Pads for Promise

By: Julia Schexnayder

Pads for Promise is a non-profit organization and community outreach program created and run by Seattle high schoolers that works to make female hygiene products available and free to women in need. They distribute and collect menstrual products to homeless and domestic violence shelters along with advocating to end “period-shaming” and the taboo around menstruation.

The organization began in September of 2015 after senior Katherine Hoope read an article on the different and unfair ways menstruating women were treated around the world, especially homeless women.

“Morally, I can’t be a woman who experiences menstruation and not do something about this.” Hoope expressed.

The non-profit organization is regularly involved in the protest against the sales tax placed on menstrual products because they are not listed as a necessity. In the UK and Australia female hygiene products are listed as a luxury with an even higher tax than in the US.

Hoope explained the reason for these luxury taxes: “It’s important to take account of the people in power around the world who actually impose these taxes and realize that none of these people in power will experience a period so they don’t understand the necessity of these products for people who menstruate and how inaccessible they are making them.”

Pads for Promise has a donation bin in the Teen Health Center where you can donate menstrual products such as tampons, pads, and reusable cups. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join Pads for Promise regardless of gender. Meetings are held every other Friday in Ms. Testin’s room. You can find Pads for Promise at padsforpromise.org or @padsforpromise on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

 

Switching from winter to spring clothes

 

Julia Vreeman

Spring is just around the corner which means we must trade in our puffy, waterproof parkas for lighter weight, less puffy rain jackets. Thankfully, the dreary Seattle spring skies make incorporating most winter wardrobes in spring simple. But there are many ways to change up your style entering the spring season.

For starters, a great component to your wardrobe in spring is the carefree “I don’t care about anything anymore” attitude following the plunging of your grades from finals. What better way to show off your new angst-y teen personality than by accessorizing with ripped jeans and personalized clothing. For ripping a pair of classic denim jeans, take some scissors or an X-Acto knife to the jeans where you want rips. But be sure to set your pants on the ground and place cardboard inside of the pant legs so you don’t end up with Bermuda-short style cutoffs (unless that’s your thing). Then, pull at the strings of denim and take either some sandpaper or a regular disposable shaving razor and vigorously go over the rips of your jeans to create an authentic look while yelling, “You can’t control me, mom and dad!”

If, during this spring season you just want people to stop talking to you, display this through your fashion. My favorite method is committing serious fashion catastrophes. The classics are always great- mixing stripes and polka dots or just going for it by shaving all of your hair off and leaving a braided rattail in the back. My personal favorite method to achieving the total weirdo look is wearing patterned or wool socks with dad sandals- such as Tevas. In fact, have fun this spring and wear only argyle sweater vests or all red track suits. For bonus points walk two perfectly groomed shih tzus around your neighborhood while listening to a Walkman or cassette tape player. Just give up!

For people looking for actual fashion advice, look somewhere else, because it is no secret that I am a mess. If one person does any of these looks, I will have fulfilled my goal as a journalism writer. And you will have achieved your full potential.

TeenTix: “Seattle’s arts scene in your pocket”

By: Julia Schexnayder

TeenTix is a program founded in 2004 as a way to make the arts more accessible for teenagers. Teens ages 13-19 can get a free TeenTix pass delivered to them to see plays, musicals, museums, films, and live music for only $5.

TeenTix’s mission is to build a “bright future for [Seattle] by empowering young people to take an active role in shaping their arts community as audience members, critics, influencers, advocates, patrons, and leaders.”

They believe the arts are valuable and “fun, leisure, and entertainment are crucial components of a healthy adolescence that need protecting.” They want to create safe, accessible places for teenagers to experience the arts regardless of their race, upbringing, wealth, gender, or sexuality.

TeenTix started with partnerships with ten of the resident arts organizations on the Seattle Center campus. In 2006, TeenTix began adding partners outside of Seattle Center. Right now, 60 arts organizations throughout the Puget Sound region are partners with the TeenTix program, including Seattle Symphony, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle International Film Festival, EMP Museum, 5th Avenue Theatre, and ACT Theatre.

To use your pass and get your $5 ticket, all you need to do is go to the venue the day of the showing, show them your pass and student I.D. or drivers license (for proof of age), and pay them $5 in cash (no cards or checks.) TeenTix has special two for $10 days, where you get a $5 ticket and one other person (regardless of their age) can also get a $5 ticket. Two for $10 days are Sundays for all venues besides museums, and Thursdays for museums.

So far, TeenTix has sold 70,000 tickets with their partners, but TeenTix isn’t just about discount tickets. They also have opportunities for youth to participate in leadership training in in The New Guard: Teen Arts Leadership Society, and arts criticism training through the TeenTix Press Corps. Over 80 teen contributors make the TeenTix blog Seattle’s best source of youth-centric arts coverage.

Don’t wait another day before immersing yourself in affordable arts, sign up today at http://www.teentix.org.

Upcoming Albums

Julia Vreeman

Upcoming albums

Kanye West- The Life of Pablo- Having come out on February 11^th, this album has had time to be criticized and acclaimed. Many critics label it as the ultimate ode to Kanye from Kanye. With elements from all of his previous albums many embrace the classic sounds while lyrics also boost his own overinflated ego with titles such as “I love Kanye”.

Wiz Khalifa- Khalifa- Will Wiz Khalifa’s new album compete with Kanye’s following their brief Twitter feud earlier this year? Khalifa’s new album contains personal stories of his own life and the struggles of being a black star rising to the top after a life of hardship.

Young Thug- After releasing the hit mixtape 1017 Thug in 2013, Young Thug gained popularity and released a series of albums. His most recent album, “I’m up” (originally titled Slime Season 3) was released early this February.

Diiv-Is The Is Are- Diiv, pronounced ‘dive’, has recently released their second album in the genre of post-grunge. As a new rock band, Diiv is coining their own trademark sound with elements of classic rock.

The 1975- With a growing fan base, the 1975’s new album is supposed to capture that 80’s sound which they have coined with their last album. Overall- count on some Seattle tour dates later this year.

Tiga- No fantasy required- Tiga’s new album is planned to come out on March 4^th. This album is long awaited by some, while others criticize the fact that he hasn’t released an album in nearly 7 years. Many are excited to see how his sound has changed.

Future-EVOL- Future’s popularity seems to just grow. While he started by just releasing mixtapes from 2010-2011, Future signed a label with Epic Records. He also collaborated with with the Weeknd for the 10^th track on the album “Low Life”.

Animal Collective- As a psychedelic rock band, Animal Collective has an interesting sound that’s formed a cult following in recent years. An international tour begins this month, so if you’re a fan be sure to check for upcoming concerts in Seattle.

Viewers are “hopelessly devoted” to Grease: Live

By: Julia Schexnayder

Grease: Live aired on Sunday, January 31^st and delighted viewers across the country with it’s seamless set changes and elaborate dance numbers. Musical theatre fans old and new watched in awe and excitement as stars Aaron Tveit and Julianne Hough hand jived into their hearts.

Critics were raving over the new takes on classic songs such as “Beauty School Drop-Out” and “Summer Nights” along with the surprise cameos such as Boyz II Men, Joe Jonas, and Didi Conn, the original movie Frenchy, playing Vi, a sweet waitress that gives the new Frenchy (Carly Rae Jepsen) advice.

“In this moment overrun with must-see TV events, ‘Grease’ wasn’t just live. It was alive,” expressed Entertainment Weekly’s Darren Franich.

One of the most shocking but amazing parts of the three hour long show was it’s staging. The show used two soundstages, 21 sets total and a live audience to show that live musicals don’t have to be simply on one stage.

Another hit with the audience was Grease: Live’s diverse casting with actors of color such as Keke Palmer (Marty), Jordan Fisher (Doody), Wendell Pierce ( Coach Calhoun), and Haneefah Wood (Blanche) showing just how easy multi-ethic casting is once you decide to do it, something many other television directors should take note of.

Vanessa Hudgens wowed and inspired the crowd when she performed her solo song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” with grace and bravery despite her father’s death from cancer only hours beforehand. Hudgens dedicated her performance to her father and Fox paid a tribute to him in the closing credits.

“Imagine you had Vanessa Hudgens’ day, and doing that. What a superhero. In total awe,” tweeted Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of the Broadway hit “Hamilton.”

Grease: Live ended with a bubbly curtain call outside the studio leaving the audience emotional and satisfied with the grand opening and ending of the show and excited and hopeful for the future of live TV musicals.

The Grammys were a show worth watching

By Gabrielle Rackner

For 58 years the Grammys have been celebrating music and artists with a chance for all the musical artists to come together and share their love for music, showcase their talents and receive recognition and awards for their music. Musical stars such as Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, and the Eagles have all won numerous Grammys and been recognized greatly for their work and contribution to the music industry. This year, the 58^th annual Grammys awards were certainly a show to watch.

There were some excellent music tributes to honor the memory of the musicians who have sadly passed away this year. With Lady Gaga doing an excellent job of capturing David Bowie’s essence and stage presence in her tribute. Stevie Wonder and Pentatonix paid tribute to Maurice White, a member of the band “Earth, Wind, and Fire” who passed away this year by singing an acapella version of “That’s the way of the world.” The Eagles, who lost lead singer Glenn Frey this year, honored him by singing “Take it Easy.”

The King of Blues, BB King was given a tribute by Bonnie Raitt, Gary Clark Jr. and Chris Stapleton with the song “The Thrill is Gone.” The band, The Hollywood Vampires delivered a tribute to Motorhead. Lionel Richie (who is still going strong), was also honored as Demi Lovato, John Legend, Luke Bryan, Meghan Trainor, and Tyrese sang many of Lionel Richie’s songs. At the end, Lionel Richie surprised the audience by hopping up on stage and joining in for “All Night Long.”

Kendrick Lamar won the most Grammy’s this year with 5 Grammy’s which includes Best Rap Album for “To Pimp a Butterfly.” He also gave an outstanding performance that many are calling the best performance of the night.

Taylor Swift, who opened the night, won three Grammy Awards, including Album of the year for “1989” and also Best Music Video for “Bad Blood.” The cast of the hit Broadway Musical, “Hamilton”, the eighth musical to ever perf0rm at the Grammys, rapped the opening number of their show, “Alexander Hamilton,” live via satellite and accepted the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

Other notable winners were Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars who won Record of the Year with “Uptown Funk”, and Meghan Trainor who won Best New Artist. Also, Ed Sheeran won song of the year with “Thinking out Loud.” Because there were 83 award categories and 15 live performances the Recording Academy handed out many awards early in the Pre-Ceremony. In case many of you are wondering why Adele did not receive any nominations, is because her album came out too late to be nominated this year, so she will probably be nominated come next year’s Grammy Awards.

The 58^th Grammy awards were definitely one to watch, there were many heartfelt and excellent performances that reminded us of how big of an impact music makes on our lives.

Diverse Harmony: giving youth a voice

By Julia Schexnayder

Diverse Harmony was founded in 2002 as the nation’s first queer-straight alliance youth chorus. Diverse Harmony is led by Artistic Director Brayton Bollenbacher, now in his fourth season with the organization.

The chorus has nearly 60 members between the ages of 13 to 22 and has performed in Seattle communities in thirteen regular two-concert seasons. The chorus has also performed tours to Denver, Chicago, Montreal, Miami, and Portland. Diverse Harmony is a member of GALA Choruses (the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses) and is considered a leading youth chorus among its membership due to its longevity and large membership.

No tuition fee is paid by any of the chorus’s members, who find Diverse Harmony a safe space where they can be comfortable with their identity as queer, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, asexual, questioning, and allied. Everyone is accepted into the chorus regardless of their musical experience. Weekly rehearsals have become a home base for many teens where they can feel respected and accepted, and have fun making music together.

Diverse Harmony describes its vision as “a world in which differences are celebrated. We use our passion and the power of music to inspire all to celebrate the differences in our homes, communities, and the world.”

The youth chorus recently performed “A musical Murder Mystery” at the Nordstrom Recital Hall on February 6^th. The musical was written by Daphna Khen and Javion Smith, youth members of the chorus, and pieced together songs from pop, Broadway, and operettas.

“It’s like a second family for me. It’s very accepting and everyone is so kind and helpful.” expressed one chorus member, West Seattle High School freshman, Jake Webley who played the role of Detective 2 with humor and brilliance.

Since the member age limit is 22, many of the members will have to leave at the end of the season.

Webley encourages all students to audition, “Please join! It’s an incredible and fun experience that’s very open to people.” Find more information at diverseharmony.org

Good Grief!

The Peanuts have been warming people’s hearts since Charles M. Schulz created the comic in 1950. Charlie Brown has always missed the football, Linus always had waited for the Great Pumpkin, and Snoopy as always been on a mission to track down the Red Baron. The Peanuts comic strip has appeared in over 2,000 newspapers and for 65 years. Furthermore, Charles M. Schulz’s comic strip was actually modeled off some of the people in his own life.

In 1965, the comic strip was put to life into the movie “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” which won an Emmy and a Peabody award. The success of this movie sparked other Peanuts movies that aired in the same year, “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown” and “Charlie Brown’s All Stars.” These movies sparked plays and TV Shows.

Even today, the Peanuts legacy lives on. In fact, a couple years ago, West Seattle put on the play, “You’re a Good M

an Charlie Brown.” This year, Charlie Brown returned to the movie theaters with, “The Peanuts Movie.”

The new movie still follows the same adventures and misdemeanors of the Peanuts as the comic strip contained and although it has a way different animation style than the original movies, it is said to still captur

e the wholesomeness that the

comic strip contained.

So go to a theater near you and check out the newly updated Peanuts Movie!

What’s your December Horoscope?

By Julia Vreeman

Aries (March 21 – April 19) – You’ve been experiencing a lot of difficulty recently, Aries. This past month has had a real impact on your happiness and overall success. However, throughout all of these trials and tribulations, everything is starting to look up. This process of changing your state of mind may take a little while, but external influences like your friends and family can help you along. Stay positive and focus on upcoming events this month like winter break or special holidays.

 

     Taurus (April 20 – May 20)– This month has a lot of positivity in store. Despite past struggles, you will soon learn how to prioritize and deal with stresses. In addition, keep your eyes open to new people. Feel free to try and form new relationships with people. Despite feeling like it’s difficult to open up, maybe someone new wants to get to know you better. However, with that being said, don’t doubt yourself or your own intuition.

 

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)– It seems like everybody around you is losing their cool, and you’re actually able to get through this month calmly. You have strong instincts, so follow them. If you think that something’s wrong, don’t ignore it. Also, these stresses on your friends and family will soon pass and they’ll want to spend more time with you. They may even be willing to help you with your own projects and struggles, Be open to letting people help you out.

 

     Cancer (June 21 – July 22)– You may feel as if your life has been kind of boring recently. You feel as if you haven’t been doing enough recently and that everyone else has. However, soon you will be pulled towards old friends to have fun and rekindle those bonds. Your life will become more fun and busy this month, but you’ll still have some much needed relaxation. The stresses of school won’t bother you as much as they have recently, and you’ll realize what really matters in life.

 

     Leo (July 23 – August 22)– This month will provide some short lived (yet very important) motivation. Choose what you want to do, and do it efficiently. Prioritize what you need to get done and you’ll be sure to do well in it. Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster this month, Leo. You may be tempted into emotionally exploding with all of your problems, but try and keep calm and collected. Your greatest strength is your resilience, so you can get through anything life throws at you.

 

     Virgo (August 23 – September 22)– There might be some problems you need to solve with people who you’re no longer close with. In addition, be sure to get done with school work early because your motivation this month will be short lived. A lot of this upcoming month will be about rest and relaxation. Focusing on yourself might be necessary to holding it all together this month. Treat yourself- but don’t forget about loved ones and upcoming holidays.

     Libra (September 23 – October 22)- You sometimes tend to not voice your opinions due to the fears of being judged or being wrong. However, you need to speak up more often. Your opinions may come in handy in this upcoming month when people you know ask for your advice or you need to work with multiple people on a problem. Socially you will prosper this month, so don’t be afraid to get out there and talk to new people.

 

     Scorpio (October 23 – November 21)– This month will be a lucky one for you, Scorpio. However, you might be provoked emotionally to attack, but restraining yourself is key to holding onto your integrity. That being said, this month you may find a solution to a problem that’s been bothering you for a while. You’ll have a fun and interesting month. In addition, remember your own wants and needs in your life and don’t disappoint yourself just because of what someone else.

 

     Sagittarius (November 22 – December 21)– An amazing opportunity may present itself to you this month, Sagittarius. However, you must actually be willing to get out there and expose yourself to another person (emotionally, that is. We don’t want a flasher running around the school). You tend to close yourself up and follow a monotonous routine, but if you don’t break your own mold you may miss out on a great opportunity.

 

     Capricorn (December 22 – January 19)– This month will promote a creative streak in your life. Recently, you’ve been drawing in the lines but right now is a time to actually harness your creative energy and take risks. Now is a time to gain perspective on the lives of the people close to you and to broaden your social circles. Gaining trust of people is a great skill to have, and one that you could seriously master if you just opened up a little bit more.

 

     Aquarius (January 20 – February 18)– This month comes with it’s personal set of challenges, Aquarius. However, these challenges will only strengthen you overall. This month also has it’s gems- and you may make memories that you’re not soon to forget. However, this month very well may be filled with busy work that’s not very important to the overall scheme of your life.
     Pisces (February 19 – March 20)- This month is a good time to think reasonably. Sometimes quick and spontaneous reactions result in lasting regrets. Remember to think out your actions clearly so you don’t accidentally get yourself into a lot of trouble. Remember though. If you do encounter obstacles you should still try to overcome them. In addition, work on existing projects this month rather than taking on new ones, because you may not be able to handle them all.

 

 

 

Holiday Foods from around the World

By Emma Brown

#1 Brazil, around the holidays their celebratory meal is turkey with nuts and colored rice.

#2 England, they eat mince pie, a pie made from mincemeat and dried fruit.

#3 France, they eat Buche Noel, a rich cake filled and rolled into the shape of a log.

#4 Greece, Melomakarona, a honey soaked cookie topped with ground walnuts, served on Christmas day after breakfast.

#5 Israel, for the holidays, people in Israel eat Latkes and Sufganiyot for Hanukkah. They are fried jelly doughnuts.

#6 Italy, Lentils.

#7 Korea, kimchi and Tteokguk (rice cake soup.)

#8 Peru, they drink spiced hot chocolate with bread.

#9 Poland, Babka sweet bread with poppy seeds and honey eaten on Christmas eve.

#10 Ukraine, Kutya wheat, poppy seeds and nuts sweetened with honey, and cannot be eaten until the 1^st star appears in the sky.