The Bucs' Blade March 2019: Autism

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A U T I S M H I S S U E E pg. 9-13

Volume 74 Issue 5, bucsblade.com

GRAND HAVEN HIGH SCHOOL

March 27, 2019

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blade STAFF 74

A WORD FROM YOUR EDITORS

EDITOR IN CHIEF Maddie Monroe Chris Hudson

NEWS EDITOR Caleb Berko

LIFE EDITOR Morgan Womack

Sophia Jaeger

SPORTS EDITOR Jack Reus Sam Woiteshek

PHOTO EDITOR Carlos Rappleye

REPORTERS Mijan Ahmad Nizam Micayla Cramer Paige Horist Emily Jarrell Mercedes Mancilla Nick Rice Nicolas Twa Lexi Tater Ashton Voorhes Addelyn Wachter

PUBLICATION POLICY

The Bucs’ Blade is a student-produced news publication that publishes information relevant to the times as well as material that is essential to the overall well-being of its readers. It is The Bucs’ Blade’s responsibility to cover school, city, state, national and international events and issues that affect the concerns of the campus, its students or its readers.

The Bucs’ Blade operates as a designated public forum for student expression. The Editorial Board consisting of student editors is the sole decision-making and policy setting body of The Bucs’ Blade and has final say over all content decisions.. The adviser and administration have a non-review role and may offer advice on sensitive issues and will offer criticisms as warranted after publication but the Editorial Board reserves all rights to determine what material shall be published. Editorials represent the collective opinion of The Bucs’ Blade staff.

2 INDEX

It’s almost here: spring break’s approaching and warmer weather is just at our fingertips and many of us start to feel the dreaded slump that we encounter as the end of the year nears; that urge to sit in the sun, do absolutely nothing and not have a care in the world is undeniable.

But, while the impulse to live that lifestyle is powerful, these next few weeks may be some of the most important for our futures after this summer.

After spring break comes the doomed SAT. Which, sorry juniors, this can seal your fate; as college admission relies more and more on these standardized tests, you must be prepared. So, set yourself up for success.

This goes for everyone else too: while all of us may not be required to take the SAT, our GPA’s are also in danger because of this warm weather slump.

Even though you might be itching to get out in the sun, remember this is when it is most important to stay focused in school. Many things coming up can make or break your GPA and destroy your report card: big tests, final projects and of course, exams.

Now, this may stress you out, but remember we are almost done. The light at the end of the tunnel is still waiting to be reached. Seniors, after spring break there are only six weeks left. For everyone else, there are nine - both aren’t too bad to handle.

Come in with a mentality that makes these upcoming weeks seem like the ones we’ve already accomplished with no trouble. Yes, ‘talking the talk’ is way easier than ‘walking the walk’, but if you can force yourself to go day-by-day, with at least some focus, you’ll be strolling into summer before you know it.

Now seniors, it’s a bit of a different situation. With the majority of us already knowing our plans for after this year, that sense of focus can be even lower. Senioritis has set in by some means for each of us in the class of 2019 and we can’t deny the desire to just be done and move onto new endeavors at this point.

We’re here to tell you that yes, the rest of this second semester still matters. Almost all of the colleges you are thinking about attending next fall have some form of final grade requirement and in some cases, if they can see a big decline in your grades, they’ll rescind or alter your admission. That’d be a real fun topic to talk with your parents, wouldn’t it.

So, flash-forward to the middle of June and instead of looking at your final report card and cringing, finish off this school year strong and make it something to be proud of.

3. Staff editorial 4. Veganism 5. Commission of the community 6. Briefs 7. First robotics 8. Dana Nessel

IN-DEPTH 9-13. What is autism?

LIFE 14-15. Nate Allen profile.

16. Vegan recipes

ARTS 17. Alex Hodge 18-19. Reviews

FEATURE 20-21. Jeremy Case profile

Go Bucs.

The Bucs’ Blade Maddie Monroe CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

OPINION

NEWS

Dear readers,

ARTS EDITOR

CONTENTS

Chris Hudson CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

@Bucsblade @thebucsblade

Letters and submissions: Opinions expressed by individuals and in letters to the editor represent those of the author. Letters to the editor should be typed, double spaced and must include the author’s name, signature and class or position. Names of individuals may be withheld upon request, pending a vote of the Editorial Board. Letters may be submitted in hard copy to room 0205 at Grand Haven High School or via email at bucsblade@gmail.com. All letters are subject to review by the Editorial Board. Letters will not be edited except to fix space limitations. Should the Editorial Board deem a letter to be potentially libelous or containing content inappropriate for publication it will return the letter to the author with an opportunity for corrections. The Editorial Board is solely responsible for these decisions. Letters need to be received one week prior to print publication dates to be included in print.

SPORTS 22. Collin Takas 23. Trap club

PHOTO 24. Swimming through the cities with Catalina club March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

PIECING THE PUZZLE TOGETHER Back in the summer, as the Blade’s editors sat around discussing this year’s upcoming plans, there was one topic we wanted to be sure to cover: autism. It’s a disability that most people have encountered, whether you’ve seen someone with it or experienced it firsthand.

At that same time, as the eight of us huddled under a fan, we contemplated the best way to tell this story. Most people have been to pod three in some capacity, but do they truly know what happens there? Do they actually realize what autism is?

Autism is here; it exists. You may not always see it, which is why we wanted to bring it to light.

In fact, one in every 59 kids has Autism Spectrum Disorder now. One. In. 59. That may not seem like a large amount, but it is.

As we went through the process of setting up meetings and interviewing people, we received some pushback. Parents were reluctant of their children being “exposed” or bullied. At times, we contemplated whether it was the right call to focus this issue on what can be a sensitive topic.

Some people claim that autistic individuals have a lower intellectual ability, and lack a cawww.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

STAFF EDITORIAL Support 8-0

pacity to show emotion. However, we’re aiming to prove these claims wrong.

We, assure you personally that, yes, this is a topic that needs to be talked about. Most people aren’t cognizant of it in their day-to-day lives and activities.

That’s why we wanted to share these personal accounts with you, the students. Autism is not a black and white issue; it’s neither all sunshine nor all rain. There’s a large grey area, which is what we hope our coverage helps you realize.

Our team worked extensively throughout the interviewing process to accurately describe the en-

vironments for each individual we profiled. Having the opportunity to talk with them and their families over a meal at their residence, or converse in their workplace, helped us create pieces that challenge the current stereotypes surrounding the autism community.

It was our choice to write these stories this way in order to best represent the honest feelings surrounding this topic, felt by those impacted each and every day around the world.. Our interviews were filled with raw emotion. We made sure to include each and every raw detail, and that is no mistake.

As you read, you may find something that inspires you and perhaps something that irks you.

Ultimately, we hope you can take a few moments of your day to empathize with some of these students. But with that said, do not take pity on them.

They are all strong-willed people who, just like you, face their own challenges every day. Just know that autism is not necessarily something you can tangibly see; it is not always detectable.

These are real people. We hope you learn something from their stories.

FIVE FAST FACTS ABOUT AUTISM • May be due to genes • People who have a sibling or parent with it are at higher risk • Other associated medical conditions have an impact (ex: down syndrome) • Harmful drugs taken during pregnancy increase risk • Belief that poor parenting makes a difference is FALSE EDITORIAL 3

Vegan is the best way to live Why cutting animal products out of your diet can benefit your health and wellness

I

Also, our stomach acids are much weaker in comparison, because we do not have the same strong acids that animals do. The acids we have are meant to be used to digest prechewed fruits and vegetables.

According to The American Journal of Clinical NutriPrior to this decision, I watched a documentary called tion, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, The Scientific “What The Health” that opened my eyes to many things, American and Health and Environment in Aquaculture, it is and I highly recommend that you watch it too. Some people common for toxins to reside in fish flesh. choose to go vegan because of animal cruelty, but for me, Basically, organochlorine, lead, and mercury are all the risk of diabetes and cancer were the main reason I chose substances that you would not in your system. They kill the to switch. enzymes in your body that are in control of your nervous According to M.D Michael Greger, type two diabetes is system, and they cause damage to developing brains. Which not caused by eating a high carbohydrate or sugar diet. could be fatal, or dramatically life-altering.

Most people believe that the only way someone can obBut even though toxins can exist in many animal prodtain diabetes is through overconsumption of sugar, however ucts, that probably won’t stop people from eating them. eating foods high in cholesterol like products made from Just because I choose not to eat meat does not mean that animals is a faster killer in most cases, over sugar. the millions of animals a year will stop The European Heart Journal, and getting slaughtered. If it tastes good, Diabetes UK both did studies and people are going to want it. But it concluded that if a child gets diabetes, could make a difference if one person 19 years could be taken off of their at a time decides to change their diet. life span.

Many people have asked me how If you are consuming healthier hard it is to give up certain foods, but things, you could avoid the buildup of because there are so many alternatives, poor waste material. Food waste, when it has not been hard to do. not fully processed, is what harms the If you are looking into becoming human body, and is why animal proda vegan, do it gradually. I went from a ucts are carcinogens. A carcinogen is “normal” diet to mostly plant-based a substance or chemical that can cause Opinion quickly which actually made me sick, so cancer.

I would definitely recommend that you Milk is a hormonal fluid that does Lexi Tater ease your way into it.

NOT directly correlate with bone Make sure you are consuming development. enough of the vitamins and proteins you would usually get According to breastcancer.org and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, women diagnosed with early-stage from animal products. Vitamin B-12 is a key component to having a healthy body. This vitamin is in every animal breast cancer who eat full-fat dairy products after diagnosis product. are more likely to die from breast cancer than women who You need this vitamin because it regulates your entire eat low-fat dairy products after diagnosis. nervous system and helps to make your DNA. Most people think cancer is just genetic, however, it is Cobalamin deficiency is one of the most common negaalso directly linked to products made from animals.

Humans are not made to process animal products. We do tives of becoming a vegan, but only if you are not taking precautionary measures of eating these vitamins. not have the same chemicals in our stomachs to do so. We If you’re an avid meat eater and dairy consumer and you are structurally made to be herbivores, not carnivores. want to go vegan, make sure you are eating protein, and also That is why we have flat teeth. We do not have claws consuming vitamin B-12, which can be found in the form of and jagged teeth to rip apart flesh, we have hands to gather vitamins usually anywhere. plants and fruits.

Not eating animal products has changed the way I look at According to PETA and Medical News Today, nuts, veghealth and the way that bodies process food. I feel strongly etables, fruit, and legumes are the basis of a healthy vegan that people should look into the benefits of veganism and lifestyle. Humans and other herbivores can move their jaws how you could potentially prevent diseases and sickness. up and down and from side to side, allowing them to grind up fruit and vegetables with their teeth. have been eating mostly plant-based foods for over a month now. This means that most of the things that I consume do not contain dairy, gelatin or meat.

Graphic made by Maddie Monroe using Canva

4 OPINION

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

COMMISSION OF COMMUNITY

Opinion

Chris Hudson For the last 16 months, I have been fortunate enough to be one of two student representatives for the Grand Haven Human Relations Commission: a sub-committee of our town’s city council.

With the end of my two-year term nearing, my perspectives about Grand Haven have almost changed entirely from what I’ve been able to witness while the monthly meetings and local committee events have been in session.

Before having this opportunity, I never really understood the cultural issues in our town that impacted the lives of so many; affecting them (typically) so unfairly.

Point-in-case: the first meeting I attended as a representative. It began with Grand Haven’s Police Chief, Jeff Hawke, sternly speaking to our group about the appearance of “It’s okay to be white” propaganda all over Grand Haven’s downtown area.

For starters, I was caught-off-guard

by Hawke’s surprising shrill and more importantly, I had not even heard about the racial protests from anyone.

I never thought something of that measure would happen in our town.

But, that was my mindset because I had been doing what I had always done: staying confined within my bubble.

Not caring to wonder about the other 10,904 people in the same town as me.

To my luck, that mentality quickly burst and that’s when I began to uncover the issues and stigmas, hushed by the city, but brought to positive light by the Human Relations commission.

And that was also the same meeting where we formed the first steps on our path to change protests like that through a new initiative: “Dinner & Dialogue”.

Building off of Oak Park’s past model, we created local gatherings that

would be held once every two months where community members - strangers to one another but connected by calling Grand Haven their home - would meet at a table, cherish each other’s presence and converse over what has been left unspoken: cultural conflicts that have quietly polarized our town.

Individuals ranging from our own superintendent to recently settled refugees, even youth vocalists, met to finally bring awareness on what was previously unrecognized.

Experiencing it live as one of those seated alongside the table, I could feel the dusty curtains being opened on a long misconceived issue and I could envision a much needed new story just panning out.

It’s only came to fruition by the action of a special kind of group and the courage of selfless citizens to rewrite Grand Haven’s underlying history.

And that’s us: the Human Relations commission.

We would probably come off as just normal group of people: a couple high school students, some county workers, a developmental specialist and more.

But, that’s just the surface.

Each of us have been inspired or faced these city conflicts and know that only we can put matters into our own hands and fix this problem from the bottom, up.

I can’t stress enough how much my fellow representatives have done for this city from a social standpoint.

Rhonda Kleyn, a member of our commission, is the one that first comes to mind for me - consistently helping through her work with the National Housing Services, but going further for acquiring key sponsors, tracking minutes of our meetings and extending her support in any of our events.

She is just one of our 10 representatives who do the same each and every day.

These are the people I consider close peers today that have empowered me more than I could’ve ever imagined, projecting the need for effective positive change within our community.

So as I only have three more months of being a Human Relations commission member, I want to say thank you: for the people I’ve been able to cooperate with, for the work I’ve been able to accomplish and for the feeling of change I’ve been able to see through other people’s lives; it’s quite amazing.

I stumbled upon this opportunity through chance: an application was extended to me because I crossed paths with my old next-door neighbor after bringing her garbage cans up her driveway one day.

I guess it just fits the saying: one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

RIDING ALONGSIDE THE LAW What kinds of words come to mind when you think about the police force in America? If you’re any frequenter of the national media, you may say things like unjust, broken, or perhaps prejudiced.

On Friday, March 8, I was granted the privilege of riding-along with Officer Kelvin Miller at the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety for the night.

Opinion I was with him, and the other officers on Caleb Berko duty, Canan, Dilley, and Williams, from 6:30 p.m. until 3:30 a.m., at which point I could no longer hold my eyes open. The gentlemen pestered me constantly about my bedtime (which I typically set at 11:00 p.m.), but I was determined to make it through to all the action. So I held my eyes open.

I was able to see many things during that short period including witnessing several ticketing stops, a drunk couple attempting to get into McDonald’s at 12:24 a.m., and a glimpse of the Ottawa County Jail.

But the highlight of the night came as we were leaving the jail.

It was broadcasted over the county-wide dispatcher radio that there was a vehicle chase taking place at Washington Ave. and Sixth St. right in front of the public safety building.

This opportunity allowed me to see, firsthand, how some of the police officers in this country do their jobs. And I have to say, I was impressed.

Each of the officers on duty that night welcomed my presence with arms out wide, for they had nothing to hide.

I watched them handle things from obstinate drunks to an overly-energetic woman who was in a vehicle chase that night. Each of them maintained their composure and were professional the entire time.

None of what I saw was unjust. None of what I saw was broken. And none of what I saw was prejudiced in any way. The officers did their jobs, which was to enforce the law.

Notably as we stopped the drunk couple outside of the McDonald’s, the man driving the vehicle stepped out right away, complied with all of their directions, and completed all the tests they asked of him. His blood alcohol content (BAC) was .20 that night, roughly 2.5 times the legal limit to drive.

His wife on the other hand, did not listen to a thing any of the officers asked of her. With every question, she was defiant, raised her voice, and persistently asked “why?”. Yet each of the officers remained calm, and equally persistent in their own respect.

It took them 45 minutes to get her out of the vehicle, and into the police cruiser just so they could take her back to the public safety building so her daughter could come and pick her up. They weren’t even going to take her to jail for the night.

From there, it was easy to see who the good guys were. The officers. And honestly, they’re just the people enforcing the law, so if people do have an issue with a law, then they should write their representatives.

All in all, this was a great learning experience I’m graciously thankful for.

INTERESTED IN A HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION STUDENT POSITION? You can apply for a position by: •Picking up a paper application at the City Clerk’s office •Visiting https://www.grandhaven.org/city-services/boards-andcommissions/ to access the online application www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

Caleb Berko THE BUCS’ BLADE THE LINE OF DUTY: News editor Caleb Berko poses with public safety officer Matthew Padding in front of the Scott Flahive Memorial at the Public Safety Office. Berko was able to gain clear insight on the jobs of those who protect us.

OPINION 5

DECA makes international competition

By Emily Jarrell

On Friday, March 6 the DECA club competed in the state competition in Detroit. This was the last state competition for seniors Elise Vandyke, Chloe Weigel, Alexandrea Kingma, Kelsie McManus, and Chris Hudson. All of whom, minus Hudson and McManus will be continuing to the international competition along with sophomore Emma Laws.

“State was just a practice round,” Kingma said. “This is like the real deal competition with a bunch of kids from different schools there.

We have an opportunity to win a bigger award. It’s gonna be fun.”

New downtown side bar soon to be completed

Senior member Weigel double qualified for internationals, so therefore will compete alongside Kingma and Vandyke in addition to her solo event. Laws also qualified for a solo event.

Weigel worked hard this year to make it to internationals, she’s ecstatic to be competing, but isn’t just focused on the win.

“I’m not really worried too much about the winning part of competing,” Weigel said. “I’m just really excited for the experience. I mean, there are 10,000 kids from across the country who are all very driven and dedicated students.”

Courtesy Chad Jettner

By Lexi Tater

You may have seen it on your social media feed already, there is now a rustic and warmly-tinted little cafe on Washington Avenue that was opened to the public on Feb. 23.

The Michner’s bought the storefront which housed Coffee Grounds, tore down a few walls, and renovated it.

The Side Bar is a part of Oddside ales, both owned the Michner family.

“I have hundreds of goals. My number one goal is to touch each and every person who walks into the door,” Michner said. “Side Bar goes way beyond coffee for me. I want it to be a place that brightens customers days. It’s my

SAVE the

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6 NEWS

way of feeling like I am touching lives.”

They make their own coffee, and strive to cultivate a friendly environment. One of their other goals is to create a healthier menu with housemade syrups.

“It took a lot of trial and error. I believe in providing our customers with the healthiest form of syrups,” Michner said. “That’s why I make them myself with non GMO organic cane sugar.”

They have always wanted to start their own coffee shop, and the Side Bar sounded like a great opportunity.

“I have been to coffee shops all over the U.S.,” Michner said. “When I first

met Chris [her husband] I was happy with a gas station latte before heading to a long day of teaching fifth grade.

After a few months, I quickly learned the difference between gas station coffee and fresh quality coffee.”

They have faced challenges, but they were able to figure it out and balance the responsibilities of two children and owning two small businesses.

“When the opportunity arose to purchase the coffee shop, I wasn’t quite ready to take the plunge,” Michner said.

“We have two little children who keep me rather busy, but we knew it was now or never. Buying the shop allowed both

Chris and I to merge our dreams of the coffee and brewery.”

The Michners hope that construction will be finished by the end of month. So far, they’re making decent progress, and currently open for business from 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, and 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sundays.

“Looking back it would have been helpful if I reached out to another shop for help instead of trying to reinvent the wheel myself,” Michner said. “But, I must say I am very happy with the outcome.”

April 18

April 9 -11

May 4

Delayed Start

May 8

Half-Day

May 27

No School

SAT, Work Keys, M-Step Testing Day for juniors Freshmen, sophomores and seniors do not have to report to school, but must have an exemption form completed to miss the day.

8:00-11:00 p.m.

Prom Juniors and seniors, look in the mail for an invitation including more information and the theme.

Lexi Tater THE BUCS’ BLADE COFFEE: The cafe features many exciting drinks, all made with Oddside’s own syrups that they make in house.

Make sure to stop in and give it a try.

June 22-29, 2020 Belize Trip

Visit www.explorica.com/ striegle-5509 for more information. Mr. Striegle & Mrs. Portenga are planning the trip.

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

Buc ‘n Gears win championship Team 3546 won their first competition of the year on the way to the international competition

By Morgan Womack

The Buc ‘n’ Gears robotics team won the district competition at Orchard View High School on Saturday, March 16 along with their alliances from Muskegon and Royal Oak. The team also received a safety award and senior Mijan Ahmad-Nizam won Star of the Day. Before the competition, team members had to design, code and fabricate their robot, as well as gather sponsors to finance the project.

“When we started we first get the game, on the kickoff day, we first get the rules and what we have to do,” junior Hayden Clark, member of the design team said. “Then our first half week to full week is just coming up with ideas, brainstorming, figuring out what we want to do in the match and how to accomplish that with what technical ideas we come up with.”

The robot needs to be able to achieve a variety of tasks in competition, such as climb a platform, lift up discs and cargo and place them into goals, called hatch panels, for points.

This year’s theme is Deep Space, so the gymnasium was decorated with rockets.

Their robot can reach three levels of the rocket and access all places on the shuttlle, as well as pick up discs off of the ground.

“We do all level climbs, four pick lifts with two wheels and squish motors in the back that roll our robot forward, we lift them up separately and individually,” senior Victoria Jacot, alliance captain and member of the drive team said. We can adjust them. We can play defensive shove a little bit, mostly pretty much just placing hatch panels and climbing.”

During playoffs, each team in the

Morgan Womack THE BUCS’ BLADE THE ROCKET: Senior team member Victoria Jacot stands on the field next to the rocket their robot works with throughout the competition. The theme this year is Deep Space, so all of the competitions are focused on space, and the like.

higher rankings chooses two other teams to join them in an alliance, where they score points together. The field is split into two sections, red and blue.

Each team of three alliances has that space to score points by putting the cargo and discs into the hatch panels.

The Buc ‘n’ Gears and their alliances completed the final round with a score of 60-59. After, they had six hours of “build open bag time” because they need to bag their robot for transport.

Jacot hopes that competition will provide an opportunity to practice with

Making a change is easy here

their robot’s skills.

“Making sure our robot gets efficient training for this competition and the next competition,” Jacot said.

“We’re really excited for competing against other teams and making sure we get at least to finals.”

Calling all colors shows GHHS about all the volunteer opportunities in GH

By Mercedes Mancilla

Calling all Colors (CAC), a group that strives for diversity and acceptance held an event in the auxiliary gym on Thursday, March 14 where over 20 organizations came together to teach students about their organizations and how they can make a change in their community.

The nonprofits ranged from school groups to groups from all around the community. Representatives from Calling all Colors (CAC) attended the event

along with the GSA, the Bucs Care Food Pantry Committee, the Interact Club and the Ambassador’s club.

Other organizations included the Humane Society, the Momentum Center, the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation, Kids Food Basket, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the League of Women Voters, Gracious Grounds, the Great Lakes Alliance and more from all over the community.

Last year CAC brought Calvin Ter-

rell to the school to teach students to be accepting one another.

“We are about creating an inclusive school and community,” senior CAC member Chloe Weigel said. “Last year we had the amazing opportunity to bring Calvin Terrell here and he got to speak to all the students at the highschool and he had this really great message about being the change and taking action.”

CAC now wants to further his mes-

sages and show students how many opportunities they have to make a change in the community.

“So this year we got back together and were like okay what can we do to bring last year’s message to the next level,” Weigel said. “So we decided that we would bring all the change-makers in our community and have a chance to meet with them and find volunteer opportunities and show students how they can be a part of that change.”

Paige Horist THE BUCS’ BLADE HRC: Senior Chloe Weigel is pictured with fellow members of the Human Relations Comission.

Blood drive moved up to April 16

By Lexi Tater

BUCS’ BLADE FILE PHOTO BLOOD DRIVE: Mr. Diederichsen’s anatonmy classes put on three blood drives each school year. Due to 12 snow days during Janurary and February, they had to cancel their second drive, it has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 16. www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

The blood drive at Grand Haven High School has been rescheduled due to weather. School and church cancellations have created a massive need for blood in West Michigan. Consequently, the blood quota has not been met for the month of February and is predicted to not be met for March either.

“We are 3,000 units of blood short,” science teacher and blood drive coordi-

nator Todd Diederichsen said. “By the end of March, that number has gone up to 4,000 short.”

The American Red Cross and Michigan Blood supplies hospitals west Michigan with blood, and high school drives mainly supply West Michigan in the winter, but by summer, high schools and churches supply all of Michigan.

The next blood drive will be on

Tuesday, April 16, and in order to participate, registration dates will be April 8-11 during all lunches.

In order to give blood, you need to be 16 (with parent permission) or 17 and up. You need to be at least 110- 120 pounds in relation to your height and feeling good (not on antibiotics) with no donation of blood in the past 56 days.

NEWS 7

Attorney General leads seminar

M

By Maddie Monroe

onday, March 11 the Grand Haven Tribune and Michigan Press Association hosted a seminar at the Grand Haven Community Center for newly elected Attorney General Dana Nessel. The focus of the meeting was for Nessel to speak about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA).

This seminar was a part of Sunshine Week, an annual celebration of access to public information running from March 10-16.

“Unfortunately these (seminars) fell by the wayside for the last eight years so it is truly an honor for me to restart this tradition,” Nessel said.

“It seemed a no better time to do it than during Sunshine Week to remake these seminars and the partnership between our office and the MPA and I am very excited about it.”

With Michigan’s failing integrity grade from the Center of Public Integrity, Nessel wanted to reboot these seminars.

“It is very upsetting to me that Michigan is the only state in the nation where state law exists that exempts the governor, lieutenant governor and the legislature from requirements of the state’s Freedom of Information Act,” Nessel said. “It’s awful.

Not only that, but we are one of only eight states that received a failing grade for integrity from the Center of Public Integrity. We are absolutely failing, there’s no question about it.”

Given that the FOIA and OMA both apply greatly to the press, Nessel wanted to emphasize her opinion of the media and ensured that it was a key point of her speech.

“Elected officials and governmental entities including me, are constantly receiving requests for information and that is appropriate,” Nessel said.

“We should be receiving those requests. The media is the public’s watchdog and unlike some others, I do not subscribe to the idea that the media is the enemy of the people. In fact, I believe the media is the people’s best friend, honestly. We deserve as public officials to be under the microscope. The people deserve to know what we are doing and how we are doing it.”

However, Nessel’s opinions of the press were not the focus of the meeting. Instead, it was to give an overview of FOIA and OMA and to answer any questions people had about them. Both she and the Assistant Attorney General Thomas Quasarano did just that.

Quasarano has been practicing law for 42 years and working with FOIA for 31.

“I think today went very well, I think that it shows there is a keen interest in the citizenry of these statutes and the participation is a good sign,” Quasarano said. “But I would like to see more young people here. I think because of the way this was presented as an overview of FOIA and OMA, and with the limited amount of time that we had it was very comprehensive and effective.”

While the seminar was cut short, those who attended had many positive things to say about the Attorney General’s speech. Among them was

8 NEWS

Newly elected Dana Nessel holds discussion at the Grand Haven Community Center to answer questions about the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE YIELDING QUESTIONS: Newly elected Dana Nessel holds discussion at the Grand Haven Community Center to answer questions about the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act

School Board Trustee for Kenowa Hills, Eric-John Szczepaniak.

“As a member of a public body that has to follow all these rules, I wanted to get more in-depth knowledge about making sure we are running meetings correctly,” Szczepaniak said. “I definitely learned a lot. It’s great that these are offered and that it is not far from where I live, so I hope that she does more all over the state.”

John Martin, Director of the Loutit District Library also found the seminar to be a positive experience and was glad to have been involved.

“I think what I took away from this is that there seems to be a sincere push from the state government to reach all portions of the state,” Martin said. “It seems to be trying to be inclusive and involve all citizens of our state, regardless of their age or their politics or whatever their background is to get them involved in the political process.”

Before Nessel concluded her speech, she thanked those for attending and promised to continue her efforts to increase government transparency.

“I really appreciate everyone being here today and for taking such an interest in this,” Nessel said.

“I promise throughout my term in office I will be able to answer more and more of your FOIA and OMA related questions. But it has been a great experience so far and I look forward to doing everything that I possibly can in my capacity as Michigan Attorney General to create the most transparent state government as possible.”

Get your spray on at

Special deal: $25 with valid high school ID and parental consent 222 Washington Ave. Grand Haven, MI 49417 Visit www.spraytandiva.com March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

PAGE 10

Q&A with teacher Trisha Nutt Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE

PAGE 12

LINKS Brooke & Tate Zellman profile Carlos Rappleye THE BUCS’ BLADE www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

WHAT IS AUTISM?

PAGE 11

Jacob Hartman profile Carlos Rappleye THE BUCS’ BLADE

PAGE 13

Autism Support of West Shore feature Sam Woiteshek THE BUCS’ BLADE

IN-DEPTH 9

independence. You come to school under the guise to learn academics and focus on schoolwork.

But, you’re also here to learn how to get along with other people, and to be independent, functioning adults: to be able to follow a schedule and organize things. Those factors are the things that the kids I teach struggle with; not the getting-along part, but the organizing and interacting in an independent way. People with autism tend to thrive on a predictable routine and a lot of my students are into very predictable hobbies and what not. When you get into interacting with other people, they can’t ‘read’ people very well, which is one of the things they struggle with. If you can’t read someone’s body language or facial expressions, then it’s really hard to guess what they are going to say back to you, which makes conversations hard and forces them into the trend of just sticking to themselves and not reaching out to others.”

Q: Do your students who have autism maintain a positive or negative view about the disorder?

“About their own autism, they don’t know any different. I had one of my students say: ‘If someone asked me how my life is different with autism, I couldn’t answer that because I don’t know how my life would be different.’ My students don’t know any different, it’s just how life is for them.

Q & A

Teacher Trisha Nutt answers questions about autism disorder traits and the importance of LINKS 10 IN-DEPTH

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE LINKING WITH LEADERSHIP: Teacher Trisha Nutt aims to teach her students with thorough involvment from both her and the LINKS student helpers in her class in order to effectively prepare each person for life after high school.

By Caleb Berko and Chris Hudson

Being a key part for the development of Grand Haven’s special ed department, Nutt believes that the key to working students with autism into a school and societal environment is by collaborating with people their age Q: What is your definition of autism and how would you describe it to others?

tism’. Only after having a conversation or trying to have a conversation will bring that to light.”

“I can give you the academic definition, which is focused around impairments and difficulties with areas of socialization and communication. There are also behaviors that you will sometimes see with people who have autism that are active behaviors, whether that be hand flapping or rocking. A lot of times in students, it’s mild and doesn’t impact their academics.

Q: How does autism, from what you’ve seen, impact their lives in the school environment?

Q: What are the conversational traits that you see in your students who have autism?

“They tend to have difficulty maintaining conversations, especially about things that are not related to the topics they are interested in. There are definitely exceptions to the rule, but just looking at students, most of them you won’t be able to look at them and say ‘they have au-

“I don’t like to use terms like severity or high/low functioning because it’s a spectrum in a lot of different ways. Students have a spectrum as far as IQ, they can have a spectrum in which they can be high or low based on sensory troubles, such as being very sensitive to light and sound or not at all. It can sometimes affect motor movement; I have students who are a little bit clumsier than your typical teenager.”

Q: What is the day-to-day impact that is most noticeable?

“The biggest thing on a daily scale is socialization and

Q: Have any of your students mentioned perceptions or stereotypes about them that they have heard from others?

“None of my students have expressed that to me, but I know they do recognize in the school and wherever they go. I had a student do his own research on autism and it negatively impacted him for awhile, almost making him decide that it was how he was supposed to act. That’s just the way how autism can impact everybody differently.”

Q: Having the advanced special ed departments here at Grand Haven, how is this a benefit for students and teachers?

“I think it’s not in an obvious way and I’m going into my experience LINKS class with this, but what those students have shared over the course of the last handful of years that we’ve had the LINKS program and it’s that if you don’t ever experience working with or being friends with someone who’s on the spectrum, it’s like you’re missing out and you can’t really know what you’re missing out on until you’ve had the experience.”

Q: What kinds of support does your LINKS class give students?

“Before the LINKS program, all of my students who needed any academic support were placed in a generic class with a team or assistance teacher and those teachers are amazing and super helpful, but no teenage boy wants a 30-40 year-old women ‘hanging’ on his shoulder and nagging him to get his work done. So, when I first looked into doing the LINKS program, it was based on research that shows that students with autism do better when they have peer support; when their peers are telling them what’s cool; what they should be doing in class. Across the state today, there are variations of the LINKS program idea and the peer support from elementary to high school is huge.

That’s the key for motivating these students today.”

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

the

CAPTAIN

Junior Jacob Hartman has become a leader for many of his peers through caring support of parents and teachers

By Chris Hudson

A

grin.

It’s easy to catch junior Jacob Hartman’s genuine smile when passing by in the hallways, at the golf course, in the boys swim locker room before catalina practice or at one of multiple activities he participates in.

A simple, swift nonverbal expression like that has the ability to uplift anyone’s day, making close-by peers feel comfortable and relaxed throughout the daily commotion and chaos.

Plainly, it can make one stop. Breathe. And regather themselves.

Keep a careful eye on Jacob a little longer and you might watch him rush right out of sight, holding that iconic simper, as he scouts for a place where he will find his own solace, removing feared tension.

As inviting as his face appears, Jacob feels anxious on the inside - internally debating on what’s best to say or do - especially in the midst of those brief public encounters.

That social indecision is one of the six characteristics that come with autism (see Q&A on page 10).

And for Jacob, it’s been the piece of the autism puzzle that’s almost been with him his entire life.

“He was originally diagnosed at four [years-old] during preschool because he just couldn’t talk and he wouldn’t speak to the other

GET TO KNOW JACOB ◦Favorite Subject: Biology ◦Favorite Food: Pizza ◦Favorite Fish: Bluegill ◦Future Career: ENV. Scientist kids in his class,” Jacob’s mom, Amy Hartman, said.

“Other kids would come out at the end of the day to their parents and ask things like ‘Mom, where’s dad?

You’re not supposed to be here.’ and Jacob just never did that.”

That was the first of numerous hints Jacob’s parents received. They would soon be given a mix of responses from multiple specialists. “Speech development issue” was the most frequently-heard diagnosis.

“We had him evaluated by so many all over the state,” Amy said. “We just wanted to find out what was going on. His speech wasn’t picking up, but he could do what we asked just fine.”

Like other parents, both Amy and Jacob’s father, Jason, went near and far to find what they needed to help their child. They would keep going at all costs, until the necessary support was found; even if it meant going to Ann Ar-

www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

bor for a renowned “Play Program” initiative at the University of Michigan, which focused on youth autistic development in a small environment.

“It was a nurse that overheard our situation with the neurologist in Flint and as we were leaving, she took me out the back door and said ‘you know if I had a boy like yours, I would take him to Dr. Richard Solomon’ and she handed me the brochure,” Amy said.

“The rest is history.”

With the main priority focusing on integrating and engaging people into the autism society, the answer the Hartman’s were looking for finally became clearer.

It would be a change for the Hartman’s to adapt to, but, both parents soon recognized that Jacob wouldn’t be one to settle his potential in what he wanted to accomplish in academics or any activity.

“It’s just the way we’ve raised him to do a little bit more each day and it’s how

he is as a person,” Jason said. “We’ve always knew he could do great things that aren’t the norm.”

Though he was diagnosed as mentally impaired by neurological professionals, Jacob has strived to do more; to not set a ceiling on his future; to try whatever he feels passionate about; to do the same as his parents have taught him through each step of his life.

“Is everything perfect today? No,” Jason said. “It’s not perfect, but we’ve all never settled.”

Now today, as Jacob is a vital piece for catalina and both of the boys and girls golf teams, he’s resembled the role of a captain - selflessly supporting, encouraging and working with others; even taking action to help another student on the autistic spectrum and in LINKS join this year’s catalina program.

When asked what motivates him to go further, Jacob likes to keep it simple.

“I help others because I know they would help me,” Jacob said. “My family taught me that.”

For those who don’t know Jacob, keep watching him grow: he’s always on to something new; something he wasn’t ‘supposed’ or expected to do by the stereotypes.

“Autism is not bad,” Jacob said. “I think it’s really cool and I can make people proud.”

STAR OF THE SHOW: Junior Jacob Hartman struts his stuff during the catalina boys fashion show; one of many skits he was involved in during this year’s performance.

Carlos Rappleye THE BUCS’ BLADE

IN-DEPTH 11

the BOND

Q&A with sophomore Bobby North about autism

the DIRECTOR

BY THE NUMBERS FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER

By Caleb Berko Q: What does autism mean to you?

1out of every 59

children have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

“It’s a special thing you can get.

And sometimes you can’t see it.

Like for me, I’m a normal person, and I don’t realize I have it.”

Q: How does having autism impact your school day?

I think some people may say that people with autism look like freaks, and not like them, but we’re just not.

Q: Do you have a favorite subject in school?

“Does lunch count? I really like independent study hour, because I just like being able to walk home with no homework. I like to get it all done at school.”

Q: Have you had a LINK in a class before? And what did you enjoy about having a LINK? “Yes, last semester. I liked just having someone to talk to, and someone to get me back on track when I’m distracted, because I can get distracted very easily.”

12 IN-DEPTH

Freshman Tate Zellman grows as a student through “LINKS” with his sister

ASWS Executive Chair Linda Elenbaas leads local group with new passion

By Caleb Berko

By Sam Woiteshek

Short and stout, with jet-black hair and an unassuming, easy smile, freshman Tate Zellman can often be found playing his French horn during band class, performing a catalina show, or writing his latest western novel. Despite all the noticeable things about him, what’s not as noticeable is that he has been diagnosed as autistic.

During second hour, his older sister senior Brooke Zellman can be spotted nearby. She’s his LINK: a general ed student assigned through a special program to ease autistic students’ transition into a general classroom (see page 10).

Brooke is there to stand by Tate if he needs help during class performing any number of tasks from notetaking to staying focused. She’s like a teacher’s aide, but just for Tate.

It’s rather unusual for a LINKed pair to be siblings, but they’ve actually found it’s brought them closer. Brooke appreciates the opportunity to help Tate in World History every day.

“I think it’s cool to see how he works in the classroom, and how I can help him,” Brooke said.

“It’s really rewarding to see him do well in classes, get A’s, and that kind of stuff because I’ve been there to help him.”

Tate attributed both his older sister’s mentorship, and the LINKS program to helping him become accustomed to the high school. Last year he attended Walden Green Montessori in Ferrysburg but prefers GHHS. Simply put, there are better amenities here for Tate to reach out to if he needs help than there were at Montessori, especially socially.

“I like how I have more friends than I did, because the school was way smaller,” Tate said. “I’m able to move around more here, and I just enjoy

“

When I’m around other people, I always try to be myself, and not someone else,” Tate said. “I always want to be truthful with people, even though I have a disability there’s nothing I can do about it.

“

Q: What are some stereotypes about autism that just aren’t true?

Linda Elenbaas / COURTESY PHOTO

-Freshman Tate Zellman

the larger environment.”

That environment includes the ability to offer programs like LINKS which allows the siblings a rare opportunity to spend time together which helps solidify their bond.

“We’ve never had a bad relationship with each other,” Brooke said. “So it’s fun; it’s nice to see each other during the day, and just have a little break from everyone else where we both feel safe.”

LINKS is not just a helpful class for Tate, but also for Brooke. Tate says LINKS has taught both of them about how to be better people, and to work comprehensively with others.

“It really helps with our independence skills,”

Tate said. “It also helps us work well with other people.”

In LINKS, Brooke is only with Tate for one hour of the day, so he - just like any other student - has time to be around other kids. Fortunately for him, he has a great mentor like Brooke to show him the way. She fuels Tate to be himself, and not put on a mask for others.

“When I’m around other people, I always try to be myself, and not someone else,” Tate said.

“I always want to be truthful with people, even though I have a disability there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Brooke compliments Tate on his intelligence, noting he doesn’t let other people’s negative opinion get to him. She tells him he has different abilities than most other students do, citing his win at a Super Smash Bros. tournament during a recent trip to Florida.

Brooke has become a source of inspiration for Tate. He strives to follow the example she’s setting for him. He says Brooke is one of his biggest supporters in his cheering section.

“Definitely my sister, my parents, and all of my friends are my biggest supporters,” Tate said.

“They understand my struggle, they’re always there for me, and tell me I’m a good person.

That’s what I like.”

Brooke agreed that having all of these positive influences and opportunities to succeed in Tate’s life have and will continue to prove beneficial to him in future.

“Being able to work on something together, brings us closer together,” Brooke said. “We’re both working on the same thing, and we have the same end goal.”

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

Autism Support of West Shore (ASWS) executive chair Linda Elenbaas struts confidently into the room, bringing an aura of reassurance and a warm smile with her. As she poisefully peels off her gloves, it sends a signal to her surroundings like everything else she does: she’s ready to get to work.

Yet, this unprecedented motivation isn’t an exception - it’s the standard. Elenbaas attacks her position in the organization with the same mentality each day, which may be why she’s so successful in her current role.

At the same time, being a mother of a son with autism and grandmother to a grandson with the same, Elenbaas’ personal connection to the disability can largely be attributed to creation of the program.

“We started in 1976 as a bunch of moms who had kids with autism and wanted to feel less alone,” Elenbaas said. “We wanted people to feel like they had a network.”

Elenbaas’ hard work and dedication to ASWS has greatly shaped the nature of the organization and its reputation for its commitment to its members.

“Our goal is to actively support and advocate for people who have ASD and their families,” she said. “We give out scholarships and are doing a speakers series right now.”

Katie Radley, creator of The Shoreline Center in Grand Haven, has a son with autism and is a member of ASWS who has worked closely with Elenbaas. Radley noted that she admires Elenbaas for determined nature.

“She is willing to take it all it all on,” Radley said.

www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

“She never says no to anything or anybody. She just goes and does it.”

This includes some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that not everyone realizes. Yet, it is also the most significant.

“She’s impacted the community in so many ways,” Radley said. “All of the work she does and the funding that ASWS supplies to families who have to pay co-pays, or who don’t have any kind of insurance at all, is huge.”

At its core, ASWS is an extremely compassionate, considerate organization. Far too often, autism support programs focus on specialized therap. Yet, the inclusion and interaction aspect of development is severely underestimated.

Fortunately Elenbaas’ outside-the-box thinking enforces that community involvement is, in fact, the greatest benefactor.

“We started doing family-fun events; we’ve gone to Craig’s Cruisers and Rebounders,” Elenbaas said. “We want the families to know that you can come you can have a fun two-hour window with other people who totally accept your family.”

Perhaps this is ASWS in a nutshell: family. It’s a component that they stress more so than anything else.

“Nobody with autism is by themselves; their family is so impacted,” Elenbaas said. “Sometimes you have to help parents moved from diagnosis to acceptance. I think part of our responsibility is to show parents that, yes, life is different than what you thought you signed up for.”

This continual togetherness approach by ASWS has equated in their substantial influence to West

4

times Boys are as likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls

2

“

She’s impacted the community in so many ways,” Radley said. “All of the work she does and the funding that ASWS supplies to families... who don’t have any kind of insurance at all, is huge.

“

“I can solve things quicker. I’m a really quick drawer [I like to draw xenomorphs], they’re just creatures I really like to draw. I also like to think I can type faster.”

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE

-Katie Radley, Shoreline Center

Michigan. The organization has a big proponent in shift the common stigmas surrounding autism at a local level.

In fact, the next big catalyst for change is currently in the development as you’re reading this.

“One of things we’re working on is a safe mode of transportation,” Elenbaas said. “It will be a phone app, like Uber or Lyft, and the individuals will actually have a profile on how best to approach the drivers. They’ll be able to use their app to order and pay and everything.”

This ultimately parallels ASWS’ main objective in their efforts.

“We want people to see our kids as quirky, but capable,” Elenbaas said. “We can never change who they are. We just want people to give them a chance and be okay with it.”

As early as age ASD can be found and diagnosed within children

31percent of

children with ASD maintain some sort of intellectual disability

2/3

of Almost children with ASD between age 6 - 15 have been bullied (Statistics according to Autismspeaks.org)

For more stories on autism go to: www.bucsblade.com IN-DEPTH 13

COACHING IN THE CLASSROOM

English teacher brings energy from field to classroom By Nick Twa

W

hen making the trek into English teacher Nate Allen’s classroom, you should expect two things: an amusing class hour full of jokes and a teacher who engages his students like a football coach would. He brings his boisterous voice and his cheerful attitude to class every day and brightens every student’s face when they walk in.

Someone of Allen’s stature, broad shouldered and towering over the rest of his classroom makes you think that he’s a tough teacher.

Not someone who’d just crack a joke with you or talk about what happened in the football world over the weekend. But that’s what Allen does.

Teaching the future of society wasn’t Allen’s first choice. He wanted to take his future to the medical field, but it just wasn’t a good fit. He knew he could make an impact in a different way.

“In high school I wanted to be a doctor,” Allen said. “I took some courses, but it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, so I started coaching football.”

Coaching football is something that takes a loud voice, stern personality and someone who can relate to the athletes they’re coaching.

These all carry over to Allen’s classroom environment.

“It’s teaching out on the field,” Allen said.

“One of the things I like hearing from kids is that I’m a lot different on the field than I am in the classroom. It’s more towards a goal of winning.”

English teacher Brett Hershey, who’s worked with Allen for about eight years can see this energy as well.

“He’s energetic,” Hershey said. “He cares.

He’s positive. And you can see that in his classroom.”

14 LIFE

For junior Will McWatters, working with Allen on the football field and in the classroom has changed the way he’s come to know Allen from the first day of practice.

“First time I met him, he was an intimidating guy,” McWatters said. “On the first day of football, I was afraid to talk to him because he was a big guy. But now, he’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.”

English is not normally the class that you see games being played based on an athletic skills. It’s built upon knowledge of vocabulary words, writing elaborate essays and reading books with important meanings. Sounds boring, right? But Allen likes to spice it up with a little bit of old-fashioned competition.

A small basketball hoop for kids stands in the corner of his room. This is for a game he likes to call “review basketball.”

If a student gets a question about the vocab correct, then they get to take a shot on the hoop. They can either earn one, five, 10, or 20 points. The team that wins earns extra credit.

“I think review basketball is more helpful because it brings out the competition in us,” junior Taylen Inthisane said. “We play hard when we play review basketball.”

Sometimes students aren’t motivated to study a subject they’re not interested in. With review basketball, Allen hopes to alleviate that.

“When you get excited about studying, it makes you more interested in what you’re learning,” Allen said. “It has changed a lot over the years to what it is now.”

When students leave Allen’s class for either the semester or the final days of the school year, he wants them to remember a few things.

“Don’t be afraid to be who you are even though it’s not the most popular thing,” Allen said. “Just because it’s not what everyone else likes doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.”

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

QUOTABLES

Student from Allen’s English 11 class talk about their experiences with his teaching

ALLEN’S FAVORITES FOOD: Ice cream MOVIE: Anything with suspense and action

Carlos Rappleye THE BUCS’ BLADE

Junior Hannah Brackenbury

Paige Horist THE BUCS’ BLADE

Junior Brian Nicholson

“Mr. Allen is definitely one of the most fun “He seemed like a football guy. Everyone said teachers I’ve ever had. He’s so funny, every they liked him as a teacher overall. I love him as single day we spend so much of the class a teacher. I think he’s a great person too. You just laughing. Before quizzes, we have two teams have to meet him first and get to know him.He and he has a hoop and he’ll just go around, teaches in a way that students can interact more. ask some questions and if you get it right you He lets everybody have an opportunity to talk and get to take a shot. It’s so competitive and that’s he has everyone participate. Review basketball is what’s fun too because you actually want to good because it helps to review the day before prepare for it and then you do good on the the quiz. Sometimes you forget to study the night OPENING JANUARY 2019: quiz because the better you do in basketball it’s before but you get to play review basketball so it more fun.” really helps out.”

Sophia Jaeger THE BUCS’ BLADE

Junior Caleb King “I thought he was a cool guy. He loves sports so I knew I could fit in his class. I think he really cares about his students. He makes it enjoyable for me. We should play review basketball more. It’s a fun way to review the words. I like how he uses slide shows to present his material rather than telling the information to the class.”

BOOK TO TEACH: “Kite Runner” or “Lord of the Flies” CLASS MOMENT: Snapped basketball hoop ASPECT OF CLASS: Different personalities

ICEBOUND: THE ORDEAL OF THE SS MICHIGAN

Tri-Cities Historical Museum provides a full calendar of family fun each year!

To become a museum member or to find out more about our programs, exhibits, and events, please visit our website at www.tri-citiesmuseum.org.

WINTER HOURS

TUES - FRI 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

SAT & SUN- 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Coming soon To the Centre Point development on Robbins Road Next to Pizza Hut LIFE 15

Interested in a career in business or marketing?

If so, the blade wants YOU! The Bucs’ Blade is looking for a talented, dependable person to serve as our Business/Marketing director for the 2019-20 school year.

Morgan Womack THE BUCS’ BLADE

FUDGY VEGAN AND GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIES These delectable desserts are perfect for those with food allergies or dietary

By Morgan Womack preferences

Ingredients

Directions

»» One 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and dried »» 1/2 cup sun butter or nut butter »» 1/4 cup almond or coconut flour »» 1/2 cup cocoa powder »» 1/2 cup maple syrup »» 1 tablespoon coconut oil »» 1 teaspoon vanilla »» 1/4 teaspoon baking powder »» 1/4 teaspoon baking soda »» 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

14 LIFE

2. Blend beans, sun or nut butter, almond or coconut flour, cocoa powder, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a food processor.

3. Do not process the chocolate chips.

JOB DUTIES INCLUDE • Overseeing ad sales and billing.

• Writing ad copy • Designing ads • Writing social media posts • Working with Blade social media accounts to track audience engagement.

EARN ENGLISH CREDIT

This is a great opportunity to impress colleges and employers, build your resume and create a portfolio of work that can help you stand out when applying for internships in business, marketing or advertising fields. If interested email sikkengac@ghaps.org, see any Bucs’ Blade student or stop by room 0205 during fourth hour to learn more.

4. Scrape down sides as needed.

5. Pour into greased 8-by-8 pan.

6. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Store on counter for up to 24 hours or in fridge for up to one week.

Check out Lexi Tater’s veganism opinion article on page 4.

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

LIVE, BREATHE, BALLET Sophomore Alexandra Hodge dedicates herself to dance

P

ale pink pointe shoes patter rhythmically across the floor as sophomore Alexandra Hodge bounds into the air hair cascading in waves behind her.

Hodge pours herself into dance, spending countless hours in class and rehearsal perfecting her technique.

“You have to focus your full mind full body on one thing,” said Hodge “You don’t really have time for anything else and it’s just it’s kind of like my freedom. I picture myself on the stage or in my favorite place or just out in the grass one summer day and then I just dance.”

This focus has led Hodge to a promising future in dance, one that will take her to a summer workshop with the prestigious Boston Ballet.

Hodge started dancing at the age of four, in part as a way for her parents to channel her energy.

“She was all over the house jumping out off the furniture,” her mother, Dawn Hodge said “I didn’t want her to hurt herself. So I thought that dance would be a good thing” Since then Hodge has spent much of free time in dance studios..

Her first ballet class was at Nancy Baum’s studio in 2005. Hodge credits the experience for laying much of the foundation for what followed.

“That’s where I learned to really love to dance,” Hodge said.

“She loved to dance, she wasn’t into competition. She wasn’t pushing people, she let them find ballet.”

Baum’s studio was a single room in the basement of her home with worn wooden floors. There Hodge danced until 2010 when the studio was closed after Baum passed away.

“It really sparked my love,” Hodge said. “Ever since then, I can remember back to times when I was in that studio. I would see light on the floor, and I’d be like, I’m going to jump over that light we just turned it into some dance move.”

After her first studio closed, Hodge began following her instructor Amanda Keift to other dance studios around the area until she was pushed to go to Grand Rapids so she could continue to develop as a dancer.

“It’s very scary because the expectations were much higher,” Hodge said. “And I wasn’t at the top of my class, I really had to push myself and I had to find my independence myself. Because I wasn’t there to rely on my freinds” Hodge credits those expectations with making her a stronger ballerina.

“It really helps me grow,” Hodge said “Ever since then, I’ve been more of an independent dancer. I don’t rely too much on other people to tell me what to do, or to push me.”

Hodge takes both lessons at the Grand Rapids Ballet and is a member of their Junior Company. This allows her to be in the per-

Finding a home for dance Sophia Jaeger THE BUCS’ BLADE

Nancy Baum’s 2005 - 2010

www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

formances that the Junior Company tackles each year.

Since joining the Junior Company, Hodge has found herself in many roles that continue to challenge her and push her further in her dancing.

Attila Mosolygo, Director of the Grand Rapids Ballet Junior Company is quick to praise Alex’s work ethic, going so far as to call her “fantastic.”

“I know that she’s very strong as an individual.”

Mosolygo said. “She’s always able to carry certain roles that are soloists roles when she’s dancing by herself. But I wonder if her greatest strength is being able to lead a team and often times when we have group enters she would be the dancer, dancers would come to.”

This doesn’t come without a major investment in time.

On weekdays Hodge travels the hour to Grand Rapids to attend dance classes and rehearsal. Most nights she is not home until 9 p.m. .

“It’s really hard,” Hodge said “A lot of people think like oh yeah, just stick your legs in the air and twirl around. It’s actually really hard you find muscles in your body that you did not think you had and they will hurt.”

For Hodge, her time with the Grand Rapids Ballet is just a step to further herself as a dancer before she pursues a future in a larger company.

“This really is my passion.” Hodge said. “So that just keeps me going and getting better roles. And I want to become famous someday. So that’s pushing me too. I just want to be the best.”

This summer Hodge will take another step at furthering her chances for a future in dance at the Boston Ballet summer camp. There she will spend a month spending her days in classes honing her skill as a ballerina.

“I’m so excited.” Hodge said. “The dancers there, they push you more, you dance more.”

After completing the camp, Hodge will be able to audition for their professional program, which could become a gateway to a career in dance.

Like many fields of the fine arts it is difficult to make a career out of ballet.

“It is possible to train your entire life and never actually be able to become a professional

Grand Rapids Ballet 2010- 2011

By Sophia Jaeger

dancer.” Mosolygo said “Just because there’s so many dancers out in the field and looking for jobs, And there’s only so many jobs available.”

However daunting the chances may be, Hodge will forge on. For her, there is no other option.

“It’s just a part of me,” said Hodge. “Like, God was just like, ‘she needs to do this.’ It’s just something that’s going to happen. And I feel like if it was taken away from me, I don’t think I could function like even sitting here, I’m moving around.

I’m trying because I need to do something.

And dance is just my outlet. I need to dance.”

Amanda Keift 2011 - 2013

ELEGANT: Hodge settles to the ground. She has been dancing since the age of four and hopes to become a professional Ballerina in the future. Her family supports her driving her to her many rehearsals and classes but for them its all worth it when they see her dance. “I will say that is one thing that almost brings tears to my eyes” Dawn Hodge said. “Every time I watch her dance. “

Addy Wachter THE BUCS’ BLADE

Spotlight 2013 - 2016

Grand Rapids Ballet 2016 - Present

ARTS 17

Frightening new films

Alien action might be dissatisfaction

Us promises terrifying thriller What the Heck is it?

A family travels and stays at a beach front home. Everything is going great until four figures show up in their driveway wearing masks. These figures are trying to kill the family, which would be easy to fight back against if the figures didn’t take off their masks to reveal that each figure looks like one of the family members.

Why it might be fan-flipping-tastic If you like creepy and scary movies then this looks like it is going to be pretty weird and terrifying. If you don’t mind gore then this will be quite an enjoyable movie for you. Contains lots of jump

Its risen but is it worth the trouble ?

scares

Why it might be a freaking flop Scissors are kind of a lame murder weapon. Also, the whole figures walking slowly towards the house seems like a rip off of Michael Myers. Another thing that bothers me is the son that wears a mask anyway. I don’t understand the point of the son wearing a mask and I find it stupid.

Emily Jarrell

To watch trailer visit www.usmovie.com

What the heck is it?

When a family moves to a new town their daughter discovers a little landmark, The pet sematary. After tragedy strikes, a grieving father makes a choice. That choice leads to some serious consequences that send the neighborhood in to chaos.

Why it might be fan-flipping-tastic

What the heck is it?

Years after aliens take over the world forcing humans to run the government under their control and rule a rebellion starts to take form against the government. The main character is forced against his will to be a part of this rebellion for something that he did. If he is not careful he might lose his life just like his father.

Why it might be fan- flipping- tastic Looks like there is going to be a lot of action throughout the movie. There also is a lot of cool technology that seems to have developed in this futuristic world and it seems awsome . The design of the aliens looks pretty sweet too. With it being a dystopian movie with a repressive government it gives off major Hunger Game vibes.

Why it might be a freaking flop This has stereotypical storyline of aliens taking over the world or attempting to take over the world. So it might be redundant to the audience. I didn’t see a lot of the aliens a lot in the trailer which makes me think that there will see rare occurrences of aliens. If there is a movie about aliens invading earth you should see a lot of aliens.

It is a classic scary movie so it might be cool to see a more up to date version. The Pet Sematary actually looks like a cemetery in a way rather than the original movie. It appears to include a ritual that I don’t think was in the first movie which adds to the story with the children in the masks.

Why it might be a freaking flop

18 REVIEWS

Classic move to have the kids wear masks which is redundant because killers in movies wear masks all the time. Most people already know the story line which makes the movie predictable. If you didn’t know the story line then the trailer gives away the biggest shock in my opinion which sucks. Also, I’m not getting the vibe that the animals are demonic when they come back in the trailer which was there in the first movie. I don’t think this movie will be scary and that’s the point of the storyline.

Emily Jarrell

832 Robbins Rd, Grand Haven, MI 49417 Hours:M-F 6am-8pm Sat 7am-10pm Sun 8am-8pm Phone:(616) 846-4192 southtowncarwash.com March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

A literature dream come true “Vampire Academy” is a perfect paranormal story about friendship love and conflict

By Macayla Cramer

Movie MARVEL For this fierce feminist and frequent moviegoer, nothing was better than Marvel’s powerful new female hero

“Vampire Academy” is a literature dream. Through every jaw dropping action scene, witty remark and flawed perfection of the two love interests, this book is nothing similar to other fictitious romances I have read before. It’s a stunning realistic take on what it’s like to be a strong woman.

This book includes three fictional species: Moroi, Dhampir and Strigoi. The Moroi are vampire related creatures with the power to control earth’s elements. Dhampir, half Moroi and half human, sworn protectors to the royal Moroi bloodline. Strigoi, soulless blood thrust monsters with one mission, to wipe out the last royal Maori.

Dhampir Rose Hathaway is sworn above all else to protect Moroi princess, Lissa Dragomir.

That’s exactly what Rose was doing when she and Lissa fled the Academy. After a year of run-

ning, the girls are caught by the Academy and forced to return.

But the threat against Lissa’s life has only grown. Now, Rose has to catch up on training, deal with the snobby royal students and a new romantic spark with her mentor, Dimiri, all on top of protecting Lissa. Everyone is expecting Rose to fail, but it’s a good thing she never asked any of their opinions.

An age-old question, if you could spend a day being someone else, who would you choose? I choose Rose Hathaway. Spoiler alert: she’s not perfect. She’s seventeen with a war in her backyard and the sole mission of protecting her best friend from an ancient enemy, while surviving high school. She is not going to be the best friend that will make you cookies. Rose is the best friend that will risk it all: love, rules and her freedom for her duties.

Morgan Womack THE BUCS’ BLADE

I promise you, as a fellow book nerd, you will not regret picking up this book because you will adore everything in this novel. I’ve recommended this book to all of my friends.

Trust me, you will fall in love with Rose and Lissa’s friendship, along with both of their love interests.

By Maddie Monroe

After the trailer for Captain Marvel was released, I was filled with nothing but excitement.

I had been waiting a long time for a superhero movie about a strong, independent female so it seemed like it would check all the boxes for me.

After watching the film I can confirm that it did.

The movie is set in the ‘90s before any of The Avengers films and centers around the story of a woman named Marvell, an extraterrestrial Kree warrior.

However, at the start of the film, Marvell does not know that she was formerly a U.S. Air Force pilot named Carol Danvers. After a flight crash,

Danvers was hit by a powerful electric blast which gave her incredible powers. So the Kree kidnapped her and erased her memory so they could use her as a weapon against another alien race, the Skrulls.

With the help of Shield Agent Nick Fury, Danvers soon realizes her past and how powerful she really is.

Toward the end of the film,

www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

she finally becomes Captain Marvel, making her the superhero of my dreams.

The film was filled with amazing action scenes, suspense and witty humor that all combined to make one of the best Marvel Studios films I have ever seen.

Which is probably why it debuted with a whopping $455 million in box office sales, making it the secondbiggest launch for a superhero movie worldwide.

Leaving the theater, I had a newfound pep in my step. To me, Carol Danvers is not just a character. She is a trailblazer, she proves to everyone that movies about female superheroes can succeed. Her energy filled me with inspiration and hope that we will continue to create amazing female characters like her.

REVIEWS 19

“I am an outgoing individual. I am one that seeks joy. I am a lover of life. I’m energetic. I’m passionate. I have a lot of energy and I think that bodes well.” -Jeremy Case

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE

20 FEATURE

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

Creative Mr.Case Teacher Jeremy Case shares his passion for engineering with students, offering some of the most interactive classes at the high school

By Mijan Ahmad Nizam

F

rom a very young age, Jeremy Case was always creating. not a lot of people that teach what I teach. There is a void and a des“My grandpa was an engineer and he just loved it, and I perate need for more teachers to be teaching in this area.” loved it,” Case said. “I just always enjoyed looking at things If it’s one thing that stands out about Case the most, it is his larger and wondering how they worked, or than life personality. why something worked the way it did. I love “I am an outgoing individual. I am one to design and create. I honestly believe I was that seeks joy. I am a lover of life. I’m ener10 years old when I started making things.” getic. I’m passionate. I have a lot of energy Now, 18 years into his teaching career, and I think that bodes well.”

Case is teaching his students to do the exact It certainly does bode well. That psycholsame. His classes are one of the most interogy background he endures has been put to active that are offered in the school use time and time again in his classroom.

Obviously, now times have changed in Case is well known to have heart to heart the way he designs. speeches with his students often. And those “Being able to understand engineering speeches have genuinely affected people. fundamentals and computer design and solid “I like how inspiring his speeches are. modeling software, there is just so much and They always deal with life and the real world it can take you so far,” Case said. “That’s and that really helps people,” Senior Camkind of where it stemmed from.” eron Pikaart said.

Before he chose teaching, it seemed like Case’s bubbly personality and effect on Case was destined to be an engineer. Everystudents is especially recognized by his felthing he had going for him in his life perfectlow teachers. ly paved the way for it. However, a powerful “He is very creative when it comes to experience early in his college career led him trade. I love seeing how he processes things to an important realization that drastically and solves problems,” Chad Jettner said. changed his life path.

“He is especially awesome in his class, I love “I went into engineering my freshman going in and seeing how he interacts with his year and went to Michigan Tech,” Case said. students. The most important thing is that “I also had this psychology class and I had he has high expectations, but he has that fun Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE to observe a classroom. I fell in love with and approachable sense to him.” teaching.”

The current technological explosion we GETTING IT DONE: Case starts off class discussing Despite having utmost passion for engi- stress-management. Given his recent injury, he are in has definitely affected the way Case neering, he has no regret whatsoever in his talks about his stress and how he deals with it. teaches his classes. It also affects the way he choice. He still gets to enjoy engineering approaches his students and raises some conwhilst teaching it to what he considers his cerns.

Case’s favorite things future engineers.

“I think about my students and what is “It’s pretty cool, I’m teaching both engiavailable today and all the things that are Favorite branch of engineering: neering and architecture,” Case said. “I love available to them now,” Case said. “It’s creboth and they discipline immensely.” ated these careers that will exist in coming Design engineering However, with this choice he made, he decades. It’s amazing.” Despite how positive Favorite thing he’s created: is one of the lone Engineering teachers at this explosion has been, there is a negative to His first paddle board Grand Haven High School. it. “Technology is great but you can become “It is tough. I have my entire career to be Favorite thing a student has created: so saturated with technology that we forget on an island. I might be a bit of a dinosaur about being a human being.”

Their own 3D printer from my high school teaching perspective.

Not about my age, but in the fact there are

www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

FEATURE 21

Tenacious Takas Senior relentless after many injuries keep him from playing the sports he loves By Jack Reus

I

t was the 2013 AYBT National Championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For senior Collin Takas, this game meant everything. The goal: finish the long-lasting season full of sweat, determination and willpower as national champions.

In a painful second, his dreams would be blown out. Takas was going up for a routine rebound when he landed awkwardly onto the court.

“All of a sudden my knee cap was outside of my leg basically,” Takas said.

Takas panicked. This was a new level of pain.

“I had my dad pop it back in for me and it was quite painful,” Takas said. “I was screaming on the floor.”

After a visit to the hospital, Takas learned that he had dislocated his knee cap. He didn’t realize that it would spur a series of injuries throughout his athletic career, changing his life and outlook forever.

If you know Takas, one of the first things that should come to your mind is an athlete. His father Mike Takas is the offensive coordinator for the varsity football team as well as the boys and girls sprinting coach for the track program. Sports have always been a way of life in the Takas household.

“Sports have been a part of my life since I could walk,” Takas said.

Throughout Takas’ middle school days, he stood out in every sport he played, that included football, basketball and track. To say his high school athletic career looked promising was an understatement. That was until a vicious cycle of injuries presented itself in Takas’ life.

“I’ve always wanted to play college football and especially my sophomore year when I found out that I was going to need surgery I was like ‘well sophomore year is supposed to be the big recruiting year’ and it’s like ‘what am I gonna do now,’” Takas said.

Before his sophomore year, Takas had three subluxations on his knee cap. Subluxations occur when the knee pops out of place and is able to be popped back in. It’s not normal to have subluxations on a regular basis.

“The first one, I was running down the field and ‘pop’ it was out again and popped back in,” Takas said. “Then we decided, let’s just let it heal for a good two or three weeks and I should be good.

Went back out after I felt good and stuff… pop again. After that we said, ‘okay let’s give it a month.’

We give it a month and literally during warm-ups

I turn to catch the ball and it pops right out. This one was very strange because it wasn’t even with contact. I had my brace on, it shouldn’t have happened.”

Going into sophomore year of high school was a major year for Takas. To be recruited by colleges he would need to be on the field, but it seemed that everything out of his control was working to keep him off it.

“We went into the orthopedic surgeon and we got an MRI done,” Takas said. “So after that was my first surgery. The surgery was mid September of my sophomore year. I had to miss the whole entire football season, rehabbed it and got back for only eight games of basketball.”

Takas had missed the football season and had to ride the bench for nearly the whole basketball season. On the bright side, competing for the track team and being able to stay healthy for a full season marked a major milestone for Takas. He began to grow optimistic, maybe the brutal stretch of injuries in his life was in the past.

“So I made it through track and then it reached summer again,” Takas said. “I was feeling good and then in a summer basketball tournament going into junior year, I went up for a rebound, came down on a kids foot. In all reality it should’ve been my ankle that took the blow, but my knees are just so bad that my knee pops out,” This injury led to a second surgery for Takas in November 2017 causing him to miss part of the football season and most of the basketball season. He did however manage to pull off another injury-free track season.

In December 2018, Takas had another surgery after an injury in the final game of the football season.

The 2018 injury may have kept Takas off of the basketball court for his whole senior season, but that did not keep him from being involved with the team and helping in any way he could.

“He just keeps answering the bell,” varsity boys basketball coach Greg Immink said. “You know injury after injury he just puts his head down and works at his rehab.”

For Takas it has never been about him, it’s always been about the people around him. Missing sports was brutal for him, but what really had him down was the fact that he couldn’t be on the court with his teammates when they needed him

“I can talk about these experiences in whatever career I do and relate to other people and I think there’s something down the line that will be a big impact.”

-Collin Takas

22 SPORTS

Paige Horist THE BUCS’ BLADE TACKING ON INJURIES: Takas walks back to the bench during the Bucs Pride game on Feb. 4. The brace on his knee highlights his struggles with returning from these injuries.

the most.

“You know Collin is a great athlete and he wants to do well but it’s never about himself and I can honestly say that,” Mike Takas said. “Because for him it’s always been about the team and the betterment of the team and the people around him.”

This humble mentality Takas preaches has shown he is quite the leader. It has caught the eye of varsity football and track team head coach Joe Nelson.

“Of course he’s disappointed, but he doesn’t let it out,” Nelson said. “He just looks ahead and does what he has to do to progress through it. I look at Collin when I think about my sons and all their injuries and how he’s handled himself and how we need to have that kind of attitude.”

Takas’ optimistic attitude through all the adversity has pushed both teammates as well as family members and has taught them to stay positive.

“It’s interesting because I think he has motivated me and us more than we’ve motivated him to tell you the truth,” Mike Takas said. “He has a resolve to really get back up on his feet and be stronger than ever mentality and it’s just been fun to watch and we’re learning through the process of him going through it. His work ethic is amazing.”

Takas makes sure to give credit where credit is due. He feels that he would never have been able to conquer this uphill battle without the help of his parents.

“He’s always pushing me no matter what,” Takas said. “Sometimes I set too high of expectations for myself. Especially last year during track season I was so frustrated that I wasn’t running nearly as fast and he told me ‘take a step back, look at what happened,’ it was a pretty big surgery and so my parents have always been like a calming influence and have always been there for me.”

This calming influence from his parents has been very beneficial to Takas. It has given him time to think about life and how these injuries have helped build him into the man he is and is going to be.

“I just think why does this have to happen to me,” Takas said. “But for me personally my faith is big for me and I just always came back to a certain verse and it was Jeremiah 29:11 ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

With injuries and setbacks come lessons and Takas believes he is striving closer to those lessons everyday.

“There are still parts of me that doubt and make me think why exactly,” Takas said. “You know I think it’ll come as I go through my life and I can talk about these experiences in whatever career I do and relate to other people and I think there’s something down the line that will be a big impact.”

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com

BLAZING GUNS and BUSTED ORANGE

Calling It Like I See It Sam Woiteshek

Ashton Voorhees THE BUCS’ BLADE

After solid opening debut, trap team aims to continue their momentum in second season By Ashton Voorhees The trap club will be competing in their second organized season this year. The team is led by senior student organizer Tyler Williams and director of operations Steve Woiteshek.

As a shooting sport, it’s critical that all members are safe handling equipment during practice and competitions.

“Everyone on the team is required to go through hunter safety,” Woiteshek said. “We have several trained safety officers at the range. Our league, the Michigan State High School Clay Target League, has shot over 30 million rounds without any incident.”

The trap club is currently the only shooting-based sports team that is offered as of now. Trap is shot from five different stations behind the trap house

where the target is shot from. The team practices and competes at the North Ottawa Rod and Gun Club.

Although starting a new club sport from scratch is not the easiest with all of the resources required, the trap club was still able to experience some success as a team last year.

“Our first season as a team was a big success,” Williams said. “Our team placed well with fourth in the state in our division, and some members even went to nationals and competed.”

The team is looking forward to their second season and is looking to find the same success as last year even with new teammates. The squad knows that practice makes perfect and that with enough time shooting, a team

with varying experience can all have a shot at success.

“Two of our female shooters had no experience last year and both of them were all-conference,” Woiteshek said. “It’s all about hand-eye coordination, and that’s why with enough practice we can train them.”

From scholarship opportunities from shooting teams in college, to the possibility of upgrading to a varsity sport that offers letters, the major goals of the trap club are all centered around just providing fun opportunities to those who want to play a sport or try out a new one.

“Trap shooting is fun because anyone can do it,” Williams said. “You don’t have to be a star athlete to win.”

I LIKE ... BIG BASS AND I CANNOT LIE Fishing club seeks new members, offers fun oppurtunities By Nick Twa

Courtesy Photo/Ron Scharphorn KINGFISHERS: Wagenmaker and Hardebeck pose with their largemouthbass. The duo are the leaders of the club and are profound fishermen. www.bucsblade.com, March 27, 2019

Juniors Andrew Wagenmaker and Jack Hardebeck may not look like average fishermen. They may play different sports, with Hardebeck being on the ski team and Wagenmaker on the football team. But they both love fishing.

With an abundance of lakes, rivers and bayous, fishing is popular in Grand Haven. The club takes advantage of this abundance. It’s members compete all around the state, looking for the biggest largemouth bass.

“I took on bass fishing and I thought it would be fun to be in the fishing tournaments,” Hardebeck said.

The tournaments are one of the reasons that Wagenmaker joined the club, as well as his passion for fishing.

“I joined because I like to fish,” Wagenmaker said. “It’s something that I like to do tournaments with.”

If the club does well enough in the tournaments it participates in, then it

advances to even bigger tournaments.

“All circuits lead to a national championship or the Bassmaster classic which is the Super Bowl of fishing,” club leader Ron Scharphorn said.

Even though fishing is hard to predict and you may not catch fish, the club lets you to learn about new lakes and rivers with great fishing potential.

“Just go for it,” Wagenmaker said.

“If you like to fish or if you don’t know if you want to do tournaments, you should go for it anyway.”

The organization that heads the club, Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, also has professional tournaments.

The tournaments use the weights of the fish to who advances. This continues until a champion is crowned.

“If you like fishing, gaining a lot of knowledge and having fun, then it would be good to join,” Hardebeck said.

Get in the game Every year, athletes from around the world gather to see who is the best of the best. They participate in a variety of sports; track and field, swimming and basketball most notably. You might even see a few competitors take home medals in the illustrious colors of gold, silver and bronze.

Am I talking about the Olympics? No, those are held every four years and they don’t provide quite the degree of satisfaction that one might get from the competition I’m thinking of.

No, this is a new world of prestige and notoriety: the Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics, founded in 1968, provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with disabilities. They meet participants from other new countries and get to enjoy the experience with their families.

The best thing about the event? Fundamentally, it represents the impact of sports at its finest.

Some people see sports as games that bring out the best and worst in people, as their competitiveness often trumps everything (and everyone) else. They’re deemed unhealthy, unnecessary and unimportant.

To people who believe this to be true: you’re wrong.

The greatest power of sports is that, at their core, they bring people together.

They captivate us all equally, resulting in intense emotions and leading to lasting memories.

Look at history. In the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Adolf Hitler wanted to use the competition to show Aryan supremacy. Yet, Jesse Owens and the U.S. won eleven gold medals and embarrassed Hitler on his home turf.

Or what about the 1980 Winter Olympics and the “Miracle on Ice”? The U.S. beat the USSR in hockey 3-2, when the Americans had a team of college kids and USSR had professionals. Overall, the game was symbolic of the struggles in the Cold War. Both of these infamous moments led to an unprecedented sense of pride. In times of despair, when cards are stacked against them, people look for a beacon of hope. Thus, the power of sports.

And hence the beauty of the Special Olympics. It’s greatest influence is that it brings kids, who don’t necessarily have the same opportunities as most their age, together to show that hey, they’ve got game too.

Plus, that same feeling of glory still exists. In fact, take it and multiply it by 100.

If you need further proof, look at our school’s “No More Sidelines” programs.

Every season, our Buccaneer sports teams take a practice and spend it working one-on-one with kids with special needs. It is truly an amazing and powerful sight to behold.

By uniting people through a common purpose, working together for something greater than themselves, the impact of Special Olympics and “No More Sidelines” is unequivocal to anything else.

These athletes see that they are welcomed, when otherwise they would be discouraged from mainstream athletics. They become an integral part of the community, when before they were pushed away. But most of all, they experience the greatest realization one can have.

They see that they have potential, even though it was within them all along.

Their reactions to this so-called epiphany are priceless. I will attest that there is no better sight to witness than the look on these athletes’ faces when they achieve what they thought was never possible.

But then again, that’s why we’ll keeping watching and why we continue to play.

We love to see the impossible, the most intimidating of circumstances become something that we can all aspire to.

Now that is the true power of sports..

SPORTS 23

CUTIES hit the

CITY

‘Swimming Through the Cities’ show takes catalina fans by storm

By Mercedes Mancilla

L

ights? Check. Costumes? Check. Chlorine? Check.

Over the weekend around 200 students donned skin tight swimsuits to dance and swim their hearts out in front of hundreds of people.

This year’s theme for the catalina show was “Swimming through the Cities”. To set the scene, songs featured included Havana by Camila Cabello, Lost in Japan by Shawn Mendes, and California Gurls by Katy Perry.

Each hour and a half show was packed with on deck dance routines, synchronised swimming routines, and small skits.

The energy flowing through the aquatic center was intense, being a culmination of the love the community has developed in past years.

With blaring music, colored lights, and an audience in awe these shows are a one of a kind experience.

After the show, each person performer or not, had mixed emotions.

“I’m ecstatic, it’s been so much fun and it’s just amazing to see all these girls just come together and put on a great show. Everyone’s in such a good mood and it’s a dream come true,” Catalina President Anna Ackerman said.

As most people know, members of Catalina have to get up at ungodly hours in the morning for practices and rehearsals. That’s not always a bad thing though.

“The dances are totally worth getting up super early (for) even if you don’t want to,” sophomore Kylie Klempel said.

Even though the officers are graduating and their Catalina careers are ending after the shows, they are still encouraging others to join. “(Catalina) is such a cool club to join, even if you just try it for one year,” senior officer Whitney Engelsman said, “All the members just support each other so much and it’s such a fun way to make friends.”

This year’s juniors also have next year to look forward to. During the last show on Saturday night, the upcoming senior officers and presidents were picked.

Carter Brown and Ellary Bylsma were chosen as presidents. Jessica Boyer, Lance Ellsworth, Emily Olson, Lija Plumert, Jack Timmer and Nicholas Wilson were chosen as officers.

24 PHOTO

Mercedes Mancilla THE BUCS’ BLADE ALL SMILES OVER HERE: Juniors Ellary Bylsma and Emily Olson flash their smiles during the final part of their ‘On the Floor’ dance. Bylsma was chosen for president for next year’s club, and Olson was chosen to be an officer.

Mercedes Mancilla THE BUCS’ BLADE WATER WALTZ: Senior president Chris Akselberg prepares to ‘drop’ senior president Anna Ackerman in the pool. The two leaders of the club had a one-on-one dance to ‘Still New York’ by MAX. Their routine garnered cheers and shouts of surprise from the crowd.

Carlos Rappleye THE BUCS’ BLADE SLAP HAPPY (ABOVE): Senior officer Jackson Hamm throws up a clap during their mix of tracks, ranging from 1963 to 2017. Songs in the mix included ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees, ‘Rolex’ by Ayo and Teo, and ‘Surfin’ USA’ by the Beach Boys, pictured. The boys had 5 skits and one dance of their own.

GHOSTBUSTIN’ (FAR RIGHT): Several boys take on the Stay Puft Marshmellow man during their intro skit. The boys came out in costumes and battled various foes before jumping in the water to join the girls.

Mercedes Mancilla THE BUCS’ BLADE

Carlos Rappleye THE BUCS’ BLADE

ABOVE WATER (RIGHT): Freshman Lexi Naperala and sophomore Mabel Maloley swim out for their performance during ‘Havana’ by Camila Cabello. The show featured 16 routines.

March 27, 2019, www.bucsblade.com