2015 16, issue 8

Around the Campfire

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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VOLUME 40 • ISSUE 8 • JUNE 2, 2016 • KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA • 99336

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Remembering Suzanne Lefevre

By MADISON MORGAN OP-ED EDITOR

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re-veterinary technician teacher Suzanne Lefevre was killed in a car accident May 14 at the hands of a 19-year-old male. Lefevre was pronounced dead at the scene after the man, who was identified as a Spokane resident, crossed the center line of Highway 291.

“Suzanne will be remembered for her dedication to her students. She always set high expectations and challenged them to do their very best. She cared about people and animals alike and our Tri-Tech family will miss her greatly,” said Tri-Tech Principal Paul Randall.

As well as being a teacher at Tri-Tech, 53-year-old Lefevre was a member of the Wellness Committee for Tri-Tech.

According to an article by the Tri-City Herald May 15, “Lefevre began teaching at Tri-Tech in 2002, Kennewick school officials said in a release. She also coordinated TLC 4 Pets where students gained hands-on experiencing.”

Lefevre was born in Ritzville in 1962 and graduated from Ritzville High School in 1980.

“Suzanne was a very loving person who really liked animals. She adopted many different animals.

She had three dogs, I think, and I don’t know how many cats, and then in her classroom she had lots of other animals, like gerbils and guinea pigs and birds and things like that,” said teacher Mrs. Miller.

Students and teachers alike were devastated hearing about Mrs. Lefevre’s passing.

“I was devastated. I was pretty sad. Mrs. Willingham told me about it. We had gone to a wedding

shower for Miss Harmon, and that was announced there, but I was late and so Mrs. Willingham told me later and I was pretty sad. I cried because I felt like it was kind of an untimely death and just kind of unnecessary because she still had a lot of life in her, and she was such a loving person,” said Miller.

Senior Ann Julson, a student of Mrs. Lefevre’s this year, also had strong emotions about Mrs. Lefevre’s passing.

“Well I was coming home from prom and there was basically makeup smeared all over my boyfriend’s white shirt because I was crying so much,” said Julson.

All of Kamiakin will miss Mrs. Lefevre, remembering her as an animal lover, a friend, and a beloved teacher.

“Mrs. Lefevre wasn’t like any teacher. She was totally different. I mean, she wasn’t just my teacher, she was like my leader and my mentor.

She’s basically a family to all of us. She cared more about everybody than any teacher could,” said Julson.

A Celebration of Life reception at Tri-Tech Skills Center was held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. May 24. “In honor of what she loved most, pet supplies may be brought to be donated to area pet rescue organizations,” according to Lefevre’s online obituary at www. danekas.danekasfh.com.

Mrs. Lefevre with the cats she cared for. Photo courtesy of danekas.danekasfh.com and the family of Suzanne Lefevre

Child Psychology teacher Linda Willingham retires after 22 years

By ALEJANDRO STAFF REPORTER

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ANDRADE

eacher Linda Willingham’s years of teaching have come to an end. She was raised in Texas, from her early years of school to her college years. “I was raised in Texas with my mom, dad and older brother and sister. I attended grade school and middle school in Darland, Texas; high school in Lubbock, Texas; and graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas,” she said.

Willingham was a stay at home mom. Her first real job was working as a receptionist for a group of doctors. Before she would become a Kamiakin Brave, she worked a part time Linda Willingham posing in her classroom. Photo by Alejandro Andrade

“

It has been amazing, fun, hard work and pure joy.

Teacher Linda Willingham

job as a director of a preschool program at her church. “I began teaching at Kamiakin in the fall of 1994,” said Willingham.

Like most teachers, she is going to miss interacting with students and greeting them as they walk into the room. “I will miss the students the most, teaching the students about the joy of children,” said Willingham.

During retirement, Willingham wants to travel, volunteer, and enjoy life. Even though she

”

won’t be around school, she’ll always be a Brave and will continue to support athletics. “I love sports and will be coming to Kamiakin athletics after I retire,” she said.

After being with Kamiakin for 22 years, the time has come.

Willingham has enjoyed being here and still demonstrates her passion. “It has been amazing, fun, hard work and pure joy,” she said.

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Freshmen receive a rare opportunity

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

By T.J. ROLES STAFF REPORTER

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Valeries Feth heading to Seattle with some of her students. Photo courtesy of Valerie Feth.

his year’s freshman English class had the opportunity to go to Seattle to visit the Holocaust Museum. The museum is called Holocaust Center for Humanity, and the special exhibit displaying only this year is ‘Anne Frank: A History for Today.’

English teachers who instigated and chaperoned the trip are Valerie Feth, Linda Palomarez, Emily Griffin, Kathy McGuinness, Tina Ross, Lucy Razor, Jordan Anderson, Linda Nobbs and Carrie Julian.

The visitation days included April 25 and 26 and May 5 and 13.

One of the big units the freshman English teachers teach is the Holocaust unit. Within this unit, students learn about the Holocaust and what it was like for the Jews and Germans. Students also read the book, ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel. When students reach the Holocaust unit, they’re able to go to the museum, which will help students understand the struggles the Jews had at the hands of the Nazis.

This is the first year the trip has been funded.

Freshman Dakota Stevens was one of the students who went on April 25 to Seattle. He recommends the school take next year’s freshmen. “Yes, I enjoyed the trip. I’ve never been to Seattle, so that was my

first time going,” Stevens said. “I learned that everyone from the Anne Frank Family died but Otto the father.”

Students with Feth or Palomarez as teachers left on April 25 around 6 a.m. After the four hour trip to Seattle, the group was then split into two groups; the museum’s presentation could only hold so many students. One of the groups went to the museum while the other group of students went to Pike’s Place Market. Eventually the groups switched so all the students could see the exhibit. Then around 1 p.m. the classes were rounded up to head home.

Freshman Anna Lagonegro agreed that she enjoyed going on the trip. “I learned about Anne Frank and the relationship she had with her father,” Lagonegro said.

Teacher Linda Palomarez said, “I enjoyed the trip.

It was very informative, and it was nice to have one specific person explain about Anne Frank.”

Mrs. Palomarez hopes that next year she’ll be able to take her new freshmen, but the decision won’t be announced until next school year. “There weren’t any complications. The kids were very well behaved, respectful and engaged,” Mrs. Palomarez said.

Mrs. Palomarez personally thinks that the students learned from the trip. “Some students haven’t even left Tri-Cities, so it was a nice experience for them along with the museum,” she said.

Choir, Drama take trip of a lifetime to see ‘Newsies’

By T.J. ROLES STAFF REPORTER

The choir and drama departments recently made a trip to Paramount Theater in Seattle on April 30 to watch the Disney musical, ‘Newsies.’

A movie by the same name stars actor Christian Bale. ‘Newsies’ tells the story of young boys in New York trying to sell papers to the adults in the town and the challenges presented to them as their employers create ridiculous obstacles for them to get through.

On the trip, students saw the play, explored Seattle and watched multiple movies on their way to and from Seattle.

Coordinators took three months to set things up and spent about $3,000 to fund the trip.

Choir teacher Scott Wagnon said it was a very “…successful trip.

Keeping the whole trip in one day and not requiring any overnight stays at a hotel.”

Choir and the Drama Club held

various fund raisers throughout the year to aid with students paying for the trip. The choir’s Valograms and Krispy Kreme fund raisers were just a few of the promotions they had.

Students involved with the trip were given the chance to see a professional Broadway musical and connect with other performing arts students.

To some who had never been to Seattle, this was a way to explore the city’s vast and expansive streets and for many to see their first Broadway play.

The trip was majorly successful in that it allowed many to experience a whole new world outside of the Tri-Cities area and meet new people.

Future plans with the Drama Club are already in the works, such as a trip to Ashland, Ore. for the Shakespeare festival.

“Everyone involved had a

wonderful time with this enriching experience,” said Drama instructor Chris Hamilton.

Photo courtesy of www.pinterest.com Photo courtesy of wikimedia.org

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

4 The LGBT Club fights against oppressors

By THOMAS METCALF STAFF REPORTER

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The LGBT club is about a dozen members strong and gaining members about every week. They meet Tuesdays and Wednesday at lunch. Photo by Thomas Metcalf

n the United States, about 4-10 percent of the population is gay, bisexual, or transgender.

Many activities, clubs, and groups are there to support people of these sexualities and genders, including one at Kamiakin. The LGBT club has been thriving, gaining multiple members over the last few weeks.

They have meetings every Tuesday and Wednesday at lunch in the drama room, room 223. Even if a student is just an ally, they can join and hang out with the members.

“It’s to create a safe environment for students at this school because this school and this area may not be the most accepting,” said freshman Adrienne Baker. Baker is the current president of the club.

The club has run into multiple problems on the way, as club vice president freshman Emily Tyler explained. “We’ve been having some

issues becoming an official club for technical reasons and we’ve been having our posters torn down. But we’re working with that and we are fixing the problems,” said Tyler.

For quite a while, the LGBT club has been fighting against students who have been tearing down posters advertising the club. But, it has recently stopped after the club took action against it.

“Well, just recently, our signs have stopped being taken down, whereas before they were taken down every single day and sometimes multiple times a day and no one was doing anything about it,” said Baker.

The LGBT club is about a dozen members strong and gaining members about every week. Baker and Tyler were two of the first members as well as a few others.

“If you are LGBT or just an ally, then feel free to come because we’re really fun people,” said Tyler.

The Tomatalk: underappreciated & overly expensive

By MADISON MORGAN OPINION EDITOR

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he Kamiakin Tomatalk is a monthly student newspaper written and laid out by journalism students. Students work tirelessly to produce a newspaper worthy of their peers. Over the course of this year, it has come to the Tomatalk’s attention that a majority of the student body does not read their school newspaper.

“I don’t read [The Tomatalk] because it doesn’t seem relevant sometimes. I’m not saying it doesn’t all the time, just sometimes. Maybe if they used more up to date generation things. For example, anything that’s going around on the internet,” said sophomore Aliana Fillafer.

Other students read the Tomatalk sparingly, skimming through headlines for attention-grabbing headlines.

“I wouldn’t say that I read it all the way whenever I do get [The Tomatalk]. I’ll skim through the titles and if something interests me or pops

out at me then I’ll read that article, but I don’t read [the newspaper] front to back,” said sophomore Chloe Scott.

Fillafer believes that while the Tomatalk’s intentions are good, the effort put into the paper is sometimes overwhelming.

“You could be doing more… talking, student to student. Like hard hitting stuff, instead of very controversial and very engaging, where students are scared to talk,” said Fillafer. “I can see where you can get, not mixed up, but just in to the school, just with all the different things and activities that we have, but I feel like [The Tomatalk] should widen [their] screens a little bit.”

Students like Scott and Fillafer think that while The Tomatalk provides interesting school related articles, The Tomatalk should spread their interests and cover more nationwide and international subjects.

“I think… going out of the community here at Tri-Cities

to worldwide or nationwide issues, stuff like that, like the… law for the school bathrooms, stuff… that’s a big controversy right now, that students might be interested or passionate about. But I know that’s hard because a lot of people are afraid to say stuff because… they don’t want people to judge or get mad,” said Scott.

Students don’t realize the extent the staff goes to create a fun and interesting newspaper. Printing a newspaper isn’t cheap.

“I didn’t realize it costs $1,200 [to print the newspaper]. That’s a lot, especially since I don’t know of a lot of people who really read [The Tomatalk],” said Scott.

The Tomatalk would be open to feedback from the student body. If there’s anything students want to see in the paper or if they want to be included as guest writers or in the journalism club, please email the journalism adviser Mrs. Bender at laurie.bender@ ksd.org.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

The All City Star Search

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

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his year’s All City Star Search had many talented acts.

There was beat boxing, singing and even light show dancing. There were 14 acts total with five winners. Blues Academy from Southridge won best instrumental. Jonny Puckett from Southridge won best variety. Ryan Rasmussen from Southridge won best dance. Rylee Hoberg from Kennewick won best overall.

Emily Baer, a junior Brave, won best vocals. “I think overall I did pretty well. I tried my best and practiced a lot,” Baer said.

Baer also said that she was proud and happy that she won for best vocals. “I laughed a lot because my niece and nephew kept stealing my trophy,” Baer said.

The talent show was held at Kennewick High’s auditorium at 6:30 on May 18. The judges were Steven Young, the town’s mayor, Brent Rust from Timebox and Scott Child, a police commander.

Another contestant, ju-

If you would like to comment, write a letter to the editor, or nior Austin Kirk, performed his original piece “Hold On” with sophomore Scott Critchfield on the cajón, which is a wooden box drum. Kirk was a favorite of the audience and many connected with his song. “I was in a depressed place when I wrote it, and it gave me hope for the future,” said Kirk. Those who enjoyed Kirk’s music at All-City have the opportunity to purchase his work because Kirk is recording his songs and will soon put them on iTunes.

Senior Rachel Soh said, “All of the contestants did amazing at the talent show, but I did definitely think that other contestants deserved to win over some of the actual winners. In my opinion, the girl who won over all had a great voice, but her performance made me uncomfortable. I enjoyed Austin Kirk and thought he should’ve won.”

Critchfield felt that overall the show was a success.

“I think that the show was definitely put together well. I

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: Madison Morgan Entertainment Editor: Andy Ha Shenanigans Editor: Amber Perry Online Editor: Rachel Soh Cover made by: Rachel Soh

Staff Reporters:

Junior Emily Baer singing “Piece by Piece” by Kelly Clarkson. Baer recieved the award for best vocal. Photo by Ronnie Henderson.

was entertained,” Critchfield said.

Although some people didn’t agree with the winners, the show was still very productive and well put together.

Alejandro Andrade, Kathy Farias-Guerra, Ryan Folta, Ronnie Henderson, Taylor Hunzeker, Madison Morgan, Kacey Owsley, TJ Roles, Staci Trivett, 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 10, Brenna McCue’s name was spelled incorrectly.

Junior Austin Kirk and sophomore Scott Chritchfield singing Kirk’s original piece “Hold On.” Photo by Rachel Soh.

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Sp tlights

The Tomato Hater: James Holladay

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

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ophomore James Holladay is 16-years-old as of May 25. Holladay has three siblings, and his family is currently taking care of two young foster kids. Holladay also plays on the JV soccer team and runs for the JV cross country. To get to know more about this athletic student, Holladay answered these questions: Q: What is your favorite color?

A: Green.

Q: Where were you born?

A: In a hospital, duh.

Q: Do you have any pets and what are their names?

A: One cat named Kitty.

Q: What college do you want to attend?

A: I want to go to BYU. Q: What word bests describes you?

A: The word apple because I

fall from tall trees.

Q: What is your favorite animal?

A: Shrek, because he is majestic.

Q: Do you prefer stripes or polka dots?

A: Stripes.

Q: What is a food you do not like?

A: Tomatoes because they don’t taste good and look like round things full of juice and jelly.

Q: What is your favorite Star Wars character?

A: Jar Jar Binks.

Q: What Hogwarts house do you think you would be in?

A: Gryffindor.

Q: Who is your hero and why?

A: Jesus because he is Jesus.

Q: What band class are you and what instrument do you play?

A: Wind ensemble and I play the piano.

Q: What is your birthday zodiac?

A: Gemini.

Q: If you could, would you travel to the future or to the past and why?

A: To the future so I could see all the cool stuff they have.

Q: If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?

A: Limonjello, because it suits me.

Q: What is your favorite thing to do after school?

A: I like to eat.

Q: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

A: I would go to Hawaii.

“Let me stand on this truck for the photo,” said sophomore James Holladay posing on senior Joel Anderson’s truck. Photo by Taylor Hunzeker

Richard ‘The Rock’ Rockefeller

By KACEY OWSLEY STAFF REPORTER

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ou may know ‘The Rock,’ but you don’t know Rockefeller.

That’s right, our very own Mr. Rockefeller is a pretty interesting person. Born in Connecticut, and spending his early years in New Hampshire, Richard Rockefeller found his way to Washington state when he was in fourth grade. Rockefeller loves sports, but his favorites are basketball and golf.

He said, “Most people know I love basketball, but I will probably be more of a golfer in the second half of my life.”

Rock did tell us that he prefers to be outside, but only if he can find some shade. He also stated that he is by far a

big collector of music. “I’m a big music guy. I even brag about my iPod holding 6,471 songs. I’m proud to say I’ve maxed it out! “ When asked if there was an unknown fact about himself that he could share, he said, “Most people don’t know that I performed in the annual MidColumbia Ballet’s production, the ‘Nutcracker.’ I was the Nutcracker when I was in my early teens.”

For a little backstory on that, Rockefeller answered with, “When I was a kid, I wasn’t very flexible. My mom saw on TV a story about a football player in the NFL who did ballet for building strength and flexibility, so she enrolled

me.”

Unfortunately, Rockefeller said that his mom’s plan wasn’t very successful. “I am quite flexible as a person, but my legs are not. It hurts to touch my toes.”

Mr. Rockefeller has a special family tradition that is too sweet to not share. On Valentine’s Day, he gives his sons his credit card, and he has them spoil their mom, grandma, and great-grandma with a special lunch. He said, “One year, my wife and I got the same exact gift. So we stopped celebrating it because we thought it was a little silly. But now we have the boys do this new thing, and we enjoy it.“ Mr. Rockefeller wearing his signature pencil. Photo by Kacey Owlsey

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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ConGRADulations seniors!

Good luck in your endeavors!

The Tomatalk is proud of all of you!

Tribal Talk

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

8 Teacher comments can impact students positively or negatively forever

OPINION & EDITORIAL

By ANDY HA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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e see teachers all the time. We see them more often than our parents. Teachers often underestimate the power of influence they have over students and because of that, they often forget that what they say can affect students on different levels.

Teachers sometimes forget what they say and who they are saying it to, but these comments can seriously damage students, depending on what is said. For example, I have heard students mention comments teachers have said regarding body and fat shaming and how students are unintelligent and will not amount to success.

These comments can affect

students drastically and even change the course of their lives. It would seem that it wouldn’t happen and teachers wouldn’t say those things, but it happens and teachers do make those kinds of comments, whether it’s directly or an insinuation of it.

Teachers tend to forget that they are adults in the situation, working with students who are underage and can be heavily affected by their words whether it is stated directly or not. As students are going through high school, they are developing still on many levels. They are developing emotionally, physically, and psychologically. They are learning more about themselves and discovering who they are.

Some dramatic examples of these comments and their effect were shared with us.

For example, a hairdresser in our community stated that she gave up on pursuing a career in journalism because a professor in college told her she shouldn’t pursue a career that involves writing because her writing wasn’t good enough. After her teacher said this, she still obtained her degree, but she chose not to work in that field.

A Kamiakin alumni also experienced receiving such comments from a teacher.

This alumni’s mother was told in front of him that he was not college material because of his disabilities, and this teacher tried to discourage him from attending college. That didn’t stop

him though, as he is currently attending college and doing well.

There is a difference between constructive criticism and outright insulting.

Some don’t realize it, but the difference between the two are massive. It may not seem like a big deal to the student, but it will be in the back of

their heads for a long time.

Students may be able to handle it when other students make rude or sarcastic comments, but when a teacher says it, it could hugely impact them because these teachers are supposed to be role models in their lives who aren’t degrading or insulting them.

Photo courtesy ecommerce-conf.org.

Graduation Privilege: decorative caps

By KACEY OWSLEY STAFF REPORTER

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tudents all over the U.S. have worked extremely hard to walk across that stage and get a diploma saying that they are finished with high school forever. But should graduation itself just be the reward?

When reading the requirements for graduation day, the rules seem a little unreasonable. Not being able to bring your phone or keys out on the seating area is a very reasonable and respectable rule. The one rule that many students are frustrated about is the graduation cap restriction.

This restriction explains that we, as seniors, may not be able to decorate our own graduation caps, even though we have paid for the cap and have spent all our high school careers waiting for graduation. Some students say that decorating our caps should be a senior privilege, while some say that they want to decorate them because it makes us

unique and stand out one last time.

The only real problem with decorating the hats are the students who are very immature and want to decorate them with profanity or obscene images, and that is easily preventable by making the restriction, but what about the other 98 percent of the student body who just wants to shine as bright as a star that last day? The students shouldn’t all be punished for the immaturity of others.

Instead of making an absolute restriction about decorating the caps, seniors should be given the privilege because they earned the right to do so. The school could easily change the rule to decorating the cap is okay, but no profanity or obscenity will be tolerated. They should also add that all caps will be checked at rehearsal and at graduation, and if the rule is broken, that person will not be able to walk. This seems pretty reasonable compared to the punishment of not al-

Photo courtesy of pinterest.com

lowing it at all.

Seniors want the privilege and freedom to do what they want on their graduation day. They are becoming adults and have earned the right to decorate their caps.

Seniors want the last day to say, “I made it. I’m done and I’m free.”

All students who show up

with a decorated cap on graduation day will not be permitted to walk. Teacher Richard Rockefeller said, “I think, management wise, enforcing the rule of not being able to decorate your cap is easier.

From a parent’s perspective, it would probably be easier to pick out which kid is yours.”

A decrated cap shows that

students cared about high school and they are proud to walk and show everyone who they are and who they will become as a new adult in the new world. Don’t deprive the students who have worked hard for their moment that they have been waiting four years to get to.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Talk

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OPINION & EDITORIAL

Should students take a gap year?

Pro: Students should take a gap year after high school

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

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here are many big decisions to make senior year: Where to go to college, if that college should be in state or out of state, and finally, whether or not to take a gap year. A gap year is when a student takes a year, or sometimes more, off before going to college. Many students have found this to be very beneficial for different reasons.

Every year, more and more students are deciding to take a year off in preparation for college.

One of the most common reasons for a gap year is to take time to mentally prepare themselves after 12 years of schooling. According

to the American Gap Association, universities have seen an increase in GPA among students who have taken a gap year as well as finding that these students are 90 percent more likely to return to university within a year as well as being more likely to attend a university than their high school peers.

Another reason students would take a gap year is to be more financially stable. If students decide to take a year off of school, they will often be spending that year working to save up more money for schooling and other financial responsibilities they will have throughout college. Going into college right after high school gives students

little time to save up money after their high school graduation. Unless the students have a full ride scholarship or have been saving up for college their whole lives, they will end up having a huge amount of debt by the time they graduate college. If students take a year off and work, saving all of the money they make for college, then that will take a portion of the financial burden away.

One of the other benefits to taking a year off is that the year will give students more time to decide what field they would like to study and explore themselves. Often times, students will start studying a field and later decide that this isn’t what they want

to do for the rest of their lives. Taking a year to actually think about what they truly would like to do and researching jobs in that field will give them a more secure idea that this is what they would like to do.

There are various benefits to taking a year off between high school and college, and it just depends on the person what is right. According to the American Gap Association, students who take a gap year are 75 percent more likely to be satisfied with their college experience.

Students can benefit in many ways from taking a gap year. Photo by Staci Trivett

Con: Students shouldn’t take a gap year after high school

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

H

igh school is rough, and a lot of students would rather take a break from early morning school days. Students

who give in to this temptation take a yearlong break known as a gap year. This gap year should not be a part of students’ after high school life plan because it can take away benefits that can influence a

student’s life long career.

In statistics taken from the U.S. in 2015 of what happens when students take a yearlong break, it says that 82 percent of them broke from their academic tracks, and 85

The good bye from Kamiakin to the 2016 seniors on the Kamiakin rock. Photo by Taylor Hunzeker

percent of them traveled and experienced other cultures.

The experience of looking at other schooling options at different colleges, looking at new career options and even traveling to learn about other cultures is not a bad thing to do during a gap year, but if it gives certain students a risk of not continuing a career or school plan after a gap year, then the student will lose a lot of life changing opportunities.

“The more you’re away from school, the more you forget. I mean look at how much you guys forget after a summer break,” teacher Jennifer Tillenburg said. She also explains that having a break after high school can decrease someone’s ability to apply for scholarships. Most colleges are looking for high school students when distributing scholarships, not high school graduates. Another example she gives is that when people go off and buy their own apartment and have to buy

the utensils and necessities for it, they begin to lose funds that they could use for college.

The state of Washington has a rate of 31 percent students taking a year off after high school. Thirty-one percent of the students in Washington could be walking onto a road that can take them away from a rewarding and promising experience at a college or at a career. People today are losing opportunities at many job positions because of them making the decision to take a yearlong break.

Students shouldn’t plan on taking a gap year after high school if they don’t want to risk the chances of walking away from opportunities of gaining a better education that can provide them with a better chance at good positions and career options.

Tribal Talk

10

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Dear Kamiakin, Well it's here. Graduation. Four years have passed since I've arrived at this school and now I'm finally leaving. My journey here at Kamiakin has been interesting to say the least. There was never a dull moment, that's for sure.

I have many people to thank for all the lessons I've learned during my time here at Kamiakin. I'd like to thank every teacher I've had for teaching me, not only the school curriculum, but about life as well. All of the bits of advice are what made me the person I am today and I thank you for that. Also, thanks for not giving up on me and putting up with me.

I'd like to thank my peers as well. I have made many friends during high school. Some I'm still friends with and some are just a memory of what high school was like for me. I’ve had good friends and bad friends, but I'd like to thank them all for teaching me to be a better person.

Now that I've done my general thank yous, I'd like to thank some specific people for helping shape me to be the person I am today. Without these people, I don't think I would have made it this far in high school and wouldn't be heading to where I'm going in life.

Chloe Grundmeier, thank you. You've seen the best and worst in me and you stuck by me. We have been through so much together and somehow, we are still here. That's truly a blessing. Thank you for pushing me to be a better writer and editor. I wouldn't be the writer and editor I am today if you weren't pushing me to do more and be better.

Mrs. Bender, thank you. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been as successful of a student as I am today. You pushed me into being a better journalist, leader, and overall person. I don't think I can say thank you enough for what you've done for me, especially since you had to deal with me for three years.

And a few last personal thank yous to Mrs. Kutschkau, Mrs. Isley, Mrs. Osborn, and Mrs. Smith.

All of you have been a huge inspiration for me and kept me motivated and determined when I felt like giving up. You all kept me wanting to push forward in life and enjoy life. I wouldn't have made it through high school without your support and guidance.

And one final thank you to all of Kamiakin. It's been a crazy four years. I wouldn't be who I am without all of you guys. Once a Brave, always a Brave. Now I'm starting the next chapter of life--a four year debt sentence called college. Wish me luck!

Sincerely,

Kamiakin,

Dearest Kamiakin,

You have been my second home for four years. I’ve spent more time on this campus than most other students, showing up at 6:30 a.m. for band and staying as late at 11 p.m. to get out an issue of the Tomatalk many times.

I’ve changed as a person while attending this school, and I’d like to thank some people who aided my improvement as a human being.

First, I’d like to thank my best friends, the Table Gang. You have stuck with me through thick and thin, and I don’t know what I’d do without the four of you girls. I’ll miss you dearly when we’re attending college in different parts of the country.

I’d like to thank a few teachers who’ve changed my life immensely. I would not know what it truly feels like to be responsible without Mr. Russell and the band program.

I have grown not only as a musician in your classes, but as a person as well, a person who understands responsibility and how important it is to keep my word. Because of you, high school was bearable and I cannot thank you enough for that.

Finally, I’d like to thank the Tomatalk and everyone involved in making this paper what it is today. I’d like to thank Mrs. Bender for giving me a huge responsibility and trusting me to do my best, even though I probably wasn’t fully ready (and I did do my best, and my best was awful, but I improved).

I’d like to thank Rachel Soh for coming in this year and improving the paper on a completely different level than I could have. Without you, the paper would most definitely not be where it is today (I mean, just look at the covers you’ve put out--they’re amazing).

Andy Ha, I thank you so much for being my friend through these three years. I thank you for taking some of the crushing responsibility off of my shoulders. I thank you for being someone I can rant to when being an editor gets too stressful. I thank you for making me the editor I am today, and I can’t wait to see your face on the cover of your own magazine someday.

My one and only bit of advice to anyone taking on the scary road that is high school is to let people help you. Let the little things make you a better person. Let yourself improve, and let others help you improve.

Goodbye, Kamiakin. Thank you for having me. I’ll get out of your house now.

It’s been nine months since I’ve first met you. I remember that September day like yesterday. You were hot… around 90 degrees if I remember correctly. Ever since that day, my life has been completely different. You’ve encouraged me to play a sport, you’ve helped me tone my skills in videography, and you’ve helped me secure my acceptance to the University of Washington. I’m so grateful I’ve met you.

But just like any relationship, we had our ups and downs. You started to get cold around December, and I would even contemplate if our relationship was worth saving, but we always pulled through. You were always there to cover for me when I did my AP stats homework during lunch or when I would be dozing off in AP government. You were there when I ripped my leggings from falling so much in power walking. And you introduced me to amazing people like Mrs. Thompson, Naomi Banuelos, Jaylee Vergara, Sierra Wilde, Kacey Owsley, Sierra Reams, and Emily Baer. You were there for me, even when I didn’t want you around.

I’ll always remember the late night notifications I would get on my phone from you. You would send me cute messages like “F” or “did not complete her portfolio.” Sometimes you would tell me that I didn’t go to class when I swear I did! Sometimes you would even send my parents those messages in quarterly post cards! It really brought my family closer, thank you for that.

I don’t know if I ever told you about the sacrifices I made in order to meet you five days a week. I had to cram late night homework sessions, carry heavy textbooks, and wake up early in the morning just to meet you on time (not to mention the traffic, bad parking jobs, and the construction I went through. No biggie!) It was worth it--most of the time.

You’ve helped me grow as a person and be more responsible. But there’s something I want to say; I’m leaving you. I feel like it’s time for me to move on with my life and find new people. I want to find someone to teach me the important things in life like how to “Dab on ‘em” or “Dougie.” I hope you understand.

You’ll always hold a piece of my heart, but I can’t stay in this relationship any longer. It’s not me. It’s you.

Signed,

Andy Ha P.S. I can't wait to leave y’all forever. Toodaloo.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Chloe Grundmeier

Sorry,

Rachel Soh

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Chief Legends In Depth

11

Tips and tricks to rock college

By AMBER PERRY STAFF REPORTER

A

s we graduate, many seniors will head off to college this fall.

Statistics say that out of all the students who enroll in their first year of college, one-third of them will drop out after their first year. About 50 percent will not finish their college education. Students don’t have to be part of that statistic. There are ways to ensure college success.

1.

Set Goals Having a clear guideline and view of your expectations helps guide actions and decisions. Set yearly goals, monthly goals, even weekly goals. Writing them down makes them real, and even telling them to a friend increases the likelihood that they will happen 2.

Answer the question, “Why am I going to college?”

It’s hard to work for a goal that’s not yours. Rethink your ambitions. Think of what the desired outcome of the experience is. A career? An internship? A degree? Do it for the right reason.

3.

Imagine your ideal college experience Think it. Feel it. Do it.

Most professional coaches tell their athletes to imagine them crossing the finish line, seeing a PR time on a watch, or going through the motions achieving their success.

4.

Set clear goals for each class.

The clearer the goal, the easier to achieve. If ‘do better in math’ is a goal, try instead ‘Do better in math by staying after class on Tuesdays and get a tutor by Friday.’ Set deadlines for each one.

5.

Triage ruthlessly Staying up all night finishing an AP homework assignment is different than staying

up to work on an illustration for a health class pamphlet that’s worth 10 points. Pick the battle of homework and effort efficiently. Don’t waste energy on an easy A. Instead focus hard in challenging classes, and don’t stress the little things.

6.

Get an early start to each day.

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

7.

Learn material the very first time it’s presented.

Learning material seven (plus or minus two) times is the key to remembering it long term, or long enough for the final. Trying to review material that wasn’t learned the first time is next to impossible.

8.

Master advanced memory techniques.

Just like learning it seven times in different ways, there are techniques to memory.

The more time spent studying, over time the less time is needed to review. Google memory helps.

9. Recharge Take “you” time. Make time for drawing, relaxing, music, friends, exercise, etc. Stress only leads to sickness, less sleep, and more stress.

10. Have some serious

fun!

Don’t be afraid to “...stick your neck out of your shell!” like Senora Wright said in the senior assembly. Take chances, and learn from the mistakes. Enjoy life while it lasts.

Students should expect larger classes like this one during college. Photo courtesy of dev.at.risk.org

How to succeed at high school: advice from seniors

By KATHY FARIAS-GUERRA STAFF REPORTER

As seniors prepare to exit these halls forever, they leave with some golden Photos by Kathy Farias-Guerra

nuggets of advice. Out of the seniors at our school surveyed in government classes, they responded with ideas they wanted to pass down to underclassmen. Here are some tidbits of wisdom that some wanted to pass down to the freshmen: • Work hard. Don’t slack or procrastinate.

• Don’t bully because when it happens to you, you won’t like it very much.

• Don’t skip class. It may seem like all fun and games, but as an upperclassman, that’s when you will pay the price.

• Don’t ever give up. It’s all just the beginning.

• Make every day count • Strive to really learn.

• Join sports and be active.

• Plan ahead.

• Make some great memories in high school.

• Live life like there’s no tomorrow.

For those who will be next year’s

seniors, the graduating class wanted to say: • Take the time to apply for scholarships.

• Organize yourselves.

• Plan things ahead of time and have things in order.

• Apply for the SAT/ACT test, and study before taking it.

• Go to GEAR UP. They will help you out, especially with the college entrance exams.

• Visit and apply to colleges in a timely way.

• Senioritis isn’t a thing. If you get lazy, push yourself through it.

Maybe if the underclassmen pay attention to this sage advice, they can avoid some of the pitfalls their predecessors experienced…and have some of the fun times, as well.

Chief Legends IN-DEPTH

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

12

E V S R A O R I B EN S

Rachel Cooke and Hunter Grimers won the award of most likely to be instagram famous.

Riley Santo and Trevor Roberts won most likely to star in a movie with Will Ferrell.

Heather Donais and Ethan Vo won most likely to have movies made about their lives.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

13

Chief Legends In Depth SENIOR MEMORIES

“

When Kayla Madsen and I went to Richland and browsed the shops. We went to Howard Amon Park and got Bento Teriyaki. Bento is dank and it was a really good day.

Vivian Thielemann and Jojo Barnhill won biggest transformation since freshman year.

– Ruthie Cicotte

“

”

“Definitely going to Scarywood with my three best friends.

It’s been an incredible journey going through high school together and being able to walk at graduation with each other.”

Calen Richmond and Saige Polanik won most likely to be on a reality TV show.

– Vivian Thielemann

“

”

“Listening to ‘The Life of Pablo’ with Katie Mostoller and getting half-priced Applebee’s appetizers afterward. It was a really awesome night.”

– Kayla Madsen

”

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

14

Senioritis: a true epidemic

By STACI TRIVETT STAFF REPORTER

A

plague has hit our school.

Every teacher fears for when it hits and takes out so many students, but knows it will come each year- senioritis. It is a supposed affliction of students in their senior year of high school or college characterized by a decline in performance or motivation. While there are some students who avoid this problem completely, a majority of students will start to care less about their school work.

This might not be too big of a deal for some, just not trying too hard on their assignments or turning them in a day late. On the other hand, there are some students who will just stop doing their work completely and put themselves at risk of not being able to graduate or affect their future in college.

After students are accepted to a college, they will sometimes slack, thinking that since they’re already accepted that they’re in the clear. The truth is, if colleges see a dramatic decline in grades, they can rescind their acceptance. Even though this is the worst case scenario, this can happen to thousands of students. More likely, colleges can also put students on a sort of academic probation. If a college

Three seniors, Megan Booth, Nick Little, and Madison Melton, share their experiences with senioritis. Photo by Staci Trivett

notices a decline and is worried about the readiness of the student, they can require the student to have a certain GPA their fall semester to remain enrolled in their school.

It is a hard temptation to resist, but there are a few ways to defer this almost deadly plague. “It’s real, I never thought I would get it, but then I just stopped caring. I saw it as either

way, I’m graduating, so no reason to put in extra effort. I’m pretty sure I earned a break,” said senior Maggie McLain.

Improving study habits should be a main goal for students. Whether this is to have study dates with friends or sit alone in a quiet room, students should figure out what works best for them and use that to their advantage.

Another important factor is to set some time aside to relax and forget about the stresses of school, but if this time gets too out of hand, it could easily lead to senioritis.

What defines the senior class of 2016?

By AMBER PERRY STAFF REPORTER

From silly bands to hair feathers, and flip phones

to vines, it’s been quite the journey for the class of 2016.

With what seniors have been through, and 12 plus years of

education under their belts, what defines them? This year in teacher Tim Bisson’s senior AP Psychology classes, he set

Seniors Riley Santo and Madison Badgley lead the One Tribe video recorded in 2014. Photo screenshot from the video

out to help students answer that question: What defines the generation of seniors this year? Their answers have popped vibrant memories back bringing laughs, silent nods, and smiles.

Results seniors shared included: • TV Shows: ‘Teletubbies,’ ‘Dragon Tales,’ ‘Hannah Montana’ • Movies: ‘The Force Awakens,’ ‘Toy Story,’ ‘Frozen’ • Bands/Singers: One Direction, Coldplay, Taylor Swift • Important world figures: Oprah, Ellen, Pope • News events: First Black President, 9/11 , Boston Massacre • Books: Magic Tree House, Harry Potter

• Songs: “What does the Fox Say?” “Fireflies,” “Gangham Style,” “Whip” • Kamiakin memo ries: Baby Powder at football game, One Tribe Videos, Tomahawk, Mr. Van Eaton kissing a llama, Spanish with Senora Bayona, Kate, Andrew, Ashlynne All these memories the seniors leave behind. “Man, it goes by fast. If you don’t watch out, it’ll fly by,” said senior Alex Munson.

High school does fly by, and the memories will continue on. As senior Ammon Montgomery said, “We’re told not to look back, but you have to look back to see how far you’ve come.”

Tribal Games SPORTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

15 A reflection on this year’s softball season

By MADISON OP-ED EDITOR

MORGAN

W

ith the school softball season officially ended, players and coaches both reflect on the 2015-2016 season.

Players this year started off the season with specific goals they hoped to accomplish by the end of the year.

“I just wanted to be better than my sister was when she was in high school, so I think I’ve achieved that,” said freshman Lynsie Miracle of her goals this season.

Senior Cassidy Rowe pitches against the Richland High School Varsity Softball. Photo by Madison Morgan

Varsity coach and teacher Tim Bisson said that while the girls each had their own individual goals, the team shared one overarching goal.

“One of the biggest goals they made was to be that team, the team that nobody wanted to see at the end of the year, to be the team that worked harder than everybody else in a game time setting,” said Bisson.

Varsity players this year were freshman Lynsie Miracle, sophomores Macy Christianson, Andria Skeels, Brianna Barnes, Aubrey Wood, and Madison Matthews. Juniors were Olivia McCallister, Alexandria Mulholland, Danielle Mastaler, and seniors were Kristen Schoffstall, Victoria Bamer, McKenzie Lowry, Cassidy Rowe, Madyson Dilger, Rebecca Whitecotton, and Taylor Nevills. The head coach was Tim Bisson, and the assistant coach was Tina

Ross.

“I was really nervous at first because I’m the youngest one here. Everyone else is an upperclassman, and everyone else has had experience. Then I realized I made that team for a reason. I deserved to be there,” said Miracle about being the only freshman on the varsity team.

According to the Mid-Columbia Conference, Kamiakin softball placed fourth out of eight Mid-Columbia schools.

“Most of our game wins usually took hard work, especially Chiawana and Hanford,” said sophomore Aubrey Wood on the season’s highlights.

Coach Bisson also had a favorite season highlight, saying “[the] district title when no one thought we would get to that level… And to be able to win the 3A portion of our league and win the district title, that’s big, and to get to

go to regionals.”

For others, it was a season for firsts.

“A couple team members on my team, they hit grand slams and about five people got home runs a couple times and it was really great seeing them because it was their first home run,” said sophomore Hannah Tatro.

This year’s C team consisted of freshmen Paetynn Bettinson, Kynlie Craythorn, Shureenia Weger, Taylor Pipkins, and Avery Benson. C team sophomores were Katie Selby, Jocelyn Dahl, Hannah Tatro, and Jessica Gribble, as well as junior Amelia Fuhrman. The coach was Ryan McCallum.

This season also showed a great deal of improvement in returning players.

“I personally think I did great this season, better than any season I’ve ever had. I like how towards the end, we started to become as a family

instead of individual players.

We became one,” said sophomore Brianna Barnes, a swing player for both JV and varsity.

The 2015-2016 junior varsity softball had freshmen Alexa Brown, Rachael George, Brielle Schneider, and Sallee Westermeyer. Sophomore players were Sophia Mancinelli, Lauren Sasser, Emma Selby, and Emily Smith.

Junior players were Hannah Maxson, Samantha Petersen, and Gracie Rosenbaum. Kelly Rydberg was the only JV senior. The coach was Deni Wren.

Most girls already are in anticipation for next year’s season, hoping to improve that batting average or score on that certain team.

“I cannot wait for next season school ball. I am so excited for it to start already, counting down the days,” said Miracle.

Team prayer before game kickoff lead by the team captains. Photo by Ronnie Henderson

Soccer Wrap-Up

By RONNIE HENDERSON STAFF REPORTER

B

raves had another eventful year of soccer for both JV and varsity. Varsity made it to regionals and won by defeating Southridge. The team won state regionals by defeating Rogers by 4. We lost the state playoffs with Columbia River by 1. Even with the loss of the playoff, it was still an action-packed year for the team.

3/11/2016 Lewis & Clark Hart Field, Spokane 0-3 (Loss) 3/15/2016 Hanford Hanford High School, Richland 0-1 (Loss) 3/17/2016 Central Valley Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 1-3 (Loss) 3/19/2016 Richland Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 1-2 (Loss) 3/22/2016 Walla Walla Walla Walla High School 4-1 (Win) 3/26/2016 Chiawana Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 0-2 (Loss)

3/29/2016 Kennewick Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 2-0 (Win) 4/2/2016 Pasco Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 1-2 (Loss) 4/5/2016 Southridge Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 2-0 (Win) 4/11/2016 Hanford Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 1-2 (Loss) 4/14/2016 Richland Bomber Field, Richland 2-1 (Win) 4/16/2016 Walla Walla Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 2-1 (Win)

4/19/2016 Chiawana Chiawana High School, Pasco 2-0 (Win) 4/23/2016 Kennewick Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 3-2 Shootout (Win) 4/26/2016 Pasco Edgar Brown Stadium, Pasco 2-3 (Loss) 4/30/2016 Southridge Lampson Stadium, Kennewick 2-1 (Win) 5/10/2016 Rogers 4-0 (Win) 5/17/2016 Columbia River 1-2 (Loss)

TRIBAL GAMES SPORTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

16

Some of the athletes that are futhering their careers in the sports department. Photo by Madison Morgan

Athletes sign to the next step in their lives

By MADISON MORGAN OP-ED EDITOR

handle situations that hopefully they have been able to learn through athletics. It’s something special to be a Kamiakin Brave, and you want them to embrace that and to know that as they move forward, that they came to an institution that is a really special place for people.”

Senior Saige Polanik signed with the University of Montana for cheer. She said, “I am super excited. Especially thinking that I am going to do college courses, it’s amazing to think I’ve come that far. I’d like to say thank you to my parents for supporting me all this way and putting me though all the sports I do.”

Senior Easton Henke signed to Yakima Valley Community College for baseball.

He said, “I am going there because a lot of my buddies are going there and I thought it would be a good opportunity to be on a good team. I am really excited to attend Yakima Valley Community College. I am ready to continue my athletic career to the next level. It is a big accomplishment to go to college. I’ve always wanted to do this, and it gives me a good opportunity to take my baseball career to the next level.

I would like to thank everybody from my four years at Kamiakin. It’s been fun. Go Braves.”

On May 19, a party in the cafeteria was held for the athletes who have signed on to a college. The entire list of students who signed are: Kaden Enriquez, Easton Henke, Mike Jones, Justin Larsen, Asher

Q: “Where were you born?”

A: “Mt. Home, Idaho. Then we moved to Walla Walla when I was really little, I don’t remember how young to be honest.“ Q: “How did you get to Kamiakin High?”

A: “I taught as a teacher and coach in Walla Walla, and then a position opened up here for a teacher and coach and I took it.”

Q: “Do you prefer teaching or coaching?”

A: “It’s the same thing to me, just a different arena.”

Q: “What did you hope to teach your athletes this year?”

Coach Carter is both a father and sports lover. Photo A: “We want to use athletics as a tool to

by Sierra Reams

teach them how to be great adults. In athletics there is no place to hide and success is never final. And failure is never fatal.”

Q: “What has been your best coach memory as a coach?”

A: “I’d say my best coach memory would be winning the 2012 Baseball State Championship. It was an amazing experience.”

Q: “Did you play any sports in high school and/or college?”

A: “Yes, both. In high school I played football, basketball and baseball. In college, I played baseball and football.

Q: “Where did you go to college?”

A: “I went to Walla Walla for my first year; played baseball there. And then I

By RYAN FOLTA STAFF REPORTER

S

tudents that go above and beyond their job in sports get recognized in one of the most honorable ways achievable.

Over 20 athletes at Kamiakin have officially signed to play at college level for the colleges that have acknowledged their hard work and effort. Around this time of year, colleges and universities all across the country require the commitment of superb athletes to come and play for their school. In turn, athletes receive a high quality education for a not so high price, if not free.

When asked how his feelings were to see all of the athletes signing onto a college, Assistant Principal Casey Gant said, “It’s bitter sweet. You are sad to see them go, but you are excited to see what the future holds for them. I think the biggest thing we want them to learn about is to deal with adversity; not everything in life is going to be easy. It’s all about how you

Hunter Mulderig, Scott Larson, Hayden Nelson, Gabby Naccarato, Saige Polanik, Travis Crumpler, Phillip Fishburn, Austin Crawford, Gavin Crow, Nick Little, Korbin Sorensen, Brianna Esvelt, Alex Sotelo, Heather Donais, Parker Lee, Erin Leseberg, Kenzie Lowry, and Taylor Nevills.

Mancinelli, Left to right Seniors Hunter Mulderig, Justin Larson, Mike Jones, Coach Carter, Easton Henke, Kaden Enriquez, and Asher Mancinelli. Photo by Madison Morgan

Q & A with Coach Carter

By KACEY OWSLEY STAFF REPORTER

finished at Central Washington University where I played football.”

Q: “Do your children play sports?”

A: “Yes, my daughter, who is 9-yearsold, plays soccer and is a gymnast. My 11-year-old son plays basketball and baseball.”

Q: “You are obviously a sports fan, so what is your favorite sport and team?”

A: “That’s hard. I like whatever sport I am playing in the moment. I love the different forms of competition. If I had to choose a sport, I don’t think I could. And my favorite football team is Seahawks, and baseball is Mariners, but I’ve always been a lifelong Boston Red Sox fan.”

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

17

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

On the screens Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com

‘Rent:’

GuaRENTeed to be an eye-opener

By KACEY OWSLEY STAFF REPORTER

Based on Puccini’s Italian opera ‘La Boheme’, ‘RENT’(rated PG-13) tells the story of one year in the life of friends. These friends are living in the Bohemian life style in modern day Alphabet City, New York City, The movie is set during Christmas.

Among the group is a nerdy, love-struck filmmaker, Mark Cohen, who was dumped by his former fiancé, Maureen Johnson. Maureen left Mark for a Harvard-educated public interest lawyer named Joanne Jefferson. Mark’s roommate, HIV-positive musician and former junkie, is Roger Davis. This heartbroken rock star not only lost his girlfriend/groupie, April, to AIDS but has also hit a stump in his career. Roger’s apartment neighbor and new girlfriend, HIV-positive drug addicted exotic dancer, is the beautiful Mimi Marquez.

Mark and Roger’s former roommate, HIVpositive computer genius, Tom Collins, returns once a year to see his best friends. Collins meets HIV-positive drag queen, street musician and lover Angel who shows him that even though “you can’t buy love, you can always rent it.”

Benjamin Coffin III, a former member of the group, who married for money and has since become their landlord, is making life even harder. He is trying to evacuate the hundreds of people in the building so he can make a better profit off of it.

‘RENT’ teaches teens everywhere that the real world is a hard place to live, but when you have great friends and love, that is all you will need. This magnificent musical shows how much does and does not change in the ‘525,600 minutes’ that make up the seasons of love.

Photo courtesy of sidereel.com

‘Lost and Found:’ The ‘Glee’ of Netflix originals

By SIERRA REAMS SPORTS EDITOR

Music is essential to life. If you’re in the car, at home, or even at a party, more than likely there is music playing, but for the kids in ‘Lost & Found Music Studios,’ music is their life and their passion.

This new 2015 Netflix series has live music, love, and a group of fascinating characters whom you get attached to. The show has a lot of main characters and follows each one individually.

It also has some originality put into every song they sing.

This show follows the life of about 18 teenagers who go to Lost & Found Music Studios after school to be mentored by Mr. T, who owns the music studio and is a music producer. A live tour at the end of the year takes place for a select few members of Lost & Found where they can be found by famous music producers or people in the music industry. Once the year starts up again, a select few are welcomed back to continue their careers at Lost & Found, and other people come from all over to audition to be a part of this close-knit group.

Overall, this is a very good show for music lovers. However, it is also cheesy, and the actors are not the best. You will love some and hate others. With the drama between the kids’ love lives, the music they write and produce shows how much they care and shows how much they go through.

The music in ‘Lost & Found’ has a different take on teen love lives and personal lives. Overall, this show is very good even with the cheesy plot line and cheesy actors.

Photo courtesy of comingsoon.net

‘The Jungle Book:’ A darker retelling of a classic

By ANDY HA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

‘The Jungle Book,’ everyone knows the story.

The classic 1967 animated movie tells the story of a little boy who was raised in the jungle.

Now, as it is nearing the 50th anniversary of the release of the film, Walt Disney Pictures decided to make a live adaptation of the story.

The movie does a spectacular job with its visual effects. It would be no surprise due to the fact that the film was primarily done with CGI, with only one actor who is predominantly in the film. All the other actors voice their roles. It wouldn’t be a big shocker if the film gets nominated for an Oscar for their visual effects.

The portrayal of the characters is also amazing. Neel Sethi stuns in his major acting debut.

The child star had only done one short movie prior to this role. He is one to definitely watch out for. The actors who were casted to voice the animals were also well chosen. One sad thing was that Scarlett Johansson, who voices Kaa, wasn’t in the movie very long. Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, and Ben Kingsley did a splendid job voicing their characters.

The film is truly outstanding and deserves the recognition and acclaim that it has been receiving,, but there is just something missing from it that would’ve put it over the top. It is missing that magic that all Disney animated movies had.

Previous live adaptations of animated movies had them, but this one didn’t.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Coming This Summer

Anticipated Box-Office Blockbuster Hits

By MADISON OP-ED EDITOR

T

Photo Courtesy of getmovieposter.com

MORGAN

his summer brings movie goers many anticipated films, the likes of which range from animated film ‘Finding Dory’ to action/adventure movie ‘The Legend of Tarzan.’

The long awaited sequel to the 2003 film ‘Finding Nemo,’ ‘Finding Dory,’ stars talk show host Ellen DeGeneres as title character Dory. After remembering childhood memories, Dory begins an adventure to find her family. ‘Finding Dory’ premieres June 17.

Starring Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård and Australian actress Margot Robbie, ‘The Legend of

Tarzan’ features both as favorites Tarzan and Jane respectively.

Tarzan, living in London with wife Jane for years, returns to the jungle as Parliament’s trade emissary, though unbeknownst to Tarzan individuals conspire against him.

‘The Legend of Tarzan’ premieres July 1.

Another addition to the cult classics, the newest ‘Ghostbusters’ film will star an all-female leading cast. After ghosts invade the city of Manhattan, the four women ghost catching team bands together to exterminate the paranormal beings. Comedians Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon will com-

prise the ghost catching squad July 15.

DC Comics produces another film about a team of villains forced to work for the greater good in ‘Suicide Squad,’ premiering Aug. 5. The film features fan favorites such as Batman foes Harley Quinn and the Joker.

Amanda Waller, leader of a secret government agency, forcibly recruits a team of villains to contribute to society and do good for others.

Fans will not be disappointed cinematically this year as the summer of 2016 approaches.

Photo Courtesy of getmovieposter.com

Photo Courtesy of getmovieposter.com

Photo Courtesy of getmovieposter.com

Anticipated carpool karaoke jams of 2016 Nick Jonas ‘Last Year Was Complicated.’

Photo Courtesy of rollingstone.com

Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘The Getaway.’

Photo Courtesy of thegetaway. warnerbrosrecords.com

Cat’s Eyes ‘Treasure House.’

Photo Courtesy of pitchfork.com

By TAYLOR HUNZEKER STAFF REPORTER

With summer coming close, the anticipation of this summer’s new music is growing. From rock to pop and from country to indie rock, many music artists are coming out with new albums during the three months of summer vacation.

The most albums with already announced dates are in the month of June.

On June 3, albums will be released from The Kills, Jimmy Barnes, and one from Cat’s Eyes called ‘Treasure House.’ Five other albums from less popular artists are for sure to be released on this day. On June 10, Nick Jonas will be releasing his album ‘Last Year Was Complicated’ with other albums from Fantasia, The Monkees, and The Temper Trap. Neil Young’s ‘EARTH’ album and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ ‘The Getaway’ will be released on the 17th.

In July, there are fewer album release dates. The most exciting and anticipated album is ‘California’ from Blink-182 that will be released on July 1. Along with Blink-182, albums from Diesel and Silent Planet will come out on the 1st, too. Tanz-

wut and Biffy Clyro release albums on the 8th, and Good Charlotte’s ‘Youth Authority’ comes out on the 15th.

Only a couple of artists have released their album release dates for August.

Tarja’s album ‘The Shadow Self’ will be released on the 5th, and The Young Giant’s album, ‘Home of the Strange’ will be released on the 12th. It is for sure that the album ‘Dig Your Roots’ by Florida Georgia Line will release in August but a certain date has not been released to the public yet.

There are unset dates for the releases of albums from Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, Lady Gaga, Major Lazer, Zendaya, and many more. Also, rumors of The Black Eyed Peas coming out with their 20th anniversary album this summer have been spreading. The information on these albums’ release dates will come out soon.

The anticipation of waiting for the summer albums’ release dates and new music is growing with every passing day. Summer is near, and so is the season of new music.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

19

More in Music

A Revolution in Musicals

By EMILY BAER NEWS EDITOR

A

new hit Broadway show, ‘Alexander Hamilton,’ has bridged the gap between hip-hop and musicals. Innovative and historical, this show tells the underappreciated story of founding father, Alexander Hamilton, how he was born in the Caribbean, his determination, and his rise from poverty.

The audience goes on Hamilton’s journey of how he was the aide de camp for George Washington to how he helped form the nation we live in and to his eventual demise.

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote and composed the musical after being inspired by the novel, ‘Alexander Hamilton’ by Ron Chernow. Miranda doesn’t diverge from history in this monumental work and mesmerizes the audience with his musi-

cal genius. The actors and musicians amplify the story with their expert performances, and the diversity of the cast shows how the America of today is telling the story of the past.

A mixture of traditional musical style and hip-hop is probably the last option somebody would think of to tell history, yet this musical proves that it was the perfect choice. Not only does it set a precedent for a change in how musicals are portrayed, but it helps to draw younger generations to the theater.

Each song featured in the musical shows the unique talent of Miranda and the cast. Miranda himself plays the main character, Alexander Hamilton, and as the story progresses, the audience learns of the stories of other historical figures such as Thomas Jefferson, Aaron Burr,

Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton, Phillip Hamilton, Monsieur de Lafayette, and many others. Every beat and note contributes to the story-telling of the influential life of Hamilton.

Overall, the musical has been an extreme success on Broadway.

It dethroned ‘The Lion King’ for number one.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s talent is revered by many, and his musical continues to draw more and more people in. President Barack Obama is an avid fan of Miranda’s musical and asked the cast of Hamilton to perform at the White House, which helped the musical’s popularity to rise. So far there has been no video footage of the musical released, only the soundtrack. Next year the cast of Hamilton will be traveling to Seattle to share their unique performance with the west side of the country.

Photo Courtesy of Broadway.com

Blink 182 coming this summer with ‘California Tour’

By KAYLEE ZUHLKE STAFF REPORTER

Sporting classic hits like “What’s my Age Again?,” “All the Small Things,” and “I Miss You,” there are few things more prominently 90s than the Californian trio, Blink-182.

Blink-182 was formed in Poway, Calif., a suburb of San Diego, by original members Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus, and Scott Raynor. The drummer, Raynor, was shortly replaced by Travis Barker, and singer Delonge was recently (and possibly temporarily) replaced by Matt Skiba, in 2015.

The band found mainstream success with their 1999 album ‘Enema of the State.’ Although they have great similarity to other punk bands like Rancid and Green Day, Blink-182 frequently writes about the fun Southern California lifestyle instead of political-minded acts, social problems, or rebellion.

The trio’s original band name was simply Blink, until an Irish band of the same name threatened them with a lawsuit. Their video for the song, “All the Small Things,” was filmed at California’s Santa Monica beach, the same location as One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful.” The irony is that Blink-182 essentially made that video into a display of mockery towards boy bands of the time, like N-Sync and The Backstreet Boys.

Fans can catch Blink-182 on tour this summer with ‘A Day to Remember’ and either ‘All American Rejects’ or ‘All Time Low.’ The shows kick off July 22 in San Diego, Calif., following the release of their new album, appropriately named ‘California,’ coming out July 1. There are scheduled stops in Seattle, Spokane, and Portland in the month of September.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tomatalk’s Book Club

By SIERRA REAMS SPORTS EDITOR

By EMILY BAER NEWS EDITOR

Wildwood

Since You’ve Been Gone

‘Wildwood,’ written by Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis, is the story of friends Prue McKeel and Curtis Mehlberg who live in St. Johns, Portland, Oregon. Prue witnesses her brother, Mac, kidnapped by a murder of crows and taken into the Impassable Wilderness, a mysterious wood no one enters. When Prue and Curtis go after Mac, they discover a magical civilization lives in what they call Wildwood, and a whirlwind of events occurs that takes them on a whimsical adventure.

Sloane and Emily have been inseparable best friends for two years, but when Sloane and her family disappear, Emily is terrified of spending the summer and her senior year without her other half.

However, when Emily receives a list with Sloane’s handwriting in the mail, the summer’s possibilities open up. Sloane is daring Emily to do all the things she has always been afraid of, and Emily is determined to finish the list in hopes that it will lead her to where Sloane is. This novel embodies the spirit of summer and its adventures.

By: Colin Meloy

Photo Courtesy of goodreads.com

By: Morgan Matson

Photo Courtesy of goodreads.com

Between the Lines

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

By: Jodi Picoult & Samantha Van Leer

By: Jenny Han

Lara Jean is a teenage girl who writes letters to all the boys she loved as a way to move on from them, but she never sends the letters.

However, what will happen when all the letters are anonymously sent to all the boys? New love, old love, and everything in between. This book is unique and humorous and will make you believe that true love exists.

Photo Courtesy of goodreads.com

Photo Courtesy of goodreads.com

A fairytale is brought to life. Delilah is obsessed with a children’s book in her high school library, mainly with the main character Oliver, a prince. In a children’s book, what happens when a book is closed? Oliver is alive in the story and falls in love with Delilah. This story of love shows how love can overcome, even if separated worlds apart, like fantasy and real life.

‘Stardust:’ a spectacular finale to the year

Senior Emily Fiske as Marion Phipps remains silent while senior Yzabelle Tow as Claire Carter tries to break Marion from her position. Photo by Chloe Grundmeier

To end the year, the drama department brings laughter and joy to the stage with ‘Stardust,’ a comedy in three acts by Walter Kerr. This play stars senior Chandler James as the drama teacher, Mr. Bach, junior CharLee Bethje as a future Hollywood star, Prudence Mason, and senior Yzabelle Tow as Prudence’s best friend, Claire Carter.

The intricate set was incredible. The backstage area’s walls were covered in paintings that fit the scene and other decorations that were fitting for the backstage of an auditorium. The use of the trick chair added another level of humor to the scenes. The costume construction by Victoria Siegel and Tessa Hamilton added reality to the play by setting the time period in a very recognizable way.

The actors themselves did wonderful jobs, namely those playing Bach’s students. Each student had a completely different personality, and they were all portrayed very differently.

By CHLOE GRUNDMEIER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Not only were the characters developed, but the technical skills the cast members possessed were remarkable. Any misspoken line was corrected without any other stumbling; the passionate and loud scenes involving yelling and fighting were believable and seamless.

While the play had countless ups, it also had a few downsides. A few of the lines were spoken too quickly and therefore rendered incomprehensible.

A few cast members affected their voices in such a manner that also affected the way the parts were read and how believable their characters were.

While these slight technical errors were noted, they did not detract from the play’s overall enjoyability.

Overall, Walter Kerr’s ‘Stardust’ was a brilliant way to end the school year, and for some students, their high school acting careers. The humor was astounding and even with the few errors, the play was delightful.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

21

Tribal SHENANIGANS Reviews

TOP THREE DESTINATIONS ADVENTURES WITH TORODO

BY: ERICH RIEGER

Tribal Reviews SHENANIGANS

22

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

MAKE YOUR HEART HAPPY SENIOR EDITION

Photo Credit: pinterest.com thematpicture.com memeblender.comw

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2016 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Senior pictures are due

by October 28, 2016 Vertically-oriented

Senior Parent Ads are due

by October 28, 2016 (visit http://kamiakin.ksd.org/Activities/Yearbook for more information)