The Bucs' Blade: The Senior Edition | May

The Senior Edition

May 25, 2017 Volume 72 Issue 6

Grand Haven High School’s student publication of community significance since 1927

www.bucsblade.com

THE BUCS’ BLADE STAFF 72 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sarah Jane Chrysler Maddie Brockmyre ARTS EDITOR Karianne Turner LIFE EDITOR Caitlin Shampine NEWS EDITOR Alexis VanSingel SPORTS EDITOR Drew VanAndel PHOTO EDITOR Ben Werkman COPY EDITOR Aliyah Austin

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AD MANAGER Chris Hudson

After a lot of time and effort we’ve put into it, it kind of becomes a passion.

REPORTERS Anna Ackerman Isabel Bird Julia Drabczyk Grace Glessner Ysabela Golden Jamie Gretzinger Sawyer Hamm Sam Hankinson Abby Holman Madison Holub

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Ben Ingall Kelly Klouw Madeline Monroe Jack Nicholson Jack Reus Talia Rosenberg Sarah Sanders Spencer Sortman Macy Swiftney

Sloan Shanahan

“Paddle it forward” p. 4

PUBLICATION POLICY

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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.

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. @thebucsblade @TheBucsBlade @BucsBladeSports bucsblade.com The Bucs’ Blade

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CONTENTS 4 Paddle it forward 7-17 Senior edition 20 Music Mike iCreate360 students hold auction to raise funds for next year

5 News briefs

Chromebooks, library events, donated sports equipment and Youth Advisory Council applications

Celebrate the graduating class with various columns written by senior staffers, wills from upperclassmen to underclassmen and a map of the colleges the graduates will be attending in the fall

Freshman Mike Maggio spends his free time turning beats into unique EDM songs

23 Ballpark bond

Baseball team discovers new chemistry, improves season www.bucsblade.com, Date

LETTER(S) FROM THE EDITORS

just one more year

the power is yours

Dear fellow juniors,

Dear readers,

This year sucked.

We all went into this school year with the sympathetic advice from our older friends or siblings ringing in our minds, chanting one unanimous, “yo...junior year sucks.” And yet the overwhelming suckiness synonymous with eleventh grade still managed to smack us in the face, prompting many of us to reply with some creative collection of curse words.

This year sucked, and we didn’t see it coming.

What exactly makes junior year so awful, no one can know for sure. Maybe it’s the fact that it has nothing special to offer. No matter how annoying we were or how long it took your English nine class to read “Romeo and Juliet” outloud because nobody knew how to pronounce 80 percent of the words, freshman year was still new and exciting. And anything was better than middle school, right?

Sophomore year let us get our groove on. We finally learned where all the pods were, how to effectively study and got a sense of who we were. As tenth graders we could finally say that we got the hang of high school.

Junior year is, as already established, one great big giant ball of suck. The pressure’s forreal. It’s time to take the SAT and ACT, start thinking about college, take as many advanced classes as possible, sign up for every extracurricular possible, procure a successful social life and try not to die in the process of it all.

And senior year, well, is senior year. The last year of high school. We get to graduate, leave school a month early and most of us will only take one set of exams. School spirit is higher than ever and it’s not long before we get to move on from this circus.

It’s the year that every coming-of-age film glorifies and every adult wistfully tells us will be the best time of our life.

So yeah, this year sucked. But it’s almost over.

Just make it through this last month of school without yearning for the void too much, because next year, we’ll be seniors.

I remember the first piece I wrote for The Bucs’ Blade, it was a short brief that would have taken anyone else all of 15 minutes to write. It took me three or four days to get it just right. I did not think that I would last a month on staff. Yet somehow, four years later I am co Editor-in-chief.

Along the way I have pushed myself with the pieces I’ve decided to write. From interviewing a big time movie producer to a New York Times Best Selling author and one of my idols, I have taken risks and put myself out there in order to grow.

That is what high school is about: taking risks that help you to grow and become a stronger version of yourself.

These past four years have, day by day, gone by so slowly, but now here I am about to graduate and move onward and upward in the world. It is hard to see past this time in life though since the majority of the last 13 years of my life have consisted of waking up for seven hours of school, five days a week, from September to June. It all blends together and feels pointless.

But this time, the time you have left in this building has meaning, the way you conduct yourself and interact with people have an impact on your life. So do something with it.

If you want to be president of a club or captain of a sport then work hard and do it. If you want to be a part of something amazing then create something amazing. You have all the power over your own life.

That is something I did not realize for a long time, you don’t have to do or be anything you do not want to be. You have the power. You have the strength. So do it.

It might be a rocky start, it may take you three days to write a short brief, but you’ll do it anyway and keep doing it until you’re good at it. Have faith in yourself. You’ve got this.

Enjoy your summer and I’ll catch you on the flipside.

For the last time, godspeed.

Maddie Brockmyre, Editor-in-chief

Sarah Chrysler

www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

EDITORIAL 3

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE PROUD PRESENTATION: Teacher Chad Jettner speaks to the audience about the live auction and iCreate360 class. “The products tonight are amazing,” Jettner said to the croud.

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE BIDDING FOR BOARDS: The banquet room of Porto Bello is crowded with students and bidders for the iCreate360 class live auction. Over thirty products were bid on that night in order to raise funds for next year’s class.

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE POWER PARTNERS: Seniors Sloan Shanahan and Sarah Dufon pose next to a board they helped create. “After a lot of time and effort we’ve put into it, it kind of becomes a passion,” Shanahan said.

Alexis VanSingel THE BUCS’ BLADE SKYLINE SKATEBOARD: The bottom of a longboard displays a cityscape. Juniors Jonathan Kamps and Josh Smelker worked together to design this longboard.

PADDLE it forward iCreate360 students hold auction to raise funds for next year

By Alexis VanSingel

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tring lights decorated the second floor of Porto Bello, creating a romantic feel to the event. Along the walls, boards were lined up with their creators beaming beside them. Attendees walked from table to table in admiration of the student-created longboards, surfboards, and paddleboards. iCreate360 teachers Chad Jettner and Jeremy Case stood at the front, admiring it all.

“I think they deserve a round of applause,” Jettner said to the audience. “They’ve worked really, really hard. I am so pumped and excited. The products tonight are amazing.”

Forty students in the entrepreneurship class, iCreate360, had been working on their projects for the duration of the

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school year, learning and experiencing different aspects of the business world.

To showcase their work, a live auction was held on Monday May 15 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the banquet room at Porto Bello. Over thirty products were auctioned off in three different waves. The money raised from the event will go towards supplies for next year’s class.

“Talking to these students, the work they’ve done, and the culmination of that tonight, really is for next year’s students because the funds tonight help buy all of our materials for next year,” Jettner said. “I think that’s awesome.”

A piece that caught the eyes of many bidders was a longboard designed by seniors Deacon Poole and Bryan Batten.

On the back, the word “pow” was displayed in comic book font upon a brightly colored background.

“The design was my idea,” Poole said. “When I saw the unique shape I kind of imagined something that would really stand out when you showed the bottom of it and so I thought, ‘Why not one of those comic book movie titles where it says ‘pow’ right when Batman punches The Joker in the face?’”

Alexis VanSingel THE BUCS’ BLADE ICREATORS: Juniors Jeren Bewalda and Dominic Cipolla sit in the window ledge of the banquet room next to the surfboard and skateboard they created.

The class partnered with art teacher Irene Sipe’s students to paint the bottom of their longboards. Poole and Batten asked junior Javi Golden to paint theirs for them.

“He did the artwork and it came out looking better than I could’ve imagined,” Poole said.

The pair used most of their time to create the paddle board, so when the last few weeks of class rolled around, they had to spend many days after school in order to finish in time.

“It’s very encouraging that the amount of work that two high school students can put into making something to have hundreds of adults come look at it and bid on it,” Poole said.

“It’s really positive and encouraging to see that people are interested.” iCreate360’s slogan for the year was, “Paddle it Forward”, playing off the name of the Pay it Forward class. This kept up the mentality of raising money for next year’s students.

“This is affecting the students next year, so when people come and bid on it, it feels supportive to not only me, but the program itself,” Batten said. “They’re affecting the next class that comes up.” www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Loutit Library hosts gaming and role playing event for teens and adults There will be a role play afternoon at Loutit District Library on Saturday, May 27 at 12 p.m. open to teens and adults.

“It has been open 5 years and still growing,” youth services librarian Allison Boyer said.

During the role play afternoon, participants play a game called Pathfinder where they act as a character trying to finish a quest

Chromebooks to be turned in by June 16

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE

Since summer is almost here, it’s time to get ready to say goodbye to our textbooks, journals, pencils, and most importantly, chromebooks. The time to turn in our beloved laptops has finally arrived as the end of the 20162017 school year approaches.

For seniors, chromebooks have to be returned by their last day of school. They must have their chromebook and chromebook charger ready to turn in by the time of their last exam. If students are

not attending their exams, they will need to turn them into Mrs. Miller in pod two, before the end of school.

For the rest of the students, chromebooks are due on the last day of school, when you are taking your last exam. Every student needs to bring the chromebook charger along with the actual chromebook to their last exam, chromebooks should be free of stickers and ready to turn in.

“It is very important that

all the students have both their chromebook and the charger that goes along with it,” tech specialist Mandy Miller said. “We go through every single chromebook that each student turns in and we need both the computer and the charger to make sure everything is working the way it should so that they are all set and ready for the students next school year.”

By Jamie Gretzinger

while fighting dangerous magical creatures. These characters can range from anything between a rogue to a cleric.

“They are welcome to bring in their own premade Pathfinder character, a D&D character that can be adapted to Pathfinder rules, or a new character can be created,” Boyer said.

By Natalie Bremmer

Bucs 2 Bucs club allows athletes to donate used sports gear and equipment Affording sports gear for school athletics can often put kids and their families who struggle financially, in a very tough spot.

This causes many to not be able to participate in extracurricular activities that need equipment.

Junior Megan Jarvis recently started a program called Bucs 2 Bucs to provide sports gear to student athletes who might not be able to afford it this because of a financial struggle.

“Bucs 2 Bucs is a program that I started for kids who can’t afford athletic gear,” Jarvis said. “Kids who have gently used gear can just donate their gear. It is indirect so it is anonymous about who gets

whose gear.”

All donations go to the athletic office for the students who are in need. With the cost of school activities adding up very quickly, Jarvis recognized the struggle that many faced and tried to get involved. This led her to decide to help out the students who wanted to particpate in sports, but couldn’t.

“I realized that some kids just cannot afford everything, like even to go to a school dance, or even to play a school sport so I figured this would be a great way to help out those kids who are just trying to have fun” Jarvis said.

By Macy Swiftney

Youth Advisory Council applications to be turned in by May 27

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER! www.bucsblade.com May 25, 2017

The Youth Advisory Council is now accepting applications for the 2017-2018 school year.

Applications can be found at the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation website. All of them must be turned in by May 27.

“We’re looking for students interested in giving back in our community, students interested in learning about the issues that face youth, specifically in our community and working to develop and fund programs that help these issues,” YAC coordinator Lauren Grevel said.

The goal of YAC is to create a community where all youth have

the resources available for them to be successful in the future. Many students have cherished their experiences throughout their time in this program.

“The Youth Advisory Council is a program that I am extremely proud of, a program I wish I would have known about when I was a student at GHHS,” Grevel said. “Students feel empowered to give back, but also realize that they can make a difference in our community and that their opinions are heard and valued.”

By Madison Holub

NEWS 5

6 ADS

www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Senior Edition 2017

8: Senior columns- Sarah Jane Chrysler, Drew Van Andle 9: Senior columns- Aliyah Austin, Sam Hankinson 10: Senior columns- Ben Ingall, Sawyer Hamm 11: Senior columns- Ysabela Golden, Sarah Sanders 12-13: Where are we going?- Where graduating seniors are heading after GHHS 14: Senior wills 15: Senior profiles- Lexi Spencer, Ready Frost 16-17: Pay It Forward- class profile

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

SENIOR EDITION 7

Let me preface this by stating a true fact: I have absolutely no idea what I am doing. I mean generally, as I go to school and maneuver through my life. I walk with my head held high and pretend that I have some semblance of an idea, but in all honesty, I don’t. I feel like an acrobat about to walk out on a tightrope without a safety net for the first time. Every voice in my head is telling me not to look down, but I do and honestly, I’m absolutely terrified.

As I reflect back on my high school years I realize that there are only a few select moments and times that I will reminisce on in 30 years. That tells me something huge: I am ready for the next chapter in my life.

It’s not that I hated high school or anything. It has been an eventful four years to say the least. I studied abroad in Central America during sophomore year, I wrote for The Bucs’ Blade all four years of high school and on top of all of that, I found my confidence.

See the thing is, years down the road I will not look back at the football games I didn’t go to or the things I didn’t do.

I’ll look back on the risks I took and the people who supported me through them.

I’ll think of my friend Tibbe encouraging me to step up and be a leader.

Of my friend calling me on the phone from Maine to have deep talks about life and of my brother sending me new music when I’m having a bad day. Of my mom sitting on the kitchen floor letting me cry because I’m overwhelmed and need to be told that she is there no matter what.

I’ll think of writing this, my senior column, sitting at the Armory and drinking coffee with good company and of the

Now, as my fear for the next chapter of my life grows, these people are reminding me that I am ready, that I have been ready for a long time and that now is what I’ve been waiting for.

This is what makes me realize that I don’t need to look down as I step out onto the tightrope. I’ll always have a safety net whether or not I feel like it is there. I won’t need it though because these people have helped raise me and helped me grow so much stronger than I ever could have imagined.

What I’m trying to say here is, this place raised me to do big things and it is time for me to do them. It raised all of us too.

I don’t need a grand exit with fireworks and a ‘forget you’ to Grand Haven like I thought I would want. In all truthfulness I love this place more than I ever realized and look forward to coming back home once in awhile.

So when you’re about to step out on the metaphorical tightrope, don’t look down because you don’t need to. But if COURTESY PHOTO you do look down it doesn’t matter because this place and the people from the little moments from this time in your life will always be here to catch you. This is growing up, it is scary and exciting but there are so many people out there cheering us on, so adventures I took hiking mountains and hearing the stories step out and do it. Now is the time. Thank you to the people of revolutionaries in Guatemala first-hand. I’ll think of the who make up my safety net and cheer me on. You know who endless nights I spent making newspapers and Sunday nights you are. at youth group. I’ll think of all the time I spent at the studio and the ‘family’ that has formed from it.

And I would not trade any of that time or any of those

By Sarah Jane Chrysler amazing people for the world.

Don’t look down

Older does not equal wiser

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8 SENIOR EDITION

My entry into high school brought two preconceived notions upon me: the seniors were the most important and admired people in high school; and that I was just a lowly freshman who had no use to this world until I was to be a senior myself. Now, as a senior, I have found that these notions are completely false.

The term seniority was tossed around to me countless times in the past four years and it has begun to lose its luster. For good reason, too, because to me the term means essentially nothing.

We have seemingly fallen into this ranking system at the high school which ranks the seniors the highest and the freshman the lowest. Obviously, age is a major factor into this and that leads to older kids picking on or disregarding the younger kids. Younger kids are seen as unimportant to the seniors because they are leaving them behind for the real world.

Let me tell you something: disregarding or picking on those that are younger than yourself because you are off to do bigger and better things is not the way to go.

What benefits you from doing so? Personal satisfaction that you are the “better” person? That does not seem ethical to me. I have had people do this to me. They probably only did it a single time to make themselves feel prestigious compared to me, only to have that feeling fade away after several weeks. My opinion on that person has not been

altered since however, so the only real hit taken was their reputation from my viewpoint.

So why don’t we start to form friendships and make connections with those that are younger or older than us?

There are only advantages that come out of it. I had never really interacted with people older than me until I had played a varsity sport, but people who don’t participate in extracurricular activities and do not have those same encounters have a tougher time.

Relationships with people are crucial for success in the real world, and whether or not you want to feel superior or not as a senior, everyone ends up there. Who knows, maybe that kid you ignored became a public figure, or that freshman you picked on became your boss.

Previous relational experiences will be dreadful or favorable for you. It is your choice whether you wish to live for those few weeks of fathomed pride or for the many enlightening memories in your near future.

I will leave this school having made my decision, now it is your turn.

By Drew Van Andel www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Digging deeper Since this is my last hoorah, I feel the need to take a different approach to my senior column. If you know me, this should come as no surprise.

During my time at GHHS, I’ve realized my passion for fighting for the underdogs and expressing the struggles of those without an outlet to do so. I would be failing them and myself if I didn’t take this opportunity to say something- so here we go.

It’s hard to find your way in a town that feeds off of appearances, and this town certainly does.

Consider the Save the Catwalk campaign. We’re pushing to spend money on a pointless catwalk that could be used for other, truly life-enhancing things, like, I don’t know, maybe affordable housing (since we have a struggling homeless population) or greater mental health awareness and support (since too many of our friends are still seeing no other way to get help than to end their lives.) I could go on, but I’ll stop there. And why are we wasting $1,000,000? Because we think the pier “just looks weird.” Meanwhile, we ignore our real problems.

But this is unsurprising and falls in line with what seems to be the GH slogan: just make it look nice.

In turn, we are divided; those of us that follow the unspoken orders dutifully, and those of us that don’t. The students that take the slogan to heart are the ones that run the show.

There’s a clear problem here, but some of our classmates are too shrouded in privilege to care. If you’re sneering in indignant shock right now, chances are, I’m talking about you.

But if you’re nodding your head- you know.

We are pushed away, but there are many of us drowning in the waves created by the picture perfect beach town facade.

This is not a perfect place. We are not perfect people.

Playing into the happy, pretty little city fantasy will do more harm than good. It crushes individuality and suppresses who

we truly are. In reality, we are a struggling community, at war with itself both socially and structurally.

There are hidden groups of people in Grand Haven that we don’t want to see.

We have a migrant, immigrant and refugee population that is purposefully tucked away. Families are struggling to find affordable housing in the area.

An alarming amount of our peers are battling mental illnesses.

During my time here, I have struggled. And I know a lot of you have, too. But instead of addressing our problems, we are attempting to cover them up.

I’m taking the time to say this instead of going on some long, mushy rant about how I’ve changed and how excited I am for the future because, while those things are true, the most important lesson this school has taught me is that being genuine matters. I can’t leave thinking that I didn’t say what I needed to when I had a chance.

So please, disregard appearances. The drastic changes we experience in high school are hard enough without the added

pressure living in this picture perfect beach town creates. It’s an illusion. Don’t try to mirror it. Understand that we do have problems and ignoring them and attempting to fit the GH mold will only hurt you.

My time at GHHS has come to an end and my future awaits.

Before I go, I need you all to know that I see you. I understand you. And I will never stop fighting for you.

Aliyah Austin

ALL DONE WAITING The hard thing about being a freshman is that it’s so difficult to gain traction when you first start high school. Every analogy you’ve ever heard is true. You’re the low man on the totem pole and it seems that there’s no way to move up.

Above anything, I wanted to be accepted by the upperclassmen. Getting a “what’s up, man?” from a senior was a humbling experience for freshman Sam. But that took me a while. So I did the next best thing.

I watched.

I watched as three different classes of amazing people took control of the school. These graduating classes were composed of people whom I really looked up to and respected, people I could learn from. Because that’s all high school is, a learning experience.

I watched how they carried themselves, how they treated themselves and others, how they handled school work. I eventually was accepted by my peers in the grades above me, but all I could do was wait. Wait for it to be my turn at the helm. www.bucsblade.com, May 25

Since I walked in the doors, the only person I could be was myself. I had to blaze my own trail, but in order to do that, I had to spend time following other people’s footsteps.

I have modeled my behavior from the upperclassmen that came before me the best that I can. That’s not to say that I haven’t learned things from underclassmen either, because I have, this year especially.

The analogy of a senior being a big fish in the small pond is true. And eventually, you become a fish that’s too big to swim in the pond.

Everyone’s got a turn to take the reins in high school. I can’t tell you when your turn starts. I can tell you mine’s over.

Sam Hankinson

SENIOR EDITION 9

Realizing I’m Already Home In May of 2013, I was finishing up my time at Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate School in Eastvale, California. As far as I knew then, my freshman year would start that August at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, which was close enough that I would bike to school (even in the brutal 60 degree winters), I would be trying out for volleyball and taking freshman Mandarin. End goal, I would graduate and go to my dream school: The University of Southern California.

Fast forward to the present and I am graduating from GHHS and going to the U Of M. There is no men’s volleyball here and I never took Mandarin or biked to school (especially not in the winter). I strayed farther from my plans.

Looking back, I am happy with where my life has taken me. I have done so much I never could have forseen in my eighth grade visions.

I was pretty set on my life plan as it stood, and moving seemed to ruin it. For a while even after moving, I held on to some semblance of hope that my old plan could hold out. As I went into

my sophomore year, I stopped being quite as stubborn and opened up a bit. I realized that my old friends and life were gone, and it was long past time to move on.

I joined new sports and made new friends, and suddenly I didn’t miss California as much. But when you set goals and have a dream, it can be very hard to let go. Up until the fall of my senior year I was still dead set on going to USC. I still applied to the U Of M, visited a few times and grew to like it, but it wasn’t my top choice.

Then one fateful day in March I got my USC decision: rejection.

It was crushing. My life plan was destroyed, I thought, all thanks to some heartless admissions counselor in an office in the school I was meant to go to. After the shock and pain died down though, it became a very pivotal moment for me. I realized that up to that point, I had still been holding on to hope that I could live a life that was no longer mine.

In the days before I moved, I marked the USC start date for fall of 2017, labeling it “Go Home.”

Now, I’ve marked it complete. I’m

already home.

Reflecting on the time since I moved, I have grown in ways I never imagined, and enjoyed it.

Home may not be the same as it once was for me, but my life has taken me new directions that I can only be grateful for. I captained the water polo and swim teams, two sports I never expected to play; I will be going to Michigan, one of the best schools in our country, if not the world; I have many of my best friends here and have made memories with them that will last a lifetime. When I say it to myself now, it all sounds pretty good.

To anyone else with a plan for their future: good for you, strive for your goals and keep them high.

But don’t let it hurt you if they fall apart. Life will take you places you never expected to go, whether you learn it sooner or later it’s a blessing. Don’t dwell on the things you missed out on, just look for the ways you’ve grown.

By Sawyer Hamm

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Why I shouldn’t be a disc jockey

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10 SENIOR EDITION

Music is often a reflection of who we are as people. In other words, if I listen to heavy metal I probably wouldn’t be in the best mood, and I if I listen to the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, well, you get the idea.

Over the course of high school, as my music tastes have changed, I too have changed as a person- a change I believe to be for the better.

As I look back at freshman year, I listened to a lot of Aloe Blacc and Passenger. They’re two artists who I would consider to be a little more on the hipster side, as they were relatively new names just becoming big in the music industry at the time. The way I see it, that’s very fitting considering it was my first year at Chelsea High School and everything was new; including my personality.

Sophomore year was a little more confusing, as my music ranged from Muse to Jimmy Eat World with the occasional Of Monsters and Men. A part of me

was obviously still clinging to my hipster self with Of Monsters and Men, but the combination of Muse and Jimmy Eat World shows my self-confliction, that everyone goes through at some point, about what kind of person I wanted to be.

Junior year. I’m now at a new school and I figure it’s time to become a new person. Therefore, I obviously resorted to rap music.

NWA, Drake, E-40, Big Sean, Kanye, really anything to get my fix. It represents a time in my life when I was confused, hype, and felt like the world was for my taking; a rather natural feeling for the son of the new superintendent.

But don’t worry, I’ve humbled down since then.

Now, in my final year I have, as you may have guessed, a new taste for melodies. At the beginning of the year, it was still rap. As the months went on, I changed to the Beatles. Then to classic rock, Bon Jovi, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, you name it. Now, I’ve settled for a healthy mixture of Bee Gees and

The Avett Brothers. My takeaway is that as senior has gone by, I’ve calmed down and brought myself back down to earth. It is my calm before the storm, the storm of course being college.

Over my past four years I’ve recognized that change is inevitable. You switch schools, you make new friends, people become needy for more snow days and music taste changes. Inevitability just means that something good is going to come eventually.

And the good behind it all is that change brings out your true self, which I feel I am either close to finding, or am far from it. Either way, I’m excited for the future.

Which, by my rapid variance in music, is not the future of a disc jockey.

By Ben Ingall www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Stay petty

COURTESY PHOTO

The blank canvas

Throughout elementary school, it was hard to find something that I was good at. I tried piano only to find that I had no sense of rhythm. I then was put into gymnastics and ballet, however, that did not last long because I’m about as graceful as a baby giraffe. Nothing seemed to click for me, until one summer in fourth grade when I was signed up for a ceramics camp owned by an artist named Anne O’Connor. I spent my time there fusing glass, making mosaics and painting sculptures of owls and cats. I loved every project we did and the camp fueled my interest in art.

What really drew me to Mrs. O’Connor was her philosophy surrounding art. Art should convey the artist’s choices.

A blank canvas is the artist’s opportunity to get the viewer to feel what they feel. The blank canvas is the vehicle in which the artist is able to truly express their thoughts and emotions. The blank canvas gives the artist a chance to create something that is their own and no one else’s - where they can make their own decisions without outside influence. The artist does not have to fit into a certain mold to be good at painting. Which was why she always made sure that when parents came into the studio they would not try and “fix” their child’s work. Art is subjective and should not be based on someone else’s idea of what “good art” is. There is no “right” way to execute a work of art.

Art has shaped me into a detail-oriented and creative person. When high school came around I made an effort to include an art class in my busy schedule. I have learned things in painting class that, in a way, cannot be taught in a traditional classroom, through hands on experience.

Ceramics has taught me to be persistent with the potter’s wheel, no matter how often the clay flies across the room. Being patient with watercolors while they dry yields better results, while rushing creates a jumbled mess of color.

This is where I truly excel. It is where I transform the blank canvas into a work of art that is new and unique. The blank canvas gives me a chance to create something that is my own and no one else’s - I can make my own decisions without outside influence. Where I do not have to fit into a certain mold to be good at art. It’s this type of freedom that I want to give to others as I graduate from high school and move on to pursue a degree in art education at Hope College.

By Sarah Sanders www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

I’m nearing the end of a four year career at GHHS and there’s still a lot of things here I can’t wrap my head around. Why is it so expensive to play sports? Did they really fix all of the clocks, or are they still randomly untrustworthy? Did someone actually think gold cards would motivate students to get better grades? I don’t know and I stopped caring long before senioritis seeped in. But there is one question that still haunts me: why have I been carrying all this junk on my back for four years?

I know what I told my parents freshman year - “passing time isn’t long enough, the lockers are spread out over the whole school, it’s more convenient to lug everything around like a pack animal.” They stared back at me blankly and shook their heads, while mentally I recounted leaving a class in pod one and making it to class in pod eight before the warning bell even rang. But that explanation was less likely to get me an eye-roll than “I don’t know guys, everyone just says they don’t use their lockers,” so I stuck with it, and now I’m 18 and seriously considering making an appointment with my mom’s chiropractor.

I used to assume the stragglers I saw using lockers were freshmen who’d missed the schoolwide memo, but now I think some of them might be upperclassmen who are just tired of having back problems. It’s not like they’re alone; TV lied to me about a lot (for one thing, I don’t think any of you are actually 27-year-old models), but high schoolers do use lockers in real life. I talked to my friend Tas at City High in GR, and they use their lockers all the time, even though they’re almost half the size of ours. So why are Grand Haven kids so allergic?

My first theory was that girls started carrying backpacks around all the time so people wouldn’t notice them suddenly needing to at certain monthly intervals (and then boys just unwittingly copied them).

But while that idea’s too amusing for me to completely discard, I’m pretty sure it’s less complicated than that.

Remember middle school? How we were very annoyingly required to keep our backpacks in lockers?

Then we found out that GHHS threw that rule out the window (because I guess high schoolers are so much less likely than middle schoolers to take weapons to school with them). My new theory is that in that moment, our collective pettiness was so intense that on the spot we decided to cart all our junk around with us and go locker-less for the rest of time.

So thank you, GHHS. It’s been a long four years and I’d be lying to you if I said I enjoyed the whole ride, but at least my fellow passengers were people I could always relate to. Because en masse, we are the most stubborn group of humans I’ve ever come across in my 18 years of life. I’d say never change, but I can think of about 15 things I want to change about this school off the top of my head, so instead I’ll say this: I’ll learn where my locker is when hell freezes over and a flying pig crashes into a blue COURTESY PHOTO moon.

Stay petty, GH.

By Ysabela Golden SENIOR EDITION 11

1537 mi Arizona State University:

1454 mi

Kyle Hoover

Southern Utah University Jason Braak

1242 mi 1223 mi

Albion College:

Zachary Moore

Culinary Institute of Michigan: Rachelle Murphy

Kalamazoo College: Julia Bachmann

Kendall College of Art and Design Bethany Clark

Michigan Tech: Brady Jonas

Tulip City Beauty College: North Point Bible College: Raegan Vegh

Northwood University:

Summer Canfield

University of Tampa: Jack Riopelle

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University:

West Shore Community College:

Eric Moerland

Hannah VanderPloeg

1174 mi University of Colorado Boulder:

Wayne State University:

872 mi

Allison Shelton

Mikayla Gronback

Jack Costello, Skyler Boterenbrood

Barton College: Brooke Lonergan

Olivet College: Kolton Epplett

779 mi New York University: Aliyah Austin

774 mi

Queens University of Charlotte: Gabe Liebetreu

733 mi

Alma College:

WHERE ARE WE

GO NG? *based on a Bucs’ Blade survey

Chris Dougherty, Austin Hoekstra, Sam Nelson

379 mi

Miciah Hirr

University of Iowa: Sara Bergman

Northern Michigan University: Carmen Hammes, Abby Miller

336 mi

Ferris State University:

Matthew Anderson, Louis Curtis, Jami Leibham, Noah McGee, Talia Jablonski

334 mi

Central Michigan University:

Amanda Anderson, Nathanuel Anguiano, Alyssa Bessinger, Hannah Carmean, Rachael Cherry, CJ Deal, Matthew George, Samantha Henning, Brenda Humphrey, Rylie Innes, Addy Knoth, Mary McGinnis, Alex Monroe, Kate Nowak, Jacob Phillips, Daniel Saelens, Brooke Schaut, Brianne Siple, Kole Spier, Ricky Struntz, Kaitlynn Taylor, Marah VanHook, Shianna Woodwyk,

255 mi Owens Community College:

245 mi Butler University:

University of Michigan:

Ethan King, Sophie Kleyla

Frank Angers, Sawyer Hamm, Kaden Kar, Ross Koella, Mac Mahacek, Anna McWatters, Abigail Postema, Evan Ribbe, Thomas Stock, Maiya Yu

Calvin College:

Drew VanAndel, Mason VanMeurs

221 mi Indiana Wesleyan University: Katie Cole

183 mi Loyola University:

Amanda Rodriguez, Aurora Shewmake, Morgan Wilder,

Levi Barry, Jacob Bessinger, Bree Carter, Ian DeGram, Ysabela Golden, Rya Greene, Trevor Jones-Hirr, Maddy Larson, Jared Laughlin, Allison Matz, Marisa McElrath, Travis Meyers, Johnathan Mosier, Kaitlyn Nelson, Graham Reid, Hannah Tjapkes, Sarah Visser, Ciana Witherell,

Hope College:

Jeff Kriger

Lily Atkinson, Josh Boehnke, Cole Bowditch, Sarah Dufon, Daniel Griffin, Claire Hibbard, Leah Holman, Natalie Newell, Lynn Olthoff, Rylee Rutherford, Sophie Schmidt, Jordyn Spruit,

Grand Rapids Community College:

Quentin Couvelaire, Sara Reason, Sarah Sanders, Andrea Shumaker, Sophia Vander Veer

Grace Armstrong

Rachel Greer

Michigan State University:

Muskegon Community College:

Case Western Reserve University:

College of Wooster:

Kyle Duthler, Macy McDonald, MacKenzie Strazanac, Nataleigh Wiersma, Holly Wright

Grand Valley State University:

12 SENIOR EDITION

University of Alabama:

Sarah Chrysler, Ben Ingall, Hannah Staal

Baker College:

Navvy Kaur, Delaney Torrey

Western Michigan University:

Aimee Alvarado, Thomas Clover, Jack Colbry, Erin Dwyer, Paige Giuliano, Mason Harloff, Alex Houseman, Kathryn Jaeger, Haley LaFrance, Taylor Mortensen, Anna Radowski, Ari Sandoval, Gavin TenBroeke, Ashley Trumley, Savannah Vickers, Allie Wexall,

180 mi University of Wisconsin Madison: Aquinas College: Carson Bac, Drew Yetzke

166 mi

Madison Ray, Andrea Strainer

University of Chicago: Leah Chappell

102 mi Marquette University:

Laney Decker, Eliza Lowe

Armed forces or public service: Allen Rademaker, Michael Clark, Morgan Tiles

SENIOR EDITION 13

W

e, the class of 2017, will the following memories and items to our fellow bucs upon our graduation...

I will my fierce feminist spirit to Chloe Weigel.

-Sophie Schmidt

I will my team mom responsibilities to Autumn Buikema.

-Andrea Shumaker

I will my unfiltered honesty and outgoing personality to Maddie Brockmyre. Stand up and speak out and make me proud!

- Elizabeth Nowak I, will my diving and skiing abilities to Louie Mallot. Keep on killin’ it little homie.

-Garrett Miracle

I will my future wife’s placenta to Mr. Anderson

-Donovan Moblo

I will my lacrosse buns to Lexi Nesbitt.

-Brooke Lonergan

I do hereby will what I like to refer to as the “Graham Effect” to all of the people fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to know me.

-Graham M. Reid

I will my charm and wit to Erik Livingston; may the college admissions game treat you well so that you can join me at U of Chicago next year!

- Leah Chappell

I will room 0205 to staff 73.

May it be a home to you like it was for me. I also will Maddie Brockmyre my half of the Editor in Chief position, you’ve got this.

- Sarah Jane Chrysler I will my mother’s closet to Christina Byrne.

-Andrea Strainer I will my verbal diarrhea and lack of volume control to my darling sister, Sophia Jaeger.

-Kathryn Jaeger I will my pair of scissors to Jack Nicholson.

-Ben Ingall

I will my incredible good looks and my witty school spirit and enthusiasm to Katie Hohmeyer, in hopes she will love senior year.

-Taylor Mortensen

I will my self-proclaimed, senior afro-queen status to Sierra Vickers.

I will my collection of dank memes to Matt Dickinson.

Please take good care of them.

I will my ability to turn any car ride into a karaoke dance party to Macey Crowell.

I will my first-chair viola seat to Noah Merriman.

-Aliyah Austin

-Amanda Rodriguez

I will my lack of immediate ingenuity to Tatum VanAndel.

-Drew VanAndel

I will my dogs, my wasabi almonds and my newspapers to sleep on to Douglas Conner Andre McClain.

-Gabe Liebetreu I will my sports events hype to all the junior girls who witnessed it in all its glory.

-Jami Leibham

I will my full head of thick hair to my father, Jeremey Wilder.

-Morgan Wilder

I will my “Good Vibes” to Gina Maracek who never fails to make me laugh hysterically as if no one is watching.

-Rylee Rutherford

-Eric Moerland

-Grace Armstrong

I will my techie abilities to Noah VanAbbema, my shop boy wrangling powers to Grace Doyon, my ability to be Nova’s right hand man to Megan McCarthy and, last but not least, my hair to Mr. Kram.

-Ciana Witherell

I will my early college girlpower to McKenna Coyne. Kick some butt, kid.

-Raegan Vegh

I will my favorite sitting spot in the library to Gillian Ragen and the best morning spot to Libby Haan and her friends.

-Lily Ragen

I will a challenge to all underclassmen to be the best students, athletes and leaders they can be in years they have at GHHS.

-Thomas Clover

Fair Trade and Social Cause Gifts Local Beverages and Bakery Items all for $1 714 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven Phone: (616) 414-9112

14 SENIOR EDITION

www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Senior Status The good things in life

By Drew VanAndel

Senior Ready Frost explains his kooky personality as he moves on towards early college

It is not everyday that you see a kid wearing a kilt welcoming their peers into class. You also don’t see anyone dressing up as a deer to prom because they went “stag,” but that is exactly what senior Ready Frost aims for: something that is not an everyday sight.

Ask anyone who has met him, they will all describe him as different.

Frost participates in the early college program here at the high school as he works towards his associates degree while maintaining a vegan lifestyle.

“Early college gives me a free associate’s degree and I love free things I’m not gonna lie,” Frost said.

His kooky charisma seems to originate from birth.

“I was born at home-- underwater-- in a kiddie pool,” Frost said. “My parents even got it on video but that’s another story.”

Frost recalls high school as being the

years he will remember forever, but the encounters he has had with exchange students highlight his career.

“My parents both encouraged us to get an exchange student,” Frost said. “And I was like ‘No I can’t walk around my house naked anymore,’ but then we got them and it was maybe one of the best experiences I have ever had with other human beings. You really have a new brother or something.”

After school lets out, Frost plans to travel to Germany to visit two of his past exchange students--Adi and Eileen-- and continue on with his early college schooling. As for his perspective on his life to come, Frost lives by a singular principal.

“The thing is,” Frost said. “We just gotta appreciate that life does suck and will suck, but it’s the good things in life that make it worth living. The good things in life are what makes it great.”

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE

Looking toward the future Senior Lexi Spencer deals with homlessness, financial issues, as she heads out into life past high school

By Aliyah Austin Huddled against the light brown brick wall of the Salvation Army, senior Lexi Spencer swatted the mosquitoes away and tried to fall asleep. The cement was still warm beneath her from the July heat, but she wrapped a blanket around her to keep the bugs away.

It didn’t work.

In the black of the night, Spencer thought about her dog, her mom and her little brother. She felt alone. And scared. Her fears were attacking her harder and faster than the bugs: “What if I get arrested?”

“Holy crap, this is crazy.”

Spencer was officially homeless.

She sobbed.

“The first night after I left home, I slept in a tent in our friend’s backyard,” Spencer said. “One night, the tent got ruined in a rainstorm so I had to go sleep in dugouts and outside of a church. We would sleep on playground equipment, wooden and plastic, cement, you name it.”

She ran away from home in June, 2016.

She was homeless for three months. www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

“It was important for me to leave because of my step dad,” Spencer said. “Me and him just couldn’t live together. It was getting really bad and I didn’t want my brother to see all of that.”

However, on the first day of school this year, Spencer and her boyfriend signed the lease to their first apartment. But this year hasn’t been smooth sailing- she’s struggled with balancing her part-time job at Wal-Mart and trying to graduate.

“It’s been such a struggle,” Spencer said.

“But thankfully, my counselor Mr. Williams and and Mr. Spaman and Deputy DeVries have all pushed me to do the best I can with the situation.”

After she graduates, she will work fulltime at Wal-Mart.

“I moved out of my parent’s house so I’ve got bills to pay,” Spencer said. She picks up a large glass cup with a smiling Flounder the fish painted on it and sips mountain dew.

“I can’t really afford to go college and work, so I’ve got to work full time in order to pay the bills.”

Spencer hopes to eventually train to become a 911 dispatcher.

“I’ve always seen my mom working hard and I guess that really showed me that if you work hard and do the best you can with the situation that you were given, you can make something of yourself,” Spencer said. “We moved around a lot but we always had food on our plate, we always had a roof over our head. We always had a loving home. She did the best she could.”

We sit at a small wooden picnic table and the umbrella casts a dark shadow against her pale face, matching her jet black hair, shirt

Aliyah Austin THE BUCS’ BLADE

and glasses. She begins to toy with a lanyard that says “Class of 2017.”

While she’s surrounded by the remnants of her past, Spencer is looking toward the future.

“I have a hell of a lot of work ethic,” Spencer said. “Most kids in Grand Haven don’t have to pay bills. But most of my money goes to paying bills, which sucks, but you do what you gotta do. I’ve learned that you just need to work as hard as you can.

Be yourself and who cares what anyone else thinks. Just be the best you that you can be.”

PROFILE 15

Maddie Monroe THE BUCS’ BLADE BREAKING OUT OF THE BUBBLE: Seniors in Pay it Forward pose for a photo on their last day in class. Social studies teacher Brian Williams began this project-based class a couple of years ago in an attempt to connect students to the outside world. “It definitely opened up my eyes just going to every organization we did, just realizing how many people are affected by different situations,” senior Autumn Ray said.

PAY IT FORWARD PAYS OFF

S

by Sarah Sanders

ocial Studies teacher Brian WIlliams’ goal is to connect his students to the real world and to look past the Grand Haven ‘bubble.’ Pay it Forward was started a couple of years ago by Williams as a way to achieve this goal.

“The beginning in the class, we would go and meet with lots of local nonprofits or have lots of speakers or others come in here and talk about their experiences and so we get an opportunity to meet with people in a really raw way,” Williams said.

Williams’ goal is to instill a sense of empathy in his students.

“It definitely opened up my eyes just going to every organization we did, just realizing how many people are affected by different situations and that it’s not always their fault,” senior Autumn Ray said. “I’ve definitely built empathy for a lot of people that last year I would say that I would stereotype them.”

One of the speakers that came in was a former nurse that had medical issues to the extent of losing her job.

“I just kind of connected with her on a different level because she had kind of gone through some of the same things that I had,” senior Lynn Olthof said. “Some of the comments and some of the reactions that she got from people were the same so I connected with her a lot.”

After meeting and connecting with the different speakers and representatives from nonprofits, the students have an opportunity to choose and create a project.

“It’s project based in that everything’s completely real,” Williams said. “If they’re looking to try to help homeless people and their project totally fails, they just didn’t help homeless people, which is kind of a slap in the face.”

Students in the class experience varying levels of emotion throughout the semester.

“A lot of time it has to do with understanding that for maybe the first time in their life they’ve seen a part of the world in which they live in it’s kind of most raw form and it’s

16 SENIOR EDITION

frightening or scary or they feel inept because they’re not exactly sure what they should do with it,” Williams said.

Senior Taylor Mortenson took the Pay it Forward class second semester and decided to raise funds for the Humane Society.

“He always had the right thing to say,” Mortenson said. “No matter what, I feel like a couple of the things we were going through, he would know nothing about what we were going through but he would say something to the class and it was exactly relevant to what we had going on. I felt like that was really perfect.”

Rather than on a grade, Williams’ focus is on the learning process and students’ willingness to see life from a different perspective.

“It’s all about how open you are to things and that’s super important for this class,” senior Paige Giuliano said.

This class is only available for seniors and in order to join, an application needs to be filled out.

“It’s really good for seniors I think because it transitions really well into experiences that they’ll probably have next year,” Williams said.

Past students have contacted Williams to tell him of the impact the class has had on their life.

“The class gives us the opportunity to see that even in Grand Haven, that once you peel back a couple layers, while it is great and it’s a wonderful community, even in this community there are lots of people that are hurting that we just need to connect with and we need to try and help and be better individuals for them,” Williams said. “My hope is that these students, at some point, wherever they land, if they land back in Grand Haven or other communities, will take the initiative that they learned here and try to engage their own communities to help as well.” www.bucsblade.com, May 25

Harbor Humane CAMPAIGN It’s the day of the dodgeball tournament.

Seniors Paige Giuliano, Taylor Mortensen and Cassidy Schumacher wait in under the bright lights of the gym to see if their hard work from the semester paid off.

Very few teams signed up ahead of time, which made the waiting worse.

However, much to their surprise, groups showed up at the last minute ready to play dodgeball.

“We had to rely on our student body to actually sign up and go forth with it, so we did everything we could and we just had to put it all out there like ‘Alright people, sign up,”’ Giuliano said.

In order to fundraise for the Harbor Humane Society, the group organized

a dodgeball tournament and two bake sales.

“It was just like all of the little things going on like the teachers having a great time, the students going hard against each other,” Mortensen said. “I think for me anyways that was the most memorable moment, because the process to get there was kind of just contacting businesses for donations.”

The Pay it Forward group raised a total of $1,113.60.

“Seeing it all coming together at the end ‘cause all of our hard work getting donations from all of our companies and everything and everybody that helped out just seeing the end product was amazing,” Schumacher said. “I just felt so humbled like I had this impact.”

Immigrant INITIATIVE At the beginning of the semester, sophomores Nataly Hernandez, Erika Pedroza and Miguel Castelan came and spoke to the class.

The parents of Hernandez and Pedroza came to the United States from Mexico.

Castelan used to live in Mexico.

They discussed the hardships their families have faced.

Seniors Laney Decker, Rya Greene, Aliyah Austin, Ciana Witherell and Navvy Kaur decided to raise awareness to immigrants and migrants in our community.

“After hearing their stories and becoming friends with them, it got so important to me,” Decker said.

The students organized a panel and ran 22 sessions.

They allowed the students to share their stories with guided questions.

“There was one panel

where they started telling stories that they had not told before and first Nataly was talking about her dad and how he was involved with a hate crime and it was a story that she had never told anyone before and she told it to a room full of people and she started tearing up,” Greene said.

Following the panels, they sent out a survey to the participating classrooms.

“It was mostly positive feedback saying that it had opened their eyes,” Greene said. “Even the negative stuff, it caught us up at first, but then we realized with a controversial issue like this, someone is going to be angry about it. Even having that negative feedback, we made someone feel something and so whether it affected them positively or negatively, we know that we are making them think.”

www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Mental health AWARENESS Seniors Haley Lafrance, Zoe McGregor, Eliza Lowe and Sara Bergman focused on mental health awareness for their Pay it Forward project to give students a voice on the topic.

“It is a very prevalent issue in our school,” McGregor said. “I think it’s something that a lot of people just push to the side and try to ignore because it’s not an easy subject to talk about, but taking that on and making it known that it’s a thing and that we can do something about it, I think that’s pretty special.”

Their goal is to bring awareness to an issue that few have a full understanding of.

“On May 16, we did a school improvement lesson, we made a short video to

show and we made a memorial for the students we’ve lost to suicide in the front of our school,” Lowe said.

Principal Tracy Wilson helped the group come up with the idea of a rock garden. Dykstra Landscaping donated about 2,000 rocks to the group for the lesson.

“We had everyone take a rock and write a word on it as a school during and then go around and drop it in the rock garden,” McGregor said. “The rock garden is representative of the little things and how we can all put little things together to become something.”

In the future, only freshmen will add rocks to the garden.

“We really hope to send a positive vibe throughout the whole thing,” Bergman said.

Rocking it FORWARD Seniors Sarah Chrysler, Ben Ingall, Claire Holman, Alex Franczyk, Erin Dwyer, Sawyer Hamm and Jake Phillips took it upon themselves to find a project that was outside of what the class thought of.

“They visited with a nonprofit that we had not even talked with and then based upon some things that they heard and discussions they had with them they decided to pick that as their group so that’s unique,” social studies teacher Brian Williams said.

After speaking with the nonprofit group, they knew that they wanted to find a way to support Walk the Beat.

“The most memorable moment we’ve had as a group would be when we finally figured out what we wanted to do our project on and how we wanted to impact the community,”

Holman said.

Rock Forward is a concert to raise money for Walk the Beat,a local nonprofit that provides music education for kids.

We chose Rock it Forward for our group because we wanted to do something for the community that would impact kids and give them opportunities to be able to play music and get music lessons,” Holman said.

The event took place Saturday, May 13 at the Waterfront Stadium. The show included local acts Skyking and Loren Johnson, as well as last year’s Walk the Beat winner, Jake Kershaw.

“I think the impact my group has made on this issue would be to make sure every kid has an equal opportunity to pursue what they’re passionate about, which makes me thankful for nonprofit organizations,” Holman said.

Hope for the HOMELESS After meeting with representatives from a local shelter, seniors Autumn Ray, Natalie Newell, Lynn Olthof, Dale Kruitoff and John Featherston decided to focus their time this semester on helping the homeless.

“We named our project Hope for the Homeless, so we were raising awareness for the homeless population in the community,” Olthof said. “Then all of our profits went to the Hope House.”

Hope House is a shelter for women and children in Grand Haven that is affiliated with Love in Action, formerly known as Love INC. “A lot of people don’t know that homelessness is a big thing in our community and we wanted to bring awareness,” Ray said.

The group hosted a Box City night in order to raise awareness for the issue and a Students vs. Staff Basketball game, which raised $671.

“The most memorable moment was probably the night of the game, it was just amazing to see the turnout,” Olthof said.

The purpose of Box City was for participants to understand what it feels like to be homeless. They invited Interact Club and National Honors Society. A Love in Action representative spoke to the group about what homelessness looks like in the area. The participants slept in their boxes on the varsity baseball field through wind and rain.

“I think we’ve built empathy to the people who came to our event,” Ray said.

Saving the CATWALK Senior Hannah Staal decided to have her focus in Pay it Forward be towards raising money for the Save the Catwalk campaign as well as planning the Seas the Day dance.

“The Seas the Day Dance is a dance put on for the special education students at our high school because they don’t often have the opportunity we do to go to Homecoming or Winter Formal,” Staal said. “We wanted to create an event that celebrates them where they can hang out with their friends and have a good time.”

Staal also volunteered at last year’s Seas the Day Dance.

“Just dancing around with the other kids was really fun and we all had a good time volunteering with the students, it was amazing.”

As Student Senate’s Vice President, Staal has helped

put on various events to raise funds to reinstall the catwalk after the boardwalk is restored. The campaign also hopes to fix up some of the catwalk once it is reinstalled.

“The Save the Catwalk campaign is for the the community as a whole because the catwalk is something that is iconic to our town and it is a historic artifact that we need to keep,” Staal said.

Throughout the year Staal has worked with Senate to plan a Bike Tour which took place May 13, sold merchandise as a fundraiser and also planned elementary presentations and movie nights at the schools.

“When you think of Grand Haven, you think of the pier and the catwalk and without the catwalk, it’s just not the same,” Staal said. *Read “Caring for Cancer” at www.bucsblade.com

SENIOR EDITION 17

SUMMER PASTIMES

Story of Malcom X

By Julia Drabcyzk This is a fictional account that illustrates who Malcolm X was before he became a large political presence.

From early struggles due to his father’s murder, his mother’s depression and a hopeless dream about becoming a lawyer. His whole life will be spent running from everyone just because he is his father’s son. He finds that his new freedom has lead him into more danger. Malcolm realizes it is only an illusion and cannot hide forever. This book reveals the raw truth about his birth to his childhood in Flint, and his teenage years in Boston that undercover his years in prison.

COURTESY PHOTO

Risking it all for love

By Julia Drabczyk

COURTESY PHOTO

In theaters June 16

In theaters June 16

COURTESY PHOTO

COURTESY PHOTO

They say a person would do anything for love. For Madeline, that meant risking her life for the new boy next door. She has a rare disease that makes her allergic to everything. For the past 17

years she has been trapped inside the walls of her home, not even a step outside. But is love worth the price of her life? It is a fresh young romance novel that is a page turner for every reader.

In theaters June 2

COURTESY PHOTO

Does Lightning McQueen have another movie in him?

47 Meters Down, another movie to make you terrified of sharks

Wonder Woman receives her well deserved screen time

By Maddie Holub

By Maddie Holub

By Maddie Holub

The Cars 3 trailer is a follow up from the last movie which left off with Lightning McQueen’s car crash. Being the third Cars movie, this deals with Lightning McQueen’s struggle to be the top racer despite his growing age and lessening popularity when new cars are coming out. Specifically Jackson Storm- the fastest car on the track. Lightning Mcqueen has one last chance to race Storm and get back on top with all the odds against him to. I would recommend this for younger audiences or people who enjoyed the first two movies.

The trailer for 47 meters down draws you in and has you wanting to watch more. The plot is centered around two girls who go on vacation and decide to go under water in a cage to see sharks in person. When suddenly the cage starts to break and the two girls find themselves 47 meters under the water with limited oxygen and no way to get back to the surface. It is pitch dark and they are alone in shark infested waters. If you are one who loves a classic horror movie then this is the movie for you.

Personally, I am not a huge follower of the super hero kind of movies. But initially, I found this movie to look quite intriguing despite my lack of knowledge in this genre of movies. Being a serious movie about the transformation of Wonder Woman from a child to an adult and learning her full capabilities, and a touch of humor. For anyone who is interested, I think this would be a great choice and an entertaining action movie, not to mention a great example of a strong female character.

18 ARTS

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MUSIC MIKE Julia Drabczyk THE BUCS’ BLADE SELF-TAUGHT: Maggio has learned what he knows now about creating new songs from tinkering around with programs and watching videos online. He also finds other people to model his work after.

Freshman Mike Maggio spends his free time turning beats into unique EDM songs

By Sam Hankinson

H

e flits in between the clusters of students that mill around during passing time, a small figure that makes no noise in the loud hallways. He saves his sounds for the internet.

Freshman Mike Maggio is a self taught music maker, creating new tracks and uploading them to his SoundCloud account when he’s not at school. He decided to start this hobby his 8th grade year branching from his love of music.

“I was really interested in EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and I wanted to start making music of my own,” Maggio said. “I found a program and I tried it out and something sparked and I started making a song.”

Maggio decided to pursue this hobby with no prior knowledge or qualifications. His only option was to jump in blind.

In a school setting, some students find it easy to succeed with the support of teachers who help them learn about their passions. Maggio had to tackle a steep learning curve with no one to provide guidance.

“When I first started out the most frustrating thing to me was changing the pitch for certain sounds and making my own sound files so I could have a more unique sound,” Maggio said.

It took a lot for Maggio to streamline his process. Plug-

20 LIFE

ging in sounds that work is now second nature for him, but it used to be tedious and time-consuming. Just how a small scratch can ruin a record, the same goes for Maggio’s music.

“Just trying to get the pitch just right without making it sound funny was difficult,” Maggio said. “Even the slightest little poke and it would mess up the entire song.”

Of course, being able to sit down and crank out a song in one sitting was an unrealistic expectation when Maggio first downloaded FL studio 12.

“My first song that I uploaded took me about one or two months to make,” Maggio said.

soundcloud.com/simplesimpl Top Track: 2 AM Highlight: Begins with a monolouge, leads into a chill, danceable beat.

Now he’s gotten into a rhythm when it comes to making rhythms.

“If I’m going for a long song like 3 or more minutes than it might take me 2 to 3 weeks to finish just that song by itself,” Maggio said.

Maggio has streamlined his music making process and has recently cranked out two albums. He took to his instagram account to announce his first album, “Vandalized” three months ago. It consisted of 7 tracks.

“I feel like I could have done a better job at it but for a first album, it was pretty impressive.” he said. “I really liked how I used some assets from different sources instead of making my own sounds with the assets I have on my computer” From his first endeavor, he improved with the release of “Imagine” which debuted a month ago. The effort level was the same, but the sounds produced were able to receive more attention.

“I just spent more time on [Imagine] than I did on [Vandalized]” Maggio explained. [Vandalized] was kind of rushed but with [Imagine] I just had more time to work on it.”

Everything Maggio has done in his jam sessions has been his own doing, and people enjoy his work.

“You can tell that he puts a lot of work into his music to make it sound good” freshman Jack Stork said. “”I hope he continues to use his awesome talents to continue to make his music.”

“Mikey likes to make a lot of techno type music, it’s not really with the modern generation, said freshman Lance Ellsworth. “He also likes to make music out of funny little memes.”

Everyone has to start somewhere, and it’s clear that the path Maggio has put himself on could be the beginning of something great.

“I feel more confidence after starting [my music],” Maggio said. “At first I thought I was doing it for fun, but now I can see I’m actually growing and getting more and more people listening to my music. I feel like I’ve improved as a person.” www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

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THE COACH’S CONSOLATION It doesn’t matter what you apply the philosophy to, the technique of trying your best and being a good sportsman is vital to personal victory. It guarantees success in both work and sports, insuring others will see your hard work and commend you for it.

Now, you may be questioning this claim, and rightly so. It is unsupported and more than refutable. Yet, even though these words seem so untrue, they are spoken frequently by coaches and mentors. These words are repeated most often in high school sports, and echo a fallacy that’s accepted or ignored by most people: Trying your best and being a good sportsman is all that matters.

“Alright players, go into this game with a good attitude and be the better sportsman because at the end of the day, that’s what really matters.”

Sound familiar?

Whatever the sport, there is a lie and a wrong priority planted in the heads of players.

I prefer to call this the coach’s consolation: an excuse the coach uses for him/herself to bring solace to the cold reality of a loss.

There are learning experiences to be gained out of losing and being a good sportsman does have its benefits. However, these things are not the priority. The only thing that does matter is winning. The only person or team written down on records and awarded is the victor.

In the infamous words of the Green Bay Packers Coach, Vince Lombardi, “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.”

Some coaches like Lombardi realize the true nature of competition, however, players are usually the ones to learn it first.

Patriot’s quarterback, Tom Brady, summed it up very well in an interview with CBS, “Whatever matters to you as an individual, it’s far distant to what the team goals are. And the team goals are one thing - to score more points than the other team.”

I experienced this lesson in my tennis season after a bad loss in my sophomore year playing No. 1 varsity singles. Throughout the match my opponent had been berating me and swearing at me, all in attempts to distract me. The fact is that it worked, my game declined and I did get angry. Instead of reacting and fighting fire with fire, I followed the good sportsman rule and rose above it. I lost that game, and words I heard about the match stuck with me. I heard things like “at least you didn’t sink to his level” or “it was good you kept your cool.” My opponent had broken all the rules of respect but in the end, who really cared?

My opponent had used a tactic that coaches of the losing squads deemed bad.

But what was really bad about his tactic?

Sure it was morally wrong, and maybe he gained some enemies, but he was the one with the victory and I gained nothing from being the respectful player.

It is not just me who has experienced this scenario. I’ve seen countless athletes fall prey to their own idea of the coach’s consolation. Both teammates and athletes in other sports focused on trying their best and being respectful rather than the thing that will stick with them long after the game is over, the feeling of winning the battle you worked so hard for. No one practices for thousands of hours just to lose, and no one rises to the top by settling for their best.

“Winning isn’t the only thing, it’s everything.”

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22 SPORTS

A run for the ages Senior Quentin Couvelaire hopes to track down his dreams in his last time running for Grand Haven

By Ben Ingall

COOL AND CONFIDENT: Senior Quentin Couvelaire stays calm before racing in a big conference meet against West Ottawa. Ben Ingall THE BUCS’ BLADE

It’s the day of the regional track meet. The top “Though I think our 4x800 could go to states this year athletes in Region 1 of Division 1 all arrive at the track too.” ready to compete. Senior Quentin Couvelaire, one of It’s obvious that Couvelaire is a very ambitious the top ranked milers in the region, begins his prerunner and is motivated by having big expectations for meet routine. himself and his team. His reasons for staying motiInstantly attention is all over Couvelaire. vated are pretty simple on the outside.

“I’m a silent leader,” Couvelaire said. “If I go out “I wanna win,” Couvelaire said. “And there are to warm-up, people running the same race will follow pretty girls watching me so I have to win.” me. I guess I kind of know what I’m doing and people Don’t be fooled by that statement. Not all Couvecan look up to that.” laire wants is the sweet taste of victory. Being as fast as Couvelaire’s silent attitude he is, Couvelaire is always looking doesn’t mean that he goes unnoforward both on, and off the track. ticed by his teammates.

16-17 SEASON STATS The future is collegiate running.

“He’s a really hard worker on “He has a lot of options, espe• Fastest 1600m time our team,” senior Dominic Hencially with his grades and stuff,” is 4:36.31 temann said. “He definitely gives us Hentemann said. “I think he’s got a that focus for the races, especially lot of places he could go.”

• Finished first three when we are all super nervous. He Currently, he is in the process times in the 3200m brings us back down.” of deciding between Hope College event In a way, it appears that Couveand Grand Valley State University. laire’s silence is his advantage.

“I have met with both coaches • Best 800m time is “He doesn’t need to say anyand did a few overnights with the 2:05.18 thing,” Hentemann said. “People Hope team,” Couvelaire said. just see him and instantly know The two teams offer differthey should be doing that too. ent attributes that have attracted Aaron Hughes and I are the loud Couvelaire’s attention. leaders, and he’s the silent lead by example guy.”

“They’re all really smart [at Hope], which I think Being a team leader isn’t the only way Couvelaire would help me later on,” Couvelaire said. “At Grand contributes to the team; he is also one of the fastest Valley, I would probably get money.” runners for the team.

Grand Valley’s running programs are renowned for “I don’t lose contact with the leaders,” Couvelaire their constant success over years, which should make said. “I can usually win with a kick.” it an obvious choice, but it isn’t only about the running It has paid off for him putting his best effort into for Couvelaire. the 1600m event. After being regional champion, fin“At Grand Valley running is kind of like your job,” ishing 13th in the state, and setting the junior record in Couvelaire said. “But I just do it for enjoyment. At the event (4:25.51) rounding out his junior year.

Hope they do a lot of other things than run, and I This time around, Couvelaire hopes to repeat his want to go to med school.” success.

Wherever he goes, Couvelaire will be running “I want to win regionals,” Couvelaire said. “But it’s whether or not he’s part of a team, just because he gonna be harder than last year.” likes it.

Couvelaire has high hopes for the rest of the team, “I think anybody can be good at running,” Couvebesides just his own goals. laire said. “Other sports like basketball you can just be “I would like to go to states again,” Couvelaire said. born with it, but running is different.” www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

Ballpark bonding Grand Haven baseball team discovers new chemistry, helping them improve their season

By Jack Reus

I

magine going up to the plate with a hushed dugout behind you. Little to no cheering coming from your teammates and no sign of positivity from the bench.

All in all, this was an easy way to describe a Grand Haven Baseball game from last season.

The team closed out an abysmal campaign with an 11-27 record. Clearly, it was the opposite of the season they were hoping and working for. This raises the question, what was the problem?

A significant change was needed for the Bucs to get back on the winning track. Positive attitude, team chemistry and encouragement from teammates needed to find their way into this so called ‘team’.

“We had separate groups that would split up and we weren’t pumping each other up when we did something right,” senior pitcher Sean Casey said. “We also weren’t cheering each other when we messed up.”

But this year’s team is different. Many guys have all been playing together year round from summer league to winter conditioning. They are not a team full of multiple social groups. They are one team, one family. This close relationship with the team should help the Bucs this season. The guys have participated in many team building activities such as paintball and whitewater rafting which have been a blast for the guys but nonetheless the team still struggled chemistry wise.

Luckily, this year’s team has made a huge effort to increase team chemistry. For example, just recently the guys went on a spring break trip to Nashville, Tennessee where they could be seen doing many activities such as fishing, playing basketball or even line dancing.

“The line dancing got us closer because we all laughed and just had a good time without being on our phones the whole time,” Casey said.

Spring break was a blast for these guys and it also helped teammates get to know each other outside of the game of baseball, on a more personal level. After hours in the car, and many activities the guys all talked to each other quite often and really developed a strong connection with one another.

The team looks to have a successful season not just in terms of baseball but by the means of chemistry between the players too. The strong connection with everyone on this team should help them towards a victorious season.

“Normally after seeing someone 24/7 you normally get sick of them,” Casey said. “That was not the case at all this spring break.”

The closeness will only get them so far if they can’t fix the www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017

COMING TOGETHER: Senior teammates Kyle Hoover and Brady Jonas connect in the dugout and share thoughts on strategy during a home game against East Kentwood.

Jack Nicholson THE BUCS’ BLADE

pitching issues that contributed to last season’s poor record.

The team had an ERA of 4.54 and an ERA of 5.84 in nine innings.

Nonetheless, Coach Hansen and members of the team believe there is a bright future for pitching. “ I think our pitching will be improved and we’ll have the ability to substitute our players to maintain a good defense when we rotate pitchers,” Hansen said.

Senior ace pitcher Sean Casey is expected to lead the way for the team towards a successful year and his teammates have faith in his abilities to do so.

“I think Sean Casey is going to have the best pitching season that Grand Haven has seen in a few years,” senior Max Schweikert said. “This will fuel the team as a whole.”

Casey had a 3.79 ERA last season and threw 33 strikeouts which was second most on the team, only behind Nathan Bonter who is now currently playing college baseball for Muskegon Community College.

Pitching is off to a solid start this season along with strong offense which has kickstarted the Bucs off to one of the better starts of the season that the team has had in years.

Casey and company have been a major part of that change.

Last season’s team also had a rough time finishing games, they were able to compete in a solid amount of games which is a positive sign, yet competing and winning are in two different leagues.

Even though the team fought hard, they lost five extra inning games and several one run games last season.

Losing games in dramatic fashion like this really lowered the team’s confidence level and team chemistry which are extremely vital for the team’s success.

So far the team is off to a decent start posting a 11-13 record, with wins where offense thrived- two 15-0 shutouts over Fremont and a 19-0 slaughtering of Fruitport. Though the record is still mediocre, they have matched their season total of wins from a year ago.

“Everyone cares a lot more,” Casey said. “We have better leadership than we did last year also. Everyone is there for everyone and it makes us all confident when we are in the field and at the plate.”

Jamie Gretzinger THE BUCS’ BLADE THROWING HEAT: Freshman Owen Krizan winds up for a pitch against conference foe East Kentwood. Improved pitching has been huge for the Bucs’ success this year.

SPORTS 23

Pedaling for the pier Student Senate organizes a bike race to raise money to save the iconic catwalk

By Julia Drabczyk

NAKED PIER: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s pier repairs does not include the catwalk, since it is owned by the city. The total cost of repairing and replacing the catwalk amounts to a hefty $1,000,000, and the Save the Catwalk foundation has raised $545,000. It needs $455,000 by mid-summer to replace the structure.

PUSHING FORWARD: Teacher Aaron Smaka pedals down the road. “I love the beach.” Smaka said. “I’m down here a lot between volleyball and whatever else, so seeing them taking the catwalk down last year and watching the construction is kinda cool. I would love to see it better than it was before they took it down.”

ON YOUR MARK (Top Right): Cyclists line up at the YMCA to start the race.

“We had a really good turnout.” Senior and Coordinator Jack Costello said.

“Not only did we have a lot of preregistered sign ups but we had a lot day-of sign ups. Today we had about 80 riders, which equated to us raising about 3,000 dollars and that’s totally debt free - we do not have to pay any of it back so it goes directly to funds for Save the Catwalk.”

TUNE-UP (Bottom Right): Many passionate people came to show their love for the pier, and to help the cause. Sophomre Abby Butinehuis explains her reasoning for coming.

“This adds a lot of help to the cause. “ Butinehuis said. “Its an iconic symbol to Grand Haven and distinguishes our pier from everyone else’s.”

BEHIND THE SCENES (Far Right): Student Senate had many volunteers show up to help make the race happen, like Pat Flipper, a retired teacher.

“The catwalk stands out and makes a difference on the pier.” Flipper said. “It was very well arranged and it is very nice to have and see young people involved. I am very grateful for the student senate for coming up with this. You guys set a great example for the rest of the community.”

24 PHOTOSTORY

www.bucsblade.com, May 25, 2017