Issue 8

SENIORS 2011 VOLUME 35 • ISSUE 8• June 2, 2011 • KAMIAKIN HIGH SCHOOL • 600 N. ARTHUR ST. • KENNEWICK, WA 99336

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PARTY

6 Staff Adviser: Laurie Bender Editors-in-Chief: Natalie Elliott & Joey Flores

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11

BLOCK

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

SENIOR BUCKET LIST

TAKE A

BABY

LOOK BACK AT THIS YEARS

PICTURE GAME

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BOOK REVIEW: WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE?

EDITORSIN-CHIEF SAY GOODBYE

SPORTS

News Feature Editor: Kaelyn Cole Sports Editor: Joey Flores In-Depth Editor: Bond Henderson Opinion Editor: Natalie Elliott Entertainment Editor: Evan Ramsey

Shenanigans Editor: Victoria DeMers Cover and Back Editor: Kylee Schwartz Photography Editor: Victoria DeMers Social Chairman: Cindy Gonzalez

Staff Reporters: Tanner Curtis, Kyle Davis, Marissa Lindholm, Mark Ingalls, Dalis McKenzie, Melissa Oser, Oscar Perez, Makenzie McKinnis, Marissa Rodriguez, Dylan Wilson, Christina Woodard, Zach Cook, Melissa Coppinger, Garrett

Doublin, Daniel Elliott, Brianna Harrod, McKenzie Kennedy, Amanda Lampton, Amanda Ling, Sadie Machart, Amber Maiden, Ashley May, Danielle Openshaw, Hailey Paine, Alex Peterson, Devin Schell, Jose Tapia, Ernhel Tatunay, Benjamin Yaden

Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

3 Student Spotlight: Jennae Piatt

By CINDY GONZALEZ SOCIAL CHAIR-PERSON

J

ennae Piatt has lived in the Tri-Cities all her life; she enjoys “chillin’” with the family and hanging out with friends. Piatt is involved with school Link Crew and walks around with a big smile every day never seeming down. Piatt was born March 11at Kadlec Medical Hospital.

Like many, Piatt hopes for a successful life. This year for senior prom, she was nominated and won prom queen. “It was cool! I was very excited. It was awesome because it was the first school dance I ever went to,” said Piatt.

Like many seniors, Piatt will be attending college, hoping to stay in state because tuition is very expensive. “I love to long board and play piano. It’s something I enjoy a lot,” said Piatt.

Piatt can be a picky eater when it comes to certain foods but one thing she really enjoys is bread. “Bread is amazing.

I just love bread!” said Piatt.

Photography is another talent of Piatt’s. She enjoys it a lot

and is really good at it. She hopes to further her skills and make something out of it.

Fun Facts about Piatt Q- What is your favorite music?

A-Everything but country!

Q-Favorite high school memory?

A-Performing with the MGPs at the talent show Q-What is your favorite animal?

A-Guinea pig!

Q-Favorite TV show?

A-STARGATE UNIVERSE!

Article Follow-up: Teacher Spotlight: A Tribute to Mr. Bisson

Duct Tape contestants need help!

By NATALIE ELLIOTT EDITOR-IN-CHEIF

In the February issue of the Tomatalk, students might have seen an article about Amanda White, who for her culminating project made a prom dress (and accessories) entirely from duct tape. Along with completing her culminating project, White has entered the Stuck at Prom contest, in which a couple (either opposite gender or the same) can enter the contest in order to win big.

White entered the contest with her friend Carissa Granata. Out of the hundreds of people who entered the contest, the top 10 contestants will be announced on June 17, and from there voters can log on every day and vote for who they think have the best outfits, until July 11, when polls are closed and the winners are announced two days later on July 13.

First place winners will receive $5,000 each, second place will receive $3,000 each, and third place will receive $2,000 each. The remaining seven top 10 contestants will receive $500 each. Each winner’s school will also receive a prize of equal amount to theirs.

This year in addition to the Top 10 winners, contestants can also win honorable mentions in categories like “Best Purse”, “Best Corsage”, etc.

White and Granata are encouraging everyone to vote, whether their dresses make it into the Top 10 or not. Students can go online and see couple profiles already, but remember that voting for the winner does not start until after June 13. The web address is www.duckbrand.com/Promotions/stuck-at-prom.aspx

By TANNER CURTIS STAFF REPORTER

When I first walked into Tim Bisson’s room three years ago as a sophomore, I had no clue what to expect.

All I knew about the man was he was new to the school and would be teaching English 3-4. I had no clue what to expect because I didn’t have upper classmen to tell me what pet peeves to look out for, how quickly he would give detention, or if he was a “cool”, “mean” or a “strict” teacher. Fast forward to the present and you can find me in a brisk walk to get from fifth period to sixth to learn some life lessons as well as psychology from the best all around teacher I’ve had in my 13 years of education.

So just what makes Mr. Bisson different than all the other teachers? He truly cares. Not only does he care about each individual who walks through his door but also about Kamikain as a whole. I’ve been blessed to have such a wonderful teacher for all three years he has been here and have gotten to know him pretty well.

Bisson was my teacher sophomore year for English, junior year for American Lit, and this year for AP Psychology. Two times a quarter last year he would take our class on a “field trip” to the wrestling gym for what would best be described as a bonding and class building exercise in which we would be given tasks to complete where we would learn more about each other and relating some of the tasks to how we could apply them to the school as a whole to make the school a better, more pleasant place to be. One of the most important things I’ve learned from Mr. Bisson is to take a step back and look at how others are doing. We all have issues in our own lives, but we have the power to make other people’s days if we are willing to do simple things. Imagine how great the school would be if people weren’t afraid to say “hey” to someone alone, or flash a smile at people in Mr. Bisson with his hero Brad Judy the hallway. Being a Brave should mean more to us than just atPhoto by Tanner Curtis tending and graduating from Kamiakin. A great man once said to me “who better than you?” and for those wise words, as well as all you’ve done for me the last three years, I sincerely thank you Mr. Bisson.

Where did you go to high school?

Benton City, Ki-Be class of ‘84 baby.

College?

WSU, Go Cougs Where have you taught?

I taught at Ki-Be middle school for six years, Ki-Be high school for nine, and this is my third year at Kamiakin.

How many siblings do you have?

I’m the youngest of 12 children.

Do you have any children of your own?

2 daughters Favorite hobbies?

Anything outdoors. Fishing, camping, etc. I also enjoy coaching softball here at Kamiakin Song?

“Dreams” by Van Halen Author?

Mark Twain Sports Teams?

MLB- Seattle Mariners NFL- 20 year Green Bay Packer fan NBA- I’m more of a college basketball fan, Michigan all the way.

Favorite thing about Kamiakin?

The students, Kamiakin has the best

students no doubt.

Least favorite thing about Kamiakin?

The parking lots Most memorable moment of the year?

State football send off assembly, it was just awesome!

Hero and why?

Brad Judy. His fishing expertise, durability, and temperament.

Favorite quote?

Really?!

What would your career be if you weren’t a teacher?

I would be a lawyer.

Expires 6/30/11

Around the Campfire NEWS & FEATURE

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Block party a huge hit with all who attend

By NATALIE ELLIOTT EDITOR-IN-CHEIF

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SB pulled out all the stops this spring and put on a great block party for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. The block party was not a new thing for students at Kamiakin, but the ASB did a great job at mixing things up a bit by adding some new features like henna tattoos and bounce houses. All of the money made from both the henna tattoo booth and the lemonade stand will go towards Relay for Life, which is the signature fundraising event for the American Cancer Society.

Even with new elements coming into play, ASB was sure to still keep a couple of the classic parts of the event, like students showing off their talent in some never before seen bands, and a car show which included a variety of year, makes and models.

The bands that played included Immolation of the Wicked, Metalested, StaticBox, and The Slivers. Each band was different, ranging from screamo to classic rock.

There were also several categories students could enter their cars in, including Best American Made Car, and Best Imported Car. Winners included Colton Spriggle for Best American Made Car, and Jarett Snyder for Best Import.

For consecutive years, there has been a taco truck at the Block Party, but this year it was joined by an ice cream truck, which was a great addition, adding a nostalgic touch to the event that many students enjoyed.

Photos By Natalie Elliott

Kamiakin students score well at Special Olympics competition A few extra minutes to snooze?

By DYLAN WILSON STAFF REPORTER

Special Olympics took place at Richland High School this year and the outcomes were wonderful. Competing Kamiakin High School students tried their hardest and did their best to place and to get awards.

Some qualifying events that students competed in included softball throw, tennis throw, assisted walks and many dash events. Many of our own students were awarded first to third place victories. Kendra Murphy placed first in the assisted walk and second in the softball throw as well as the 25 meter walk. Murphy said, “I won, I won!” as soon as she reached the finish line of her assisted walk.

Robert Cliff earned a valuable role during the Special Olympics. Cliff was not able to participate in the Olympics this year, but he was a great asset. So the teachers of the Special group made him three ribbons to show their appreciation. Cliff was awarded “Best Leader”, taking in first place as well as being the best supporter. Robert also took second place as the loudest cheerer.

Other participants included Nathan Dozer with a first place, second place, and third place win. Brendan Deal claimed a third place win, and Greg Wright placed second in the 400 m walk and third in the softball throw.

Many more participants did wonderful like Alfredo Fiueroa, Micheal McLeod, Reyna Casados, and Stacy Messinger.

Not all of the participants placed in top three, but everyone is a winner in the Special Olympics. As long as the

participant crossed the finish line or finished their event, they got an award. Taylor Stolz, John Kane and Eser Loya finished their events. They did not place, but they were winners and got ribbons as well.

The teacher and all of the volunteers helped a lot. “This is the most volunteers we have ever had at the Special Olympics,” said Sandra Morgan All the kids were so excited and had a blast at the Special Olympics. Sandy Kolp said, “I loved watching and seeing the kids participate in the Special Olympics because they all had fun.”

Their teacher, Megan Murphy, agreed and said, “I was so proud of everyone!”

So at the end of the day, everyone had some sort of award and everyone was happy with the outcome. Everyone can’t wait for the next Special Olympics so they can all try harder and get more awards.

By VICTORIA DEMERS PHOTO EDITOR

It all started with one proposal: “Start high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools 15 minutes later than their current start time and end the school day 15 minutes later at each level.” A survey was sent out to all the teachers with this proposal on it and asked them whether they supported the proposal. A majority (68.2 percent) of the 746 respondents answered yes.

The reason the school district primarily wants to change the time we start and end school is in order to help those students who attend different schools, as with the TriTech program, to attend more actively at each building.

The school board made the final decision between whether they would like to start and end schools five minutes, ten minutes, or fifteen minutes later. They officially voted to have school start 10 minutes later and end 10 minutes later.

Many students at Kamiakin are excited for this change.

As Zenna Daughery put it, “I don’t think it’s a bad idea because we don’t get out much later and we get to sleep in a little bit later.”

The teachers also have been pondering whether there were any possible disadvantages. Math teacher Chuck Saari said, “Students who are usually tardy will be tardy even if we start at 10 in the morning. I don’t see any huge advantages or disadvantages to this change.”

Whether you love the new change or come to hate it, the new time to start school next year is set and will be embraced by all. Prepare to start school at 7:45 in the morning.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Around theNEWS Campfire & FEATURE

Kamiakin hosts motivational speaker, Nick Vujicic

By KAELYN COLE NEWS & FEATURE EDITOR

On May 6, students gathered once again in the school’s gymnasium to hear the wisdom and inspiration divulged

by Nick Vujicic, an Australia native who was born without either arms or legs. Strangely, there are no medical explanations for his condition and he has a brother and sister who both were born completely healthy. With no warning of the handicap he was to be born with, his parents were utterly surprised at his condition and grieved over the “loss” of his appendages.

Vujicic (pronounced Vooy-cheech) grew up in the public school system after his mother refused to allow him to attend a special needs school, maintaining that “There was nothing wrong with me, other than having a few ‘bits and pieces missing’. My mom insisted I attend the local, mainstream school. She attended many meetings and I took many tests. The school upgraded the facility with new equipment and also provided ‘aid time’ so that I could attend,” Vujicic explained.

At a young age, he blamed the God he believed in for his troubles. “I was eight years old when these suicidal thoughts began to materialize. I was feeling like I had become a burden to my parents, and I had so many questions about what my future would look like that I couldn’t resolve. I wondered what would become

of me when my parents could no longer take care of me. I questioned whether I would ever marry or have children of my own. I was deeply discouraged about what kind of future I could really expect to have,” Vujicic explained on his website. But in our gym he amended this feeling, saying, “I don’t need to hold my wife’s hand if I can hold her heart.”

While speaking, Vujicic spoke of three fundamental rules, “Be kind, love others, and love yourself.” He knows from experience the utter confusion and depression when someone takes out their inner frustrations on you. “Yes, I was bullied and teased by many classmates over the years, and it was hurtful.

But over time, the Lord helped me to overcome these remarks by learning what God thought about me.” He spoke about the fear inside someone that causes them to act superior to others. “Teasing isn’t tough. If you want tough, go to the person you were teasing and apologize. That’s tough.”

In an astonishing story, Vujicic learned to surf from none other than Bethany Hamilton (whom the movie Soul Surfer is based off of).

Vujicic can swim or float easily because he is mostly torso; he’s about 80 percent lungs. Another amazing achievement by Vujicic was when

he starred in the short film The Butterfly Circus, in which he plays a circus sideshow in the Great Depression. The film received the first ever Clint Eastwood Filmmaker’s award along with many others.

Vujicic suggested that our school come together and become the type of school everyone dreams about. “When you don’t get a miracle, be a miracle to someone else.” If enough of us used this philosophy, then eventually this world could be more unified.

Area code split to Pakistan: Friend or foe to the United States? come to 509 district

By MELISSA OSER STAFF REPORTER

By MARK INGALLS STAFF REPORTER

As most of us know, the 509 area code covers all of Eastern Washington, including us and cities like Yakima, Wenatchee, and Spokane. The Tri-Cities is the fastest growing metro area in the state, and the rest of this side of the Cascades is growing quickly too. Evidence of this can be seen in Spokane where a new freeway is being built, in Yakima where they are redoing a major freeway interchange, and in Walla Walla where US 12 between Wallula and that city is being widened to compensate for increasing traffic between the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla.

With all these people moving in, one would expect our area code’s phone numbers to run out soon. Well, this may come sooner than you think. The 509 area code was split from the 206 area code, which now only covers Seattle, in 1957. Our area code, according to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, will run out of phone numbers by 2014.

Some might wonder, what might this look like? Well, a few possible areas are as follows: the creation of an area code specifically for the Washington portion of the Spokane Metro area. Another would be splitting it roughly along I-90, and another is that the Yakima, Tri-Cities, and Walla Walla areas will receive their own area code, or it will be overlaid to make the entire side of the state to have two area codes.

It is unclear at this time what the new area code number will be and which area will keep the 509 designation.

This same thing happened in New Mexico in 2007 when the 505 area code was split to create 575 for the south and east portions of that state. The people who were put into the new area code were determined by ‘exchange numbers’, which is the first three numbers in your seven digit local number. For example, Kamiakin’s phone number is 222-7000, making the exchange number ‘222’.

Did they miss it, or did they know he was there? News has been spreading about how Osama Bin Laden wasn’t hiding in a cave or up in the mountains. He was only a few streets away from a sprawling military academy complex of training fields and dorms that’s been a training ground for the country’s officer corps for 60 years. He was in a two story house surrounded by 12 to 18-foot walls topped with barbed wire and two security gates on top of a hill. Pakistan’s army had been looking for Bin Laden for over six years and somehow missed the big house on the hill guarded by barbed wire.

Pervez Musharraf, the former president and military dictator of Pakistan, called Osama Bin Laden’s six-year residence in the military town of Abbottabad, Pakistan, a “big blunder” on the part of Pakistani intelligence, but he also warned the U.S. that if it continues to alienate Pakistan as it did in the Bin Laden raid, the U.S. will be the “loser.” Pakistanis are less concerned that Bin Laden was in their midst than about the fact that the U.S. was able to find him there and enter Pakistan territory without the military’s knowledge.

The U.S. government questions how much of an ally Pakistan really is in the fight against al Qaeda. Musharraf said, “It’s really appalling that he was there and nobody knew and there is no excuse for this great, massive slip-up. And an investigation is in order and people must be punished for this big lapse.”

From the Pakistanis’ view, they were betrayed by their supposed ally. How dare the Americans sneak into the country without so much as a warning and conduct a military operation just 75 miles from the capital. Even if Pakistan wanted to, they are not in the position to cut ties with the U.S. because they are also the victims of Al Qaeda.

Cyril Almeida, one of Pakistan’s best-known opinion writers, summed up the national anguish in a column saying, “If we didn’t know [Bin Laden was in Abbottabad], we are a failed state, if we did know, we are a rogue state.”

The U.S. - Pakistan relationship is central in the interests of both countries. We need Pakistan’s help to be successful in Afghanistan and Pakistan provides vital transit for goods destined for troops in Afghanistan. Without Afghanistan, the U.S. would need Pakistan to be stable. A collapsing nation with terrorist groups and possessing a nuclear arsenal is too awful to consider. The relationship was never about trust. It was and is a strategic alliance founded on complementary interests: Pakistan’s desire for military assistance and its fear of becoming a pariah state, and the U.S.’s need for regional support in the war in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan is passing through one of the most dangerous periods of instability in its history,” warns Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “[It] is approaching a perfect storm of threats, including rising extremism, a failing economy, chronic underdevelopment and an intensifying war, resulting in unprecedented political, economic and social turmoil.”

The obvious question: how could an organization that so closely monitors all aspects of Pakistani life not have known that Bin Laden was hiding in Abbottabad? The explanation: It wasn’t looking.

Tribal Games SPORTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Student earns volleyball tuition scholarship

By BOND HENDERSON IN-DEPTH EDITOR

High school athletes all over prepare for the challenge of qualifying for a sports scholarship. Senior Kourtney Fullmer is one of these athletes whose hard work and perseverance has won her a full payment of her tuition to Highline Community College in Seattle, Washington.

Fullmer has been playing volleyball for seven years.

“I started playing my sixth grade year,” she said.

Fullmer got into playing volleyball because her mom used to play volleyball when she was young.

Fullmer plays outside and right side hitter for Kamiakin’s varsity volleyball team. To qualify for this tuition scholarship, Fullmer had to tryout against other girls.

Tryouts took much preparation and hard work to be awarded full tuition payments. “I practiced with my mom and freshman sister on fundamentals,” Fullmer said. “I will be playing outside and right side hitter for them in the fall.”

The upcoming season at Highline Community College will be very exciting for Fullmer. “For pre-season, our team will be traveling to Brazil. We will be playing in Rio de Janeiro to play both indoor and beach volleyball for 10 days.”

In the future, Fullmer plans to continue playing volleyball for at least two more years. “I hope to transfer to BSU, Boise State University, once I get my AA at Highline Community College.”

Fullmer is also going to be studying sports and psychology.

Fullmer said that she is very excited to continue to play volleyball in college. “Not very many people get that opportunity.” She has had many opportunities to play volleyball. “Yes, I played club ball.”

The best arenas where dreams come true

By KYLE DAVIS STAFF REPORTER

Every athlete dreams of making the game winning score, the big win, hitting the crowning achievement in their field. But what would be the place or event to do it in?

“N@r sizzle everyday“, said senior Tim White after giving his answer of Ohio State University.

Fenway and Wrigley were mentioned as well as Lambeau field, AT&T Center, Madison Square Garden and Lampson Stadium. I’ll give my top 10 stages to accomplish those dreams: 1. Lampson (Kamiakin home field) – well, that’s a no-brainer!

2. Kamiakin gym – basketball makes game winners; wrestling has had a few shining moments in that gym too.

3. Tacoma Dome – that’s for State, enough said!

4. Toyota Center – the crowd goes nuts when the Ams or the Fever win!

5. Cowboys Stadium – Who doesn’t want to be on the world’s largest TV screen that itself cost more than probably any home in the Tri-cities? (The cost was reported to be $40 million for the TV.) 6. St. Andrews golf course in Scotland – aah, to sink that final winning putt at the birthplace of golf.

7. Wimbledon – And who wouldn’t want to win at the world’s oldest grass tennis courts in England?

8. Kentucky Derby – this is THE race to win if you dream of horseracing.

9. The Olympics – to win on the world stage in a traditional sporting event dating back thousands of years to the ancient Greek civilization…what a goal for almost any type of athlete.

10. Ford Field - Home of the Detroit Lions’ football team who are always desperate for any help they can get!

As Herb Brooks said, “This is your time, so go out there and take it.” So, have a great summer and DREAM BIG!

Athlete Spotlight-Kyra Brannan

By MARISSA RODRIGUEZ STAFF REPORTER

She is one of the fastest females on the track team and can often be seen leading the fast heat of the girl’s 200 meter dash. Kyra Brannan is currently second in state for this event, with an outstanding time of 25.11 seconds. This athlete is not limited to only a few events. Her 4x100 and 4x200 teams are officially the fastest in the state. Being a part of the 4x100 is her favorite thing about track. “I love being a part of a team. You have to support them and run fast for each other,” she says.

Brannan runs the third leg of both relays, which involves a fast corner.

If the team is behind, she catches the opponent and passes. If the team is ahead, she creates a bigger gap from the competition. Not only is she rockin’ the sprints. She also dominates in the long jump pit. She currently

has the farthest jump on the Kamiakin track team. Kyra made a jump of 17 feet and 9.5 inches at Kamiakin’s home meet and is now ranked sixth in state. In all her events, she has made top 10 in state, despite being disqualified from districts for the 200 meter run for a false start. “I felt really disappointed in myself. Especially because it was my first DQ and it was at districts. It was horrible watching all the people run without me,” said Brannan.

On a lighter note, regionals went absolutely amazing for the sophomore.

Her 4x100 team made the regional record for 3A, with a time of 48.36 (which is .16 off the school record).

Surprisingly, her 4x200 also set the regional record, with a time of 1:42.58.

Kyra Brannan may be young, but her progress and speed will make for an outstanding athlete in the next years to come.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Games SPORTS

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Some great sports movies to check out this summer

By KYLE DAVIS STAFF REPORTER

“You’re killing me, Smalls!” The Sandlot (1993). If you’re a baseball player, this is the top movie for you. If you like football, it’s hard to say a top movie, but three were mentioned by a number of people I talked to: Remember the Titans (2000), Blind Side (2009) and Friday Night Lights (2004). Perhaps the greatest moment for any hockey fan, “The Miracle on Ice”, is recaptured in the movie titled Miracle (2004). If you are a golfer, the recommendation by math teacher Chuck Saari is Caddy Shack (1980). Kamiakin basketball star Justin Pedley might have learned his tricks from his recommended movie Coach Carter (2005) whereas Hoosiers (1986) was the pick for freshman girls’ basketball coach Jim Ramsey. For wrestlers, freshman Junior Pina recommends Vision Quest (1985). My top 10 sports movies might differ from yours, but here’s my list for your summer viewing pleasure: 1) Miracle (2004) – The 1980 Olympics are remembered for the ice hockey upset by the United States over the Soviet Union. Starring Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks, coach of the US hockey team.

2) Remember the Titans (2000) – In 1970 with the Civil Rights movement in full swing, an racially integrated high school overcame their racial prejudices

to produce a football team that went on to win the Virginia state championship.

Starring Denzel Washington as Coach Boone.

3) The Rocky movies (1972 – 2006).

The story of the ‘Italian Stallion’ who starts out in the slums of Philadelphia and goes on to win the world heavyweight title (boxing). Starring Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa.

4) The Sandlot (1993) – In the summer of 1962, youngster Scott Smalls moves to a new town in California. He makes new friends while playing baseball in a nearby sandlot. When Smalls hits a collector’s baseball into the lair of ‘The Beast’, he and his friends have to recover it to keep Smalls from his stepfather’s ire. Starring Tom Guiry.

5) Friday Night Lights (2004) – The story of the 1988 Permian/Odessa Panthers varsity football team who fight their way to a state championship only to lose in a heartbreaking finale. The Texas football tradition to the hilt, starring Billy Ray Cyrus.

6) Cool Runnings (1993) – The story of the Jamaican Olympic bobsledding team. Someone in the Tri-Cities should do this during our summer! Starring John Candy as the coach.

7) Space Jam (1996) – The Looney Tunes team and Michael Jordan unite to defeat the Monstars (a team so ‘out of town’ they are from Outer Space!)

Kamiakin Student Drafted into WHL

By AMANDA LING STAFF REPORTER

Anyone seen freshman Taylor Vickerman walking through the halls? Do you know who he is?

Well he’s just been discovered and is about to be known around the whole northern America.

Vickerman played hockey for the Spokane Jr. Chiefs bantam AAA team this last season and did extremely well. Vickerman, being 6’0” and 175 pounds, used his size to advantage out in the rink. He played left wing and had 58 goals and 45 assists to 62 games for the Chiefs. Since he is 15, Vickerman began stirring up thoughts about being drafted and the programs he wanted to play for.

Thankfully a scout for the Vancouver Giants had an eye on him, and on Thursday May 5 added Vickerman to a list of other recruits. The Giants have had their eyes on him for months. Vicker-

man is the first Tri-City player to be drafted since Seth Compton in 2003. It’s considered an honor to even be looked at by the Vancouver Giants, and Vickerman feels privileged to be accepted. Vickerman plans on moving after this school year to somewhere closer to the coast, then finally making his way to Vancouver.

“I was ecstatic when I found out I was drafted. It’s been my dream since I was a little kid. But my life hasn’t really changed since.

The only thing is I have to work twice as hard as I was before I was drafted.” His parents were just as excited as he is and allowed him to skip class on May 5 so that he could hear his name called. He’s worked extremely hard for this opportunity and is very excited to be a part of it. He feels welcomed by the team, and the team even invited him to a camp. The Giants are a well respected team and

Vickerman has always admired them. Vickerman has been playing hockey since he was three.

He likes it because it’s a physical sport, and it’s a fast and fun game.

“I play center usually, but I’m pretty versatile and can cover any position good,” Vickerman said.

In the future, you could probably flip to the hockey channel and be able to watch Taylor Vickerman own it out on the rink.

Maybe now you should think about getting to know him or congratulating him for his amazing work and commitment to the sport.

in a tough, you guessed it, basketball game with classic Looney tunes plays.

If the Monstars win, they get to take the Looney Tunes cast to their home planet’s amusement park, Moron Mountain.

Starring Bugs Bunny and Michael Jordan.

8) M*A*S*H (1970) – While the focus isn’t on the sporting event in this movie, it has a VERY funny football game when two army medical units take the field and utilize their own special strategies to engineer a win in a ‘morale building’ event for their overworked units. Starring Donald Sutherland as Hawkeye.

9) Grown-Ups (2010) – The story of five friends who as kids were on the same basketball team. Years later they meet again at a funeral for their coach. They rekindle their friendship and relive their former years with the culmination of the movie being a rematch against their former rivals. Starring Adam Sandler.

10) Seabiscuit (2002) – the heartwarming and inspiring story of a horse and jockey who never gave up in their quest to be the best. Starring Jeff Bridges and Tobey Maguire (but neither one plays the part of the horse).

Try one or all of these movies to feel inspired, uplifted, or just to have a few laughs during some quiet moments this summer.

Tribal Games SPORTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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2010-2011 in Sports We have had a great year in sports, so let’s take a look back....

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Varsity basketball team break after half-time.

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Oscar Flores defends the ball on the varsity soccer team.

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Varsity football at the state game in Tacoma.

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Crowd cheers for football at the state game.

Left: Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Freshman baseball player leads off on first base.

Above: Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Gil Guizar rushes towards the ball on the varsity soccer team.

Right: Photo by McKenzie Kennedy Kaylee Borrkes leads the pack on the girls’ varsity track team.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

9

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Freshman baseball pitcher throws to the Wildcats.

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Varsity football team break after half-time.

Photo byMcKenzie Kennedy Varsity track star Khadidja Toure jumps a hurdle.

Tribal Games SPORTS

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Lucas Dawson strikes the ball on the varsity soccer team.

Sports Quiz

Photo by Cindy Gonzalez Case Rada shoots a foul shot on the varsity basketball team

1. When was the last time Tiger Woods was outside the top 10 in the World Golf Rankings?

By JOEY FLORES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

2. Which team was the first to hire professional cheerleaders in 1972?

3. What two teams played in the 19 inning game on May 25?

4. Who was named the new coach of the Los Angeles Lakers?

5. What position must college footballers play to receive the Davey O’Brien Award?

1. April 1997 2. Dallas Cowboys 3. Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds 4. Mike Brown 5. Quarter Back

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Chief Legends IN-DEPTH

11

How time flies...

Who’s Who? Here are your choices...

1

Gary Cohnoan Amber Clark Ashley Bronson Brendon Deal Chris Tillenburg Crystal Critchfield

Dawn Doyle Desaree Cheatham Breanne Short Griselda Sanchez John Allen Kaityln Lee

2

3

Find the answers on page 12 !

4

5

8 6

9

7 10

11

12

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

12

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Senior Bucket List

By SADIE MACHART STAFF REPORTER

Cassie Larson “I want to travel to Ro

Jerrod Johnston “I want to go to Africa and chase gazelles.”

Kaylee Brooks “Catch fireflies in an old jar in the South.”

Gary Conohan “Go to Australia and swim with Nemo.”

Alex Coleman “I want to meet the Killers.”

Seniors’ Favorite Teachers

By MELISSA COPPINGER STAFF REPORTER

Mr. Young Mr. Russell Mrs. Willingham Mrs. Crump • He accepts the • He’s a great • She is outstanding • She’s realistic in her fact that people teacher who has and cares about expectations of her procrastinate high standards every single one of high school students and is still willfor his bands her students • She’s up to date with ing to help • He makes you • She’s always reachhow students in high • He is super sarwant to come ing out and being school really act castic and funny back for aninspirational • She’s amazingly funwhich is aweother year of • She makes all her ny and caring. She’s

Mr.Kleinknecht • He is the BFG ( big friendly giant); he’s like a lumber jack but a teddy bear on the inside

Baby Picture Answers!

1) Dawn Doyle 2) Desaree Cheatham 3) Amber Clark 4) Crystal Critchfield 5) John Allen

6) Ashley Bron 7) Breanne Sho 8) Brendon Dea 9) Gary Cohnoa 10) Griselda Sa chez 11) Kaityln Lee 12) Chris Tillen

t!

ome.”

nson ort al an an-

e nburg

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Chief Legends IN-DEPTH

13

Top Ten Seniors!

Graduating Class of 2011

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

By VICTORIA DEMERS PHOTO EDITOR

Every year. the top ten seniors are announced based on their accumulative GPA. These seniors worked very hard to be the best they can be as Kamiakin Braves.

Questions: Kaylee Brooks 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Having a 4.0 accumulative GPA and becoming valedictorian, Placing in state cross country, The awards I have gotten from piano competitions, Running a mile in 5 minutes and 11 seconds.

2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Head to Georgia for the summer, attend BYU Provo 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“The only way to feel complete and happy is to forget about yourself and serve.”

4. What has made you successful?

Good parents, hard work, sacrifice 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Cross country and track, basketball for three years, teaching piano and taking piano lessons, active with church, Buddy Club Carissa Granata 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Making it second in the class, Doing tennis in the summer 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend WSU Pullman and major in psychology 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“It’s not the quality of the work you do but the value of the lesson you learn.”

4. What has made you successful?

Hard work 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Color guard, tennis, choir , Team Read Katie Bryson 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Bowling tournaments, volunteering at Hawthorne Elementary, honor roll 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Start off at CBC and then transfer to Eastern, be involved in secondary education 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“You can make a difference no matter who you are.”

4. What has made you successful?

Hard work, being the best I can be 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Bowling, volunteering Garrett Anderson 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Most outstanding junior of the year, back to back pitcher of the year for two years 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend Seattle University for baseball 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“Teamwork makes the dream work.”

4. What has made you successful?

James Luey 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Baseball, basketball Victoria Renard 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Organizing winter wishes, being Miss Washington’s Outstanding Teen, Keep-

Kaylee Brooks Carissa Granata Katie Bryson Garrett Anderson Victoria Renard

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Amanda White Gary Conachan Tate Kirk James Luey Samantha Bancroft

ing good grades What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend Oklahoma University and major in dance management 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“Take advantage of every opportunity you’re given and live life to the fullest.”

4. What has made you successful?

Jesus, family 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Dance, ASB, volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club Amanda White 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Placing second at the national engineering competition, doing the show 300 for marching band 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend the University of Idaho and major in mechanical engineering 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“Nothing’s broken. It’s just lacking duct tape.”

4. What has made you successful?

Doing homework, studying 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Band, drama, tennis, Honor Society Gary Conachan 1.

What are some of your greatest achievements?

Singing the national anthem at a varsity basketball game, being in the top ten 2.

What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend Azusa Pacific University and major in pastoral ministry with a minor in graphic design 3.

What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“Don’t take things for granted and enjoy what you have when you have it.”

4.

What has made you successful?

Being involved in a lot, my charm 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Cross country, choir, track, worship team Tate Kirk 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Most improved junior in band 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend University of Washington and study environmental bio 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“Be your own person.”

4. What has made you successful?

Having excellent resources 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Drum line and marching band James Luey 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Getting second place at RWDC national 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend University of Washington and major in computer engineering 3. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned in high school?

“The answer circle is always right.”

4. What has made you successful?

Not stressing, Garrett Anderson 5. What extra-curricular have you been involved in?

Tech Club Samantha Bancroft 1. What are some of your greatest achievements?

Won six Pride Inside awards, got three scholarships 2. What do you plan to do after high school?

Attend Western Washington and major in anthropology 2.

Chief IN-DEPTH Legends

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

14

Most Likely to... be a pro athlete...

Case Rada

Amanda Garner

be the life of the party...

Blake Raekes

be a millionaire...

Collin Bampton

be on TV...

become a musician...

RaVonne Evans

Grace Choi

Kaylee Brooks

Thor Cleppe

marry each other...

Zach Armitage

Kaylee Brooks

be the best dancer...

Hailey Knight

become a teacher...

Joey Flores

Tim White

Sadie Gearheart

Joey Jansen

Kayleigh Oneil

be on ‘American Idol’...

Scott Forman

Chelsea Kupitz

Senior choir members share their five year plans

By DANIELLE OPENSHAW STAFF REPORTER

- Jennifer Buechler is planning to attend WSU, Tri-Cities for her AA then transfer to WSU, Pullman. She plans to teach second grade.

- Leighton Chandler plans to return to her home town of Auburn and attend Green River Community College for her AA. After that she plans to transfer to a university near the coast and study marine biology.

- Scott Forman will be attending Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and plans to pursue a degree in theatre.

- Sadie Gearheart plans to attend BYU-Provo and major in psychology. “I will continue to sing and play the piano,” she said.

- Kelli Gilbert is planning to attend WSU, Tri-Cities for her bachelor’s in nursing. Then she plans to take that into the mission field and work with AIDS patients in Africa.

- Rebecca Hamson will attend BYU-Provo in the fall! “Go Cougars!” Her major is undetermined at this time, so she’ll be taking general courses and dating LOTS of boys.

- Morgan Kalmbach will be moving to Arizona and hopefully going to ASU. - Chelsea Kupitz will be attending Belmont University in Nashville, “ya’ll!” She plans to major in songwriting and music business. She hopes to one day have a successful job in the music industry. Watch the charts for this girl!

- Brandon Meadors plans to continue working at Dairy Queen and attending CBC in the fall for his AA. He will join the army at some point but really aspires to become a physical therapist.

- Jessica Openshaw will also graduate twice in one year. She ends her high school career just a few months shy of her cosmetologist license. She plans to lease a station locally while continuing education for her physical therapist license. She is currently a registered Individual provider for the State of Washington working with disabled children and youth.

- Whitney Stoker will be attending BYU-Provo and plans to major in either dietetics or youth leadership. Oh, and she will probably get married in the next five years to some REALLY hot guy.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Cursive writing skills are important

By BOND HENDERSON IN-DEPTH EDITOR

In elementary school, students learn the basic skills needed to write in cursive. These skills are then applied to some of the assignments that they have to do.

After these fundamental skills are applied and practiced, most elementary and middle school students forget them or later integrate them into a new form of writing called “chicken scratch” which is widely popular among high school students.

In this day and age, writing in general is much less common.

With easily transported laptops, i-Pads, and i-Phones, students are becoming less likely to write their assignments. Before technology like this was invented, everything was done by hand or by machines like typewriters or telegraph.

Now that students have an easier way to transport their work, they are more likely to do it on the computer.

Students are not only choosing to write their assignments on the computer rather than by hand, but they are now more than ever being required to type their assignments. This is because teachers these days are having a hard time reading students’ work. This isn’t going to change very soon either because if students don’t have to write by hand, then they won’t work on making it legible.

Now that students are not as familiar with cursive writing, teachers in elementary schools are more likely to write on the board in print rather than cursive. This decreases students’ ability to read different types of handwriting.

The ability to recognize cursive writing also helps high school and college students when learn-

ing how to write in a foreign language. Different types of languages have different styles of writing.

When learning these styles, it’s important to have a foundation of both cursive and print writing to better learn that language.

Cursive writing is a very important part of the English language.

Writers in history wrote in cursive because that was the only way they learned how to write.

Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in perfect cursive. Shakespearian plays and famous poetry were all written by hand in cursive. Cursive dates far back in the history of the English language.

Though cursive is a very important aspect of American history, that importance hasn’t been carried out through today. In school, students don’t normally write in cursive. Most assignments are written with quality not exceeding legibility. If schools won’t take the time to consistently teach students how to write in cursive, students should at least attempt to write legibly.

The cursive skills are great to have on hand, but they don’t need to be used all the time. Schools do need to take the time to teach students how to write in cursive for future use, but it’s not mandatory that everyone stops writing the way that they do and pick up cursive. Cursive skills are perfect for legal documents, impressing future employers, or for general improvement of penmanship.

Cursive is an extremely hard type of writing to learn for some people. It involves memorizing capital letter figures, as does the printed alphabet, memorizing lower case letters, and not only that but also stitching them together perfectly. Cursive is a very elegant form of writing that involves practice and perfection.

Cursive skills are important for understanding American history and for general penmanship qualities.

Tribal Talk

15

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Getting married young not always the best option

By MELISSA COPPINGER STAFF REPORTER

With shows like Sixteen and Pregnant and Engaged and Underage, or shows like Say Yes to the Dress and Four Weddings, that show glorious weddings, there’s no wonder people are getting married at a younger age. But is this really the best decision you and your partner can make? Are you making it for the right reasons? Most people who marry young do it for all the wrong reasons.

Although most high school relationships don’t last through college, or even through high school, there are the special few who stay together and get married. There’s no proof that getting married at a younger or older age makes you stay together longer, or proves that your relationship with your spouse will be stronger. All you can prove is that you and your spouse love each other enough to make this amazing commitment.

The legal age limit in the United States to get married is 18 unless you’re younger and you have parental consent. According to About.com, “Teen wives have less schooling, less independence and less experience in life and work.”

So are you really prepared for all the consequences of getting married? The cost of weddings is a ridiculously high cost, on

average $24,066. If you’re expecting to go to college, you along with your spouse, you can think differently or expect a high amount of debt in your future. Also if you plan on having intercourse and not using protection, you can expect the possibilities of a baby and the costs that come with that, on average $125,000 for the first 18 years of life. And if things don’t work out, one of you needs to be prepared to pay child support for 18 years!

Some young adults choose a marriage for the wrong reasons. For example, some teens marry thinking it will get them out of their homes filled with strife and arguing.

But if you are getting married just for this reason, it might be a better decision to get counseling or to just move out.

If you get married, you also have to cook, clean, and care for yourself without the help of your parents. So if you rely on them a lot, a young marriage probably isn’t the best idea for you.

I would say, unless you are amazing at caring for yourself and an entire other body and or baby, don’t get married at a young age. If you are madly in love with your boyfriend or girlfriend, great. If your love for each other is real, it should stand the test of time. In fact, time just might be a good test for your love. In the end, you may not marry your high school sweetheart, but if the time has made your love stronger and made it last, maybe you will…and then, your friends and family will be even happier for you because they will know that you are ready.

The Effects of the Homework Revolution

By CHRISTINA WOODARD STAFF REPORTER

Students everywhere are sitting at home looking at what homework they can manage to finish in one night. Math: complete 30 problems showing all work; English: Read three chapters and write a character analysis; Spanish: Study vocabulary for test tomorrow.

This describes the homework most students have to do each weeknight, the homework revo-

lution.

Have students been overloaded with homework? According to the guidelines endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA), a student must have no more than 10 minutes per grade level per night. For example, a first grader should only have 10 minutes, a second grader 20 minutes, and so on. But for students, this is often doubled or tripled!

When spending all this unwanted time on homework, students miss out on daily activity that can help prevent childhood obesity and encourage proper brain development.

Some teachers and parents believe that assigning homework is beneficial, but a Duke University review found almost no correlation between homework and long term achievements in elementary school, and only a moderate cor-

relation in middle school. More is not always better.

Teachers seem to only give homework for two reasons, memorization of materials and busy work. While repetitive exercises have their place in classrooms, it doesn’t always help. If a student unknowingly does a worksheet at home completely wrong without any help, they are most likely going to fail the test.

If there was less homework, students and teachers would both benefit. Teachers wouldn’t have to correct paper after paper.

Teachers could easily focus more and check work more thoroughly.

Students could just do in class work that they can ask the teacher for help on if they don’t understand. It’s a win win situation.

Teachers, give students a break.

Only assign homework when you feel the assignment is valuable.

Tribal Talk

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

16

OPINION & EDITORIAL

A Final Word: Editors-in-Chief say goodbye

By NATALIE ELLIOTT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

1,372. Yes, this is a big number. It is larger than any of us really like to add up, subtract from, multiply or divide. This is the number of days our graduating seniors have been students at Kamiakin (Including weekends and summer break). If you are a senior and graduating in two days, it’s time to look back and remember these past four years.

When I first entered Kamiakin, I was an awkward 14 year old, braces wearing girl, who couldn’t do her makeup even if her life depended on it. Now four years later, I have lost the braces, have opted out of wearing makeup in general and have slowly found myself in these now homelike hallways. I think all seniors have had this realization at some point, that we are not the children we once were. Some friends we thought we would never grow apart from are now mere strangers, and others we are now just getting to know, wondering why we never talked to them

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 to 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 would like to be a forum for student expression and a voice for the free and open discussion of issues. However, currently, we have prior review, and sometimes prior restraint. The staff of the Tomatalk is expected to be professional, objective, truthful, and accurate. The staff will adhere to the 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, nor 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.

before. Most of us have had to make serious decisions, some that we are joyous about, like finally deciding on what college to go to, and some that we’re not so proud of, like going to that party that we thought would never get out of hand.

We all know what it is like to hold back some, even a little bit in order to fit in, but really, it’s not worth it. The class of 2011 has seen many kinds of labels since we started out, seeing the emo, the gangster, the good girl and now the ever famous hipster, and we have pulled bits of each together to create our unique selves. We have each tried to seek the approval of others in order to find ourselves, whether by getting straight A’s or by skipping school to go hang out behind Win-co.

After all this rambling on about changing, I guess the only advice I can give to the lower classes is to be yourself and don’t be afraid to let go a little bit. I know it’s cliché beyond all belief, but the time really does fly by, and soon enough, you freshmen will be in my shoes, wondering where the time has gone.

By JOEY FLORES EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Walking through the halls of any school, you’re sure to hear kids talking about how they hate this school or just hate school in general, and I’m sure everyone reading this article right now has said those same words… I know I have.

But looking back on the past four years and walking through the halls of Kamiakin for my last time, I have a different outlook on this school. I’m not going to get all mushy and talk about how Kamiakin has changed me as a person and taught me so many life experiences, but think about it, seniors. Kamiakin has brought us a lot of other things. Whether it was a fight on the railroad tracks as a freshman, or trips to Tacoma this year, it seems like our favorite times throughout the past four years are tied into Kamiakin in some way.

Whether you want to believe it or not, all seniors have at least one thing to be thankful for being at Kamiakin High

School. It might be the people you met, the games you went to, or if you’re crazy enough, the stuff you learned in class.

There is something that you will appreciate about Kamiakin. Think about it seniors. We’re graduating in two days and won’t ever walk through these halls and sit in these desks again. I’m sure I can speak for most of the senior class saying it was an amazing year cheering our sports teams on their way to state.

Looking back at the past four years, I can honestly say there isn’t a school or class that I would rather be a part of than the 2011 senior class at Kamiakin. Even if we are one of the worst academically, I can say we’re one of the best at having a good time.

If I had to give advice to incoming students and other kids at Kamiakin, it would be to just have a good time and take chances. Don’t think about what other people might say or think. Just do what you want, and you will be sure to have a great high school career.

The reality of the royal wedding: Does it really matter?

By KAELYN COLE NEWS & FEATURE EDITOR

When I heard that the older Prince from England was engaged to some British girl named Kate, the only emotion I felt was a vague interest. Why should I, as an American, thus having no emotional attachment to the monarchy of yesteryear, have any more than that? It took almost no time at all for the constant news

coverage, E! news specials, and the coverage of the event itself to pop up all over my TV screen. But then I was curious: Why do the British care so much?

If you don’t already know, or are stuck in the idea that kings and queens still “rule” their countries like in fairy tales, it might surprise you to learn that these days, they are basically just figureheads representing the traditions of past and collecting the money bags of their subjects to garner themselves with priceless heirlooms and other appropriate garb for royalty.

In my opinion, the type of people, especially the Americans, who care about the royal wedding are the ones who are already celebrity obsessed, the ones who

keep up to date on all the gossip and for some reason care about the minute, useless information about people they will probably never meet.

In case you are one of those people, I should probably mention some of those unimportant facts: like how President Obama didn’t get an invitation but Kanye West did, how Kate was the oldest of any royal bride at age 29, how the Queen wore a light yellow hat, also how Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, gave Prince William and Kate Middleton a tandem “Boris bike”, and how outside the Abbey, average working Brits were placing bets on the most minute of details (it was 100:1 that William would drop the ring).

But if I was British, I would enjoy the event for the mere fact that it was a bank holiday. Maybe the wedding was good for the country. All the souvenirs and bets as a result of this wedding may bolster their economy. But as far as American interest goes, let’s keep our excitement to ourselves.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Talk

17

OPINION & EDITORIAL

Taking a year off of school

PRO

By AMBER MAIDEN STAFF REPORTER

W

hat do you want to be when you grow up?” We have heard this question many times in our lives. Even in Kindergarten, this was a common question, and our responses were idealistic answers like, “I want to be a firefighter…doctor…astronaut…zoo keeper.” But how many of us have stuck to our original desires? If you are like me, those answers have changed multiple times since elementary school.

Fast forward to our senior year, and as you are about to head off to college, do you have any clue what you want to be? College is expensive enough as it is. You don’t want to go through with paying for classes, room and board, and even books just to realize that what you are going to school for is not what you are interested in.

So is it all right to take the time to decide, to be more certain? In Europe, this is common practice. Many students take a year off. It is called a gap year.

They use this year for travel, working, and many other things. According to CollegeBoard.com, the important point is that if students take a year off, they need to not waste it but use it for specific purposes.

Some good reasons to take a year off are: 1) Save money: With college tuition (especially in the state of Washington) raising double digits for the past few years, many students need extra time to save for the cost of college.

2) Gain career experience: If students are unsure which career path to pursue, taking a year off to experiment in the field of possible interest might be a valuable use of time.

3) Travel: If students have an interest in travel, this might be a great time to experience it. Not only will students learn a lot about other lands, but they can learn a lot about themselves.

4) Volunteer: Another way for students to experiment with career pathways is to volunteer. Volunteer in hospitals, schools, sports, churches, or other places of interest. Some colleges even offer academic credit for volunteer work, so students should check this out.

5) Ease into college life: If students are not sure about college academic life, they can ease into college by taking a few college classes here and there at the community college. This can provide the confidence they need to start school, and usually the credits will transfer.

College Board suggests that if students decide to take a year off after high school that they go ahead and seek admittance into a college or university. Then they can ask for deferred admission. Usually as long as students go to college the next year, colleges will permit this.

So is it a good idea? It depends on the student. Lauren Clark’s story is a good example of when taking a year off truly is rewarding: Three years ago, while Lauren Clark’s classmates were filling out college applications, the 18-year-old senior at Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, was making her own plans. Instead of enrolling in college right away, Lauren opted to take time off. The following year…Lauren flew to Ghana for three months to teach English and math to schoolchildren and help build a one-room library. After spending the winter holidays at home, Lauren left again for a three-month trip to Italy where she studied Renaissance art. The time away, she says, was invaluable. “‘I know it helped me get into the college I wanted,” says Lauren, now a 21-year-old sophomore at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.”

She says college admissions officers wrote her personal letters about her experiences, and she was able to enter college with more focus, direction, and confidence (www.bhg.com).

CON

By SADIE MACHART STAFF REPORTER

C

ollege is not an easy task, and no one will try to convince you that it is. To some people, it is not a fun experience at all, nor is it something that will always keep their interest. But to a lot of people, it is a necessary step to getting where they want to end up in life, and there is no avoiding the process of having to attend college. “I am attending college right after high school.

It’s the best way to go,” said senior Collin Bampton.

During the high school years, you start to think whether or not college is something to do right after graduation, or if you want to wait a year and save up money and what not. Every year, 50 to 70 percent of students defer their entrance into college for just a year. Some bad risks are involved while taking this action. For example, if admissions are tight at a college where a student has been accepted, that college can rescind the acceptance. Also, if students are away from academic life very long, it becomes a challenge to pick it back up again and succeed. Also, high school credits become more meaningless after time passes, giving way to the newer crop of fresh high school graduates competing for spots at universities across the nation.

One big reason to immediately attend college is that the longer students stay away from academics, the harder it is to remember what they have learned.

Academic life can become a challenge.

Everyone wants to take time off of college to get ahead with their money and just to relax, but after one or more years of being away from college, students might find it harder to re-adjust back to the educational world, thus being at greater risk of dropping back out.

Taking a year off puts students a year behind. Time off is time off. Students will be putting themselves a year behind their peers in terms of academic and professional growth. If you let this time pass without pursuing other experiences that will give you an advantage in other ways, you will truly be behind and may feel that it is taking you longer to reach goals that your friends and peers are already meeting.

The student may also feel feelings of isolation. Many students who take time off report feeling like they are “missing out” on the experiences that their friends are enjoying during their first year of college. The time off can create feelings of loneliness and separation. Of course, these feelings can be alleviated when the time off is ended and college begins (www.onlinedegrees.org). “I think that you should enter college right after you graduate. That’s my plan, because I don’t want to risk the chance of not re-entering,” said junior Tanner Barton.

Students might feel the need to take time off of college because they feel as if they are unprepared. Fortunately, www.Nacanet.org has lists of how to prepare you for college so you will feel ready and motivated to attack the first year of college. Most of these suggestions help younger high school students the most, so freshmen and sophomores should especially take note. Some suggestions include: • Build strong academic, language, mathematics and critical thinking skills by taking challenging courses.

• Study hard and get excellent grades.

• Strengthen your vocabulary by increasing your reading.

• Become involved in co-curricular activities.

• Meet your high school guidance counselor and discuss your plans for the next four years.

• Browse through college literature or surf the Web to get an idea of what kinds of schools may be of interest to you.

• Know NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) requirements if you want to play sports in college.

• Keep an academic portfolio and cocurricular record.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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Whether to eat at Subway or Quizno’s depends on one’s mood…and pocketbook

By EVAN RAMSEY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Today’s world is centered on portability and ease; and the sandwich is the love child of food and an easily portable device. The sandwich that we think of when we hear the word sandwich is the one that was concocted by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Sandwich is a small town located in southeastern England in the county of Kent. Montagu was a notorious gambler and one night asked his servant to bring him meat between two pieces of bread so he would not have to put his cards down to eat. This courageous act of laziness gave birth to one of the most popular American foods, the sandwich.

America’s most dominant sandwich chains

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are Subway and Quizno’s. Both have their own types of sandwiches and use different methods to prepare them. Subway is better known for their cold sandwiches where Quizno’s offers mostly toasted subs. You can get any sub toasted at Subway if you ask. As far as price goes, Subway is normally cheaper, depending on the sandwich.

You only get to choose between a six and twelve inch at Subway while Quizno’s offers small, medium and large subs. Subway is notorious for being not so meaty. You would find Quizno’s to be a more substantial meal, but for a slightly elevated price. Quizno’s also offers many other style of sandwiches like the Sammie’s and Bullets.

Someone who generally prefers gourmet food will probably enjoy Quizno’s more than Subway, but if you’re looking to

have a quick meal at a cheaper price, then Subway would be a better place t o go than Quizno’s.

People

are going to shift their tastes around sometimes and will end up experiencing both. It’s all about what you want right then. Recommended sandwiches: Meatball Melt-Subway, Chicken Teriyaki-Subway, Chicken Cordon Bleu-Quizno’s, Prime Rib-Quizno’s.

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Celebrity Beards: Guess Who?!

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Answers: 1. A 2. F 3. E 4. H 5. B 6. D 7. C 8. G

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A. Bruce Willis B. Zac Brown C. Zack Galifianakis D. George Clooney E. Brad Pitt F. Colonel Sanders G. Jouaquin Phoenix H. Jim Carrey

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Tribal Reviews ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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Summer events to watch out for

By HAILEY PAINE STAFF REPORTER

The Tomatalk staff wants every student and graduate out there to have something fun to do each day of summer this year, so here is a fantastic calendar to help with deciding what to do each day!

JUNE:

20: Silverwood Theme Park- Open from May 7-Oct. 29 21: FIRST DAY OF SUMMER! Puro Instinct, John Maus, and Geneva Jacuzzi at Chop Suey in Seattle 23: KISS at the Comcast Arena in Everett! And Jesus Christ Superstar At Village Theatre in Issaquah 24: Panic! At the Disco at the Showbox SODO in Seattle and Mickey

Avalon at Showbox at the Market in Seattle! CARS 2 in theatres!

25: Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me Tour with Heather, Josh and Brad7:00 p.m. at the Paramount theatre in Seattle and New Majority Tour: Iglesias, Peters, Lampanelli, Byrne8:00 p.m. (Key Arena, Seattle)

JULY:

1: Transformers 3, Dark Side of the Moon in theatres! And The AntiSocial Network at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle 4: Fourth of July, baby!!

5: Widespread Panic at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle And Curtis Salgado in Jazz Alley in Seattle 7: The Doobie Brothers at The Tulalip Amphitheatre in Tulalip And the New Kids on the Block with

the Backstreet Boys at the Tacoma Dome 15: HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART TWO! and Winnie the Pooh 20: Sarah McLachlan at the Chateau Ste Michelle Winery 23: Slightly Stoopid at Concerts at Marymoor in Redmond 30: Willie Nelson at Snoqualmie Casino-Mountain View Plaza in Snoqualmie And Soundgarden at the Gorge Amphitheatre 31: Kansas at the Snoqualmie Casino-Mountain View Plaza

AUGUST:

3: The Hard Summer Tour Ft. Digitalism, Caspa and Jack Beats in Showbox SODO in Seattle 4: The Beach Boys in Snoqualmie

Casino-Mountain View Plaza in Snoqualmie 6: Slayer and Rob Zombie at the WaMu Theatre in Seattle And Carlos Mencia at the Emeral Queen Casino in Tacoma 7: Stand-Up for Diversity: and NBC Showcase at Comedy Underground in Seattle 7: 8: Stand-Up for Diversity: and NBC Showcase at Comedy Underground in Seattle 9: EELS at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle 10: Arctic Monkeys at the Showbox SODO in Seattle 12: .38 Special at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma and Marshall Crenshaw plus Bottle Rockets in the Tractor Tavern in Seattle

13: Vans Warped Tour at the Gorge Amphitheatre!!!!!!

14: Jason Boland and the Stragglers Plus Stoney Larue at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle 15: Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays at the Safeco Field in Seattle 17: Sia at the Showbox SODO in Seattle 18: Deadmau5 at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle 19: Weezer at the WaMu Theater in Seattle 20: Toby Keith with Eric Church at the Gorge 21: Spyro Gyra at Jazz Alley in Seattle 23: Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin in Jazz Alley in Seattle 30: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL 

Are videogames becoming too inappropriate for our youth?

By DEVIN SCHELL STAFF REPORTER

Many people complain that video games are becoming too inappropriate and overly violent, but there are always other people that will disagree with them.

Games that are more for family entertainment, like Mario Kart, are fine by just about everyone’s standards, but what about some of the more violent games? Are some of the more violent games becoming too inappropriate?

Where should the line be drawn for a game to be considered inappropriate? Some of the most popular games out there like Call of Duty contain some violence. Some games can consist of killing innocent people, stealing and swearing, yet these kinds of games are still some of the most popular.

Some of the content in these games are completely unnecessary. In some games like Bulletstorm, there is a ridiculous amount of unnecessary swearing. There is a cuss word in every other sentence. A lot of the time when they throw in a cuss word, it does not even make sense; it is just an unneeded phrase that the creators decided to put in. When something like that is unnecessary, it should be replaced with something else or just taken out.

In many games, you are the protagonist fighting for the good of the world or for someone, but is it bad to be the antagonist and be fighting against the good guys?

In a majority of games, you are the good guy banish-

ing demons or fighting against villains to save a princess. There are also games that allow you to be the bad guy and kill the good guys or even innocent civilians. In Aliens vs. Predators, you can choose to be the monsters.

When you choose to be one of the aliens, then you fight and kill people and you also kill innocent people that can’t even defend themselves. Some people have even made a game where you reenact school shootings. You are the shooter just killing unarmed school children. A game like this is very messed up. It is ethically and morally wrong. This game should have never been published.

How much blood should a game have before it crosses the line into having too much blood? Almost all games have some kind violence in them; some are not as bad as others.

There are wrestling and fighting games that are violent, but few people find anything inappropriate about them even though the whole game is just violence. Then there are games like Splatter House, where you can dismember your enemies and then beat them with their own limbs.

The whole time you are doing that, there is blood flying all over the walls and sometimes onto the screen. These overly bloody moves may add to the characters in some way, but there needs to be some sort of line drawn for the amount of blood and violence that should be in a game. Splatter House and several other games are way over that line.

The creators and the publishers of these games need to take the time to really think about what it is they are making.

They need to have limits to the amount of violence in the games. A little bit of blood and violence isn’t bad, but when there is an unrealistic amount of blood, they need to stop it.

Even though these games are inappropriate and disturbing, these are the kinds of games that appeal to many game players for some sick and twisted reason.

People are going to keep making these games simply because they are going to make more money with them.

They don’t care about how violent the game is; they just want to make more money. So the only way we can make a difference is to refuse to buy these inappropriate games and to encourage others to do the same.

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Reviews

Movie Review: Thor

By MARISSA LINDHOLM STAFF REPORTER

Marvel Studios has been having a lot of success lately, especially with Iron Man movies. Their newest movie that just came out is Thor. The movie opens with Natalie Portman finding Thor (Chris Hemsworth), amidst an unnatural phenomenon in the sky. Thor is a powerful but arrogant character, whose reckless actions ignite an ancient war.

The movie is all about the battle between the frost giants and Asgardian protectors. It’s another super hero movie, a fantasy class.

There is betrayal, drama, and romance, all the attributes that should be in a super hero movie.

You don’t have to be a sci-fi fanatic to like this movie. The acting performances and well directed effects make Thor entertaining and undoubtedly

enjoyable to watch. The chemistry between Natalie Portman and Chris Hemsworth (the two main characters) is something out of the ordinary and will have you cheering on their relationship in the end. Although an action movie, there are still some funny parts, mostly when Thor is in the “mortal” world trying to get used to their customs. All the actors contribute to an amazing movie.

Prom: the decorations, the dresses, guys in tuxes, music pumping through hidden speakers—everything we ever dream it would be.

Nova’s planning, hard work and the work of her friends for this very special night is about to pay off. At least that’s what she thinks until an untimely fire destroys all the decorations just weeks before prom. Now she must deal with the help of Jesse, the school’s bad boy who rides a motorcycle to school and doesn’t care about prom, to get everything ready in time.

This is not the only bit of drama going on in this movie. Simone, a junior who has two guys crushing on her; egotistical sports star and senior Tyler, who has a girlfriend already, and her chemistry lab partner Lucas, a junior like herself; not only do they both want to ask her out, but she must try and decide who is truly best for her.

Music Review: Leadbelly

By Daniel Elliott STAFF REPORTER

I’ll take a wild guess and say that only about seven or eight people at Kamiakin will know who Lead Belly is and have experienced his magic. Lead Belly was born on Jan. 20, 1888 on a plantation near Mooringsport, Louisiana. He was most noted for his gripping vocals, his rare twelve string guitar, and his ability to play eight different instruments. He played the twelve string guitar, six string guitar, the piano, mandolin, harmonica,

violin, concertina, and accordion.

Lead belly was famous for his American folk and blues and his wide variety of topics. He would sing about topics anywhere from gospel music to folk songs about prison to blues songs about women and liquor. He would often write about newsworthy people of the time, like Adolf Hitler and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Lead Belly made his own style of music by listening to what was being played at brothels, saloons, and dance halls in the red-light district in Shreveport.

He received his signature instrument, the twelve string guitar, and the first song he played on it was one that made him famous, “Titanic.” In this song he sang about how they wouldn’t let a famous black boxer, Lemon Jefferson, on the ship because he was black. He often had to change the lyrics about Lemon Jefferson when he sang around white audiences.

Lead Belly was a defining aspect of American folk and blues and is definitely worth a listen. Anything sung by him is a 10 out of 10.

Book Review: What Happened to Goodbye

By KYLEE SCHWARTZ STAFF REPORTER

Movie Review: Prom

By AMBER MAIDEN STAFF REPORTER

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Meanwhile, while all of this is happening, the couple who has been together since eighth grade is having some trouble. Mei has been accepted to an out of state college while her boyfriend Justin thinks she will be going to the same college as he. Will she be able to tell him the truth or will this little secret be the end of them?

Not only is what you wear to prom important, but so is the person or people you go with. One senior just can’t seem to get it right.

No matter whom he asks, they always seem to be either taken, or they say no. You also have those guys whose dates sound like a figment of their imaginations. Can all these teens come out with a happy ending, or will someone’s prom night become a remake of prom nights gone wrong? I give this Disney movie 4 out of 5 for following the high school social classes and not making it seem like the perfect high school.

Sarah Dessen is an amazing author. She has such a talent when it comes to young-adult novels. In her 10th novel, What Happened to Goodbye, she continues to explore the teenage mind and follows a high schooler, Mclean Sweet, from town to town with her father. Before her parents’ dramatic divorce, Mclean was a normal girl living in a normal town.

Mclean’s father then got full custody of her. After experiencing three years of hopping from home to home and having to make new friends, it only added to the problem of trusting, and Mclean always thought twice about trusting someone.

In this novel, Mclean takes advantage of her life from town to town. Instead of being herself, she would try out different identities with each town that she and her father moved to. She was a tall-blonde with good looks, so fitting into the “IT” crowd was never a problem for her. Sometimes she would even try out different names.

But then Mclean meets a boy and an outsider just like herself.

That’s when Mclean decides that she was going to be Mclean.

Dessen takes a different approach than most writers; she focuses on a teenager’s emotional growth rather than physical.

In this novel, it’s showing a girl’s journey to accepting her parents’

divorce but even more important than that, the story shows Mclean accepting her own identity.

This book was very good and wasn’t a hard read. It’s the kind of book where you keep telling yourself “one more page”. Very hard to put down.

it starts to get dark, Alan hears his wife scream from inside the house. When he goes in to find her, it appears that she has fallen off of a balcony into the lake below. Alan jumps in after her and wakes up in a crashed car. As he goes to try and get help, he finds himself in a story that he can’t remember writing.

As you go through this game, you are trying to find out what happened to your wife, but when it gets dark, you find shadowy figures trying to stop you. These people infected with “the darkness” are invincible until they are exposed to light. To fight them off, you must use a flashlight to burn away their shield, and then you must attack them with the weapons that you can find. The combat is not very difficult as long as you have a good reaction time to dodge the oncoming attacks and if you can be accurate to not

waste what ammo you are given.

Throughout the game, you will also be able find hidden caches full of batteries, ammo, and guns.

You can find these caches by finding hidden marks that can only be revealed by your flashlight.

The game also has good achievements. There are several that you can get for finding all of a certain item, like the 100 coffee thermoses or all 30 hidden caches. There are also some for getting special kills with different weapons, like killing multiple enemies with one shot of a shotgun. Most of these achievements are fairly simple, but there are others that are more difficult, like beating the game on nightmare mode. In nightmare mode, the enemies take more shots to kill and there is very little ammo, so you must make every shot count.

Overall, I’d give this game an 8/10.

VideoGame Review: Alan Wake

By DEVIN SCHELL STAFF REPORTER

Alan Wake was a successful writer, but for the last two years he hasn’t been able to write anything. To help pass his writer’s block, his wife plans a vacation to a small town out in the mountains. As they get there, they are greeted and given the key to the house they will be staying at. As

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

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SHENANIGANS

Shenanigans Strawberry Angel Food Desert Ingredients:

By CHRISTINA WOODARD STAFF REPORTER

Directions:

1(10 inch) angel food cake

1. Crumble the cake into a 9x13 inch dish.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese softened

2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.

1 cup white sugar

Fold in whipped topping. Mash the cake down with your hands and spread

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

the cream cheese mixture over the cake.

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced 1 (18 ounce) jar strawberry glaze

By KAELYN COLE NEWS & FEATURE EDITOR

3. In a bowl, combine strawberries and glaze until strawberries are evenly coated.

Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill until serving.

THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School

Weird state laws

By AMBER MAIDEN STAFF REPORTER

Men can’t wear red satin dresses on Sundays. Sad isn’t it, because we all know how much guys love to wear those dresses to look nice for Sunday. Did you also know you are not allowed to give a moose alcoholic beverages? Or push them out of a plane? Sorry guys. Oh and let’s not forget it’s also illegal to hang women’s underwear from a clothes line. All of these weird laws are real in some states. There are a lot more, too, like you can’t buy mattresses or any kind of meat on Sundays, you can’t pretend your parents are rich, and you can’t spit on a bus. I’m sure you have heard of some weirder laws like these that just made you wonder who would come up with them and why?

These laws are actually called Blue Laws. They are typically found in the United States and Canada, designed to enforce religious standards, particularly the observance of Sunday as a day of worship or rest, and a restriction on Sunday shopping. Most though have been repealed, declared unconstitutional, or are simply unenforced like the law stating that it is illegal to go anywhere when you have a cold. Here are a few common Blue Laws that you may not know about.

• New England- in order for a pickle to be considered a pickle, it must bounce • Alabama- it is illegal to wear a mustache that causes laughter in church • California- it is illegal to set a mouse trap or kill a mouse without a hunting license • In Globe, Arizona, it is illegal to play cards in the street with a Native American • Glendale-it is illegal to drive a car in reverse • In Nogales, it is illegal to wear suspenders • In Alabama, it is illegal to impersonate a clergyman(nun, priest, rabbi • In Colorado, it is illegal to ride a horse while drunk • In Connecticut, it is illegal to bike over 65 miles per hour • In Delaware, getting married on a dare is grounds for divorce • In South Carolina, it is considered an offense to get a tattoo • In Baltimore, Maryland, it is illegal to take a lion to the movies • In Norfolk, Virginia, it is illegal to spit on a sea gull • In Wyoming, it is illegal to take a picture of a bunny between January to April unless you have a permit

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Guzzle this puzzle!

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Fun facts

By CINDY GONZALEZ SOCIAL CHAIR-PERSON

1. Cher phobia is a fear of fun.

2. If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months, and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat up a coffee cup.

3. Right handed people on an average live nine years longer than left handed people.

4. In Georgia, it is against the law to slap a man in the back or front.

5. The average person spends three years of his or her life on a toilet.

6. The U.S has more bagpipe bands than Scotland.

7. A toothpick is an object most often choked on by Americans.

8. About 200 babies are born worldwide every minute.

9. On average people fear spiders more than they do death.

10. Pearls melt in vinegar.

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By DYLAN WILSON STAFF REPORTER

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Pokemon of the Month

Alakazam

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THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 2011 The Tomatalk • Kamiakin High School