2018-19 Tomatalk Issue 3

TOMATALK HE

February

Generations: Old vs. New VOLUME 43• ISSUE 3•FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 2019• KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

2

Sp tlights

The story of counselor Ana Claro

By JEREMAI HERNANDEZ STAFF REPORTER

C

ounselor Ana Claro has worked at Kamiakin for several years and has been very involved with students. In fact, many days, if you pass her office in the old career center near all the counselor offices, you can see lots of students in there just hanging out. She keeps food and other supplies there to make them feel at home.

But Claro says she didn’t always know what she wanted to be.

“When I was at Eastern, I knew I wanted to work in the school system, but I didn’t know I wanted to be counselor,” she said.

Claro worked at a middle school in Cheney when she was doing her practicum for her undergrad and was inspired to work with students because of one of the ladies she worked with.

Once she finished her undergrad, Claro knew she had to get her master’s in social work if she wanted to work in a high school or middle school as a counselor. Since she had a contract with CPS, she had to work with them one year after she got her master’s.

Once done with that year, Claro was going to take a break but got pregnant. She then applied for a counseling position here at Kamiakin, where she successfully got an interview for the position.

After a few days, she received a voicemail from principal Chris Chelin offering her the position.

Six weeks after she had her baby, Claro began to work for Kamiakin. That was two years ago.

Claro sees a connection between what she did with CPS and what she does here. At CPS, she investigated child abuse and neglect, but here she

works with migrant students.

Sometimes she does receive reports of child abuse or neglect here, too, and has to address the situation.

Claro feels at home now in her third year at Kamiakin, “This is the year I’ve been Photo courtesy of Jeremai Hernandez more comfortable with my position because I now have a better understanding of what I’m doing. My first year I was learning, but this year I’m doing really good. I’m really busy most of the time,” said Claro.

When asked about future plans or goals, Claro insists she’s where she wants to be for now.

“I love what I do. My initial plan and dream job was to work at Pasco High because I graduated from Pasco High. Now I’m here at Kamiakin, and I love it, the students, the staff. I don’t know what might happen in the future because my degree is really broad, and I can do a lot with my degree, so I don’t really know what opportunities I might get with my degree, so we will just have to wait and

see.”

Claro has used her position with migrant students to begin programs like ALAS which stands for Achieve Leadership With All Students. It is a group which prepares migrant students to assume leadership positions with other clubs and organizations. The goal is to make them feel comfortable at the school first. Many migrants students are new to the school and the country, and some are just used to moving around a lot, so this prepares them to be involved where they are.

Right now, Claro loves her job, working with students, and the staff. “I don’t really know what opportunities I might get with my degree, so we will just have to wait and see,” she said.

Valentines day traditions and differences in the world

BY VAZGEN YEDOYAN STAFF REPORTER

V

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.com

alentine’s Day is a festival of romance that celebrates love and relationships. All over the world it is a big day filled with presents. Although Valentine’s Day is an international holiday, each country has its own traditions.

In Armenia, this holiday has a lot in common with the American one, but they have something special for this day. According to an old legend, if a person makes and eats very salty cookies called “Aghablit,” that night he/she will see the person whom she or he will marry, but the challenge is to eat the cookie because it is extremely salty.

Some countries have their own versions of Valentine’s Day on different days with different names.

China has The Qixi festival that came from the folklore of two starcrossed lovers. It’s usually celebrated on the July 7. According the legend, this is the day when two lovers are allowed to reunite. During this festival, couples go to temples and pray for prosperity.

In South Korea on Valentine’s Day, it is a day when men receive gifts and candies from the women.

Japan’s tradition is similar to South Korea’s. On that day, women give chocolate and cookies to their men.

In Italy for Valentine’s Day, they have special “kiss” chocolate cookies that they exchange and also exchange with kisses.

In France, especially in Paris, which is considered the capital of Valen-

tine’s Day, there is a tradition of putting “locks of love” on the bridge representing everlasting love, but the locks were removed in 2015.

In Germany a pig is a symbol of luck and love. They also make pig cookies and heart-shaped cookies with romantic messages on them.

In Estonia this day is called “Friend’s Day,” so friends exchange gift cards and presents. This shows that they value their friendships.

What is interesting is that worldwide, there is some variation of what they call Valentine’s Day in the United States.

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE 3

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk Kamiakin High School

Paying for college Step by step, dreams become real

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

By GRISELDA RIVERA STAFF REPORTER

W

e all know college is not cheap.

The average cost of college among public and private institutions increases at a slow and steady pace each year. Prices at most schools, even public schools, have increased for students going into the 2018-2019 school year. A college’s sticker price is the amount advertised as the full rate for tuition and fees on brochures before financial need, scholarships and other aid are factored. The average tuition and fees at an in-state public college is 73 percent less than the average sticker price at a private college, at $9,716 for the 2018-2019 year compared with $35,676, respectively, U.S. News data show.

The cost of tuition, student fees, books, housing and meal plans all add up even with financial aid. For example at Eastern Washington University, the in-state tuition is $7,886. That’s without housing and food. Housing and food will most likely double the price. One of the smartest things to do is to apply for scholarships, grants, and financial aid. Having financial help will help you focus more on your studies than stressing on how you are go-

ing to pay for college.

There are a couple of places where you can go here at Kamiakin for help and to begin preparing for life after high school.

The career specialist, Debbie Smith, works with scholarships and students applying for scholarships. She is one of the people you can turn to for help. You can also go to the Career Center. There you can ask for a list of scholarships or grants that you can apply for. Some teachers/counselors like Ana Claro and Mrs. Espinoza suggest that students go visit Smith and start applying for scholarships and FAFSA as soon as possible, if you don’t qualify for WASFA. You can go into the Kamiakin website, http://kamiakin.ksd. org/School/Departments/CounselingDepartment/Scholarships, and into the career center, where you can find the scholarships tab. There you can find a list of at least 30 scholarships for different colleges in Washington and other states.

Each college also has specific scholarships for them.

Completing these things before senior year will give you more time to focus on other deadlines to graduate.

The Tomatalk: Kamiakin High School, 600 North Arthur St., Kennewick, WA, 99336, 509-222-7015, email tomatalkstaff@gmail.com, or go online at tomatalk.com and comment there.

Staff: Adviser: Laurie Bender Editor-in-Chief: Thomas Metcalf News Feature Editor: Jonathan Ziegenfuss Sports Editor: Maddie Briggs In-Depth Editor: Thomas Metcalf Opinion Editor: Rucy Questad Entertainment Editor: Alison Fellman Cover made by: Thomas Metcalf Staff Reporters:

Louis Barrett, Jeremai Hernandez, Jorge Munguia, Taya Questad, Griselda Rivera Madrigal, Meriah Rodriguez, Imogen Santoyo, Anna Solis-Garza, Dakota Stevens and Vazgen Yedoyan

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

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Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Washington Minimum Wage Increases

Every year minimum wage in our state has gone up, but should it?

By JORGE MUNGUIA STAFF REPORTERS

AND GRISELDA RIVERA

It’s needed to keep up with the cost of living

T

he federal minimum wage was introduced in 1938 during the Great Depression under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the United States, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. That wage was established in 2009 by the Fair Labor Standards Act. Minimum wage has gone up 41 percent since 2005. In Washington, however, minimum wage has been increasing since the federal minimum wage was set at $7.25. As of Jan. 1, 2019 the minimum wage has increased to $12 an hour. The increase, up from this year’s $11.50 an hour, is part of 2016’s Initiative 1433, and will ultimately raise the state’s rate to $13.50 an hour by 2020.

The state’s minimum wage applies to workers in both agriculture and non-agricultural jobs, although 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85 percent of the minimum wage, according to the Department of Labor and Industries. Paid sick leave under the law also started this past January, allowing employees to earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 40 hours worked.

Raising minimum wage will not only raise many low wage workers out of poverty, but will help the overall economy. Naturally, the more money workers earn through wages, the more they have to spend as consumers. Those higher wages will be passed on through greater levels of spending power. These are major benefits, especially when we consider the economy that is still struggling to recover.

Increasing the minimum wage would increase worker productivity and reduce employee turnover.

Having a higher minimum wage will make people feel more comfortable with their wages. More people would want to keep their job and stay at a job for a longer period of time and they are less likely to quit.

Turnover rates for teens and restaurant workers fall substantially following a minimum wage increase, which results in fewer expenses to hire and train new employees.

Washington’s economy would be advanced and better than other states would be. Also, raising minimum wages will help people stay off of government welfare. Many workers who only earn a minimum wage tend to rely on safety networking programs to supplement their basic needs. They may also use local food banks and other social services that take up a portion of available taxpayer dollars. By raising minimum wage the need to seek welfare would decrease. In Seattle, minimum wage is as high as $15 per hour, but the cost of living is ridiculously high. For a two-bedroom one-bathroom apartment, you will be paying about $1,200 for rent. A minimum wage worker could never afford such a thing. They would have to work more than 90 hours per week just to pay rent, and that doesn’t include utilities or food.

In conclusion, having a higher minimum wage will not only benefit the person getting paid minimum wage but will also benefit the employer, with turnover rates going down. It will also help the state because people won’t seek welfare.

More jobs will be created and the poverty rates will go down, as well as inflation. I think we would all agree for minimum wage to raise, especially if you are a high school or college student working a minimum wage job.

History of Minimum Wage in Washington State Effective date Minimum wage per

Photo courtesy of jdsalaw.com

It’s not beneficial and will make things more expensive

O

n Jan. 1, 2019, 20 states changed their minimum wage, Washington state being one of them. We are seeing wage increases almost every year, and you might think raising the minimum wage helps everyone, but the reality is that nothing changes. As your hourly wage goes up, so do the prices, and it doesn’t lower the poverty rate at all.

Is the wage increase beneficial? It really isn’t. Most people working for minimum wage are students in high school or college.

If they live on their own or have their own bills to pay, it turns into a vicious cycle. Everything is balanced. The pay goes up and so do the prices. Now for the ones who don’t work for $12 an hour, they are affected, too. Their pay stays the same, but the cost of living still increases. They end up paying more with no personal benefit.

Although 20 states recently increased their minimum wage, some of it has been gradual. For example, Washington only increased their pay by 50 cents and another 50 cents the year before that. The largest leap was actu-

ally in 2016 when the minimum wage increased from $9.41 to $11.

Although the state’s minimum wage is $12, big cities may have a higher minimum within their city. For example, Seattle’s minimum wage is $16 an hour due to the extreme inflation, making Seattle a hard place to live. An average one bed one bath apartment about 700 square feet rents for about $1,300-$1,500. The higher the minimum wage in a city, the higher the rent, groceries, and gas.

Having a higher pay doesn’t help because the more we get paid, the more the prices are going to go up and affect a lot of people, including small businesses that are trying to take off.

Although 50 cents doesn’t seem like much, it adds up in the long run. The average person makes $56,835 a year and someone with a degree makes about $72,000.

Minimum wage has an effect on everyone whether or not it goes up.

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Talk

OPINION & EDITORIAL

KaHS Editorial Board Imogen Santoyo, News and Feature Thomas Metcalf, In-Depth Alison Fellman, Entertainment

Rucy Questad, Opinion Maddie Briggs, Sports

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.

What we think...

The lack of representation of the arts at Kamiakin

I

Photo courtesy of Thomas Metcalf.

n a stereotypical high school presented in media such as movies, TV shows, and books, sports tends to be the main focus of extracurriculars at school. Unless the media primarily portrays the arts as the focal point of the story, it’s mostly lacking in arts.

At Kamiakin, there is a massive disconnect from the students involved in arts and sports.

The motto of Kamiakin is “Run Kano.” This means that the students run Kamiakin. But looking at the past years, it feels much more like the students involved in sports are more popular and have more control over the school.

Over the past years, the arts programs have been losing their importance in the school. The band, choir, orchestra, and drama students have been working very hard to become better and to perform to their best abilities. The publications students, which are journalism and yearbook, also work very hard to share the news and history of the school.

However, their involvement in the school’s ASB or leadership is almost nonexistent. There is a lack of voice for these activities.

One example of this is the marching band. Over the past few years, the band has had amazing performances, scores, and awards in mul-

tiple competitions. However, even with amazing results, there is very little representation in the school when compared to that of sports.

Another example is the drama class. There are always high-quality plays and musicals coming out of the class, but the school and leadership still put their priority on sports.

Students involved in these programs deserve the same attention as those in sports. There is so much talent at Kamiakin and a lot of it is going unnoticed and being covered up by that of sports.

Gymnastics team deserves more recognition

K

amiakin’s gymnastics is such an underappreciated sport here at our school. With the team having four state titles and two second state titles, the team has earned a name for itself. It is well-earned, too, because in the Tri-Cities, only two schools have gymnastics.

One reason is because the skill level of the gymnasts has to be around level 8. That is pretty impressive, and most girls who have reached that level started going to club gymnastics at an early age. But with only two teams competing against each other, Kamiakin is at a disadvantage at regionals because they have not seen the competition they are going up against. Still, the team has managed to excel and win at the regional and state levels.

Our gymnasts are required to devote 10 hours a week to the sport, and most of the girls have six classes at Kamiakin. Some are Running Start students at CBC, as well. The team’s average GPA is high still despite their time in the gym.

By TAYA QUESTAD STAFF REPORTER

Even despite all of this, Run Kano doesn’t put in the effort they do with the other sports at Kamiakin.

They post on Twitter and Instagram about the football games, dance competitions, cheer meets, soccer boys and girls, swim and dive, and many others, yet you never see them post anything about the gymnastics team having a meet or that we made it to state.

For many years, the gymnastics team had state the same week as wrestling so when they sent off the wrestlers, the gymnasts were sent off at the same time, but it would be announced as the wrestling team leaving, not gymnastics and wrestling.

This year the gymnastics team has state a week later than the wrestlers. Will Kamiakin send them off this year?

The gymnastics team is just as hard working as any other team, and they have to share a practice room with the wrestlers which makes it harder for them to get the practice they need for this high level sport.

This team needs some support from their fellow classmates and teachers. Our motto is “One Tribe.” We need to prove it by supporting all our sports teams.

Photo ourtesy of Dave Winstead.

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

6

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Genera

A feature on the everchangin

The differences of Gen Z and millenials

By THOMAS METCALF EDITOR IN CHIEF

G

en Z and millenials are known for having many differences. Whether it is through pop culture, trends, or even food choices, there is a lot out there to compare and contrast.

Gen Z consists of anyone born within the mid to late 1990s while the millennials generation, also occasionally known as Gen Y, consists of people born between 1981 and 1996.

There are certain characteristics which make these generations different from each other. For example, the lifestyle of the younger generation is heavily influenced by social media and technology, while millennials remember a childhood without the easily accessible technology, including cell phones and newer and more improved video games.

Another divide is in cartoons. Students at Kamiakin or people within Gen Z will most likely remember shows like

“Spongebob Squarepants,” “Fairly Odd Parents,” and “Ed, Edd n Eddy.” The millennials will most likely remember classic series like “ThunderCats,” “G.I. Joe,” and the original “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

Although this divide seems massive, there are still some similarities between the two generations. Video games took the millennial generation by storm with the releases of amazing consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the Sega Genesis. Gen Z also has been stormed with gaming due to the amazing consoles available like the Playstation 4, the Xbox One, and more.

Overall, generations are always going to have differences, some more than others. But it’s a good way to see what makes everyone unique.

Chart courtesy of Thomas Metcalf.

Changes in dating over the years

By IMOGEN SANTOYO STAFF REPORTER

Photo courtesy of flickr.com

Today there are many trends going around from ripped jeans to hairstyles. But you never hear about the most common thing in life. . . dating. There are many trends for this, such as catfishing, ghosting, Instagrandstanding, hanging out, friends with benefits, online dating and dating apps.

When it comes to dating, that word is just casually thrown around now. Aside from the most things being online now, other things have changed.

Over the years, there have also been some cultural changes that have affected the dating skills young people need. For example, nowadays the lines that define what a relationship is and can be have become increasingly blurred. To get perspective of how it all has changed, different groups of people have weighed in.

How has dating changed?

Sophomore Marlen Garibay: In my generation guys are rude, and they have no appreciation.

Freshman Cytherea Abella: Now a days, I feel people move faster.

Substitute teacher Melisa Hernandez: In my generation it wasn’t as open. It’s more open.

Health teacher Shannon Hokanson: In my generation, it was formal. Now it’s less formal, more hanging out rather than official.

How have men changed?

Garibay: Men have changed by not spending their money on the date. They’re selfish.

Abella: Most are less respectful.

Hernandez: Men are less chivalrous.

Hokanson: Men in my generation were more likely to open doors and be courteous.

What does dating consist of now?

Garibay: There is no trust, no feelings shown and [it can be] disrespectful.

Abella: Not enough communication, assuming too much and double standards.

Hernandez: Going out more to places, like the movies.

Hokanson: There’s a lot more dutch dating. Which means, sometimes girls pay, men pay, or both.

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

ations

7

Chief Legends In Depth

ng generations of the world The generations of fashion

By LOUIS BARRETT SHENANIGANS EDITOR

Baby Boomers: Born between 1944 and 1964, Baby Boomers had an iconic sense of fashion in their younger years. Ranging from poodle skirts to the hippie style, they represent our views of vintage fashion Photo credits to flickr.com.

Gen Y (Millenials): Born between 1980 and 1994, Generation Y (aka Millennials) indulged in a minimalistic style. Fresh looks with denim jackets and outfits in various shades of white and black were common. Photo courtesy of maxpixel.net.

Gen X: Born between 1965 and 1979, Generation X witnessed the rise and fall of shoulder pads, amongst many other trends. Characterized as lazy due to their passion for rock and pop culture, they wore crafty, grunge outfits.

Oversized jeans and jackets were also popularized in this generation. Photo credits to Katrina Kutschkau.

Gen Z: Born between 1995 and 2015, Generation X is modern, influencing body positivity and emphasis on self-identity. Looks are varied, with sweat pants to cut jeans and t-shirts to sweatshirts. Pop culture is a major influence on our style, such as putting iconic characters on the t-shirts we wear. Many fashion statements have come and gone, but they always reflect the people of our generation.

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FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

9

Tribal Games

A season to look on for the girls basketball team T

By GRISELDA RIVERA STAFF REPORTERS

& JORGE MUNGUIA

Kamiakin girls basketball team against Southridge. Photo courtesy of Griselda Rivera.

he girls basketball team ended with a 19-1 over all season.

They are also MCC league champs for the third year in a row going onto districts, beating Pasco 91-51 and beating North Central 65-37 last Saturday to qualify for state. Senior Oumou Toure broke the Kamiakin scoring record scoring more than 1,000 points as a sophomore. After finishing the regular season of her senior year, she passed 2,000 points and is the lead scorer in school history.

For the Lady Braves, getting to state hasn’t been a problem, but with last year’s fourth place finish, they look to improve. “We aren’t going to get in our own heads this year.

We have the tools to win a championship. We’ve just had a mental block when it comes to postseason,” said senior Symone Brown when asked about what had to be done to win a championship title.

This season, the girls have improved in many ways, on and off the

court. Some ladies have now been playing together for four years and have really bonded with each other, and it shows on the court where they only lost once to Chiawana 50-52.

Although the team lost, it didn’t have a negative effect on their other games. They played harder and with a positive mind set. “Our endurance level has improved so much. Teams have to try really hard to make us tired,” said senior SaLee Westermeyer.

Brown believes they have improved as a team. “We are learning to be less selfish with the ball, and our chemistry on the court is really coming together.”

The girls team will finish up their season this Saturday by playing Peninsula. The game is at Richland High School at 6 p.m. Win or lose, they will proceed to Tacoma Dome for the state playoffs next weekend.

Proud coaches for girls cheer and dance teams

By MADDIE BRIGGS SPORTS EDITOR

D

awn Boehnke is the coach for Kamiakin’s cheer team.

Boehnke was a cheerleader at Kamiakin, so when she came back to Kennewick, she asked if she could help out with that year’s cheer team.

Helping coach the team reminded her of when she performed for the school.

She emphasized that this year cheer is doing great and said, “We have won all of our competitions and qualified for state on the first try.”

Boehnke has found all the games and meets that they cheered in to be memorable not just for the girls. “We love supporting the entire school. I am very proud of the cheerleaders.

We thank everyone for the support.

ON TO STATE!! Go Braves!”

Ashley Hissam is the coach for Kamiakin’s Dance team and found a fun new experience coaching for Kamiakin’s dance team seven years ago.

Now she is still helping all the dance team girls reach their full potential.

She’s loved every minute of teaching

the girls and working for Kamiakin.

Hissam has a lot to do to prepare her girls for their year. Competition season spans from December to early March. “This year our goal is to take first at districts again for the third year in a row and be in the top three at state. We are coming up on our busy time over the next three weekends. In February, we have a competition every weekend, and our goal is to qualify for districts and push our routines to their fullest potential.”

In 2015 the dance team won districts at hip hop placing fourth. They didn’t stop there. They placed twice in districts for hip hop and got first place for hip hop in 2017 and 2018.

They didn’t only place first for hip hop in 2018; they also placed first in the district for pom.

Hissam loves teaching dance at Kamiakin and enjoys every moment.

She’s extremely proud of her girls.

She said, “These girls are the most dedicated hardworking group of girls I have ever met. Watching them all

come to life and dance their hearts out with every performance is all a coach can ask for. I can’t wait to watch them shine this year and keep their district

titles and hopefully claim a state title again as well.”

Kamiakin’s dance team ready for their next competition. Photo courtesy of Ashley Hissam.

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk Kamiakin High

Looking at modern day Batman adaptations

By LOUIS BARRETT SHENANIGANS EDITOR

For years, our world has been influenced and inspired by the likes of fictional superheroes and villains. A primary contester is Batman, along with the infamous rogues of Gotham City. Ever since Batman’s first appearance in ‘Detective Comics #27’ in May 1939, the DC franchise has been readapted by many different writers. As character tropes and twists are used over and over, we are inclined to create a new alternative to interest and pull in spectators.

With multiple versions of comics, games and movies, all with their own take on characters, there’s a surplus of content to absorb. To find new, fresh versions of characters or plots can be a struggle for writers in our generation.

Adaptions of the franchise have gone past comics reaching the big screen, video game consoles and home televisions.

Premiering less than a year apart, ‘Suicide Squad’ and ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ are two well-known, modern day Batman movie adaptions. Despite Suicide Squad’s poor reviews on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, it was still widely popular, consuming pop culture for the entirety of 2016. On the other hand, ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ received positive reviews, despite its humorous and comical approach. Both movies, taking difficult mediums, show just how varied and creative these adaptions can be, especially when compared to the classics such as ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008) and ‘Batman’ (1989).

Another form of media commonly using the Batman franchise are video games. Widely known and well received are the Batman: Arkham games.

Released from 2009-2015, the series includes a total of four games. Shaping the expectation for Batman video games, they left a mark on the gaming industry.

In 2016, Telltale games released season one of ‘Batman: The Telltale Series.’

Receiving mediocre reviews due to its amount of technical bugs, the first season didn’t leave a strong mark. A year later, the company released ‘Batman: The Enemy Within,’ which improved upon the prior bugs and received better reviews for its strong storytelling. The second season focused on its rendition of the Joker, John Doe.

Rather than the typical insane, cruel and apathetic Joker, John Doe is sympathetic. Still bearing many eccentric characteristics, he is presented to Batman, Bruce Wayne, as a friend. Influencing him at every turn, Doe eventually becomes a vigilante or villainous Joker, based off the player’s choice. This bold direction awed players and gave many a new, memorable Joker.

As our world changes, so does the media we create. Shaping iconic characters to fit in a more modern world is a reflection of this fact. With Batman’s 80th birthday coming up this year, it’s interesting to look at how far the franchise has come. Here’s to many more years for the caped crusader.

‘The Kiss of Deception’ keeps readers engaged

By RUCY QUESTDAD OPINION EDITOR

‘The Kiss of Deception’ by Mary E. Pearson keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Princess Lia, the first daughter of the house of Morrighan, flees from her home on her wedding day. She has no desire to be used as a political pawn by her own father. Lia escapes when everyone is on their way to the chapel. She is then pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

Lia flees to a distant village and settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive. She is unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. It’s no surprise this book is a page turner.

Readers get to see the events from the point of view of three different people like the jilted prince, Lia, and the assassin sent to kill Lia. The jilted prince is more upset about the fact that Lia did what he has been wishing to do for so long. Now he is curious about this woman who has more courage than he had thought.

From the assassin’s point of view, he was told the job would be easy: just go in, kill her, and leave.

When he gets there, he finds that the princess has run. Now he has to take time to track the princess and find a right time and place to kill her. A job that should only take three days is taking a lot longer. This book is filled with so much deception not even the readers knows who is who.

The ‘Kiss of Deception’ is recommended for readers who like fantasy, suspense, romance, and mystery.

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Subnautica’ possibly the best game of the year

By THOMAS METCALF EDITOR IN CHIEF

There are many games out there that test the player’s skill, micromanaging, and game knowledge. But out of all games in 2018, none achieved this more than Unknown World’s hit underwater survival game, ‘Subnautica.’

‘Subnautica’ is a single-player game which revolves around the player crash landing from a large ship from outer space onto an unknown world which is entirely made of water. The player is the only survivor of the crash and must use materials from the crashed ship and around the world.

The player starts the game with a quick sequence in which the player’s lifepod ejects from the ship and lands into the water. As it turns out, this lifepod, known as Lifepod 5, was the only one of the multiple lifepods still standing in the world.

Upon first glance of this game, it is very vibrant and beautiful. The way the sun glistens on the water and all the stunning biomes of the world shows how much effort Unknown Worlds put into the graphics of the game.

However, this game is not meant for those who are terrified of the deep and what lurks below. There are plenty of creatures out there who are trying their best to kill the player and prevent them from building a ship to escape the planet. Along with that, in order to actually beat the game, it is required to go to very deep depths to obtain the materials needed to build the rocket and complete the story.

For a game that would normally be seen as something with more gameplay than story, such as ‘Minecraft,’ this game packs a lot of story into it in many different ways. For example, at most of the crashed or destroyed lifepods around the world, there are PDAs that can be played to

try to figure out what has happened to the crew that were in these pods.

Along with an amazing story, there is a surprising amount of creativity in play.

Base building is highly prevalent here and is required in order to have a chance at beating the game. Around the world, there are also some research facilities created by other humans a long time ago which can be scanned and used to build new parts to bases.

Overall, this game is amazing. It really brings out terror in the player, even when he or she knows what could happen. The adventure, the excitement, and the feeling of accomplishment makes this game one of the best games of 2018.

In ‘Becoming’ a former first lady speaks her truth

By ALISON FELLMAN E N T E R TAI N M E N T E D I T O R

In the autobiography ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama, readers get an in-depth and honest view into the life of former first lady of the United States pre and postWhite House. Over the course of the book, Obama chronicles the events of her life, from the early 1970s to present day.

In part one of three of the autobiography, she tells of growing up on the South Side of Chicago, her loving and tight-knit family, and advancing her education at Harvard and Princeton. In the later parts, she describes her time as a lawyer, meeting her husband, her father’s struggles with multiple sclerosis, and the eventual presidential campaign that launched her into public life as First Lady.

In between each of these major life moments, Obama fills the pages with her reflections and the thought processes that aided her in making important decisions throughout her life. She shares the wisdom she’s accumulated from experiences dealing with growing up on the South Side to her conflict in choosing her career.

These lessons are scattered throughout the book, like how unnecessary it is to ask someone what they want to be when they grow up (people play many different roles and often have different careers throughout their lifetimes), and how we should never forget that we are all deserving of having our voices heard.

Obama’s writing is warm, witty, and consistently engaging. Her accounts of stories are especially honest and intimate, which is what sets it apart from other autobiographies written by people of political influence. Reading her life story reinforces that people who seem untouchable or unlike us often have similar experiences we can relate to.

‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama is a well-written and uplifting look into the life of one of the 21st century’s most influential people.

Entertainment

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Shenanigans

Art Feature

FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 2019 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Biansa Maffia, sophomore If you want your art to be featured in the next print issue, go to room 314 and ask Mrs. Bender for more details.

“A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.”

– Max Muller, Philologist

February Horoscopes Aries: Someone wants to be closer with you. It may take a keen eye to Libra: One of your peers may need help with their relationships this February. Be notice it, so stay aware. Maybe you’ll find a new soulmate this Valentine’s there for them—you never know what kind of impact you’ll make. month.

Scorpio: Reevaluate your current relationships, romantic or not. Think about how Taurus: Spend your month with the person you are closest to. Indulging you can improve them and make them better. If you can do this, you may hit the in the company of close peers can make any day special. jackpot.

Gemini: You lack a certain open-mindedness that will open you up to new relationships. Try to improve upon this and you may find a new friend.

Sagittarius: You are passionate, and sometimes it feels as if nobody can keep up with your passions. It will take time, but you will eventually find someone to align with.

Cancer: Your attempts to impress have not succeeded. Cheer up and look Capricorn: Take time for yourself and you’ll find the month to be rather peaceful. towards what is to come. All your given love shall be returned back to Treat yourself this Valentine’s month to experience relief from any conflict in your you. life.

Leo: Give back to your friends this month by showing them you appreci- Aquarius: Dreaming of love makes you desperate. Patience is a virtue and you ate their love towards you. They will be grateful, and in return, you will must learn it. One day, what you want will hit you out of the blue and be a sweet feel a sense of joy within yourself. surprise. For now, find the love in what you have.

Virgo: Having troubles connecting with someone? For a start, try to find Pisces: Turn towards dear friends who you have been out of contact with for a common ground and interests. You’ll feel a close connection soon enough. while. You will find love and care in their presence.