2015 16, issue 4

VOLUME 40• ISSUE 4•JANUARY 22, 2016• KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA 99336

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Sp tlights Foreign Exchange Student: Ying Ying Lee

By KACEY OWSLEY STAFF REPORTER

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ing Ying Lee, one of our foreign exchange students, came here for a different perspective of the world. She came from Zheng Zhou, China. Even though she is far from her homeland, she is making the best of every day spent in America.

Q: How are you adapting to American culture?

A: It is very different from China.

In China everyone is focused on what they need to do, so they don’t really come up to you and greet you. Here, I was instantly greeted by a lot of people and at first it was strange, but now it is really nice to walk through the buildings and they say, ‘hi’.

Q: Is this your first time in America?

A: Yes, I like it a lot, but it is a little hard when I am far away from my family.

Q: Does it get frustrating that you can’t speak your primary language?

A: Yes, it is difficult to always speak English. Sometimes I say something in my language and then I remember that I have to say that again in English because no one understands me.

Q: What is one thing you wish you could bring to America from China?

A: Food. I sometimes will crave something from China, and I can’t get it because you do not have it here in stores like we do. So yes, definitely food.

Q: What is one American thing

you would like to take back home?

A: Gifts for my friends of course.

But probably prices, like on clothing.

Q: What do our countries have in common, but we just do it a little different?

A: We have the same clothing styles, but prices in China are more expensive. Like a shirt here is only $20-30 but over in China, it will be $40-50. The less expensive prices are nice.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

A: which means new for me.

School here is very different from China.

Ying Ying Lee is happy to be here and get new experiences. Photo by Kacey Owsley

Poetry Out Loud: a stressful but rewarding experience

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER C O-E D I T O R-I N- C H I E F

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e’s standing in front of the small group of listeners.

He’s shaking, but gives off the appearance of total confidence. He begins to breathe life into his poem.

His hands are behind his back. His voice is clear and rings through the library with a sureness unique to only a handful of the contestants. After completing “Nocturne” by Li-Young Lee and “Novel” by Arthur Rimbaud, sophomore Seone Mo is awarded first place in the Poetry Out Loud competition.

Poetry Out Loud is a national competition that begins in the classroom, with each student in selected English classes performing a poem. The winner from that classroom goes on to the school-wide competition, followed by district, then state, and finally the national competition in Washington D.C. “This is my second year being in charge of Poetry Out Loud. This year was the most competitive because we’ve never had more contestants,” said English teacher Joyce Donais.

Of 11 contestants, Mo was awarded

first place, while junior CharLee Bethje was awarded second, and sophomore Adam DeFord was awarded third place. They all agree the competition was incredibly nerve-wracking. “The first time I went up, I was shaking like crazy. The second time I was a little less shaky, but I was still pretty rustled up there; I was pretty nervous,” Mo said.

Poem selection is an incredibly important aspect to this competition. The poem needs to mean something to the performer. “I picked my first poem, ‘The Affliction of Richard,’ by Robert Bridges because it reminded me of my relationship with my boyfriend who’s in the Air Force,” Bethje said.

While the contest was quite stressful, the contestants didn’t have an issue finding their favorite parts. “I loved watching everyone show their theatrical side through poetry,” Bethje said.

DeFord stated that he had more fun learning the poems than performing. “Just being able to say them is a lot more fun than performing for a judge,” he said.

In 2014, Kamiakin senior Elizabeth

After learning they’ve been awarded top three in the Poetry Out Loud competition, junior CharLee Bethje (left), sophomore Adam DeFord (center), and sophomore Seone Mo (right) beam with excitement. Mo was awarded first place, while Bethje was awarded second, and DeFord third. Photo by Chloe Grundmeier

Mo made it all the way to nationals.

Two years later, she was a bit of help for her younger brother’s success.

“She helped me a little bit, but it was my interpretation, and she just told me things I could fix,” Seone said.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

A true Brave: Ashlynne Stout

By SHILOH BAGLEY STAFF REPORTER

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hree days after Christmas, the beloved Ashlynne Stout passed away. Stout had been battling cancer for a few years and even though she fought a long, hard fight, there wasn’t much more her body could take. She passed away on Dec. 27 in her father’s arms. She is dearly missed by her closest friends here at Kamiakin. Some of you may recall that name from when we did a miracle minute for Stout at an assembly where, as one tribe, we raised $1,133.16 for her family.

“I’ve never met anyone like her,” said freshman Jessa Anderson. “She was the most amazing friend you could ever have. I can’t remember a single time where she wasn’t smiling.”

She is described as one who never wanted to be treated differently, making her afraid for people to find out what she was struggling with. Although she had years of trials and tribulations, she was never afraid to be herself. The best part about her was how kind she was and most importantly, she was very selfless. It stands out in her friends’ minds how she wanted to serve others and put their needs before hers.

Stout also loved to dream big. During church camp she told her friend, sophomore Micalynn Hamson, about

how one day she was going to marry a man who was going to treat her like a princess. Her biggest dreams were attending BYU and becoming a mother.

“She hoped to someday live in a cabin in the woods, where she could wake up and look out the window to see snow covered trees,” Hamson said.

She also wanted to own something of her own, like a reception hall in Swan Valley, Idaho.

Most importantly, she loved life.

“She loved swimming, singing, goofing off, church, friends, and the outdoors and being involved in anything she could,” said family friend Jenne Kissell. “She would’ve been a full time student at Kamiakin and wanted to be on the swim team, but the cancer came back the summer before her freshman year.”

Freshman Leah Campbell shared how much she loved goofing off. After a treatment for her leg, she and Campbell ran around having a water fight with Stout’s six siblings, whom she loved and cared about more than anything.

Stout was a strong, happy young woman who wouldn’t want you to be upset. She had a firm belief in God that shined through her. Stout loved our school and felt incredibly special being a Brave, and she will forever be remembered as one.

Portrait of Ashlynne Stout. Photo courtesy of Jenne Kissell

One Acts: heading in a theatric direction

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

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Sophomore Scott Crutchfield, senior Ivan Harry, junior Joe Pickard, junior Victoria Siegal, sophomore Easton Clem, and senior Maggie McLain rehearsing “The Strategem.” Photo courtesy of CharLee Bethje

he drama department is at it again. On Feb. 5, students will be performing in one act plays. The unique part about these small plays is that instead of being directed by drama instructor Chris Hamilton, they are directed by students.

Every year, students involved in drama are urged to take on the challenge of directing a one act play to be performed in front of an audience.

These students get to choose their own cast at auditions, be in charge of all of the small aspects of directing as well as being recognized on the night of the performance.

This year, two of the four

plays were not only directed by students, but also written.

Senior Chandler James wrote and is directing his play, “Stiches in May.” This play is about two characters, one dealing with the struggles of being stuck in the past, and the other being stuck in the future, and how those two characters come together to find the present. “The biggest struggle was the volume, having to write the amount I did by the deadline and making it cohesive,” said James.

In addition to James writing his own play, juniors Sam Peterson and CharLee Bethje cowrote and directed their play, “The Stratagem.”

“The Stratagem” is a comedy about a plan to make rights

wrong and unite loved ones.

However, the characters encounter many obstacles along the way. Peterson and Bethje loved that they got to work with so much freedom which they used to set the play in the 1940s. “My favorite part of writing it was putting in the old 1940s slang,” said Peterson.

On Feb. 5, the audience will also be able to watch “We Loathe Our Customers” directed by senior Blake Britten and “Keepers at the Edge of the Sea” directed by senior Emily Fiske. The showing will be in the Kamiakin auditorium at 7 p.m., and admission is $5 general admission and $3 for students and senior citizens.

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

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FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

The Humane Society: a great way to volunteer

By MADISON MORGAN STAFF REPORTER

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he Benton Franklin Human Society is a place students can volunteer to get their 12 hour minimum volunteering hours.

Volunteers can help the staff with animals, office duties, and maintenance, like feeding and cleaning.

“We like volunteers to come and help us do all kinds of things, not just cuddling cats and playing with dogs, but we like when they also help us with feeding, cleaning, and with everything a staff member does in a day,” said Liz Lech, the Humane Society’s volunteer coordinator.

The Humane Society appreciates volunteers because they help keep animals adoptable and friendly and spend quality time with animals who currently don’t have a home.

“One thing I’ve learned from working here… every cat and dog is very different,

and so sometimes-it’s just like with humans-what is dumped on a human being might break one, but another one might be able to handle it and so it’s the same here,” said Lech.

Volunteering can provide an important outlet for individuals in their lives. “So volunteering, I think, is really good, not just for your mind and soul and to feel like a good person, but when you create a relationship with a dog who was afraid of you the first time you went in his kennel and then you slowly let him warm up to you, that is such a rewarding experience, to look at you and say, ‘Now you’re happy every time I come but the first time you were really petrified.’ So, that’s my favorite thing to get out of volunteering, is to get to know these animals who don’t have a home right now.”

Volunteers must first go through an orientation before they can begin volunteering.

“You can hold cats and

dogs. Another thing that’s fun and not backbreaking are… the adoption events.” Lech said. “It entails meeting me at a Petco or a Pet Smart and I give you a dog, and then you can walk around the store.

And then we’ve got stuff like our fundraisers too. Volunteers run our whole fundraisers. We don’t have the staff, half of the staff is going to be at the shelter because we got to take care of animals 365 days. So when we have things like fundraisers, that’s a huge thing that people help us with.

Another way to help… are thank you cards. We do have groups of people that come in and they just sit around with their friends and write thank you cards. And there’s a script and everything. And our donors really love that.

We couldn’t do what we do without them [donors]. So we want to make a big statement by writing handwritten thank you’s, so we rely on volun-

Cleo, a six year old resident of the Humane Society. Photo by Madison Morgan.

teers for that,” said Lech.

Lech encourages people to come to the Humane Society and volunteer to brighten the animals’ days.

“This is like the best place

on Earth and I just love it here.

It’s just a fun place to be,” said Lech.

Frequent changes in teachers throw some students for a loop

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

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oes changing teachers multiple times in one certain class affect the student’s ability to learn? Within one semester, Chris and Tarah Staton left for a once in a life time opportunity. Mrs. Staton’s classroom was turned into a health classroom, and all her students were split up with different history teachers in that same hour. For Mr. Staton’s classroom, Kelsey Buckles filled in for him for many weeks although now Ms. Buckles has left.

Junior Jazimine Foster said, “I went from a 104 percent to a 95 percent to about a 90 percent. It has been difficult to adjust to the different grading styles. For some teachers, it was about effort and for other teachers, it was about having the answer correct.”

All the teacher changes have also stressed Foster out. “It’s very hard when you get attached to a teacher and then suddenly they tell you that they’re leaving and you wonder what the next one will be like. It really distracts you from your work, which stresses you even more when the work get piled up,” Foster said.

However, Foster acknowledged that students can see the benefits of these changes as well.

“All the teacher changes really sucks, but it’s also kind of a new experience which might help in the real world to adjust to new people and to learn from different teaching styles,” she said.

Ms. Buckles’ last day was on Friday, Dec. 18 right before winter break. Since then, Angie Hood has become the new math teacher.

Senior Jensen Horlacher said, “In my opinion, it’s unfair for the students in the

classes to have to get a new teacher every few months.

Some of the students’ grades will drop because of the changes in amount of homework and teaching styles.”

With all the teacher changes, it affects the students’ grades.

Horlacher said, “So far I’ve had three different teachers this year. All of them have different styles of teaching that I have to get used to over again.

With my grades dropping, I’d say so.”

Ms. Buckles left because she wanted to move back to New York to be with her husband who is in the service. By the time she realized how much she liked Kamiakin, it was too late for her to stay. There was already a replacement teacher, Ms. Hood.

Junior Thomas Blatt said, “I believe that it would have been better to change teachers after the semester finals.”

Blatt’s grades also have decreased from the different

grading scale between each teacher. The change in teachers has also stressed Blatt out a little bit.

Ms. Hood thinks coming to Kamiakin more than halfway through the semester has its pros and cons.. “It’s challenging for any teacher to fill in, but I’ve had support from other teachers at Kamiakin,” she said. Hood also said that some students have used her coming halfway through the semester as an excuse not to do their homework, but others have adjusted to her new teaching skills.

With all the teacher changes, it stresses kids out, brings their grades down, and over all makes students unhappy.

Fortunately for students at Kamiakin, this was an unusual situation that probably won’t be repeated.

The photo above shows Angie Hood, the new math teacher who replaced Ms. Buckles. Photo by Ronnie Henderson

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

The History of Sadie Hawkins Day How a ‘holiday’ allowing women to snatch men originated from a comic strip

An amazing flashback of Sadie’s of Matt (Senior) and Dawn Boehnke (Freshman) from 1986.

Photo courtesy of Dawn Boehnke

By AMBER PERRY SHENANIGANS EDITOR

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adie Hawkins has swooped over us once again, turning girls into vultures and boys into prey. Of course all the girls in the bathroom are talking about “who they’re gonna take to the Sadie Hawkins.”

(song “Sadie Hawkins” by Relient K) Funny to think this strange holiday came to be because of a comic strip.

Sadie Hawkins is actually the name of a girl- a very homely girl who first debuted in Al Capp’s Li’l Abner comic strip on Nov. 15, 1937. According to the comic, her father (a very influential man of wealth and status) was frightened of her becoming a spinster and old maid. In his disappointment in the eligible men in the town of Dogpatch, he boldly declared a race where his ‘lovely’ daughter would chase all the bachelors in the town, and whomever she caught, he was doomed to matrimony.

It was lovingly called Sadie Hawkins Day. The other

maids thought the day was fabulous and ordered it to be an annual event. And it aired annually in the comic strip for 40 YEARS. But not only Dogpatch’s spinsters loved the event - so did real life readers!

According to Life magazine, over 200 colleges reported holding Sadie Hawkins Day events in 1930 – just two years after the first appearance of Sadie. The day brought life to college and high school girls everywhere across the country and hasn’t stopped there. Along the way, almost 100 percent of high schools adopted the event by 1952. Now, it is an empowering time when young gals get to satisfy their aspirations for that ‘special man.’

Band festival season to start this weekend

By EMILY AARDAHL OPINION EDITOR

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or most students at Kamiakin, winter break is a time to relax and unwind with family and friends. But for students in the music program, winter break is also the precursor to festival season and the prime time for woodshedding (repetitively practicing) their music.

Each year, the Wind Ensemble goes to two festivals on its own and one with the Symphonic Band. The former two are the UI High School Invitational Bandfest and the Central Washington University Wind Ensemble Festival, and the latter is the CBMEA Large Group Orchestra Festival. The String Ensemble also has its own UI performance, and some of its members also perform with the Symphony Orchestra at CMBEA. Wind Ensemble receives their music before the break, but there is very little time to

work over it in class before it is to be performed in front of an audience. This means that it’s up to the students to put in the effort necessary to put on a good show and successfully perform their music.

This doesn’t mean the festival experience is all stress and feverish practicing; students also have an opportunity to learn from the best. The UI Bandfest includes master classes, which are led by university professors on each respective instrument.

“I think the biggest thing is a respect for how different musicians do things differently,” said senior Michael DeFord. “So when you do the master class, there’s the lead trombone professor who’s in charge, and a bunch of his students will come and try to demonstrate a different aspect [of playing].”

“The master classes and the activities at the festival are really geared towards helping

the students, but at the same time the directors get a chance to interface with the professors,” said music teacher Keith Russell. “We talk about things in-between. It’s an opportunity for us as directors to ask questions of college faculty.

Having the faculty come and work in front of our groups is an educational experience because we see them do things with our groups that we could do differently.”

The high-level performances students are able to watch and enjoy from the audience are a payoff.

“In the case of the Central festival, we get a chance to hear one of the best college jazz bands in the Northwest, if not the country,” said Mr. Russell. “We get to hear very high levels of musicianship.

We get to hear what’s possible from kids that are not that much older than high school kids.”

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 Editors-in-Chief: Chloe Grundmeier and Andy Ha News Feature Editor: Emily Baer Sports Editor: Sierra Reams In-Depth Editor: Chloe Grundmeier Opinion Editor: Emily Aardahl Entertainment Editor: Andy Ha Online Editors: Rachel Soh Cover made by: Rachel Soh

Staff Reporters:

Alejandro Andrade, Shiloh Bagley, Ryan Folta, Alex Grundmeier, Veronica Henderson, Reuben Hopper, Taylor Hunzeker, Madison Morgan, Kacey Owsley, Amber Perry, Shalaney Woodward, Kaylee Zuhlke MISSION STATEMENT:

The purpose of the Tomatalk is 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.

RETRACTIONS:

On page 12, Hanukkah was spelled incorrectly. On page 16, sophomore Ryan Wendt was photographed, not senior Nash Thompson. On page 18, junior AyJay Mulholland was stated as a sophomore.

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

By SIERRA REAMS SPORTS EDITOR

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his past year was full of ups and downs in the world. From sporting events, to devastating tragedies across the world, to awards, it seems as though this 2015 year alone has had some pretty eventful and historical events come about.

January

The 41st annual People’s Choice Awards gave Robert Downey and Jennifer Lawrence awards for favorite movie actor and actress on Jan. 7. But sadly on Jan. 14, a total of 63 people were killed, as well as 70,000 people were left homeless, due to the floods that devastated Mozambique and Malawi.

February

The Super Bowl is an annual event that seems to enrapture the United States in the football event; on the first, the Patriots beat the Seahawks 28-24 at the last second. This Super Bowl, however, was one for the books, racking in a maximum total of 120.8 million views, this number going up from the 2014 Super Bowl maximum of 112.2 million views.

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2015 in Review the 14th. When the MH370 was flying from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China, the plane mysteriously vanished in March 2014. In July, part of the plane was found on the island of Reunion.

Band member Zayn Malik left One Direction on March 25. Photo courtesy of BBC America

June

The 17th of June was a tragic day when nine people were shot and killed in Charleston, S.C. at Emanuel AME Church by a young 21-year-old gunman. On June 26, the sadness of the shooting was tucked away when the United States Supreme Court ruled a 5-4 voting for same-sex marriage across the entire United States.

The famous Harper Lee’s book ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’ was joined by a second book, ‘Go Set a Watchman,’ which was released in 70 countries on

At the second to last day of August, during the MTV Video Music Awards, rapper Kanye West announced that he will run for president during the 2020 presidential elections. The rapper announced this while he was accepting his Video Vanguard Award.

Lights of the Eiffel Tower were turned off due to terror attacks on Nov. 12. Photo courtesy of Huffington Post

December

Kanye West announces that he will be running for president in 2020. Photo courtesy of SugarPop

September

On Sept. 14, a 14-year-old was arrested at his school when his homemade clock was accidently mistaken for a bomb. The night of Sept. 27 a “Supermoon” was coinciding with a lunar eclipse creating what is known as a “Blood Moon.”

Harrison Ford crash-landed his airplane in California on the fifth. For Directioners everywhere, the 25th was a hard day when band member Zayn Malik left One Direction for good.

Nov. 15, UFC fighter Holly Holm defeated Champion Ronda Rousey in a knockout hit.

August

July

March

Dec. 2, another attack devastated a social services center in San Bernardino, Calif. On Dec. 18, the world premiere of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ delighted audiences at local theaters.

No one knew what to expect when 2015 started, and no one knew how the year would end. It leaves us to wonder: What will 2016 bring to us? What kinds of surprises are in store? Only time will tell.

November

May

When the second rolled around, people dubbed the Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight the “fight of the century” with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. taking the welterweight boxing title.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Harper Lee’s new book ‘Go Set a Watchman’ came out on July 14. Photo courtesy of wired.com

Suicide bombings occurred on Nov. 12 in Lebanon, killing 43 people.

The very next day, Nov. 13, more terror attacks occurred in Paris at three different locations, killing at least 129 people. ISIS took responsibility for both attacks. Two days later on the

The Force Awakens came out in December of 2015. Photo courtesy of IMDb

It’s not too late to challenge yourself with New Year’s Resolutions

By SHALANEY WOODWARD STAFF REPORTER

The new year is the time to begin again. People see it as a new chance for a new life. Regrets can be remedied, so they make goals for the new year.

There are the generic ones like losing weight, improving relationships, stopping smoking, and saving money. Yet it is seldom when people are actually serious about this. Lots of people start the year off strong but then dwindle down with no motivation to push them

forward.

Those who are serious about their resolutions tend to motivate others. Very few people are self-motivated and want other people to do the work for them. Junior Megan Reesman said, “To be honest I didn’t make any resolutions because I knew I wouldn’t accomplish them.”

On the other hand, some people make simple resolutions that are easy to accomplish and don’t take a lot of thought. Senior Blake Britten

said, “My resolutions are to exercise and sleep more.” While exercising may be a challenge, sleeping more may not be as demanding of a resolution. It is definitely more satisfying and easier to be motivated.

Some of the more complicated resolutions are getting out of debt, saving for retirement, improving GPA, and eating healthier. These may be harder to achieve but they give you a challenge and help you improve yourself. Britten said, “Everyone has some-

thing they want to improve, even if it is something small.”

Small resolutions aren’t bad things but challenges aren’t a bad thing as well. So take a challenge and work hard to accomplish the goal.

“The New Year provides a clean slate for everyone. So it is the perfect time to give up what you don’t want and add what you do!” said Britten.

In the movie ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ a teacher says to one of her students, “Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in

it.” Everyone should heed this advice because it is never too late to make new goals or even New Year’s resolutions.

People are trying to save money but their cash in their wallet keeps tempting them Photo by Shalaney Woodward

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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OPINION & EDITORIAL

Do the benefits of going into the military outweigh the consequences?

PRO:

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

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hroughout history, it has been considered an honor to defend a person’s country. These defenders stand for truth and right and are sometimes called to fight or enforce peace and safety. Joining the military has its ups and downs, but the good things can influence someone’s future and also that of their family.

One of the biggest reasons for young people to join the military is to gain an education or to learn a trade. Agreeing to be part of a service commitment and joining certain programs can cover college expenses and cover the switch from a job in the military to a job outside of the military. These programs can provide tuition assistance, active duty benefits and scholarships.

Health care is also provided when serving in the military. It is required by law that The Department of Veteran’s Affairs provide veterans hospital care when needed. The decision of this need is decided by someone’s

CON:

health care provider, but hospital and surgery expenses can be paid with the help from the military. People in the active duty are automatically enrolled in TRICARE. Joining the military also gives people a responsibility and through training and real life and death experiences, people find maturity and find value in themselves. The life in the military prepares and strengthens the bonds between families, friends and comrades on the field. The experiences can also prepare someone for hardships after their time in the military.

The retirement plan from the military is also wonderful and one of the best

“

Male and female Army soldiers enter a facility on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Photo by Walter Michot

Health care is also provided when serving in the military. It is required by law that The Department of Veteran’s Affairs provide veterans hospital care when needed.

retirement programs. It depends on their rank, how many years someone contributes and also where someone

By KAYLEE ZUHLKE STAFF REPORTER

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merica: Land of the free, home of the brave.

We’re blessed to live in a country with options for us and the undeniable support from our military. However, although you may be fighting for freedom, do you really have your complete freedom anymore if you join the service? The government delegates the majority of what you can do. On the other hand, does it really make you brave to be in the service, even if you’re doing something as simple as stapling papers?

With full support of those who serve our country, one should also consider that being in the armed forces may not be the sparkling gem of self-discovery, experience, and wonder that it’s sometimes glamorized to be. There are many key points about the military that should be considered beyond the surface.

1. “I want to fight for my country.” You don’t need to join the military to fight for your country. Consider all the problems here at home in the U.S. - homelessness, starvation, poverty, sickness. It could be said that maybe if these problems were confronted instead of invading foreign countries, you’re taking a giant, positive step forward to fight for your country nonviolently.

2. “I don’t like school/I don’t want to go to college.”

“

”

serves. Someone could start collecting a regular retirement pension at the age of 37, and it could grow with cost of living adjustments.

Ultimately, it’s the individual’s decision whether to enlist or not. Some will love their service, while others won’t. Take the time to explore if the pros outweigh the cons for you.

The military are the defenders of this country and will protect and ensure safety for many years to come. Being part of such an opportunity can help pay for education and can help someone get a job after serving. The military is a great program for setting someone’s future in place while protecting and finding peace for this great country.

”

Don’t expect to escape classrooms just yet. Depending on what branch you’re going into and what military job you hope to get, there could be hours of daily classroom activities for months to qualify you for that task.

3. “I want to travel the world for free.” The military could literally station you 50 miles from your hometown if they wanted to.

With that said, you could just as easily find yourself on a flight to a country where people are bloodthirsty for anyone in a uniform.

4. “I want to get away from everything.” Ever heard of the quote “Out of the frying pan, into the fire?” You could end up going from one unfavorable situation to another. Also, don’t expect life to pause for you while you’re away.

Ultimately, it’s the individual’s decision whether to enlist or not. Some will love their service, while others won’t. Take the time to explore if the pros outweigh the cons for you.

If you want to fight for your country, think about your options outside of the military as well. Photo by Kaylee Zuhlke

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Talk

9

OPINION & EDITORIAL

KaHS Editorial Board Chloe Grundmeier & Andy Ha, EICs Emily Baer, News & Feature Emily Aardahl, Opinion

Sierra Reams, Sports Amber Perry, Shenanigans Rachel Soh, Online EIC

What we think...

Underrated and underpaid “If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in his office at one time, all of whom had different needs, and some of whom didn’t want to be there and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer, or dentist, without assistance, had to treat them all with professional excellence for nine months, then he might have some conception of the classroom teacher’s job.”

- Donald D. Quinn Police officers, doctors, and nurses- these are people who have important jobs in a community and have an impact on that community as they help save and protect lives, but some are missing from that list.

These people are usually forgotten and are unappreciated for what they do. Much like police officers and nurses, they go underpaid. These people might even be underpaid more than them. But who are they?

They are the people you see every day. They are the ones you love to hate. They are the ones, whether you know it or not, who have one of the biggest impacts on you. They are the ones who play a role in your future. Who are they? They are your teachers.

Teachers usually go unappreciated. They will often go to extreme length to ensure their students’ success in school, whether it’s spending late nights at school creating schedules, curriculums, or grading assignments. Teachers even give up their weekends to work on grades for their students. They give up their lunches, free periods, and time after school to tutor and help students who are struggling.

Doing all of this and having dozens, if not hundreds, of students’ futures who rely on the grades that the teacher gives, you’d assume that they are making good money, right?

Especially since these teachers are going out of their way to even spend money out of their own pockets for

their students.

Teachers are over-whelmingly underpaid. Early this year, the Tri-Cities school districts staged a walkout for a pay adjustment. Most people think this means a raise, but that is technically not true. These teachers are currently getting paid on a 2009 economic based salary, and that is low compared to how the economy is today in 2016. Teachers don’t expect to be making a six figure salary.

And while it would be nice, they just want their pay to be adjusted to the inflation in 2016.

Even though that is what they want, it is not enough. Teachers should definitely be given more credit and should be held to a higher level of appreciation. If it weren’t for teachers, children today probably wouldn’t be able to write. They wouldn’t even be able to read this because they’d most likely be not as literate.

The impact that teachers have is just not in a community, but it’s on the world. The renowned author Nicholas Sparks says, “[Teachers] inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even when you don’t know it.”

Teachers deserve to be paid more for what they have to go through every day. People never truly understand the struggles that a teacher goes through until they are in the same position or are first hand witnesses of what they have to go through.

A robot being operated by the Baltimore Police Hazard Device Unit takes hold of the first of two suspicious packages that were left at the Confederate Monument in Baltimore on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015.

Both packages appeared to have newspapers and empty water bottles inside. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey F. Bill/Baltimore Sun/TNS

What happens when robots take all the jobs?

By REUBEN HOPPER STAFF REPORTER

E

ver since the 1970s, businesses have been slowly transitioning towards using machines or robots as replacements for workers because they are typically more efficient than humans at doing work. In the long run, robots are cheaper than humans to hire. They are able to work almost all day, they don’t make nearly as many mistakes, and they can do tasks that humans are physically incapable of.

An employee making $10 an hour and working 40 hours a week will cost a business about $20,000 a year.

A machine can replace multiple human workers and costs much less. As robots become more advanced, more jobs will be taken away from people.

Basically any job that is repetitive or logic based will likely be taken by a robot in the next decade or two. This is worrying economists about the future of jobs.

Traditionally, human work is what creates products and services, and because an individual worked, they are able to buy what they need. If robots take jobs away from people, the supply would be greater, the quality would be better, and the price would be lower, but it wouldn’t matter be-

cause so many people wouldn’t have a job to buy anything unless it’s completely free. As long as countries continue to use the same form of economy as they have been, the world could end up in a devastating recession.

Thankfully, economists are proposing a solution. To ‘fix’ (yet not perfect) the economy, the world will have to look a lot more socialist. There would have to be a standard basic pay to anyone just for being human. Capitalism tells people they need to work harder so they can get the job they want, but with robots as someone’s competition, that simply isn’t possible. The government would have to put high taxes on businesses, but this will actually benefit the business because more customers will have money to buy their products.

If governments make the appropriate changes, this could be the greatest thing that’ll happen to the world since the industrial revolution. Those who don’t work will have all day to pursue their dreams. People don’t find fulfilment in working jobs that are repetitive. It’s the creative and personal ones that make people feel alive. If there’s one thing for sure, robots will take away the jobs that make people feel less human.

Tribal Talk

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

10

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Finals: December vs. January

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

A

t most colleges and some high schools, finals are taken before winter break and the new semester begins in January.

At Kamiakin, finals are given after winter break.

The question is, should finals be taken in December or January? Students are somewhat divided on this.

Sophomore Jade Leliefeld and freshman Taylor Sabin think finals should be taken in December. “I forget everything after the two weeks,” said Leliefeld.

“It’s almost time for winter break and then we’ll reset for a new semester,” said Sabin.

Senior Noah Nilson, however, thinks finals should be taken in January. “It’s more time to not worry about finals,” he said. “I think finals are necessary, although I hate to say it.”

Federal law requires school to have 180 days in each academic year.

The only difference between schools is when

the year starts and ends, including breaks. Most high schools in Arizona start in late July and get out in late May. These high schools also have finals in December since their school years start earlier.

At Kamiakin, school begins in late August. Because of this, finals have to be in January. If the school year started in late July as it does in Arizona, then final exams would be in December. The 180 school day requirement would still be satisfied and summer would start earlier.

Unfortunately, community obligations have prevented this from being an option.

“The school is set on a school district calendar and can’t start school during the fair,” said Principal Chris Chelin.

Many Kamiakin students participate in the Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo, and because of this the school year must start in late August.

While this is the area’s chief concern, there may be a benefit to switching the schedule around any-

way. College schedules are based on semesters or trimesters, and exams are in December in both of these structures.

Changing the schedule to the same as colleges could help prepare high schoolers for the college lifestyle.

But no matter the month, finals bring anxiety and stress to students.

Though they are given to show development throughout the semester, some wonder if finals are even necessary.

An anonymous teacher said, “I know that many of the English teachers wish we did not have to give a final on the ‘finals day,’ because we would prefer for our finals to be essays at the end of a unit, and those essays take too long for us to grade for them to be given on the ‘finals’ day.

Therefore, we end up giving students essays before finals week, and they also have to take a final on the ‘final’ day because that is the rule.

I usually only count the test they take on ‘finals’ day as a regular test, not 10 percent of their grade.

I give their essays more points than their tests, so the final ends up being pretty much meaningless. It is just something we are required to do.”

Out of all the teachers at Kamiakin, 50 percent of them have finals worth 10 percent of the students’ grades. Some do

not think this is very fair.

An anonymous parent said, “As a parent I feel like if a student works really hard to get As in their classes and then had to take a comprehensive test worth 10 percent or 20 percent of their grade, and it affects their overall grade in the class, it’s

Graphic by Rachel Soh

unfair to the student. It minimizes the whole semester’s work and some students aren’t as good of test takers so they don’t do as well.”

Do immigrants from Syria pose a threat to national safety?

By MADISON MORGAN STAFF REPORTER

Americans all over the country mourn the loss of 14 people. Photo courtesy of ktla.com

On Dec. 2, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik killed 14 people in America’s worst terrorist attack since 9/11. The two bring forth the question, ‘What could we have done?’ Recent discoveries of Malik’s radical social media posts have the public questioning whether the United States should improve how they vet these immigrants and if they’ve been doing enough. “…[Malik] talked openly on social media about her views on violent jihad. She said she supported it. And she said she wanted to be a part of it,” said the New York Times.

The United States’ vetting procedure does not usually require checking social media unless the immigrant is a suspected terrorist.

According to Fox News, “Immi-

gration officials don’t usually check social media posts as part of their background checks, according to the newspaper… Still, a debate continues at United States Citizenship and Immigration services agency over whether officials conducting interviews should be allowed to use social media information for interviews where they determine whether foreigners pose a security risk, according to The Times.”

Students have also been weighing in on the issues Muslims and radicalized terrorists pose to America. “We should do background checks on people that come into our country.

You have to understand that my mom was a refugee when she came into this country and I believe in the American dream, but we have to watch who we’re bringing into the country,” said sophomore Sasha Grieb.

Junior Matt Gearheart added his opinion on this controversial issue.

“I think it’s a hard thing to actually decide because I think that there’s most Muslims, the good peaceful people. But it’s hard to tell. You can’t figure out most of the time whether they’re good or bad. So I think, it kind of sounds wrong to say, but I don’t think we should,” said Gearheart.

The United States must take a defensive stand. While it should open its arms to those who wish to add to its prosperity, Americans must try their best to keep out terrorists. If checking social media will prevent another San Bernardino, then do it. Anything to help keep Americans safe should be on the top of the president’s list. President Obama should be more concerned with the safety of his people instead of those from a confirmed terrorist state.

Chief Legends In Depth

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

11 Life’s lesser-known helpers and heroes: underappreciated careers

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

W

hen people hear “helpful careers,” what do they think? Some may see a firefighter fishing civilians out of a burning building, while others may see a neurosurgeon cutting cancer out of someone’s brain. However, there are many unsung heroes whose jobs, while lesser-known, keep people safe just as much as all these other bigname jobs.

Medical technologists, sometimes called med-techs, work in labs and hospitals and analyze body fluids and tissues. Their work also requires them to operate and run tests on machines.

Just like any doctor, med-techs are also required to take the Hippocratic Oath.

Anna Aardahl studied for a combined sciences major at Carroll College. She was in school for four years

and then had to work an additional program at a hospital, which she served out at Seattle Children’s Hospital. “I think I fit my job because it requires you to be able to multitask and be very detail-oriented,” said Aardahl.

“You have to be able to organize and think quickly and make decisions and use good critical thinking skills.”

Brenda Birnbaum got a bachelor’s of science and occupational therapy at the University of North Dakota and now works in the Kennewick School District as an occupational therapist but she said that “now [students] have to get a master’s degree” to get the same job today.

“In a typical day, I see about 10 to 15 students working on riding trikes, playing in the gym, handwriting, typing, and overall strengthening,” Birnbaum said. “Right now I only work in the schools, but I do work in the hos-

pital a little so I can work with elderly people or people rehabbing back to work. But the options are almost endless.”

In many ways, jobs like these provide aid to people working other jobs.

A doctor would not be able to give utmost care to a patient without the med-tech’s concrete numbers on their bodily samples. Those injured through strokes or other complications would not be able to make a full recovery without the help of occupational therapists. These careers are just one small part of a large web that make up a system designed to provide care and comfort to average, everyday citizens.

“I have a lot more education than people think I do,” said Aardahl. “It’s not just pushing buttons. You have to make decisions that can affect people’s health...it’s a big responsibility which we all take pretty seriously.”

Anna Aardahl sits at a hematology analyzer, a machine that counts the red and white blood cells in a sample. This work used to be done by hand, requiring the med-tech to stare into a microscope at a sample of a patient’s blood. Photo courtesy of Teresa Garcia

Dangerous jobs: what could happen in a daily routine

By ALEX GRUNDMEIER STAFF REPORTER

With as many various job possibilities as there are in the United States, and all around the world for that matter, there is a plentiful amount of possibilities for an individual to find a job. Many people would choose work in an office building, typing on a computer at a desk all day. Others might choose work involving the outdoors or something that takes being more involved, or jobs that people think exist, but aren’t typically seen around. These are the types of jobs that have a chance of being more dangerous. Some of these jobs involve miners, mechanics, lumberjacks, roofers, or even sanitation workers, and then obvious jobs like police, firefighters, stunt men, and alligator wrestlers.

Being a miner would be tough work. Depending on where the worker goes, the miner could range to far underground-with dangers of cave-ins, toxic minerals, gas explosions, chemical leaks, or equipment malfunction-to a mineral facility, working with extreme heat to melt down the metals, toxic minerals, and

general factory hazards. An average of 26 miners will die each year.

Sanitation working is also dangerous at times. People take this job for granted fairly often and don’t realize what kinds of dangers go on. When

they clean out the recycling, they have to be careful not to break the glass. And of course, when they take the trash away, there might be some dangerous chemicalspossibly airborne-that they might breathe in. This could

provide unseen trouble in the future. An average of 52 workers will be injured each year, and around 32 will die.

Being a roofer or lumberjack would be a dangerous task, too. With roofers, they are working on sloped surfaces,

Being a police officer is one of many very dangerous jobs. Kamiakin’s own officer, Chris Buroker, would know this firsthand, being a police officer at Kamiakin constantly. Photo by Chloe Grundmeier

suspended fairly high in the air, with no harness or way to hold themselves up steadily.

Lumberjacks, depending on where they are working, may need to be harnessed in a tree, or sometimes they even freeclimb it. Add that with dangerous tools, large machines, and falling trees. There are an average of 91 loggers who die each year.

One obvious job that is fairly dangerous is being a police officer. The most dangerous thing about police officers is that they work to keep the people safe. That may involve working against dangerous people, too. An average of 146 officers die each year. Being a firefighter is an obvious job too, with the danger of fires, burning buildings coming down on them, and smoke inhalation. In 2014, 68 firefighters died while on duty.

With as many dangerous jobs as there are, these jobs are still very important. The only thing to keep in mind when working on a job like any of these is to be safe and follow regulation.

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

12

What do you want to be when you grow up?

M

any high school students spend their afternoons and weekends pushing around carts at Fred Meyer or passing out fries at McDonalds. These students complain about how much they hate their jobs, explaining they’re forced to work. Some students are lucky enough to make money in ways they love. “I mean it’s technically a job, but I love teaching the preschoolers and kindergarteners so much. I don’t think of it as a job,” senior Yzabelle Tow said.

Tow has been volunteering for the Academy of Children’s Theatre for four years.

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

After building a reputation, she is now able to teach preschoolers and kindergarteners.

“I love theatre in a general sense but I really love the teaching aspect of it. I’m able to focus on my favorite part of theatre and that itself makes it so much more than a job,” she said.

Tow also works a retail job at Hot Topic in the mall. “It’s really, really different from teaching preschoolers about acting,” she said. “I do love working at Hot Topic, but I would definitely take my acting job over doing anything else.”

Senior Madison Melton got into her hobby of pet photography when she was

Kamiakin students all want to pursue different careers.

From soccer players to neuroscientists, these Braves have bigs dreams. Photos by Rachel Soh

very young but decided it was the career she wanted last year in the photography class. “I’ve made over $100 so far. I do love it, but I’d consider it a job more than a hobby because of dealing with clients and having to do what they want,” she said.

Melton volunteers at the humane society as well and explained how different the two jobs are. “At the humane society, I had to follow all the rules that my boss had set.

As a photographer, I get to make my own rules, which I enjoy a lot more.”

Melton also said she’d take her photography job over a ‘regular’ job a high

Melton has loved taking photos of her many dogs and cats since she was young. Photo courtesy of Madison Melton’s Instagram life.of.8.tails

schooler would have and she intends to continue with photography after high school.

Tow and Melton both agree that anyone wanting to go

into a job that is considered more of a hobby should just go for it. “In the words of the one and only Walt Disney, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it,’” Tow said.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

13

Dr. Jim Affleck, a retired obstetrician, center, holds a TAVR heart valve that helped extend his life after heart surgeon Dr. Robert Kincade, left, and interventional cardiologist Dr. David Roberts teamed up to implant the valve, on Oct. 27, 2014, in Sacramento, Calif.

Some 45 years earlier, Affleck was the delivery doctor during Kincade’s birth. Photo courtesy of Renee C. Byer

Highest paid jobs in the country

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

W

hen dreaming about a future career, most people think about what jobs are the most fun or which jobs fit the person’s needs or skills.

Some people want a high-paying job instead of the luxury of an easy going career or a fun day every day at work. The top five high-paying jobs in the U.S. are anesthesiologists, surgeons, obstetricians and gynecologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and general internists. These jobs are important in today’s society, and people would not be able to live without the help and dedication from the people who take on these careers.

Standing on the very top of the list of highpaying careers are the anesthesiologists.

People with this job

have an average annual salary of $232,830.

An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who keeps patients who are in surgery calm, comfortable, safe, and pain-free. They manage and administer anesthesia given to a patient during a surgical procedure, and they are also responsible for treating changes in the patient’s critical life functions like blood pressure and heart rate during surgery.

In second place for highest paying careers are surgeons.

This is someone who specializes in performing surgery on patients.

Surgeons have the major task of being the leader of the operation when surgeries are being performed. Surgeons have an average annual salary of $230,540.

In third place for the highest paying career stands obstetricians

and gynecologists.

This career has an average annual salary of $216,760. Obstetricians and gynecologists are physician specialists who perform medical and surgical care for women.

Common examples of day to day procedures are dealing with pregnancies, childbirths and disorders of the reproductive system.

In fourth place for the highest paying career are oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This career specializes in treating the jaw, face, head, neck and the soft tissues inside and all around the mouth.

Also, treating diseases on these body parts are an essential knowledge to do certain things on this job.

The average annual salary is $216,440.

In fifth place for the highest paying career are general internists with an average annual salary of $191,520.

General internists are medical doctors who specialize in the diagnosis and nonsurgical medical treatments of adults. This job deals with providing longterm care for both common and complex diseases in adults.

These top five highpaying careers all have one thing in common and that is providing care and ensuring the health of the community. Without these jobs, things would be a whole lot different in our world today.

Being determined, open-minded, and hardworking are contributing factors that can help people succeed in these careers.

People who consider and take these jobs are not always doing it for just money but to save people’s lives and to ensure comfort in their families.

Chief Legends In Depth

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

14

Being a young professional:

Eleanor Cummins

By MADISON MORGAN STAFF REPORTER

R

ecent University of Washington graduate Eleanor Cummins, a 19-year-old alumnus, is one of many of today’s young professionals. Cummins began her journalism career at 15 working for the Tri-City Herald.

After graduating high school at 16, Cummins went on to attend and graduate from the University of Washington and write for The Daily, the uni-

versity’s student newspaper.

“When I was 15, I actually started working at the Tri City Herald. So… they have a position, it’s called a news clerk, and so as news clerk your job is to write all of those little briefs that go on the paper. So I started doing that and then when I was 16, just before my 16th birthday, they let me actually write my first feature story. I got to write a story about a local woman who was having her, I think it was her 90th birthday in a fitness class

at the Richland community center. That was like the first story that I got to write, which was really exciting,” said Cummins.

This gave Cummins enough of a taste of journalism that she now plans to pursue a career in science journalism.

“I wanted to do journalism because I always really wanted to write. But I wasn’t really like a fiction writer. I didn’t sit down and make up really amazing stories.”

The job Cummins performed

Eleanor Cummins, a 19-year-old graduate from the University of Washington. Photo courtesy of Eleanor Cummins

at the Tri-City Herald helped her realize her passion for creative nonfiction writing and how she wanted to make journalism better.

“So I was kind of trying to explore, because at 15 I didn’t really have the words to say something like ‘I really want to write creative nonfiction’ or ‘I really want to go into journalism, and make it longer and bigger, and more beautiful than the way it’s set up.’ So I just kind of picked this job and I was like, ‘I think this is headed down the path that I envisioned for myself.’ Along the way, I was really able to start putting words to the thing that I was passionate about and get to actually put that into practice. So, it’s always been about telling real stories I guess,” said Cummins.

Cummins said that to be a great journalist, learning how to become a critical thinker is essential.

“Over the course of an interview, you have to come up with new questions based on what they say. So no matter how good of a reporter you are, you’re not always going to be able to account for everything and the questions

that you write before the interview. It’s a lot of critical thinking skills, and I think that more people could kind of achieve the ability if they put their mind to it.”

To become a good journalist, Cummins explained that along the way she developed skills key to any writer.

“You have to be able to craft a sentence, you have to be able to take a really complicated idea and make it more accessible to people who aren’t experts in a given field all without losing the actual truth of the information you’re sharing. I think if you set out like ‘I’m going to do this. I have the ability to do this and I’m just going to think really hard about everything I’m doing all the time,’ it’s a little exhausting but you’ll be a good reporter,” said Cummins.

Cummins graduated from the University of Washington in December and received a degree in medical anthropology and global health. She has applied to three journalism programs for graduate school and cannot wait to pursue a career in science journalism.

Student workers may have to tolerate less than desirable working conditions

By RYAN FOLTA STAFF REPORTER

Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at a business?

Have you ever wondered about how clean or dirty a place is? These are all reasonable questions that a consumer can have about a business. Employees may often ask the same questions about their own working environment.

Junior Parker Chrisler was a seasonal employee for Shopko and has interesting insight. He said, “My overall experience was good, for a first job, but the hours for the seasonal employees were mandatory. If you missed work or called in sick anywhere near Black Friday, you would be fired. I had a guitar concert on one of the days I had to work, and I let management know ahead of time and even though it was a graded thing, they still didn’t give me

the time off.”

On the bright side, “The management were really nice people but could’ve been more organized,” Chrisler said. “While the show room was exceptionally clean, the break room was very dirty. For example, there was food provided on Thanksgiving and a few days later, it was still lying around.”

Chrisler thought about re-applying after the holidays but isn’t quite sure if he wants to work for the company again.

An anonymous student that works at McDonalds had something to say about his/her job. Granted there are wet floor signs out, but behind the scenes there are a lot of dangers that have to be avoided. When working at McDonalds, there is a requirement that employees wear non-slip shoes while

on duty due to the wet and greasy floor, not to mention the shoes aren’t supplied. Since there is not a ton of room in the back of the restaurant, employees have to remain vigilant at all times to remain productive and stay out of the way.

“I’m surprised that the health inspector doesn’t shut us down,” said the student. “Whenever it rains, there are some spots on the ceiling where the roof leaks, and we have to take care of it.”

In order to have a successful business, the employees and the customers both must feel welcomed. The purpose of a business is to satisfy the customers and to provide comfort. When this doesn’t happen, it will dissatisfy the customers and lose potential business.

Many workers are subjected to less than desireable working conditions. This shows unsanitary conditions at a Shopko location. Photo courtesy of Craig Borck, MCT Campus.com

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Games SPORTS

15

Coach Schauble setting a record “ M ”

By EMILY BAER NEWS & FEATURE EDITOR

any teenagers have come and gone through these halls, some of whom have participated in coaching sports.

Cheryl Schauble has been coaching girls track for 33 years, and during that time she has taken many students under her wing. Her coaching skills have finally gotten the recognition they deserve, and she was one of the first girl’s track and field coaches to be inducted into the state coaching Hall of Fame on Saturday Jan. 16.

Coach Schauble has worked hard to get to where she is now, and the result of her work has been rewarding. Under Schauble’s coaching, six of our teams have won state titles, and 47 of the girls on her track teams have won state titles. Senior Heather Donais, who won four gold medals last year for girls track and field said, “She has helped me reach my goals and become not just a better athlete but a better person.”

The hard work and dedication that Coach

She has helped me reach my goals and become not just a better athlete but a better person.

Senior

Heather Donais

Schauble has put forth into the girls track and field team is appreciated, and because of that hard work, our teams have won a state title four years in a row. She motivates the students to try their hardest, and they do so with her encouragement.

One thing that her athletes love about her is that she gives them food for beating their personal records, which they all love.

Coach Schauble herself was a track star, and won many team titles during high school. She also ran for her college team at WSU under a scholarship, and her love of track and field continues to shine today through her coaching.

Coach Schauble with a bouquet from Ms. Whitemarsh. Photo by Andy Ha

Gymnastics team keeps Kamiakin proud

By KACEY OWSLEY SPORTS EDITOR

T

he Braves gymnastics team has had a winning streak this entire season. Each meet they have been to so far, they’ve gone home with not only an award but with the satisfactory feeling that all their dedicated hard work has paid off. The girls have been hard at work, practicing every day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to prepare for each meet. These ladies know dedication. They are very impressive and well trained by their coach, Sarah Garrett. She is working hard to help these girls become professional.

Coach Garrett’s hard work seems to be working by the looks of the team’s winning streak.

This team hasn’t lost a single meet yet and they are not about to start now.

Most of the girls have been doing gymnastics since they were little. One of the teammates, freshman Piper Polanik, said that she has been in gymnastics ever since she was 2-years-old. Her older sister, senior Sage Polanik, got started at the age of 2 as well. “It’s hard working. Either you’re committed to the sport or you’re not.

There is no in between,” said Piper.

“

Our team is literally a big family. We support each other, and we stick together, win or lose.

Sophomore Ryanne Rogers

”

Sophomore Ryanne Rogers has been in gymnastics since the age of eight-years-old. Her favorite event is beam, but she excels at vault.

“Our team is literally a big family. We support each other, and we stick together win or lose,” said Rogers.

The team’s upcoming meets are: Wednesday 1/27/16-Home vs. Southridge-6 p.m.

Friday 2/05/16-Districts at Garlands-6 p.m.

Saturday 2/13/16-Regionals in Mead-12 p.m.

Friday 2/19/16-State Tournament in Tacomato be determined Saturday 2/20/16-State Tournament in Tacoma-to be determined

Above Photo: Piper beginning a floor trick Right Photo: Ryanne Rogers getting ready to perform a trick.

Photos by Kacey Owsley

TRIBAL GAMES SPORTS

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Kyle Olson, number 25, center, against the Seattle Thunderbirds. Photo courtesy of Kyle Olson

The Americans contribute much to their community

By RYAN FOLTA STAFF REPORTER

S

o far this season, the Tri-City Americans are 15 wins to 20 losses. Teamwork is one of the main objectives that the players are working on. As of now, the team is a wildcard and is on the brink of not being able to make the playoffs. In all hopes of making the playoffs, the Americans have some work that needs to be done to clinch a spot.

With the loss of the annual New Year’s game against the Spokane

Chiefs (5-2), teamwork is definitely a necessity to play a winning game. The team skates hard and can work the puck really well, but they must keep up with it as well as secure it so it cannot be taken. The calls that the referees had didn’t help the Americans during the game, either.

Kyle Olson, a center on the Americans said, “We are having a decent season so far. We have bonded a lot, and everyone knows everyone really well.

We are playing pretty good now, but we still got some work to do. I think

that we have the capability of beating any team in the league. It just takes a lot of practice and hard work. I look forward to be playing with the Americans for the rest of the season.”

All of the players on the Americans have very high potential to excel in hockey. Ever since the Americans’ founding in 1988, many players have advanced to the AHL and even to the NHL, just like the current owner of the Americans, Stu Barnes.

Every season the players do so much for the public such as commu-

nity service. One example of this is the Tri-City Americans’ Face Off Against Bullying, a program led by Kamiakin graduate Taylor Vickerman and Beau McCue. The program was created with the main goal of bringing awareness to the issue and promoting acceptance.

It doesn’t matter whether they are on or off the ice. Everyone on the team is not only a good hockey player, but they are well-rounded individuals.

They have a lot of passion for the sport they play and for the role they have for helping others.

Boys basketball on a roll this season

By SIERRA REAMS SPORTS EDITOR

T

he Braves boys basketball team has had an amazing start to the season this year. With a Mid-Columbia Conference standing of 4-3 and the overall standing of 10-3, the boys are keeping the pace for the season. Also, the boys are working hard to live up the Brave name. Out of all the away games the boys have had, they only lost one game against Chiawana with the score of 60-74. Out of all the home games we have had, we lost two games against our

rival schools Southridge High School, 47-52, and Richland High School with the close score of 70-72.

There are still some games that people can attend: 1/22/16- Away @ Southridge 1/23/16- Home vs. Handford 1/29/16- Home vs. Kennewick 1/30/16- Away @ Richland 2/2/16- Home vs. Chiawana 2/5/16- Away @ Walla Walla All games are held at 7:30 p.m. right after the girls basketball team plays.

The boys basketball team huddles during a game. Photo by Alejandro Andrade

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

tech talk time

The main title screen promo of when ‘The Walking Dead: No Man’s land’ first released. Courtesy of Tricksclues.com

A show filler with ‘The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’

By ALEX GRUNDMEIER STAFF REPORTER

‘T

he Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’ was released on IOS in August of 2015 and is a great fill of time while AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ television series is on mid-season break for season six.

Join ‘Walking Dead’ veteran Daryl Dixon - voiced and played in the show by Norman Reedus - on the hunt for survival while the player builds and protects their own camp against walkers, which are basically zombies, but named differently because the popular zombie fan base doesn’t exist in their universe.

As the player builds, protects, and upgrades his

base, he can travel to areas to gather resources, kill walkers, and save some N.P.C.’s (Non-player characters) to help and aid in his survival effort.

These N.P.C.’s each have their own special ability and class. The classes range from melee weapons, such as knives and swords, to stunning weapons like baseball bats and lead pipes. There is also a shooter class that can take out enemies from a range, and if some enemies are lined up, the player can take out multiple targets at once, which will save ammunition.

The only issue with guns is that they will draw more walkers, and the more shots fired, the more walkers will invade the area. If the player feels that they need to use the gun, use it sparingly so that they will attract less enemies and save more ammo.

When the player goes out on missions or kills

walkers, they will get experience, which they can use to their advantage in upgrading their basic buildings, such as the hospital, the radio tent, the farm plot, the training grounds, and the workshop.

Gameplay-wise, ‘The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’ is fairly well-put together. The controls are extremely simple, and if the player does have a hard time, there is an intro to the game that explains the main controls. The rest is basically self-explanatory.

‘The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land’ is a very well-balanced and well-put together app on IOS systems.

‘Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’: Exhilarating multiplayer experience ‘Black Ops 3’ is no doubt the most exciting Call of

By REUBEN HOPPER STAFF REPORTER

Photo Courtesy of Doesplay.com

Duty game to date, yet still has a few problems. The biggest things introduced to BO3 are wall running, specialist classes, and jetpack propulsion. It’s easy to tell that BO3 was made for intense, fast paced action, but certain features can be a tactical mess. For instance, wall running might be fun to use and can allow you to attack opponents from unexpected angles, but the majority of wall running places are highly predictable. They also cause the screen to shake, making it harder to aim. The armor starts to make really loud noises, giving a players’ positions away, and they’re forced to keep moving forward or else they could fall to their deaths. Besides the fact that wall running is fun to use, it really doesn’t have any advantage over a normal pathway and just ends up making players more vulnerable.

Specialist classes are a huge addition to the traditional kill streak system. Kill streaks still exist in the same way they always have, but now every time players get a kill, it also speeds up the process towards be-

ing able to use the specialist class they choose. Some of the most popular ones are a grenade launcher, a supersonic bow and arrow, a hive of mutated killer bees that you place around the map, and a flame thrower.

The biggest problem with the specialist classes is that the majority of them don’t actually have a lower time to kill than a regular gun does. They use cool animations to make it feel powerful when really, players wouldn’t be doing much worse if they just used a gun, and a lot of the specialist classes will actually make getting a kill harder for you.

Regardless, at the end of the day, all that really matters with a game is if it’s fun. BO3 is definitely that game. BO3 has some of the best sound effects ever heard in a game. Getting hit by a supersonic arrow really feels like getting hit by a supersonic arrow because of the blast sound it makes. Just about every minute, players will run into heart stopping action as they fight against opponents. BO3 is one of the most exhilarating and aesthetically pleasing games available.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Look into Hollywood ‘The Force Awakens’: return of the franchise

By SHALANEY WOODWARD STAFF REPORTER

T

Photo Courtesy of Starwars.com

he worldwide anticipation is over! On Dec. 18, ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ was released. On opening night, the movie made $57 million. The first weekend, it broke the record of fastest growing movie with $247.97 million. After the third week in theaters, it is now at $740.3 million. That surpassed both ‘Jurassic World’ and ‘Titanic’ which both made over $652.3 million. ‘The Force Awakens’ became the fastest to reach $700 million in 72 days, while ‘Star Wars’ took 16 days. And as time passes, the numbers continue to climb.

The production team of Star Wars did a great job incorporating iconic elements from the past movies, such as the ATAT’s and Luke’s original light saber. An abundance of old elements are not incorporated until a quarter of the way into the movie. Throughout the movie, the characters indicate that the old technology from the previous movies is junk.

The character Rey has only heard of the fight between the mythical Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Then Rey runs

‘Instructions Not Included’:

laughs and inspiration included

By SIERRA REAMS SPORTS EDITOR

If one didn’t have a child - and one never planned to - it would be pretty intimidating if one’s past love dropped a baby off and said it was theirs. But for Valentín it comes as a complete shock when a former love leaves him with their child Maggie; to make matters worse, Valentín does not speak any English.

‘Instructions Not Included’ is an inspiring story. It may start off a little awkward at times, but it makes the viewer fall in love with the characters as time goes on. This movie starts off slow but picks up the pace throughout. Also, one of the main actors, Eugenio Derbez who plays Valentín, speaks little English making half the movie in Spanish and half in English.

Valentín tries to take Maggie back to the U.S. to her mom but fails when he sneaks into the U.S. and doesn’t find where she works. He decides to stay in Los Angeles and turn his life around for the better and raise Maggie to the best of his abilities. Valentín becomes a stunt actor to make ends meet for his daughter.

Things start to take a turn in this “happy” movie when Maggie’s mom comes back to try and take her now 7-year-old child to New York City to live with her partner.

Now Valentín and Maggie’s mom are in a court battle for the young girl.

This movie has a great cast and also makes the audience think about the true meaning of family. The twists in this daddy-daughter duo’s lives make for a very emotional story. If anyone needs an inspiring and deep meaning story, then this is what they should watch.

Photo Courtesy of Variety.com

into an old character that leads her to the middle of this epic new battle. Rey’s constant companion near the beginning of the movie is the droid BB-8. It is holding a vital piece of information.

Ray later finds an object that creates flashbacks from her childhood and she finds out more about herself. As the movie continues, more important elements are incorporated and the plot thickens. She also has an abundance of things she needs to figure out about herself in order to get stronger.

The ending is an anticipated cliff hanger with one character who has not been shown in the movie and is a vital part of the series. With the ways of the force and the fandom that comes with growing up with Star Wars, almost everyone I have talked to absolutely loves the new movie and says that the movie surpassed their expectations.

‘The Force Awakens’ is the first of three movies. Star Wars fans cannot wait until the day when the eighth movie comes out. With seeing this movie once, I am very impressed with the quality and the acting of this fast growing film.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

19

Tomatalk’s Book Club

By EMILY BAER NEWS EDI TOR

‘The Maze Runner’ by: James Dashner

Suspenseful, action-packed, and with a mystery nearly impossible to solve, ‘The Maze Runner’ keeps you at the edge of your seat. Teenage boys are being sent into what’s called The Glade, with walls that lead to a dangerous maze full of deadly creatures, and are forced to fight for survival and try to solve the impossible puzzle around them. Through the main character, Thomas, the reader is taken through a story that leaves you begging for more.

Photo Courtesy of Goodreads.com

Photo Courtesy of Goodreads.com

‘Lament’

‘I’ll Give You the Sun’

by: Maggie Stiefvater

by: Jandy Nelson

Deirdre Monaghan’s life once revolved around her best friend Jason and her harp, but when she met Luke Dillon, everything changed. Perfect four leaf clovers start appearing wherever she goes, and she starts to see things that could only be described as supernatural. Deirdre meets otherworldly beautiful people and discovers that she’s caught the attention of centuries old faeries. The perfect mix of fantasy, mystery, and romance, ‘Lament’ is the kind of book to read in one sitting.

‘I’ll Give You the Sun’ is a book that will not only make your heart ache for its characters. It will cause you to rethink life. Twins Noah and Jude were inseparable until tragedy struck their lives. Alternating between the view of 14-yearold Noah and 16-year-old Jude, this tale is a coming of age novel that teaches that everything happens for a reason, and that trials are meant to be overcome.

Photo Courtesy of Goodreads.com

Bob’s Burgers: Lettuce enjoy the meaty burgers

By ALEJANDRO ANDRADE STAFF REPORTER

Photo Courtesy Yelp.com

Bob’s Burgers is not only serving some very appetizing meals, but they have great staff that makes one’s experience better. They always give the customer warm welcoming greetings and are ready to serve them whenever they are ready, with little wait.

Bob’s Burgers takes care of customers well. The waitresses ask if everything is good and if there is anything they can do to make the stay more comfortable. It may get to the point where it gets irritating, but that depends on how one views the situation.

The building itself is pleasing to the eye.

As one walks into the building through the back, on a chilly day they have a fire place in the outdoors that is pretty nice.

The inside of the building is also enjoyable. Bob’s Burgers has flat screens on certain areas around the restaurant.They have a screen in the bar and others in the dining areas. The main thing

shown on these screens are sports.

Sports are okay in that environment but are usually ignored.

The menu is great. They have a wide selection of items including burgers, salads, soups and other things to choose from.

The burgers are great, and the fries are literally fire. They came in super-hot and taste fresh. The onion rings are also delicious. They had a nice overall balance, from the oniony flavor that was not overwhelming, to the crunchy outer layer.

Bob’s Burgers is located all around Washington. With the restaurants being a success and always treating people great, it seems like they are making a bold move by building more establishments.

Bob’s is a place worth going and trying out. This delightful atmosphere and environment is very enjoyable for friends and family. You’ll be well taken care of. It’s just overall a good place to go and take friends and have a good time. They have several locations up and running and more are soon to open.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

In the world of Music

The Return of Adele: ‘Hello’ from the no. 1 spot

By ANDY HA ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

O

n Nov 20, 2015, after four years, eight months, and 29 days, Adele released her follow-up to ‘21.’ Titled ‘25,’ the album explores many themes such as motherhood, regret, childhood, and the state of growing up. She calls it a “make-up record” as the lyrics are based off the reflection of her life and her state of mind at the age of 25.

The album, much like its predecessor, is very soulful.

There is more influence from folk music with this album than her previous ones and she even introduces sounds that are influenced by gospel, R&B, and blue music. The musical production was superb- very simple with the piano, drums and acoustic guitar. It gives off a moody and even somber feeling. The simplicity of it all perfectly suits her and allows

her voice to truly shine.

Adele’s vocals on this album are truly remarkable.

After suffering damage to her vocal cords and having to undergo throat surgery for vocal hemorrhage, she makes an outstanding vocal comeback.

‘25’ showcases her newfound vocal range amazingly and shows that this is her best vocal performance to date.

Every song truly captures the listeners, allowing them to relate and feel the emotions that Adele shows in her singing. Whether it’s the feeling of realization to growing up and becoming an adult or the feeling of missing a loved one, Adele conveys the emotions perfectly and allows it to captivate the audience.

All of the songs are great; every track is a standout on its own. Some personal favorites are ‘Hello,’ ‘I Miss You,’ ‘When We Were Young,’ ‘Remedy,’ ‘River Lea,’ and ‘Love in the

Dark.’ Every listener, despite having favorites, will love every song on this album. Each song will seem as if it is a page from the story of the listener’s life.

The album is extraordinary.

‘25’ has and will continue to make history. In its first week, the album sold 3.38 million copies, more than any other album in history. It’s also the first album to sell more than a million copies per week in three given weeks. Having only been released for a month and a half, it has become the second best-selling album of the decade, behind ‘21.’ It has even helped save the physical sale of music in the industry by getting people to go out and buy physical CDs, which has been a dying trend over the decade. This album, in many different ways, is like the ‘Thriller’ of this generation.

Official album cover for ‘25’. Courtesy of Columbia Records.

‘The 1989 World Tour Live’: Never going out of ‘Style’

By SHILOH BAGLEY STAFF REPORTER

Taylor Swift performing on the 1989 World Tour. Photo Courtesy of Forbes.com

Last month, Taylor Swift and Apple Music partnered up for the first ever two-hour movie released on Apple Music, Swift’s 1989 World Tour (Live). This gives the thousands of fans who could not attend her concert to see her perform her heart out in concert. Swifties all over the world get to experience the glowing bracelets, the screaming fans, and the magic of it all in the ever beautiful Sydney, Australia.

Swift performs with dancers, back-up dancers, and a band including trumpets and other brass instruments.

Swift opens her tour with the bracelets flashing to the music of her song “Wel-

come to New York” with men dressed in business suits looking at newspapers to take you on a little trip to New York on the corner of Broadway and 42nd. She takes you on this journey that shows the rawness of her feelings when she was creating this new sound album. Her playfulness on the stage pumps up the 70,000+ crowd belting her songs out and jumping to the beat.

At one point in the show she performs her most popular song off this album, “Blank Space”. Swift tells the interviewers that she wanted to replicate her music video. This song is about a girl who is a serial dater who “dates for sport,” Swift said.

The media has portrayed her in such a way that people

believe this about her, so the pop star decided to roll with it and write a song from this character’s point of view.

Her level of sass and confidence brings a whole new world to viewers all around the world. Through the screen of a phone, those at home watching can feel and connect with her. She ends the concert with her second most popular (and most catchy) song, “Shake It Off, thanking all of those who had come out to spend a Saturday night in Sydney with her and takes a bow with her friends on stage. This movie not only brings the concert to the viewers, but most definitely puts the viewers in the concert.

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal SHENANIGANS Reviews

2016 IMAGEMIND

Send a picture, poem, QR code to a song, website, anything to show us what you’re proud of! Bring to room 314, or email perryreader@gmail.com

Tribal Reviews SHENANIGANS

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FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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FRIDAY, JAN. 22, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School