December is Universal Human Rights Month

Happy Holidays
[ EVENTS ]
2
Celebratory Occasions
Concerts
Dec. 21: 2 Chainz at Showbox
Jan. 5: Neurosis at Showbox
Jan. 12: Of Mice and Men
at El Corazon
Jan. 14: Born This Way Ball Tour: Lady Gaga at Tacoma Dome
Jan. 19: Sum 41 at Showbox
Jan. 27: Yellowcard at El Corazon
December is Universal
Human Rights Month
Dec. 21: The End of the World
Dec. 25: Christmas
Dec. 26: Kwanzaa Begins
Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve
Jan. 3: Fruitcake Toss Day
Jan. 9: Play God Day
Jan. 19: National Popcorn Day
Jan. 20: Penguin Awareness Day
Jan. 28: National Kazoo Day
Scholastic Fantastic
Dec. 20- Jan. 2: Winter Break
Jan. 21: No School, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Jan. 24: Tech Expo
Jan. 28: No School
Jan. 29: Second Semester Begins
Movie
Releases
My 6: Thor
Dec. 21: Cirque de Soleil: Worlds Away
Dec. 25: Les Miserables
Dec. 25 Django Unchained
Jan. 11: Gangster Squad
Jan. 11: Zero Dark Thirty
Jan. 18: Broken City
Jan. 25: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
This Month in History
Dec. 17, 1944: Green Bay Packers win NFL
Championship
Dec. 19, 1915: Edith Piaf, French Singer,
was born
Dec. 21, 1976: US performs nuclear test at
Nevada Test Site
Dec. 25, 1988: Eric Gordon, basketball
player was born
Dec. 31, 1981: CNN Headline News Debuts
Jan. 1, 1986: Glen Davis, basketball
player, was born
Jan. 18, 1964: The Beatles first appear on
Billboard Chart (“I Want to Hold Your Hand”)
Letters
Fleet Street Newspaper
Kentridge High School
12430 SE 208th St.
Kent, WA 98031
Phone: 253-373-4386
Fax: 253-373-4422
Email: [email protected]
Superintendent: Dr. Edward Lee Vargas
Principal: Mike Albrecht
Advisor: Hilari Anderson
Reporters:
Kiera Brunson
Jared Buxton
Kylie Degrate
Grace Griffin
Shawnasy Hanifan
Glenn Hartman
Najay Hillard
Kashmala Iqbal
Karalee Johns
Madison Kelly
Matt Martin
MaryJane MercerCarmona
Marisa Payton
Sarah Pitt
Gema SotoMarquez
Lizzy Wirth
Amy Yang
Gabi Yokers
Write us to give us your thoughts, compliments, or criticism. Letters to the editor should be 250
words or less. Fleet Street News reserves the right to edit for length, style, and taste. Letters
should include a printed name and phone number or e-mail address for verification.
Editorial Policy
The Editorial pages of Fleet Street News are open for comment and expression by the Kentridge
High School community consistent with Kent School Board policy 3220. Fleet Street News is a
student publication dedicated to reporting relevant, timely, and interesting information to the
students, staff, parents, and community in and surrounding Kentridge High School. It is the goal
of Fleet Street to inform, entertain, and represent the various views of Kentridge High fairly. The
opinions expressed on these pages do not reflect the opinions of the Kent School District.
[ NEWS ]
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Courtesy of salvationarmyaustin.com
Get involved with chartities this holiday season
By Kiera Brunson, Reporter
There are plenty of ways for you to give
back to our community or to countries in
need during the holidays.
Leadership is having the student body
give back this year with its annual food,
clothing, and toy drives.
Senior Caelan Creaser, a member of
Leadership, believes that the most important charity is bringing toys for kids in poor
situations.
Key Club has also been giving back.
Key Club member, Senior Timothy Ie
believes that charity is “giving and caring
for those who are not as fortunate as us.”
Ie spearheaded donations to Operation
Christmas Child. Junior Tracy Tran, also a
member of Key Club, reminds the student
body that, “not everyone is as fortunate as
you.”
There are plenty of ways you can give
back outside of school, here are some other
charities:
Salvation Army
One charity organization is the Salva-
tion Army. Every holiday season, volunteers stand outside of malls and grocery
stores, ringing a bell and accepting money.
So what exactly does the Salvation
Army do?
The Salvation Army is an organization
run by Christians who aid the unemployed
and help people in poverty. According to
their website, the main goal is to help and
bring hope to those in need.
Contact www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Operation Christmas Child
Another popular charity is Operation
Christmas Child. According to their website, this charity focuses on children living
in poverty in developing countries.
The organization’s mission is to bring
joy to children on Christmas day.
To help, Operation Christmas Child
asks that you fill a shoe box full of toys and
school supplies to help these kids feel like
any other child during the holidays. The
group hopes to create a day when a kid can
just be a kid.
Contact www.samaritanspurse.org.
Toys For Tots
Toys For Tots helps children in our own
community. For this charity, one must only
buy a new toy or donate to the charity to
help a child in our own community experience the joy of Christmas.
Contact www.toysfortots.org.
nesses or diseases in developing countries.
Doctors travel to developing countries and
provide medical attention to men, woman,
and children who desperately need it and
would have no other way of getting medicine. Like the American Red Cross, Doctors without Borders is solely supported by
volunteer doctors and donations.
American Red Cross
See www.doctorswithoutborders.org.
Other charities that are not related to the
holiday season also greatly benefit from
the season of giving.
The American Red Cross focuses on
helping people in need of emergency assistance, disaster relief, and education. Many
people may recognize the American Red
Cross organization by their symbol, the
red “plus” sign within the white box. Red
Cross is volunteer-based and is served by
donations alone.
Contact www.redcross.org
Disabled American Veterans Charitable
Service Trust
Doctors Without Borders
Doctors without Borders is well known
for helping those in need who have fatal ill-
The Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust not only helps disabled
veterans, but it also helps support their
families. This organization was originally
founded after World War I, when many
soldiers came back home disabled. Ultimately, this service helps disabled veterans
claim the benefits that they deserve as a result of protecting our nation. This service is
funded by donations as well.
Contact www.helpingdisabledvets.com.
“The holidays are a time to give,” Ie reminds us.
[ NEWS ]
Fleet Street Staff pick-of-the-month: Martin Wu
By Madison Kelly, Reporter
This month’s Fleet Street staff-of-the-month pick is our
School Psychologist, Martin Wu. Wu has been psychologist at KR for two years. Prior
to KR, Wu worked at Cedar Heights and Emerald Park
Elementaries.
“It’s rewarding to work with students,” Wu said. “I love
it. There are lots of personalities, and [it’s] a job where you
make lots of differences in students’ lives. It’s important.”
Wu said that being a psychologist goes beyond the surface. He is able to get to know the students and their families better, which is a definite perk.
Wu did not want to be a psychologist, however, when
he was a kid.
“When I was younger, I wanted to be a firefighter,” he
said. “I’m pretty active, and I’ve always been into sports.
I didn’t think to be one until I was a senior in high school
and took a class about it. It was interesting. I’d consider
being a firefighter if I got burnt out of my job.”
Wu plays tennis and has taken up the sport of football. “Whether it’s a nice day or bad day, I’m outside,” he
said. He also was the boys JV tennis coach this year.
He also attended the Thunderbirds hockey game Nov.
21 because he loves to watch hockey, and he wanted to
support the school.
Born in 1981 on Christmas day in Anacortes. Wu’s life
has been influenced by his birthday.
“You learn to be a giver,” Wu said. “It’s nice if you’re
religious to share a birthday with a very important figure,
and I am religious.”
Still, Wu’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. He says he
loves food, he really likes to cook, and he also likes having
everyone he cares about together.
Wu said his favorite part of high school was “not having the adult responsibilities, being able to enjoy company
of friends, and playing sports without restrictions of bills.”
Wu also played tennis and did track all throughout high
school and middle school.
“High school was just generally awkward,” he said of
his least favorite part of that time. “There was a lack of diversity at my high school, and I made up about 99 percent
of the Asian population.”
And that first date?
“Oh man, it was awkward,” he said. “I was in high
school, and I was a junior, and we went to a KUBE 93
dance.”
Wu’s all-time favorite band is AC/DC. He also says his
favorite movie is Old School. He likes the color blue and
does not have a middle name.
“It’s a cultural thing,” he said. “My parents came from
overseas, and they didn’t really understand the concept.”
Wu loves Vietnamese food, especially curry soup. He
also loves water and any dessert including apples.
“That’s why I chose to live in Washington,” he joked. “It works out.”
Wu’s choice has worked out for him and for KR, since
he loves being the school psychologist.
“It’s the coolest thing ever!”
Photo by Kashmala Iqbal
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[ NEWS ]
5
Winter S.A.D.ness is pretty common
By Marisa Payton, Reporter
Fall and winter darkness can
have an adverse effect on students, causing them to be unmotivated and feel depressed.
They may have an actual condition.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
(S.A.D.) is a type of depression
that affects people during the
same season every year, most often in winter. Those who are between the ages of 15 and 55 are
most likely to experience S.A.D.,
especially if they live in areas
where there are big changes in
the amount of sunlight throughout the seasons, according to
WebMD.
Seattle has the fourth lowest
amount of average sunshine, according to City-Data.com, a website that collects and analyzes data
for many U.S. cities. Seattle also
is the least sunny major city in
the continental U.S. and has relatively 175 days of clear weather
per year. That means 53 percent
of the year is spent in darkness. Portland, just a three-hour
drive south, is 32 on the list
of least sun, and Los Ange-
les doesn’t even make the
list of 101 low-sunlight cities.
In December and January, Seattle hovers in the 30s and 40s for
average temperatures and experiences a considerable amount of
cloud cover.
“It’s cold, and that makes me
want to sleep more, and yes, I feel
depressed,” said Senior Elly Keoninh.
The sun boosts serotonin levels, according to MedicineNet,
a health care media publishing
company. Serotonin makes us
feel happy, awake, and alert. So,
the less sun we receive, the less
awake and happy we feel. This is
what leads experts to link minimal sunlight during the winter
months with S.A.D.
The disorder also causes a loss
of interest in normal activities,
causes moodiness, weight gain,
fatigue, and drowsiness during
the day, says WebMD.
“I definitely sleep more in the
winter,” Junior Harman Hundal
said. “It’s always dark outside,
which makes it kind of depressing.”
“[It’s] irritating because I have
to deal with a bunch of people and
work when at home on Christmas
break,” said Freshman Troy Silvernail. “I pretty much don’t do
anything.”
Coming back to school after the two-week winter break is
hard. By the time we return, the
seniors will have two weeks left
before their Culminating Projects
are due at the end of the semester.
“I hate going back to school
with all the homework and stuff,”
Keoninh added. “…I bet that on
the first day, everything will be
due.”
To cope with Seasonal Affective Disorder, Mayoclinic.com, a
worldwide leader in medical care
and research, suggests opening
blinds and sitting closer to open
windows to get natural light.
Also, regular exercise helps relieve stress and anxiety, and getting fresh air outdoors helps soak
up whatever amount of sun is
available. There are also Light Therapy
websites at which people can purchase “Dawn Simulators,” which
increase the level of light in your
home, according to S.A.D. Light
Therapy websites.
Photo by Marisa Payton
Initiative makes pot legal for adults, puts steeper restrictions on minors
By Gabi Yokers, Reporter
With the passing of Initiative 502 in
November, it became legal for adults over
the age of 21 to possess up to an ounce of
marijuana beginning Dec. 6.
Selling marijuana to minors still remains a felony. If you’re under 21 and are
caught smoking pot, it is a violation of
state and federal laws.
The consequences are the same as if you
were a minor in possession of alcohol. You
could possibly lose your driver’s license or
be unable to obtain one.
Initiative 502 was passed with a 55.44
percent approval. The Washington State li-
quor control board is working to begin creating guidelines for distributing and selling
marijuana. The new law is expected
to generate over a half-billion dollars in new revenue
for state and local governments annually, with a 25
percent excise tax on wholesale, as well as retail, sales on
marijuana. The intention is to
create revenue for substanceabuse prevention, education, research, and health care.
KR views are mixed.
“There’s no use to it,” said Sophomore
Chris Tolentino. “Everybody thinks it’s
okay now that it’s legal.”
“We’ve grown up with it not being legalized, and I think it should stay that
way,” added Senior Katie Theisen.
Sophomore Kempton Snyder had different views
“I think it’s helpful for Washington
since it’s going to be taxed a lot, and it
will boost the economy … and stop minors from smoking,” he said.
“It will make minors smoke less,” added Junior Robin Ann.
“I think a lot of people will stop driving
while high so they don’t get DUIs or anything,” Snyder added.
[ NEWS ]
6
GSA returns to Kentridge
after a two-year hiatus
By Grace Griffin, Reporter
An alliance of students supporting equality, the GayStraight-Alliance (GSA), meets
every Monday after school in
B19.
“I think it is extremely essential to have,” said Senior Camille
Senn, who is copresident of the
club. “GSA is a really important
thing to me.”
GSA is open to all students
who support equality and hope
to promote a safe environment at
KR.
“Everyone is welcome,” said
Senior Haley Miller.
Members have been sporting
T-shirts to show the club’s pride
and also will participate in the
Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly
in January.
Club Advisor Kara ButschNolte, along with the help of
Counselors Alicia Rieger and
Amy Wiskerchen, worked hard
to bring back the club after it disappeared for two years when the
previous advisors left KR.
“I was saddened when it went
missing for a while,” said ButschNolte.
“In the past, it wasn’t that
strong and well-known club,”
Miller said.
How excited are members for
the club’s return?
“Extremely,” said Wiskerchen.
Writing Club an outlet for creativity
By Gema Soto-Marquez,
Reporter
Writing Club is encouraging
students to work on their writing
skills and creativity.
Advisor, English Teacher
Kirsten Bethea, said the purpose
of the club “is to provide an outlet
for people to write creatively and
receive feedback and improve
their writing ability … just by
learning new techniques, different skills, and also just by providing time for students to write
creatively.”
This club is new this year.
“Most of my friends and I enjoy writing, … and we wanted to
create an environment that’s specifically for writing,” said Senior
Chianna Overton, who helped
start the club.
“I was in Ms. Bethea’s class
last year, and we talked about
starting it,” added Junior Julia
Rutledge. “ … I wasn’t one of
the major people to start it, but
I was one of the first people to
know.”
“What makes Writing Club so
special is you can get feedback on
your writing so you can strengthen it,” said Senior Aubri Avery. “It’s cool to get feedback and
get a fresh perspective of others’ ideas,” agreed Senior Marisa
Payton.
During club time, writers do
activities that allow members to
use their creativity. “Mostly, Ms. Bethea gives us
an opening statement, and we
just write more from there, or
she gives us a prompt,” Rutledge
said. “We basically write, edit,
and participate in activities to
strengthen our writing,” added
Avery. Bethea explained that what
members have done so far is
“spend time on independent
writing and working on projects
[such as poems or stories] and
have sentence starters.”
Many of the students enjoy
writing club. “It’s an outlet to be creative
and write whatever you want,”
Overton said. “It doesn’t have to
be structured.” “I can see my friends, and
it’s a really open environment
and you can really do what you
want,” added Rutledge.
District makes community
internet access easier
By Shawnasy Hanifan,
Veteran Reporter
As a part of some new changes in the KSD Technology department, kiosks that will give
parents and students access to
Kent School District resources
will be popping up at different locations surrounding Kent
schools.
These kiosks will make it
possible for parents without internet access at home to log on
to Skyward at locations such as
Starbucks, Safeway, Staples,
McDonald’s, Fred Meyer, as
well as the lobbies of apartment
complexes and banks.
Students with KSD laptops
will be able to use these kiosks
as hotspots for WiFi as well.
Sophomore Gina Koopmans
likes the idea of having hotspots
in Starbucks.
“Now I can look like a hipster
while I do my homework,” she
said.
There are hotspots/kiosks
located as far north as Newport
Hills in Renton and as far south
as Lake Tapps. Both are located
in Starbucks.
Sophomore Chantelle Williams also is somewhat excited
about these new changes.
“I think it’s cool that I’ll be
able to use my laptop in more
places,” she said.
There is also a new opportunity for low-income families
to gain at-home internet access
for only $9.95 a month through
Comcast and CenturyLink. You
can call either of these providers
to enroll.
[ FEATURES ]
“Baby It’s Cold Outside”: Time to snuggle up
Sophomores Preston Haggerty and Sabrina McGuire snuggle up for the holidays.
By Lizzy Wirth, Reporter
Couples walking through the halls
holding hands, frolicking in the snow, and
PDA on every corner: What better time to
find some love than the holiday season?
It’s the perfect time “to cuddle and
spend time with someone in the snow,”
said Junior Katelyn Overland.
When it’s cold outside, there is nothing
better than cozying up with your “special
someone,” popping in a movie, drinking
some hot cocoa, having a friendly snowball fight (hard to do around here). Then
there is the longing for the snow and the
possibility of no-school days in hopes of
spending time with your romantic interest.
What is it about the winter that makes us want to couple
up? “I love cuddling, it’s awesome,” said
Sophomore Mark Hartman. “… but only
with my girlfriend.”
It’s not just that “Baby, its cold outside,” said Freshman Elena Luna.
Freshman Malik McFerrin said that
people like to be in a relationship because
“it’s around Christmas, and they want
gifts.”
But Sophomore Noah Ferrel says it’s
“not necessarily about the gifts.”
Junior Kristopher Hemphill and Sophomore Maddie Vallie stay warm outside before school.
7
Freshmen Markelle Kelly and Caleb Williams canoodle before class.
The ideal dates seem to have one thing
in common – staying warm.
“We would wear warm clothes and go
out and have a snowball fight, make snow
angels, and just have fun being together,”
said Freshman Malik McFerrin.
Sophomore Ethan Mitchell said that in
the winter, “you’re not going to get out as
much.” So for a date, “you can go shopping, snowboarding, or ice skating,”
Even when trapped inside, Freshman
Cerra Carrillo says that “those inside
dates are just gateways to snuggling.”
Whatever reason students are feeling
spring fever a little bit early this year,
teachers aren’t all that excited about it.
While “relationships in high school
help people find their identity,” said English teacher Glenn Dacus, they have their
downsides, too.
Social Studies teacher May Wong said
that she is not a fan of high school relationships
“The kids care too much about what
other people think,” which is why they
are constantly dating.
“Friendships are more important because they are more likely to last a lifetime than a high school romance,” said
Science teacher Sarah Hall.
“Oh, I hate PDA,” said English teacher Rick Pettibone. “I can’t stand it.”
Sophomores Mark Hartman and Sophie Gordon hold hands in the hallway, laughPhotos by Lizzy Wirth
ing and being silly.
[ ENTERTAINMENT ]
8
Metal Club works
to polish image
By Kylie Degrate, Reporter
Amanda Hardy, a sophomore at KR, fronts the band of her own name. The band
has been proving successful live and online.
Courtesy Photo
Amanda Hardy rocks!
KR sophomore a hard rock success
By Grace Griffin, Reporter
Amanda Hardy is becoming a popular
band locally and throughout Washington
State, also spreading all the way to Russia
and Australia.
Named for lead vocalist and rhythm
guitarist Amanda Hardy, a sophomore at
KR, the band also features students from
an Olympia high school, with lead guitarist Michael Arms, bassist Willie Jansen,
and Cameron Peck on the drums.
Hardy has set her sights on a career in
music and has reached over 1,420 fans online.
“Our music is hard rock for sure,” Hardy said.
The fan attention has been interesting.
“It is strange and cool at the same time
because they know me through my music,” Hardy said. “But I feel bad because
I never know their names.”
The band has played shows the Showbox in Seattle, the D n’ R Theater in Aberdeen, El Corazon in Seattle, and many others in Washington. They hope to extend
their tours to other states and make a living
“Always go for what
you want, and never
stop ‘til you get it.”
Metal Club has all new members, including a brand new advisor this year: Special Education teacher Aiko Akers. Metal Club is best known for a video of
the Fairwood Elementary show that was so
disturbing to children, it led to an interview
with the comedian Tosh.0. “If you’re referring to the performance
two years ago, these are all new members,”
Junior Chandler Dunham said. “So nothing like that will ever happen again. People always laugh when that performance is
brought up. We just ignore it. We do what
we love, and if people don’t like it, oh
well.”
With a new advisor and all new members, the Metal Club is bound to bring new
material in the Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly this January. “Ms. Akers seems to enjoy it,” Junior
Caleb Booth said. “She lets us kind of do
our thing, and she keeps us in the right direction, but it’s mostly group-oriented, at
least from what I see.” “It’s all new people,” Booth added. “We are more of a group of people who
Junior Pierson Reinhart, club president, has his nails done for fun during
Photo by Kylie Degrate
one meeting.
like metal and just enjoy it for what it is.”
They also are hoping for new members.
“We’re open to anyone who wants to
come and hang out and listen to metal,”
Dunham said.
Amanda Hardy
out of their music.
Still, “we do it for the music,” said Hardy.
You would think that having school
work and being in a band would be hard,
but not for Hardy, who says that she finishes her work during school so that she
can spend time with her band mates and go
out to shows.
“It’s not just you, and you have to take
that into account,” said Hardy.
What do those close to Hardy think?
“My friends think it’s really cool and
support me,” Hardy said.
Hardy wants to make it big in music,
though she plans to attend Berklee in Boston until that happens.
“Always go for what you want, and
never stop ‘til you get it,” she said.
Juniors Shane Phillips, Daniel Tapia, and Mitchell Midkiff pose for a picture. Metal Club’s members enjoy hanging out and sharing a love for metal music.
Photos by Kylie Degrate
[ ENTERTAINMENT ]
9
Movies to watch this winter
By MaryJane Mercer-Carmona
Reporter
KR students are excited to see
films that have just, or are about
to, hit the big screen.
A most anticipated film that
has KR buzzing with excitement
is The Hobbit: an Unexpected
Journey.
Based on the J.R.R. Tolkien
novel that precedes The Lord of
the Rings, The Hobbit is about a
hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who
is tasked to be a thief for a band of
dwarves. The story follows Bilbo
on his unexpected journey with
the dwarves and shows how he
end ups finding something very
extraordinary. (Hint: It makes
him invisible.)
Sophomore Raymond Tat said
the movie he is most excited for
is “definitely The Hobbit; it’s The
Hobbit. What other reason could
there possibly be?”
For Sophomore Meelod Shaterian, The Hobbit is “the only
[movie] that doesn’t seem dumb.”
Senior KJ Mantello is keen to
watch it as well.
“The Lord Of The Rings was
awesome, and I assume it’s
good,” he said.
“The Hobbit is from Lord of
the Rings,” said Senior Blake
Cerna. “Lord of the Rings is a
good series.”
This next movie “sounds interesting,” according to Freshman Mitchell Hardin.
Monsters Inc. is making its
way in theaters again, this time in
3D, and KR students can’t wait
to see their “childhood movie”
on screen, as Sophomore Gabriel
Humble puts it.
“It was one of my favorite
movies when I was a kid,” said
Sophomore Ethan Shell. Monsters Inc. is about the
scariest closet monsters and the
world they inhabit, which relies
upon children’s screams to produce electricity. This movie follows two monsters who become
involved with a human child,
which is frowned upon, and their
quest to keep the little girl safe.
The Hobbit is one movie many Chargers say they are excited
to see.
Monsters Inc. is what Junior
Brian Balderas is most excited
for “because it’s hella filthy.”
Freshmen DeIonte Hunter
and Arielle Greenberg, Junior
Keenen Green, and Sophomore
Arturo Hernandez agreed when
Freshman Alex Patnode said, “I
love that movie.”
For
Sophomore
Kourtni
Coscorrosa, Monsters Inc. is a
movie she can relate to.
“My daughter looks like Boo,”
she said. “I want to take her to
see it.”
One of the funnier movies
that is hitting the big screen soon
is Parental Guidance, starring
Billy Crystal and Bette Midler. It is about a family trying to get
along. Dad has to leave town for
a while, so Mom asks Grandma
and Grandpa for help with her
kids. The grandparents have their
own way of raising children, and
that starts some funny drama.
“It seems funny, and my
nephew always messes with my
parents, so I get where their coming from,” Junior Marlin Palmer
said.
A musical is on its way. Les
Misérables is an upcoming British film based on the original musical with the same name. It follows Jean Valjean, a Frenchman
who is imprisoned for stealing
bread, has broken his parole and
has to flee from police Inspector
Javert. The hunt takes over both
of the men’s lives. After two decades of running, Valjean finds
himself in the midst of the June
Rebellion in Paris in 1832.
This Is 40 has famous actors,
(Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, and
Megan Fox) and is about a couple struggling with life when the
wife turns 40. She is uncomfortable with her age and wants the
family to change its lifestyle.
Playing For Keeps is a new
family movie about a retired professional soccer player who is
divorced. The man starts spending more time with his son and
his ex-wife, and even coaches the
son’s soccer team. He wants to be
a part of both of their lives. However, the drama occurs when his
ex plans to getting re-married.
Django the bounty hunter is
on the search for his wife in the
new movie: Django Unchained.
Django looks for his wife, who
has been sold, and finds out Calvin Candy, played by Leonardo
DiCaprio, has her in his land. His
plan is to get into Candy Land
and save his wife.
Macklemore, given name Ben Haggerty, looks over a sea of fans
at a recent concert. Macklemore has been popular for his inspirational message about love and redemption.
Chargers inspired
by Macklemore
By Gabi Yokers, Reporter
Inspiring Seattle artist Ben
Haggerty, known by most as
Macklemore, recently reached the
Number One spot on the iTunes
download charts for his album,
The Heist.
Macklemore has been in the
music business since 2000, but
recently has gained nationwide
popularity for his inspiring music.
The song “Same Love” was
written about a gay man’s life and
encourages compassion and understanding.
“I think it’s a very inspirational
song,” said Senior Jared Buxton,
who attended the Macklemore
concert Oct. 12. “I think it marks
a point in Seattle’s history.”
Macklemore is also known for
coming clean after his substance
abuse. He wrote “Starting Over”
in support of people who have
used drugs and are searching for
help.
Junior Jordan Ablao com-
mented on Macklemore’s inspiring music.
“The message he portrays inspires the younger generation to
be successful no matter where
you come from, and the life decisions you make, you can always
turn back from.” Macklemore is not a part of a
major record company, which is
different from most artists.
“I think it’s really respectable
how he wanted to do it his own
way,” Senior Zach Beatty said. “He wanted to succeed on his
own.”
Students who attended the
concert enjoyed it.
Sophomore Cassie Roy enjoyed “the vibe of the crowd,”
she said. “You could tell everyone was having a good time.”
“It makes me proud at the fact
that I’m from Seattle,” Beatty
said.
“He’s one of the best artists
I’ve seen in concert so far,” Roy
added.
A painting contributes to the interest in the cafeteria. It was completed by the KR Drama department as a promotion for the fall production of Godspell.
Look around KR: Art abounds
Story and Photos by Matt Martin,
Veteran Reporter
Ever wonder the story behind
the Asparagus?
Courtesy of Washington
State’s Art in Public Places program, established by the state
legislature in July, 1974, one half
of one percent of the budget for
new public construction projects
must be spent on acquiring artwork.
Washington is one of 27
states to have such a program,
and one of only four to extend
this requirement to K-12 public
schools.
The influence the Art in Public Places program has had on the
Kentridge community is seen every time a student says the iconic
phrase entirely unique to our
school, “Meet me at the Asparagus.”
The official name for the As-
paragus is “Birch Seedlings,”
and it is meant to symbolize the
blossoming and growth of students’ minds as their education
unfolds. It is also undoubtedly the most
famous piece of artwork at Kentridge, having become synonymous with our school.
“I think it’s kind of a staple
of the school; it’s a symbol for
Kentridge,” said Senior Hannah
Freitag.
Junior Christine Tabila also
expressed appreciation for the
Asparagus.
“I think it’s kind of cool, but
random,” she said.
In addition to the Asparagus,
the hallowed halls of KR are
brightened by a pair of murals in
the cafeteria, decorative banners
and inspiring quotes throughout
the hallways, and a display case
near the main office that showcases the finest creations of KR
students. Here, one can find examples of exceptional ceramics,
graphic arts, and photography
made by aspiring artists.
KR’s gym also features banners of charging horses above the
bleachers and a striking image of
our mascot breaking through the
gym floor. These airbrushed masterpieces were designed by students and painted by second-year
Ceramics teacher, Tom Bogle.
Bogle has taught in the Kent
This mural was designed by Donna Hennig is on display in the cafeteria.
School District for 29 years
and has painted many mascots
at schools “all the way up from
Alaska to places in Oregon,” he
said.
“My goal is primarily to inspire school spirit,” he said.
“Schools feel institutionalized,
and kids often don’t really feel
like it’s their space. I like to make
something that makes students
feel good about their school.”
Even with all of the artwork
already in place at Kentridge,
most students seem to believe
that the school would benefit
from new additions.
“I do,” said Senior Brian Jamiel. “It captures students’ emotions and what they’re feeling.”
“It would make it more interesting to be here,” agreed Freitag. She continued, saying that “it
might also make the environment
more fun and welcoming.”
Some others, however, ques-
tion whether adding more art
should be a top priority for the
school.
“That’s a debatable area,” said
Jamiel. “[The budget] should go
towards what we need most for
the year.”
Junior Jeff George is a stronger advocate of adding new artwork.
“If they have any extra money,
I think they should,” he said.
Bogle said he has been talking to Principal Mike Albrecht
and Drama teacher Jennifer Grajewski about plans to, “kick over
something in the PAC.”
“It’s something I hope to do,”
he said. “That whole foyer needs
something to spice it up.”
The importance of artwork at
school is undeniable though.
“Art adds a lot of color and
life,” said Bogle. “… They inspire school pride and school
spirit.”
This mural encourages a positive life turnaround, empowering youth to change directions 180 degrees.
The sculptures designed by 2012 Alumnus Vu Nguyen sit outside the main office as a welcome
to visitors.
[ HOLIDAY ]
12
Holiday Ho-Ho-Ho-down how-to
By Glenn Ogal Hartman,
Reporter
We’ve all been to the boring,
run-of-the-mill holiday parties,
the generic parties that consist of
sitting around, chatting, playing
mediocre games, eating boring
food, and pretending to laugh at
cheesy jokes gets old after a few
years.
We have some ideas on how
to spice up your holiday festivities.
One type of unique party is the
recently popular “Ugly Sweater”
party. Thedailymeal.com recommends having your guests attend
wearing ugly holiday sweaters,
and for an activity, guests could
decorate gingerbread men and
women in ugly sweaters. Make
sure to document the party thoroughly, and of course post the
pictures to Facebook. Perhaps
your holiday party pictures will
end up on the KR Meme page.
Another idea is to have a holiday movie viewing party. Invite
your friends over to watch movies like Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas or Elf and
have them dress up as a character
from the movie. Hold a contest
for most convincing Who from
Whoville, or the best-dressed elf.
While you’re in your costumes, split into groups and film
your favorite scenes from the
movie. Give prizes to guests
who creates the best reenact-
ment.
We’ve all heard of Christmas
in July. Why not celebrate July
during Christmas? Get a sandbox, some space heaters, and
invite your friends to come over
in their swimwear and play some
beach games! Have a sand castle
building contest, and include
Christmas items like candy canes
or presents. Exchange beachthemed gifts with each other. For
music, listen to The Beach Boys’
Christmas Album. You could also have a caroling karaoke party. Invite your
friends over to warm up those vocal chords and have a great time
singing. After you’ve all gone
over the basics, take your act
outdoors and go caroling doorto-door and bring holiday cheer
to those in your neighborhood.
As Buddy the Elf says, “The best
way to spread Christmas cheer, is
singing loud for all to hear!”
You could also have a New
Year’s Eve brunch. Think of
how many New Year’s Eve parties there are -- chances are, your
guests will have been invited
to many different parties, so if
you’re determined to get your
friends together for the New
Year, invite them over in the
middle of the day.
A necessity for every party
is food. There are so many different food options that work
well. You could have the average
Remember that one weird gift?
By Marisa Payton, Reporter
At some point, we’ve all received that one present that was
either the best, or the worst, idea
ever. As kids, we were simple to
shop for, we wanted the latest
and greatest Barbie or G.I. Joe. With the iPad Mini, iPhone 5,
and Kindle Fire HD, it’s easy to
tell what people will be asking
for this year. These new and expensive electronic toys are going
to fly off the shelves during holi-
day shopping, but it isn’t always
the gift that makes the holidays
sweet.
Memories of holidays past are
filling the halls of KR.
“One time about three years
ago, I went downstairs to open
one of my gifts, and at first I
thought it was like a pair of socks
or something,” said Freshman
Danielle Johnson. “… It turned
out to be a bar of soap from my
brother with a note attached saying, ‘Girl, you stink! You’re wel-
come.’ ”
Senior Lika Liava’a remembers the funniest gift she’s re-
ceived. “…Probably
some bubble tea bath
soap that I’m too
scared to use.”
“I got a car garbage
bag made out of silk
and shaped like an
old fashioned corset from my grandma when I was 7,”
said Senior Brenna
O’Farrell.
“After
Christmas was over, we threw
the silk trash bag into a real trash
chips, soda, and a veggie platter,
but you could also make treats
that fit the theme of your party.
For a Grinch party, prepare green
foods. Food dye works wonders.
For brunch, you could have a
potluck. Ask everyone to bring
something they’d like to share.
That way, guests have at least
one food they know they’ll like.
Also, many people enjoy
sparkling cider, and there are
many flavors to accommodate
your guests’ preferences.
The winter season is one in
which we wish to spend time
with family and friends. No matter what you do, as long as there
are friends around, a good time is
bound to be had.
bag.”
Perhaps we receive odd gifts
because shopping for young
people can be hard. Or, perhaps
everything we want is incredibly
expensive.
Either way, it’s the thoughts
that count, right?
“It is just the thought that
counts because at least they were
nice enough to buy or make you
a gift,” Johnson said.
“[It’s] all in the thought,”
Liava’a agreed.
[ HOLIDAY ]
13
Holiday music
fills the air
By Najay Hillard, Reporter
It’s that time of year when holiday music can be heard everywhere
we go.
Which do you like best? Junior Kiya Padilla’s favorite holiday song is “Santa Baby” ’cause
it’s a cute song.”
Junior Sam Umporowicz said his favorite song is “Silent Night”
because it relates to his faith.
With holiday music filling the airwaves, do we get sick of it?
Junior Pierson Reinhart said he doesn’t like holiday music because
it’s annoying.
“It’s never OK to start” listening to it, he said.
Junior Amanda Tebo said holiday music drives her crazy because
it’s repetitive. She thinks people should only listen to holiday music on
Christmas Eve and Christmas day.
Freshman Rebecca Lapins said holiday music should be played,
“first of December and then end right after Christmas.”
Here are the most liked holiday songs, according to worldoffemale.
com:
1. “Last Christmas” – Wham
2. “Jingle Bell Rock” – Daryl Hall & John Oates
3. “Do They Know It’s Christmas” – Band Aid
4. “Santa Baby” – Madonna
5. “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” – U2
6. “Happy X-mas (War is Over)” – John Lennon and Yoko Ono
7. “Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy” – David Bowie and Bing
Crosby
8. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” – Mariah Carey
9. “The Chanukah Song” – Adam Sandler
10. “Christmas Time is Here” – Vince Guaraldi Trio
The least liked holiday songs, according to edisonresearch.com, are:
1. “Jingle Bells” – Singing Dogs
2. “The Man With All the Toys” – Beach Boys
3. “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” – Spike Jones
4. “Jingle Bells” – Barbra Streisand
5. “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer” – Elmo and Patsy
6. “O Holy Night” – Cartman
7. “Swine and Squealers” – Seymour
8. “O Come , O Come Emmanuel” – Neil Diamond
9. “Deck the Halls” – Manheim Steamroller
10. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” – Little Jimmy Boyd
Prominent symbols of the season –
What do they mean?
By Karalee Johns, Reporter
Many people have an idea
about the meaning of common
holiday symbols, like the Christmas tree, the menorah, or Santa
Claus.
What about the other symbols
of the season? Where do they
come from?
The candy cane is one of the
most popular symbols of the holidays. It is not only a treat, but it’s
for decoration as well. Many
people decorate their trees with
them.
The candy cane’s inclusion
at Christmas started way back
in history, over 350 years ago.
Originally, they were all-white
sugar sticks. Europeans began
to make decorations for the tree,
and thought that something edible
would be festive. They bent sugar
sticks into candy canes to represent the shepherd’s staff.
Another prominent symbol is mistletoe. Everyone has heard
that you’re supposed to kiss
someone when you step beneath
it. But why?
The plant is native to North
America and grows as a parasite
on trees in the west. People started using it in houses because they
thought that it had mystical powers. It became custom to hang
mistletoe around the house, with
guests exchanging kisses un-
derneath as a sign of friendship
and goodwill. Exchanging kisses
underneath the mistletoe was a
tradition of Greek festivals and
marital ceremonies.
If love occurs under it, it is
supposed to be a promise of marriage, a prediction of happiness,
and a promise for a long life.
Another symbol that people
would say is prominent during
the holidays is the stocking. Why
do we hang them? It has been said
that Thomas Nast started putting
Christmas stockings above the
fireplace, and when Santa saw
them, stuffed them.
People continue to leave
stockings out for Santa, hoping
for small gifts and treats.
[ ENTERTAINMENT ]
14
Halo 4, Assassins
Creed 3, Black
Ops II Review
By Jared Buxton, Reporter
Halo 4
Stars: 4.5/5 according toG4tv.
com.
The long-awaited Halo 4 continues the saga of Spartan 117
Master Chief.
Halo 4 made a whopping
$220 million on its opening day
alone, and by the end of the first
week, made $300 million. The
overall rating is 9.8/10, according
to IGN.com.
The new campaign takes place
five years from when Halo 3 last
ended. The new creatures, called
the Promethians, have risen, and
Master Chief has to take them
down before they take over.
I thought Halo 3 was the end,
and then they hit me with this!
I love the online play, but the
campaign isn’t something I recommend playing as part of the
game. Another problem is the
way they try to change some of
the guns; some aren’t as good,
like the Needler. I wish they had
just kept it like Halo 3. Still, one
new weapon I really enjoy is the
Sticky Gun because I can shoot a
grenade, have it stick to the enemy, and possibly blow up others
around him.
The ending isn’t as great as it
should have been. I thought the
ending would wrap up the saga
of Master Chief, but to me it just
doesn’t seem complete.
The new classes are updated a
bit – the layout is easier, and they
fixed the DMR and battle rifle
so they aren’t as bad as they had
been. Also, I like that they kept all
the perks that go along with these
weapons, such as the jetpack and
the cloaking.
So far, there has been some
love and hate about this game.
“The campaign sucked,” Senior Michael Lane said. “The
ending was a disappointment, but
the multiplayer is the best out of
all the Halos.”
When asked what character
he would be in the game, he replied. “Master Chief because he’s
a boss.”
Assassin’s Creed 3
Stars: 3.5/5 according to G4tv.
com.
This game continues the saga
of Assassins between 1753 and
1783. Desmond Miles has been
chosen to enter the Animus machine to take on the new persona of “Connor,” a half-English,
half-Native American assassin.
Desmond must become this new
assassin in order to find ancient
technology that the former assas-
A screen shot from Black Ops II
sins have left behind.
The game has earned an overall rating of 8.5/10, according to
IGN.com.
“The game flowed well,” said
Senior Jacob Buchen. “The idea
of this campaign was better than
the rest. There were better graphics and more things to do than the
other games.”
“It’s Incredible,” added Senior
Jacob Callia. “I’ve spent about a
good 10 hours so far playing it.”
This game is a great step above
all of the other Assassins Creed
games. It is much more difficult
and fun, and the online play is
incredible. It has a great feature,
in which you can just run around
and kill whatever you want and
build up a town or pilot ships. The
possibilities are almost endless.
For that, the game should have
received a higher star rating to at
least four stars.
Black Ops II
Stars: 4.5/5 according to G4tv.
com.
Black Ops II is back for another installment in the Call Of Duty
series made by Treyarch.
Its current score is 9.3/10, according to IGN.com. On its release date, Black Ops II raked in
$500 million in its first 24 hours.
This beat Call of Duty Modern
Warfare III
in 2011.
Some
elements
were retained
from Black
Ops I, such
as the Nazi
Zombie
mode as
part of the game and also the Special Forces missions.
The campaign mode is new in
this version, with different endings depending on the choices
that you make throughout the
game. For online gameplay, there
are new kill streaks, different
guns, and attachments.
“Black Ops II is a very great
game and one of the best or the
best Call of Duty games,” Senior
Kody Smith said. “The graphics
and gameplay are better than the
others, and I wouldn’t change
anything about it.”
Senior Sean Redmond also
agreed with Smith.
“The one thing I would change
is knifing and I like being able to
dolphin dive,” he said.
I like the game in most aspects,
but they should fix the connection to most games. Also, I agree
with Redmond about the knifing.
Sometimes the knifing actually
knifes the person, and other times
it goes right through, then I die,
and it’s no fun for anyone. Other
than that, I see why it earned the
almost perfect-star rating that it
was given.
It’s a great game, and I recommend it for anyone looking to
play something new or fun.
[ SPORTS ]
15
Senior Arthur Sergeant pins Sophomore Jesse Covey during wrestling practice Dec. 7. Wrestling
Photo by Jared Buxton
and gymnastics are often overshadowed by basketball.
Golf swings into state
By Karalee Johns, Reporter
KR’s Golf team not only wins
meets, they go to state with solid
victories.
“The team did great,” said
Coach Charlie Mitchell. “The
boys won the league and got 2nd
in districts and qualified five guys
for the spring state and state qualifying tournament.”
The girls team also earned
2nd place in the district and also
qualified five for the spring tournament.
Three boys, and three girls
will compete at state. There is
also another possibility that two
more may join the state team as
well. The people who qualified
for state are:
•
•
•
•
•
Ahren Young (Senior)
Ben Dubois (Senior)
Nick Fisher (Senior)
Hannah Kim (Senior)
Stephanie Sewell (Sophomore)
• Meg McMullen (Junior)
There were also some people
Courtesy of Ben Dubois
who have a chance to qualify in
the spring:
• Matt Fisher (Senior)
• Chad Elwell (Senior)
• Aimee Chomngram (Freshman)
Ten of Kentridge’s varsity
golfers advanced from a SPSL
tourney to the WCD tourney.
“This has been one of our better years for both boys and girls,”
Mitchell said. “The boys had a
lot of seniors on the team, so the
expectations were high.”
Mitchell enjoys the game himself.
“I have been golfing for a long
time,” Mitchell said. “I have not
golfed on a team before though.”
Mitchell encourages other students to join the golf team.
“We try and tell the golfers
on our team now to invite their
friends and we talk to kids that we
think would enjoy it,” he said. “It
is especially true for girls since
we haven’t had to cut girls before.
We want to fill out a complete
team.”
Wrestlers and gymnasts want
you to attend their events
By Jared Buxton, Reporter
KR’s wrestling team is at it
again, hoping to top its performance at state two years ago.
The sport of wrestling traces
back further than 15,000 years
ago. The Babylonians, Egyptians,
and the Greeks all practiced this
style of fighting.
Wrestling was the numberone sport and the most brutal
in Greece. Romans adopted the
sport as a result and devised rules
to make it less brutal.
Early
American
settlers
brought the sport with them from
England.
Senior Arthur Sargent began
wrestling when he was 4 years
old at the encouragement of his
dad, who made him start wrestling as a way to get into shape.
Senior Taylor Lee, one of two
girls on the wrestling team, was
also influenced by her dad to
wrestle. Lee has been wrestling
for 11 years.
Junior Johnathan DickersonDuncan got into wrestling in a
different way.
“I got started because I was
epileptic, and didn’t feel like a
man because I didn’t play any
contact sports like football like
all the other guys,” he said.
Wrestling is often overshadowed in the winter by the big
sport of basketball. Sargent is not
concerned.
“It’s not the most known, but
it’s the most competitive,” he
said.
“Yeah I wish we had way more
support,” Lee said. “I feel like we
would do a lot better if we had it.”
“I think it’s a bit underrated,”
Dickerson-Duncan agreed. “But
when I’m out there I just think,
‘I’ma go out there and tear this
kid’s head off.’ ”
Some upcoming home events
for wrestling are:
• 1-5 against Bonney Lake
• 1-16 against Kent Meridian
• 1-23 against Kentwood
Gymnastics can also be overshadowed during the winter.
The sport of gymnastics,
which derives its name from the
ancient Greek word for disciplinary exercises, combines physical
skills such as body control, coordination, dexterity, gracefulness,
and strength with tumbling and
acrobatic skills, all performed in
an artistic manner.
Gymnastics is practiced by
both men and women at many levels, from local clubs and schools,
to colleges and universities, and
in elite national and international
competitions.
Sophomore Joy Derline has
been a gymnast for six years.
“My mom put me into try it
out, and I kept doing it,” she said.
Sophomore Emily Hines has
been a gymnast for five years.
“My friend told me about it;
then I started to do it with her,”
Hines said.
Unlike wrestling, gymnastics
receives global recognition.
“I think it seems pretty big
considering, like, in the Olympics,” Derline said. “It doesn’t
seem like a small sport.”
Upcoming events for gymnastics are:
• 12-19 against KW/Decatur@
Auburn Riverside
• 1-9 against Rogers/Puyallup@
Mt. Rainier
• 1-16 against TJ/Puyallup@
Auburn Mountainview
[ SPORTS ]
16
Kentridge’s own
“Tina Angst” whips it
in it when Winona Ryder’s character is
writing in her diary, playing off the teen
Girls who are as tough, fast, and hit hard angst. My number is 15, to go off the angst
– we call them “Derby Girls.”
with it.”
Roller derby is a contact sport that has McKinstry is a key player.
been around since the 1930s. The game “I am a triple-threat, meaning given the
consists of two, five-player teams, roller team, I can play any position, so I’m good
skating in the direction around a track. The at dodging, getting through the pack,” she
objective of the game is to score the most said. “... I’m really good at communicatpoints by lapping players from the oppos- ing.”
ing team. And, unlike other sports such as Next year, McKinstry is hoping to confootball, a competition between two teams tinue her passion for the sport at a location
is not called a game, but a bout.
near her college.
In the past, roller derby was seen only There is a lot of skill going into roller
as entertainment. However, its reputation derby, and it is a difficult sport requiring
has changed in recent years. The theatrics lots of training.
have gone – no more staged fights. If you “I practice twice a week, two hours
see a fight during roller derby, it’s real.
each,” McKinstry said. “We are skating
Senior Kelsey McKinstry is involved in practically the whole two hours. [There
this hard-hitting sport. McKinstry skates are] all sorts of drills. ... We cross train
for the Seattle Derby Brats. She has par- all week, like yoga. We also mentally train
ticipated in the sport for six seasons since by watching the adult teams and studying
2008, and in 2009, she joined the travel games.”
team, the Galaxy Girls. Being on the trav- All that training comes to play when
eling team, McKinstry gets to compete they have their bouts. And, because it is a
against other teams outside of Washington. contact-sport comparable to hockey, McK At school she is known as Kelsey, but instry has had her own share of injuries.
on the track, derby girls have alter-egos. “Last May when my team went down
“My name is Tina Angst,” said McKin- to California, I fell and got a concussion,”
stry. “My mom actually came up with it she said. “That was probably the worst. ...
from the movie Heathers. There is a quote I wasn’t able to take my AP test. It slowed
By Amy Yang, Reporter
Senior Kelsey McKinstry, a.k.a. “Tina Angst,” practices with the Seattle Derby
Courtesy Photo
Brats.
me down a lot while recovering from that. women had found it and held onto it. It’s
“Three seasons ago, I fell and landed one of those sports dominated by women.
on my hip bone and possibly cracked the Compared to women’s football, they don’t
growth plate in my left hipbone,” she said. get as much hype as men. It’s interesting to
“I’m still affected by that. The muscles are see that aspect -- which sports tend to be
stressed from that, but I get around it. … I men-dominated. Roller derby is a womandominated sport, perhaps even more intermake it work.”
“A lot of my friends at school say I get esting than men’s football.”
What’s great about this sport is that
hurt a lot... but I love it,” she added. It’s not often that society gets to see there is no one type of derby girl.
women in this light. There aren’t that many “All sorts of body types can do it,” she
women-dominated sports, and the ones said. “You don’t have to be big or built.”
that are out there aren’t as rough as roller McKinstry feels tremendous pride in
derby, which is what makes this sport great her sport.
“I feel like I fit in somewhere,” she said. for the female community.
“It’s more empowering,” said McK- “It made me feel more proud of who I am
instry. “I don’t know why, ... just that and feel safe and loved by everyone.”
Some Chargers have their own sports superstitions
Photos/Story by Madison Kelly, Reporter
Michael Jordan, all-time NBA basketball champion, wore his lucky shorts form
his college basketball team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, underneath his Chicago
Bulls shorts.
Wayne Gretzky, NHL superstar, put
his pads on in the exact same order every
time. he played
Call it superstition, good luck charms,
or routine – there also are many Chargers
who have their traditions.
“Two years ago when I used to play soccer for a rec league, my mom bought me
Adidas shorts,” said Bob Singh, a freshman. “After she bought the shorts, I started scoring. I got $5 every time I scored.
I started to wear them to every game and
practice. They were my lucky shorts!”
“By the end I was a millionaire,” he
Noah Ferrel had superstitions when he was 8.
Cerra Carrillo didn’t wash
her top for luck.
joked.
“I bring a roll of tape to all my meets,”
said Junior Ellie Hoekman, who runs
track, dives, and does gymnastics. “It’s
my lucky roll of tape. I never use it,
though.”
Rebecca Hsieh, a senior who played
tennis, isn’t really superstitious, but she
has a friend who was.
“One of my friends used to wear the
same socks and didn’t wash them,” she
Rebecca Hsieh has friends
with superstitions.
said. “It was pretty gross. It worked to
some extent, [and] it made her play better,
but she was already good.”
“I didn’t wash my top last year because I thought it’d be good luck, and it
worked,” said Freshman Cerra Carrillo, a
Chatelaine.
Others, like Sukhsager Dhatt, a freshman who plays soccer and does judo, follow a more traditional route.
“I’m not really superstitious, but some-
Ellie Hoekman has her
lucky roll of tape.
times I go to church before games, and we
win,” Dhatt said.
On the other hand, Sophomore Noah Ferrel, a soccer player, disagrees with the theory of superstition. “I don’t think it works,”
he said, though he admitted to being a little superstitious back when he was 8 years
old. “It just gets people motivated and
makes you feel lucky, so you think you’ll
do better, so you play better,” he said.
[ OP-ED ]
17
Consumerism
has come to
define the holidays
It’s the most
wonderful
time for Muslims, too
By Amy Yang
By Kashmala Iqbal
Don’t get me wrong; I love deals just
as much as the next person. However, with
traditions like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Mobile Tuesday, our society is
becoming more and more of a consumerhungry nation.
Not only that, but the Black Friday frenzy is disconcerting.
How can we go from a day of thanks
and selflessness to greed? The end of
Thanksgiving marks the start of the busiest
holiday shopping all year, Christmas. This
also is the time when retailers spend millions of dollars to infiltrate our brains with
advertisements. The ads are everywhere
– magazines, newspapers, TV shows, various internet and social networking websites. Advertisements like these drive consumerism in America. The more people
see something, the more likely they are to
want it. This is called the “mere exposure
effect,” and psychology like this works.
For example, you are on the internet as
usual, and an advertisement pops up on a
webpage. It may be simple, with just text
or flashy, with bright colors. Either way,
your attention is on the ad. Over time, as
you continually see that ad on various webpages, the more inclined you will be to buy
that product over others with which you
aren’t familiar.
Before you know it, you bought the
product.
Research also has shown that people
in the workplace are buying items online
instead of focusing on their jobs. Cyber
Monday soon may become an everyday
tradition due to the increase in online sales.
And with technology advancing, mobile
devices mean there is no safe haven from
these consumerist activities that will continue to plague our society with their mind
tricks.
The consumerist attitude also has shifted the lives of people in America, forcing
men and women to work on the night of
Thanksgiving for Black Friday, when they
“It’s a shame that
everything only
revolves around
money, and Americans can only see
it in one light.”
should really be spending those meaningful moments with their families.
The consumerist attitude has gone so
far that Missouri is proposing a law to stop
activities like Black Friday. Representative-elect Jeff Roorda of Barnart, MO is
proposing a new law: Shopping would no
longer be allowed on Thanksgiving. It is
called the, “Thanksgiving Family Protection Act,” and according to the Missouri
House of Representatives website, “Retailers have to be closed between the hours of
12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Thanksgiving
Day.” This does not include pharmacies,
restaurants and convenience stores.
While I do feel bad for missing out on
bargains, as I am someone who is extremely stingy with money, I do think that this
proposed law is heading us in the right direction.
It’s a shame that everything only revolves around money, and Americans can
only see it in one light.
I don’t think camping overnight in the
cold, having to fight your way among the
crowds and spending hundreds of dollars is
worth it, especially when you could spend
the rest of the evening eating that homemade pumpkin pie with the ones you love.
Now that’s worth something.
Christmas is believed to be one of the
best times of the year. According to the
Christian religion, it’s the day Jesus, also
known as the son of God, was born. But
Jesus isn’t just the savior for Christians; He
is a messenger of God for Muslims, who
are the people practicing the religion of Islam.
During this time, Americans happily
spend time with their families and give
presents to spread joy. They decorate their
houses with lights and wait for “Santa
Claus” to bring presents to all the wellbehaved children. Those celebrating this
holiday include practicing religious and
non-religious, alike. And, although Christmas is an integral
part of the Christian religion, some other
religions enjoy this holiday as much as
Christians. People practicing the religion
of Islam love this time of the year as we
celebrate the birthday of our beloved
Prophet.
In Islamic countries, people arrange for
big get-togethers with lots of food, parties
“Happy Holidays”
is just fine
By Mary Jane
Mercer Carmona
Happy Holidays!
That’s right, I said it.
I don’t greet people with “Merry Christmas!” “Happy Holidays” is more inclusive
and respects other holidays.
After all, there’s Hannukah, Kwanzaa,
Christmas, the New Year, Ramadan, and
the Solstice.
That’s more than one holiday.
Merry Christmas may be the main holiday greeting in America, but according to
Yahoo, 71 percent of Americans who participated in a phone survey said they do not
to which anyone can come – neighbors and
relatives. People often set up a way to feed
the poor and also donate money to charities.
During Christmas time in the United
States, Muslims shop for presents for their
families and friends. We celebrate the
day of Christmas by staying home, eating dinner together, and sharing our presents.
Both Muslims and Christians celebrate
the day of Christmas for Jesus; make the
day special for His birthday. With Muslims
and Christians following the same beliefs,
they both share the same values of love,
peace, and equality as well.
Even though I may feel alienated during Christmas time because people assume
I don’t care about the holiday, I know that
we all have things in common – Christians
and Muslims alike.
It’s not easy to change people’s views,
but since Christmas is the most wonderful
time of the year, there is no time like the
present.
mind if they are welcomed with “Happy
Holidays.”
Over the years, various groups have
made their opinions on the matter known.
Some people claim “Happy Holidays” is
an Anti-Christian statement.
Some Catholics boycotted “Happy
Holidays” as offensive to their religious
beliefs after Wal-Mart replaced their greeting from “Merry Christmas” in 2005, according to The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights website, and Bill
O’Reilly is always talking about a “War
on Christmas.”
Saying Merry Christmas assumes that
everyone celebrates Christmas, when
some people don’t. This could offend people, and it is insensitive.
Nobody should feel the need to stop
saying “Merry Christmas,” but people
shouldn’t get mad when they hear the other greeting.
[ OP-ED ]
Second Term,
Better Country?
By Sarah Pitt
The election results are in, and
Obama is once again
standing tall at the
head of our country. The great battle
has ended with the
best candidate on
top, and it looks as
if there’s a bright future ahead for America.
However, this has caused a bit of bashing on social media sites, such as Tumblr,
cable news, etc.
It’s time to mature. The election is
over, Obama is the president. It’s final.
18
great president in this second term. Why?
Because he’s made clear what his plan has
been from the start.
First, he plans to increase taxes on
millionaires -- a good thing. Increasing
the tax on those who are paying fewer in
taxes than the middle class will create a
substantial difference to both the economy
and life for the middle class, who has carried the burden of tax increases for years.
Millionaires do not deserve a break
from taxes; those who have less money
do.
Obama plans to address and fix this issue this term. And when comparing this
to Romney’s marginal tax reduction plan,
“I’m not saying that people have to like
Obama as a person, or agree with all of his
policies. All I’m saying is that they should
look past that, see some of the positives.”
So why bother continuing the hate?
Is it really so vital for a select few to
continue living in misery while the rest of
our country moves on?
Well, listen up: Obama will make a
Marijuana and
Marriage Equality
are a “Go”
By Glenn Hartman
In November, some major changes were
made in Washington regarding the legalization of both marijuana and same-sex
marriages. Finally. Washington is heading
in the right direction.
Washingtonians voted for the legalization of the use of marijuana for those 21
and older. The new law will “regulate and
tax marijuana for persons 21 years of age
and older, and add a new threshold for
driving under the influence of marijuana,”
according to sos.wa.gov. The new law sets
aside a portion of the taxes set on marijuana for education and health care.
While I agree that the taxation portion
of the plan, this initiative doesn’t go far
which entailed simply cutting the marginal tax – or the tax paid on an additional
source of income -- and doing nothing to
change the current tax system, Obama’s
is less of a risk to small businesses than
enough. The use of marijuana should be
decriminalized not only for adults, but for
youth, too.
For minors, marijuana now will be prosecuted like alcohol. Someone can die from
alcohol poisoning, yet a person would “theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500
pounds of marijuana within about fifteen
“What’s frustrating is that
it has taken this long for a
handful of states to legalize same-sex marriage.”
minutes to induce a lethal response,” says
The New England Journal of Medicine.
It would take a superhuman effort to
kill oneself strictly from the consumption
of marijuana. And, if teens decide to drive while under the influence, then I could understand
Romney’s plan.
And the plan to grow the economy
from the middle class? This is the best
possible solution to the job crisis.
Think about it: The middle class is the
biggest class in America. Starting from the
top will not make the cut in creating more
job opportunities for the people. By starting with the class in which most citizens
exist, Obama increases the chance that the
economy can get back on its feet, thus improving the value of the American dollar.
If we want to get rid of the deficit, we have
to work on improving our economy first.
I’m not saying that people have to like
Obama as a person, or agree with all of his
policies. All I’m saying is that they should
look past that, see some of the positives similar to the ones I’ve mentioned - and
move on. Arguing will get us nowhere
now that elections are over, and arguing
over the internet is a giant waste of time.
It makes no sense that people would
continue to bring up the first term and
how Obama completely messed up when
we’re already in the second term; they
should begin looking at the positives in
Obama’s plans and think in terms of future growth.
It’s clear that I’m glad that Obama won
the election. Four years ago, he promised
to change things. For the most part, he did.
So despite all the misgivings, we should
accept and embrace our president.
why it would be prosecuted like alcohol.
If teens are caught driving while under the
influence, then it’s perfectly acceptable for
marijuana to be prosecuted like alcohol.
Whether it’s marijuana or alcohol, there
should be a penalty for putting the lives of
others at risk.
The passing of same-sex marriage is a
step in the right direction.
What’s frustrating is that it has taken
this long for a handful of states to legalize
same-sex marriage. I don’t see why people
can’t stand on the right side of the history,
a history that will go in books that our children read.
As rapper Macklemore says in his song
“Same Love,” “No freedom ‘til we’re
equal,” and now in Washington, we are all
equal to marry whomever we’d like.
It is my hope that other states will continue to follow Washington’s example, and
not only legalize the use of marijuana, but
also legalize same-sex marriages. After all,
who are we to decide how others live their
lives?
[ OP-ED ]
Tanning in
the Winter
... REALLY!?
By Kiera Brunson
Tanning in the winter is stupid.
Let’s be honest. One day, you
are a paler shade of Snow White,
and the next day, you’re an Oompa Loompa.
Orange is not attractive.
Let’s be real – no boy or girl
dreams of dating someone who
looks like a traffic cone.
Plus, everyone knows that you
aren’t actually that color.
We live in Washington, people. Our natural colors are what
we were born with – a variety of
different shades untainted by sun.
I understand wanting a little
color on your face, but getting a
spray tan or going bed tanning is
pointless in the winter. Eventually, you are going to be the same
color again, and then you are
back to the same place you were
spending money on immediate
satisfaction that fades -- literally.
Look on the effect this desire
for the perfect shade of brown has
had on teens in our generation
and the next. We have created the
belief that looks are everything,
and if a people are pale, they are
Happy New Year!
What’s Your
Resolution?
By Kylie Degrate
New Year’s resolutions are exciting, but if you’re anything like
me, you make them and never
follow through.
Every year, I make one. Last
year, I resolved to work out at a
gym at least three hours per day,
three times per week.
I actually stuck with it for a
while, but then lost all motivation
after I lost the weight. I still go to the gym, but it’s an hour and half
once a week, if at all.
I don’t think the purpose of a
New Year’s resolution is to follow
through because, let’s be honest;
four in 100 people rarely ever follow through. Statisticbrain.com
states that 45 percent of the population makes a resolution, and of
those, 24 percent fail.
The history of resolutions go
back to the ancient Babylonians,
who made promises to their gods
at the start of each year to return
borrowed objects and pay their
debts. Also, the Romans began
each year by making promises
to the god Janus, for whom the
month of January is named.
In the Medieval era, the
knights took the “peacock vow”
at the end of Christmas each year
to reaffirm their commitment to
chivalry. The concept, regardless
of creed, is to reflect upon selfimprovement annually.
Over the years, I’ve heard
some pretty crazy resolutions,
such as, “I’m going to get him
19
not beautiful. We should care
more about what is on the inside.
I will be the first one to say that
I am pale and proud of it. I don’t
see any problem with being pale.
I know that I am not going to get
skin cancer when I am older, and
I have learned to accept the skin
that I have been given.
I’m not saying getting a bit of
color from the sun is wrong because that is natural. Living in
Washington, we all need as much
Vitamin D as we can get. What
I am saying is that we shouldn’t
hurt our bodies by burning them
at salons or by staining them with
chemicals. We should respect our
bodies and not attempt to harm
them.
Winter is about the holidays
and giving to those in need. If
we are too worried about what
we look like, we will never understand the true meaning of the
giving season.
We were born a color, and we
should stay that color. We should
be comfortable with our selves,
and a part of that is embracing the
color of our skin.
to ask me out,” or “I’m going to
stop being influenced to do things
I don’t want to do.” The craziest
resolution I think I’ve ever heard
is, “I’ve always wanted to pee on
a tree, so this year, I’m going to
do it”.
It’s normal to want to bring
change, whether it is weight loss
or becoming a better person. But
with change comes responsibility. You aren’t going to follow
through with anything unless you
take the responsibility to do so.
Perhaps the problem is that
people set themselves up for failure. Think about it: There is a set
date every year at which people
make a resolution that fails. Maybe this happens because nobody
sets a time to sit back and reflect
on their resolution. It’s a onetime, spur-of-the moment type of
thing.
Making change is great, but I
don’t think there should be a set
date to make the change happen. Resolve to change, just not at
the New Year.
The Last Word:
What was your favorite
Christmas gift?
Freshman Nathan Grozav
Sophomore Samson Paulos
“My leather jacket from my
mom.”
“My favorite Christmas gift
was a dog. It was a chocolate
lab.”
Junior Madi Gingerich
Senior Nathan Lantz, Senior
“New skis from my parents
that I really wanted.”
“A Lego Millennium Falcon,
from Santa when I was 8.”
Vice Principal Eric Anderson
“A three-speed red Schwinn Stingray.”
The Back Page: Holiday Edition
By: Glenn Hartman
The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear!
Fleet Street Newspaper
Kentridge High School
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