Wrestling season defined by success Junior Frankie Garcia wrestles with Southridge’s Trenton Nett. Photo By: John Mantanona

By JOHN MANTANONA SPORTS EDITOR

he wrestling team had a great season this year. At the start of the year people didn’t know what to expect from this young, new team, but the team reached their potential, and then some. This season, the wrestling team sent the most people to the State tournament in 39 years. The wrestling season has been defined by hard work, determination, and a strong sense of becoming a team. The wrestling season is long, and brutal on the body, but the wrestlers this season have shown a toughness and leadership beyond their years. Throughout the year they have been waking up early to get to six am practice, then they have another practice after school. The boys pushed their bodies to the limit in their relentless pursuit of winning titles. The regular season for the team went well, as the wrestlers had a record of four wins and two losses. The two losses came off close duels and after each loss the team gained more resolve to make the season a good one. Junior Nick Little said, “It was a lot more of a team atmosphere and less about the individual which really helped.” when asked about how the team came back after losing the duels.

As the regular season drew to a close, the District tournament loomed. At Districts, the wrestling team had an amazing showing. Going into the tournament as almost an underdog, the wrestlers came out and surprised many of their opponents. The team had tough matches all day against their district foes and they routinely came out on top. With the strong showing in the District tournament, the boys sent seventeen wrestlers to the Regional tournament which was held in Kelso. They sent the most wrestlers to regionals than any other school in our district and they were barely edged out by Southridge for the overall team title. The Regional tournament was another impressive showing by the wrestling team not only as a whole, but individually as well. The team came into this tournament a serious contender for the Regional title, and many individual state berths. The wrestling team had six wrestlers who qualified for State, and they had an additional three who were selected to be alternates. To become selected to go to the State tournament, a wrestler has to finish in the top four in their weight class in the Regional tournament. The six wrestlers who qualified for the State tournament are: freshman Ri-

ley Gurr, sophomore Cyle DeLeon, juniors Nick Little and Frankie Garcia, and seniors Damien Gouldy and Colton DeLeon. They also sent three alternates to State as well. The season was drawing to a close as the State tournament was upon them, and the wrestlers were looking to build on their momentum from Districts and Regionals. On the first day of the tournament, Gurr and Little beat their opponents to advance to the next day. Gouldy took a harder route to get to the second day of wrestling, but he made it there as well. “I was happy that I made it to State, and after I won my first two matches, I was excited for the opportunity to place,” Little said. Frankie Garcia, along with Colton and Cyle DeLeon, were knocked out of the tournament on the first day, finishing their season on the State tournament stage. In the second day of wrestling, Gooldy got seventh place, Little got fourth and Gurr made it to the finals in his weight class, but lost a hard match and got second place. Overall this season has been a great one for the Braves, and is a great sign for what is to come in the future for our wrestling program.

Basketball season drawing to a close By LUKE MAUTH STAFF REPORTER

Freshman Garrett Paxton goes up for a layup agains Southridge. Photo by: Tri City Herald

The winter sport seasons are coming to a close. With basketball, each team has had its own success. With the boys it came at the end of their season. Their regular season was okay ending two games under .500 with a 6-8 conference record and a 10-10 record overall. During the middle of their season, the boys hit a rough patch, losing five games in a row, putting them in a tough spot. Then it seemed they grew together as a team and started playing like they were a team. Coach Brian Meneely said, “Kids started to understand what they needed to do to be successful and they reacted well to adversity and how they came together as a team and didn’t care about the stats they put up.” In the first half of the season, the boys had a five game losing streak but really pulled Senior Lindsey Schauble high-fives fans during player in- together and put together a good last half of the season which has lead them to be one troductions. Photo by: Tri City Herald game out of the state tournament. Sadly

though, they lost against Shadle Park endding their season. The girls team put together an amazing season with a 10-4 conference record and 10-6 overall record. They are now on their way to the state tournament with their solid victory over Shadle Park. With how they’ve been playing this season, they should have a good shot of getting placed well this year. They had a couple close games during the season but most of the time pulled out the win. With both teams losing quite a few seniors, it will be tough for them to get replacements for the talented players. The boys will lose three players, and two of them are starters. The girls will lose five seniors, four of them starters. It will be interesting to see what the coaches do in the offseason. Coach Meneely said, “Hard work in the offseason--that’s the only way to replace that kind of senior leadership.”

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Reviews

Ella Henderson’s ‘Chapter One’: The Next Adele

By ANDY HA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

n 2012, the world was introduced to a then 16-year-old singer, Ella Henderson. Henderson was a finalist on The X Factor UK. She placed sixth overall during the ninth season of the show despite being a strong favorite to win. Not winning did not stop Henderson from success. Shortly after The X Factor, Henderson signed with Simon Cowell’s record label, Syco Music, and Columbia Records, which is the home to artists such as Adele and One Direction. So Henderson was set to make her world debut. ‘Chapter One’, Henderson’s debut, was released in the U.S. in January. The album starts with the Ryan Tedder penned song, “Ghost”. The track served as her debut single and has peaked in the top 40 in the U.S. The track is just the beginning of a vocally powerful and driven album. Henderson, who cowrote “Ghost”, along with the rest of

the album, shows a sense of maturity not only in her vocals, but in her lyrics. The last song on the album is probably the most emotional song. The song, “Missed”, is very heartfelt and touching. The track was actually first heard when Henderson auditioned for The X Factor. Henderson later went in the studio and re-recorded it and created a masterpiece. Henderson wrote the song as a way to say goodbye to her grandfather who passed away. Everything in between “Ghost” and “Missed” is also worth listening to. The track list consists of mid-tempo and piano driven ballads. The standard track list has 13 songs. Out of the 13 songs, “Empire”, “Glow”, “Mirror Man”, and “Rockets” are the standout songs, alongside “Ghost” and “Missed”. Henderson’s album could get a little boring during some songs, but it picks up right when it starts to fall.

Henderson has a way with her voice and her lyrics that just speaks to people. The album is a combination of pop and soul with some influences from jazz. A class act she is, only at the age of 19, too. Her music, compared to other artists, is like a mix of Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Etta James. Being very underrated, with ‘Chapter One’ debuting at 11 on the Billboard 200 and “Ghost” peaking at 22 on the Hot 100, Henderson deserves more recognition for her talent. But this is only just the beginning for Henderson. The “next Adele”, as people like to call Ella Henderson, still has many albums to record and many more years in her life to live, so this could just be her version of Adele’s ‘19.’ Her next album could be her global breakthrough album like ‘21,’ but we will have to wait and see. In the meantime, let’s just enjoy how great ‘Chapter One’ is.

This is Not a Drill: Edge of your seat thrill By SIERRA REAMS STAFF REPORTER

Teaching a class full of first graders French every other day should be easy for high school seniors Jake and Emery, right? But when a soldier with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) comes in with a gun and wants to take his son back, the son that has been taken away due to a custody battle, things start to turn in the wrong direction. ‘This is Not a Drill’ by Beck McDowell is a novel telling the story of Jake and Emery as they try to keep the first graders safe. It gets very intense very quick and jumps right into the action. The chapters tend to alternate between Emery’s point of view

and Jake’s, even going back to the rocky path of relationships the two share together. As Emery starts to try and get close to the soldier, Brian Stutts, Jake tries to put as much distance between Stutts and the children. This is a very good book. It starts with connecting both Jake and Emery, from the relationships to the friendships they have. ‘This is Not a Drill’ also talks about how war can affect people in many different ways, PTSD being the main one in this novel. Jake tries to stay away from Stutts as much as possible, mainly because he wants to get the kids to safety, as he secretly tries

to talk to the cops. Meanwhile, Emery is trying to get close to Stutts in order to earn his trust and encourage him to surrender for everyone’s safety, including his own. With two completely different ways of thinking about how to get the children out, Jake is holding back from attacking Stutts and trying to get the gun away. But how far would you go if it meant you would have saved the lives of 18 first graders? Would you risk your own life?

Cleats becoming a popular addition to professional athletes’ garb By PARKER PRUNEDA STAFF REPORTER

A majority of sneakers are basketball shoes. We can thank Michael Jordan for that. It’s pretty easy for professional basketball players to rock their favorite kicks while playing the sport they love. However, other pro athletes are huge shoe fanatics, too. They want to be able to wear their shoes. Now you are able to see baseball, football, golf, and more sports with famous sneaker cleats involved. Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas is signed with Jordan Brand and is frequently wearing cleat versions of Jordans. He is seen a lot of times wearing Air Jordan 6s. Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn

Lynch has also played in a green and blue color way of the Jordan 12. Major League baseball player Jeremy Guthrie of the Kansas City Royals is as big of a sneaker fan as it gets. He amazed the shoe world when he wore a Foamposite cleat on the mound to match his jersey. NBA player Ray Allen also wore Jordan 11s on the golf course. He was the talk of the week on sneaker blogs. It almost seems even cooler to wear sneakers in cleat form, maybe because of how hard it is to get some. This has become a trend in professional sports. Sneaker Heads can come from all backgrounds and roots. It’s only fair that they get they

get to wear the shoes they love, too. A pair of Air Jordan 6 football cleats are on Nike.com for $135. All sizes are sold out except for sizes 8, 8.5, and 9. This shoe was popular to the people who saw it and sold quickly. You don’t usually see Jordan cleats on sale for the public. Nike might have plans on releasing more in the future, given the sales of the Jordan 6. Just think of how the public would react if we saw more Jordans as cleats? Not only will the brand take over athletic shoes even more, but cleats will also have a wider variety of style. This could be a game changer for cleats for a long time.

FRIDAY, FEB. 27, 2015 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

11 . t i w a o w n t r ’o o l e s do an n u o c r u o y o t lk t year.