Alutant The - Ellensburg School ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Alutant
The Ellensburg High School’s Student News Magazine
February 6, 2021
Issue 4
Volume 49
German Club
Page 8
Sidewalk Chalk
Page 7
Superintendent
Pages 4-5
2 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Alutant Staff:
Editor-in-Chief:
The Capitol Building Riots
Jada Godwin offices of elected officials were bro-
A
Jada Godwin
Editor-in-Chief ken into, and everything from mail
Staff Reporters: Feature
Lucy Altman-Coe that Congress members had received
Stephen Martin The actions of the individuals who to the Speaker of the House’s lectern
Helen Mills participated in the Capitol Building were stolen from the United States
Lucas Wright riots were disappointing and danger- Capitol. Democrats and Republicans
Adviser: ous. alike were huddling on the House
Christine Roux Make no mistake, this was an at- floors while domestic terrorists were
tempted coup of our government trying to break down the doors to the
Affiliations to overturn a fair and free election. chamber, while other staff barricaded
Washington Journalism
Many of the individuals present on themselves in select offices.
Education Association
January 6th, the day of the riots, de- This was the first coup of the
National Scholastic Press
Association clared that they wanted Trump to be Capitol Building in American histo-
Quill and Scroll Honor- president, no matter the results of the ry. Once before, in 1814, the British
ary Society past election or any future election. burned down the Capitol Building in
Special Thanks Neither the Department of Justice an act of war during the War of 1812.
ESD Printing Services
nor the Department of Homeland Other incidents include four members
Alutant is an Old English word Security found anything to back up of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party
meaning “bulldog.” claims of voter fraud, and Attorney storming the gallery of the House of
The Alutant is a public forum General William Barr himself said Representatives in 1954 and firing
for student expression. Content
is written and produced by
that there was not proof of fraud any- upon the floor, injuring five Congress
and for students and does not where near the amount necessary to members; a total of three bombings,
necessarily reflect the opinions
of Ellensburg High School or the sway the election in favor of Biden. one in 1915, another in 1971, and the
school district. Not only is this a threat to our de- final in 1983, none of which injured
The publication accepts mocracy, but it’s a direct threat to all anyone; and an incident in 1998 when
freelance work from current
students at Ellensburg High our lives — five people died as a re- a man stormed the Capitol Building
School. sult of the riots. Four were pro-Trump and shot and killed two Capitol Po-
Email: alutant@esd401.org protesters, and one was a Capitol Po- lice officers.
Instagram: @alutantnews
lice officer. This is unacceptable. All of these events should be not-
This attack also temporarily debil- ed for the intent to cause harm or de-
ELLENSBURG HIGH SCHOOL itated the United States Congress, al- struction, but this most recent attack
1203 E. Capitol Avenue though the House of Representatives was the first time a large domestic
Ellensburg, WA 98926
(509)-925-8300 and Senate did reconvene later that group attacked the Capitol Building,
night to formally count and certify and with the aim to take it over.
the electoral votes for the presidential We cannot allow this behavior
election, which Congress was trying to continue. We live in a democracy,
to accomplish before the riots began. where citizens can vote in their rep-
In an effort to stop the count and resentatives to lead the country. We
to show support for Donald Trump, should protect this right, and work to
or perhaps just to brag about break- make voting more readily accessible
Cover Photo: ing in, protesters became rioters who to everyone instead of trying to take
Stephen Martin
soon became domestic terrorists. The it away.
Alutant February 6, 2021 3
Sports Are Back Covid-19
Season 1 in Session
Season 1 sports at Ellensburg High School began on February 1st,
Update
A
Lucy Altman-Coe
and will continue until the end of March. They include
Copy Editor
Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, Girls Soccer, Swim, and Cheer.
Column
As school left for winter break,
Kittitas County saw its first dos-
es of the Covid-19 vaccine, the
first of which was administered
December 18th, 2020 to a regis-
tered nurse. However, because a
large majority of the population
remains unvaccinated, numbers
continue to rise.
As of February 1st, Assistant
Principal Neil Musser reported 74
cases throughout the district, with
18 specifically at the high school.
As of February 1st, Ellensburg
has had 2,002 total cases, with 30
deaths due to the virus, according
Students at cross country practice. Photo courtesy of Olivia Berthon-Koch. to The Weather Channel. Of those
cases, 289 have been at Central
To participate in a sport, students must be registered in Fami- Washington University as of Feb-
ly ID in the EHS Season 1 Sports 2021 program. Students will ruary 1st, according to the CWU.
need an up-to-date sports physical on file, $40 ASB card, and edu Covid-19 dashboard.
blue clearance slip before starting their sport. Check in with Washington State also contin-
your sport’s coaches to see if you can still join. ues to see large amounts of pos-
itive cases, hospitalizations, and
deaths. As of February 1st, Wash-
ington had 297,513 total positive
cases and 4,285 deaths, according
to the Washington Department of
Health.
The nation’s cases also contin-
ue to rise, with 26,034,475 total
cases from January 21st, 2020 to
February 1st, 2021, according to
the Center for Disease Control. In
this same time period, there have
been 439,955 deaths due to the vi-
rus.
Students at volleyball practice. Photo courtesy of Stephen Martin. On behalf of the Alutant, please
follow all Covid-19 precautions in
A
Look forward to Issue 5 for Jada Godwin
Editor-in-Chief order to prevent loss of life and
more sport articles! EHS History end the pandemic.
4 February 6, 2021 Alutant
A Chat With the Superintendent
Leadership During Crisis
A
Stephen Martin went to elementary schools and rience, she went back to the Uni-
Associate Editor had the opportunity to help stu- versity of Colorado to receive
Feature dents with better ways of brush- her teaching certificate. She then
The Alutant had the oppor- ing their teeth and their oral proceeded to work in schools
tunity to speak with Ellensburg care, and we did fluoride treat- around Colorado for the next
School District Superintendent ments with elementary students several years.
Jinger Haberer to discuss her in the mornings.” “I proceeded to teach science
background in teaching and to It was here that Haberer real- for 14 years, and just loved it,”
go over what the behind-the- ized her love for teaching. she said. “I taught middle school
scenes of hybrid has looked “I think the best part of the science, I taught high school sci-
like and her thought process experience was really igniting ence, I had an opportunity to
throughout the ordeal. my passion for teaching. My teach 7th grade English one year,
Haberer was born and grew parents were both teachers, my and math, and just thoroughly
up in Denver, Colorado, and grandmother was a teacher, so enjoyed being a teacher.”
received her Bachelor’s Degree I kind of grew up always being Her teaching experience
from the University of Colorado very interested in teaching and made her feel confident that she
Boulder. After graduating from education. But also living with was ready to move on to admin-
college, she volunteered for a lo- the family there, I became re- istration.
cal health department in Mexico. ally good friends with many of “I thought, ‘I’m ready to
“I became involved with an the other teenagers. It was really move into administration’
organization called ‘Los Amigos just a life-changing experience where I can just keep expanding
de Las Américas,’ and I traveled for me. I found that many of the that sphere of influence and that
to Pachuca, Mexico, and had a friends that I made there had ability to be able to help others,”
wonderful opportunity to live some similar dreams and hopes she said. “Because I’ve always
with an amazing family there,” for our future, and it really gave had that passion, and so I want-
she remarked. “I worked along- me a deep appreciation for their ed to move into a position where
side the Health Department in culture.” I could take what I learned as a
Pachuca, and in the morning After the volunteering expe- teacher, and learned from my
Jinger Haberer in her office, zooming in for an interview.
Alutant February 6, 2021 5
colleagues, and just be able to zations.
really just better empower teach- “Immediately we
ers to do the amazing work that started collaborat-
they do everyday.” ing with Kittitas Pub-
What specifically drew her lic Health, and really
to Ellensburg was the climate, leaned on them,” she
and the fact that it was a college said. “And they have
town. guided a lot of our
“My husband and I had done steps, as well as given
some camping in Washington, us a lot of recommen-
we camped all along the Ore- dations on how to build
gon and Washington coast, and a strong safety plan.”
just loved Washington when we Haberer said that Monumental Clock of Pachuca, Mexico, where Jinger
were out here,” she said. “And the most important Haberer lived while participating with Los Amigos de
Las Américas. Photo courtesy of delso.photo.
when there was an opening in thing after safety was
Ellensburg, I researched Ellens- the educational experience. sure that we had specific build-
burg, and I thought, ‘wow, that “We also needed to look at ing level steps, building wide
would be such a great fit,’ espe- instruction and what are those steps, as to how we could make
cially coming from Fort Collins, learning experiences for stu- that happen.”
which was also a college town.” dents,” she said. “And so ear- Haberer said that the great-
Haberer said that she had en- ly on over the summer we put est takeaway she got from the
joyed her experience living in El- together some infrastructure, experience was teamwork.
lensburg and being able to work where we had a wellness team as “It just reaffirmed the impor-
with the community. well as an instructional technol- tance of teamwork, and every
“I just really fell in love with ogy team, where we really took person is important,” she said.
the community, especially when a collaborative approach right at “Our bus drivers have done an
I was out here interviewing and the beginning, to say, ‘What are amazing job of shifting up their
really just thought that it was a all the things we need to have in schedules so that they could do
good fit, and I just feel so incred- place to ensure that we’re mak- hybrid. Our custodians have
ibly blessed to be here because ing safety a priority, and that we done an amazing job of mak-
I love being here in Ellensburg. are still providing those engag- ing sure that our classrooms are
It really is a special place and a ing learning experiences for stu- staying clean and that we’ve had
special community.” dents? Whether they’re remote the supplies that we’ve needed.
The interview then shift- or in the hybrid in person.’” Our nutrition staff have served
ed to the coronavirus pandemic, As in-person learning be- over 110,000 meals, they’ve done
and the administration’s actions came a reality, the new issue an amazing job in serving our
as schools closed in March. became making that plan into a families with food during this
“We brought together prin- reality. time.”
cipals, administrators, and cen- “I think that we had our safe- “I think we all just have ap-
tral office administrators, and ty plan but we had to make sure preciated just how much team-
we said, ‘Okay, what is the most that we could operationalize it, work is necessary to be able to
important thing?’” said Haberer. so we met with principals who support each other as a commu-
“And two things have stayed the met with their staff to say, ‘What nity and at the school district,”
most important throughout this are the attestations going to look she said, “to ensure that stu-
whole process, the first one is like? How are we going to en- dents, whether they’re remote
safety, safety for students, safety sure that students are going to or in-person, are getting those
for staff.” stay six feet apart while they’re engaging learning opportuni-
To ensure safety for students, sitting in their classroom?’ So it ties, so that they can continue to
the district started working very was really taking everything that develop and move towards suc-
closely with local health organi- we had in the plan and making cessful graduation.”
6 February 6, 2021 Alutant
EHS Fitness Facilities
Fitness Rooms Are Beginning to Reopen
A
Jada Godwin returning to sports. Organiza-
Editor-in-Chief tions like the Washington Inter-
News scholastic Activities Association
Several Ellensburg High (WIAA) and National Federa-
School fitness facilities are start- tion of State High School Associ-
ing to open back up to coincide ations (NFHS) also played a key
with the beginning of spring role in picking what safety pro-
sports. cedures are enforced in practices
At the moment, the weight this year.
room and mat room are not Sport seasons this year have
open after school, but the gyms looked different from previ-
are open for volleyball practice. ous years, with many Covid-19 Jeffrey Zenisek (center) during his senior
Basketball practices will also safety procedures impeding tra- year at Central Washington University.
be held in the gyms come mid- ditional practices. Most of the Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Zenisek.
March. school health procedures have “Compounded with the
Jeffrey Zenisek, one of EHS’ switched over to sports, but [Covid-19] protocols, the Dis-
fitness teachers and head football there have been other strains on trict’s budget cuts for Extracur-
coach, attributed the decision to the sports program. ricular Activities (clubs, etc), all
Ellensburg School District’s Ath- Just last year the high school the rules, and regulations from
letic Director Cole Kanyer, who, experienced a severe budget all the governing bodies have
with the rest of the EHS admin- cut on nearly every after-school made access to facilities almost
istration, used information from activity, rendering some clubs impossible,” said Zenisek.
the guidelines set forth by Gov- dead and other programs in dis- “I don’t know how many
ernor Jay Inslee, Public Health tress. This was at the start of the students will be able to use the
Officer Dr. Mark Larson, and 2019-2020 school year, before weight room and fitness room
the Ellensburg School District to Covid-19 had hit the Ellensburg after school once/or if it opens.
develop a safe plan for students community. If it does open - the protocols
already in place for students at-
tending school would apply.”
Not every fitness facility is
currently open, but Zenisek
explained that the school was
looking into opening the weight
and mat rooms for athletes and
coaches “based on how many
athletes and coaches [can be] in
a 500 square feet area.”
Zenisek has hope yet. “Ev-
eryone has been advocating
for all facilities to be open after
school… We have been trying
to get everything open since we
started school but with all the
Students at a volleyball practice in the main gym.
restrictions it has been difficult.”
Alutant February 6, 2021 7
Sidewalk Chalk
Spreading Positivity
A
Stephen Martin
Associate Editor
News
On January 22nd, Peace Club
met in front of Ellensburg High
School to cover the front side-
walk in encouraging messages
ahead of the end of the semester.
“We are chalking the side-
walk with motivational messag-
es for finals week,” said Jenna
Callan, who has served as Club
President since 2019, to “just
kind of increase kids’ happiness
when entering the school so that Peace Club in front of the school.
they feel less alone with the sit-
uation that we’ve been put into panion, told me to draw a frog,”
because of [Covid-19].” Wright said.
The Peace Club regularly He named the frog Jacob be-
does such drawings, and they cause he “had a frog who died
hope to do more later in the year. and was named Jacob,” and in-
“We are hoping to be able tends to get a new frog in the
to chalk the sidewalks a couple near future.
more times at least, and then If students want to get in-
hopefully do some other ac- volved with the Peace Club,
tivities that we’re still trying to they can text the Remind code
plan,” she said. @ehspeacecl to 81010 or contact
One notable creation was a club leaders Jenna Callan, Annie
frog drawn by sophomore Car- Schlanger, and Judi Nicolai.
son Wright.
“Ashley Callan, a fellow com-
Jacob the frog. A smiley face drawn by a student. An assortment of chalk drawings.
8 February 6, 2021 Alutant
A Very “Gut” Time
German Club Allows Students a Chance to Learn
A
Lucy Altman-Coe turn this into a club and we all
Copy Editor really liked the idea.”
Feature The club’s study of German
Despite the fact that many culture is broad, ranging from
clubs have had to cut down language to food and much in
meetings or eliminate them alto- between.
gether, this year saw the rise of “In the club, we study
a new club: German Club. The German culture,” explained
group is held over Zoom, and Gamache. “We share different
it seems that they have already types of German recipes, music,
made a great connection with art, watching shows/movies in
both German culture and lan- German, studying the language,
guage. and more- really anything and
Sophomore Ashley Callan everything that has to do with
is Vice President of the club, as the German language and cul- A club poster hanging in the west staircase.
well as one of the founders. ture.” one of my best friends so I real-
“I first heard about Ger- Because of their mutual in- ly enjoy our time spent together
man Club at the beginning of volvement in a German class, while learning more about Ger-
the year,” she said. While Cal- the club usually begins by dis- man culture,” Callan explained.
lan may have many other com- cussing class work. “We normal- For those interested in join-
mitments, including being the ly start out by asking how ev- ing the club, you can join their
Sophomore ASB Secretary, En- eryone is and how our German Remind by texting @6433eb to
vironmental Club Secretary, and class is going,” Callan said of 81010 or by emailing Club Pres-
secretary for a youth leadership the club’s agenda. “We then talk ident Alexandra Gamache for
group, these didn’t seem to stop about a certain topic, which was more information. Their meet-
her from spearheading the effort decided the week before,” add- ings are Wednesdays from 10-
to start the new club. ed Callan. 11am via Zoom. All students are
About the formation of the It seems that the club is a great welcome to join the club, and the
club, she explained, “I had way for students to better engage club is a great way for students
weekly meetings with [Advisor with both each other and Ger- to experience a culture despite a
Christine Roux] for check-ins on man culture. “Alex [Gamache] is lack of international travel.
my German class and she told us
about possibly starting a club.” Join the Alutant!
“Ashley, [Club Treasurer The Alutant, Ellensburg High School’s Newsmagazine, is
Eva Herion], and I all decided looking for reporters for the second semester as well as for the
to study German at the begin- 2021-2022 school year! The sixth period class provides flexibili-
ning of the year,” Sophomore ty, writing skills, the chance to get to know your school better,
and Club President Alexandra and the opportunity to improve your college applications and
Gamache added. “Since the lan- resumes. If you need an English, CTE, or Elective credit, or
guage program was completely have a passion for the truth, talk to your counselor today about
online, we decided to dedicate joining the Alutant! For more information, you can also email
zoom times to learn more about alutant@esd401.org. We look forward to seeing you and writ-
German culture. Ms. Roux, our ing for you next semester, Bulldogs!
advisor, suggested that we could
Alutant February 6, 2021 9
Washington’s Vaccine Plan
When Can Students Expect To Get Vaccinated?
A
Jada Godwin
Editor-in-Chief last phase in testing before vac- For more information on the
News cines are officially distributed, different phases of Washington
According to the Centers for although many vaccines contin- State’s Covid-19 vaccine alloca-
Disease Control and Prevention, ue undergoing trials after being tion plan, click here.
35,203,710 total Covid-19 vaccine approved for public use. Astra-
doses have been administered in Zeneca, Janssen, and Novavax all play a large role in determin-
the United States as of February are all developing vaccines that ing when vaccines become avail-
4th. Washington state, which has are currently in Phase 3 testing. able to people.
7.615 million people, has admin- There are a limited num- For instance, students 16 or
istered 797,358 total doses. ber of vaccines available, with older with an underlying con-
The FDA has approved two more being manufactured ev- dition can expect access to the
vaccines for use in the United ery day. Different states have vaccine in Phase 2. If students
States, Pfizer-BioNTech’s and developed plans to allocate the have two or more underlying
Moderna’s. Both vaccines re- vaccine to various risk groups conditions, they’ll have access to
quire two shots, with Pfizer’s as they receive them, with dif- the vaccine in Phase 1B. If a stu-
21 days apart and Moderna’s ferent phases to clearly identi- dent is an essential worker and
28 days apart. Pfizer’s vaccine is fy who can receive the vaccine at risk of exposure to Covid-19,
recommended for people 16 and and when. Washington state has they can expect access in Phase
older, and Moderna’s is for peo- a four phase plan, broken into 2 or 3. If they are under 16 and
ple 18 and older. sub-phases and tiers. a vaccine approved for use with
There are also three vaccines Washington is currently in people younger than 16 becomes
in Phase 3 clinical trials, which Phase 1B tier 1, at the beginning available, they can expect access
are large-scale trials involving of the plan. Age, risk of expo- in Phase 3. Most Washingtonians
human participants. This is the sure, and underlying conditions will receive access to the vaccine
in Phase 4, the last of the phases.
Remember, Covid-19 is most
commonly spread through re-
spiratory droplets, which are
often invisible to the human eye
and can remain in the air for
several hours after the infected
person has left the area. These
droplets are spread when people
cough, sneeze, talk, sing, or even
breathe, which is why the prop-
er use of masks is so important.
While vaccinated people
will no longer get sick from
Covid-19, they may still be able
to spread the virus. Continue to
wear a mask, even after getting
vaccinated, until we know more
A graphic explaining the first phase of Washington State’s Covid-19 vaccine allocation about the vaccines’ limits.
plan. Photo courtesy of Washington State’s Department of Health.
10 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Focus on Mental Health
ASB’s New Project Brings Attention to an Im-
portant Issue
A
Lucy Altman-Coe
Copy Editor
News adversity and motivational sen-
In an email sent out on Janu- timents.
ary 4th, 2021, the Associated Stu- “Adversity is really tough to
dent Body and Leadership class deal with,” Lee said in the first
announced that they would be “Motivational Monday” video
designating January as “Mental on the Best of Bulldogs YouTube
Health Month.” channel. He added in an inter-
“We know the past year has view that “Life is going to knock
been hard, and that mental you down countless times but
health struggles are a real con- don’t let it push you backwards. Sam Nelson in her classroom.
cern for students right now,” Failure is a part of the process to- dously from adversity.”
Activites Coordinator Haley wards success.” Lee also quoted Lee added that “This is a
Naboychik wrote in the email. Denzel Washington in advising journey that will test your char-
The reasoning for this deci- students to “fall forward.” acter to the fullest, but keep in
sion may have been more per- Health teacher Sam Nelson mind that this journey is not
sonal than some realize. echoed the idea of learning from something that you have to walk
“I wanted to advocate for hardships, stating that “Life is alone.”
mental illness because personal- filled with dark tunnels that have If there is one thing people
ly I have been very emotionally light at the other side. Every tun- should take away from this new
low and during these low points nel you travel through is helping focus on mental health and deal-
I felt alone,” said Senior Class you learn and grow.” She add- ing with adversity, it seems to be
President Eric Lee. “I want peo- ed, “Strong mental health is the the encouragement from people
ple to know armor we need to reach out.
that they are Important Phone Numbers: to navigate “The best thing you can do is
not alone and Kittitas County Crisis Line: through the reach out to enlist a person who
that someone 509-925-9861 challenges of can help guide you,” Nelson ad-
in this school National Suicide Hotline life.” vised students going through a
genuinely 800-273-8255 Speaking of rough period. “That person can
cares about Emergency/Hospital Services his own hard- be a friend or family member
them,” he said 911 ships, Social but it can also be a counselor,
of his inten- American Foundation For Sui- Studies teacher teacher, coach, youth leader or
tion for the cide Prevention Eric Wickwire any other adult you can trust.”
project. 888-333-2377 said in a vid- Lee seconded this, say-
ASB mem- 24/7 Domestic Violence Hotline eo sent to the ing that he “[wanted] people
bers, as well 800-799-7233 student body, to know that they are not alone
as staff, have State-Supported Crisis Line “I’ve faced and that someone in this school
produced a 1-888-544-9986 c h a l l e n g e s genuinely cares about them.” He
multitude of Crisis Text Line head-on, per- added, “Anyone can talk to me if
videos includ- Text HOME to 741741 sisted through they need someone to talk to…
ing advice on Crisis Line for LGBTQ+ Youth them, and I’m always down to have a con-
dealing with 1-866-488-7386 grown tremen- versation with literally anyone.”Alutant February 6, 2021 11
12 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Alutant February 6, 2021 13
14 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Alutant February 6, 2021 15
Click here for more information.16 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Looking To The Future
EHS Students’ Post-Covid Plans
A
Lucas Wright
Staff Reporter What are some things you
hope to do once you receive the
Feature
With the Covid-19 vaccine fi-
nally being rolled out across the
United States, we can all see a
Covid-19 vaccine?
tiny little bit of light at the end I’ll still stay home for a few days When I receive the Covid vac-
of this long, difficult journey. It’s after, make sure I follow state cine. I will play soccer and be
not a leap to surmise everyone guidelines and restrictions as able to visit my grandma in Mex-
has given up a piece of their nor- far as masks and distancing, I’ll ico and my aunt in California. It
mal life, whether its a daily or continue to keep washing my will be nice to just have the free-
weekly routine. It could be not hands; it’s a good habit to keep. dom to choose what to do when
seeing family members, giving But the thing i’ve really missed I want to do it.
up hobbies, or even not partici- is playing soccer and just hang- Braulio Villa , Sophomore
pating in the sports you love. ing out doing the stuff I did be-
These are the sad side ef- fore Covid and took for granted.
fects of the Covid-19 pandemic Cole Sullivan, Sophomore
that have been inflicted upon us
during the use of social distanc- First I’ll go see my grandparents
ing and shelter-in-place restric- as long as they have received
tions. the vaccine as well,then hope-
So what will our fellow stu- fully sports are open again and
dents do once these restrictions finally I’ll have a massive gather-
are lifted? ing with all my friends without
masks or social distancing.
First thing I’ll do is go see my Franny Valverde, Sophomore
grandparents. I haven’t been
able to see them since March
last year sadly. Hopefully play Sophomore Cole Sullivan.
sports again, be nice just to run It is clear that many students
about and enjoy myself with are anxious to see an end to the
others while playing sports , and pandemic in order to begin par-
just see friends and be a normal ticipating in their daily lives
teenager again. It’s been a long again. While students have felt
time. that their lives have been put on
Lilly Button, Sophomore hold due to the Covid-19 pan-
I’ll go see my eldery family demic, the vaccine is a light at
members, just hang out with my the end of a long, long tunnel.
friends again and play sports. For more information on vac-
I’ve really missed not playing cines and when students could
soccer with my friends. expect to receive them, see the
Jordan Vargas, Sophomore Sophomore Jordan Vargas. article on page 9.Alutant February 6, 2021 17
Wonder Woman 1984 Review
Why It Doesn’t Even Cast a Shadow to the First
A
Helen Mills Gadot and the movie were friend is back, for no reason other
Staff Reporter praised for showing a female than to be a reaction to whatever
Review superhero being powerful while she’s doing.
“Wonder Woman 1984” was still being feminine and caring. The entire point of the movie
a huge disappointment. Not Wonder Woman sticks to her is to not lie and be yourself. Which
only is it a shadow of the beau- strength, while realistically fall- is such an overused concept that
tiful “Wonder Woman,” made in ing in love with a human. Then it’s boring to watch now. Even if
2017, it insults it. understandingly defeats evil and it’s in a huge superhero movie.
The character Wonder Wom- grieves. It’s a beautiful portrait of This movie was supposed to
an was first created in 1941 and the character and her origin sto- come out in Spring 2020, but was
was soon seen a feminist icon. ry. halted by the Covid-19 pandem-
She was one of the first strong “Wonder Woman 1984,” ic. Then it was pushed to Decem-
women characters in popular however, takes the whole envi- ber 25th. This movie was over-
media. Just like every comic book ronment and throws it out the hyped for months, then when it
superhero, she soon got a show window. came out it was disappointing.
and was portrayed by Cathy Lee Wonder Woman now lives in Wonder Woman is a fantastic
Crosby in 1974. the 80s as an archaeologist while character with beautiful, interest-
In 2017, “Wonder Woman” fighting crime. The bad guy, ing, adventurous stories. It’s just
was brought to the big screen, played by Pedro Pascal, absorbs that sometimes they are executed
starring Gal Gadot and directed a rock and becomes magic. Also poorly. Overall I give this movie
by Patty Jenkins. Wonder Woman’s dead boy- two paws out of five.
McRib’s Return
A And Subsequent Departure
Stephen Martin
Associate Editor
Review ume and by taste.
The McRib is one of McDon- The tangy brown
ald’s most elusive menu items, syrup slathered
appearing and disappearing over the patty is
from stores seemingly at ran- overwhelming,
dom (although the prevailing so much so that
theory is that it appears when- it almost defeats
ever pork prices decline). While the purpose of
the McRib is no longer offered in adding onion and
stores, I had the opportunity to pickles, or even
try the barbeque sandwich my- using pork for
self to see if it lived up to its cult- that matter. It was
The McRib. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
like status. difficult for me to
There are five parts to a even keep the “pork” patty in- McRib this winter, rest assured
McRib: a hoagie bun, pickles, side the bun without the sauce that you didn’t miss much. It’s
onions, a pork patty with fake causing it to slide out. The sauce certainly something that should
ribs, and barbeque sauce. also has the problem of making be tried at least once for the nov-
The sauce is the foremost item the bun soggy. elty, but there’s a reason it isn’t a
on the sandwich both by vol- If you missed out on the staple on the McDonald’s menu.18 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Console Wars Sony vs Microsoft
A
Lucas Wright
Staff Reporter
Review
The biggest gaming battle of
the last seven years took place
this festive season. With the re-
lease of Sony’s PlayStation 5 and
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X, these
two monsters of console gaming
went head to head once again,
just as they did in November
2013.
Hopefully you were one of
the lucky few to get one in your The Xbox Series X and PS5. Photo courtesy of YouTube.
stocking this last festive period. lution in gaming. So let’s find money?
Release numbers were very lim- out by asking a lucky few active Yea it’s worth the money.
ited. According to statista.com, gamers their thoughts on their Then we spoke to Alfie Ap-
a world leading team statistic new consoles. pleby, a sophomore in London,
company, only 11 million units We spoke to four individu- United Kingdom, about his new
of PS5 will be released global- als, two in the United States and PS5.
ly, and with Microsoft releasing two in the United Kingdom. We Is the new PS5 better than the
an even smaller amount of 3.3 had to spread our net wide as previous PS4?
million units of Series X global- these consoles are hard to come Definitely I was so gassed
ly. These consoles truly are like by. when I got it.
gold dust. First we spoke to Dan- How is it better?
Their scarcity is borne out ny Zepeda of Morgan Middle Gaming is faster and the
by the active resale market for School about his load screens move so
both consoles on eBay, as none XBOX X. much smoother, and
of these consoles are available in Is the new XBOX watching youtube on
retail stores. For example, a basic X better than the pre- it is like watching it
PS5 currently retails at $499.99. vious Xbox? on TV there’s no lag.
But on eBay today (as of the Yes by far. Are there any is-
8th of January), they’re priced How is it better? sues or problems you
from $700-$1400. And the Series The games load have noticed with the
X, which retails at $499.99, is so much faster, and new console?
changing hands for $800-$1000. the picture quality Nah, I love it, it’s
Darn, you say, but those is a lot better. Alfie Appleby. Photo courtesy a bit chunky, but i’m
prices are cheap compared to Are there any is- of Alfie Appleby. guessing the model
the prices pre-holidays. Both sues or problems you have noticed will get smaller as future gener-
consoles on eBay were changing with the new console? ations are issued.
hands for between $2000-$2500. Not with the console, but it’s Would you say it’s worth the
For that kind of money they a bit disappointing that there’s money?
need to be not just an improve- not alot of new games released Defo worth the money, I
ment from their predecessors, for the console yet. wouldn’t have paid the prices
they need to be an excellent evo- Would you say it’s worth the there charging now on resaleAlutant February 6, 2021 19
sites though it’s silly money even updates to old Xbox games Are there any issues or prob-
especially as they’re bound to is a bit poor. lems you have noticed with the new
release more units Would you say it’s console?
soon. worth the money? There’s not that many new
Next we spoke Yes and No, it’s generation games available yet.
to Reggie Arnold, a good, but apart from Would you say it’s worth the
sophomore in Lon- the loading speed money?
don, United King- it’s not a massive im- Yea for sure it was worth the
dom about his new provement on my money.
XBOX X. previous Xbox really The small amount of consum-
Is the new XBOX X I was expecting more er feedback on these new gen-
better than the previous I guess, it’s not like it erations of consoles seem to be
Xbox? Reggie Arnold. Photo was cheap. majorly positive, but with such
courtesy of Reggie Arnold.
I’d say yes, as it’s a And last we spoke a small number of units released
lot faster than my previous Xbox to Alex Zepeda, a sophomore at it’s hard to make a truly correct
How is it better? The speed, it Ellensburg High School about decision either way. It will take
does things verything is instant his new PS5. more users to get to a better an-
on it, click a button and it’s done. Is the new PS5 better than the swer. The only real conclusions
There’s no waiting for screens to previous PS4? to gather is that there definitely
load and the connection to WIFI Yes it’s better. should have been more games
seems to be more stable. How is it better? released on both of these next
Are there any issues or prob- The games are smoother generation consoles, and the
lems you have noticed with the new and the picture quality is better, speed of the new consoles seems
console? the games feel more immersive to be a large improvement on
Yeah lack of new games or when you play them. their previous consoles.
Posers are Taking Over
How the Alt Fashion Community is Changing
A
Helen Mills
Staff Reporter
Opinion fashion choice. The people that harmful people.
wear these types of fashions Specifically, tons of people
Alternative fashion can be are usually poorer, part of the have come under fire in the alt
summarized by Google as “fash- LGBTQ+ community, and have community for not truly being
ion, that at one point, stood apart a strong relationship with the in- “alt,” causing huge uproar and
from mainstream commercial ternet. making the community more
fashion.” In the past, such as the 80s, and more unstable.
While people have always 90s and early 2000s, these alt More “fake alt” kids are de-
fallen into different categories of communities were racist, ho- ciding what is allowed and what
fashion, such as country, vintage, mophobic and antisemitic. To- isn’t, taking away from the over-
normal, and sports, these people day, they are much more accept- all community the alt communi-
can usually go about their day ing to all types of people. Now, ty has built up.
with little to no talk about their they try to keep the community Just like the indie, VSCO, and
outfits. No matter how interest- safe from antisemites, racists, vintage fashion groups, people
ing the outfit choice, people will and homophobes. can come in and ruin things.
probably not mention it. With the birth of Tumblr, In- As the alt community grows in
However, people in the alt, stagram, and TikTok, these alt popularity, it takes away from
goth, scene, and punk have of- communities have become more its own fundamentals. They’re
ten been bullied because of their popular, drawing in posers and accepting, posers aren’t.20 February 6, 2021 Alutant
Black History Month Word Search
Famous People
Angelou King
A
Lucy Altman-Coe
Copy Editor Mandela Garvey
Games
Colvin Rudolph
Obama DuBois Baldwin
Parks Hughes Chisholm
Tubman Washington Height
Douglass Marshall GormanYou can also read
