SAD symptoms are typically expressed in the winter months. Common symptoms include fatigue and carbohydrate cravings.

“You just feel gloomier, you have an Eeyore attitude, and sometimes you just don’t feel like doing anything at all,” says Paul Graham, a local engineer and self-proclaimed victim of SAD.

The disorder is four times more common in women than men, but men’s symptoms can be more severe. In some people, the symptoms surface as early as high school.

“I was 18 or 19 [when SAD symptoms began to emerge],” says Graham.

It’s easy to quickly attribute seasonal depression to winter’s grey skies and cold weather, which simply look sad, but research has found that the appearance of dreary conditions isn’t the main cause of SAD. SAD is likely caused by the changes in daylight hours during the fall and winter. Less sunlight may cause chemical imbalances in the brain and a disrupt our natural sleeping patterns.

Imbalances of two chemicals, melatonin and serotonin, are potentially responsible for SAD. Melatonin, a sleep hormone produced during hours of darkness, makes our bodies “sleepier” in the winter. Serotonin causes feelings of happiness and well-being, and is produced when exposed to sunlight. So shorter days may reduce serotonin levels, and, in turn, happiness.

People living farthest away from the equator—where sunset and sunrise times change the most—are more likely to experience symptoms of SAD. According to the University of Washington Counseling Center, about 10 percent of people in Seattle suffer from SAD, while only about two percent of people in Florida suffer from the disorder. An estimated 20 to 30 percent of people living at latitudes similar to Seattle’s suffer from milder SAD symptoms known simply as the “winter blues.”

Genetics are also believed to play a role in the development of SAD. For example, some people may inherit higher sensitivity to changes in light, leading to SAD symptoms.

“I’m guessing my father [had SAD] because we lived in Beaverton, Oregon for two years and he really didn’t like it,” says Graham.

The most common medical treatment for SAD is phototherapy, which involves sitting in front of a specially-designed light each day. The light exposure is thought to increase the brain’s serotonin levels, and about 75 percent of users who experiment with phototherapy experience improved mood.

After about 10 years of experiencing seasonal symptoms, Graham began taking anti-depressants perscribed by his doctor.

“I bought a light, and used it almost every day for a while…” says Graham. “It helped a little bit.”

For Graham, the best treatment didn’t come from a doctor, medication, or light box.

“I’ve found that exercise during the winter is much more effective,” says Graham.

As awareness of SAD grows, especially in Seattle, people are quick to blame symptoms of depression on the dark and dreary weather. Turning too quickly to light treatments for depression may prevent identification of non-seasonal depression.

As our holiday high is wearing off, it’s normal to be a little less chipper. However, if someone is consistently experiencing symptoms of depression during the winter that disappear during wthe spring and summer, Seasonal Affective Disorder may be to blame. Potentially just as serious as non-seasonal depression, it’s important to treat all cases of SAD with medication, phototherapy, counseling, or simply good ol’ exercise.

Local organization Alleycat Acres was cofounded by Garfield Post Advisor Scott MacGowan and brings together people in the community to plant, grow, and harvest food inside the city, a practice known as urban agriculture.

“The mission [of Alleycat Acres] is to take unused land in the city and turn it into community vegetable gardens,” says Scott MacGowan.

Since its initiation in January 2010, Alleycat Acres has opened two garden plots in Seattle. The first plot was donated by a local Beacon Hill homeowner whose only request was that the project be “quiet, clean, and green.” Six months later, Alleycat Acres found its way into the Central District and started another urban farm on 22nd and Union. Through the tireless work of hundreds of volunteers over the past year, more than 700 pounds of food have been harvested from the gardens. Currently, all the food produced by the gardens is transported by bicycle and donated to local food banks.

“We try to deliver the produce on bikes so we have a low carbon footprint,” says MacGowan.

Alleycat Acres is just one example of what can happen when people come together to grow food in the city. Urban agriculture exists for different reasons throughout the city of Seattle and across the country. From environmentally-conscious students to citizens living below the poverty line, urban agriculture is utilized by all.

In Detroit, where the national economic downturn has had a severe impact, urban agriculture has become increasingly common. Detroit’s population has plummeted, leaving acres of city land empty and unused. Many members of the remaining population of Detroit have been left desperate for jobs and lacking the monetary means to buy food. To combat this reality, residents of Detroit have begun to plant gardens on abandoned city land. Through small-scale community and private gardens, the people of Detroit are provided with foods that would otherwise be unavailable to them. The fruits, vegetables, and animals that are being raised in Detroit allow the city to have more readily-available fresh food as well as a growing sense of success and community.

The idea of growing vegetables to meet the basic needs of poorer communities has stretched far beyond Detroit into Seattle’s South Park neighborhood through the four acres that is Marra Farm, a city-owned garden plot that works to serve the community. At its core, Marra Farm is part of Seattle’s P-Patch program that allows individuals to rent garden plots to grow their own food. By providing a place for South Park residents to grow vegetables, the farm is one of the only ways that low-income South Park residents can access fresh produce, which is often too expensive and largely unavailable in the small South Park grocery stores, and in farmers markets across the city. It gives those that are often excluded from the enviornmental movement a way to participate regardless of economic status.

Marra Farm also provides large donations of produce to local food banks. Working in conjunction with local nonprofit organization Solid Ground, Marra Farm gardeners are encouraged to plant an extra row of vegetables on their personal plots. Last year alone, these extra rows provided over 16,000 pounds of donated vegetables to food banks in need.

Through the rental and distribution of the city-owned land to people in the community, the opportunity to grow fresh vegetables extends far beyond just Marra Farm. Our city currently boasts over 80 P-Patches, making garden plots in Seattle widely available. In 2008, a $2 million levy was passed that has funded the expansion and development of the P-Patch program.

The increasing popularity of urban agriculture in Seattle led Mayor Mike McGinn to declare 2010 the Year of Urban Agriculture for our city. With this declaration, many city restrictions and codes were revised and diminished to encourage the development of agriculture in Seattle. The new ordinance allows urban farms and community gardens like Alleycat Acres to exist in almost any zone.  Residents are also now able to sell the food they grow on their property.

Taking advantage of McGinn’s declaration, Seattle residents are dedicating their land and time to the cultivation of private vegetable gardens. Many people have created gardens in their backyards and parking strips, off apartment balconies, and even on their rooftops. Though the city of Seattle sets limits on the size of plants, the new ordinance has also removed the need for a permit to build vegetable gardens in these spaces.

As household gardens have become increasingly popular, many students are bringing their gardening ideas to their schools. In fact, a very personal growing operation lies right here in Garfield High School.

Garfield’s Horticulture Club, supervised by science teacher Heather Snookal, can be found in the greenhouse on the west side of the second floor after school or during lunches. When past greenhouse clubs had failed, Garfield seniors Rich Ha and Will Comstock stepped up to start a stronger and more available horticulture club. Though the club and its crops are young, there’s a wide variety of edible greens popping up next to the hallways. Peas, basil, ginger, peanuts, and potatoes have already found their place in Garfield.

Ha says that as soon as the club’s harvests are large enough, the club would like to donate the food to local food banks or possibly to Garfield’s school lunch program. Because club members want to make the vegetables available to students, they’ve considered giving out purple and white carrots during Spirit Week.

The promise of great finds at thrift stores provides never-ending excitement. If shoppers just look hard enough, sorting through the chartreuse sports jackets and mountains of muumuus, they’ll find what they’re looking for. Or, if they’re especially lucky, they won’t find what they’re looking for – they’ll find something better.

The items that will take shoppers completely by surprise and exceed their expectations are just waiting to be found. The promise of hitting one of these jackpots puts on the thrill of the chase. Like a dragon inside her lair, shoppers dive into piled-up treasures, seeking out the one that needs them as much as they need it. From a 1949 Garfield letterman’s jacket to a brand new pair of Hollister jeans, the stories of great finds at secondhand stores are seemingly never-ending.

Even if shoppers don’t need something at a thrift store, they can still buy it. Thrift stores are great places to find outlandish, costume-like items worthy of Spirit Days. The insanely-low prices at thrift stores allow people to buy wacky fun items without going broke.

These low prices are a perfect solution to a problem faced by most teenagers – we want new clothes, but don’t have the cash. Luckily, most of the items at thrift stores are inspected for general quality before being set out on the shelves, so it’s uncommon to find a piece of clothing that is torn, stained, or otherwise compromised.

A large amount of the donated items are like-new, name brand clothes that people simply don’t want hanging in their closets anymore. It’s not uncommon to find brand-new clothes with tags still attached. They’re perfectly good clothes that couldn’t embody the “one man’s trash is another’s treasure” saying any more. The funny thing is, most of the clothes aren’t trash at all; in fact, many of the staples of my wardrobe are thrift store finds.

Even if someone isn’t in the market for some great new clothes, he or she is sure to find something of use from the countless other items that find their way to the thrift. From interior designers looking for a masterpiece, to starving college students trying to furnish their apartment, they’ll be able to find their couch, TV, bean bag chair, coffee table, or area rug from the wide-ranging furniture selection. The thrift is also home to countless books, movies, CD’s, and houseware items.

So where can you find these opportunities of a lifetime? Value Village, St.Vincent de Paul’s, the Salvation Army, and Goodwill, to name just a few of the local thrifty alcoves waiting to be discovered and used to their full potential.

No one should look down on the clothes or other items purchased from thrift stores, or think that they’re dirty, as I know many people do. Thrift stores are a perfect way to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Taking advantage of secondhand stores is a little something that you can do to reduce your carbon footprint; conserving resources and saving money is something that should never be frowned upon.

So the next time that you have a pile of clothes you don’t need any more, donate them to your local thrift. You never know who might need them. When your friend calls you up to go shopping, do yourself a favor and skip the overpriced designer store; instead, take an adventure to a thrift store. Like magic, you’ll be soaking up the compliments on your ‘new’ five dollar jeans on Monday.

In response to this yearning, a solution is rising in the form of the Student Senate, a student-led review board that could revolutionize Garfield by giving the student body a voice.  The Student Senate will work to improve relations between students, staff, and administrators by providing a place to amicably address issues and concerns brought forth by the Garfield student body.

“I noticed how powerless and alienated the students were in terms of real decision making,” says Garfield history teacher Hersh Mandelman, who presented the idea of the Student Senate to the ASB in early September. “Students don’t have a strong voice in the policy-making of the school.”

Junior class Treasurer Grant Bronsdon says that the junior class ASB has decided to take on the issue, though the Senate will be a separate entity from the ASB.

The Senate will deal with honor code offenses, policies, complaints, and other punishments, which are topics that ASB does not involve itself with. Though the Senate will include ASB officers to help ensure the primary success and validity of the board, other elected student representatives will also have seats in the Senate.

The Senate will likely consist of three branches of jurisdiction: policy review, discipline review, and teacher concerns.

The Student Senate will be able to review and propose changes to debated management methods, such as the dance and attendance policies. The Senate’s goal is to create policies that receive general student approval and still effectively enforce the rules. The Senate will have the power to propose positive changes to Garfield policies. Proposals will then be passed along through ASB to administration for discussion and approval.

“Discipline review, including Honor Code Review, is the focus of the Senate,” says Bronsdon. “The Senate will meet to review punishments and monitor situations, which is the core of the Senate, without a doubt.”

“Right now, if you are caught plagiarizing, you get a zero and it goes on your record,” says Bronsdon. “One mistake shouldn’t ruin the rest of your life.”

To address this concern, a student who deems a given punishment unreasonable will be able to submit an appeal form asking the Senate to oversee their case. When a reasonable request is received, the Senate will vote on an alternative punishment and seek administrative approval. Alternative punishments will not only be better for the students, but the staff and school as well.  Saturday school or detention could be replaced with more productive tasks, such as school cleanup or volunteering.

“The goal of teacher review is to talk with teachers when we receive complaints or notices from students saying that they have a problem with the teacher,” says Bronsdon. “If it is a correctable problem, ideally we could go in and have a productive conversation with them in order to rectify it.”

Various approvals will also need to be garnered in order for the Senate’s rulings to be upheld.

“We need to check off with students, teachers, administrators, the PTSA, and the District,” says Bronsdon, “but it could be up and running by the beginning of second semester.”

“This gives students an opportunity to be responsible for their peers,” says Mandelman. “They would have to be responsible for things that they’ve never been asked to do before.”

Student responsibility and happiness can go hand-in-hand when the student body is given a chance to speak up for itself.

“I want to have this project be something that empowers students in their ownership of the school, and in their experience of being here at Garfield,” says Madelman.

In order for the Student Senate proposal to reach its full potential, ASB officers will be hard at work over the next few months. During this planning period, Bronsdon and the ASB hope to receive student input in shaping the board.

Concluding with his best wishes, Mandelman says, “You have the capacity. You definitely have the ability, and you guys certainly have the intelligence to create something like that. What it takes is the willingness and the fortitude and the persistence to make it real. That’ll be the project.”

Ezell’s Famous Chicken has been serving delicious fried chicken and side dishes to the Seattle area since 1984, when Ezell Stephens opened the first store with the help of his family and partners. Thanks to the “fresh, good, and fast” food, the joint has had tremendous success in the Seattle area and beyond, often finding itself on Oprah Winfey’s dinner table.

In an unforeseen turn of events for this successful enterprise, the Board of Directors of Ezell’s Fried Chicken has terminated Ezell Stephens’ employment and removed him from his duties as Director and Vice President of the board as of August 31, 2010.

Yes, that’s correct; Ezell’s fired Ezell.

According to Ezell’s Chicken in a statement released September 15, “Ezell Stephens has failed to fulfill two settlement agreements that he personally signed…We tried repeatedly to resolve these issues but finally had no choice except to remove him from the Board and end his employment.”

The company is also suing Stephens for opening two additional stores in Lynnwood and Lake City without board approval. Stephens has been operating the stores for over a year without a license to use Ezell’s Fried Chicken’s brand or recipes.

The company claims that Ezell’s was created by four co-founders, not Stephens alone, assuring that Stephens’ name is only used on the restaurant because it’s catchy.

“I did all the sacrificing and work to start the business,” says Stephens, “and so to just roll over, play dead? No, you got to kill me. I’m not playing dead.”

Stephens is turning around and suing Ezell’s for breach of implied contracts, business interference, defamation, and misappropriation of his own name and recipes. Stephens also claims that he never agreed that he wouldn’t open additional stores.

In an interview with KiroTV, Stephens said he wants the business to stop the using his name, logo, and recipes, asserting that he gave the company permission to use these only as long as he was a member of the corporation.

“Stop using my name when I have no say so over what they’re serving,” says Stephens.

“I think that a lot of people associate Ezell’s with the name,” Junior Sam Helft-Luthy says, “but what’s more important is the fact that they have really good food. This definitely isn’t going to change my buying habits.”

Hopefully, Ezell’s will continue to serve up its famous cuisine like it has in years past. Dedicated student patrons such as Helft-Luthy, newly addicted freshmen, and neighborhood regulars will expect nothing less from this famous restaurant.

Ezell’s will surely remain a Seattle strongohld through this transition period, though uncertainties about the Seattle gem’s future still remain. On KiroTV, Stephens ultimately asked the question on everyone’s mind, “How do you run Ezell’s without Ezell?”

Only time will tell, but in the meantime, pass me some of that chicken.

Joe Diamond (‘24)

If you’ve ever been presented with the chore of finding parking in downtown Seattle, chances are you’ve found parking relief in a self-pay lot owned by Diamond Parking Service, one of the largest parking operations in the world. A member of the Garfield’s first graduating class, Diamond took over the parking business from his older brother. Due to a lack of qualified parking attendants, Diamond installed self-pay slotted coin boxes into unattended lots, launching his business to huge success. Now largely considered the father of self-pay parking, Diamond’s business remains the parking service of choice up and down the west coast.

Minoru Yamasaki (‘29)

After graduation, Yamasaki worked a job at an Alaskan salmon cannery to help pay his way through the University of Washington’s architecture program. Little did those salmon know that Yamasaki would go on to become one of the most prominent architects of the 20th century. His buildings can be seen all over the world, from Seattle and New York to Spain and Iran.

Jack Benaroya (‘39)

Jack Benaroya was not born with seemingly bottomless reserves of federal greens. He made his first humble venture into the working world at the family beer business, where he designed and patented truck loading systems to ease beer distribution. After leaving the family business, Benaroya began his own corporation that became the largest developer of industrial real estate properties in the Pacific Northwest. In 1984, Benaroya sold his business and properties for $315 million and began a new career– that of a generous philanthropist.

Quincy Jones (‘50)

Enough said.

Martin Selig (‘55)

Now this Garfield grad likes to rake in the dough. Selig is the multimillionaire owner and founder of Martin Selig Real Estate, which owns, develops, and manages some of Seattle’s premier commercial buildings and properties. For a taste of the caliber of Selig’s work, just look to the Seattle skyline. The jet-black Columbia Center rises as the tallest building downtown and was sold by Selig in 1989 for $355 million.

Tomio and Tomoko Moriguchi (‘55 and ‘63)

Sushi, anyone? This dynamic brother-sister duo has been involved in the family business for most of their lives. After their father’s death, the two led well-known Asian retailer Uwajimaya to huge success, with Tomio serving as president of Uwajimaya until Tomoko took over as company CEO in 2007.

Ben Slivka (‘78)

Every time you log onto a Garfield computer and click on that Internet Explorer icon, you should remember to thank Garfield’s own Ben Slivka. After graduating from GHS, Slivka landed a job at Microsoft, where he worked for the next fourteen years as a software engineer. In addition to leading the Internet Explorer team to the program’s release in 1996, Slivka also helped develop Windows 95 and MSN. After Slivka’s work at Microsoft resulted in nineteen U.S. patents, his stocks in the company skyrocketed into the multi-millions.

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With such a great track record, Garfield’s sure to produce another success story. But it’s not coincidence that Garfield’s alumni are ones to be reckoned with. According to Garfield librarian Janet Woodward, it’s the  diversity of Garfield and its urban setting that gives grads the tools to succeed in the professional world.  Woodward believes that the key to success is to take advantage of the situations we’re in. Emphasizes Woodward, “It’s all about opportunity.”

No one knows who the next will be to take advantage of Garfield’s plethora of opportunity, or whether their work will be anywhere near the calliber of Thriller. If nothing else, it’ll add to Garfield’s mess of success.

Certainly, we must love the U.S. because we cheer on and support our country during international competitions like the Olympics and World Cup soccer. We set off fireworks on the Fourth of July and sleep in late on Memorial and Veterans Day. These celebrations remind us how great it is that we live in America (though this is something we should never forget in the first place).

So then why is there this silence on a daily basis?  Why doesn’t everyone stand to say the Pledge? For some, discontent for certain government administrations has been enough to glue them to their seats. Others want to flaunt criticism of the war. Many don’t want to suggest that this nation is “under God.” A surprising number simply chose to ignore the issue at hand, being too self-absorbed to take the few precious seconds of their lives to honor our country. Whatever the reason is, it’s not good enough.

For more than two hundred years, Americans have dedicated their lives to this country by enlisting in the military. Even those that disagree with the politics surrounding a war shouldn’t withhold their respect and gratefulness for those who are willing to fight for our country.

When our country is attacked, we fight back. That wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated men and women in uniform. These soldiers love this land so much that they’re willing to die for its protection.

It’s no surprise that the most patriotic people in this country are often our soldiers and veterans. They have made untold sacrifices so that we can live our lives under the cloak of freedom and security. Some have given everything for the Red, White, and Blue, so shouldn’t we at least be willing to stand for a few moments to reaffirm our own love for the USA?

After all, there are so many reasons to love this nation. We have a high standard of living, education for all, and various opportunities to climb the economic ladder. America is a powerhouse of wide-ranging talents that includes Olympic athletes, businessmen, professors, and artists.

And let’s not forget our freedoms. We choose how to worship, who to love, where to live, and how to live our lives in the pursuit of happiness.  Through the years, people have left everything they know to pursue the iconic American Dream. Whether we recognize it or not, most of us are lucky enough to be living various forms of that dream.

Therefore, we shouldn’t take living here for granted. This country is incredible and people of our generation need to realize their privileges and step up to take pride in this nation. Most likely, some will roll their eyes at this and continue unchanged. However, those people should remember that their freedom to be disrespectful of this country comes with their American citizenship and the freedoms we all enjoy as a result of the sacrifices of those brave enough to fight for us.

So get out there. Thank a soldier. Ask to hear a veteran’s story. Say the Pledge.Wear some red, white, and blue. Take pride in the United States of America. It’s the land of the free and the home of the brave, so let’s dare to be brave enough to show this country, and our fellow countrymen, some love.