Bucs' Blade March 2012

BUCS'

BLADE

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

A weekend we won’t soon forget Wednesday, March 28, 2012

2 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28,

Why we did what we did T

he Bucs’ Blade, like any professional publication, has was made to push back the publication of the paper, not a set structure when it comes to publishing an edition. just for the sake of the basketball team, but for the five We make it our goal to tackle all of the issues the school girls (including one of our own reporters) involved in a body and the local community at large will find helpserious car crash on the way to the state semifinal game. ful and important. It is our goal and our This was also done for the sake of our staff, responsibility to report on a diverse range when we would have normally had three of stories, for that is the job of a credible days of production, we weren’t emotionally news source. ready to do so. We would not have had the Then there are times where that mind time to tell the story the way it needed to set gets tossed completely out the window. be told.

As journalists, we write the first draft of After our decision, we realized that history. And for Grand Haven, St. Patrick’s simply delaying our paper wasn’t going to Day weekend was one of the most signifibe enough. cant our school has ever seen. Witnessing So what is in your hands now is as STAFF both a terrible accident and an incredible complete of a story as we can accurately EDITORIAL victory, it was clear that what was unfoldprovide. This is one of the biggest stories ing included more than a few pages would the Bucs’ Blade has ever covered and one allow. And although there are many facets to this 48 of the biggest stories that has ever happened to Grand hour window, we realize that this was all one story, conHaven High School. After realizing that it would take nected by one central character: the Grand Haven High more than the few pages we planned for it, it became our School community. We couldn’t, in good faith and in entire March edition. touch with our principles, neglect a story of this magniOf course, it’s been almost 10 days since this memotude. rable weekend. It’s been dissected by local media and So, instead of our original plan of publishing the week discussed in our homes and our hallways. In some cases, after the Grand Haven girls basketball team won the we did not necessarily agree with the way the story was championship, the editorial board met to discuss what portrayed. We are upset that hurtful and untrue rumors to do. After considering multiple options, the decision broke out on Twitter and Facebook. We are disap-

THE BUCS’ BLADE

Grand Haven High School, 17001 Ferris, Grand Haven, MI 49417 A student newspaper of community significance since 1927

Volume 67, Issue 6 March 28, 2012

PUBLICATION POLICY The Bucs’ Blade is a newspaper 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 its readers. During the school day, the Blade staff may be reached at 616.850.6263 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:20 p.m.

The Bucs’ Blade strives for the highest standards of accuracy, completeness and careful research in its presentation of material. If an error merits correction, as determined by the Editorial Board or the Adviser, it will be promptly published in the news brief column or on the editorial page. Correction notification forms are available in the main office or in Room 0205 and should be returned directly to Room 0205 upon completion. All correction requests are subject to review.

LETTERS AND SUBMISSIONS The paper will operate on the basis of an open or public forum. Essays and other nonfiction literary works are welcomed. All letters to the editor must include the writer’s name, signature, and class or position, and must be free of obscene and potentially libelous material. Typed, double-spaced letters are preferred, but legible, handwritten letters are acceptable. Names of individuals will not be edited, except in rare cases to prevent legal liability, to edit material that is in poor taste or to fit space requirements. Letters previously published, addressed to third parties or photocopied will not be published. The Bucs’ Blade can only print as many letters to the editor as space will allow. Letters should be addressed to the editor, and emailed to bucsblade@gmail.com THE BUCS’ BLADE 17001 Ferris Grand Haven, MI 49417

GHHS ROOM 0205

pointed that media outlets overhyped parts of this story that deserved complete accuracy with fair presentation of the events that unfolded. We feel that it is our job to do it right, but it’s not just our job. It’s your job also.

We praise the community and student body for their continuous support. But at the same time, we hope that people will be cautious of the potential rumors they could be spreading.

Unlike other media, we chose not to contact the students involved or their families. We felt that it wasn’t our place to poke and prod them during their most trying times and instead, we wanted to write something that told the story of our community. We chose to be sensitive for the sake of all involved.

There is one thing that separates the Bucs’ Blade from professional papers.

The people we cover are our friends. They are our classmates. They walk in our halls, play on our sports teams, sit next to us everyday. Because of this, we are better suited to tell this story than anyone else. Even though it is not possible for us to be entirely objective, we know what happened to the community within the walls of Grand Haven High School. How they reacted to, processed and ultimately handled the emotional roller coaster better than anyone else.

Here is the story of one of the most intense 48 hour periods our school has ever survived.

Editorial Board John Cherette

Editor-in-Chief

Mike Ginocchio

Editor-in-Chief

Emma Baty

Managing Editor

Lucas Wilder

News Editor

Mollie LaBeff

Feature Editor

Bailey Coval

Culture Editor

Chloe Dault

Editor-at-large

Lauren Lund

Vibe Editor

Riley Missel

Vibe Editor

Scott Staal

Sports Editor

Samantha VanHoef Web Editor Laura Burton

Copies of The Bucs’ Blade are offered on the news stands located in the main Maggie Ginocchio office, Room 0205, the media center, the Loutit Library and The Bookman.

Meridith Frein,

Photo Editor Graphics Specialist Ad Manager

Staff Haley Bethune, McKenna Brinks, Dustin Chrysler, Austin Edelmayer, Katelyn Hansen, Kaia Hayes, Kayla Hoffman, Kennedy Kaufman, Lauren Kruggel, Kyra Lansky, Riley Missel, Brittney Olds, Andrew Prince, Alexa Shampine, Olivia Seaver, Erin Staal, John Strainer, Schaefer Thelen, Katherine Wampler, Madison Wilder Harrison Zost C.E. Sikkenga/Adviser

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 3

photo by Laura Burton

A

BUCS’ BLADE STAFF

s senior guard Shar’Rae Davis swooped to the rim, splitting the desperate Grosse Pointe defenders in her path with the intensity of an oncoming freight train, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Ten seconds left. Nine.

Eight. Seven. She barreled below the hoop and threw up a shot, banking off the

backboard. As it went through the net the fans exploded. Six seconds left. Grosse Pointe drove down the court, time against them. Five seconds. Four. Three. Two. A shot thrown up beneath the basket and Grand Haven’s 6’ 5” junior center Abby Cole. No chance. One second left. Game.

What happened when those final seconds ticked off the clock, when Grand Haven’s girls varsity basketball team mobbed center court and collapsed in hugs and tears, was the only end imaginable for a weekend that featured enough emotional swings that Hollywood

would reject it for being too unrealistic.

For the first time, Grand Haven High School could say it was state champion of girls basketball. This could be a story of triumph, of pulling off a miracle. This is not that story.

As the team and fans celebrated in Lansing, five classmates were in a hospital in Grand Rapids after being involved in a serious car accident on I-96 on the way to the semi-final game. This could be a story of tragedy in the midst of triumph. This is not that story, either.

What this is instead is one story,

woven together over a 30-odd hour span that captured heroics on the basketball court and nearly unspeakable accident off it. It featured a wide range of characters, from the principal in the middle of crisis control during what should have been just a thrilling weekend, to those that took it upon themselves to assist in accident control, to a student body that united as one cohesive group behind its team on the court and classmates off it. It’s a story about life, sports and how they often tie together in the most unbelievable of ways. continued on p. 4

W

4 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

When students arrived at school Friday morning, they were greeted by the brassy sound of an impromptu pep band belting out the school fight song outside the rotunda.

Through the dense fog, a small sea of gold-clad buccaneers lined the main walkway.

Soon, cheering erupted down the line in a wave as the girls varsity basketball team made their way out of the school and toward the waiting charter bus. High-fives flowed freely between the players and the steadily growing crowd, until they finally reached their destination at the end of the line and boarded the bus to the State Semi-Final game for the second consecutive time.

Once the girls were off, students attending the game without their own transportation checked in with their second hour teacher, stayed in class for five minutes, then boarded the spectator busses. Those students driving themselves left at the end of second hour. After everybody was on their way Principal Tracy Wilson and Assistant Principal Pamela VanderKamp headed through Spring Lake behind the caravan.

Wilson’s black Suburban grew silent on the way to the game. A phone call came from Doug Devries, husband of French teacher Lynda who was riding the bus as a chaperone, saying there had been a “terrible accident” involving Grand Haven girls.

The call was lost immediately after.

“He’s kidding, right?” Wilson asked.

“Doug Devries?” Roberson answered. “No way.”

Juniors Dani Michaels, Emily Bogner, Maddie Case, Hannah DeVecht and Brittney Olds were the girls involved. The accident was serious. Michaels, the driver, lost control, hitting the guardrail and flipping. The three passengers in the back seat, who were not wearing seat belts, were ejected from the vehicle.

As of press time, the Michigan State Police told the Blade they could not release the accident report because their investigation was ongoing. However, they did confirm that alcohol was not suspected as a factor in the crash and that it was not believed that any of the girls had been drinking.

Devries was able to relay the information because the caravan of five full spectator buses came upon the accident scene just minutes after the crash. The unexpected sight of the fresh accident scene was something the buses and the chaperones couldn’t prepare for. (continued on p. 7)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 5

photo by Emma Baty

6 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A closer look at ‘The five girls’

Danielle Michaels, Hannah Devecht, Emily Bogner, Brittney Olds and Madison Case have become household names since the March 16 car accident the five were involved in. Through talk amongst community members, Facebook posts and Care pages we have all heard about these classmates of ours. Here is a closer look into who these girls in the accident really are:

Danielle Michaels

Hannah Devecht

Age: 16

Age: 17

Grade:11th

Grade: 11th

If you don’t know her: - AP student - Yearbook staff member - Varsity lacrosse player - Snug Harbor employee

If you don’t know her:

- AP student

- Former Catalina member - Participated in Swim Team - Barrett Boat Works employee

Friends Say:

Friends Say:

“She’s outgoing, so fun, and up to doing anything.

She’s definitely a prankster!” –senior Emma Saber

“ She’s one of those people who’s always caring for her friends. I think even people who don’t know her see her as a nice person.” -Saber

“Dani has been my best friend since 8th grade. No matter what we always find something to do, like watching ‘The Office’ marathons for hours and hours on rainy days.” –junior Lydia Weykamp

“ She is such a kind hearted person. I have never met anyone who doesn’t like Hannah” -Weykamp

Emily Bogner

Brittney Olds

Madison Case

Age: 16

Age: 16

Age: 17

Grade: 11th

Grade: 11th

Grade: 11th

If you don’t know her:

If you don’t know her:

If you don’t know her:

- Yearbook staff member - Constantly reading - Drives a red VW Bug - Dee-Lite Bar and Grill employee

Friends Say:

- AP student - Bucs’ Blade staff member - Varsity lacrosse player - All-Star skier (9th at state finals, 2010 jr. Olympics) - Captain Custard Employee

- AP student - Former Catalina member - Participated on Swim and Dive Team - Dee-Lite Bar and Grill employee

Friends say:

“Emily is momma bear. She is definitely the most mature, always thinking about the right thing to do.”

–Weykamp

Friends Say:

“She’s the toughest girl I know. I can’t stop smiling thinking about her.” –junior Lydia Weykamp

“Maddie is so funny and really sarcastic. She even jokes around with the people at the hospital, everybody at the hospital loves her.” –Saber

“She’s funny too. She gets obsessed reading all these crazy, emo vampire books.” –senior Claire Pepper

“Brittney is like the most fun person in the entire world.” –senior Claire Pepper

“She is really caring and is genuinely a nice person.”

–Weykamp

Stay up to date - www.carepages.com/carepages/BrittneyOldsCarePage with all of the girls current conditions: - www.carepages.com/carepages/Emilybognercarepages

- ‘Prayers For 5 Grand Haven High School students’ on Facebook

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 7

“I felt like it was a dream,” -Dacia Albaugh English teacher Dacia Albaugh volunteered to chaperone one of the five student buses heading to the Breslin Center and was more than ready to support to the Bucs. Decked out in blue and gold, she even had a green antennae hat on her head, as a humorous reference to both Buccaneer blue and gold, plus the fact that it was St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

“I felt like everyone here was so energized and pumped up and so much spirit was going through the school,” Albaugh said. “There was so much positive energy going through the school.

I felt like being with the kids was part of the excitement.”

It was a typical bus ride to a major sporting event, which is to say that it was loud.

There was laughing, joking and predictions towards the outcome of the game.

The kids were excited, but not obnoxious.

They were pumped, but relatively in control. Given that, the chaperones looked like their main focus was on the game too. Cars passed by the buses honking their horns and the students

responded by cheering and banging on the windows.

“About an hour and a half into the drive, we actually saw [the girls involved in the crash],” Albaugh said. “They passed us and they were excited. They were waving and screaming and we were waving and screaming right back.”

About three miles up the road, however, the buses began to slow and it was clear that something was wrong.

“We saw a number of vehicles pulled off on the shoulder and we realized there was an accident,” Albaugh said. “I was in the left hand side of the bus. At first glance, we thought it was a car on the westbound lane that had come over into the median, because the car was in the west hand lane.”

It was only when the bus got closer that Albaugh and the rest of the student body on the bus recognized the truth: it was a car of Grand Haven students.

“Instant horror filled my mind,” Albaugh said. “I felt like it was a dream. I quickly looked and noticed one of the bodies was in the westbound lane. Mrs. Whitley yelled at all of the kids on the bus to put their heads down, those are our girls,

those are our fans, just put your heads down. And I wished I had not looked, that image will be forever burned in my head.”

Meanwhile, on her own bus, Spanish teacher Kirsten Montroy took charge to keep the students under control.

“I’m the type of person that goes into instant emotion shutdown mode and I go ‘what do we need to do now to get through this?’” Montroy said. “So I didn’t have an immediate emotional response so much as I saw that there was blue and gold on the scene and I went ‘are there people out there helping?’ I saw several adults on the scene so I knew that was good.”

Once Montroy assessed the outside situation developing, she worked to contain any problems that could emerge within the bus.

“My next reaction was to make sure that no one took a picture of it,” Montroy said. “I saw the scene from a diagonal so I knew what was coming was bad, so I turned around and yelled to the kids on the bus ‘it looks like this is really bad, please put your phones away, don’t take a single picture of this’. For me there was no reason for it to be on the

internet. After all that happened, then the emotions came in and the ‘oh my gosh, what happened? Is everyone ok? Who is that?’ It was heart-wrenching to see it and look back and see all the kids’ faces.”

In spite of the gravity of the situation, Montroy was blown away by the response of her students.

“They listened so fast,” Montroy said.

“They were incredibly fast. They just kind of looked and nodded. They listened incredibly well.”

Albaugh also witnessed the reaction of the students.

“The whole vibe on our bus changed,” Albaugh said. “It was silent. But the kids were amazing. We have an amazing group of students. They were stronger than me.

I was crying so hard that [Jodi] Heard had to grab me and say ‘Dacia, you’ve got to be strong for the kids.’ I didn’t realize it, but I was crying out loud. I stopped and turned around and I had kids come up and say ‘Are you okay, Mrs. Albaugh?

We’re here for you.’ Here I am, supposed to be the adult, supposed to be the rock.

I’m supposed to be the strong one and I have kids coming up to me. Now that speaks volumes.” (continued on p. 8)

8 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

“I couldn’t believe that something so bad had actually happened.”

—senior Olin Johnson

photo by Laura Burton

A few minutes behind the buses, administrators didn’t know what to expect as they approached the scene but it wasn’t long before they had a first hand view.

“We didn’t know where exactly it had happened, but it was in the next few miles after we got the call,” Roberson said. “So we sped up a little bit and began to see traffic backed up so we knew we were close. We could see one fire and rescue vehicle on the scene. Mrs. Wilson drove on the shoulder and we pulled up to the scene.”

Once they arrived, Wilson instructed VanderKamp to stay near the vehicle

comforting bystanders as she and Roberson ran toward the accident, where the girls were being cared for by paramedics.

“When I got up on the scene, I saw the car and I saw some of the girls, my body went into shock,” Wilson said. “But then I saw all these Grand Haven people helping and there was this calm because it was all Grand Haven blue and gold helping Grand Haven blue and gold. It was the most incredible sight you could have ever seen.”

Many cars on the way to the game stopped to help.

“The people that were there helping

were incredible,” Roberson said. “It was amazing that we could forget about basketball. It’s these kids that are the focus.

Everybody was working with each other to make sure they got the best care possible. It really made me feel good about the community, about the support and what we truly value.”

After all the girls were transported to Spectrum Health campus in Grand Rapids, Wilson and Roberson began picking up personal belongings that were scattered from the accident.

“It looked like a garbage bag exploded all over the highway,” Wilson said.

Wilson flagged VanderKamp to move her Suburban up and they began loading all the girls’ items in the back. Once everything was in order, they continued to the Breslin Center with Roberson driving and Wilson making phone calls.

Back at school, English Department Chair Tom Foley prepared for a relatively laid back school day as he settled into the administrative role on Friday morning.

With the school administration gone on the school-wide field trip, Foley was chosen as the acting head of the school. In that role, he would become one of many with a huge task to face.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 9

photo by Laura Burton

“Mrs. Wilson asked me if I was available on Thursday,” Foley said. “From what I understand, she looked at which department chairs were staying in the building that weren’t going to the game and I was one of them.”

Foley had no idea that Friday would turn into one of the most confusing and difficult days in school history.

“I was just kind of expecting the daily things that happen in a school day,” Foley said. “We knew there weren’t going to be very many students in the building that day, but someone had to be in charge to take care of business as usual. I was

expecting to make the rounds and make sure students were in classes or wherever they were supposed to be.”

A few minutes into lunch, a murmur began spreading throughout the cafeteria.

Students had their phones out and were talking to their neighbors emphatically.

Senior Olin Johnson heard the news of the crash through a text to a friend from senior Andrew Wadaga, who was riding a spectator bus.

“Honestly, at first I thought [Wadaga] was lying,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t believe that something so bad had actually happened.”

Aided by technology, word of the accident spread quickly through the building.

Foley was on his way to the lunchroom when he first heard news of the accident.

“At first, we only heard that there had been an accident,” Foley said. “No details on how bad. Then I heard on my radio, ‘Mr. Foley please come to the office.’

There I learned about the severity of the accident but not about the severity of the injuries. We had the names of the girls.”

It fell to Foley to make the initial contact with the girls’ parents.

“I introduced myself and I let them know that we had been contacted that

there had been an accident,” Foley said. “I let them know that their daughter was in the accident, that I didn’t have any details of the injuries, [I told them] where the accident took place and that they had been taken to a Grand Rapids area hospital. I also let them know that Mrs. Wilson was on the scene and then I gave them Mrs. Wilson’s cell phone number.”

continued on p. 10

10 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

photo by Laura Burton

Getting in touch with most of the parents went smoothly, although at times he was just repeating what they had already learned from others.

“A few of the five parents had already been contacted in one way or another,” Foley said. “One of them had actually spoken to their daughter at the scene of the accident and another had already heard through a text message. Two of the parents, I was the first contact and obviously they were concerned, shocked, worried, asking for any information I had.”

According to Foley this, without a

doubt, was the hardest part of the entire day.

“It’s every parent’s worst fear that something has happened to their child,” Foley said. “Not knowing much was in some ways good for me and in some ways bad. Bad in that I couldn’t give them much information and good that I didn’t have horrific details to share.”

After contacting the girls’ parents, Foley made an announcement to the school, sharing the names of the five girls and describing what happened.

“In this age of technology, it was important to name the girls in the

accident,” Foley said. “There were a lot of students unaccounted for, people who turned in permission slips and just skipped, so we needed to dispel rumors.

There were a lot of names flying around before my announcement.”

Around the same time Foley and the rest of the staff was doing this, students were making their way down to the Performing Arts Center to watch the game together on the big screen.

Foley made a similar statement there, naming the girls and asking that they be kept in students’ prayers.

Near the end of the day, the

district crisis team made its way to the building and met with Foley. They set up counselors to be on site when the buses came back and figured out how to communicate with administrators at the basketball game.

“The school day came to an end and myself and some others kind of just hung out outside and wished the students a good weekend,” Foley said. “The most memorable part about that was when [junior] Frank Worrell walked by out of the rotunda and said, ‘Good job Mr. Foley. Good job today.’ That will stick with me.”

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 11

photo by Katelyn Hansen photo by Katelyn Hansen

When the buses arrived, chaperones informed the riders of the latest details concerning the accident. They had received frequent updates from Wilson throughout the trip. Meanwhile, inside the Breslin Center, thousands of Buccaneer fans filled the seats.

This sight lifted Wilson’s spirits.

“It was very comforting to see all of the gold in that field house and to see the excitement that students displayed in the stands and to know how courageous that was to put on that front for the girls playing out on the court,” Wilson said.

Don VanZytveld, whose daughter, Rachel, is a sophomore at Grand Haven,

arrived at the Breslin after assisting on the scene of the accident. He found the presence of other parents uplifting.

“I was thankful for the other parents being there because I knew they were feeling the same pain I was,” said VanZytveld, a frequent substitute teacher and volunteer for the high school. “Those girls were our girls, even if it’s not biological, it would be just the same if they were mine. We were all feeling for the parents of the five girls. We knew we’d be devastated if it was our own children, so we put ourselves in their shoes and sent thoughts their way.”

Students found it was hard to balance

their emotions. But they tried.

“There’s no way you can totally block out that thought or that idea but you kind of just had to push it to the back of your mind for the time being and support the girls that were out there playing,” senior Tanner Jacobs said. “We all know that that’s what they would’ve wanted. That’s what they were going there to do, so that’s what we tried to do to the best of our ability.”

Even while doing that, students still had difficulty being completely excited for the team.

“There was just so much mixed emotion,” Jacobs said. “People didn’t

know whether to feel excited or feel happy or feel sad and remorse and stuff like that. People just poured all their emotion in the game because they kind of didn’t really know what to do.”

The basketball team was unaware of the accident while they were playing.

Although they noticed a few things that were out of the ordinary, nothing clued them in to the magnitude of what had happened just hours earlier.

“I looked up at one point and I saw some people crying,” junior basketball player Grace Kendra said. “I was really confused but I just blew it off. I didn’t think anything of it really.” (cont. on p.14)

12 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

More

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 13

than a game

Sports can have significance in real life Opinion

Sports aren’t that big of a deal.

That’s what I’ve always been told and rationalized with whenever something bad happens, or whenever I’ve played poorly, or something far bigger than a game MIKE GINOCCHIO Editor-in-Chief happens. Much like what happened on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

I think it goes without saying that everyone knows what happened. For the five girls involved in a car accident on the way to the state semi final game, the recovery process will continue long after the publication of this paper and long after the memory of hanging a state championship banner from the rafters fades away.

But it’s something else, isn’t it? All things considered, what happened this weekend rightfully served as a tell-tale sign that life is far more important than sports. You win sometimes, you lose others. You get rematches against teams you might have lost to before. You tend to follow a team with a passion that may be a little bit out of place.

But ultimately, when you’re done, sports fade away as just a small aspect in the grand scheme of life.

But if that is true, then how come in a moment where sports should have been relegated to the sidelines, it came out and took center stage?

Instead of breaking apart and wondering why something so awful had to happen, the students, parents, and citizens of this community went the complete 180: We united. We stood together. We cheered. We screamed till our vocal cords threatened to rip. We were one force together, fully aware that what was going on before us was just a game.

That, in and of itself, is worthy of

commending. That is something that would’ve been worth writing about, in and of itself, if there hadn’t been a couple of basketball games going on at the same time.

Instead of coming into Lansing completely carefree and excited, the Buccaneer community had to deal with the fact that they could be losing some of their own. So when the fans cheered Grand Haven to a victory over Inkster in the semi-finals, there was a passion that seemed almost possessed.

We weren’t quite sure how to react to what was going on in our minds and hearts and feelings. So we cheered.

Then, the very next day, we came back with that same frenzy. Only this time, now the team was aware of what had happened.

And had to play with that added uncertainty on their shoulders. So it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Grosse Pointe South spent the majority of the game frustrating the Lady Bucs at every turn while maintaining a comfortably expanding lead.

Yet, instead of breaking, something incredible happened. Even with the game appearing to slip away, the fans never stopped believing. Never stopped cheering.

The the Lady Bucs began to chip away at Grosse Pointe’s lead. And chip. And chip.

Until suddenly, Grand Haven jumped ahead 51-50. Until suddenly, the clock was nothing but zeros. Until suddenly, Grand Haven was the Class A State Champion.

And the community went bonkers.

Instead of breaking, we came together.

Instead of condemning, we hoped and prayed for the best. And in the midst of a whirlwind weekend, sport was right in the middle of it all. Providing something to remind us that even in the midst of sadness there can be happiness. That there can be good things in this world and that we are allowed to enjoy them, even in the wake of hurting.

Life does not revolve around sports. Yet time and time again, we get signs that show sports and life are connected just the same.

(clockwise from upper left) BRINGING DOWN THE BRESLIN: A security guard at The Breslin center attempts to prevent the student section from getting too rowdy after the Buccaneers win the Class A State Semifinals. The group cheered as much as they pleased despite his efforts. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The team celebrates after their win against Grosse Pointe South in the Class A State Finals.

This was a history making year, as a girls basketball team from Grand Haven has never made it this far. IN A DAZE: Principal Tracy Wilson watches the semifinal game after visiting the scene of the accident. She did her best to support every student no matter what situation they were in. “That’s what I talk about when I say we’re a big huge family,” Wilson said. “ People say, ‘How do you do that when you have 1,800 kids?’ You just love each other. You just do.“ GO TEAM: Junior Courtney Springer, sophomore Taylor Craymer and senior Morgan Hawver cheer on their teammates during the last few minutes of the semifinal game. The Bucs went on to win the game against Inkster 43-40. photos by Laura Burton

14 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

“We had just gone from two extremes— so happy to so sad.”

—Grace Kendra

A

fter game was over, Wilson was faced with telling the team of the accident.

As she approached the locker room to inform the team, she could hear the cheers and screams of the girls within. After a huddle and ‘Go Bucs,’ Wilson entered the room and told the team what happened.

“I said ‘unfortunately we had a horrible accident on the way over’ and the

photo by Laura Burton

tears started coming,” Wilson said. “They all said ‘who? who?’ I said just let me have a minute to tell you....five girls were involved. Four of them were talking to us. Apologizing to us. Asking about the game.

“I wanted them to see that there was some positive in it. I didn’t want them to think it was all awful. Then I gave them the girls names and I said ‘ The best thing you can do for those girls.... is to play ball.

The message I got from one of their dads was ‘Go Bucs.’”

In a moment of grief, senior captain Megan Newhouse emerged as the instant rallying point that her team needed. Ne-

photo by Laura Burton

whouse relied on her faith to carry both herself and her team through that trying moment immediately following the semifinal game. She circled the team up and led a prayer.

“What else do we do at that point?”

Newhouse said. “We had just won and now we had to deal with [the accident].

[Praying] was the only thing we could do for the girls at that point.”

Newhouse’s timely leadership proved essential for keeping focus on the next day’s game.

“We had just gone from two extremes—so happy to so sad,” Kendra said. “We knew we had to come together.

Megan said a prayer for all of us and said that ‘no matter what, we’re going to play through this.’”

However, the girls managed to remember what they had just accomplished.

“Of course it was really hard to stay happy about the win,” Springer said. “We started saying we did it for them. It was kind of hard to celebrate but we did our best to stay positive.”

The same was true for the student body. But for them, the negative aspects of the day seemed to have a silver lining.

“I feel like we grew closer as a family and the students all knew that going into the game, we kind of felt unified,” junior

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 11

photo by Laura Burton

Jeff Olson said.

As the celebration ended, a buzz spread throughout the Buccaneer section of the Breslin Center but it had little to do with the game. Wilson instructed all students to head toward the parking lot in the bus circle outside of Jenison Fieldhouse, a couple blocks north of the Breslin Center. This is where the spectator buses were waiting and a statement on the crash was to be released.

Wilson also encouraged prayer circles to assist students in comforting one another. A patch of grass containing a leafless tree was a convenient place for the several hundred students to gather in

a circular form around it. The anticipation of the statement was palpable.

Teacher Joe Nelson, who hosts the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter was prepared to take the lead in organizing. He happened to be on the scene of the accident and had prayed with the people there to attempt to maintain a calm environment.

“Mrs. Wilson had asked me to go out there and help with [prayer circles],” Nelson said. “We felt that it was a need. It wasn’t just me but so many other teachers that she knew. Mr. [Scott] and Mrs. [Debbie] Stanley, Mr. [Steve] Hewitt and others. Some of us had drove there. Just

to meet the kids at the bus and fill that need of a prayer circle was good.”

Before Roberson released the statement, the students decided to make use of the time to organize their own ceremony.

“The coolest thing I saw, in my opinion, was when we were out there waiting for a statement and the students all by themselves gathered together and said prayers and had a moment of silence,” Nelson said. “[Senior] Hannah Lundeen was the one I remember saying something out loud and taking a leadership role. I just thought that was such an awesome thing for them to do that.”

For her part, Lundeen felt that leader-

ship was needed in the moment and along with peers, stepped in to provide it.

“I decided, with the help of a few others, that it would be a good idea to have a moment of silence for the five girls,” Lundeen said. “It really helped to bring the entire Grand Haven student body together.”

Nelson admired Lundeen’s willingness to speak out in front of all of her peers. He hopes this is a trend that will continue.

“With a school our size, bad things happen and I think our community is one that is very prayerful for the majority so I think that’s been huge,” Nelson said. (continued on p. 16)

16 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

photo by Laura Burton

After addressing the team, Wilson, Vanderkamp and Roberson looked toward visiting the girls at the hospital The three walked in, still sporting blue and gold and asked where the girls were located. Without hesitation, the receptionist informed them of the status of all of the girls involved.

“Obviously they knew the severity of the situation and it was obvious who I was,” Wilson said.

The campus at Spectrum Health is so large it took hours to find all five families, as well as the rooms where the students were located.

“They told me that two of them were still being treated in ER, two of them were in ICU and one of them was in surgery, “ Wilson said.

Wilson and the administrative team weren’t the only people looking for the patients. Seniors Claire Pepper, Lauren

Lund, Emma Saber, Brooke Spruit and junior Lydia Weykamp drove to the game in another car. All are close friends of the girls involved in the accident. As soon as the game was over, they made their way to the hospital as quickly as possible.

After parking blocks away, the five friends rushed into the facility.

They were informed at the scene that Olds was in the worst condition, then told by Jim Case how severe his daughter Maddie’s condition was.

“In my mind, after the game, I still had heard from people that it wasn’t that bad,” Weykamp said. “And then when I heard what had actually happened... It was like this eye-opening moment where you’re like ‘this was a bad accident.’ I was kind of angry that anybody told me everybody was okay.”

The first girl the administrators were able to see was Case. From there, they

were able to see Michaels and talk to Devecht’s parents. After that, they found the Bogner family and waited in the surgical waiting room. Through talking to Bogner’s parents, they were able to tell of what had happened at the game. The family had seen reports of looters on the scene of the accident, taking what had fallen out of Michaels’ car.

“I looked at Roberson and said, ‘that was us,” Wilson said. “We kind of laughed. That was our first laugh of the day. That was the humor of the day--that we were the looters on the scene.”

Administrators found being able to have a moment of laughter with the parents made them feel better about the whole situation.

“We felt really good about the fact that we got to have a little bit of positive closure,” Wilson said.

After a long day of waiting, the friends’

photo by Laura Burton

wishes were finally granted when they were given Devecht’s room number.

“We were all giddy and happy to be seeing one of our friends,” Saber said.

“We all felt relieved because we were told over and over that we couldn’t see the girls.”

They arrived in her room and were pleased to find her in better condition than they had been led to believe.

“We were thankful she was there, alive, and looked so well,” Saber said.

“She looked better than I had expected.”

For Weykamp, the most emotional part of the day came when Michaels was able to see DeVecht for the first time.

“It was the first time that I realized that this is going to be a long, hard process for Dani,” Weykamp said. “But it was obvious that the support from the other girls would [back her up] the whole way.” (continued on p. 17)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 17

photo by Laura Burton

After returning to Grand Haven, many students attended the highly anticipated Catalina shows Friday night. However, they seemed to lack the energy that usually accompanies the annual event.

The news of the crash shattered the high spirits of the Catalina club as they worried of the state of their classmates.

According to senior Catalina club captain Julia Stock, concerns over the performers’ mental state prompted some discussion about whether or not the shows should continue as scheduled.

“We were getting our hair done [when we heard about the accident] and there were rumors of the show being canceled,” Stock said. “Mrs. Ainsworth (the club adviser) stayed in contact with the administration because it was their call, depending on the conditions of the five girls.”

Once the girls’ statuses were confirmed

to be stable, the show continued on as planned but the enthusiasm level was low due to the concern.

“We knew most of the girls’ conditions and how serious they were from the news but they had the positions of the five in the car confused,” freshman Taylor Wexall said. “Mr. Foley cleared up the rumors and made sure we knew they were all alive and encouraged us to not feel guilty for having fun.”

Foley, who was in charge of school on Friday, felt obligated to make sure the girls knew the five in the accident were all stable and it was okay to perform.

“I had the information to tell the girls to dispel any rumors,” Foley said. “I wanted them to know it was okay to put on the show, that it was okay to have fun, that it was not disrespectful to [the girls in the accident] or their friends. The girls needed to be reassured this. It was out of

our hands, they owed it to themselves to perform for the distraction.”

Although Catalina members knew they should be excited like the five girls would want, it was hard to put on a happy face.

“After driving past the accident and knowing my friends were hurt, it was really hard to smile and fake having a great time,” junior Andrea Smith said.

“Some of the girls were really affected by this and it was difficult to watch them go through it.”

Wexall was sympathetic toward the girls who were hurting over the news.

“I didn’t really know them, but if it was someone very close to me, I know I’d feel devastated,” Wexall said. “I tried to put myself in the other girls’ shoes.”

Senior Catalina officer Maddie Cleghorn along with the other three captains set the example of being cheerful for their fellow performers.

“Although we ourselves were scared for the five, we knew we needed to put on a steady face and be as positive as possible for the rest of the girls,” Cleghorn said.

During the evening, rumors broke via social media that Olds had passed away. The rumors reached Wilson on her way home from the hospital and she moved quickly to provide accurate information.

Using her iPhone she sent a message to the staff at 8:58 p.m. indicating that she had just left the hospital and had been able to visit with all four girls that were conscious. That was followed by a second message at 9:18 p.m.

“Clarification ..... we have NOT lost a student!!” Wilson’s message read. “[Brittney] is in an induced coma, the others are awake and recovering.”

(Continued on p.18)

18 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

“They are all excited for you...they want you to win today.”

-Tracy Wilson

As soon as the post-game activity faded on Friday, Wilson started planning Saturday’s finals excursion, trying to figure out details and transportation.

She wanted to be prepared for as many people as possible to ride spectator buses to East Lansing. On that morning, 17 buses lined up outside the high school.

Only one of them was filled with spectatorst ravelling to the Breslin.

Wilson and other administrators were unsure of what to make of the lack of busriders. When they arrived at the Breslin, though, they met a large Grand Haven crowd.

Wilson believes that this is due to more parents attending the game and bringing their children with them.

“The analogy I used to somebody was that five Grand Haven buses went

over on Friday and one bus went over on Saturday (yet there was an even bigger crowd),” Wilson said. “What does that tell you about the community family that we have in Grand Haven?”

Before the game, Wilson asked Coach Katie Kowalczyk-Fulmer (Coach K) to address the team. She was able to update them on the condition of the girls and give them a positive message.

“They are all excited for you,” Wilson said to the team. “They want you to win today. The parents want you (to win today).”

Wilson hoped this helped to clear the girls minds before they went into the game.

“I was able to give them that positive message and I told them that when we got to the hospital they all had that blue and

gold glitter eyeshadow on and they’re all about the Bucs,” Wilson said. “That was a really good message for them to hear.”

That message alone was enough increase the team’s drive.

“We felt more motivated to win it for them,” Kendra said. “We were going to do it for them and for everyone that came to support us.”

The championship game also gave the fans a chance to channel their uncertainty into something constructive.

“It gave the community something to rally around,” VanZytveld said. “The five girls were on everyone’s minds and it made the team and the entire city want to win even more.”

VanZytveld wasn’t alone in his assessment.

“I think the accident made more than

just our team want to play for them but the whole student section was doing it for them,” Kendra said.

At one point during the game, the Bucs were down 18 points. The attitude in the stands reflected that of the players: stunned. But as soon as the team started to quickly chip away at the deficit with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter, the fans were suddenly alive with enthusiasm again.

“It was really hard to cheer and when you find yourself feeling sorry for the basketball team and for yourself for cheering and being there, you kind of start to think about what had happened in the last couple of days,” Olson said. “Once everything started to pick up again, I got my head back into the cheering and the game.” (Continued on p. 20)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 19

photo by Laura Burton

A

20 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012 s the Bucs completed their near-miracle comeback (see “Anatomy of a Comeback on page 14), the fans erupted in cheers. Parents stood up and screamed and by the time the game was over, the students had been jumping so much that one row of bleachers was bent backwards. The team stormed the court and collapsed in a pile of hugs and tears. Chants of ‘I believe that we are champs’ were heard over the constant clapping. At one end of the student section, senior Isaac Bowen held a sign saying ‘For the five girls in our prayers.’

For Wilson, who had been in control of her emotions throughout the whole weekend, the end of the game brought a release.

“As soon as they won of course the tears are flowing and I saw (senior) Dakota Sualeone in the front row with this nasty t shirt, it was wet and nasty and I just grabbed it and used it and wiped my face and I was okay with that,” Wilson said. “It was what we needed after what we had been through.”

After the final buzzer sounded, Coach K approached Mrs. Wilson. The two embraced, both in tears.

“I don’t think we spoke a word,” Wilson said.

Going into Saturday, people around the community wanted to take part in something that had become more than just sports.

“I think it gave [the win] more meaning,” Jacobs said. “It brought more people together. People that heard about that Friday kind of wanted to be a part of it and hear what they could hear during the action on Saturday. I think it drew more attention to it and kind of pulled us all closer.”

For many, the game brought something of a positive end to a rollercoaster weekend. What could’ve devastated a community instead brought it together.

“We felt like we overcame something more than just the state championship,” Olson said. “I feel like everyone that was there were closer together because of everything that had happened.”

photo by Laura Burton

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 21

YOUR AD HERE! Even in these tough economic times, studies still

Thursday, April 12th

show that teens have, on average, over $40 a week in discretionary income. That means Grand Haven High School Students collectively have about $72,000 a week or almost $3.75 million a year to spend. You can reach these potential customers by advertising in the Blade For more information contact us 616.850.6263 bucsblade.gmail.com.

NEED A PROM DRESS? A GRADUATION DRESS?

Shop downtown at Down to Earth!

105 Washington Grand Haven, MI, 49417 616.846.7781(pjpme) 616.846.7901(fax) Sholeh Veiseh, Proprietor sholehv2000@yahoo.com www.DownToEarthRetail.com

202 Washington Ave. Grand Haven, MI 49417

22 Special Edition THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday, March 28, 2012

“I believe that we are #3 Courtney Springer Year: Junior Position: Guard

Height: 5’7” - Springer shot around 60% from the free throw line.

- Key returning guard for next year’s team.

#4 Shar’Rae Davis Year: Senior Position: Point Guard Height: 5’9” - Led the Lady Bucs inassists (4.2 per game) and steals (2.7 per game).

- Selected to the Class A All-State first team for the second year in a row.

-Davis also averaged 9.6 points per game and shot 81.6% from the freethrow line.

#10 Jordan Keefe Year: Senior Position: Guard Height: 5’6” - Second on team in steals (2.2 per game) and assists (2.0 per game) - Keefe started 20 games for the Bucs and was known for her relentless defense.

- She will attend Michgian State University next year to run track.

Anatomy of a comeback In their state final game against Grosse Pointe South, the girls basketball team came back to win after trailing by 18 points with under 10 minutes remaining—the third biggest comeback in girls basketball state finals history. Here’s how it happened: Third quarter: 1:51 remaining a GPS free throw increases the Bucs’ deficit to 18 points, the largest of the game. GPS 44 GH 26 1:30 Shar’rae Davis hits a 3-pointer to put the Bucs’ within 14 points, GPS 44 GH 30 0:40 a jumper by Jordan Keefe, her first points of the game gets the Bucs within 10 GPS 44 GH 32 Fourth quarter: 7:50 Abby Cole sinks two free throws GPS 44 GH 34 7:47 Cole hits two more free throws GPS 44 GH 36 7:13 Two more Cole free throws: GPS 44 GH 38 7:10: Following a steal by Cole, Newhouse scores a layup off an assist from Law. GPS 44 GH 40 6:25 GPS’ Moore misses a 3-pointer, and Catherine Palazzolo gets the rebound and a basket for two points GPS 46 GH 40 5:54 After GPS’ Moore gets a defensive rebound, GPS’ Cierra Rice hits a jump shot GPS 48 GH 40 4:51 Davis hits a jumper and is fouled but misses her free throw attempt GPS 48 GH 42

#11 Grace Kendra Year: Junior Position: Guard Height: 5’8”

- Kendra shot over 36% from the threepoint line.

- Known for her ballhandling, Kendra will be relied heavily upon next year as a senior for the Bucs.

4:23 Newhouse is fouled and goes to the line, makes one of two shots GPS 48 GH 43 3:12 After a block and a rebound by Cole, Davis hits a layup. GPS 48 GH 45 2:37, GPS’ Palazzolo hits a layup GPS 50 GH 45 2:33 Davis is fouled by GPS’ Aliezza Brown, goes to the free-throw line to make two shots GPS 50 GH 47 2:31 Keefe gets a steal, her second of the game, leading to a Cole layup GPS 50 GH 49 1:10 GPS’ Brown fouls Davis, sends her to the freethrow line where she makes both of her shots GH 51 GPS 50 0:24 Following a Law steal, Keefe is fouled, makes one of two free throws GH 52 GPS 50 0:13 Rice hits a layup and is fouled. She hits the free throw to put GPS up by one point GPS 53 GH 52 0:06 Davis goes the length of the floor for an unassisted layup to put the Bucs up by one, Rice gets to the hoop for GPS misses a layup. The rebound is knocked to half court and time expires.

FINAL SCORE GH 54 GPS 53

#12 Angie Schultz Year: Junior Position: Guard Height: 5’6”

- Schultz shot 72.7% from the free throw line.

- Will be a key returning guard for the Lady Bucs next year.

#14 Megan Newhouse Year: Senior Position: Forward Height: 5’10”

- Grabbed 96 rebounds for the Lady Bucs this year, 54 of which were offensive rebounds.

- Will attend Cornerstone University and play volleyball.

CHAMPS”

Wednesday, March 28, 2012 THE BUCS’ BLADE Special Edition 23 #50 Taylor Craymer Year: Sophomore Position: Forward Height: 6’0” - Lela Johnson Award recipient last year.

- The only sophomore on the varsity squad.

#40 Kaeding Skelton Year: Senior Position: Forward Height: 6’1”

- Hauled in 124 rebounds for the Lady Bucs, averaging 4.6 per game.

- Will play basketball at Lake Erie College.

#34 Abby Cole Year: Junior Position: Center Height: 6’5”

photo by Laura Burton

#22 Hannah Wilkerson Year: Junior Position: Guard Height: 5’10”

#24 Alex Law Year: Senior Position: Guard Height: 5’11”

- Transferred to Grand Haven from NorthPointe Christian High School this year.

- Started eight games for the Buccaneers and averaged 3.6 points per game.

- Four-year varsity starter - Two-time All-State selection.

- Led team in points (11.4 per game) and in three-point field goals made (65).

- Will play basketball at Findlay University.

- Led team with 6.6 rebounds per game.

- 2012 Detroit News“ Dream Team” member

#25 Morgan Hawver Year: Senior Position: Forward Height: 6’0”

-Hawver averaged 1.7 rebounds per game for the Lady Bucs and also shot over 50% from the free-throw line.

- Hawver will attend the University of Michigan next fall.

#33 Cassie Holwerda Year: Senior Position: Forward Height: 6’1”

- Holwerda was second on the team in field goal percentage with 51.8% and started 15 games for the Lady Bucs.

24 Special Edition

THE BUCS’ BLADE Wednesday March 28, 2012

(Clockwise) THE TEAM: Members of the girls varsity basketball team celebrate at the pep assembly last Monday. They were congratulated as being the Class A State Champions. ONE MISSING: The girls varsity ski team stands together despite their team member junior Brittney Olds still at Devos Children’s Hospital. “We are going to give her a ski helmet decorated with all the good memories and all the good things we’ve been through to show our support from our ski team,” senior captain Paige Reierson said. “It will always be something for her to see and know that her ski team is there for her through every single step of her recovery.” WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS: The banner for the MHSAA Class A state Champions rises as the song “We are the Champions” fills The Fieldhouse. Students gathered for the “Making History” assembly which honored boys soccer, both girls and boys cross country, girls ski team, wrestling, hockey and girls baskeball. photos by Emma Baty

Source of strength Students reunite Monday after turbulent weekend. Crisis team helps students cope with Friday’s accident BAILEY COVAL Culture Editor On Monday morning following the accident the high school was different. Students were more than just tired from a weekend. They looked different, they were quieter.

The events took a toll on the student body as a whole. The district’s crisis team began work right away.

The Crisis Team is a group of counselors whose aim is to answer questions students have regarding a traumatic event and to console students having difficulty dealing with the situation. When an accident happens, like the one that happened on March 16, the team helps students cope with the events. Counselors, counseling interns, administrators, social workers, psychologists,

Directors at the ESC and even Superintendent Keith Konarska are all involved with the team as they comfort students and staff. One member of the team, counseling intern Mike Kelley was unsure of how the students would react as he met with groups of students in a conference room in the high school.

“I found that some were bubbly and happy but there were a lot that weren’t,” Kelley said. “I tried to make a conversation with this one boy and I said, ‘did you sleep last night?’ and I said it in kind of a light hearted way. He said ‘Dude, I couldn't sleep the entire weekend.’

It was very somber and quieter the first half of the day.”

The crisis team counseled students in groups. They worked on getting students to share anything

that was on their mind.

“It's amazing to see how long students will talk about what is on their mind,” Kelley said. “It's up to me to try to get them to talk about it and say what's on their mind.”

There was one group that stood out to the counseling team as they spoke with students throughout the day. Counselor Anne Runschke noticed the girls varsity ski team’s meeting was unlike any counseling session she’s been involved in.

“The ski team was different,” Runschke said. “Usually groups stay for one class period and they are sent back to their next class. The ski team didn't. They stayed and they were so positive and were having such a healthy chat. We couldn't send them back to class.”

The team was in a conference

room for three class periods. They discussed Olds, their teammate.

Coach Jules Terry was with the team and added her insight not only as someone who knows Olds well, but also shared her experience with a serious head injury as well. “ I had serious head trauma in an accident I had earlier in my life,” Terry said. “The girls related really well with that. My closeness with the girls also helped them. We all have been through a lot, and this is just another thing that we will overcome too.”

Counseling sessions filled the crisis team’s day. Assistant Principal Mike Roberson was in groups with Kelley and earned the intern’s praise.

He wasn't afraid to be real,” Kelley said. “Usually he is just a suit,

but he was really engaged with the school. It was such a strong connection between staff and students.”

With help from the whole school, students and staff alike, everyone started to heal.

“As the day went on, students started to say, okay what do we do now?” Kelley said. “That's when the banners and ribbons came out. It was cool to see everyone help each other.”

Runschke was impressed with the student body as a whole as they discussed the accident and the peers involved in it.

“No one pointed fingers,” Runschke said. “There was no blaming. No one claimed this person did that, or that person should have done this, all I saw was support. It was remarkable really.”