2015 16, issue 5

VOLUME 40• ISSUE 5•FEBRUARY 26, 2016• KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA 99336

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

2

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Gear Up: it means no worries!

By KATHY FARIAS-GUERRA STAFF REPORTER

H

ey! Need help on homework?

Struggling with math? English? Social Studies? GEAR UP is the place for you. They offer smiles and help and a piece of candy. Not only is this a place to receive help, but it also brings a warmth to your heart by their welcome.

GEAR UP Stands for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Gear up is a federal program that gives grants to schools and communities all over Washington state and even nationwide, to increase the number of low income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education and career readiness. It’s good to always be prepared. GEAR UP wants to provide many opportunities and open doors for all students.

The program also creates a college going and career minded culture for all students. GEAR UP has a Stu-

dent Achievement Specialist, academic coaches, and office assistants. Not only is the staff there to help with homework.

They’re also there to help you with career and life. They help students achieve their goals.

Carolyn Paxton was asked the other day if she just considers herself as a Student Achievement Specialist or also a friend to students. “I don’t see this just as just a job. It’s an opportunity to invest in the lives of our youth by treating each with dignity, respect, love, and compassion,” she said.

GEAR UP not only invests its time in helping but also invests the time in getting to know a person. GEAR UP is not only a good place to be at, it is also a place where Eden Guerrero, a student at Kamiakin, said he is investing his time in and can actually say he loves it. “GEAR UP is a good place where I can go and talk to them about life, how school is, and get help in homework, apply for SATS or ACT, and also get myself prepared for college,” he said.

GEAR UP is located in the library before school, lunch, and after school. Lorena Rios assists and answers questions with signing up students for the SATS and the ACTS. GEAR UP also takes trips to tour colleges, so you can see if that’s the college you want to be at. Guerrero was asked what he liked about the recent field trip to Walla Walla to visit colleges. He responded, “I like that you can get to talk to the college students, and get to know their experience from transferring from high school to college.”

It’s good to know that we can learn from other students’ experiences. Caroline Hoffman was asked what GEAR UP meant to her. She said, “It’s a privilege to be here serving the teachers and the students.

We can encourage kids to do better and give them hope for a good future so that they can believe in themselves. And that they can believe that they can do it.”

Lorena Rios, Caroline Hoffman, Carolyn Paxton. Photo by Kathy Farias-Guerra

Superhero Sadie’s all summed up

By KACEY OWSLEY STAFF REPORTER

Some people embraced the serenity that is Sadie’s on Feb. 6. Many students fanned out to find themselves a date while others enjoyed getting together with friends. When asked, students thought that the Sadies dance was strictly girls ask guys, and that it was just for couples, only to discover that Sadie’s is a dance that anyone can go to. Most people attend it in groups of six or more. It is simply a fun place to hang out with some friends or have an amusing date with your swell pal.

Preparation for the dance is a big part of “Sadie’s week”. For starters, asking someone to go with you can be very exciting. For junior Aspen Schend, asking her date was fun and creative. “I had a poster and a bag of Cutie Orang-

es with me and the poster said, “Knock Knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad you got asked to Sadie’s by this cutie,” said Aspen.

She and senior Danny Ross attended the dance together.

Also, the leadership team did a splendid job with the decorations and making the whole dance fun. They made sure that there was an area to take pictures with friends and plenty of room for dancing. “The coolest feature of the dance was the speakers that changed color according to the tempo of each song,” said junior Erica Bergman. She is on the leadership team, and her team had been working very hard to pull off a great night of fun for Kamiakin students. Over all, many students enjoyed every minute of it and most will say it was a successful event.

Students had a great time at Sadie’s. Photo by Ronnie Henderson

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

3

Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Sp tlights Gavin Dunn: the All-State jazz pianist

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

A

t the age of 4, he began his musical journey by taking piano lessons. As a freshman, he took over the coveted position of jazz pianist at Kamiakin. After studying under Steve Haberman, a local jazz piano legend, he was given the opportunity to play jazz piano for the CBC jazz band, and now he is taking part in his biggest achievement yet. Junior Gavin Dunn is the piano player for the WMEA All-State Jazz Choir.

“I was so excited that I’d made it, especially because I was in the choir,” Dunn said.

The WMEA All-State Jazz Choir consists of 27 high school students, 23 of which are from the west side of the state. Dunn and the drum set player, Gary Stivers, who at-

tends Hanford High School, were the only members from the Tri-City area.

Months before the audition, Dunn began getting prepared.

“I worked since August for the audition which wasn’t even until November,” he said.

When he found out he’d been given this opportunity, Dunn began working incredibly hard with Haberman, his private teacher. “They started preparing in November for a concert that wouldn’t be for almost four months,” said Marjean Dunn, Gavin’s mother.

The All-State Jazz Choir only worked together as a group for three and a half days, but in that time they did something spectacular. The rehearsals were led by Ly Wilder, a professional with a bachelor’s degree in studio music and jazz

and a master’s degree in jazz studies.

After 22 hours of rehearsal, the choir performed at the Yakima Convention Center on Feb. 12 in front of a “packed crowd of musical educators and parents,” said Mrs. Dunn.

“The whole thing was incredibly serious and intense but it was still really fun and I enjoyed the whole thing. Our performance was great; it was awesome performing in front of so many educators,” Dunn said.

Dunn’s family is obviously incredibly proud of him for this great achievement. “We’re so proud that Gavin got to enjoy a great experience and his name is in the program representing Kamiakin High School as the state jazz pianist,” Mrs. Dunn said.

Sophomore Gavin Dunn has been playing piano since he was only four and continues on in the Kamiakin Jazz Band and the All-State Jazz choir. Photo by Chloe Grundmeier

Teacher Spotlight: Valerie Feth

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

English teacher Valerie Feth teaches first year English, English lab and American literature. Feth is also the advisor for the National Honors Society. “It’s enjoyable and fun, but sometimes it’s challenging,” Feth said.

Feth also says that she enjoys teaching freshmen the most.

“They change the most, from being goofy and afraid to starting to blossom. And I see them go through things and start to mature. It’s exciting to see them grow and learn. You don’t see that much change out of any other grade,” Feth said.

Being remembered as a teacher who cares for her students is one legacy Feth wants to be remembered for.

Valerie Feth teaches English and is also the NHS advisor. Photo by Ronnie Henderson

Feth’s favorite color is pink, and she loves all types of Mexican food. One of her favorite books is ‘Winter Solstice’ by Rosamunde Pilcher and one of her favorite movies is ‘Love Actually.’ Her favorite holiday is Christmas because “It’s all about family,” Feth said. Her two favorite hobbies are reading and going to the beach.

Feth’s favorite sports to watch are football (supporting the Seahawks), basketball (supporting the Lakers), and watching the Olympics. Feth’s two biggest pet peeves are when people are disrespectful with eye rolling or when a person is dishonest. Feth grew up in Santiago, California.

One of Feth’s favorite memories from Kamiakin is when every year her students give her the sweetest cards towards the last day of

school. “I’ve kept every single one of them. I have a book full of the cards and on tough days, I read through them to remind myself that it’s worth it,” Feth said.

One of Feth’s favorite quotes is from an Eagles song, “Already Gone.” The quote is, “So often times happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.” The reason why Feth like this quote is the deeper meaning to it. “I feel that sometimes, as people, during tough times, we forget that we have the power to free ourselves.

It remind us that we don’t have to blame anything because we have the key,” Feth said.

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

4

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

More people choosing homeschooling option in Tri-Cities

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

“I

hate getting up so early.”

“My classes are so big that my teacher never has time to help me.” These are just a couple of complaints from students in public schools. These are reasons, among others, that more and more people are choosing a different option for their

children: Homeschooling. According to the U.S. Department of Education, between 2003 and 2012, the number of homeschooled children has risen 61.8 percent. The total population of school children homeschooled is around 3.4 percent. Data published by the National Center for Education Statistics show that 1,096,000 children are homeschooled.

Mathhew Cheung, 18, takse calculus test. Photo couresty of Hector Amezcua.

But is the homeschool option all it’s cracked up to be?

In Tri-Cities, people who choose the homeschooling option can have the best of both worlds. The school district has a program called Mid-Columbia Partnership. Through MCP, students can take some of their classes at school while also taking online classes and some of the classes at home. At MCP, parents enroll their kids at any time free of charge, and kids will still have the learning experience. The online courses that someone can also take through the MCP program are available, too. With the K12 online program, the students have an opportunity to take the classes at home. The interactions with teachers are through a screen, and students can go at their own pace, but with the online courses you don’t get the same interaction with other people your age unless you join clubs in the community or join sports groups in the community or at a public school.

Junior Matthew Gearheart was homeschooled from kindergarten to eighth grade. For most of the time dur-

The “great” wall of Trump

By RYAN FOLTA STAFF REPORTER

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said that in order to have a more secure border, a wall needs to be built across the border with Mexico. This subject drew a line for Trump’s supporters right away. People who are supportive of the wall will automatically support Trump. But for most conservatives, it takes a lot more than just a wall to win their support.

“I will build a great wall. And nobody does walls better than me. Very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for that wall,” said Trump. His idea of a wall that would span across the southern border of the United States could be an effective solution to the illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and smuggling. But is it really feasible?

There are many options that the candidate has to consider.

Extensive research has been done to calculate how much Trump’s wall would actually cost to build. The border between the United States and Mexico is 1,956 miles long. Trump’s “ideal wall” would be a 10-foot-high, 1-foot-thick concrete wall, topped with barbed razor wire. It would take 5,737,600 cubic yards of concrete to make the wall, which would take 573,760 truckloads of a standard sized concrete truck (which holds 10 cubic yards of concrete.) The standard size of a concrete truck is 35 feet long. If the trucks were lined up bumper to bumper, it would be 3,803 miles long. That would be an equivalent stretch from New York City to Los Angeles, and halfway back. It would take 6,100 miles of barbed wire to fit on top of the wall.

The cost of the operation isn’t anywhere near inexpensive. The estimated cost of labor to lay down the wall is $40 per square foot, absolute minimum. The wall is a total of

154,915,200 square feet, which would cost approximately $6,196,608,000 to lay, including labor, overhead, and profit. Barbed wire is about $30 per bundle. It would cost $6,196,608 for all of the barbed wire the wall would require. The grand total to build the wall would be approximately $6,209,001,416.

There are 318,900,000 people who reside in the U.S. If every citizen in the United States contributed to paying for the wall, it would cost each individual person $19.45. That’s $77.72 for a family of four. But Donald Trump’s wish is for Mexico to pay for it. The population of Mexico is 122,300,000, and it would cost $50.66 USD, or 955 pesos per person.

The idea of such a wall may be desired by many people, but is it a realistic plan? The facts state that building the wall is not cheap. Trump could use his own personal funding or rely on the taxpayers for an endeavor that not everyone supports.

ing his homeschooled experience, he was taught by his mother. He was able to play sports at Desert Hills Middle School and was able to interact with other kids his age at the sports events and practices, and at his church activities. That doesn’t mean that homeschooling cannot be lonely. Gearheart prefers public school to homeschool and he said, “Homeschool is not as good as it seems.”

Even though he could go at his own pace and was able to be taught at home, Gearheart likes the experience at a public school. He said, “It’s a lot more fun than being by yourself all day.”

Being with friends and being in a classroom is a greater learning experience for a lot of people, but online courses and homeschooling can also be a great experience. Depending on people’s life situations and opinions, either schooling program could be good. It all depends on how someone wants to learn.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Remember Black History

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

F

ebruary is the month of remembering black history in the United States and Canada. For the United Kingdom, black history is remembered during October.

Black History Month, also known as African-American month, is when people take the time to remember the hardships they went through and the achievements they were able to accomplish.

The beginning of Black History Month started on Feb 12, 1909 when Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This was an association that was dedicated

to researching the achievements done by black Americans and other peoples of African descent. This organization created and achieved a nationwide event called Negro History Week in 1926, choosing the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Thanks to a growing awareness of black identity in the late 1960s, Negro History Week turned into Black History Month. President Gerald R. Ford called upon the nation in 1976 to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” He officially announced the recognition of

5

Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

If you would like to comment, write a letter to the editor, or submit a guest article, contact us at:

Black History Month.

Since then, every single The Tomatalk: Kamiakin High School, 600 North Arthur, Kennewick, U.S. president has recognized WA, 99336, (509) 222-7015, email tomatalk@ksd.org, or go online at www.tomatalk.com and comment there or take a poll.

Black History Month and has designated February for this Staff: event. Each president has enAdviser: Laurie Bender dorsed a new theme every Editors-in-Chief: Chloe Grundmeier and Andy Ha year to focus on. This year News Feature Editor: Emily Baer the Association for the Study Sports Editor: Sierra Reams of African American Life and In-Depth Editor: Chloe Grundmeier History has chosen the theme Opinion Editor: Emily Aardahl of Hallowed Grounds: Sites of Entertainment Editor: Andy Ha African American Memories.

Online Editors: Rachel Soh This is in honor of places such Cover made by: Rachel Soh as the Underground Railroad which are such an important Staff Reporters: part of history.

Alejandro Andrade, Shiloh Bagley, Ryan Folta, Alex Grundmeier, Black History Month is an Veronica Henderson, Reuben Hopper, Taylor Hunzeker, Madison important time of the year to Morgan, Kacey Owsley, Amber Perry, Shalaney Woodward, Kaylee remember those who helped Zuhlke pave the road to this day and age. Learning about the past MISSION STATEMENT: can influence people to a betThe purpose of the Tomatalk is to inform, entertain, and further educate the students ter future. 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:

Jim “Mudcat” Grant, a former big-league pitcher, during a video interview with Neftalie Williams on Nov. 12, 2014, at Mudcat’s office in Los Angeles. Williams, a researcher at USC, is trying to chronicle the lives of every black player who spent any significant time in Major League baseball. Photo courtesy of Ricardo DeAratanha

On the cover, the fastest growing jobs article was advertised but was not in the paper. On page 3, Scott Critchfield’s name was spelled incorrectly. On page 11, it was stated that med-techs take the Hippocratic Oath, which is incorrect. On page 15, Piper Polanik’s last name was not stated.

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

6

Life Before Teaching

By KAYLEE ZUHLKE STAFF REPORTER

F

lipping burgers. Taking orders. Cleaning bathrooms.

So, to be defined in other terms, minimum wage. Young people entering the workforce don’t typically get the laid-back, respectable jobs that they desire. However, there’s definitely something to learn from the experience of supporting yourself financially for the first time. Not to worry, though – don’t think your teachers had it great at your age either.

Laurie Bender “My first job was when I was going to high school in Othello – it was a place called Sandy’s… similar to A&W. It served the same kinds of stuff. I was 17.”

What she learned “I was so happy that I was going to college so I didn’t have to work fast food for my whole life.

It motivated me to go to college.”

Memorable Experience “I remember the location was on the highway and I closed by myself a lot. It scared me because some weird people would come in and I was worried they would

be lurking around.”

Keith Duncan “My first job was working at Iowa Beef, a meat processing plant. I was 19, worked there for three months in the summer, and it just smelled like dead cow all the time.”

What he learned “I learned that I definitely didn’t want to work in a meat processing plant for the rest of my life.”

Memorable Experience “It was just cold, like 28 degrees, and even in the summer I needed gloves, a coat, and a hat.”

Jordan Anderson “I was the mascot for the Dust Devils one summer, at about age 16.”

What he learned “I learned to make sure I get a high school and college diploma so that I never have be in that costume again.”

Memorable Experience “I was just really hot inside of the costume, like I needed to have a fan built into it. Kids liked to pull the tail and to run into me all the time.”

Todd Freitag “My first job was in the summer

(3 summers long) at Riedel Environmental – I went all over the west coast cleaning up hazardous and toxic chemical spills.”

What he learned “It was a hard job, a lot of work, and dangerous. I knew that I didn’t want to do that kind of work.”

Memorable Experience “They called me at 2 a.m. when a ship came into Portland with a spill. I had to go down to the yard, alone, and had to get 1,000 ft. of boom to put around that ship to stop the leak.”

Brandee Veitenheimer “I was 16 and I was working at Pacific Trader’s, the coffee shop that was in the Kennewick Fred Meyer before it was Tully’s.”

What she learned “I learned to be responsible, how to balance school and work, and how to make and spend money.”

Memorable Experience “I got to drink tons of free coffee. It started my coffee addiction, and anyone that knows me knows that I have to drink coffee every single day.”

Jordan Anderson was the mascot for the Dust Devils when he was 16.

Photo by Kaylee Zuhlke

Solo and ensemble: experience another side of music

The Kamiakin Philharmonic Brass Quintet rehearses before their solo and ensemble performance at Chiawana High School. This performance is what sent them to state. This group consists of senior Chloe Grundmeier on trumpet (left), senior Emily Aardahl on horn (left center), junior Ryan Dearing on tuba (right center), senior Raella Green on trumpet (right), and senior Michael DeFord on trombone (not pictured).

Photo courtesy of Raella Green

By THOMAS METCALF STAFF REPORTER

The instrumental music season of solo and ensemble has returned. Solo and ensemble is a yearly competition

in which students get together in small groups of two to 12 or even a one person solo. These students then practice in class, after school, during lunch, and during their own free time at home on

a piece that will be performed in front of a judge at a competition.

Senior Michael DeFord performed in a solo, a duet, and a brass quintet, in which the brass quintet will be going to state.

“The brass quintet is going to state which is pretty exciting. Those performances went pretty well. I felt like the duet went really well, but we never got scores back so we don’t know,” said DeFord.

Multiple groups went to the solo and ensemble competition at Chiawana High School and a couple made it to state, like piano soloist Ethan Vo and the symphonic band percussion trio.

The performers enjoyed this competition greatly, like freshman Stephen Osmonson. “[When performing], you get to see all of your work get paid off in front of another group and in front of a judge,” he said.

All of the students who participated in this competition worked for a long period of time. Hours were put in by each student to learn their parts and solos. “This year, I did work pretty hard

on solo and ensemble. I had rehearsals every day with different groups with different people,” said DeFord.

Some performing groups got very high scores. DeFord’s solo got a superior minus, which is a near perfect score.

The clarinet quintet earned a superior score and first alternate for state qualifying. The brass quintet also earned a superior in their division which granted them to state. Others also got superiors and close to superiors.

The performers had lots of great repertoire, like in freshman Cayden Tanasse’s ensemble which performed ‘Arcania’ by Palestrina. Osmonson and his woodwind quintet performed a movement from ‘Five Easy Dances’

by Denes Agay. DeFord’s duet was the ‘Song for Japan’ by Steve Verhelst.

“It allows me a chance to grow and to share my gifts and talents with people around me,” said DeFord, “and to experience another side of music that you don’t get a whole lot of.”

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

7

ADVERTISEMENTS

t n a w u o y s s a l c ar e e y h t t x e t n r o f Ge w o ter n . . . t i a w t Don’ Regis

ounselor c d n a s t ur paren / K e n n e w ic k e n Talk to yo li a t e M .

W 29

59

Cinder’s Closet

...we make your dream a reality

Prom $ $ Dresses 20- 350 627 The Parkway Richland, WA Mon-Thurs 12 - 5 • Fri-Sat 11 - 6 /RichlandCinders

Tribal Talk

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

8

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Should high schoolers be in romantic relationships?

PRO: Dating in high school can build experience for later in life.

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

H

igh school years are the ones to remember.

These are the years to make mistakes and learn from them. For teens, one of the main experiences besides school is dating.

Everyone knows someone who has been in a long term relationship during high school. One of the biggest concerns with dating while attending school is that it could be a distraction to students. Students spend an average of two to four hours a night working on homework assignments.

Many parents are concerned that if their children are in relationships, that they might slack on their school work. While this may be the case with some students, others think that dating provides a healthy distraction from the stress of school. Students shouldn’t be expected to focus on school work every hour of every day. Dating is a good way to have a distraction from school work as well as providing them with life lessons.

If teenagers don’t have the option to date, then they will not have as much experience with dating later in life so their relationships may not work out as well

as someone who knows the sacrifices that come with being in a relationship. Most relationships in high school obviously don’t last forever but can act as a way to let people grow and understand that a relationship is about giving their all.

High school is extremely stressful for most students whether it is over school work, extracurricular activities, or friendships and they will need someone to be there for them for emotional support. Many times teenagers will want to be able to talk to someone other than their friends or family, so this would be a great time to have their significant other there for support.

When an adult looks back on their teenage relationships, they are typically thankful for the memories, experiences, and insight they had received from dating. Most teenagers remember their parents dragging out their old pictures from high school and running across a picture from one of their high school dances.

This will usually be followed by a story about their high school sweethearts and how things between them probably didn’t work out, but will always be concluded with some advice about dating that their children can use throughout their lives.

Appropriate teen relationships lead to maturity in teenagers and a better understanding of adult relationships. Photo courtesy of wallpaperscraft.com

CON: High school relationships can be harmful to mental health.

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

H

igh school: a time of confusion, pressures, and stress. A young girl tries to figure out who she is and who she wants to be during this time of her life but becomes sidetracked with other struggles and is still unsure of herself. A young boy is pressured into trying out drugs and then becomes addicted. A dedicated student is so stressed about keeping up their grades that they become overwhelmed and suffer from a mental illness.

Students at the high school age have countless concerns to worry about.

From grades to family, these students have it rough. Another pressure is forced upon these teenagers as they begin high school: dating.

For many students, dating is a distraction that only puts another layer of stress upon everything else that happens in high school. Some of these students are struggling with relationships at home and platonic relationships with their friends.

In some situations, high school dating leads to students feeling so overwhelmed they feel they need to take one aspect of stress completely out of

When students are involved with an intense and unforeseen breakup, it can take a huge toll on their mental health. Many students begin to suffer from extreme stress and even exhibit symptoms of depression in these trying times. Photo by Chloe Grundmeier

their lives, and many times this aspect is healthy friendships.

High school students are all required to take some form of health class, but many of these classes do not adequately cover the topic of sex education. With

nothing but ‘abstinence only’ teaching being shoved down their throats, these students may partake in unprotected sex. This may lead to pregnancy and STDs as well as emotional trauma for both individuals.

The maturity level of each student does depend on that individual, but as a whole, students between 13 and 18 are not mature enough to take part in serious romantic relationships. Being in a relationship could include confiding in another person and being completely honest with one’s thoughts and feelings. These both take an enormous amount of trust and courage, and if the people in the relationship choose to have sex, this act involves both of these qualities.

High schoolers suffer from mental illnesses more than any other age group. These teens are already incredibly stressed from the huge workload that simply comes with attending high school and living in today’s society, which is a huge contributing factor to the mental illnesses they suffer from.

Adding the scarily likely possibility of being involved in an abusive relationship alongside possible emotional trauma that could come from having sex at too young of an age for that individual just makes the mental strain even worse.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

9

Tribal Talk

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...

Struggles of being a teen: juggling jobs, family, and school Teens go through struggles every day, whether it’s a part time job, spending time with family, having homework for class, a project, essay, or sports. For example, in this specific case, it is a struggle writing this editorial. Teens, every day, are stressed out to the max.

Parents often brush off their kids’ remarks about being stressed or tired because of school. Some parents say that they “had it worse” as a kid and that high school is a lot easier than living in the real world where people have to pay bills and work full time.

“

[T]he survey found that 30 percent of teens reported feeling sad or depressed because of stress.

”

It is not easier being an adult, but it is not harder either.

Teens nowadays are being told to get jobs and do extracurricular activities as well as go to school. There are multiple reasons as to why they would get a job. Some get one because they have to pay their own bills or gas; some do it for their resumes and college applications; and some just do it to have a little extra cash in their pockets. But whatever the reason is, it can get overwhelming going to school while working.

High school is stressful on its own.

No matter the level of difficulty in the courses that students take, they get overworked. Parents and teachers encourage them to get involved in sports or extracurricular activities throughout their school careers.

Some universities even expect their applicants to be well-rounded students.

Combining everything, that’s two to four hours of homework every night, being a part of a school club, and playing a sport, all of that on top of working and having a social life.

It can get hectic. A few parents and schools look at this and think it is easy compared to having to deal with taxes, paying a mortgage, and raising a family.

While none of that is easy to do as an adult, what the students do is no stroll in the park either. Teens are encouraged to do all this at the same time as they are expected to plan out their lives and know what they want to do for the rest of it. At the same time, they go through that awkward phase of not being a kid anymore, yet not being an adult either, and discovering themselves.

The American Psychological Association conducted a survey called “Stress in America.” NBC reported that the survey found that 30 percent of teens reported feeling sad or depressed because of stress and 31 percent felt overwhelmed. Another 36 percent said that stress makes them tired and 23 percent said they’ve skipped meals because of it.

Having seen the data that was collected, teens’ daily lives are very stressful and can affect their health.

Skipping meals and feeling sad can lead to serious situations such as being malnourished and having thoughts of suicide.

Going through daily tasks can be difficult as a teen. Teens are expected to be like adults, act like adults, and be responsible like adults, but are treated like children. Having to deal with that can be very frustrating.

And parents and teachers forget to see that being a teen can be a struggle.

Some students today spend more time on their phones during class than paying attention to their teacher. Many teachers are perfectly fine with this while others completely disagree. This inconsistency in policies can be harmful to the student’s learning habbits and lessen how much they actually learn.

Photo by Ryan Folta

Teacher cell phone policies need to be uniform

By RYAN FOLTA STAFF REPORTER

E

very school year, teachers make students sign a syllabus about their class rules. The syllabus talks about materials, expectations, and rules. Some teachers say to refer to the school handbook for the phone policy, but others have their own way with dealing with students’ phones.

The school handbook states on page 27: “All Electronic Devices: To preserve an appropriate learning environment radios, CD players, MP3 players, cellular phones, etc., may not disrupt learning. Cell phones must be turned off during class time. If they are used in classes, they may be confiscated.” But what justifies confiscated?

The definition of confiscate is “to take or seize (someone’s property) with authority.” Does this rule limit or enhance the teachers’ power of taking a students phone? English teacher Laura Pearson said, “When students aren’t paying attention in my class, I take their phone away for the class, and at the end of the period I give it

back to them. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for someone’s phone for more than the class because phones are expensive.”

Some teachers implement phone policies that give them the right to take a student’s phone for a whole 24 hours. Does a 24 hour period seem like an appropriate punishment for someone having their phone out in their class?

If there was a consensus with all teachers, then many students will not have much of an issue. The difference between teachers and their phone policies varies greatly. Some teachers don’t even care if students have out their phones, but some will take them on sight. Students are already required to remember so much about their individual classes, and when teachers pile on their own unique cell phone policy, it just becomes too much.

Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

10

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Schools should value learning over grades

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

WLAD was amended in 2006 to include sexual orientation under its list of protections from discrimination. The law also includes protections based on race and gender. Photo by Madison Morgan

Gender vs. Bathrooms: WLAD’s effect in schools

By MADISON MORGAN STAFF REPORTER

I

f a person with male anatomy identifies as a female, should they be able to use the female’s restroom?

“I say they should still use the male’s bathroom because biologically they’re still male. I don’t think that’s a really good idea because some guy could say, ‘Oh I identify as a female’ and then go into the female bathroom and then wait for somebody to come in and then rape them. I just think that’s a really big risk,” said sophomore Dallas Knodel.

Before gender reassignment surgery, some students feel that transgender people should use the restrooms of their current anatomy.

“I think that they should not

do it [use their new gender’s restroom] because if you look at their chromosomes, they still either have an x and an x, or an x and a y, and they can’t change that,” said freshman Andrew Smith.

Washington’s Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) protects people from discrimination because of gender identity or expression. According to the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington state, “The Washington State Human Rights Commission (HRC) - the agency responsible for enforcing the WLAD - publicly supports the right of transgender individuals to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity.”

“I don’t think it’s segregation because you still give them the

opportunity to change. It just has to be past a certain point so it’s not awkward for other people because you may feel bad about yourself when it happens to you, but it’s awkward for other people too, so you want to be aware of their comfort,” said sophomore Kahlea Sullivan.

Other students think that transgender people should be able to use the restrooms of their gender identity.

“If they’re going through treatment…then I feel like they should definitely [use their new gender’s restroom] because it would be really uncomfortable for them to be in [their old gender’s] bathroom. You’re not going to go that far…just to go in the girl’s bathroom,” said an anonymous student.

Just because a student has good grades doesn’t mean the student has grown in knowledge. There are so many worries about needing good grades, but what truly matters is what someone has learned. Students around campus are stressing about getting good grades and not focusing on learning the material teachers assign.

Students may only focus on getting good grades throughout their school year, but also need to build on what they’re learning and become stronger individuals. Continually building one’s knowledge in one subject helps the brain to grow. It also reflects back in adult years when knowledge is key. Good grades may be important to acquire for college, but learning and improving knowledge is what helps later in life.

Let’s say that a person develops extremely good grades and is admitted into a reputable college but doesn’t remember the important details in previous classes. Therefore, those four years of high school were a waste of time. A person spends most of his time studying for a test and will forget everything but should’ve taken it in for future reference. The destination isn’t as important as the journey. The journey is what will help for future events whereas the destination is just one event in life out of many.

Part of the reason grades are emphasized is because of parents. Grades are important to parents because it’s the only gauge parents have to see their chil-

dren’s progress in school.

By getting good grades, the students’ parents will be happy, but if a student gets a bad grade then the parents will be upset. To make parents happy, students strive to have good grades for themselves and their parents. Writer Chris Crouch said, “Parents rely on grades to communicate their child’s progress…students feel pressured to get ‘good’ grades and work hard.”

English teacher Valerie Feth said, “Learning is more important than grades. We, as teachers, want kids to have information that they need and the understanding in what they need. Just getting a good grade doesn’t show much. Through discussion and good writing is when we know students have learned.”

English teacher Laura Pearson said, “You can learn and still have a good grade but in life, it’s more important to learn the lessons that the teachers have.

Sometimes they go beyond academic lessons and that is why learning is more important.”

Writer Brad Kuntz from Education Update said, “The past decades of education have trained students and teachers to focus on grades rather than learning.”

Instead of giving a bad grade on a quiz or test, teachers should encourage the student to come in for help and have another chance to take the test, but only if they come in for help. Then the student has proven that they efficiently learned the unit and can move on to the next unit.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

11

Chief Legends In Depth

Family and Consumer Sciences: classes that may help for a lifetime

By KAYLEE ZUHLKE STAFF REPORTER

T

rying to fill your schedule for next year? Consider a course within the family and consumer sciences bracket, some taught by teacher Cindy Miller. These selections all can apply to your life and knowledge as an individual beyond your high school career.

Interior Design (grades 10-12, yearlong): Learn about redecorating, selecting furniture, and general layout. Design a dream home using your personal values. “This is probably one of my most fun classes, just from watching students’ creativity develop as they design their dream homes,” said Miller.

Independent Living (grades 9-12, semester): “This is an important class because essentially it teaches you how to get along with yourself and others,” said Miller. Independent Living focuses heavily on personal relationships as well

as image building.

Life 101 (grades 11-12, semester): Life 101 assists in career and college planning and managing money. “Ultimately, this is a financial fitness class, because it deals with real-life skills including money,” said Miller.

Fiber Arts (grades 10-12, yearlong): “With sewing, your unique self can come out in what you design. We make things like tie-dye shirts, pajama pants, and crafts,” said Miller. Included in this course is textile knowledge, career opportunities in the apparel industries, and personal craft projects.

Food and Fitness (grades 1012, semester): “This is a fun way of exercising, learning to move for a lifetime, and how to make healthy choices as well as knowing what those healthy choices are,” said Miller. Food and Fitness is equally divided between food labs and small workouts.

Food and Nutrition (grades

10-12, semester): These are the basics of nutrition and healthy cooking. Labs include preparing breads, pies, soups, salads, and main dishes. “You’ll learn basic culinary arts like cooking

techniques and knife skills,” said Miller.

Team Read (grades 10-12, seventh hour, yearlong): “This is an afterschool reading/ tutoring class off-site at an

elementary school. Teenage kids have the chance to mentor elementary students and really develop a relationship together,” said Miller.

A few of the creations featured from Mrs. Miller’s fiber arts class. Students can create similar projects as well as numerous others. Photo by Kaylee Zuhlke

Technology classes preparing students for the future

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

Today, technology is being used far more than ever before. Students can take advantage of this fast-growing industry by enrolling in one of Kamia-

kin’s range of technology classes.

Five different tech classes are offered, from entry-level courses such as Computer Science to more advanced classes like PC Internship. Though the classes are generalized under one

Junior Derek McClelland, senior Jensen Horlacher, senior Zoran Djuric, senior Gage Baxter, senior Ryan Nakamura, and sophomore Jarret Gates, the PC Interns. Not pictured: senior Ivan Harry. Photo by Emily Aardahl

subject, each has different materials to teach its students.

Computer Science is offered both as a regular class and as an AP course.

The former involves entry-level programming with Scratch, a program from MIT, while the latter has students learning Java programming. Additionally, Computer Science fills out the computer competency graduation requirement.

Of course, another crucial part of working heavily with computers is learning how to repair them. In PC Troubleshooting, students learn how to do technical repairs along with basic network troubleshooting. Once students have taken this course, they can take PC Internship. This class challenges students with fixing various computer issues around the school.

“There’s a lot of looking things up and figuring out how things work,” said junior Derek McClelland, one of seven interns in the class. “You have to do research before you go in [to repair

something], and then sometimes you still can’t fix it because the hardware’s out of date. That’s the most challenging part of it - just researching the stuff you don’t know.”

Somewhat similarly, Engineering gives students opportunities to learn about the structures of various machines.

“We do CAD, we do electronics, robotics, some basic architecture, and bridge-building,” said technology teacher Douglas Reppe. “Engineering is fun if you want to tinker with things and really do some problem-solving.”

All five courses count for the required occupational education credit, and subsequently each can also provide skills to be utilized later in life.

“I would encourage students to consider signing up for Computer Science,” said Mr. Reppe. “It’s a high-need area...there’s a big national movement right now trying to push students into computer science...there’s going to be massive amounts of job openings.”

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

12

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Drama 3-4: Advancing to the spo

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

A

mong many other new classes being introduced to Kamiakin, there will be an advanced drama class that students will have the option to take. In past years, there has only been one drama class that aspiring actors would take over and over, learning the same criteria.

With the advanced class, students will be able to learn more in depth theatre skills, and many of the drama students are ecstatic. Senior Yzabelle Tow, who has been a part of the drama club for four years, thinks that adding this class will be a great change for the school. “The arts are extremely important for teenagers to help them figure out who they are and who they want to be. By having an advanced drama class, it will give them the chance to broaden their skills and really dive deep into theatre,” said Tow. The advanced drama class will be focused on bettering the actors’ skills and understanding theatre further than the drama 1-2 class would. Both classes will be instructed by Chris Hamilton, who has years of theatre experience under his belt. Students who take this class will be able to receive a fine arts credit or an elective credit.

Theatre provides a way for people who may be shy to find themselves and step out of their shell in a place where they feel welcomed.

Students who are interested in taking this class will need to either have taken Drama 1-2 in a previous year or talk to Mr. Hamilton about their interest to be in the advanced class. Senior Kayla Roles, who has also been involved in drama at Kamiakin for four years said, “As much fun and ever changing as drama can be for its students, having an advanced class not only expands the knowledge for them, but it also keeps them on their feet.”

Sophomore Scott Critchfield shouts in anger after a mistake during the improv group rehearsal. These types of rehearsals will continue next year during the Drama 3-4 class that many returning Chloe Grundmeier

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

otlight

13

Chief Legends In Depth

AP Spanish a class to consider

By MADISON MORGAN STAFF REPORTER

A

s it gets closer to class sign ups, students may be wondering what classes to take. The 2016-2017 school year offers a new Advanced Placement (AP) class, AP Spanish.

The AP Spanish teacher is Jen Wright, who teaches second through fourth year classes. It would be Mrs. Wright’s first year teaching AP Spanish.

“Why should people sign up for AP Spanish? Well, it’s a really good opportunity to get college credit if you pass. It looks good on your transcripts for college. It’s a great opportunity to…save yourself money if you’re going to a four year school,” said Wright.

Wright explains that AP Spanish is independent of textbook material and that everything is authentic. “…AP Spanish would consist of pretty much getting ready for the AP test. But there’d be a lot of listening activities, speaking activities, because you have to speak, a lot of reading, and you have to read. They call it “authentic material”, so you have to read real literature from Spanish speaking countries, so either short stories, poems, newspapers, magazines,” said Wright.

For the people who are unsure of AP Spanish because of the AP test, Wright says, “… just because you take the class doesn’t mean you have to take the AP test.

The class will be small, so I’ll be able to

work one on one, and we’ll be doing a lot of group work, and a lot of the activities in class will be based by what the College Board has planned.”

Unfortunately, for a class to run, more than 15 students have to sign up. Even though the class offering has been available for two years, this has been an issue.

Mrs. Wright urges students to sign up. “…I was short four students, so we need to have 15 to 20…I’d love to see it go. I think it’d be a great opportunity,” she said.

The prerequisite for AP Spanish is a completion of Honors Spanish 7 and 8.

“I would want to do AP Spanish because in today’s economy there are a lot of Hispanics, and Spanish kind of needs to be known for jobs. Like my mom at her job, she meets a lot of people who might only

speak Spanish, and so it helps her a lot to know it, and it helps her a lot to communicate as a pharmacist. I would think it’d help you be more fluent in speaking it, and you might learn more of how it’s used more naturally, in the places like Spain and Mexico. And so you’ll be more fluent with the native speakers, and then you’d kind of polish it off with all the rest of the stuff that you didn’t learn earlier in the years,” said sophomore Mikaela Matowski.

According to www.k12.wa.us, 61,558 people in Washington speak Spanish, and it is increasing all the time, not just in Washington, but in our nation. The more Spanish one knows, the more marketable s/he will be in the future. That might be a great reason to take this course.

AP Spanish will be taught next year by long time spanish teacher Señora Jen Wright. Photo by Madison Morgan

New classes experience a tenuous existence

By EMILY BAER NEWS EDITOR

students are incredibly excited for. Photo by

Over the years, students have commented on how they wish certain classes were offered at our school. In some cases, such as Music Theory, faculty members listened to these comments and made the class available. However, this attempt has been unsuccessful over the years due to the fact that only a minimal amount of students sign up.

Now the class is unavailable to the student body.

The new Multimedia class’s creation, unlike Music Theory, was a success. Fourteen students are currently enrolled in Multimedia, and though it is still shaping and forming as a class, its success will hopefully continue.

“Editing videos, the people in the class, and learning about new methods and soft-

ware and being able to apply those to my own videos like flying, four wheeling, and other cool stuff,” said sophomore Andy Schlotfeldt about why this class is valuable to him.

So why did the Multimedia

“

faculty have to take all the factors into consideration.

They have to weigh the pros and cons. Another problem that prevents certain classes from succeeding is that not many students are aware of their existence.

Fourteen students are currently enrolled in Multimedia, and though it is still shaping and forming as a class, its success will hopefully continue.

class succeed this year while the Music Theory did not?

Would it be because more students are interested in different uses of technology than the technicalities of music? This very well may be the answer.

“It’s a fun class,” said freshman Jacob Olson.

When a new class is added to the roster of our school,

”

When it’s time to register, students already have an inkling of an idea of what classes they want to take, so they don’t thoroughly look through the different classes offered. This results in few students signing up for the unique courses which is why the Music Theory class wasn’t successful. Very few students enrolled.

Classes are supposed to have a minimum of 15 students to run. In fact, Multimedia, with only 14 students, would not have been able to run if that few had enrolled in the fall. Its continued success and availability depends on how many sign up next year.

These two examples show that in order for a new course to succeed and continue on through the years, there has to be a decent amount of students enrolled and a good curriculum provided. So if any students want to petition for a class they think should be offered, they should take these instances as a tool to help their course succeed.

And if they want to see a class continue to be offered, they need to encourage others to sign up and take that class.

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends The students behind the Tomatalk, online and in the classroom

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

R

eaders of the print and online Tomatalk may think staff reporters have it easy. Write a few articles, make a few videos, learn one or two things about Adobe programs - how hard can any of that be, really?

The answer is very. For the staff, making videos and writing articles takes on the role of a real-life job: one that pays in grades instead of cash. Both Multimedia and Journalism are structured in such a way that there are many freedoms from day-to-day, and this also means that the classes require reporters to be responsible and mindful of deadlines.

“Journalism has helped me be more aware of deadlines because before I was a big slacker. It was terrible. It’s helped me become more aware of time management and when to get my stuff turned in,” said sophomore Madison Morgan.

Journalism focuses on putting out the print Tomatalk.

The class ensures development of writing and photography skills - it is not required to have an innate and miraculous gift in either to enroll. Reporters will learn both Photoshop and, if they desire to later be an editor, InDesign.

Multimedia, newly added to

the class roster this year, focuses primarily on videography and web design. This class has reporters learning to use Premiere Pro as well as other programs from the Adobe Creative Suite. In comparison to Journalism, this class is more project-based, putting out one video about every two weeks during second semester. This class is also responsible for upkeep of social media, including the Tomatalk’s official Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Both classes simulate a real working environment, complete with assignments that range from daily tasks to longer projects. Reporters work under the watchful eye of a boss, whether it is an editor or journalism and multimedia adviser Laurie Bender. Students are able to become used to the infamous daily grind of a job before they’re pushed out into the workforce post-graduation, giving them a head start over their fellow classmates.

But it isn’t all work and no play: both classes also offer plenty of opportunities as a creative outlet and a source of fun. “[Multimedia] is a class that you can have fun in and express yourself,” said freshman Taylor Pipkins. “We’re all just a big group of friends hanging out.”

Senior Andy Ha, Editor-in-Chief of the print Tomatalk, works on his layout. Photo by Emily Aardahl

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

14

Senior Raella Green helps a Desert Hills student while attending her internship for the Careers in Education class.

Photo courtesy of Raella Green

CIE: a future teacher’s dream

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

If someone wants to be a florist, they take floral design. If they want to be an IT specialist, they take PC Troubleshooting. If they want to be a farmer they take Ag Shop. Kamiakin’s range of classes is incredibly broad and includes many classes one would never even dream of. Another one of these incredibly specific classes is angled to future teachers: Careers in Education.

The CIE class is taught during a two period block by teacher Heidi Wilson.

The time spent in the classroom is used to learn the basics of how to be a teacher. “We’ve done units about diversity in the classroom, and how you have to treat each student differently.

We learned about different disabilities and how to teach autistic kids,” senior Raella Green said.

As well as learning how to be a teacher, these students are able to prepare for joining the college of education later on in their school-

ing careers. “If you’re going into the college of education, you have to have a certain amount of intern hours and a portfolio, which we do all of in this class. Because of this class, when

“

the year. When we decided, we became an ‘intern’ to the ‘mentor.’ We work with the class and we’ve been learning how to plan lessons, grade papers, put grades into the gradebook,

We started out observing the teachers we thought we’d want to stay with throughout the rest of the year. When we decided we became an ‘intern’ to the ‘mentor.’

Raella Green

I go into the college of education, I’ll be ahead of my peers - I’ll have all my hours and my portfolio so I’ll be able to graduate earlier,” Green said.

The students aren’t in the classroom for much of this class. The Careers in Education class doubles at an internship at one of the local elementary, middle, or high schools. “We started out observing the teachers we thought we’d want to stay with throughout the rest of

”

just generally learning how to be a teacher in general,” Green explained.

The Careers in Education class has been incredibly helpful for many past students; many of them have become teachers themselves. The current students view it as helpful, too. “I already kind of knew what I wanted to be, but the Careers in Education class helped me solidify exactly what I wanted to be. It guided me,” Green said.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Games SPORTS

15

Dance team poses for a picture united with their performance outfits. Photo by Kathy Farias-Guerra

Dance team sashays through their season

By KATHY FARIAS-GUERRA STAFF REPORTER

P

eople say dance team takes away the focus on education because dancers get too focused on the fun instead of schoolwork. But not the Kamiakin Dance Team. This dance team has better than average grades.

Dance team members care about their grades and their future goals. They are realistic about the future of their dance careers. Although dance is fun, most know that dancing isn’t part of their long-term plans. In fact, when it comes to dancing as an option for a future ca-

reer, junior Kelsey Dearing, captain of the dance team said, “I would consider it if the opportunity came up, but not really right now. I wouldn’t take it as a full time job.”

Competitions are a way for the girls to show what they’ve learned throughout the year. On Jan. 30, our Kamiakin Dance Team had a regional competition. Even though the girls didn’t place as highly as they would have liked, they still saw it as a growing opportunity. “In the end, our results didn’t matter,” Dearing said.

After the competition, junior Ash-

ley Rodriguez shared her thoughts about how she felt about the competition. She felt the whole experience had gone well despite everything “because we are a team and we increased on our routines and we pushed ourselves further than we normally had.”

Dearing explained that the team has bonded so much over the season, and now they feel like they are family.

Dance has other benefits, too. It provides physical and mental refreshment and relaxation. “It’s my second part of my life. It’s my way of getting away from everything,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez began dancing at a young age. When she was 10-years-old, she had her first performance in Texas.

Ever since then, she has loved it, and it has become a big part of her life.

Dancers find inspiration and motivation as they become lost in the dance.

Their purpose is to be one with the music. Dance is an expression of art in that it appeals to the emotion. Sometimes the act of seeing a person dance ignites a fire inside of someone else.

Dancing is a form of expression which can sometimes be considered a universal language.

Garrett Paxton shines after an injury to the face

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

S

ophomore Garrett Paxton was injured during a varsity basketball game against Hanford on Jan. 23. Paxton was setting a screen and the opposing team member elbowed Paxton in the face. During halftime, Paxton was given butterfly stiches, then finished the game. After the game, he was taken to the emergency room. Although he has the injury, Paxton hasn’t missed a game since then.

Paxton has been playing basketball from the young age of 5-years-old.

Paxton said, “My favorite part about basketball practice is improving your habits every day because the habits are what makes you good.”

Paxton is also the point guard for the team.

He doesn’t feel as much pressure being on the varsity basketball team

“

Follow me on Twitter, @Garrettpaxton11 Sophomore Garrett Paxton

this year. “Last year there was a lot of pressure because I started as a freshman, but I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s not really a big deal for me anymore,” he said.

Paxton spends a lot of his time playing sports. “Basically sports is what I do and if I didn’t play sports, I don’t know what I’d do because that’s basically all I do,” he said. Even though being on varsity may have its stresses, especially with being an underclassman, Paxton doesn’t think so. “It’s fun to be on varsity. I enjoy playing in front of crowds,” he said.

Besides playing basketball, Paxton also enjoys playing football. He’s the kicker for the varsity football team.

”

This year Paxton also wants to try out for track. Basketball is his favorite sport to watch on television.

Paxton also enjoys listening to music and hanging out with friends. His favorite artist is J Cole. His favorite color is red, and his favorite food is potatoes and steak. Paxton said, “Follow me on Twitter, @Garrettpaxton11.”

Since Paxton is only a sophomore, it will be interesting to see where his basketball future or any other sport future will take him. Only time will tell.

Sophomore Garrett Paxton has been playing basketball since the age of 5. Photo by Ronnie Henderson

TRIBAL GAMES SPORTS

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

16

New sports rumors go into the gutter

By ANDY HA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

O

ver the years, there have been some whispers of adding new sports to the current list of sports here at Kamiakin.

This year, those whispers and small talk became full blown rumors that swirled around the school. Conversations were about speculations of adding bowling to the current roster of sports.

Sorry to disappoint everyone, but it is not happening. Speaking with athletic director, Casey Gant, he defused all those rumors.

“None of the rumors are true. Kennewick High is the only one that has bowling. Southridge and Kamiakin have gymnastics instead. And since Kennewick already struggles to get lanes for practice and matches, Kamiakin isn’t adding it. We’re going to stick with gymnastics,” Mr. Gant said.

Interestingly, despite the rumors,

bowling was never really considered to be added to the list of offerings. As far as Gant knows, the topic was never even discussed.

“Since I’ve been here, there has been no discussion of adding. Before I came, there were discussions of removing gymnastics because the league disbanded, but I don’t see that happening in the next few years,” Gant said.

From the looks of it, the current list of sports will not add more options, and Gant doesn’t seem to mind that either. He said, “I like what we have. We’re meeting the needs of the student body, so we are good on what we have.”

So while there has been talk of it among students, Kamiakin is not adding bowling or any new sport anytime soon. There are going to be no changes to the list of sports provided currently.

Photo courtesy of blog.cleveland.com

Sports teams to remain in 3A division

By EMILY AARDAHL OP-ED EDITOR

K

amiakin boasts an expansive sports program that has won numerous awards and various titles, district to state, throughout a number of years. Recently, it was called into question whether the various sports team would remain in the 3A division or move up to 4A, the largest and most difficult division in the state.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) holds jurisdiction over the state of Washington. Its rules and regulations determine how athletics programs in schools operate.

Every high school in Washington is ranked biggest to smallest and then split up into six different divisions depending on the size of the returning student body (the

school’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors). Each division has about 65 schools each, and each individual district has different rules for who can compete with who.

“We are currently a 3A school,” said athletics director Casey Gant. “With [our enrollment], we are one of the top 65 schools; we should have been a 4A school. It wasn’t until about Jan. 10 that we a saw a whole bunch of the schools in the Seattle area opt-up at the same time.

“Since eight or nine schools moved up, it took the same number of schools and dropped them down.”

Mr. Gant also said that the school had planned to moveup to 4A, but was unable to due to a large shift over on the west side of the state.

In the area, all schools except the three Kennewick schools have moved up to 4A. Stu-

dents may be wondering if this means that Kamiakin will no longer compete with surrounding schools. However, this is not the case.

“The way we set our league up is that we have eight schools. All eight schools play each other in league all the time. Then, once the season’s over, we play in our own tournament and they play in their own tournament, but our league stays the same.

We made an agreement that we’re going to be 3A/4A, everybody plays everybody, and then post-season we split off,” said Mr. Gant.

Regardless of the circumstances, Mr. Gant is confident that Kamiakin will do fine as it remains in the 3A division.

“We have a better road as a 3A school. Two schools get to go to state between the three here and the four Spokane schools.”

Kamiakin is the third-biggest 3A school in the state and will remain there for the next four years. Photo by Emily Aardahl

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

17

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Kamiakin Presents...

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

One Acts

‘W

e Loathe Our Customers,’ ‘Keepers at the Edge of the Sea,’ ‘Stitches in May,’ and ‘The Stratagem’ premiered their opening and only night on Feb. 5 in the auditorium. These short plays were directed, produced, and in some case written by students at Kamiakin. Between each short one act play, the improv comedy group caused the audience to erupt into laughter with their improvisations.

This is the first year an improv comedy group was put together. Directed by drama teacher Chris Hamilton, it showcased many of Kamiakin’s students, actors and non-actors. The different scenes that helped facilitate set changes throughout the night began with ‘Mr. KnowIt-All,’ in which three members of the group answered life’s greatest questions asked by the audience one word at a time.

Next, the actors were to follow the stage directions of a random play while acting

Sophomore Adam DeFord trying to remain calm as he deals with an obnoxious customer, played by senior Kayla Roles, in ‘We Loathe Our Customers.’

Photo by Chloe Grundmeier.

Jack, played by sophomore Connor Santo, and Abby, played by senior Megan Booth, drag the unconscious Mr. Trent, played by senior Alex Munson, into a chair before tying him up in ‘Keepers at the Edge of the Sea.’ Photo by Chloe Grundmeier

out the scene suggested by the audience. Following intermission, the actors had to include lines provided, also, by the audience. Last, was the scene titled ‘half life’ in which the actors completed a scene in half the amount of time as previously allowed. The scenes helped enable the set changes and were hilarious.

Senior Blake Britten directed ‘We Loathe Our Customers’ by Bradley Walton and it was incredible. Many members of the audience could relate to the two main characters, Bailey and Campbell, played by senior Logan Foster and sophomore Adam DeFord respectively, who were forced to be polite to the most awful customers.

The 12 pestering customers used realistic hand gestures.

Another high point was how conversational the interactions seemed - nothing was forced. These actors were quick at recovering from errors without repeating and stuttering.

Senior Emily Fiske chose ‘Keepers at the Edge of the Sea’ by Ann Marie Oliva to direct. With senior Megan Booth as Abby - the lighthouse keeper, senior Alex Munson as Mr. Trent - an angry pirate who wants what he believes belongs to him, and sophomore Connor Santo as Jack - Mr. Trent’s sympathetic assistant, the concept of the play was great.

A few smaller details such

as the lack of conviction with which a line was spoken retracted from how enjoyable the short play really could have been. The costumes and props made up for the few imperfect details with how realistic they were.

Senior Chandler James and junior Bailey Washam came up with an idea for their play all on their own. The script for ‘Stitches in May’ was completely written by the pair.

Seniors Brian Ayers and Brittani Stribling portrayed the main two characters of Patch, a young man who has difficulty speaking to others, and May, a young woman with chronic depression.

While the topic was quite serious and intense, a few of

the comments thrown in add a lighter mood throughout the whole play. The way Stribling and Ayers approached the many monologues throughout the play was beautiful and seemed completely natural.

‘The Strategem’ was the final play of the night and was adapted and directed by juniors CharLee Bethje and Sam Peterson. Seniors Maggie McLain and Ivan Harry played the Bullfinches, Alice and her father, respectively.

The incredibly humorous play showcased Alice’s love for Captain Novak, played by sophomore Easton Clem, while being engaged to another man, Mr. Mayfield, portrayed by sophomore Scott Critchfield. The schemes pulled by both Novak and Tim Hartley, portrayed by junior Joe Pickard, to help Alice be with the one she truly loves, are where the play gets its namesake. The body language and conversation of the play made it incredibly enjoyable to watch.

Sophomore Joe Pickard “smokes a cigarette” during the improv group. Photo

by Chloe Grundmeier.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

18

tech talk time

Photo courtesy of inentertainment.co.uk

Fallout 4: falling into many gamer’s hearts

By THOMAS METCALF STAFF REPORTER

F

rom the creators of the well known ‘Elder Scrolls’ series, Bethesda Softworks, ‘Fallout 4’ is a massive new title that improves the genre greatly.

Players everywhere have fallen in love with the improved gameplay features, such as the ability to create a character to look almost identical to the player or even celebrities. After creating this character, the player can start their journey as a man or woman in the future where the 80s never really ended. Everything is now nuclear

powered and very vibrant and cheerful, except for when the individual gets evacuated into a vault to protect themselves from a nuclear explosion.

Many, many years later, the player is released and realizes the entire vault was destroyed and abandoned. At this moment, the quest begins to find the player’s son and seek revenge for hisspouse’s death.

One of the first things the player will notice about the game is the stunning graphics. The colors everywhere are more vibrant and bright but also toned down in sections like caves or abandoned buildings. But sometimes, it’s a little bit overwhelming and the

player can get lost in the sheer size of the game.

While playing the game, the player may see a lot of changes in how game mechanics work. Such as, radiation levels have a larger effect than in earlier games. In older titles, the player lost some skills or perks due to radiation. In ‘Fallout 4’, however, the more radiation, the less maximum health the player can have. It’s definitely a harder game to play than the earlier games.

One of the biggest features of the game is the combat mechanics which feels a lot like the older entries but with a few changes. The player can now sprint which has not been a feature in

earlier titles. Also, weapons now have ADS, or aimed down sights, for better accuracy when shooting.

Critics have said that this game did not disappoint and was one of the best of 2015, and fans are excited for the downloadable content coming in the next few months to add more to the game.

Neko Atsume: cute way to have cats without the fur

By T.J. ROLES STAFF REPORTER

Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com

‘Neko Atsume’ is an iOS and Android based game released Oct. 20, 2014 with a cat collecting theme. Meaning kitty collector in Japanese, you collect over 40 unique cats with fun plays on names of actual people such as Guy Furry (based on Guy Fieri) and other names like Lady Meow Meow (based on Lady Gaga). The game is packed full of various ways to attract the cats and a currency system consisting of fish (gold and silver fish) to help purchase all the items to please the cats.

With the ability to change languages from English to Japanese, this cat game comes with five different yard styles to purchase after the yard expansion is purchased, which extends the default yard you start with.

You can take pictures of the cats, and they send you gifts for using your items.

This game accurately depicts the common cat. They’ll do whatever they want to do, when they want. Each cat has its own personality to better explain its tastes and choices.

Items in the game attract different cats, like the cowboy hat attracting Billy the Kitten, and the café attracting Sassy Fran.

With the different types of food helping attract cats with different tastes in food, some cats (for example Tubbs) don’t care what kind of food you have set out. Yet the food purchased with the gold fish acts as an expensive alternative to the food purchased with the silver fish.

The full ability to choose what your yard looks like and the freedom to please whatever cat you wish to please out of the 40+ cats in the game is granted to you. There are endless ways to customize your yard.

This game does feature in-app purchases, yet only for fish, such as the gold fish.

You do not have to purchase the fish to play. With a little patience, you’ll start getting a lot of fish. This game is still being updated with new cats, so the future holds many things for this adorable app.

If you are looking for a time-killing game, look no further than the free cat collecting game.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

19

Music, Movies, & More

Official album cover for ‘Blue Neighbourhood’. Courtesy of TroyeSivan.com.

Troye Sivan ‘Blue Neighbourhood’: Leaving for Hollywood

By ANDY HA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Y

ouTuber, singer, and actor Troye Sivan has finally released his debut album ‘Blue Neighbourhood.’ It is his third release overall after the extended play ‘TRXYE,’ and ‘WILD,” the latter being released as the introduction to his debut album. The album themes are of one-sided love and heartbreak.

‘Blue Neighbourhood’ explores the pop music genre with its dark moody lyrics and synthesizing beats. With its electronica and dream pop influences, the album can be compared to the sounds of Madonna’s ‘Ray of Light’ and the music of Ellie Goulding, while the metaphoric lyrics can be compared to the likes of Lana Del Rey and Lorde. His blending of the indie and mainstream music sounds show his versatility as an artist.

Every track is a stand out on its own. These songs make Troye Sivan stand out as an artist and showcases his talent as a young gifted songwriter. The production

on all these songs is what makes them stand out in their own unique ways. The beats are infectious and really set the tone to the moody minimalistic lyrics of each track.

Some personal favorites are “TOO GOOD,” “BLUE” with Alex Hope, “LOST BOY,” and “YOUTH.” Sivans’ vocals on this album are extraordinary. While there is no belting, or anything of the matter that would captivate a listener, his soothing simple vocals still capture the listener’s attention. It brings the listener to a new world and allows them to see the world from his point of view. It makes the audience feel very relaxed and calm while listening to the album.

‘Blue Neighbourhood’ is truly remarkable. It definitely showcases Sivan’s talent and ability to please music listeners. It is the perfection introduction into the music industry for Troye Sivan. Overall, the album shows that Sivan will definitely have a lasting career as both a songwriter and an artist in the music industry.

Photo Courtesy of rogerebert.com

Fried Green Tomatoes: a tale of self discovery

By SIERRA REAMS SPORTS EDITOR

Fried Green Tomatoes is a recipe, but in this case ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ is a movie about a lady by the name of Evelyn Couch who befriends a lady in a nursing home named Ms. Threadgoode. She ends up telling Evelyn the story of Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison’s lives, including the story of Idgie’s brother Buddy who had a relationship with Ruth. When they grow older, Ruth marries a man and Idgie is sought after for his murder. This story of friendship ends up helping Mrs. Couch in her life and marriage.

This also helps Evelyn to better herself.

This 1991 movie may seem old and corny, but it also has a very

good story plot and tells a life changing story. With the open end, it makes you think one thing, but then when the movie is watched more than a few times, you think something completely different.

With ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ set in present time but the story told back in the time of segregation, it has a very interesting timeline.

When Ms. Threadgoode starts telling the story of Idgie and Ruth, it starts off rough but then hits the ground running.

This is a feel good movie and helps show a new perspective on different situations. All in all, this movie is great and will make you cry while making you laugh along the way.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

20 Tomatalk’s

Book Club The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy

Ghosts Among Us BY: James Van Praagh

By EMILY BAER NEWS EDITOR

James Van Praagh is a renowned psychic. His purpose in writing his book is to let the world know the true nature of ghosts. Van Praagh tells various stories about his interactions with different peoPhoto Courtesy of www.Amazon.com ple and how he helped them communicate with their loved ones on the other side. He addresses several different beliefs about ghosts, then says whether or not those myths were the real deal. However, the writing style of the author is impotent, which results in the flow of the story lagging in certain areas.

Red Queen BY: Victoria Aveyard

By EMILY BAER NEWS EDITOR

A life of poverty has made Mare Barrow’s life one of hardship, but her trials have made her strong. Her world is one where those with Silver blood rule over those with Red blood.

Photo Courtesy of Silvers have supernatural powwww.Amazon.com ers that allow them to rule over the Reds. One night Mare has a run-in with a stranger in her village that gets her a job at the palace as a servant. There she will discover a supernatural power of her own, one that shouldn’t be possible because of the red blood that runs through her veins. Mysterious and filled with romance and action, this book is one that will leave you begging for more.

BY: Douglas Adam

Tomatalk Certified

Cinder

BY: Marissa Meyer

By AMBER PERRY STAFF REPORTER

A teenage girl. An orphan. A mechanic. A cyborg.

Cinder couldn’t be more of a sore thumb in New Beijing among androids, hovers and humans. A plague has claimed the Eastern Photo courtesy of Commonwealth, forcing the MarissaMeyer.com country to bend to the will of a ruthless Lunar Empress. The only hope could be a missing mysterious princess…

When Cinder’s monotonous days of fixing androids and fearing her stepmother suddenly become swept up with Prince Kai, the whole fate of the galaxy seems to be based on discovering the secrets of her past. With every encounter, seeing Kai draws her farther from him. Can she deal with the hurt of lies while stuck between loyalty, betrayal, and an alliance between ravenous rulers?

Marissa Meyer weaves a tale, so beautifully uncliche of the beloved story of Cinderella. As she describes it, “Imagine Cyborg Cinderella.”

She introduces Cinder as a bold, courageous and heartfelt heroine. The world and characters are so believable, guiding the reader through every heart wrenching turn. Meyer isn’t afraid to jerk those tear ducts, thrust a betrayal, or tease with a pinch of romance at the page.

By T.J. ROLES STAFF REPORTER

Douglas Adam’s ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ is a hilarious science fiction story based on the average Arthur Dent and his adventures through the galaxy.

Dent travels with friends to Photo courtesy of find the answer to life, the Pintrest.com universe, and everything.

The unique series has multiple books in it and is a wonderful creation of science fiction randomness. The book is definitely worth the read and a short one for people looking for a quick read.

A Spell for Chameleon BY: Piers Anthony

By T.J. ROLES STAFF REPORTER

‘A Spell for Chameleon’ is a fantasy novel written by Piers Anthony centering on the troubles of a man named Bink. Everyone in the world of Xanth has the ability to perform some kind of magic, except Bink. His journey conPhoto courtesy of goodreads.com sists of traveling across the dangerous land of Xanth, full of creatures that seek to kill any threat. It is followed by over 10 other novels in the series. ‘A Spell for Chameleon’ is a wonderful read.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

21

ADVENTURES WITH TORODO

Tribal SHENANIGANS Reviews BY: ERICH RIEGER

BRAVES’ KITCHEN BROWNIE MIX TRUFFLE Makes 4 – 6 Servings

Prep Time: 15 min INGEDIENTS:

1 9×13 Pan of Prepared Brownies 1 3.4 oz Package Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix 1 1/2 cups cold milk 1 cup of whipped topping (cool whip) 1/2 tsp peppermint extract sprinkles if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1.Whisk together pudding mix, & cold milk until smooth.

2.Stir in peppermint extract and refrigerate 5 -10 minutes.

3.While chilling, Cut prepared brownies into 1 inch squares, set aside.

4.Remove pudding from fridge and fold in whipped topping.

5.In serving cups layer pieces of brownie, then a couple tablespoons of pudding mix. Repeat layering 2 – 3 times.

6.Top with sprinkles or additional whipped topping.

Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe from: www.savingyoudinero.com

Tribal Reviews SHENANIGANS

22

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

WHAT CAN YOU TAKE AT KAMIAKIN?

figure out the swaggy classes

ACROSS

1.Do you know how to turn on your dishwasher? If not -please take this class.

4.In this class, you’d learn that Ariel is Hercules’ cousin. Creepy or cool?

5. Be the next George Lucas.

6. Big Band Theory but Mozart.

7. Be in this class, and be a super cool writer for the Tomatalk.

8. Do your friends get annoyed with you talking with your hands?

DOWN

2. Smokey the Bear would be proud if you took this class.

3. You can eat these science projects.

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

23

ADVERTISEMENTS

ADVERTISEMENTS

24

FRIDAY, FEB. 26, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School