The Communicator: Volume 32, Edition 4

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the communicator

Vol. 32, Edition 4, April 2015

OREN LEVIN The man behind the keys and in front of the lights p. 36 THE GUN SHOW p. 18 FAMILY UNDER SIEGE p. 30

contents.

6

the effects of state standards

Cramming in curriculum for the test.

18 the gun show

Ann Arbor citizens express their feelings towards open carry policies in the state of Michigan.

22

30

the community connection

Owner of Elmo’s T-Shirts, Elmo Morales, enjoyed his time he spent teaching at Community High.

family under seige

A former resident of Baghdad, Iraq has found himself living in Michigan, while the rest of his family remains in peril.

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34 doctoring the wings

Dr. Doug Plagens has experienced many exciting moments during his time as a Red Wings team doctor.

36 oren levin

Community High senior shares his journey through high school and the impact of performance

46 3 ways to wear

Three fresh new hairstyles to put a spring in your step.

50 what should I listen to now?

Find a new song to match your location and mood.

what we’re sayin’ Dear Readers, Happy Spring friends! The snow has melted and our great back lawn is visible, once again. The air is getting warmer and events like music festivals and farmers markets are starting to come alive.

We have only a short time left in this school year, but still enough to make some memories.

We here at the Communicator are proud to tell the stories of our community, which is made up of many working parts. We are lucky enough to work together and play together. In such a tight knit group of people as with our school, students are bound to meet new peers (p. 12) and get to know people with a large presence on the Community High campus, like Oren Levin (p. 36).

Working together doesn’t have to include classmates. It includes mending relationships with local police officers (p. 8) and connecting with fellow leaders in our area, like Elmo Morales (p. 22).

Most importantly, it includes learning how to approach sensitive topics in our town, such as guns in schools (p. 18). Our community is large and varied, and we encourage our readers to explore all it has to offer as we embrace this season.

Take a look out your window. If it’s a sunny day, grab this edition and head outdoors; it’s your reward for surviving the brutal Michigan winter. If it’s dreary, snuggle up with these upcoming pages in your favorite chair. Cherish each page, and cherish each day.

Love,

Your Editors

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letter from the editors

we’re ready now

THE COMMUNICATOR

advertise. andersont@aaps.k12.mi.us

Printing thanks to Edwards Brothers Malloy.

Editors-In-Chief Kelly Arnold Madeline Halpert Eva Rosenfeld Marcelo Salas

Staff

Clarence Collins III Hannah Davis Erez Dessel Dom DiFranco Cameron Fortune Managing Editors Colleen Frantz Caroline Phillips Alexandra Hobrecht Eliza Upton Jacob Johnson Henry Jones Adviser Grace Koepele Tracy Anderson Frances MacKercher Fiona McKillop Cover Art Emily Ojeda Ada Banks Surya Palavali

Isabel Ratner Hannah Rubenstein Gabe Salas Carter Schmidt Miles Schwarz Sophia Simon Megan Syer Hannah Tschirhart Abe Weiner Sophia Werthmann Alex Wood Daniel York

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web.

check out this content and more at...

chscommunicator.com national pacemaker finalist 2015 4 th e c o mmunic at o r

shorts.

community happenings. what students and staff are up to around the school .

Christia West, new FOS teacher and CHS Robotics team coach, is excited about the young but mighty Robotics team, and FOS I’s current unit on climate change.

Hannah Simon edits “Ruth’s Dream,” a story about sexist stereotypes she wrote for Judith’s 7th block short story writing class.

Erez Dessel reads a book about Victor Wooten in preparation for an upcoming jazz trip to Wooten’s camp in Tennessee.

Emily Ojeda and Katie Gerdenich, managers of the CHS Robotics team, prepare for an upcoming competition.

Lily Gechter, Megan Syer and KT Meono work on FOS I’s “Layers of the Atmosphere” project.

Craft Theater stands a little barron after a stream of recent events, including CET’s production of “Spamalot,” a CHS Jazz concert, a Depression Awareness Group campaign and the CHS poetry slam.

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the effects of state standards news.

cramming in curriculum for the test.

hannah rubenstein

In 2010, the Michigan state requirements for high school mathematics were boosted up from two years necessary for graduation to four. This change is just the tip of the iceberg; certain standards have been imposed on all of the main academic departments in Michigan high schools.

Anne Thomas, a longtime math teacher at Community High School, believes that raising the required years for math classes has negatively influenced her students.

“I would say that the makeup of the students that are in math classes [now as compared to before the change] is different because not everyone is there because they want to be,” Thomas said. “It does feel harmful to be forcing students to be taking math if they don’t see any value in it for them at this time.”

6 the c o m m unic a t o r

In her time at Community, Thomas has seen students’ academic interests and performances change in unexpected ways without any help from state standards. She remembered a student she had before the four years of math was required.

“A certain student went back and took math his senior year,” she said. “When he finished the two years, he was swearing he would never, but it turned out he did choose to take another math class, but it was because he wanted to, not because somebody was telling him he had to.”

This sentiment was echoed in many voices of Community teachers. Chloe Root, a social studies teacher and former student at Community, explained that the graduation requirements for Social Studies have changed greatly since she attended the school. There

used to be more flexibility so as to allow students to take more elective courses in this subject, but now there are three years worth of required courses.

“There’s this whole list of things that you’re supposed to cover, but it’s humanly impossible to teach all of them in a class; you kind of have to pick and choose. Especially in the World History curriculum, where there’s just way too much to cram into a unit, so you feel like no matter what you’re just giving really shallow coverage,” Root said.

Thomas felt similarly about this issue, proving that a number of teachers have issues fitting all of the standards set forth by the state into a single class.

“I always feel like we’re just skimming the surface and not being able to explore all the

CREATIVE CURRICULUM

LIMITS relative applications of a particular topic,” she said.

Liz Stern, a member of the Community science department who helped to develop the Foundations of Science (FOS) program, agreed that this “skimming the surface” is prevalent in her own subject as well.

“If you look at the High School Content Expectations for Chemistry, they align with the Chemistry book,” Stern said, pointing out that “nobody has even been able to teach an entire chemistry book in a single high school course.”

These requirements have caused the innovative FOS program to change. “[The most difficult thing is] to stay true to the curriculum that we developed and the principles of how we want to deliver that curriculum while staying within the guidelines,” Stern said. “We have changed a little bit of what we’ve taught. We’ve added some topics, and that meant that some other projects had to go.”

The elimination of some of the project-based learning has changed the FOS program. It has become closer to what a standard high school science class would be like, with one field of science being taught to each grade. One of the original purposes of the FOS program was to mix the different science subjects, and Courtney Kiley, who not only teaches science at Community but has also had experience working as an biologist and ecologist, said that these changes are not for the better.

“You can’t just be a biologist,” Kiley said.

“You have to know how the chemistry and physical aspects of an environment affect the biology. Sciences don’t exist in isolation, so it’s fun to teach them more true to how they are in the real world [through the FOS program].”

With all of the curriculum dictated by state standards, sometimes in such a quantity that teachers are honestly incapable of touching on all of the required subjects, it is easy to understand frustrations that many of them feel. In fact, a number of teachers wish that they could teach more elective classes, where the curriculum is left up to them or their department.

“I get to offer Gender Studies and Law,” Root said. “Those are things that interest

“There’s this whole list of things that you’re supposed to cover, but it’s humanly impossible to teach all of them in a class. You kind of have to pick and choose. You feel like no matter what, you’re just giving really shallow coverage.”

- Chloe Root me and I can create a richer curriculum around those subjects.” Even while able to teach those electives, she hoped for there to be extended classes on U.S. or World History offered for students who wished to get a deeper education in those vast subjects.

“We’re listening to what the kids are interested in and what the kids are passionate about and we get to teach those classes,” Kiley said. “But I would love to be able to teach an entire class on wetland species, or aquatic science, or fluvial ecosystems.”

Thomas also added that she sometimes wishes to spend more time on certain problems or questions, but is unable to due to time restrictions caused by all of the state standards.

“There is not the flexibility that we used to

RESULTS have to monitor and assess,” Thomas said. “[We used to be able to] speed up or slow down, depending on the group of students that is in front of you, whether students are really understanding it, whether it make sense to go ahead or not. Now we just have to get through a certain amount of material so that kids are prepared for common assessments.”

In addition, Thomas expressed happiness that the math department is able to offer Statistics, an elective class that is easily applied to the real world. She also stated that a far-off wish of hers would be to offer an elective class on the history of math and mathematicians.

While many teachers expressed an interest in elective classes, Judith DeWoskin focused in on what information she would include if she had extra time to teach her classes.

“I might put in another novel or I might just add more content,” DeWoskin said.

“I would do much more rewriting if I had more time and I would have kids do different kinds of small research pieces so that they would work on the context of some of the books I teach, some of the history surrounding them, the cultural issues that are going on at the time.”

While many of the Community teachers seemed to be able to see the pros and cons of standardized testing, the amount of time that they take up seemed to be one of the biggest problems to DeWoskin. The state of mind of the teachers administering tests or curriculum that is only taught to fit a certain requirement was also extremely troubling to her.

“I think it puts [the teachers’] energy in the wrong place,” DeWoskin said. “And kids can feel that. When we’re nervous, [the students] know it. Students absolutely know when their teachers are happy and when they’re passionate about what they’re doing, and they know when their teachers are not happy, worried and cranky.”

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news.

mending a relationship. police strive to build a positive relationship with the community.

abe weiner grace koeple illustration

New York, Ferguson, Cleveland. July 17, August 9, November 22. Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice. All three of these young African American men were killed this year, all by white police officers. These three deaths and others have caused protests throughout the country against police brutalization. These protests have changed the way society views the police and thus have had a profound effect on police officers and policing throughout the country.

Lt. Jason Forsberg, who has been a police officer for the University of Michigan for 18 years, is already seeing this change.

“I think there is a lot more attention being paid to the bad things some police officers are doing,” said Forsberg. However, he hopes that that the overall perception of police has not changed and that people are glad when police arrive to solve a problem. That is the very reason he wanted to be a police officer.

He wanted to help people and give them a sense of security.

Forsberg is not surprised that these events have had such monumental effects. He compares them to other seminal events that have affected law enforcement and how police are viewed, citing the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the killing of Rodney King.

Forsberg believes that society’s changed view of police due to the death of these people should be an indicator that policing should change as well.

“Policing is a partnership with the community, so we should police them how they would like to be policed,” Forsberg said.

He foresees more of a desire on the community’s part to interact with the police in order for this partnership to be successful.

One change that many people are already demanding from the police, including Community High School Junior Carson Borbely, is that they wear body cameras.

“There needs to be a better way to hold police officers accountable for their actions so that someone who shoots an unarmed man six times does not go unpunished,” Borbely said.

Forsberg is currently looking into the logistics of purchasing these cameras for his department’s patrol officers. Even though

8 the c o mmunic at o r

he has not yet gone ahead and purchased the cameras he always tells his officers to behave as if they were being filmed at all times.

The Ann Arbor Police Department’s Community Engagement Officer, Doug Martelle, has also seen society’s views of the police change due to the recent events that have transpired. Martelle believes societies changing views of the police is largely due to way media portrayed and continues to portray these events.

“The media’s goal is to be a profitable business and the most profitable stories are ones that are dramatic and emotionally fueled,” Martelle said.

Forsberg agrees with Martelle that the media does not usually portray the best image of police officers. Forsberg also believes that movies that include police officers often do not shine a light on all the positive interactions police have with the public.

“Movies portray police officers as people who love shooting guns and driving fast cars which is not who we are,” Forsberg said.

This is why police departments work hard to promote the positive engagements police have with the community. The Ann Arbor Police department even has a Community Engagement office their department that includes a media relations officer.

“In our office we do outreach to homeless shelters, centers that help people recover from substance abuse, places that support victims of domestic abuse and schools to promote the positive impact we have on the community,” Martelle said.

The University of Michigan Police department also does outreach with the community that includes their chief going to many events such as a speech on police brutalization to their officers handing out candy on North Campus on Halloween.

Martelle and Forsberg strive to promote the positive actions that police officers do in spite of the recent events. Both departments are also changing as the society changes. It is their hope that in the future the police and society are able to create a healthy relationship all over the country.

news.

the michigan urban farming initiative. building a community in detroit through food.

frances mackercher

The Michigan Urban Farming Initiative (MUFI) was born in the fall of 2011 when co-founders Tyler Gersh and Darin McLeskey won 7432 Brush St. with a winning bid of five dollars in a tax auction.

“I had been fresh out of working for a research initiative called the Urban Health Intervention project based in Detroit where I had to recruit 200 women who had children under the age of five who made less than 10,000 dollars a year,” Gersh said. “I got a very salient understanding of what actual structural inequality in the food system looks like. I had a bunch of moms that were bringing in their infant kids and they would have orange Faygo in their baby bottles, not because they knew this was a bad thing but because they thought it was the healthy choice for their children.”

Urban agriculture gained influence during World War I and the Great Depression. Urban farming can contribute

to the economy, food security, health and energy efficiency of a city.

“We are equal parts focused on addressing structural inequality in the in food system and providing innovation and growing green infrastructure,” Gersh said. “Our working platform is the use of urban agriculture as a platform for community and economic development.”

While the city is busy trying to pull itself out of bankruptcy, the MUFI is growing relationships with the smaller communities of Detroit. The 501c3 non-profit organization based in Detroit, aims to involve members of the community in sustainable agriculture. Hoping to combat unemployment, build on vacant land and make nutritious food accessible, the team is busier than ever. Current projects include building a Community Resource Center, developing a community garden and turning empty shipping containers into homes.

“We’re providing access to healthy food

options using a suggested donation model theoretically making it economically accessible,” Gersh said. “We also provide four square blocks of free public wifi and we’re also helping people mow their yards and do basic landscaping.”

The nonprofit is strictly volunteer-run and 80 percent of their funding comes from winning Facebook contests.

“It’s a really unusual way of structuring a sustainable business model,” Gersh said.

“Longer term we’re gonna be employing a hybrid business model where the nonprofit effectually owns a portion of several subsidiary for-profit businesses.”

Essentially, they would continue to promote their own mission: “using agriculture as a platform to promote education, sustainability and community while simultaneously reducing socioeconomic disparity. We hope to empower urban communities.”

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news.

IV.

FOS GETS FLIPPED AGAIN

JONATHAN THOMAS-PALMER JOINS THE CREW, INTEGRATING INDEPENDENT INSTRUCTION INTO CURRICULUM

A

t 7:50 a.m., on Thursday, Jan. 29, the imaginary Community High School bell rang and the last straggling students of the second block FOS 4 class hustled to their seats, stripping off their coats and taking out their newly emptied physics folders. As the students settled in, they joined the rest of the class and focused their attention on the unfamiliar man standing in front of the whiteboard. The man wore a purple dress shirt, black pants, black shoes and no belt. He stood up straight and stared calmly at his new class.

The unfamiliar man was Jonathan Thomas-Palmer, the new FOS 4 teacher at Community. With a confident stance and a cool intensity in his eyes, Thomas-Palmer didn’t have to say a word to captivate the attention of his class. As he spoke his first words addressing his new class of Community seniors, Thomas-Palmer set a new tone for the semester.

At this point, FOS 4 students had had no less than six teachers over the course of their first semester. The only thing they had come to know about the teaching position was that it was unpredictable.

The year had begun with the previous FOS 4 teacher being needed to teach other FOS classes and the school finding a last minute replacement. After a few weeks, the replacement teacher unexpectedly left and the school was again faced with finding a replacement. In the late fall, after being taught by a series of substitute teachers, the class seemed to have found a somewhat permanent replacement.

But after finals, the students received

10 the c o mmunic at o r

alex wood caroline phillips photo

news that the replacement from the first semester would not be returning to finish out the school year. Instead, a new, unknown teacher would be taking charge of the teaching FOS 4.

After only a few minutes of class, the second block students could tell that they were in good hands. As class went on, it became increasingly clear that Thomas-Palmer was more than qualified, had years of experience under his belt and was on a mission to teach the FOS 4 students what they needed to know.

Thomas-Palmer joins Community with an extensive resume as an educator. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1997, and after working for a short period of time as an engineer, he returned to the University of Michigan and received his Master’s in Education in the spring of 2000.

The following fall, Thomas-Palmer took a position teaching physics at Northville High School, where he remained until the spring of 2013. While at Northville, a school of about 2,200 students, Thomas-Palmer taught a wide variety of physics courses including General Physics, College Preparatory Physics and several AP Physics courses.

After the 2012-13 school year, Thomas-Palmer left his position at Northville and dedicated himself to his website, Flipping Physics. The goal of which is to provide free educational physics videos and instruction for anyone. The videos feature Thomas-Palmer playing four students: Billy, Bobby and Bo, as well as the teacher giving the lectures. The premise of the videos is to simulate a classroom learning environment.

The Flipping Physics YouTube channel includes 187 videos, which adds up to about 22 hours of video in total. Flipping Physics was also a finalist in the Edublog Award, “Celebrating the best of the web in education,” for best educational use of media.

Flipping Physics is based off the idea of flipping a classroom. Students in a flipped classroom receive lectures and are introduced to new materials outside of the classroom, and experience hands on learning while in the classroom.

Thomas-Palmer emphasises the distinction between teaching and lecturing.

“As a teacher, people confuse teaching and lecturing. They think lecturing is teaching. That’s not teaching. Teaching is guiding and helping people learn something, and that’s my goal,” Thomas-Palmer said.

Thomas-Palmer has planned on flipping his classroom in the coming years.

But as of now, he has been working on expanding his website while still maintaining his presence as a teacher at Community.

“I look forward to having one foot stepping out to help teach the world physics and one foot firmly planted in the classroom,” Thomas-Palmer said.

Thomas-Palmer has enjoyed his time at Community thus far.

“It’s a great place. It’s a very different school,” he said. “People have been really helpful. It’s been a great experience so far.”

After teaching at a much more traditional school like Northville, with over 2,000 students and classic features like bells, but also a block schedule, the transition to teaching at Community has been smooth.

the books we

loved

“Clementine because she’s crazy.”

- Sophie Swan

“Green Eggs and Ham because after that I always wanted to eat Green Eggs and Ham, but I never got to.”

- Jack Belden

helen kulka

“If You Give a Mouse a Cookie because it was sweet. That book was so sweet.” - Colin Stroud

“The first Curious George book because he paints that one room full of animals, I don’t know I love that part… and then he makes spaghetti.” - Cassie Garayi

“Junie B. Jones because I read every single one and I always wish I could be like her.” - Sophie Steinberg

“One fish blue fish red fish… wait….One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue fish, because it rhymed and I loved fish.” - Frances Mackercher

“The Little Prince because it taught me so much about life.” - Ava Sherick “Goodnight Mr. Moon because it has lots of good illustrations in it.” - Tess Heidt

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12 t he c o mmunica t o r

news.

new faces new places. dominic difranco abe weiner

It was a frigid, brisk day and students were returning to school after an ephemeral break, eager to be finished with finals and ready to begin a new semester. With this new semester came new classes, new schedules and also new faces ready to join Community High School.

This semester more kids than usual were admitted to Community High

a lot more students who did not want to come, and with the junior class we were getting a lot more students who did want to come, so we added more juniors than sophomores,” Tuzinsky said.

Tuzinsky explained that choosing which grades to add students in is also a strategic process that is based on how many students are already in each class. The

ponent of that plan. More students in the district expands the financial budget in which the school board works.

Tuzinsky plans to use the uniqueness and versatility of Community to create special opportunities for current and incoming students. Some new opportunities may come in the form of evening classes and new electives.

The idea of evening classes at Community has been in play ever since the beginnings of the school, when classes later in the day were common. This would spread the increased amount of students out throughout the day, keeping classes at a comfortable size.

“We are thinking of doing just a couple of nights right now, like Mondays and Wednesdays, so it’s not quiet in the building,” Tuzinsky said. “Staff members that want to offer classes in the evening can be there those nights. For example, there might be a yoga class, ILC class, art class or computer class going on.” Or it might be that the lab is open for the kids who take an online class have a place to work and get some help. It also came from the research that shows that certain kids have a really hard time first thing in the morning.”

Along with the addition of students next year, new teachers will likely be hired and this will, in turn, increase the number of classes offered. Students at Community already have an intriguing and diverse pool of classes from which to choose, and should expect even more variety come registration next year.

Community High School will continue to add to a constantly evolving load of courses, giving new students the opportunity to explore disparate artforms.

“I am very grateful to now be at Community.”

School. Even though some noticed an increase in students throughout the hallways, Community did not take on more students than mandated by the district.

According to the district, Community has fewer students than mandated.

“We were [in the first semester] and still under enrolled,” said Marci Tuzinsky, Community High School’s Dean.

Tuzinsky would like to have 122 students per grade, which is the target enrollment stated in Community High School’s enrollment agreement. Also outlined in the agreement is that children of staff members at Community High would be allowed in without having to go through the lottery system.

However, starting this semester, CHS has agreed to take on two additional students per grade who are children of any Ann Arbor Public School (AAPS) faculty.

According to Tuzinsky, Community would ideally have 488 students, but currently there are only 482 students enrolled. This includes students of both AAPS and Community faculty. She believes that students are observing a more drastic change is because she was not able to add as many students as she wanted in the beginning of the year, so she added them this semester.

“In the summer we didn’t call nearly enough kids off the waitlist because at the time I got the job, our records clerk was on medical leave,” Tuzinsky said.

“So we were not able to do the withdrawals and enrollments fast enough. By the end of the first week of school I stopped making phone calls and decided I would continue before second semester.”

Tuzinsky also points out that in different grades, different numbers of students were added.

“I would have added more students to the sophomore class but we were getting

fact that Community had more room in upper-level math classes than Geometry also contributed to Tuzinsky’s decision to add more juniors than sophomores.

Ricardo Moreno, a former student of Skyline High School, is one of the juniors who was able to join Community this semester. As soon as he got the call that he had gotten in, Moreno knew he was going to enroll. Moreno’s immediate decision to come was largely based on his urge to try something new.

“I am very grateful to now be at Community,” Moreno said.

Other students came for different reasons. Former Pioneer junior Charles Basset-Kennedy came to Community due to his dislike of Pioneer, while former Skyline sophomore Emmet Stankvich came to Community mainly because his parents believed it would be a better fit.

Even though Community’s ideal enrollment numbers have not changed this semester, next year they will. For the fall semester of 2015, the school will be accommodating 10 more students per grade. The increase in enrollment is to happen for a few reasons.

Community is an increasingly popular choice for high school in the AAPS district, receiving 481 applicants for the 2015 lottery. Tuzinsky wants to offer the exclusive opportunities that Community presents to more students within the district.

“We want more kids to have the opportunity,” Tuzinsky said. “We had 481 kids apply and the district is looking to make sure we have great, viable options for a lot of people.”

Community is an appealing choice for students within and outside of the district. The Ann Arbor Public Schools is looking to pull more students into the district and Community is a prime com-

students pictured TOP LEFT Ricardo Moreno TOP RIGHT Keshav Karanpur MIDDLE LEFT Nate Genyk MIDDLE CENTER Piper Seeley MIDDLE RIGHT Emmet Stankvich BOTTOM LEFT Carter Schmidt BOTTOM RIGHT Charles Basset-Kennedy

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“The size of your foot is about the same size of from your elbow to the end of your wrist.”

- Craig Levin

“No one is solely left or right brained. Everyone is a mix.”

- Jasper Anderson

“Leprechauns do not exist.”

- Sabina Fall

“The universal donor for blood is O-.”

- Liz Stern

“A giraffe has the same number of bones in its neck as a human (7).”

-Kaitlyn Hart “Out of all the planets, Jupiter has the shortest days.”

- Taylor Tucker-Gray “Alpacas can spit up to five feet away.”

- Will Jones 14 t he c o mmunica t o r

“You can bite off your finger as easily as you would bite a carrot. The only thing stopping you is your brain.”

- Clara Kaul

21

“The biggest black hole is 4 million times the size of our sun.”

- Jordan Marr “If you weigh your mattress before you use it and after you’ve used it for ten years, it will have gained five pounds from all of the dead skin you’ve shed while you were sleeping.”

- Courtney Kiley

“The Irish consume more chocolate per person than any other country in the world.”

- Phebe Burns

“In Bhutan they measure gross domestic happiness.”

- Justin Tang

“Your taste buds change every seven years.”

- Grace Stamos “Kissing reduces cavities.”

- Grace York

“The alphabet was invented in 1000 BCE.”

- Ken McGraw

“There is a planet made entirely of diamond.”

- Andrew Reynolds

“Your nails and hair actually don’t grow after you die. Your skin shrinks from the ceased blood flow, causing hair and nails to appear longer.”

- Natalie Delph “If you turned off the water when you shampoo and condition your hair, you could save up to 3500 gallons of water a year.”

- Cara Bruner

things to know

“The cap of a shoelace is called an aglet.”

- Marin Scott “The amount of seepage that would need to occur from the Keystone pipeline in order for people to be able to detect it is around 120 semi-truck tanks worth.”

- Zach Hough Solomon “Cuba is the only island in the Caribbean to have a railroad.”

- Clara Motiño

news.

QSA TODAY NEW & IMPROVED fiona mckillop

N

early every Ann Arbor high school has a club that reaches out to their school’s gay and queer community, as well as allies interested in LGBTQ rights. Community High School was one of the first to dub this club “Queer-Straight Alliance,” rather than “Gay-Straight Alliance,” as this is more inclusive. However, the past few years have stirred up discontentment with students of all orientations at Community. The club became less inclusive than it originally set out to be.

Chloe Root is the faculty advisor of the Queer-Straight Alliance and has been leading and supporting the group for several years. She has seen it both decline and develop over time. “There were some people that were bringing their frustration with allies from outside of the group into the group,” Root said.

Maddie Teece is a junior at Community and has been attending the QueerStraight Alliance since her first year of high school.

“My freshman year it was ‘straight people make me uncomfortable’ and ‘if you’re cis[-gender], I don’t have to pretend that I like you.’ But now it has gotten a lot better and we talk about issues in our own lives. And we don’t talk about, as a whole, why apparently straight people are ‘evil,’” Teece explained.

A collection of students including Maddie Teece and Emily Brod have made it “The environment is more accepting. I don’t think there’s so much tension around the role of allies in the group as there was before.”

- Chloe Root

their personal goals to reform the Queer-Straight Alliance at Community. The club has been redesigned to somewhat emulate the curriculum of Root’s Gender Studies class. This past year the QSA has slowly become more diverse and inclusive.

The Queer-Straight Alliance has frequently engaged in a popular activity among the Ann Arbor queer community: The Big Queer Bowl. All participants submit anonymous questions, relating to gender and identity, to the Big Queer Bowl. Then the questions are drawn at random and answered by the group as a whole.

“There are so many different kinds of queer people in QSA that there’s bound to be an answer for it… there are lots of different kinds of people so they can all answer different questions,” Teece said.

A wider variety of grades and students have begun attending QSA meetings. Encouraging more underclassmen to take part in the group is essential to the survival of the club. However, regardless of the improvements within the club structure, the membership has still declined.

“It’s nice to have a more supportive environment. But if there’s still no more leadership or membership happening (than before), then it kind of defeats the purpose of having that space,” Root elaborated.

Student-lead presentations and discussions have done a great deal in keeping the students of Community High School and members of the Queer-Straight Alliance informed and literate with new terms and innovations from the LGBTQ

community. The inspiration from Root’s Gender studies class has helped the composition of the club become more focused on relevant topics and issues. Teece gave an informative presentation on the awareness and destigmatization of AIDS, and Sonny Newman lead a talk about gender-fluidity and gender-neutral identification.

“I think it would be really good if more kinds of people joined. Because I think people are still shied away from what QSA used to be, and I think some people are a little scared of coming because they don’t want to experience that again. But now that QSA has changed and it’s become more of an inclusive space, I think that anybody could come,” Teece said.

Root recommends that any student of any orientation, especially those who are seeking allies, join the Queer-Straight Alliance as it has become a more welcoming environment and would appreciate new members.

“There are just a lot of different kinds of people: race, gender, if people are cys(gender) or trans(gender). It’s a really diverse club. I think it’s one of the most diverse ones we have.”

- Maddie Teece

04.2015

15

news.

SPAMalot

natalie potter & andreea serban photos courtesy of margie morris

ONE WEEK BEFORE Diction, energy and staying in character were the three things running through the minds of the actors and actresses of Community’s Ensemble Theatre (CET) one week before opening night on March 19, 2015.

“Nothing less than your best,” said Quinn Strassel, CET’s director and Community High School’s acting teacher.

This year, CET’s spring production is “Monty Python’s Spamalot”, a Tony Award-winning musical comedy adaptation from Terry Gilliman and Terry Jones’ “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”.

SPAMalot: Set in medieval England, King Arthur is on a quest looking for men to join the Knights of the Round Table and follow him to Camelot. After a few interesting encounters and musical numbers performed by each character, King Arthur officially acquired Sir Lancelot, the Homicidally Brave; Sir Robin, the Not-Quite-So-Braveas-Sir-Lancelot; Sir Dennis Galahad; and Sir Bedevere, The Strangely Flatulent. Once collected in a Las Vegas-inspired Camelot, God appears to King Arthur, urging him

16 t he c o mmunica t o r

Top left corner King Arthur (Oren Levin) surrounded by cast Top center King Arthur (Oren Levin) marries Tha Lady of the Lake (Fiona Lynch)Top- Top right Ruby Lowenstein as the Knight who says Ni Bottom far left Sir Dennis Galahad (Isaac Scobey-Thal) with The Lady of the Lake (Fiona Lynch) Bottom center left Sir Robin (Jacob Johnson) playing the piano Bottom center right Can-can dancers (Jack Kozicz and Sophia Werthmann) scare Sir Robin (Jacob Johnson) Bottom far right King Arthur (Oren Levin) and The Lady of the Lake (Fiona Lynch) embrace

to find the Holy Grail. King Arthur and his knights encounter the French, the Knights who say Ni, the Black Knight, Herbert and Tim the Enchanter, each with their own scene, musical number and witty comedy.

This play, was light comedy and had the biggest costume order, with 250 different costumes for a cast of 44, to date. Strassel, and the rest of the cast and crew, show that hard work and dedication proves that you should always look on the bright side of life.

Among the cast members were Oren Levin, a CHS senior who captured the part of King Arthur; Fiona Lynch, a CHS freshman with a voice fitting the role of The Lady of the Lake; Isaac Scobey-Thal, CET’s president and Sir Dennis Galahad; Jacob Johnson, a CHS senior and Sir Robin; the Not-QuiteSo-Brave-as-Sir-Lancelot; James Harkey, a CHS senior and Sir Bedevere, The Strangely Flatulent; Josh Krivan, a Skyline senior and Sir Lancelot the Homicidally Brave; and Milo Tucker-Meyer, a CHS junior and Patsy, King Arthur’s trusty servant and steed.

With only one week until opening and after snow days hindered rehearsals, time

was of the essence and Strassel, although worried, trusted the cast and crew to come together in the last week.

“I am always a mess at this time. So a week and half before the show I’m always a mess, [I am] always worried and I’m going home with thousands of notes,” Strassel said.

“I’ve learned to trust the process with the idea that I’ll give notes after this rehearsal they’ll go home and practice those things.”

Year after year, Strassel said he is always impressed with how much growth the cast makes in that last week.

For Strassel, Spamalot has always been a musical that he has wanted to do and since he had a large number of strong male actors who can sing, this year seemed to be the year. This is his fifth year with CET, so the seniors have been with him since the very beginning. Strassel could not be more proud of how hard they’ve worked during the past years.

“I’m just really proud of the kids, especially our seniors have just risen to the challenge year after year and I’m looking for the audience just experiencing a huge show with a

Top left Patsy (Milo Tucker-Meyer) leads the Laker Girls Top right Entire cast dancing in Camelot Bottom left Laker Girls (Liz Stern and Tracy Anderson) cheering for King Arthur Bottom center Prince Herbert (Ben Wier) and Herbert’s father (Sam Works) embrace Bottom right The Lady of the Lake (Fiona Lynch) singing “Whatever Happened to my Part?”

e

lot of polished performances,” Strassel said.

“I think we’ve always had good performances, but this year the full cast, the skills have been building over the years and this year I think is going to be a big polished show with a lot of great performances.”

This year, Strassel not only offered the traditional five shows from Thursday, March 19 to Sunday, March 22, but because all of the shows were sold out, tickets were also sold to their last dress rehearsal on March 18 at a discounted price.

FINAL DRESS REHEARSAL During the final dress rehearsal, students and parents waited as the clock approached 6:30 p.m., inching their way towards the still closed theater doors. As Strassel opened the doors, the speeding group retrieved their unassigned seats. After a quick monologue given by Strassel about the excitement and the hard work the CET cast and crew put into the play, the lights dimmed and the play started. The long intro music and the humorous mood were set.

Sticking to the original British play, the

actors spoke with British accents.

“The whole cast had to do different accents and everyone has to use it. It all sounds different for everyone. I haven’t quite nailed down each person’s accent but it’s funny,” said Jack Kozicz, a CHS senior in the CET ensemble and the Black Knight. “It’s Monty Python so it’s kind of a ridiculous British accent to begin with, and making a bunch of high school kids in the US to do some ridiculous British accents is funny.”

One surprising scene featured three CHS teachers, Robbie Stapleton, Tracy Anderson and Liz Stern, Individualized Learning Center (ILC) teacher consultant Pam Kirchen and the counseling office secretary Gretchen Eby lined, chanting and dancing on stage in matching green and white cheerleading outfits.

As the first act came to an end, the empty and silent hallways filled up with the buzzing of the audience. While the audience was out in the hall, the actors stayed in the theater to polish up the second act. Once again at 8 p.m. the closed doors re-opened and the buzzing of the hallway diminished into

the theater and simmered into silence as the actors came out.

Once the second act started, yet again the wittiness and humorous voices filled the room. One scene that amused the audience was when Ben Wier, CHS senior playing in the ensemble and as Herbert, acted out his role as the damsel in distress part with his high pitched singing, a blond wig and a cone-shaped headset called a hennin.

Bursts of laughter from the audience were frequent and contagious. The play concluded with the cast picking out an audience member and pulling him on stage and naming him the next Arthur and rewarding him with a mini version of the holy grail. After some impressive improv from the Knights of the Round Table, the audience member, Danny Freiband, was re-seated and the play came to a close with a few more scenes and a reprised song of “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.”

04.2015

17

news.

in the face of an

attack...

do we protect our children?

THE GUN SHOW marcelo salas & eliza upton marcelo salas illustration

WHEN JOSHUA WADE OPEN carried a firearm at the Ann Arbor Pioneer Choral Cavalcade, his action created a frenetic fallout of gun rights dialogue.

A series of Michigan gun laws prohibit carrying concealed weapons into schools; however, under a loophole in state law, any individual may open carry on school grounds, providing that they have a valid Concealed Pistol License (CPL).

18 th e c o mmunica t o r

Following Wade’s public display, the Ann Arbor Public School Board adopted the topic of open carrying in schools into their March 11 meeting agenda. They previously planned to discuss the issue in April.

School Board President, Deb Mexicotte, commenced the meeting with an address, stating firmly the board’s opinion that firearms do not belong in the Ann Arbor

Public Schools.

“We are bound to follow the law, but we are not required to agree with it,” Mexicotte said. “As a matter of fact, if there is a law that is detrimental to what we believe is in the best interest of our students or our citizens, it is our responsibility to work to get that law changed.”

>>

community voices.

JULIE QUIROZ

DEB MEXICOTTE

JEANICE SWIFT

Julie moved to Ann Arbor from Berkeley, California in December of 2014. Her daughter, Alausí Martinez, attends Slauson Middle School. For Quiroz, the adjustment to living in a state with lax gun laws has been difficult.

Deb Mexicotte, the president of the AAPS school board publicly opposed open carrying in schools, focusing on the safety of students and her role as an elected official.

Swift, the Superintendent of AAPS, drew attention to the distraction that open carrying in schools provides.

“I am totally shocked. I expected to get involved in Ann Arbor issues, but I didn’t expect to show up at my daughter’s high school and have an issue like [open carrying]. Quite shocking. It’s crazy, this country’s love of guns,” Quiroz said.

“There are those that somehow think that this discussion is outside of our purview as a board, or that we are somehow passive bystanders as the debate around school safety and the law ensues,” Mexicotte said.

“This is not the case. We are elected officials, representative of our district constituency and politicians.”

“The [AAPS] considers student and staff safety our number one priority. Thus, we are very concerned about the situation that occurred recently at Pioneer High School choir concerts,” Swift said. “It is important to note that on this particular occasion the actions of certain individuals took attention away from outstanding student performance.”

LEFT TO RIGHT Julie Quiroz & her daugther, Alausí at the school board meeting on open carrying; spectators filled the auditorium at Huron High School – some held signs, others carried firearms; Deb Mexicotte reads her address

MITCHELL SMITH

PHILLIP HOFMEISTER

JEFF IRWIN

Mitchell Smith, spoke at the school board meeting in support of open carry, but prefers the idea of concealed carry.

Phillip Hofmeister, the President of Michigan Open Carry, brings his gun everywhere.

Jeff Irwin, a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, believes it will be hard to suppress open carrying in schools.

“If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind,” Smith said.

Smith also teaches hunting and gun safety classes, employing three primary rules.

“The first thing I tell [my students] is point it in a safe direction, finger off the trigger and action open and loaded until you’re ready to [shoot],” Smith said.

“I’ve never had someone run out of a building or get scared,” Hofmeister said.

Although he was raised as a Democrat, Hofmeister adopted Libertarianism into his political views and became a Republican at the urging of his ex wife.

Hoffmeister supports open carrying in schools, citing state laws and instances of citizen intervention during mass shootings.

“When you look at the laws, it’s really hard for any local level government or school district to do anything to regulate firearms,” Irwin said.

He added that little progress is being made.

“So far in Lansing this year, the Michigan House of Representatives has passed 38 bills. 11 of those bills loosen restrictions on firearms.”

04.2015

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inside the office of john boshoven. community’s counselor speaks on the objects that fill his workspace ally einhaus & sophie swan

“I got this dog for my birthday from my friend. He said, ‘You’re getting older John, But I don’t want you to end up like some old dog on a shelf’.”

“My office represents me.”

“Back in my early career, I never had my own office. When I got this office, I wanted to make sure everyone knew it was claimed. It’s my way of nesting.”

“Every year the students who don’t want their artwork put it on the cart and leave it there, so I always go down before they throw it all away to find things I like.”

“My whole office is a metaphor.

Everything in here has its own meaning.”

“Let me HAND you a business card!”

20 t he c o m m unic a t o r

“I went to Paris to consult for a private school and a couple families about college selection. When I saw the lights on the Eiffel Tower, I was very excited. They liked my reaction so much they bought me this. It even lights up!”

“I did a program at Father Gabriel Richard High School and when they asked me if they could pay me, I said no, but what I really need is a deer head so I could use my antique horse blinders, since buying a horse head is illegal.”

“Usually you see the front end of the family, but I have the rear end of the family on the other side of the door.”

“These toothpaste packages are a metaphor for colleges. They are in order by price. They go from around $1 to $5. When we looked up the ingredients, they were all the same. So what makes them more appealing? The packaging. You don’t have to go to an expensive, pretty college to get what you want from it.”

“These lightning rods represent students who like to get into trouble. See, some students like to attract the teacher’s attention, and when they draw the negative attention, the teacher will strike them. I will show the student the lightning rod and say, ‘How’s that working for you?‘“

“When I was at Slauson Middle School, I advised this student to go to Community because not a lot of Slauson students came here back then. After I got a job here, the student said ‘I want to thank you for being one of my only friends in middle school, and guiding me to Slauson Middle School’ and he gave this to me.”

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feature.

elmo morales 22 the c o m m unic a t o r

220 S. Main St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734) 994-9898

the community connection

E

lmo Morales did not grow up dreaming of running a T-shirt business, but in 1977 he purchased a store in downtown Ann Arbor. Morales had been organizing many local events that had required him to buy countless T-shirts. When the vendor he was buying from decided it was time to retire he said to Morales, “Elmo you get so many shirts from here you ought to go into the business yourself.

I’m thinking of retirement so I’ll sell you the business and show you how to run it.”

Morales opened up shop and named the store “Elmo’s Main Street T-Shirts.” Many people know him because of his locally famous store on Main Street, but what most people don’t know is that Morales worked at Community High School for nearly 25 years. While Morales was at Community he taught physical education and forum. His favorite part of his job at CHS was feeling like he was helping kids.

“I liked being a forum leader,” Morales said. “I really connected with my students. I used to get all the wild kids– kids that were just out of the county jail.” The Morales forum was like a family and he was the dad. He was given the “wild kids” because he knew how to handle them. For their forum trips he often took his forum camping up north because most his students had never had the experience before.

Elmo’s base salary was working at Community was $6900. Although it was in the 70s, it still was not enough to support a family.

“Teaching was not a very high paying job,” Morales said. “Most teachers even back then had second jobs.”

Many teachers worked as drivers ed instructors, camp counselors and coaches on the side, but Morales took a different path. Origi-

nally he worked as an official at track meets, but that was not enough as he only made a handful of money here and there. This encouraged Morales to open Elmo’s and make it his own to earn more supplemental income.

When walking into Elmo’s, Morales gives a big, friendly welcome. His favorite part of running Elmo’s is interacting with and helping his customers. “I get satisfaction from satisfying people’s needs and wants, feeling like I’m contributing.” Not surprisingly this is very similar to how he enjoyed helping students at Community. Morales is thinking of retiring soon, as he has been in business for over 35 years but isn’t planning on leaving Ann Arbor anytime soon.

Morales grew up in New York City and enjoyed all the big city had to offer, but he wouldn’t go back. In Ann Arbor he is able to still reap the benefits of a big city, and live in a beautiful rural area only about five miles from downtown. Morales said, “I like Ann Arbor, it has all the things I had in New York City, and I live out in the country in a beautiful house, in a beautiful area. I love the changing of the seasons and I see deer every day in the summer, spring and fall.”

Morales can enjoy his New York style pizza at the New York Pizza Depot, then head out to his house and look at the changing colors of the leaves in a matter of minutes. Unlike many other people, Morales also enjoys the cold winters of Michigan as the cold temperatures are his favorite running conditions. Morales truly believes that Ann Arbor is the place for him. cameron fortune gabe salas

04.2015

23

sights & sounds

colleen frantz

24 the c o mmunic at o r

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1

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five guys Five Guys is a burger joint and was started in 1986 by the Murrell family. They opened their first location in Arlington, Virginia but since then they have expanded to over 1000 locations. Five Guys only serves hand-formed burgers that are cooked on a grill along with fries that are cut fresh daily.

2

The Diag is located in the middle of Central Campus and is used by many. It serves two main purposes: it’s a quick and easy way to get through Central Campus and when the weather starts to get nice students often study out on the lawn.

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3

5

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3michigan theater The Michigan Theater opened it’s doors in 1928. The theater is used for all sorts of entertainment. Early on it was used as a movie palace but quickly changed into showing silent films along with live shows. The theater, to this day, is still in use for movies, live shows and competitions.

6

state theater

The State Theater was built in 1942 by the same man who also built the Fox Theater in Detroit, Howard Crane. After a change in owner the first floor was rented out and is now used by Urban Outfitters. The theaters are both located on the second floor and are still used to this day.

the diag

5

michigan union

The Union is a very popular place within the heart of Central Campus. It provides a study place for students along with somewhere to just hang out with friends. Besides just a place to hangout there are many food choices along with a wonderful bookstore.

4

UofM art museum

For the past 150 years the University of Michigan Art Museum has been collecting over 18,000 different items to put on display. The theater is a beautiful building that is filled with work of local artists along with historic finds. Many schools take field trips to go and look around.

04.2015 25

feature.

SOLDIER. FATHER. OPTIMIST. 26 th e c o mmunica t o r

“I WAS LUCKY. IF THEY HAD COME TO TAKE ME WITH A BLANKET, I WOULD HAVE GONE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO.” theo hobrecht had no idea where he was going, and he didn’t have a choice. alexandra hobrecht

Young, alone and 2,000 miles away from home, Theo Hobrecht ran into his brother.

He knew nothing about his destination or if he would return home in one piece, nor did he know what to expect.

It was a terrifying, treacherous and life altering experience. It was also the middle of World War II and he was a soldier in the German army.

Growing up on a farm and coming from an anti-Hitler family in a small town called Gieboldehausen, Hobrecht was forcefully drafted into the army at age 18. He had attended a training school for three years learning the trade of toolmaking, and after two weeks of leave, was sent to Holland, Netherlands, to begin training for the army.

90 days later he was sent to Russia. He had no idea of where he was going; Germany had soldiers across Europe, in France, Belgium and even Africa.

Hobrecht wound up on an eight-day train ride, where the train went slow enough to walk alongside it. They traveled day and night non-stop to arrive at 5 a.m. in the cold March weather. Completely unfamiliar with their surroundings, the men found one German soldier guarding tanks. He was dressed warmly in an overcoat and quickly crowded by the other soldiers, all talking at once. Where was the enemy? What was going on?

“You would do the same thing in a new city,” Hobrecht said. “Where is a store?

Where are the people? You want to talk to them.”

One of the many things Hobrecht did not know was that his older brother was stationed as a cook not far away. Eduard Hobrecht, 12 years older, owned a bakery in their hometown and, unlike Theo, had word that his brother would be coincidentally passing through his camp.

Later that same day, Theo and his company, the 180 soldiers he was stationed with, packed their possessions for a long journey on foot. The soldiers always marched in a line, 20 yards apart, in case of bomb attacks. This way they would lose only one man if a bomb hit and not the five or six that could be killed if they were in a group.

Eduard stood waiting patiently as the line passed by his camp, meeting man after man with hopes to see his brother. But with every man that passed by, none of them was Theo.

“I walked over to a barn and I came

around there, from the other side, and he didn’t know it,” Theo said. The area had recently been bombed and the barn reminded him of home, causing him to walk near it for the comfort. Because of this, in the middle of the chaos of World War II, the pair nearly missed each other.

Theo’s company had regrouped and was standing at attention when he heard a man yelling behind them. He was running around and crying frantically: “‘My brother is near! My brother!’”

“And I heard that, and I turned around,” Theo said, which was forbidden when the soldiers were at attention. Two thousand miles from home, he could not believe his eyes. Despite the odds of being sent anywhere in the world, both had been sent to Russia. This was more than just a coincidence, “it was a miracle.”

Seeing his brother gave Theo more support than anything else could have during the war. Eduard was a sign of home, a safer time and a ray of hope. Although he had not experienced hand-to-hand combat, conditions in the army were anything but comforting. Many of the soldiers did not have clothing suited for the harsh winters, and heavy equipment often did not work as internal parts froze or tires sank in the winter mud. There was little supplies to go around, and soldiers fought frostbite or even lost limbs to the cold. Eduard did not bring any of that; he was an indescribable luxury of relief. For all the brothers knew, they would never return to the far-off place called “home” again.

That was not the last time Theo saw Eduard during the war. One year later, Theo was living in a bunker along the frontline, where daylight and supplies were especially scarce. Their enemy, the Russians, were merely 100 yards away and also hiding underground.

“We never saw any of them and they never saw any of us,” Theo said. At night, they would come and kidnap German soldiers using blankets.

“I was lucky. If they had come to take me with a blanket, I would have gone just like everybody else. There’s nothing you can do.”

The Russians were running a prison. For every German soldier they captured, one of their men would get their own freedom from the war. “They were mostly prisoners themselves,” he said.

Theo lived underground for four months during that winter. On Christmas Eve in 1943, Eduard risked his own life to visit Theo in the bunker.

“He came with the people who would feed us when there was food,” Theo said.

“They came only in the dark so the enemies couldn’t see or attack them.”

Eduard stood guard with Theo during his shift: two hours outside and two hours inside. This was the way the soldiers lived, taking shifts for 24 hours, seven days a week.

“And still with every Christmas, that comes back to me,” Theo said. “He had poor shelter and it was very dangerous for him to come to me while I was in the frontline.”

Hobrecht was eventually sent back to Gieboldehausen after being injured in Russia.

During that time, industry in defeated Germany was in an extensive decline. No jobs were available anywhere. He worked for three years on his parents’ farm until he decided to come to the United States in 1958, hoping the ‘new country’ would have more to offer.

“It was not really better off we found out,” he said. “We had some tough times here.

We were not accepted as Germans because we were the ones who started the war. Everybody was against us.”

After being married in New York, Hobrecht ran his own gas station in Detroit for five years. He would go on to raise three children and work at Ford as a toolmaker, putting Hitler and WWII behind him. His brother Eduard had also survived the war, but their family lost two other brothers, 26 and 27 years old, to the fighting. “World War II was the worst thing that happened to us,” he said.

Years later, on a rainy day in Royal Oak, Mich., a young couple and their child came into the bakery Hobrecht’s son owned.

Frank Hobrecht was just closing the shop, but let them come in even though he was unprepared to serve customers. Theo and wife sat with the family while they waited for their food.

If it had been 70 years ago the young German soldier, despite his hard feelings against Hitler, may not have believed he would one day sit face to face with a Jewish family in peace. But the past was behind them, there was no judgement and the war had been long forgotten in the small bakery.

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feature.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS M AT T E R

P

alexandra hobrecht

leasant. Funny. Chill. This was Jack Cassell’s first impression of Alexis Atkins.

“I feel like first impressions are hard, especially if you’re really worried about it,” Atkins said. “When you’re really stressed out about something, you get nervous and then it ends up not going well.”

Cassell and Atkins met in Ed Kulka’s math class during their freshman year, and both agreed it takes time to get to know someone.

“It definitely varies from person to person,” Cassell said. “Some people are really open. It just depends.”

Meeting new people is an aspect of everyday life, whether it is a professional or informal meeting. Recent studies have found future

Studies have shown physically attractive people tend to get treated better in all walks of life, and politicians with more trusting faces have a greater chance of getting elected to office. Voice tone can also make a person seem more or less likeable within the first few minutes of a meeting.

The American Psychological Association explains confidence is one of the most important aspects to exhibit in an initial meeting.

A strong handshake, eye contact and self-assurance are essential.

Speaking in a relaxed and slow way will come across as more confident. Interrupting the person who is speaking and changing the conversation topic abruptly can turn the impression from good to bad almost instantly.

“I’m sure I have, but I try not to [judge] just because I know first

relationships can be greatly affected by the impressions formed when people first meet. According to psychologytoday.com, the first few seconds of a relationship can be most crucial. First impressions are so powerful they can overturn previous assumptions a person has made based on what they have heard about the other person. A paper published by spsp.org confirmed that even facts will not change first impressions.

Everything, from clothes to posture, can affect how a person is perceived. The predicted outcome value theory, first introduced by Michael Sunnafrank, suggests humans form perceptions based on how rewarding they think their relationship may become with the other person. The theory states that if a meeting forms positive perceptions, the two people will try to learn more about each other and communicate in the future. However, if negative perceptions are formed, communication will be limited (Horan).

“Sometimes when I’m meeting someone I think I’m not really aware of how much I’m judging them,” said Claire Benard, a junior at CHS. First impressions can draw assumptions about people within a glance as brief as 100 milliseconds or less, according to livescience. com.

“Unfortunately, the way we’re built, we just make assumptions,” said CHS counselor Brian Williams. “I don’t know if we’re taught that growing up or just by what we see.”

Whether it is human nature or a trait we pick up on as we age, people often go too far with judgments made from first impressions. They play a powerful role in how people are treated and thought of.

“I usually dislike someone if I feel like they’re rude or if someone just seems abrasive when I meet them,” Benard said. “But some times people are just having a bad day or something else has happened that makes them act that way, and that’s not really who they are.”

impressions can be really misleading,” Atkins said.

During an important meeting, such as a job interview, first impressions can be critical. A conference that lasts ten minutes may decide someone’s future at a company. In circumstances like this, impressions that go awry may not have a chance to be repaired.

The job will simply be lost to another applicant. But other situations in life, from meeting teachers to in-laws, will not come and go as quickly, which can greatly affect any relationship.

Unfortunately, most experts agree it can be very hard to overcome making a bad impression. Once someone’s mind has been persuaded one way, it is difficult to make them see from another point of view.

“I think it can only be repaired fully after a little while,” Cassell said. “But I tend to hold a grudge.”

Turning around an impression can take just hours, or at worst, years. If it is an ongoing relationship, there is a greater chance an impression can be mended. It depends how much time is spent with the other person.

“I think [I] can tell a lot just within just a few moments I’m talking with somebody, looking at their mannerisms and conversation,” Williams said. He believes after 20 to 30 minutes he gets a decent sense of who a person is, though not fully. After one or two meetings, he gains a pretty good idea of how a person works and functions.

First impressions can change the course of a relationship, and it is important to remember there is always more to somebody then they may reveal in a first meeting.

“I might dislike some of the things they do or the way they approach certain things, but I don’t know if I’d go as far to say I don’t like a person,” Williams said. “I really try to avoid that. It doesn’t do me a lot of good to dislike somebody. It doesn’t help me, and it doesn’t help the situation. Often times I might not like what people do, but I don’t think it necessarily means I don’t like them.”

“Sometimes when I’m meeting someone I [don’t] think I’m really aware of how much I’m judging them.”

28 t he c o mmunica t o r

news.

feature.

breaking the bank student workers and their money. surya palavali

O

ne of the main perks of having a job during high school is the ability to earn a sizable paycheck without being forced to cover high living expenses, such as those you would face in college. Many students at Community have already taken advantage of this favorable situation, which allows them to acquire jobs at various establishments. If a student has a steady job, that probably means they’re earning a steady amount of money, which they can spend or save at their own discretion (well, some can, while others have to deliberate expenses with their parents). So what, exactly, are high school workers doing with their money?

Jake Sorscher, a Community High sophomore who makes drinks and serves customers at the Kerrytown Sweetwaters, wants to be smart with his money.

“I make about $8.40 an hour, and I usually get around $15-$25 worth of tips every shift,” Sorscher said. “I mainly put my checks in the bank and save them. Sometimes, I spend my extra tips on lunch.”

Self-restraint is important when you’re earning money, and Sorscher has lots of it. He only spends money when he thinks it’s necessary, and he saves most of what he makes from working several shifts on weekends. Sorscher also adds that he’s not currently saving up for anything specific, but that he would like to have some money on hand during college, when he’ll really need it.

Alex Hughes, age 16, has different prefer-

ences for how and when he spends his hardearned money.

“I save a good deal of [my money] in the bank, but I also spend a lot of it on records, amps, and other guitar stuff,” Hughes said.

“I’m interested in those things, and they relate to my hobbies. Plus, I don’t have much other stuff I really want to spend my money on.” Hughes also recently spent a large portion of the money he’s saved—as well as a contribution from his dad--on a car for himself, having acquired his license not long ago. “We’re still kinda figuring out how we’re gonna divide the payments…my parents said they would cover insurance and gas expenses.” Hughes said. Needless to say, he was satisfied with his purchase.

Where some students, such as Sorscher, prefer to save almost all of their money for the future, others, such as Hughes, like to save up for specific purchases. In Hughes’ case, the majority of his purchases are relevant to things he likes and wants to spend on. Both students represent distinct groups of student workers, who do different things with what they earn. However, there are many different ways to handle your money.

Madison Gilpin, a senior here at Community, presents an interesting way to manage your spending.

“I make $10 an hour…Every time I get my paycheck, I split it in half,” Gilpin said.

“One half is for saving, and the other half is for spending. I mostly spend my money on gas, food, clothing and shoes.” When asked about what she’s saving up for, Gilpin, who works at both The Arcadian Antiques and

The Caravan Shop, gives a true senior’s perspective: “I’m saving up a lot for college, and also this new Jeep I want. Aside from that, I don’t really have anything specific in mind that I’m saving up for, but I feel like it’s always a good thing to have money saved in the bank.”

Gilpin doesn’t have any trouble with keeping track of how she spends or how she saves. However, she does have some irksome expenses. For example, she feels that her current car, despite the conveniences it provides, constantly needs to have its gas tank refilled. Gas isn’t cheap!

According to umich.edu, over 60% of high school seniors who keep over half of their earnings save/spend their money on themselves or their families. Gilpin, a wise spender in her own right, has found a creative and effective way to divide both her savings and her personal expenses. She, Sorscher and Hughes all have their own methods of spending and saving their money, as do many other high school workers.

Most high school workers, in spite of how others may affect their spending habits, are free to take control of their own savings and do what they want with their money.

Regardless of discipline levels or business knowledge, students can affect their own lives and futures by making themselves responsible for the money they earn through working. Although high school itself doesn’t create many major expenses, most student workers have already discovered ideal ways to both utilize and save their money.

04.2015

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feature.

S

ince June 2014, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has militaristically maintained control of the city of Mosul in Iraq. On March 10, sources in Mosul revealed that ISIS militants had destroyed the Markourkas Church, located in the northeastern side of Mosul, and the eva Younis rosenfeld(JoMosque of the prophet nah). They had also executed three senior officers of the Iraqi Air Force.

For Mr. Tahan*, a substitute teacher, this news elicits more than secondhand dismay; it’s personal.

Tahan was living in Baghdad, working as a contractor for the U.S. military. He moved around several bases in and around Baghdad fixing appliances.

One afternoon Tahan’s daughter came home to find a letter on the ground inside the garage. It threatened Tahan’s life - as well as his family’s - as long as he continued to work for the U.S. He realized shortly after that it was no empty threat.

One day when he was walking down a street in Baghdad, a car pulled up next to him. A man emerged and put a musket to his head. Tahan thought he was as good as dead,

52 t he the ccoommu nicca 30 m m unic a tto o rr

but when the man got closer, Tahan punched him in the face, hardly realizing what he was doing, and exited the situation safely.

He was no longer safe in Baghdad.

familyunder siege This fear, combined with discontent with the Iraqi government, drove Tahan and his wife and children to leave. They moved in 2007, when the family was granted a special immigrant visa abroad.

Today, Tahan’s extended family remains in Iraq: some in Baghdad, some in Mosul, where ISIS has been in control for about ten months. He remains in contact with them.

“I feel safe here but still I’m worrying about my family,” Tahan said.

“They are suffering there. Of lack of gas, for heat, for cooking. They don’t have income because there’s no work. They don’t have payment because there’s no government…

There’s no schools. All of their life is ruined there... Even when I’m talking to them I’m worried that if my words get in ISIS’s hand they

eva rosenfeld

may get hurt because of [our] talking.”

Tahan does not have a clear image of how his family and the other citizens of Mosul are being treated, but he believes the people of Iraq have been struggling for a long time, even before ISIS’s occupation.

“The government that controls Iraq, they discriminate [between] the people there, they didn’t give them a chance to work, they didn’t give them a chance to influence government, and that’s why this region is invaded by ISIS,” Tahan said.

“Because the government’s corrupted and the army is weak, that’s why these bad guys took over the city. And ISIS, Al Qaeda, these are not new, these are from before, but now it’s getting more complicated and bigger.”

In his new home, Tahan has managed to find work.

He hopes to convey a message to students receiving an education in his country of refuge.

“I know how the people are suffering [back home],” he said. “That’s why I encourage students here to take advantage of such good schools and good education.”

His degree, however, is in Engineering, and in Iraq he had a job at Baghdad International Airport. He hopes to get a job as an engineer.

Tahan’s son and daughters are too following professional paths by attending college.

“They are doing great,” he said. “But in Mosul, my cousins, my aunts, my father’s family and my mother’s family are there… I feel it will end soon but I don’t know how it will be ending.” *name has been changed to protect anonymity

COMMUNICATOR’S

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE caroline phillips

milo tucker-meyer, a junior at community, on happiness, yeezus concerts & rob dyrdeck WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE HERO? Rob McElhenney, the creator of Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

WHICH LIVING PERSON DO YOU MOST DESPISE? Rob Dyrdeck, the creator of Ridiculousness, because that show causes so much hatred in my body.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MOTTO? Grab life by the head because there is one chance you have for it.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST OVERRATED VIRTUE? Sloth.

WHICH TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE? Flying.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? My greatest fear is all of my family getting hit by a comet.

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? Ok, perfect happiness. Picture this.

I’m skate boarding, but I’m skate boarding down the road, but I don’t have padding on, what? It’s midnight. With the moon shining on me, ok? I go to my grandma’s house. She baked me something special.

What is it, grandma? It’s blueberry buckle. I take a bite.

BEST PERSON IN THE SCHOOL? Anne Thomas.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MONTH? June.

04.2015 31 04.2015 21

puppy love feature.

paws and palms may be more similar than you think. isabel ratner sam sugerman photo

T

uesdays are different for Yuni Aaron. With a small, seven-pound, light brown dog in her arms, she takes the elevator to the 12th floor of Mott’s Children’s Hospital. She holds Bailey, a 5-year-old toy poodle. They both wear their IDs. Bailey is ready to jump on a patient’s lap, and Aaron is ready for another conversation with a patient, to learn about their lives. For Aaron, Tuesdays are a day of giving back.

“Volunteering has always been a big part of my life,” she said.

After college, Aaron lived in Pennsylvania, working as a paid intern at an architectural firm.

She also worked at a nursing home, assisting a woman over 90 years old.

“She broke her hip, but other than that she was completely with it,” Aaron said.

She found working at a nursing home to be an incredible experience.

After working in Pennsylvania, she had to move back to Kansas City, MO after nine months of being in Pennsylvania. She then lived in Seattle and in Cleveland, without

32 the c o m m unic a t o r

volunteering much. This was because of her career and start of a family.

After this period of time, she moved to Ann Arbor, and volunteered at the Ann Arbor Hospice for one year. It was after this that she began working at hospitals.

Aaron has worked three years in total in a hospital, her first being in the adult unit.

This serves as a prerequisite for working with children. This is her second year working at Mott Children’s Hospital. She brings her dog, Bailey, along with her to visit patients in healing.

At Mott Hospital, her job is to visit children in the post-surgery unit and bring her adorable dog Bailey with her to give them something to smile about.

When Aaron visits patients, a specialist comes into the room with her. After the patient has given permission for Aaron and the dog to come in, they enter.

“With dogs, breaking the ice is very easy,” Aaron said. “Right away there’s some common thing to look at. If I just walked in and I didn’t have Bailey, I think it would be awkward.” Aaron says that it is rarely difficult

for the patients to open up because of Bailey’s presence.

“Just having Bailey on their bed, that’s just enough for some children.”

It’s the personal time with the patients that Aaron really loves. She asks them about many things, like where they’re from, what school they go to and what kind of pets they have at home. The children tell her many stories about their pets.

“These are kids who probably wouldn’t talk to strangers, but get very animated talking about their dogs or cats,” Aaron said.

And while these conversations go on, Bailey is on the patient’s lap. In this small moment, a huge difference is being made in the patient’s life, and Aaron has seen this firsthand. But there have been some times when Bailey’s difference has been more obvious.

One day while she was walking down the hall with Bailey, she noticed a man coming towards her dog, pulling an IV behind him.

A nurse was trying to inject his pain medications.

“He saw her and made a beeline towards her, with a huge smile,” Aaron said. “He

said, ‘Forget it, this is better than the pain medication!’” He then sat in the middle of the hallway for ten minutes playing with Bailey. Aaron continued to watch this amazing moment.

“He looked at me and said, ‘I’m serious, I just forgot I was in pain,’” Aaron said.

These situations have occurred more than

deuce, a border collie hannah davis photo once. Bailey and Aaron once entered the room of a two-year-old patient in his mother’s arms. He was flailing his arms, his back was arched and his head was back. He was kicking and crying. Suddenly, everything became quiet.

“As soon as I walked in, he looked at Bailey and she just stopped,” Aaron said.

In an instant, the presence of a dog, immediately healing a patient. The patient’s mom was in shock.

Bailey’s difference is not only through direct moments but also through her presence. The difference of an animal is mindblowing, and from this example, it is easy to see how much of an impact a dog can have.

“Being taken away from their pets while they’re in the hospital makes them really sad, and I think that the special time with Bailey reminds them of home, and something familiar, outside of their very medical surroundings,” Aaron said.

Similar to Aaron, Dr. Camille Ward also witnesses the astounding connection between dogs and people. Ward is a board certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. Her work is primarily with dogs with behavioral problems. “[I work] primarily with dogs who have aggression, either aggression directly towards people, people inside their home, their families, strangers, visitors to the house, or other dogs, also dogs who have separation anxiety or fears,” Ward said.

Having always been interested in animals and science, Ward knew this was the job for her.

“It kind of gave me an opportunity to study animal behavior— really dog behavior, from a scientific perspective,” Ward said.

Ward counsels with people and their dogs to help them solve behavioral prob-

lems. Along with her knowledge on how to solve these problems, Ward recognizes the connection between dogs and people. She points out the importance of dogs as companions.

“There are people that don’t have anybody,” Ward said.

The connection with dogs is not just an observation. There is some science that goes into it.

“We know that when we pet a dog and when we gaze into or dogs eyes, we are at a level of oxytocin which is a type of hormone, a bonding hormone, [that] goes up,” Ward says. We feel that bond, and that connection become stronger to our dogs.”

How dogs act can be influenced through what they’re growing up around. Therefore, people have a big influence on dogs. Their behavior is what Ward studies and helps with.

“It’s how they’re raised,” Ward says. “If they socialize with people, with other dogs, with kids with men and with women, they

zuzu, a portuguese podengo sophia werthmann photo tend to be more well adjusted, and have fewer aggression problems.”

Between three and twelve weeks after a dog is born, there is an important time in their development.

“That is considered the sensitive period in socialization. When they get out and they meet another person or they meet a dog, that’s when specialization can have the biggest impact in who they develop or turn out to be,” Ward says. This sensitive period is influenced by people.

She never gives up on a patient, even when its owners are beginning to. A family brought in their dog. It had been showing aggression for most of his life and his owners were considering putting him down.

Ward quickly came up with a treatment plan, even without complete confidence.

“We can’t have high hopes,” she says. “We can help to make them better, but I didn’t have high hopes after 11 years.”

Shockingly, the dog made an astounding recovery. Ward witnesses this transformation and seeing the end result really made

her proud of her job.

“For someone who loves dogs more than anything in the world, me, it’s incredibly satisfying,” Ward said. “You know that old idea that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Well this was an 11-year-old dog.”

Ward was not only happy for the dog but for his family. She understands their concerns. “[What I do] helps people, too, because they love their animals and they want to know how to treat their aggression.”

Taylor Tucker-Gray is a sophomore at Community High. When she was younger, it was her Bernese Mountain Dog that would cheer her up.

“He would come into my room every single time I was crying,” she said. “No matter what it was, I guess he could just sense it.”

Tucker-Gray would lay there with her dog, and sometimes push him away because of her anger. But she still appreciated his presence.

“He always tried to comfort me and be there for me,” she said.

Community High Junior Gloria Fall and her dog Truman are very close. Truman, a seven-year-old Golden Retriever, behaves similarly. Fall said that she cries often, but Truman is always there to make her feel better.

“If I am crying or upset or any emotion at all, he’ll come and sit right there and rest his head on my legs, and he just sits there and wags his tail,” Fall said.

It has been said that dogs are a man’s best friend. Truman clearly is . A dog can do so much, whether it’s sitting on the lap of a hospital patient or a sad teenager. Their sense of what is going on is what is astonishing.

Dogs have made a big difference in the

truman, a golden retriever gloria fall photo lives of Aaron, Ward, Tucker-Gray and Fall. Ward feels that dogs can really make people better.

“Dogs are confident, they’re companions, they’re friends, they’re exercise buddies, they’re someone to talk to – you know they’re everything.”

04.2015

33

doctoring the wings.

hannah davis hannah davis illustration douglas plagens image

N

ov. 21, 2005 - The Detroit Red Wings had played just over 12 minutes of the first period of a regular season game against the Nashville Predators when 25-year-old Jiri Fischer collapsed on the home bench at Joe Louis Arena.

The team doctors and trainers rushed to the scene, along with the current head doctor, Douglas Plagens.

“We had to resuscitate him and shock him,” Dr. Plagens said. “We prepare for such things, so when he went into cardiac arrest we really didn’t have time to think, just to act on the situation that we were faced with.”

Fischer’s revival was imparitive.

“The other team doctor, Tony Colucci, and the trainers, Piet VanZant and Russ Baumann, as well as the EMS personnel at the scene, all acted together as a team,” Dr. Plagens said. “After Jiri was resuscitated, he was taken to the hospital, the entire team went over. At that point, it started to sink in what had happened, and I can only say that I thank God that it turned out the way it did.

Jiri is a good friend and his parents gave me a crystal carafe that is inscribed ‘thank you for my son’s life.’”

34 th e c o mmunica t o r

the beginning

Dr. Plagens, a graduate of Wayne State University School of Medicine, has always been interested in medicine. He was drawn to orthopedics because it is a very active field, with a high patient satisfaction.

Dr. Plagens was in practice for seven years before he was referred to the owners of the Detroit Red Wings by a physician he did training under during his residency.

“This is my tenth year with the team,” Dr. Plagens said. “My first year I took care of the Tigers and Red Wings. I still help out with the Tigers and Pistons, as part of a group of doctors from the Detroit Medical Center, but I am the head doctor for the Red Wings.”

During the regular season, Plagens works a normal practice from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., then if the Red Wings are scheduled to play at home, he heads to Joe Louis Arena where he sits in the third row behind the home bench. If any player is injured during the game, he goes down to the locker room to take care of him. He is not responsible for going on the ice to tend to the injured players; that is the job of the trainers. About once or twice a season, he is needed on the

ABOVE Pavel Datsyuk raises the Stanley Cup after the Red Wings won the title in 2008.

Oct. 23, 2014 - The Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Joe Louis Arena and fall the the Red Wings 4-3 in overtime.

ice for emergencies, a situation for which the staff does extensive practice drills.

the team

The players are very appreciative of Dr. Plagens and his colleagues.

“My favorite thing about working with the team is that I get to see how hard they work at what they do, and to be amazed each and every night at their skill level. Hockey players are very humble athletes, ‘the salt of the earth’ so to speak, and are very appreciative of the care we provide them.” Dr. Plagens said.

He admires Pavel Datsyuk for his unique and amazing skill and Drew Miller for the work ethic he brings each and every night, but said that the entire team is great to work with.

Dr. Plagens enjoys the rich history and the loyal fans of the Original Six team. As he is a graduate of the University of Michigan, he is proud to be associated with with two organizations with such proud and abundant history.

game day

On game days, the atmosphere in the locker room is typically pretty loose during the hours leading up to the games.

“The players usually play a little soccer in the hallway before the game, then as it gets closer to game time, they put their serious faces on,” Dr. Plagens said. “If we win, it is really a fun place to be after the game, but if

up. When we won the Stanley Cup in 2008, they would always play Baba O’Reily by The Who, Without Me by Eminem, and There Ain’t No Party Like a Detroit Party by Kid Rock, before going out on to the ice,” Dr. Plagens said. “They did this before every game, as hockey players are very superstitious. I still think of those games when I hear those songs.”

the future

LEFT TO RIGHT: Hannah Davis, Detroit defenseman Brendan Smith, and Georgia Plagens, outside of the locker room after we lose, it is usually pretty quiet.”

The Red Wings enjoy listening to some jams to get pumped up for the games.

“The team typically listens to a combination of classic rock and contemporary rock music before the games, usually cranked

In the past few decades, the talent and skill of NHL players has grown tremendously, but this has not affected the jobs of the league’s doctors, however the advancements in medicine have.

“We have many more treatments and capabilities to offer the players today. But one thing that is constant is that to us, they are still patients.” Dr. Plagens said.

With the staggering number of injuries faced by the Red Wings in the 2013-14 season, most would be surprised to see the success they have displayed in the current season. “I think we have a chance at a successful playoff run this year,” Plagens said.

“We are a young, fast team, who believes in itself. The players are as united as any team that I have been a part of. It takes their skill, plus a bit of luck in staying healthy to have a successful run.”

04.2015

33 35

feature.

OREN LEVIN

Community High senior shares his journey through high school and the impact of performance kelly arnold, madeline halpert & caroline phillips ada banks photo

36 th e c o mmunica t o r

“Of all the confidence I’ve ever had, I get the most when I’m on stage.”

“It gives me a sense of control. When there’s an exchange of energy between the people on stage and the people in the audience, it’s something that makes theater and live music really relevant. That’s why it’s so beautiful. It’s a very, very human thing to be able to perform.”

Oren Levin, a senior at Community High School, has been playing music since he was six. Currently, he can play four instruments: piano, guitar, drums and vocals. He contributes his talents to both the CHS plays and jazz band, along with his most recent musical endeavor, his first serious band, The Euphorics. “[The band] has given me a lot of opportunities,” Levin said. “It has given me another outlet for writing music and performing.”

The Euphorics have been featured in many different venues all over Ann Arbor. They are currently working on an album they hope to release in April, and are set to open up for the band Vulfpeck, an Ann Arbor-originated band, at the Blind Pig in April. The Euphorics are made up of five members, all raised in Ann Arbor. Levin says what’s best about the collaboration is that each person brings something different to the table.

“When we’re writing songs or performing, everybody has their own part they can offer,” he said.

Levin is fortunate enough to have his very own brother, Erez, in the band, who has found the family dynamic to be more than successful.

“When you’re in a band of five people, you have to be five brothers,” Erez said. “You need to be able to respect each other’s opinions, give each other space, and know each other’s boundaries very well.”

Erez says that because there is a strong correlation between the way people play music and how they act in everyday life, he understands his brother musically.

“When you know how to communicate as people, you know how to communicate as musicians,” he said. “Oren and I have the benefit of already being brothers. It makes it amazing to work together.”

Erez adds that not only is it nice to be Oren’s brother professionally, but at home as well. He remembers many nights in high school where he was up late writing college essays or doing homework.

He also remembers his brother, always there with a cup of tea and some moral support.

“He just shows up with what you need when you don’t even know you need it,” he said.

Erez says that his parents are responsible for Oren’s kind personality and strong moral compass.

“Our parents are the shit,” he said. “We’re very close to both of them, and they have always treated us like like regular people. They were the best parents we could have asked for. I can’t say enough good things about them.”

Erez can’t say enough good things about his broth-

er, either.

“Oren’s a wonderful guy,” Erez said. “Oren loves to do everything, [and] wherever he is, he just gives all of his energy. You think he’d be spreading himself so thin, and I’m sure he is, but he just does a great job of everything. He’s killing it. He’s a riot. He’s too perfect.”

Despite these kind words, Levin hasn’t always felt so comfortable in his own shoes. In middle school, he experienced bullying. He was called a “hippie” because of his long hair and love of rock and roll music.

“I definitely felt more alone for awhile,” Levin said. “I felt rebellious, and because of that I think I was more of an outlier.”

Levin says that Community changed this. He feels that the environment of a small school where he got to know people well allowed him to feel more confident socially. “[Community] gave me a lot more freedom to be myself,” Levin said. “I always wanted to do theatre.

During my sophomore year, I joined Evita. After that show, I got really into [theater]. That’s given me a lot of performance opportunities, and definitely a lot of confidence, too.”

Quinn Strassel is the director of all things theater at Community High. He’s been with Levin since his first role in “Evita,” all the way to his most recent role as the lead in “Spamalot,” King Arthur. He’s been a mentor for Levin over the years.

“Quinn is definitely one of the most influential people I’ve had as a teacher, and also just as a person,” Levin said. “He says a lot of things that are really great to hear about living in the moment and living in the present.”

Levin has made many relationships over the years at Community, both in CET and elsewhere within the school.

“I’ve met a lot more people than I expected to,” Levin said. “Over the years I’ve gotten to try new things out, like listen to new music and just in general get closer to people who I don’t necessarily think I would get to know as well at a bigger school.”

Right now, Levin is just excited for the future of his band. He hopes to increase exposure for them within the coming years. “[Currently] we’re focusing on this album, [and] I think as we do that, all of our musicality and the way we play with each other will get better, which will lead to new songs and new ideas.”

Levin says that, like with anything he does, and whatever he chooses to do with the rest of his life, he plans to do it wholeheartedly.

“I just really want to do something great with the band– make something big,” he said. “It’s the same thing for anything I do; I want to do something great with it.”

through their eyes “Oren is the ginger little brother that I’ve always wanted. He plays the piano like he plays the heartstrings – soft and poignant.

Also, he makes really good guacamole.”

- Dan Sagher, band member Oren’s a wonderful guy. He gets really really into doing a lot of stuff. He’s interested in physics and acting and he likes doing karate and he loves doing music. Wherever he is, he just gives all of his energy.

- Erez Levin, brother “It’s very clear that he always has other people’s interests in mind, and it’s hard to imagine him doing anything solely for his own benefit.”

- Ben Wier, friend 04.2015

37

feature.

chirps or charges? examining the effects of twitter on teens.

eliza upton & hannah davis hannah davis illustration

M

arch of 2006 the social networking interface, Twitter, was built. The company, which now has over 500 million users, creates a platform for people to connect with one another through the sharing of 140 character “tweets.” The word Twitter means “chirps from birds” and “a short burst of inconsequential information.” However, at Community High, more than a few don’t see Twitter as being “inconsequential” or merely “chirps”. Whether it’s seen as good or bad, Twitter holds a large presence among students today.

“I’ve rarely seen a good thing come out of Twitter,” Community High School Dean, Marci Tuzinsky said. “Maybe because it’s just by the time I learn about Twitter events here, it usually ends up hurting somebody.”

Though not the overwhelming consensus among teenagers, Tuzinsky is not the only person who has negative connotations connected with Twitter and other forms of social media. CHS junior Avery Farmer also feels that Twitter can more often than not be the source of unintended negative behaviors and outlooks.

Farmer, who pulled the plug on his Twitter account more than seven months ago, felt that he was getting too emotionally invested in the social media platform.

He found that he was often comparing himself to other users and that his expectations were never fully met. When this happened along came a small sense of disappointment.

“To me it’s just putting things out there to have social positive reinforcement, but there’s never going to be as much as you want because you’ll always see other people who are getting more favorites,” Farmer said. “And so all it really does is make you feel like you’re not as funny as other people. I think it’s generally detrimental to your self-confidence.”

On the other side of the argument, CHS senior, Claire Fendrick sees how Twitter can be used in a positive way and feels that it’s all about perspective.

38 the c o m m unic a t o r

“Some people take Twitter so seriously and they make it a huge deal, but I think it depends on how you take it,” Fendrick said. “If you treat it like a huge deal then it kind of messes with people, because they can get offended, or they can get in huge fights. But if you think of it as kind of a way to keep in touch with people, then it’s not a big deal. Then I don’t think it really affects people.”

In a recent survey, that polled 100 CHS students, 58% of them reported having a Twitter account, and among that group, 29% noted they have a Twitter to fit in with the fad, while 14% admitted they don’t even know why they have their Twitter.

Fendrick who also stated she got a Twitter because her friends had them, finds that her Twitter isn’t just mindless scrolling. She likes being able to see what celebrities and her peers are up to, along with keeping in contact with her friends.

“I mostly scroll through my timeline and read other peoples’ tweets. Everyone’s always like, ‘No one cares what’s going on in other peoples’ lives,’ but I find it interesting to know what people are doing,” Fendrick said.

Unlike Fendrick, Farmer finds that most of the content posted on social media, he doesn’t find worthy of sharing with followers.

“To be honest I don’t care what people had for dinner last night, but they still post pictures of it on Instagram, so they’re just doing it to get people to say nice things to them,” Farmer said. “And that’s not something I’m interested in.

If I’m on social media I want the same things I would get from actually talking to my friends.”

Farmer, who has a Facebook account and actively uses it to share news with friends, finds this usage of social media to be much more worthwhile.

“I love Facebook,” Farmer said. “I find that on Facebook people will say ‘Yo check out this article.’ But on Instagram and Pinterest and Tumblr and all these things, I think a lot of it is people trying to

get positive reinforcement, which I don’t think is something you should be getting online. You should be getting that in person.”

For Fendrick, her use of Twitter is about positively connecting with people. She plans on having a Twitter through college to be able to keep in touch with old friends and get to know new ones. However, Fendrick is unsure of whether or not she’ll keep her Twitter after college. She doesn’t see herself needing a Twitter once she has moved on to more of a professional stage in her life. So, in the meantime, Twitter is a connections tool through social media.

Twitter isn’t seen as connections to Farmer. He sees it as harmful, creating classism and popularity contests.

“Ultimately it becomes almost where you want to start doing things to get more people to like it, and at that point you’re so emotionally invested in what Twitter means for who you are that it’s not about tweeting things anymore, it’s about trying to define yourself on an online interface, which I think is problematic,” Farmer said. “You only get 140 characters and I can’t put myself into 140 characters no matter how many I have.”

Even with 140 characters, there is no doubt that Twitter is and has the potential to be a great space to share news, but within the high school setting it isn’t commonly used this way. Only two students out 58 CHS Twitter users reported using it mainly as a news source. This is something Tuzinsky would like to see changed.

“I’ve seen it used in business and in other settings to promote positive ideas and things that are going on,” Tuzinsky said.

“Use it for the positive things, or letting people know, ‘hey we’re going to study for the such-in-such test,’ or ‘hey lets celebrate, did you know so-in-so just won this award,’ but not to use it to talk about somebody or to make someone feel bad.

I would like us to be the school to take charge in showing how to use it in the right way.”

>>

q&a.

DICK COSTOLO

Dick Costolo, the current CEO of Twitter, gives The Communicator a few insights about his life and job.

We watched your commencement address that you gave at the University of Michigan in 2013, and you talked a lot about being bold and being present. What was a specific moment in your life where those mottos have been most important?

Deciding after getting a DM (private message) from Ev Williams on Twitter in July 2009 to change plans and leave Chicago after 25 years to join Twitter.

My wife and I decided to move just a month before school started, we sold our house a week later, moved to Marin County and I started work in August. And deciding not to take any job offers after Michigan and head to Chicago to try to get into Second City.

How does Twitter play a role in social movements?

It plays a role by providing citizens with a voice, a way to publicly organize protests and a way to publicly communicate in societies where speech is restricted.

How does your view as the CEO of Twitter differ from your view as a parent with a child growing up with social media and Twitter?

It doesn’t really. I not only allow, but want the kids using social media. I ask them a lot about how they use it so I can understand how it’s different from the way I use it. We all use it differently.

In our culture, Twitter and other social media can often be found as a venue for cyber bullying. At Twitter, how are these problems dealt with?

Well, abuse and bullying are real problems and we spend a ton of time on this. I think that a lot of these new totally anonymous apps are making it even worse. I think the industry has to get better about being aggressive in dealing with this. I don’t think the industry in general has done enough (even if the individual companies are doing everything they can in specific cases).

What makes you happy at work?

The people I work with. 100% some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life.

Facts About the CEO 1

If Costolo had fan Twitter accounts they would be for Louis CK and Tina Fey, but he wishes Fey would have a Twitter herself.

2

Costolo has had a Twitter since 2007. He became a Twitter employee in 2009.

3

Some of Costolo’s favorite tweets come from sports writer, Bill Simmons, and comedian, Sarah Silverman.

4

Costolo’s favorite thing about Twitter is working at the company, while his least favorite is that he doesn’t have time to visit all the offices.

04.2015

39

sports.

skyron hockey.

the first skyline and huron unified women’s ice hockey team

40 the c o m m unic a t o r

crew

TOP LEFT Emily Letke stands just before the faceoff.

BOTTOM LEFT Olivia Boudette and Hannah Bartoshesky excahnge a few words during the warmup.

TOP MIDDLE Alona Henig waits for a pass.

MIIDDLE Hannah Bartoshesky skates past the blue line.

BOTTOM MIDDLE Goalie Veronica Zeimet watches the action at the opposite end of the rink.

ABOVE Amanda Maninga stands ready to intercept the puck.

TOP RIGHT Georgia Plagens skates around a Cranbrook rival.

BOTTOM RIGHT Anya Svintsitski fights for the puck against a Cranbrook player.

ROSTER Adira Cohen Miah McCallister Georgia Plagens Olivia Boudette Hannah Bartoshesky Emily Letke Hannah Bradburn Catherine Nicoli

Anya Svintsitski Amanda Maninga Clara Keane Hannah Davis Megan Taylor Alona Henig Mariead Erhardt Sophie Swan Veronica Zeimet 04.2015

41

We are proud to print

The Communicator for

Ann Arbor Community High School

Full Service Book and Journal Manufacturing Since 1893

www.edwardsbrothersmalloy.com

cooking.

KELLY’S CAKE POPS note from the chef: pop these suckers for a tasty treat.

INGREDIENTS -18.25 oz boxed cake mix (and ingredients it calls for) 13 x 9 cake pan -two baking sheets -wax paper -large mixing bowl -large metal spoon -16 oz container of frosting -plastic wrap -48 kg of candy coating (found in baking aisle) -deep microwave-safe bowl -styrofoam blocks

TRACY’S CREPES

note from the chef: a convenient taste of france in your cozy kitchen.

INGREDIENTS -four eggs -one cup of milk -one cup of cold water -one and a half cups of flour -one teaspoon kosher salt -four tbsp. of butter (melted)

>>> PREP & INSTRUCTIONS

My Kaywa QR-Code

www.chscommunicator.com

>>

Scan the QR code for the instructions to both recipes or vist www.chscommunicator.com

OR www.chscommunicator.com http://kaywa.me/6MJtW

04.2015 Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code!

43

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in my room: gabriel maguire hannah tschirart

“My room goes up to the attic but it’s not insulated up there so it gets really hot or cold.”

“My dad made that shelf.”

“I was into rocks a long time ago but since then, I haven’t touched those shelves which my dad also built. I don’t spend that much time in my room.”

“[My favorite spot in my room is] my chair.”

“I have a large radio for listening to books on tape because listening to books on tape is so much better than reading books.”

“I have a fair amount of clothes and my room is pretty small so I don’t have that much space to put it in. My dad made this rack out of piping stuff and it holds dressy clothes or nicer button up shirts.”

“I like this chair because it’s nice and comfy and it looks sweet.”

04.2015

45

3

fashion.

ways to wear

Spring is here and anyone who’s anyone is trying out new hair styles this season. From a messy bun to loose and free, hair is an accessory that either makes or breaks your style. Here are a few fresh hair styles to put a little spring in your step. grace koeple

Materials Needed • Bobby Pins • Hair Ties (preferablly your hair color) • Hair Brush • Hair Spray

1 Don’t be discouraged if braids are too complicated!

The ever classic ponytail is always achievable (and provides a pleasant as well as exciting escape from hot weather too). To update an average pony, take a small section from it and either braid or simply wrap it around the hairtie. So that the new loop doesn’t droop, pin it in a few places, spritz on some hair spray and enjoy the sunny day.

46 th e c o mmunica t o r

fashion.

2 For those less braid-savvy, a simple yet stylish single braid down the back would be perfect for keeping pesky bangs out of the way. If a braid is too difficult, pull back the hair above the ears and pin with a clip.

Tips and Tricks • Don’t wash hair right before styling (sllightly dirty hair will hold the style better) • Putting bobby pins in an ‘X’ shape keeps them from slipping • Braid tightly then loosen for a relaxed, but put together look

3 On a hot and humid day, the last thing someone wants is hair sticking to the nape of their neck. For those more adventurous, an upside-down French braid swirled into a messy bun provides a pretty way to keep cool.

04.2015

47

fashion.

GRIFFIN HALL griffin hall, community high school sophomore, wears a thick navy blue and pink sweater with paint-splattered sweatpants and beloved tan sneakers to tie together this comfy-chic look.

48 the c o mmunica t o r

fashion.

MITESH PATEL

black shirt express

$15

“I never really think too much about fashion but I try to wear clothes or find clothes that look cool. I usually like clothes that look comfortable. Wear whatever you want.”

tan pants unknown

$35 brown boots jcrew

DRAW FROM HIS LOOK

$250

• contrasting tones: lighter khaki pants between bronze brown boots and a black long sleeve • boots are quite the statement, but they will cost you.

WORD ON THE STREET LOOK POLISHED, FEEL COMFORTABLE

BEACH BOY MEANS BUSINESS

belts tie together a baggy dress with a karate style belt

blazers give any outfit a sophisticated edge without giving up comfort

kimono-style trench coats lightweight and stylish while still providing some protection from whistling winds

patterns don’t be afraid to mix & match (with some caution)

sandals frees the toes and the soul

bermuda shorts let those legs feel the breeze 04.2015

49

what should I listen to now? hannah tschirhart

what to listen to You Always Hurt the One You LoveThe Mills Brothers

when to listen

how to listen

writing an apology

If you want to hear the playlist:

Mrs. Robinson- Simon & Garfunkel

enjoying the spring and summer sun

1. download a QR code scanner on your smartphone

I Can’t Tell You Why- The Eagles

rooftop garden party

2. take a picture of the code below

Green Eyes- Wavves

saturday morning bike rides

Just Can’t Get Enough- Depeche Mode

3. your phone will open the spotify app to the songs

before you go out on friday night

Blue Monday- New Order

arts and crafting

Rose Quartz- Toro Y Moi

sleepwalking

World Domination- Joey Bada$$

making pasta

Skinny Love- Bon Iver

before you fall asleep

Billie Jean- Michael Jackson

on a hot night

Red Hot- Jurassic 5

tying your shoelaces

I Follow Rivers- Lykke Li

painting

Walking on a Dream- Empire of the Sun

biking or walking on a really nice day

Nothing Even Matters- Lauryn Hill

falling asleep

It Was a Good Day- Ice Cube

at the end of the day

Hypnotize- Notorious B.I.G.

relaxing

Straight Outta Compton- N.W.A.

running

50 th e c o mmunica t o r

4. plug in your earbuds 5. have a listen

artist profile: eve zikmund-fisher

hannah rubenstein eve zikmund-fisher photo

What is the story behind the photo above?

I took this photo in an indoor market in San Antonio while on vacation. The corn-husk doll was sitting on a shelf in the back corner of one of the stalls, and it was pure luck that I found it.

I really liked how the doll conveyed motion and stillness at the same time. It was as if I was capturing a real dancer, while at the same time maintaining the feeling of an inanimate object.

Why do you prefer photography to other forms of art?

With various media on paper and canvas, there’s a lot more that can go wrong between what happens in your brain and on paper. There’s a lot more human error. When I see something in my head, I want it to be like what’s in my head. So when I see a good shot, I can just take it and it’s like I just saw it.

How did you get involved in photography?

In elementary or middle school there was a mini workshop on photo that I could take, and I thought that was really fun, but I didn’t get that into it. And then freshman year, I needed to have another class because I was rearanging my schedule at the last minute, and I could take photo or acting, and I really didn’t want to do [acting], so I signed up for digital photo, and I just loved it.

It was kind of a sudden thing.

How do you think photography has changed or helped you since you got involved in it?

I definitely feel better and calmer when I’m doing art, and I also do dance, and it’s a way to concentrate on one thing. It’s a good outlet for when you’re upset, and it’s an appropriate way to express those emotions and to accept them and let go.

Who or what inspires your photography?

I don’t want to say it’s a self portrait because most of my stuff isn’t of me, but it often is a reflection of who I am and my personality and how I think. It’s more of an inner self portrait. I think there are times when I just look around, and an everyday object will seem like just so much more than it is.

Why is art or photography important to you or to others?

For me personally, it’s a way that I can get a different perspective just about the world, because you’re thinking about the world differently when you’re thinking about visual asthetic rather than ‘oh, this is just a thing’. So it’s highly intilectual, and it’s a good way to subtly express who you are. You don’t have to say, ‘this is me, pay attention to my personality’. That message gets translated through your art.

04.2015

51

extras.

books that change lives kelly arnold & kate burns

The Things They Carried Avery Famer “It’s a collection of vignettes about his experiences in the Vietnam War, and his being drafted as well. The way he writes it, it’s not written like a war novel. It’s more about the human experience.”

The Book Thief Allyn Sims-Myers “It takes place in Natzi Germany by an unknown narrator. Having an unknown narrator adds an extra something. It’s about this little girl growing up.

It’s well-written and complex.”

52

t he c o m m unic a t o r

My Name is Asher Lev

Kayann Berger “I like this book because it’s about painting, and I’m an artist. The main character is living in a place where people don’t really respect his art.”

Fan Girl Ellen Reed “I feel like it’s a book about something that most of us can relate to.

It’s about a Freshman in college who writes Fan Fiction and it is the basis of her social life. She has to work with it, and make friends while in her first year of college.”

Airborn

The Fault in Our Stars

Khalil Eljamal

Josh Krauth-Harding

“There’s air ships that travel and do vacation trips and stuff like that. It’s pretty interesting. Some books have really boring starts, and this one doesn’t. It just captures you.”

“It’s really well-written and has a plot that keeps you entertained throughout the book. It’s a sad ending. I cried a lot.”

The Magicians Annie Noffke “The author of Game of Thrones gave this amazing review saying, ‘It’s everything you wanted from Harry Potter and more’. Read it, it’s cool.”

Thirteen Reasons Why

Fragile Things Ella Mosher “It’s a series of short stories and poems. They are kind of dark and some of them are better than others, but over all I really liked them. It’s great because, if there is one story that you are really hating you can just skip it and go on because they don’t relate to each other.”

Curious George

Kelsey Albig

Anna Raschke

“It’s about a girl who commits suicide. She leaves 13 tapes for the people that led her to commit suicide, she sends the tapes out, and you figure out her story. I read it quickly because it is very good.”

“It teaches people about thinking before they do things, which some people need to do. It’s also a great story about sharing and saving things for other people.”

04.2015

53

op-ed.

drawing the line: punishments for sexual assault on college campuses need to be more clear. anurima kumar & matthew ferraro

On Wednesday, March 11 at Huron High School, many people swarmed into the auditorium. A young child carried an anti-gun poster while a group of men carried guns at their hips. MLive, Fox, NPR and other news reporters were there to cover an issue during the Ann Arbor Public schools board meeting that was recently sparked into flame: open carrying in schools.

“We don’t want guns in our schools,” said Deb Mexicotte, AAPS school board president to begin the opening statement. It was met with applause and cheers by everyone, except the Michigan Open Carry audience members.

The fear that students might have in seeing an armed person enter their classroom is precisely the fear that causes said armed individual to bring a weapon into the midst of children; it’s because he’s afraid of another armed person or because he wants to prove a point.

This cycle gets us nowhere. Any gun on school grounds poses a mortal danger to students and teachers. Guns in such a place should not be tolerated except when carried by a uniformed police officer. As we tried to find our car after the event, we both felt uneasy walking in a darkened parking lot with men with guns – a recipe for disaster.

President Mexicotte’s speech told of an interesting way of resistance. While Ann Arbor Public Schools recognizes the state law that people are allowed to keep and bear arms, it is actively trying to change it.

“Following the law while you challenge the law is the American way,” Mexicotte said. And as they recognize changing the law would be a herculean feat in the current state legislature, AAPS reserves the right to disrupt school activities anytime a gun is brought on a public school campus. Police will always be called to verify whether the carrier is acting within the law. Buildings can and probably will be put into lockdown, something this generation knows a lot about.

School activities can be delayed or cancelled if student safety is jeopardized. Multiple passionate speakers noted that there is little difference in the eyes of a student between a good guy with a gun and a bad guy with a gun.

Guns will always jeopardize student safety, because guns are constructed to kill their victims.

Jeff Hayner, an Ann Arbor schools parent, spoke about his old days when he was on the rifle team in school and college. However, he firmly said he would never consider taking a gun into a school.

“We’ve lost sight of the problem here,” he said. “With rights come responsibility.”

When a group of Swedish high school students came to visit Community last spring, they found it unbelievable that in the United States students routinely practice hiding from madmen with guns in their schools.

Do not be mistaken: the gun culture in this country is not the international norm. This is not the way things need be. The United States has the highest rate of privately owned guns per capita in the world, the highest number of guns among developed countries in the world and the most privately owned guns out of every country in the world, according to Washington Post. There are 270 million guns owned by American citizens, while the second-ranking country, India, has 46 million. India has over three times the population of the United States, but fewer than 20 percent as many privately owned guns. China has fewer guns per capita and a lower crime rate.

It is no doubt that the United States harbors a large amount of guns, but those guns should be banned from schools. Even though the Second Amendment applies to everyone there should be a level of common sense when applying it.

“Let’s not confuse what is legal with what is right,” said Edward Kudlow said, Ann Arbor teacher.

The Communicator, being committed to the free exchange of ideas, is an open forum for expression of opinions. It is student-run; students make all content decisions. Letters to the editor are encouraged and can be sent to thecommunicator@googlegroups.com. Signed articles will be accepted with no prior administrative review as space is available. The Communicator reserves the right to edit submissions. Furthermore, opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and not of this newspaper, Community High School, or Ann Arbor Public Schools. For our complete policy, please see www.chscommunicator.com.

54 th e c o mmunica t o r

no offense: the importance of satire

op-ed.

jacob johnson

In 2006, Isaac Hayes, a singer and then voice actor for the popular Comedy Central show South Park, unexpectedly left the show after it released an episode mocking the Church of Scientology.

Hayes, a Scientologist himself, claimed that the show was insensitive to “personal spiritual beliefs”, and for that reason, left.

That was not the first time that South Park had done a satirical display of a religion. The show routinely mocks Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Mormons, and other faiths with an edgy, tongue-in-cheek flair. Hayes was completely willing to participate in those episodes, but as soon as his own beliefs were mocked, it was no longer a joke.

Hayes’ example may be an extreme one, but it raises a clear point about what is happening in popular culture- the damper that is being placed over satire.

More and more, comedic material that discusses heavy or difficult subjects is being met with criticism, offense, and outrage. In an age of growing awareness and political correctness, satire is feeling a bit of backlash. In attempt to keep from offending anyone, we muffle the meaningful discussion and thought-provoking statements that satire is often a vehicle

for. Rather than making the world a more open place, there is an opposite effect, constricting free thought and opinion and lessening discussion that is so vital to social progress.

Throughout civilized history, satire has been vital as a way for the people to have a voice, to discuss dangerous subjects lightheartedly and openly. In Ancient Greece, the Athenian playwright Aristophanes wrote Lysistrata, a comedy criticizing his government’s constant wars with the neighboring state of Sparta. In England, Shakespeare often wrote plays such as Richard III, containing elements that criticized monarchy. In their time, these plays were all considered highly controversial- to the point that their authors could have been killed for treason.

This controversy is what makes them so thought-provoking, and as a result, so important to the advancement of free thought- the foundation of any democracy.

This is not to say that we should encourage hateful and cruel portrayals of different cultures and beliefs, but rather that we need to understand the difference between such portrayals and actual satire. The purpose of satire is not to bring down specific groups of people, but

rather to scrutinize people as a whole, making light of serious or uncomfortable issues in a way that makes them discussable. The point at which satirical comedy becomes blatantly offensive comedy is not always clear, and satirical movies like Borat or The Interview sparked incredible controversy when they were released.

Like it or not, these movies also brought to light serious issues- they sparked conversation, and made people think. In that sense, they were successful.

When we do not allow touchy or potentially offensive comedy to be performed, we are stifling needed debate and public opinion. Making fun of a group of people does not equal an attack on that group of people - in fact, it is often the opposite.

Most importantly, unlike Isaac Hayes, we must be willing to mock ourselves, to criticize our own beliefs and cultures.

If not, then satire simply does not work.

We should not laugh at other people if we cannot first laugh at ourselves. Satire can be a voice for the people, a method of expression, or a critique of authority. If we try to stifle this essential part of free speech, then it is no longer a laughing matter.

becoming an “adult’ needs to be redefined kelly arnold

Becoming an adult starts, quite literally, in the brain. Studies show that the prefrontal cortex, responsible for many executive functions in the brain including decision-making and moderating social behavior, doesn’t finish developing in modern-day individuals until age 25.

And yet how many responsibilities does the government give individuals under age 25?

Being 16 years old brings the option of operating a motor vehicle and consenting to sex. Turning age 18, the long-standing age of becoming an “adult,” means one can enlist in the army, vote, smoke tobacco-based products, purchase a gun from a private seller, be charged as an adult in court, and get an abortion (in most states). The long-awaited age 21 offers legal consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Then there’s age 25. Four years later.

Things haven’t always been this way.

When the term “teenager” was created in the 1950s, guys and gals drove to the

diner after school and danced to the jukebox until it was dinner time. After high school, they got married. And they had children and worked jobs.

That’s not how it always works nowadays. For many, the societal norm is to go to college, get your bachelor’s, maybe master’s, maybe doctorate. Then focus on your career and possibly you’ll find a partner in the process. Single adults now outnumber married adults for the first time ever recorded. That doesn’t necessarily mean that adults aren’t in relationships or cohabitating; it just means they aren’t desiring to make the responsibility-laden step that is marriage.

This isn’t a bad thing. It’s just something we need to consider as we take a look at what becoming an adult means in 2015.

The government needs to adjust the ages for “adult” responsibilities.

At age 18, a person can go, fight and die for their country, but they can’t drink a beer. They could risk lung cancer and

financial burden linked to tobacco habits. All while they still haven’t finished growing and becoming a fully-informed individual.

Many students experiment with these “adult” substances long before the age the government says they can. So why not make these ages all the same? Canada has implemented some rules and regulations that make sense. The drinking age is 19, and they’ve made strong restrictions on tobacco products.

If the United States government changed the drinking age to be grouped with other responsibilities like voting and getting married, the awkward age gap between 18 and 21 would finally be dismissed. There would be fewer arrests, less money spent by the government on those punished for underage alcohol possession or consumption and more clarity for college-aged individuals as they try to figure out how and if the world sees them as an adult.

04.2015

55

feature poet: danny freiband

Q&A When did you start writing poetry?

I probably started writing poetry last year.

“Cherry Tree”

“When I Sing in the Shower”

What made you start writing poetry?

I had a teacher that assigned poetry assignments so I started writing and got pretty into it.

Crown Point, Mt. Carmel, dandruff on the tips of my Shoelaces, eyelids, I pull my dandruff crowned shoes off at Tiverton County, see shells, she sells, by the Shesell Store and

Yes, that’s probably the most beautiful stone in the whole wide world but you Might as well throw it back because I washed it and it’s definitely not a Petoskey.

When I sing in the shower, the walls Are halls of buttercream frosting Are festive dances and balls that no one could pay me to attend Are the bells of a wedding chapel, restless, unapologetic Ringing, keep ringing, never stop ringing

Were you writing all summer or first semester?

I did some then, but not as much as in my poetry class.

How do you think your poetry is going right now?

I think that it’s going well. I feel like every time I read a poem and every time I write a poem after it sort of looks like the poem I just read. I’m okay making where [my lines] stop and start not obvious.

What has your experience been with poetry in Ann Arbor? Have you been going to poetry readings?

I’ve started going to poetry readings this semester like Ross Gay and I’ll be going to Martín Espada.

How did you like the poetry reading?

It was really really cool. I mean I know how in Jazz if you want to get better you have to listen to a whole bunch of professionals at it and play it at an expert level and absorb some of that.

I think it’s the same with poetry when you see people who are really experts like Ross Gay was. You sort of absorb some of that expertise and it comes through in your writing.

56 the c o mmunica t o r

Rio, Lime Ridge, Oakville, my heart, when you plant a seed it’s supposed to Grow, except not really, and Who buried you in line and Who marched you to your beauty and Who melted metal to hammer out your iron leaves and

Is it you or them that will grow?

Rosilville, Pinecrest, Belvideer, fingers on the tips of my Eyes, appetite, I saw a bead of soul in the sand and I Wondered if it might be you, but you’re too busy marching, that’s right, Marching

Step left, step right Stepping left, stepping right

Never breaking rank

Falling in place…

Falling in…

Falling…

I think you should take that stone after all.

When I sing in the shower, the water Is the shadow of a beer handle on the wall of a nightclub Is the smile on the daughter of a man who wishes he could capture every one of her smiles and hang it from the tiles on his bedroom ceiling Is the synesthesia of a newborn birthday Is the Ann Arbor rain,

Somewhere between ice and slush, so we just call it precipitation When I sing in the shower, the world Is a furled sail that will never be unfurled Is one of a billion songs about a girl Is my oyster, so I guess you could say that my song in the shower is its pearl When I sing in the shower, the walls are mallets And I am a bell, high up in a steeple and on days like this, On days like this, I almost never stop ringing

the gender of jazz.

J

ack Wagner, the teacher of Community High School’s Jazz Program, has recently been hosting meetings with female members of his classes. Their goal is to address the gender disparity both in the school’s classes and the genre at large.

This issue has always been present in Wagner’s mind, but last year, when a parent asked him about it head-on, he was motivated to explore the topic.

“I started looking into it more specifically just to answer their questions,” Wagner said. “What we found was that about 25 percent of the [CHS] program was made up of young women.”

After making this discovery, he tried to look at the genre of jazz as a whole. While jazz has always been a historically male-dominated genre, he was still surprised when he looked at polls conducted by Downbeat Magazine. These annually published polls were asking for the readers’ and critic’s favorite jazz musicians of certain instruments or other subcategories. Only about 12 percent of the results were women.

It must be difficult to change this gender gap on a large scale, but after discovering the problem within Community, Wagner and Interim Assistant Dean Judy Conger came up with a way to address it. “[We talked about] how we’d like to see these things get better for young women,” Wagner said. “We actually made it part of my evaluation process. I would start hosting meetings so we could get a dialogue to spread to more kids of various ages.”

Separate meetings with female students in the lower and more advanced classes began, and eventually there was a meeting between women in Jazz II and Jazz IV. At these meetings, the students were able to share personal experiences about being a woman in jazz. They were also able to brainstorm why the problem may be so rampant and what could be done to help fix it.

Raven Eaddy, a senior at CHS who has been playing bass in Community’s jazz program all four years, believes that the issue has to do with confidence.

“Playing jazz takes a lot of confidence, and girls are socialized not to have confidence,” she said. “When you feel like you can’t trust yourself while you’re soloing, you’re not going to feel comfortable.”

The 25 percent of the jazz program that is made up of women comes largely from Jazz

I or II; Eaddy is one of only three women out of the 31 total Jazz IV students this semester. She explained that, since she started in the program, the numbers for women have increased.

“I remember when I was in Jazz I there was only one girl in Advanced Jazz,” she said. “That’s gotten better. Now there are three girls, but it’s not that much more.”

She added that the numbers of women in Jazz I and II have stayed about the same during her four years, so the majority of the shrinking numbers of women come before they enter the advanced classes. While she believes confidence has a lot to do with women’s mindsets when it comes to jazz, she definitely doesn’t think it’s always a matter of being a woman. “[Jazz I and II girls] usually trickle out,” she said. “It can be a scheduling problem, [and that is regardless of] gender.”

Among other information brainstormed at these meetings was the environment in the classes. While Eaddy and other women in the program do not believe there is a sexist environment, Eaddy does believe it can be an isolating experience.

“It’s kind of a bro thing,” she said. “A girl can kind of feel pushed out by that. But I don’t think anybody does it on purpose, it just kind of happens.”

Perhaps being a minority in the jazz classes does not always hurt a woman’s mindset.

Maya Gurfinkel, a junior at CHS who is currently in Jazz II, stated that it could even make her feel special.

“I felt like [being one of a few women] made me feel unique and almost special,” she said. “I was trying something that not as many women have done, but it also made me sad to know that not as many women were doing this really cool type of art form.”

Gurfinkel echoed some of Eaddy’s possible explanations for the gender gap, but also added that it could have a lot to do with a lack of famous female role models in the genre.

“I think [the gender disparity] has a lot to do with jazz’s history,” Gurfinkel said.

“Most of the famous people are male, so women don’t have as many role models, so women don’t get into [jazz] as much.”

Eaddy, who recently attended a concert in Kerrytown Concert House with a jazz group made up entirely out of female players, also thought that these ideas of having female

hannah rubenstein

role models is important.

“It was so inspirational just to see women doing their thing on stage,” she said, referring to the concert. “It even feels different than seeing men on stage. I guess I can relate to them more and I see them as role models.”

Even more than having female role models, Gurfinkel believes that more classical musical genres are traditionally associated with being feminine, whereas jazz is a more masculine genre. There are certain instruments or talents that young girls will typically pursue, and jazz does not normally include those instruments.

“A lot of parents will put their daughters into ballet, violin or flute,” Gurfinkel said.

“And they’ll put their sons into guitar or trumpet, and those kinds of brass instruments are predominant in jazz.”

According to Wagner, the main goal of these preliminary meetings is to come up with ideas simply for why women are such a minority in the jazz classes. There are no definitive answers, but many still have some basic ideas of what could be done to aid the problem.

“I really think I do everything I can to make everyone feel welcomed and feel challenged and pushed,” Wagner said. “I feel like that’s the best thing I can do. And when we had these group breakouts, the girls seemed very glad to have them. They were very appreciative of having the discussions with each other. They were glad to approach the subject at all.”

Eaddy agreed, saying, “Just talking about it helps a lot.”

Both Eaddy and Gurfinkel believed that openly addressing the biggest problems would be key to helping to fix it. Eaddy, who believed that issues of confidence was one of the biggest hindrances to the women in jazz, thought that focusing on building up female confidence would be key. Gurfinkel thought spreading the word about famous female musicians would also give more women role models and motivation to join the program or just explore the genre.

“I think this is something that is going to take a while to find actual solutions,” Gurfinkel said, also adding that these discussions and the potential to address these specific issues were important first steps.

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the communicator would like to thank all of our

sponsors robert mackercher christopher erickson linda feldt tansey rosset natalie wood elizabeth brauer nancy zink theresa reid jessica litman michael appel ethan steiger annemarie lemoyne

karen weiner daniel hack robert needham ellen bauerle barbara rosenfeld elayne hack anna fecteau vidya ramaswam leigh ann carracio abigail ohl dawn shewach nico curtis

we exist because of you. to donate, please contact tracy at: andersont@aaps.k12.mi.us 58 th e c o mmunica t o r

GET IN THE GAME!

Teen Membership at the YMCA ANN ARBOR YMCA

Teens aged 12-19 can join the Y for $15/ month and access all the Y has to offer.

Get in shape with pick-up basketball, teen yoga, studio cycling, strength and conditioning, free weights and two indoor pools and an indoor track.

Not into sports? Our Youth in Government provides opportunities to get involved with governmental processes (including a three-day trip to Lansing!) and Youth Volunteer Corps gets you involved with service in your community during the school year and all summer long.

The Y is open 5:30 am to 10 pm Monday through Friday, and 7 am to 7 pm on weekends, so, no matter what your schedule, there’s time to hang out at the Y. For more information, go to www.annarborymca.org, call 734.996.9622 or stop by after school.

Ann Arbor HOTSPOTS

Ann Arbor Juggling Arts Club

Saturday Morning Physics

“Jugglers of all skill levels, from beginners to experts, are welcomed.”

Where? The Diag when the weather is favorable, our rain location may vary.

When? Saturdays from 2-5 p.m.

Cost? Free Contact: juggling.info@umich.edu Go to http://www.umich.edu/~juggle/to join an e-mailing list.

What? A U of M lecture series Where? 170 Dennison on central campus When? Saturday Mornings 10:30- 11:30 a.m.

Cost? Free (refreshments served) Contact: UMich Saturday morning Physics website for calendar and emailing list.

Planetarium Exhibits Engaging with Art What? UMMA docents will guide visitors through the galleries on tours as diverse as their interests and areas of expertise.

Where? UMMA When? Sunday 1-2 p.m.

Cost? Free

What? Film exploration of outer space Where? Natural History Museum When? Saturday/Sunday Mornings Cost? $5 General Admissoin The Sky Tonight - Examines current night sky (Sat. 11:30 am, Sat. & Sun. 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.)

Expanded View - Exploration of deep space (Sat. 12:30 p.m.)

Sunstruck - Composition and nature of the Sun (Sat. & Sun. 2:30 p.m.)

Friday Night Swing Dancing Where? The Phoenix Center, 220 S. Main Street (above Elmo’s) When? Every Friday. Free beginner lessons from 8pm to 9 p.m. Open dancing from 9pm to 12 a.m.

Cost? Open dancing cost: $5 general admission and $4 students Contact: http://www.a2phoenixcenter. com/

Motawi Tileworks What? Tour of studio gallery and tile making process Where? 170 Enterprise Drive, Ann Arbor 48103 When? Thursdays, 11 a.m. (Tours last 60-90 minutes) Cost? Free Contact: 734-213-0017 60 t he c o mmunica t o r

MiRobot Club What? an informal group of robotics enthusiasts. Members include beginners to experienced professionals Where? MakerWorks When? The third Wednesday of each month 7-9 p.m.

Cost? Free Contact: mirobotclub.com to gain access to the club Google

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ACROSS

1. Largest city in the Midwestern United States 2. Newborn children (Hint: Type of surgery Dr. Shepard’s ex wife practices in Grey’s Anatomy) 3. Tied with peices of rope 4. Italian term for a very slow musical tempo 5. State with some of the country’s best skiing/resorts 6. A popular leafy green (Hint: used to make chips) 7. Thanksgiving dish 8. A kind of small audi 9. Come spring, the snow will be _______ 10. Sensory appendages of ants 11. A distinct period of history 12. A type of botany with stems and leaves adapted to store water 13. Semi-circular indentation in a wall with a flat

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bottom 14. Seasonal Winds 15. Extinct Homind (Think Lucy) 16. Health and beauty treatment resort 17. Not required 18. Craig teaches one how to _________ 19. Husband/wife 20. Speech defect 21. Hazard, peril 22. Fun (culinary) hobby 23. Bumpy ski terrain 24. Ballroom dance from Bernos Aires 25. Hunter constellation 26. Matured 27. Brave new world Caste (wears green) 28. Device, utensil 29. Savory liquid served with food 30. What syrup is largely made of 31. Form of poetic verse Judith teaches us. (Fourteen lines)

DOWN

32. Backpacker 33. Plants native to mountainous terrain 34. A Culinary herb 2. A group of countries including Scandinavia, Finland, and Iceland.

36. A tough shelled fruit 37. Room under a building’s roof 38. City in Michigan 3. Pottery furnace 40. Climaxes of sexual pleasure 41. An increase 12. To look for 43. Exaggeration of characteristics in literature 10. Religious ceremony 45. To ooze 46. Convert a message into a secret language 47. Tropical fruit 48. Specialized nerve cell 49. Positively or negatively charged atom 28. Versatile preposition

51. Spongebob’s pet 52. Invalid 53. Native South American people 54. Chinese Tea 14. Elevations of earth surface 56. Kissing 57. To not stop 58. B*tches love 59. Soft dog bite

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q&a.

10

QUESTIONS

NICK MIDDS

gabe salas, dom difranco, abe weiner dom difranco photo

Nick Midds, Junior at Community High School, Pioneer Water Polo player and superstar of the Lans Way Leaners Rec and Ed basketball What makes Nick Midds “Nick Midds”?

Nick Midds is Nick Midds, because he treats everyone with a ton of respect, he is very nice and very kind to everybody and I think that he does a really nice job of treating everybody very well.

What’s your favorite childhood memory? What makes it so special?

I have very fond memories of getting up and going to breakfast with just my dad and me every Saturday and Sunday morning when I was a little kid, I remember getting in the back sitting in a car seat just talking to my dad and having a very good time.

How old would you be, if you didn’t know how old you are?

If I could be any age I wanted to be, I’d probably be a 12-year-old who could drive so I could be home and eat food and not have any responsibility but I could still drive places I wanted to drive.

62 t he c o mmunica t o r

What’s your favorite quote?

Life’s nothing but a boat, floating down the stream.

What’s your best post move?

I’m a monster in the post. I’m a combination of Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon and Shaquille O’neal. But if I were to compare my game to an NBA player, it would be Anthony Davis.

What’s something you know you do differently than people?

I take my tests differently than everyone else. I realized that the most efficient way to take a test is the (Brandon) Jackson test taking method.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Doing Nick Midds things. Like being the starting point guard for the Detroit Pistons, getting buckets!

Who is the hands-down greatest basketball player of all-time?

Nick Midds. Not a question.

Where do you find solace?

The court. Shooting hoops gets my mind off everything.

What is one thing you most would like to change in the world?

I think war would be a nice thing to end, peace love and positivity. Also world hunger, got to eat.

picture this

RECALLING INFLUENTIAL LOVED ONES THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS

Margo Lowenstein

Margo Lowenstein always had the intention of raising her family in New York City, but she realized it might not have been the greatest idea when she was pushing one-and-a-half year old Ruby Lowenstein down the sidewalk in a stroller when out of a nearby bush jumped a family of rats.

Despite their differences, Margo Lowenstein and her daughter, Ruby, get along amazingly well.

“We are both very outgoing, but she’s a different kind of outgoing than I am, she’s less awkward.” Ruby said. We’re both pretty good with people.”

There are many qualities that Ruby admires about her mom. She especially loves her selflessness.

“I love her ability to put aside her personal feelings for someone else that is hurting, or having a hard time,” Ruby said. “If someone is having a hard time she is really good at putting aside her personal hardships and just helping them feel better.”

Margo also volunteered at several organizations such as Young People’s Theater, an organization advocating for same-sex adoption rights, and for a group called CARE. Ruby and her mom have a very strong relationship and really understand each other.

“We have really strong mutual respect for each other,” Ruby said.

“She knows that I will make the best decisions for myself, and she trusts me.

Clayton Mayes-Burnett

It was after school when Julian would hang out with his older brother Clayton the most.

“We walked home from school together for I guess 12 years, every day,” Julian said. After this, they would usually hang out the kids in their neighborhood.

Julian and Clayton are six years apart, but their relationship couldn’t be stronger. They loved to hang out as kids. Instead of playing sports together, they enjoyed playing video games such as Skyrim and Dark Souls.

The age difference between Julian and his brother has allowed Clayton to be a role model for his brother.

“I think I always kind of looked up to him as something to strive for.” Clayton has also incluenced Julian’s tasted in music and his passions.

“He’s always been a definite inspiration in my life,” Julian said.

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art throb. emma alson, senior