The Communicator: Volume 33, Edition 4 by The Communicator

Vol. 33, Edition 4, April 2016

the communicator

flint ann arbor

library exhibit tackles the complexities of war through exhibit on veterans.

social worker serves families affected by lead-ridden water.

just days before michiganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary, the top two democratic contenders debate.

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letter from the staff If you’ve ever taken Ken’s World Lit. class, you might remember this sentiment from “A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”: “How can you expect a man who’s warm to understand a man who’s cold?” So it is with suicide. In the wake of our peer’s death, those of us who are not in his shoes cannot understand the place he was in, nor will we pretend to. The best we can do as a school or a newspaper is to remember and honor our friend, and to ensure that every student struggling with mental illness has the support and resources to cope with their specific challenges. If you are suffering from depression or any other mental illness, there is always somebody to talk to, even if you believe that you are alone. About one in 10 people from the ages of 13-19 struggle with depression. Teachers, counselors, forum leaders, Depression Awareness Group Peer Educators and trusted friends are always there to help with immediate support or searches for long-term treatment. There is also outside counseling available. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273TALK (8255). The Ozone House, which provides crisis intervention and therapy, has a Crisis Line at 734-662-2222. University of Michigan’s Psychiatric Emergency Services hotline is 734-936-5900. Depression is not a “phase”, it is not a “first world problem”, and it almost certainly affects either you or somebody that you know. Suicide is not a sign of weakness of character or an attempt to get attention. Additionally, the majority of people with depression do not commit suicide. Our hope is that by continuing to talk about depression, we are able to open up an honest conversation about it and reach out to those who are struggling to find help. With love and support, the communicator

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flint hosts a democratic debate, bringing in members of the dnc, campaign staffers, and celebrities.

24 democratic presidential debate

learn how to vote in the upcoming general election, even if you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to make it to your local polling place.

13 how to vote absentee

a social worker spends time working with the residents of flint as they deal with the aftermath of their poisoned water.

6 volunteering in flint

42 humans of community

life-changing moments and advice from communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s students and staff

44 the spelling bee is on

community ensemble theatre shines in craft theater as they work on their newest show, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

62 inside italy

community high students travel to italy over mid-winder break

68 reaching new heights

ann arborâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s housing downtown increases in the form of new apartment complexes

72 op-ed

staff-written opinions on presidential candidates, class sizes and social implications of television shows

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communicator staff Print Editors-in-Chief Eva Rosenfeld Hannah Rubenstein Web Editors-in-Chief Matthew Ferraro Matty Hack Anumina Kumar Sophia Werthmann Managing Editors Cameron Fortune Jack Kelley Grace Koepele Frances MacKercher Sophia Simon Hannah Tschirhart Copy Editor Alexandra Hobrecht Arts and Entertainment Editor Andrew Gechter Social Media Editors Kate Burns Megan Syer Mentor Isabel Ratner Adviser Tracy Anderson Staff Elena Bernier Carson Borbely Vivienne Brandt Benjamin Chosid Marika Chupp

Mary DeBona Anna Sophia Dinov Brennan Eicher Francisco Fiori Abigail Gaies Lily Gechter Madelynn Gracey Hunter Guyer Emily Hatch Shane Hoffman Rachel Hystad Grace Jensen Ethan Kahana Charles Kotila Jennifer Krzeczkowski Gina Liu Caitlin Mahoney Kailyn McGuire Claire Middleton Samuel Millman Maizie Montgomery Omolara Osofisan Victor Oswald William Panitch Sophia Rosewarne Suephia Saam Aviva Satz-Kojis Alexander Shaw Hannah Simon Mira Simonton-Chao Kenneth Simpson Sophie Steinberg Stavi Tennenbaum Shannon Thomas Minna Tremonti Emily Tschirhart Nora Weiss Hevin White Isabella Yerkes Grace York

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.

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check out student photography.

take polls. find multi-media coverage of very important school happenings.

get recipes.

catch up on the latest political coverage.

see classic pics of your favorite teachers.

for all this and so much more, visit us online at:

http://www.chscommunicator.com and find us on social media! Facebook - The Communicator Instagram - @communicatorchs Twitter - @chscommunicator

lainey queen “The summer when I went to Alaska and I stayed up til 2 a.m. with people that I’m still friends with and we watched the sunrise one hour between the sunset and sunrise. It was very fun.”

terrence vick “I was at home and we had the front door open. It was very sunny and I saw something that was green outside across [the street]. I’m bored so isa grofsorean I go across the street and it’s “I went to see One $50 and I see something Direction with my friend, else and it’s $100.” Peyton, and we were in the

crowd. … We looked straight into Harry’s eyes although he probably wasn’t looking at us ... I’m just gonna say we were looking into each other’s eye and it was the moment of truth.”

the sweet life what were some of the sweetest moments in the lives of students and staff?

sophia rosewarne and omolara osofisan

clara kaul “When I got my dog. I really wanted a dog and my parents were surprising us. They didn’t tell us where we were going and we drove to this random house. The garage opened and this little lab puppy head popped up over the top of a box.”

jamie norton “Going to Britain for the first time in 2012. We went for a week and a half up and down the country from London to Scotland. We went around to places like Stonehenge and Lindisfarne. [My favorite was] Scottish Highlands, definitely. It’s just amazing.”

ari barajas “When I was seven they [my parents and friends] threw me a surprise birthday party and I got a dog out of it and it was really nice... It was all dark and then they turned on the lights and the puppy came running to me.”

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volunteering in flint

grace jensen caitlin mahoney artwork

A mother of four in Flint, Michigan already has enough to worry about. Her car has been broken into and no longer works, it is hard to get internet access and she has small children to care for. After Flint’s environmental crisis, she has water to worry about as well. She is now forced to figure out how to bathe her baby and clean their bottles without the basic human necessity of uncontaminated H2O. When social worker Beverly Davidson arrived at her door, it was the first time the woman was informed that she needed a filter on her sink faucet for her water to be safe. She had been drinking the tap water during her pregnancy. Davidson is a social worker who has been volunteering recently with a group called Crossing Water, a small non-governmental organization that has partnered with churches and neighborhoods in Flint to help alleviate the water crisis. They distribute bottled water and filters and provide rapid response assistance to anyone in need. The National Association of Social Workers in Michigan has partnered with Crossing Water to recruit social workers across the state to help volunteer for this cause. For Davidson, the cause strikes home. Her main job is working in early childhood development, so she has worked with children affected by lead poisoning, and sees the problems it causes for them. “I’ve had a child in the last year or so who’s had high levels of lead who had language delays and motor delays, 6

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and it’s hard to definitively say it’s because of the lead but ... we know that she had high levels and we know that she had delays around the same time,” Davidson said. Lead poisoning is especially dangerous because it lead to mental impairments, such as behavior problems, learning difficulties and growth delays, as well as physical effects. Davidson explained, “Often times all these problems don’t show up until later on in their development. And so we don’t really know exactly what this will mean long-term for many of the kids who’ve been exposed.” The Flint water crisis has become a hot political topic at a national level. However, for the people of Flint, this is their daily life. While political leaders and candidates debate how this emergency happened and how it should be solved, volunteers are working to give immediate relief to the people caught in the crisis. Many small, non-governmental volunteer groups like Crossing Water are working on this. The Red Cross has also stepped in and set up water distributions

sites at the local fire stations. As far as governmental assistance, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting representative water testing and trying to reduce the water’s lead levels. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has given bottled water, water filters and test kits to the state of Michigan, and President Obama announced $80 million for Michigan water infrastructure as part of the 2016 budget. However, the federal government has withheld a disaster declaration, usually used for natural disasters, which would allow for more federal aid. “I think there should be a federal declaration of disaster,” Davidson said. “I wish that there was a way they could do some kind of executive order or something to create a federal disaster, which would allow for FEMA to come in and take over and take charge, and create a temporary water system, get more neighborhood sites up and have more control and management over the response. Because right now it’s very disorganized and very uncoordinated. And it’s not

“Every town in this country is entitled to a strong infrastructure, good health care, good educational opportunities for their kids [and] a good environment. It is my hope that the American people will look at Flint and say ‘never again’.” - Bernie Sanders

helping get the resolution done more quickly.” Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is facing criticism for allowing this manmade disaster to happen. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has called for Snyder’s resignation, and some even believe the governor should face a criminal trial. Both Governor Snyder and the state government have a lot to do to build back public trust, especially the trust of people seeing the effects of the water crisis firsthand, such as Davidson. “I do not think the state government has done enough to assist,” Davidson said. “I think that there should be more

coordination between the state government and the federal government in responding. I think that they need to take more responsibility and create neighborhood distribution sites that are easier for people, and I think they should that they should be deploying the National Guard and delivering water in the neighborhoods, so that the burden of getting water is not on residents. And I think that they should be responsible for collecting water from every house, so that residents are not responsible for bringing their samples in. I also think that they haven’t responded quickly and effectively enough to figure out how to create a

safe water system or even a temporary water system for the city.” As residents of Ann Arbor, only about an hour’s drive from Flint, we can also do our part to lessen the effects of this crisis on the people of Flint. Davidson recommends volunteering with the Red Cross, smaller organizations or churches to help distribute bottled water. She also suggests FlintKids.org or UnitedWayGenesee.org as two places to donate. “People in Ann Arbor need to be aware of how difficult this is,” Davidson said. “[They need to be aware of] how important this issue is, and keep people aware of it.” apr il

hashtags of the week

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I think of Mondays as celebrating your friends, your best guy friends. -Moe El-Hussieny

#womancrushwednesday

#mancrushmonday

#transformationtuesday

anurima kumar and grace koepele

#flashbackfriday

#throwbackthursday #seniorsunday

“

It’s a way of justifying the ‘I do what I want’ attitude as a senior, but why shouldn’t you feel like that every day if you want to? -Joseph Ferraro

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“Well I’m currently laying low because people are trying to attack me at every single moment. Today I was getting hand sanitizer and a table of seniors was staring at me as I walked back, so I had to be really careful about that. It’s hard to wash my hands because I don’t want to get it wet and then have it start dissolving - because it is ‘biodegradable.’” -Natsume Ono

eva rosenfeld, hannah tschirhart and sophia simon

“I’m gonna win. Every way possible. I didn’t decorate my spork; I broke it at practice.” -Graham DePriest

“I try to just keep to myself, but I’m just lurking around behind people just waiting for them to make a mistake. In health I was just chilling and then I saw Nate start to slip up and he was barely holding his spork and then it kind of fell out of his hand so I kind of jumped on the opportunity but then he picked it up right as I was right next to him. But next time I’ll get him. My next victim is Kenneth Simpson because I feel like he’s a strong player and he’s determined so I’m determined to get him out. [For the design] I kind of just mixed the smirking emoji with the sunglasses emoji and put some tape on it for a better grip. I think the tape shows that I have a really solid grip on this game and I hope I’ll take it all the way.” -Devin Weeks t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

“I think there’s a lot of controversy of me being in the game because I’m technically not a Community High School student, so I know that I will not win* because there would be an uproar, but I hope to get very far and take out a lot of my peers. I already took out Taylor Erhardt and it was one of my defining moments of my high school career. [The next on my hit list] is probably either Will Welch or Gloria Fall. Gloria said that she really wanted me to get out so that’s where that came from. Oh and Nick Midds is actually up there too because he kicked me in the shins a bunch after I got Taylor out for no particular reason, so yeah he’s definitely going to get some aggression from me. I drew the design with a sharpie. It’s kind of going away. I actually want to go over it with sparkly nail polish but I was just bored in class yesterday and I was like might as well make this personal so I doodled on it.” -Louisa Judge

“I just like to lay low so people don’t see I actually have a fork...” -Hannah Simon

“It was a dastardly maneuver by one of my closest friends and allies Taylor Erhardt, who had previously had announced that we were going to have an alliance. But unfortunately for me the alliance abruptly ended when I unfortunately dropped my spork at the very beginning of Ecology. Yeah it was pretty brutal. I’m not gonna lie; I shed a couple of tears on the day. It was just crushing really because I expected myself to do a little bit better, hold myself to a higher standard in the spork game. I was sporked exactly 30 seconds into Ecology. Now I’m really rooting for Hannah Tschirhart - I think she has all the intangibles needed to win - she had a great deal of pride for the game and I think she’ll just go very far. Fun fact, my greeting for the other day was, ‘Heard you got out first in spork.’” -Seba Iniguez apr il

f o l a v i v e the r b u l c i k s s ch mary debona matt johnson photos

n Fri., Jan. 22, the Community High Ski Club gathered at Mt. Brighton to go skiing for the first time. The original CHS Ski Club had been founded in 1999 by a student, Robbie Young, and a new teacher, now the dean of Community, Marci Tuzinski. Maggie Mihaylova, a junior at Community, came up with the idea of starting a ski club during her sophomore year. “I love skiing and I feel as if it’s a sport more people should be exposed to,” Mihaylova said. “Ski club provides both beginners and experts the opportunity to ski or snowboard with friends, which is ideal, because skiing is so much better with other people.” Mihaylova shared the idea with her teacher, Matt Johnson, who had previous experience as a ski instructor in Colorado and as a leader of other school ski clubs in Oregon and California at schools that he had previously taught at.

“One of my favorite parts of working with ski clubs in any part of the country is that they lower the barriers that stand in the way of many students learning to ski/snowboard,” Johnson said. The ski club has gone on three outings this school year, all to Mt. Brighton, which offers reduced prices for lift tickets and ski rentals to large groups like ski clubs. Johnson offers lessons to skiers of all abilities and parent or teacher volunteers provide transportation to and from Mt. Brighton. With its location being only 30 miles north of Ann Arbor, learning to ski is made easier for students who have never skied before because they don’t have to travel far from home or spend a fortune doing so. Despite the cold temperature on the night of the first trip to Mt. Brighton, Mihaylova recalls it as the most memorable experience from ski club so far, “It was the moment all the planning, emails and logistics came together. To see ev-

eryone in their gear, eager to hit the slopes, was so rewarding. It was like, this is real!” The student and parent involvement has been essential to this ski season. “The energy around it has been wonderful,” Johnson said. “Like seemingly everything else CHS does, the amount of enthusiasm surrounding the new club has been really remarkable and a lot of fun to watch.” Mihaylova and Johnson are looking forward to next season and a longer trip out to Vermont next school year that is already in the making. “I hope [ski club] won’t fizzle out. As long as there is strong leadership and unity among the members, the club can last for a long, long time,” Mihaylova said. “If you recruit someone, have them recruit their friends and their friends and so on. That way, the club keeps growing. I hope that the future president succeeds in doing this, so that the club never dies.”

TOP: A member of the CHS Ski Club skis into the terrain park. BOTTOM: The Ski Club warming up inside of Mt. Brighton during their Friday off after finals week. 12

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how to vote absentee in the general election how to vote absentee in the general election how to vote absentee in the general election

eva rosenfed and sophie steinberg

1. 2.

headed out of state in the fall? headed out of state in the fall? here's what you have to do before you can vote in michigan's general presidential election. here's what you have to do before you can vote in michigan's general presidential election. headed out of state in the fall? here's what you have to do before you can vote in michigan's general presidential election. You must be registered to vote. Registration must take place at least 30 days before an

You must be registered to vote. Registration must take place at least 30 days before an election, and using the same address that is on your driver's license. election, and using the same address that is on your driver's license. The first election you participate in must be in person. If you are living outside of Michigan You must be registered to vote. Registration must take place at least 30 days before an The first election you participate in must be in person. If you are living outside of Michigan in the fall but want to vote in Michigan, you first have to vote in-person in a lower level election, and using the same address that is on your driver's license. in the fall but want to vote in Michigan, you first have to vote in-person in a lower level election (this rule doesn't apply if you are overseas). There are two elections taking place in The first election you participate in must be in person. If you are living outside of Michigan election (this rule doesn't apply if you are overseas). There are two elections taking place in Washtenaw County before the November 8 general election: in the fall but want to vote in Michigan, you first have to vote in-person in a lower level Washtenaw County before the November 8 general election: election (this rule doesn't apply if you are overseas). There are two elections taking place in Washtenaw County before the November 8 general election:

May 3, 2016 May 3, 2016 Vote on a Washtenaw Intermediate School District ballot proposal for a special May 3, 2016 Vote on a Washtenaw Intermediate School District ballot proposal for a special education millage. Register by April 4. education millage. Register by April 4. Vote on a Washtenaw Intermediate School District ballot proposal for a special education millage. Register by April 4.

3. 4.

August 2, 2016 August 2, 2016 Vote in the Michigan state primary to elect officials like County Commissioner, August 2, 2016 Vote in the Michigan state primary to elect officials like County Commissioner, City Council Member and State Representative. Register by July 5.

City Council Member and State Representative. Register by July 5. Vote in the Michigan state primary to elect officials like County Commissioner, City Council Member and State Representative. Register by July 5. Submit your request for an absent voter ballot to your city or township clerk. This should Submit your request for an absent voter ballot to your city or township clerk. This should be a letter or pre-printed application form from the clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office stating that you are be a letter or pre-printed application form from the clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office stating that you are expecting to be out of town on election day. This has to be received by the clerk before 2 Submit your request for an absent voter ballot to your city or township clerk. This should expecting to be out of town on election day. This has to be received by the clerk before 2 p.m. the Saturday before the election. be a letter or pre-printed application form from the clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office stating that you are p.m. the Saturday before the election. Vote! Your ballot must be returned to the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on election day. expecting to be out of town on election day. This has to be received by the clerk before 2 Vote! Your ballot must be returned to the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on election day. p.m. the Saturday before the election. Vote! Your ballot must be returned to the clerk's office by 8 p.m. on election day.

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community’s future star

Kaleb Doughten-Priuska being embraced after winning Future Stars 2016. Photo by Jenna VonHofe of MLive.com

kaleb doughtenpriuska exceeds expectations at future stars.

A ben chosid

swarm of Future Stars finalists flocked around a teary-eyed Kaleb Doughten-Priuska on stage at Pioneer High School on Jan. 23, 2016. Doughten-Priuska, a sophomore at Community High School, had just won Ann Arbor’s largest talent show, Future Stars. His dance rendition of Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” shocked the crowd, earning him a standing ovation. Using incredible skill and technique, Doughten-Priuska left the judges in awe at the preliminary show. All four of the judges gave him nothing but good reviews and the crowd voted him into the finals. In the finals competition, Doughten-Priuska made a few minor changes to his dance, but it was still more or

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less the same thing. The most noticeable change was the bass in the song. The original song which Doughten-Priuska used in the first show had very little bass. However, when the song came on in the final show, the bass sent tremors throughout the entire audience. The song was still the same, just the level of bass was turned way up. Curved black speakers hung from the ceiling, spewing the booming bass off the back wall of Schreiber Auditorium at Pioneer. The trembling bass added another interesting aspect to Doughten-Priuska’s performance. After all of the participants had performed, the judges collaborated. They agreed on the top five finalists, consisting of many different talents such as singing, dancing and playing saxophone. The crowd was asked to determine the winner. It was neck-and-neck; the crowd cheered at almost the same volume for all five finalists. Doughten-Priuska’s cheers proved to be a tad louder according to a decibel reader, which deemed him the winner of Future Stars. “It was a rollercoaster ride of emo-

tions,” Doughten-Priuska said. “I was shocked, then excited, then more shock, then a feeling of accomplishment and then a wave of sadness because it was over, and finally pure happiness.” The victory was especially unexpected because Doughten-Priuska did not go into the competition thinking he was going to come even close to winning, due to his status as a sophomore and a firsttime Pioneer performer. He could be the first ever Future Stars participant to win the show three times. He is unsure if he is allowed to participate again since he has already won, but he would like to if it is a possibility. Doughten-Priuska does not know whether he will be on stage next year or working with other dancers in practice to help them perfect their dances. But he definitely would like to return to Future Stars because he has formed such a strong friend group there. To him, all the people are amazing not something he wishes to give up, so he will definitely be heavily involved, whether he is competing or not.

QUESTIONS

DEVIN WEEKS cameron fortune

What is your Instagram handle and why did you choose that? My instagram handle is Dweeksballer. I came up with it for a blog in one of Ken’s classes. Dweeks is my first initial and last name, and baller is because I like to play basketball. It just kind of stuck. What are your words of wisdom for new Community students? Take advantage of your teachers because you’re never going to get teachers like this again. They care about you so much, once you get to college or wherever you’re going after you will miss them. Who is your go to artist to listen to and why? Usually my go to artist is J. Cole, not because his beats are superb, but his lyrics are just really solid. The lyrics are usually pretty true and I just love the way he flows, I can just jam to everything. Sometimes when I am really deep in my feels I like to listen to Michael Jackson. How has becoming a second semester senior affected you? I started to sleep in more, I don’t get too upset about tardies and as opposed to sophomore year or even junior year I don’t worry about assignments that I have forgotten to complete as much. What inspires you? Something that inspires me is my mom. She has worked really hard to make my life as good as possible and she struggles, but she has made it so I don’t struggle with her. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for me. She still makes my lunch for me because she just loves providing for me. I would do anything for mama Weeks.

Where would you go for your dream vacation? Maui, Hawaii because it is a really remote island that is beautiful and there are volcanoes there. There are a lot of humpback whales out there especially during the winter time and seeing a whale breach is really majestic. It is really just a nice sight to see. What was your most memorable experience at Community? There are a lot of times just on the back lawn tossing a frisbee, playing basketball or hacky sack, and teachers come out and they love to interact with us. It is just a lot of people. It is the real Community experience having everyone all coming together with a similar interest that is just to have fun with each other. What is something new that you have tried recently? Call of Duty. I suck at it, I am terrible, I am really bad at it. It is something I really want to work on and get good at because I feel like it kind of shows your self worth. Not actually, but being bad at something really hits me hard, I hate it. What is the best day of the year? Field Day, it is just really nice because the whole school is there and you are competing with your forum. Since forum is something that is really unique about Community, it is a day that you bond with your forum and try to beat the other forums in the tug of war. You win together and you lose together. My forum has lost together many times, but now we laugh about it. How do you feel about leaving for college? I am actually really excited, I think I know where I am going to attend and I am looking forward to not so much

getting away from Community, but being able to take everything I have learned here and being able to apply it to the next steps in my life, growing and finally blossoming as a college student. I think that college really makes a person who they are. I also want to meet some new friends or if I can convince a few of my current friends to attend college with me to strengthen those bonds and make some lifelong friendships. apr il

school of life

kid movie star and rock star hopeful, joey gaydos, struggles with self-identification and fitting into the ideals of a small michigan town. 16

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hannah davis natural lance photo

ack Black and Joan Cusack stood by Joey Gaydos, known as Zack Mooneyham in School of Rock, as he stepped up to the front of the stage to captivate the crowd with his guitar solo during the song he and the rest of his fictional classmates were performing in Battle of the Bands. Joey Gaydos, a native of Belleville, Michigan, was just 10 years old when he first picked up a guitar. It is arguable that he was destined for success similar to his father, Joey Gaydos Jr., who forged a name for himself in the Detroit rock scene. However, his path to success might not be what those around him anticipated. At age 11, Gaydos attended a week long camp in Ann Arbor called Dayjams, where each student was assigned a band that they performed with at the end of the week. At the same time, the casting company for the up and coming film School of Rock were searching the country for kids ages 10 to 14 who were real musicians. Gaydos and his parents received an email a little while later, believing it was a joke, they made some phone calls. They were finally convinced to head out to Chicago for an audition. Upon arrival, Gaydos met Kevin Clark, who eventually played drummer Freddie Jones, and the two jammed for hours. What Gaydos didn’t realize at the time, and didn’t find out until the reunion ten years after the premier, was that the director, Richard Linklater, knew that Gaydos was the kid for the part from the minute he saw him, and truly believes that he made the movie what it is. Gaydos left Chicago feeling content, and soon after received a call back in New York. Then a third call back came a few months after the second, but this time to Los Angeles to meet Jack Black. Gaydos and Black read lines and played a little guitar, and he headed home again. At this point, Gaydos wasn’t so sure about the whole thing. The entire time he had been reading lines for a an Asian guitar prodigy named Yuki, “so I was thinking the whole time ‘well I can’t change that about myself, so I’m probably not going to get this,’” Gaydos said.

“And at the LA callback I’m sitting there across from a kid my age who’s Asian and I’m thinking ‘it’s doomed.’” A few months pass, and they call to ask Gaydos if he would like to move out to New York City and be part of the cast. Upon arrival he met his new roommate and co-star, Miranda Cosgrove. “I thought [Miranda Cosgrove] was the most young, annoying, little girl, and I was only 12, and she was 10,” Gaydos said. “I remember saying, ‘ugh, god mom, this 10 year old always wants to hang out and wants to write songs. She’s so young, she just doesn’t get it.’” Gaydos found himself surrounded by veteran actors and a myriad of kids all in the same position as himself. But he had Jack Black to help guide him along the way, “He knew when to play it right with the kids,” Gaydos said. “and he knew how far to take it, what to teach us, he knew what our parents should be teaching us, and played the perfect role. He was our friend without overstepping boundaries with what a kid should be doing.” Gaydos’s bond with Jack Black didn’t end once the film hit U.S. theaters. He was Black’s right hand man as they travelled the world to promote the movie. One occurrence from promoting the film still stands out to Gaydos today, “I stayed at the Dorchester in England,” Gaydos said, “and the TV was set to spanish. We couldn’t figure it out, so we called the hotel concierge desk and this guy came up and said in a British accent, ‘Oh sorry, Tom and Penelope Cruise were here previously, and she had it set to Spanish.’ That was crazy.” After the whirlwind of world travel and promotion came to an end and Gaydos closed the School of Rock chapter of his life, he returned to Belleville Michigan. Now at home he found that many people felt resentment toward him, “I had gotten a taste of what it was like outside of Belleville Michigan really quickly, and a lot of my friends hadn’t, which created a divide that was weird,” Gaydos said. “I grew up in a country town so kids were mean, they made fun of me for being in movie, because they were jealous.”

Between his freshman and sophomore years of high school, Gaydos got fed up with the naivety of his peers and decided to shave off his long, rocker hair, and broke up his three-piece band. He adapted to the adversity by straying away from guitar and dressing in a way that was similar to his peers. Although he stopped playing guitar, he found ways to keep making music. “I did scam a lot of kids by making really shitty beats that they used for their mixtapes,” Gaydos said. After a few years off from playing music, Gaydos found himself in a hip hop band. He and his band got a gig opening up for Kid Cudi at Eastern Michigan University, and that was when one of his band mates told him to pick up the guitar. Although hesitant at first he came to the realization that he didn’t have to be long haired, playing rock and roll, ACDC and Led Zeppelin. “I could do both,” Gaydos said. “I could play any genre of music I want and still be myself. It was just like growing up and finding your identity.” Since then, Gaydos has been messing around with various bands, but he has no regrets in taking those few years off of guitar, and playing the music he loves. Gaydos’s development was quite unique, compared to his friends and peers in Belleville. Having to deal with the less travelled people from the small town taught him one important thing, “No matter where I raise my children, if I have any, they will be mindful of anybody’s culture, and what those people are used to,” Gaydos said. In late 2015, Gaydos and his co-stars travelled to Manhattan to see the School of Rock premiere on Broadway. Gaydos had the pleasure of meeting the actor who played Zack in the musical, Brandon Niederauer. To his surprise, Niederauer told Gaydos that he was the reason he picked up the guitar in the first place, “It’s so funny,” Gaydos said. “I starred in a movie about teaching kids rock and roll and now I teach rock and roll to kids and adults. I am very content and very happy that everything has worked out in the way it did.” apr il

chef fejeran’s creative concept

danny frieband

rank Fejeran mixes ground meat with caramelized onions in a large plastic container, stirring slowly and adding spices. Sitting near the oven is a tray of bright-orange baby carrots, raw but ready to be roasted. The menu says “tomato braised pork/beef meatballs on creamy polenta,” “roasted baby carrots” and “hummingbird house salad with balsamic-honey vinaigrette.” Born in California, Fejeran has always had an interest in cooking. He got his first job when he was 14 or 15, washing dishes and filling in for one of the line chefs who didn’t show up because of a drug problem. After high school, he went to culinary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, and met Riko Bartolome, his mentor chef, in San Diego. Fejeran then moved out to Michigan. He worked at Tribute in Farmington Hills from ages 19 to 21. Perhaps Fejeran’s most prestigious job came after his job at Tribute. Moving to Chicago, he worked at Alinea, a modern restaurant which focuses on high-quality food and its avant-garde, creative and artistic design. Alinea receives the highest rating from the Michelin Guide—three stars. It has been named the best restaurant in America three times. It was the sixth best restaurant in the world when Fejeran worked there. Fejeran came back to Michigan after working at Alinea. He worked for Chef Tikashi, the owner of The Slurping Turtle, and was the head chef at Raven’s Club for two years. At the end of those two years, he left the restaurant business. He was tired of the stresses of the restaurant kitchen, and wanted to pursue some of his own business ideas.

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Opening in May of 2015, Ricewood was a food truck that sold Pacific island barbecue behind Morgan and York, on Packard. “Ricewood was kind of an anomaly; that was the busiest it could be from day one and every day since then,” Fejeran said. “It was crazy; we were really, really well received.” Ricewood was open every Monday through Friday, from noon until food sold out, offering a simple menu of pork shoulder, brisket and ribs. Each meat came with a dark finadene or gringo sauce on top, and was served in a cardboard bowl with rice and marinated cucumber slices. Despite Ricewood’s massive success, Fejeran knew by the end of November that it was time to temporarily close down. “Barbecue starts early,” Fejeran said. “Two in the morning, if not earlier. Because of the weather, it’s hard to be outside at two in the morning, barbecuing for 10 hours [or] 12 hours.” It was during Ricewood’s hiatus that Fejeran started his most recent business. Several years ago, Fejeran started making and delivering basic home-cooked dinners to make a little extra cash on the side. He gained a small following, with around 12 families ordering each month. Using his Ricewood profit as funding, Fejeran decided to make his side job into a business. He set up shop in the small commercial kitchen of the Vineyard Church on Platt Road and began his food delivery service, “Hummingbird.” “Hummingbird is just a way to eat food and get your family fed, and have good food and a nice home-cooked meal that tastes good and is fairly good for you but still affordable.” Fejeran said. “That’s really all it is - it’s delivery.” Hummingbird has a new menu every

week, each time with both a meat option and a vegetarian option; it costs 40 dollars to order for four, and 52 dollars to order for six. People who wish to order can simply call Hummingbird’s number (734-358-8794), and their food will be delivered within an hour of their call. Hummingbird often uses locally-sourced ingredients, working with a variety of local farms including White Lotus Farms, Black Oak Farms and Guernsey Dairy. At the very least, Fejeran tries to get his products from local vendors in an effort to support local business. The purpose of Hummingbird, as Fejeran made sure to point out, is not to act as a replacement for a restaurant, nor even to provide food that is as creative or elegant as restaurant food. “Restaurants are based around food and drinks, alcohol. But that’s not really what they’re selling,” Fejeran said. “What they’re selling is an atmosphere and a location and a feeling. We don’t sell an ambiance, we sell products. We sell convenience. We sell healthy convenience. And that works. People want that.” Fejeran is already looking to the future; he plans to reopen Ricewood in mid-March, when the weather is a little warmer, but he has no plans of closing Hummingbird anytime soon. He has a third concept going live in a few months, but he says he’s not able to talk about it yet. “We have quite a few concepts that will be going live whenever it works to go live,” Fejeran said. “I always wanted to have a take-out Chinese restaurant. Maybe like two tables, just crappy Chinese food. So who knows. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”

fei fei metzler moved to america to go to school and ended up staying.

across the

ocean for education alexis metzler fei fei metzler photo courtesy

Fei Fei Metzler on her first day of college in the United States. Metzler arrived during the second week of school, which made making friends harder because many of the incoming freshmen had already made friends.

woman approaches the counter in the international arrivals wing of O’Hare Airport. As a young international student from China she doesn’t understand the area code system and has to ask for assistance in calling her uncle to come pick her up. Fei Fei Metzler came to the United States on a student visa when she was 19. As a student in China she always had the best scores in her English class, yet when she came to the States she found herself underprepared. “I would find that everybody spoke so fast and there were a lot of slangs that I didn’t understand.” Metzler said. “It wasn’t like I was learning English literature ... it was much more the vocabulary as applied in English as a foreign language.” Metzler found that working at a bank her first summer helpful for adapting to American culture. Many of the bank employees found Metzler exotic because she was a Chinese foreign student. Metzler also used the sitcom Cheers to become more familiarized with American culture. Its bar setting was very helpful because it introduced her to sports and the “whole American warped sense of humor.” One of the courses that Metzler first took when she enrolled at Indiana University of South Bend (IUSB)

was American history. This was a large change for Metzler. “All the other history classes I’ve taken about America were about how evil they were, how bad they were to the Indians and how it’s a country of slavery and how they discriminated against blacks all the way until the 1970s,” Metzler said. In order to understand her history textbook, Metzler filled her margins with definitions of unknown words. Due to the foreign nature of the subject, Metzler found US History to be the hardest. Math on the other hand, came easily to Metzler, so easily that when she first arrived in the United States she would tutor high school students for 15 dollars an hour. When Metzler came to the United States she knew nobody except for her uncle and his family. When she first arrived at IUSB she was placed in an off-campus apartment with three other international students. She became friends with all of her roommates but she met her first lifetime friend, Hong, through a Chinese Christian Church that was close to the IUSB campus. To this day Metzler still spends Easter with Hong’s family. Another program controlled by the Chinese Christian church was matching international students with local host families. Metzler got matched with a host family, with whom she went to church with

every Sunday and then had dinner with. After graduating from IUSB, many of Metzler’s Chinese friends went back to China, yet Metzler stayed. By then Metzler was already engaged and her fiance had no desire to have a career in China. “It was very difficult because your dad didn’t speak a word of Chinese and he had no interest in learning Chinese, so it was impossible for him to have a career in China and I don’t think he’s interested in it anyway,” Metzler said. In hindsight she believes that she would not have thrived in China as she has in America. “[I wouldn’t want to] live in an apartment and, fight for the traffic and squeeze on the bus and work in a system ...where you couldn’t reasonably just quit your job because you got tired [of it],” Metzler said. Metzler moved to the United States to pursue an education. When she arrived she found herself underprepared and had to choose academics over friends. “There were a lot of people with whom I was friendly, but I didn’t have time to invest in deep friendship,” Metzler said. Her hard work paid off. After graduating from IUSB, Metzler went on to complete graduate school at the University of Michigan.

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artist profile:

carl kurtz caitlin mahoney carl kurtz photos

What inspired you to start creating art? I don’t know, I was always drawing since I could hold a pencil. So it was always a thing, and I stuck with it because I like it. What is your favorite medium to work in?

Probably pencil and ink. Just because you can do so much in pencil. I just love how ink looks and feels too. How do art classes here [in Michigan] compare to the ones in Germany? They’re so much better here! Well in Germany everyone has to take art classes all the time and there is only one art class for everybody. It is all very basic and boring stuff [for me].

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Is there anyone or anything that inspires your art?

I think Jake Parker. He started that Inktober thing. He’s really into social media. He basically started all on his own creating comics and other stuff like that. It’s really great to see on his own how he can accomplish so much without hiring other people.

Did anything spark your creativity to start creating art when you were little? Not sure, I guess I have just always been doing it. Have you ever worked in other mediums or created digital art? I have done some digital art before. I mean, I was never really painting at all, I did a painting, for the first time really, a month ago. It was fun, but it wasn’t really the best result. I’ll have to try and do it again.

the changing race of classical music francisco fiori olivia comai graphic

Race is arguably becoming one of the most prominent issues of this time. Various social movements such as #BlackLivesMatter and #OscarsSoWhite are dominating the media. Upcoming presidential candidates have varying opinions on different ethnicities. Nearby, the Flint water crisis is affecting many. Incidentally, 63 percent of the population is African American and Hispanic. But an often neglected topic in race is music. Of course, there are many musical categories that have rich history and origin with Blacks and Latinos, such as jazz, salsa, hip-hop and rap, but there is still one genre of music that is still predominantly White. One of the least diverse areas of music is classical. In Chicago where Blacks make up a third of the population, there is only one Black member in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra out of 100. Statistics like these trouble Mr. Aaron Dworkin, the current dean of the University of Michigan’s prestigious School of Music, Theater, and Dance. A Violin Performance Major at Michigan in 1996, Dworkin was one of the only Black students in the School of Music and he was curious why that was. “He began to ask the question of why there aren’t more [Black and Latino instrument players] and why the audiences in classical music concerts were not represented in what the community looks like,” said Afa Sadykhly Dworkin, his wife and current President and Artistic Director of the Sphinx Organization. History does show, however, that classical music originated in Medieval Europe, a time when the great majority of the population was White. That history translates to the rest of classical music history, with quintessentially Classical composers such as Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Dvorak all being White. “The arts,” Mrs. Dworkin said, “have not been reflected of the diversity that is inherent of our society in different communities.”

Dworkin soon decided to do something about the little diversity in instrumental music. In 1997, he started a competition for Black and Latino musicians with major success. “It became very clear that there is definitely a network of highly talented and very accomplished young musicians,” Mrs. Dworkin said, “and indeed what they lacked was a network but also guidance and mentorship, opportunities for education and professional development.” This triggered the creation of the Sphinx Organization, a nonprofit national organization headquartered in Detroit for Black and Latino musicians whose mission is to transform lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Since its initial competition in 1997, there has been an annual competition since then. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the competition. Mrs. Dworkin is the current president and artistic director of the Sphinx Organization. “I was an undergraduate student too when [Dworkin] founded [the Sphinx Organization] and I thought it was a really inspiring idea,” Mrs. Dworkin said. “I was just very taken by the level of performance and talent and the mission for the organization as a whole and I wanted to get behind it.” After being with Sphinx for 19 years, Mrs. Dworkin is still very passionate and determined concerning her job in the Sphinx Organization. “It’s a very rewarding position and organizational goal to work for because I get to work in two areas that really are very important to me personally and that it’s the arts and the area

of classical music but also social justice ... I enjoy it very much,” she said. “There are so many highlights throughout the year and I look forward to each one of the performances. I appreciate being closer to more outreach programs that we do in places like Detroit and Flint where young people in elementary schools get introduced to classical music when each of them plays the violin for the first time. That’s one of the most rewarding things to be a part of.” Along with its significant work for the musicians of color, the Sphinx Organization has a tremendous emphasis on getting the community involved. The overall vision for Sphinx is that the arts should be reflected and representative of the society and community that they serve. “If this incredible art form doesn’t reflect the full mosaic of who we are as a nation,” Dworkin said, “then not only are those communities diminished, but our society is.” Sphinx not only wants to change the diversity in classical music, it also wants to get the entire society of minorities involved in classical music. The 20th anniversary for Sphinx is approaching next year, but the objective stays the same. “We feel that the arts need to be a part of the everyday life of every kind of layer of the society and every aspect of the society,” Mrs. Dworkin said, “but it is Sphinx’s vision that reciprocal and integral relationship between the arts and the community is very important and it is important for the survival of the arts and the development of the society.”

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speaking

Since her talk, Katy Pasquariello has heard back from people who saw it, telling her that her talk helped them. Pasquariello said that this has inspired her to continue helping other victims of child abuse.

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katy was abused as a child, and now she speaks out to raise awareness.

ellen reed katy pasquariello photo

aty Pasquariello was a speaker at the June 2015 TEDxYouth@ AnnArbor conference. Nineteen Ann Arbor high school students got up on stage to talk about an idea they have, or to speak out about a social issue. As a child, Pasquariello experienced abuse from her father. Her talk was titled “You’re Going To Be Okay: Healing From Childhood Trauma.” When Pasquariello found out about the Ann Arbor TEDx program, she knew she wanted to share her story. “Childhood trauma is something that really strikes a nerve with me,” Pasquariello said. She submitted a video audition, and about a month later, heard back that she had been accepted. She

“It was the first and only time I [talked] through the whole entire thing.”

began preparations for her talk. “[I] was assigned to my awesome mentor, Alice [Held],” Pasquariello said. “We set up dates to meet, [but] we kept having to push it back, push it back, until we were sitting across from each other in Frita’s.” Pasquariello said that talking about what she went through as a kid was challenging for her. “I got to the part [about] what my dad did to me, and I just cried like a little baby in the middle of Frita’s,” Pasquariello said. “It was the first and only time I [talked] through the whole entire thing.” The TED organization was started in 1984 as a platform for people to share “ideas worth spreading,” as it is put by ted.com. Since its inception, the organization has grown to reach out to more people, both to find new ideas and to give ideas to them. The TEDx program was created to help bring a TED expe-

rience to more communities in self-organized events. Since 2014, Ann Arbor has had a TEDx Youth conference where teens from the area share their “ideas worth spreading” at Skyline High School. In her TEDx talk, Pasquariello said that the abuse started after her parents’ divorce when she was six or seven years old. She told the audience about some of her experiences. “I am one of those kids that says the most inappropriate things in public, and my family gets totally embarrassed by it,” Pasquariello said. “But I did it in front of my dad one time, and as soon as we got back to his house he looked at me and he didn’t say anything, but my dad is a very heavy smoker, and he took the cigarette that he was still smoking and threw it at me. Hit me right in the arm.” Pasquariello said that she ended up always having to wear long sleeves for fear of more burns. Pasquariello’s presentation started with defining child abuse. Child abuse is when a parent or guardian causes emotional or physical harm to a child, either through action or failing to act. Cases of abuse fall into categories of emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Pasquariello then told her story, and told about some people that had helped her. “To me [my TED talk] kind of symbolized closing a chapter to a really terrible time in my life,” Pasquariello said. “Wrapping it up nicely, not ending it badly. Just tying a nice bow on it and putting it out there.” For people who have not experienced childhood abuse first hand, Pasquariello said that the most important ways someone can help an abused child are to take care of the child’s safety first and then just be able to listen. According to Pasquariello, many abused children develop a feeling of, “It’s my fault,” and place the blame on themselves for what

they are enduring. Pasquariello said that for this reason, child abuse can have mental health effects on a victim for the rest of their life. Pasquariello said that one study has found that 80 percent of people aged 21 who had suffered abuse as a child met criteria for at least one psychological disorder. “I feel like all my friends have their ‘thing’,” Pasquariello said, “And I feel like I found my ‘thing’ of helping people.” Pasquariello said that since doing her talk in June 2015, she has received positive feedback from people who have watched it, either saying that they stand behind her on this issue, or telling her about their own experiences and thanking her for speaking up about it. She said that it has made her realize that she wants to continue helping kids that have gone through the same things she did. “I had never given a single though past senior year, graduation,” Pasquariello said, “But now I thought maybe I want to be a teacher. “To anyone who is going through it, people are out there who do love you, and do care about you,” Pasquariello said. She has found that having people who support her and are willing to listen has made all the difference in her life. For Pasquariello, talking about her abuse has helped her to pull out, in a way, of her feeling that it was her fault. “I despised who I was in middle school, and freshman year until I [realized], this isn’t reflected on me,” she said. “I’m not destined to be a stripper because I have ‘daddy issues’ - nothing against strippers.” Pasquariello said that she hated being told to wait out her abuse, but that in the end it was the only way for her situation to get better. “Life has a really twisted way of working itself out and, time’s not your friend, but if you give it some time, it will work itself out.” apr il

flint hosts a democratic presidential debate hannah rubenstein and matthew ferraro grace jensen photo

photo above courtesy of CNN

embers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and their respective campaign staffers gathered in Flint on March 6 for this election cycle’s seventh Democratic Presidential Debate. The party decided to hold the debate in Flint primarily because of the crisis concerning Flint’s water supply being poisoned with lead and other toxins. “We as a party felt that once we added Flint to our debate schedule, that coming [here] would shine a spotlight on the crisis,” said Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC Chair and U.S. Representative from Florida. “Using this national stage to be able to highlight the crisis here will be able to show what’s going on in Flint but also that this is a problem that exists in many other cities across the country.” She added that the Democratic Party in24

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tended on helping Flint with short-term solutions to the problem and that longterm solutions were going to be much more complex. The debate, which was moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper and featured many questions from Flint residents, began at 8 P.M. At approximately 6:30, the Sanders campaign held a press conference where long-time Flint resident and former Michigan Senator Donald Riegle endorsed Bernie Sanders. Senator Riegle, who worked under seven presidents ranging from Lyndon B. Johnson to Bill Clinton, cited many aspects of Senator Sanders’ policies and voting record as his reasons for the endorsement. “I think the most important fact about Bernie is that he is honest and trustworthy,” Senator Riegle said. “That is an essential differentiator to me ... I believe so strongly the starting point in selecting a new president is believing in someone that you can trust that what they say is what they truly stand for, not just at elec-

tion time, but that will keep their word. Bernie has proven over the decades that his integrity and trustworthiness is rock solid.” Senator Sanders spoke briefly after the endorsement speech, thanked the former Senator for his support and took questions from the press. Both current Michigan Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow spoke in favor of Hillary Clinton on the night of the debate. Senator Peters addressed the issue of Secretary Clinton’s trustworthiness, throwing his full support behind her. “I believe that Hillary Clinton is very trustworthy,” Senator Peters said. “I believe that she has the best interest of the country in mind. She has a track record over many, many years of standing up and being a voice for folks who don’t have a voice, from dealing with issues of segregation early in her career in the South of this country to fighting for women’s issues, fighting for children’s

health. She has a long track record of being there for people who need to have a voice. I have no reservations about her trustworthiness or, more importantly, the thing that motivates her to serve the public and to serve this country.” The debate itself, which lasted about two hours, highlighted differences and similarities between the two candidates, including policies on gun control, infrastructure, trade and mass incarceration. Concerning the Flint Water Crisis, Secretary Clinton called for the resignation or recall of Governor Snyder for the first time, something that Senator Sanders did weeks previously. Secretary Clinton did, however, remind the audience that she was the one who called for the debate to be held in Flint in the first place. She also said that she wanted to remove lead from all water systems, soil, and paint in old houses. Anderson Cooper raised the point that there are currently 10 million lead service pipes distributing water to American citizens, showing how both candidate’s pledges to remove lead pipes may be incredibly difficult. Issues concerning the state of the country’s infrastructure, including America’s water systems and pipes, continued to come up for the rest of the night. Gun control brought out differences in the candidates. Sanders said that he believed gun manufacturers should only be held accountable for deaths that their products may cause if they sell them illegally or do not properly look into the person purchasing them. Clinton, on the

other hand, stated that she believed all gun manufacturers should be held accountable for gun related deaths, regardless of whether the gun was purchased legally or not. “Giving immunity to gun makers and sellers was a terrible mistake because it removed any accountability,” she said,

“We as a party felt that once we added Flint to our debate schedule, that coming [here] would shine a spotlight on the crisis.” referring to legal loopholes that allow people to receive guns after a waiting period even if a proper background check has not been completed. Sanders shot back to this that he believed Clinton’s position meant that she wanted to remove guns from the country entirely, something he was against. While the debate brought out differences between Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton, there are many similarities in their policies. According to Wasserman Schultz, some of the main issues she believes they primarily agree on are the role the government should play in people’s lives, creating jobs, raising the minimum wage, health care,

housing and retirement. “Those are the building blocks of a middle class life,” she said, acknowledging that the main difference between the candidates was in their specific approaches for dealing with those problems. Much like the previous six debates, this one showed that, if nothing else, the entire Democratic party agrees that both of their candidates would be better for America than any of the candidates on the Republican side. Clinton and Sanders spoke about this on stage, and their representatives reiterated the point afterward. Wasserman Schultz said that the DNC was already making plans on how they would go about organizing a campaign for whomever wins the nomination. Reuniting the party, she said, was something that would be primarily up to whichever candidate does not get the nomination. “[Bringing together supporters] will be the responsibility of the candidate that ultimately is not our nominee,” she said. “The two candidates ... have repeatedly said, like they did again tonight, this isn’t personal between them. They like each other. They just a have a difference of opinion on some issues, and on some issues they agree. I can’t image which one of [the Republicans] would even begin to think about running with Trump or Cruz. They’ve been so horribly insulting to one another and so vulgar and disgusting. They have absolutely no credibility left.”

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insidethedebate Debbie Wasserman Schultz - DNC Chair

“[The DNC has] a sustained commitment to communities across this country and our urban core all across the nation. Republicans have absolutely refused to join us in the infrastructure investments that we need to prevent crises like what happened in Flint. We’re not going anywhere.”

Gary Peters - Michigan Senator and Clinton supporter “Secretary Clinton truly spoke from her heart today and talked about how difficult it would be for her to know exactly how to walk in the shoes of somebody who has a different perspective. I think what folks want to see is someone who cares, someone who tries to walk in other people’s shoes.”

Mark Ruffalo - Actor and Sanders supporter

“I think a strong primary makes a strong contender. We’ve seen both of our candidates become better and better. I’ll tell you, tonight, I was proud to be a Democrat.” 26 t the he ccoommun m m u ni ci caat toor r

Jeff Weaver - Sanders Campaign Manager

“[Bernie is] exciting the base as well as new voters. He’s bringing out young people, he’s bring out working class people, he’s bringing out independents. These are the people that the Democratic Party is gonna need to win in November. Not just the presidency, but up and down the ballot.”

Tad Devine - Senior Advisor for the Sanders Campaign

“Bernie is going to be Bernie. That’s who he is. I think that’s one of the reasons people like him so much. Because he’s genuine. Because he’s authentic. Because he’s honest. Because he’s real.”

Debbie Stabenow - Michigan Senator and Clinton supporter “I have to say that as seen in Flint, Michigan, Republicans are horrible at governing, but they are great at creating a crisis. I give ‘em an A+ at making up things.”

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ann arbor art center: a highlight of downtown

Some banjos made by an Ann Arbor artist displayed in the window of the Art Center. One of the banjos features Shakey Jake and has a “I Brake for Jake!” bumper sticker on the back of the instrument.

the art center has been a fixture of downtown for over 100 years.

caitlin mahoney

Big Brother and his Little are having some bonding time; instead of going to the movies or hanging out, this week they are at the Ann Arbor Art Center, participating in a parent and child wheel throwing class. The parent and child wheel throwing class is one of the Art Center’s most popular classes. In the class, an adult and child can create pottery together. On all the other wheels in the room are grandparents with their grandchildren and parents with their children. The Bigs and Littles are here because of a generous donation given to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to provide them with this opportunity. This organization’s mission is “to provide 28

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children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported [one-on-one] relationships,” according to their website. The Ann Arbor Art Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is “to be a contemporary forum for the visual arts through education, exploration, collaboration and exhibition, and to engage minds, expand perspectives and inspire growth in students of all ages, teachers, artists and the community,” according to their website. They have a retail space that features many local artists, an art gallery and art classes varying from oil painting to jewelry making. The Art Center attracts around 50,000 visitors annually through their shop, events and art classes and has been a staple of the Ann Arbor community since 1909. A large draw to the Art Center are the exceptional art classes. “Our goal is to make [our classes] an absolutely awesome experience, for the instructors as well as students,” said President and CEO Marie Klopf. The Art Center makes this their priority while creating

their courses. “A big part about what we do here is having wonderful instructors. I might have a great idea for a class, but I don’t have a wonderful person to do that [then] it can’t really come to fruition, so a lot of the decisions about what classes we run are a little bit [based on] who we have to teach them,” said Kate Robertson, the Art Center’s Director of Education. “After that, I look at what classes I’ve run in the past what the people that are taking classes at the Art Center are interested in, and I try to see maybe what or progression might be interested to that same audience.” Each session, 75 percent of the classes offered are tried and true classes, and are in high demand, such as youth wheel throwing and introductory courses like oils or watercolors, and the other 25 percent are new, experimental classes, such as encaustic or printmaking classes. Classes are offered for youth (12 and under), teens and adults, at a wide variety of skill levels. The most popular classes are wheel throwing classes. Another pop-

ular class, Art Lab, is returning for teens this spring. “Our Art Lab program that we will be offering [will include] things like stop-motion animation will probably be one of them. We have graphic novel classes where you learn how to illustrate and use computer programs, as well as drawing by hand and combining those things,” Robertson said. Another very popular class among teens is the illustration class with Jerzy Drozd, a professional graphic novelist and illustrator. In Drozd’s classes, he combines traditional and digital mediums, such as sketching on paper, scanning it into the computer, and then lining and coloring it in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Unique classes like Drozd’s have begun to attract participants from outside the Ann Arbor community. Klopf has started to notice people from the Plymouth, Novi and Milford areas coming to take classes at the Art Center. As a result of travelling more than Ann Arbor locals, “[participants] come and take a class and then they go to dinner,” Klopf said. “They make it an evening out. So there’s just a tone of synergy about having downtown as [a] part of who we are and what we do so we will never leave

downtown.” The attraction of the Art Center is bringing people from outside of downtown Ann Arbor and supporting other local businesses. The rush of people eager to take classes has caused a waitlist, and for the first time, class size limits. This demand has caused the Art Center to consider having a second location for more studio space and to improve some of the existing studio space at the current location on Liberty St. The Art Center recently received a grant from the Michigan Council of Arts and Culture, to remodel their jewelry studio on the third floor, and give it proper ventilation. “We’re planning that right now, and that will be built out in March,” Klopf said. “As part of that renovation, we’ll add some better ventilation, which will mean we’ll be able to do things like encaustic classes. [Encaustic work is] like a heated wax and so we’ll expand the jewelry program, we’ll expand encaustic work. We will definitely expand the ceramics program offerings [with the new

location.]” The current location on Liberty St. only has 11 wheels for ceramics: this sadly limits class sizes. With this new location, classes can be more accessible, with more wheels available.

“There’s a tone of synergy about having downtown as [a] part of who we are and what we do, so we will never leave downtown.” Over the past 100 years, the Ann Arbor Art Center has impacted the Ann Arbor community by providing a place for local artists to take classes, sell and display their work. This nonprofit organization has been serving Ann Arbor and been a staple business of downtown for many years. One thing is for certain about the Art Center: that it will continue to serve Ann Arbor for many years to come.

The Ann Arbor Art Center’s retail and part of the ceramics studio located on Liberty St. This part of the retail space features some pottery and paintings. Up the staircase is an art gallery where events can be hosted.

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what a global impact looks like

Rajaram’s fellowship was sponsored by the William Davidson Institute, a nonprofit at the University of Michigan that selects only 13 students per year to engage in independent consultancy projects with their partner organizations around the world.

surabhi rajaram, a michigan masters in public health, is using her classroom skill set to change the world. stavi tennenbaum surabhi rajaram photo

urabhi Rajaram looks ready. She leans forward in her seat, her eyes sharp and inquisitive, her voice entrancing as she talks about the field of public health and her role in it. 30

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Three years ago, Rajaram began her journey into the social activist academic that she is today. Restless during her third year pursuing an undergraduate degree in microbiology and biomolecular science at the University of Michigan, she sought a way to apply her years of classroom learning to something other than studying for the MCAT. 10,000 feet up in the Himalayas, trekking through remote villages in Nepal with the non-profit organization One Heart World-Wide, she delivered health services to mothers and infants in places where no doctors could be found for miles. “What we were doing was lifesaving work,” Rajaram said. “And at that point, a lightbulb went off.” Her transformative experience in Nepal motivated Rajaram to abandon the prospect of med school and apply instead for a masters program in public health upon her return to Michigan. “It became a matter of who I wanted to be. Your career becomes such a huge part of your life that I think it’s so important to ensure that you’re doing something that has [real]

impact.” Rajaram is now part of a two-year Master of Public Health program that will allow her to practice internationally in designing, developing and evaluating programs that will deliver healthcare and health products to people around the world. Much of her work involves traveling to emerging and developing economies, or “third world” countries. Lower income countries are growing at an extremely fast rate, yet still remain behind in global millennial standards of providing maternal healthcare and reducing infant mortality rates. Public health initiatives work to bridge this gap by implementing sustainable, grassroots-based solutions in these countries. And people like Rajaram are the ones who create and put them into place. A second generation immigrant from India fluent in Hindi, Rajaram intentionally focuses her work within the Indian subcontinent. As part of the fellowship requirement for the final year of her masters, she spent the past summer in Sunamganj, Bangladesh, a northeastern

district completely submerged by monsoon rains for half of the year. Through this fellowship, Rajaram applied to work with CARE Bangladesh, a huge global humanitarian organization currently working on a private sector approach to health care delivery. CARE received a grant to fund the training of select women within the community as Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs), who could then safely deliver children and sell medications to the impoverished, primarily farmer and fishermen population of Sunamganj. As a wetland region, doctors and hospitals are largely inaccessible, overcrowded and inaffordable to the majority of people there. Through the training and integration of SBAs already from the area, CARE hoped to make this initiative sustainable in the long-run. “It’s all about grassroots capacity building,” Rajaram said. “It’s very easy for people to come in and try to change the way people do things, but this is really about leveraging

existing resources. It’s innovative in that, who would think of such a task-shifting role, but it’s such a simple thing that can be done that’s still so respectful. Another tenant of this work is that is has to be so culturally respectful.” The problem came when the grant money CARE had received ended. This was where Rajaram came in. “My job was to come up with an entirely new design, essentially converting what was a non-profit program into an operational business.” The intent was that the system would now allow SBAs to sell their services within the community and earn a living from the profits they made. To ensure a redesign that would be effective in doing this while still providing increased maternal and infant health services, Rajaram conducted two and a half months of interviews with anyone involved or impacted by the program. “We were out in the field every day. Trekking for hours, going by boat, and actually going to these people’s houses and walk-

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ing in the footsteps of these birth attendants, just spending time with the people and understanding their viewpoints,” she said. “As a big umbrella organization, it’s easy to come in and say, ‘here, take this, this is what we want to give you, this is our help,’ but it’s another thing to understand what people actually need.” Rajaram’s work redesigning maternal and infant health delivery in Sunamganj will affect the lives of two and half million people. Her negotiations with CARE team members and government officials in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, during the last two weeks of her trip were generated into a proposal to make the system in Sunamganj into a public-private partnership model, which will be facilitated and overseen by the local government. Following her graduation in May, she plans to enter the global health delivery workforce, making saving lives around the world her full-time job.

The wetland region of Sunamganj, one of Bangladesh’s district with the highest rates of infant mortality and lack of access to maternal health services, is only accessible and traversible by boat for more than half the year.

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leading the way to success pioneer high school works with five elementary schools to improve the academic success of the elementary students. megan syer don packard photo

LEFT: Laura McNeil (first row, second in from the left), stands with her fifth hour class, Trailblazers, outside Eberwhite Elementary School.

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t 12:50, Laura McNeil, senior at Pioneer, arrives at Eberwhite Elementary School in her comfy jeans and flowery orange top, carefully picked out for participating in various activities. The classroom is silent as she walks in except for the occasional fidgeting of students on the carpet and the teacher’s calming voice while she reads the class a book. McNeil walks towards the edge of the large carpet covering the floor and quietly sits down, careful not to disrupt the class. She sits down relaxed, but moments later, it’s a race for the students to see who gets to sit in her lap first. The voices of the elementary students begin to fill the room with whispers as they tell each other to be quiet. Three girls sit by McNeil; one plays with her keys, one sits in her lap and one sits next to her. After the reading is done, the elementary students sit back in their seats at tables of five, waiting for the lesson to begin. McNeil pulls up a chair and sits down next to a kindergarten student she was partnered with through Trailblazers. Trailblazers started in 1992 by Jenni Zimmer, psychologist at Lawton Elementary School, and Pegge Tappe, Pioneer High School’s social worker. The program joins high school and elementary students together to focus on the academic success of the elementary students. “[It’s] part of a movement across the country that builds a sense of connectedness and responsibility to one’s community by providing a mentorship opportunity,” said Don Packard, Pioneer English teacher and supervisor of

the Trailblazers program. Packard joined the program around 2004 and has been helping build the growth of students since then with Jonathan Stern, a Pioneer social worker. Each year, 60 senior students from Pioneer are selected to be a part of Trailblazers (about 80 percent of the applicants), which is offered as a service learning class. Students who wish to ap-

“[The Trailblazers] will supply the nuturing guidance and support necessary to enhance the elementary child’s academic success,” Packard said. “It is expected that this will be a mutally rewarding experience in the developement of competence and self-worth.” ply must write an essay, such as a personal experience they’ve had with kids, and get two adult recommendations. Along with that, students must be maintaining strong attendance in order to be considered for the Trailblazers program. “Attendance is super important, you can’t help others if you are absent,” Packard said. “It’s the one-on-one every school day that makes the difference.” Students then may get an interview with either as

a way to find out if the student has the right skills to be successful as a Trailblazer. The elementary site supervisor, who works with the teachers and principal, then decides which students would benefit from the services a Trailblazer can offer. This could range from help with reading, math, homework or getting projects done. Elementary students are also selected for social and affective reasons. “[The Trailblazers] will supply the nurturing, guidance and support necessary to enhance the elementary child’s academic success and self-esteem,” Packard said. “It is expected that this will be a mutually rewarding experience in the development of competence and selfworth.” To prepare the high school students for Trailblazers, Stern and Packard provide the students team building exercises, training and simulations based on scenarios they may face at the elementary school. It is common for many of the students who are a part of Trailblazers, although not all, to return to their home elementary school. This year, Trailblazers are helping elementary school students at Dicken, Eberwhite, Bach, Lawton and Pattengill. For Packard, the challenging part is making sure that the right students are accepted into the program and the pairings between the high school and elementary students are a good match. “It’s not always all ‘A’ students that make the best Trailblazers,” Packard said. “Sometimes it’s the kids that know what it’s like to struggle that make the best Trailblazers.” Packard has also realized that the program not only has an impact on the elementary student, but also on the high school students. For some, Packard admits the program has pointed towards which direction their future leads to. For McNeil, it is the highlight of her day as she continues to make an impact on the students. “Trailblazers is a great way to contribute to the community and gain an enriching life experience,” McNeil said. apr il

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, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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. 34

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books that change lives

The Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Food Revolution by John Robbins

“I think the most influential book I’ve read that’s changed my life is “The Catcher in the Rye.” I really related to it just because it’s about a teenager that’s struggling to get through life and that’s what I am. So it just really related to me and I thought that it was a very real book; even though it was fictional it just seemed like a real story.” - Logan Gorman

“The one that always comes to mind is a book called “Diet for New America,” it’s actually been republished as the Food Revolution and expanded. It was written by a guy named John Robbins and his last name is Robbins so he’s a part of the Robbins family and he was set to inherit the Baskin Robbins fortune, the whole company, and would have been a multi-millionaire. He declined because he’s vegan and he doesn’t eat any animal products because of animal abuse that takes place for farmed animals. So when I read the book I had actually already become a vegetarian for health reasons, and then I started reading the book and I got about halfway through and I was just appalled by conditions and the way they treat animals, so I didn’t want any part in this and I became vegan. That was in 1997, so it was very transforming because it’s changed my whole life. He talks about not only the animal industry and the way animals are treated but he also talks about the impact of animal agriculture, the environment and also about animal foods and our health. He kind of covers three major areas, so it’s a great book, very interesting and life-transforming.” - Jeri Schneider

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee “It’s an influential case in the time period and the things that they are talking about really hit home. The false rape thing and the false accusations and how they proved him in the court of law; it actually influenced me to get into criminal justice field of study because of that case. It was really influential.” - Sajaahn Zaman

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut “I think the first book that really changed the way I looked at things was one called “Cat’s Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut. I read it when I was a sophomore in high school. It was the first time that I read something that was really different. It just blew my mind how different it was and how bizarre and creative, and what a different sort of take he took on it and combined being a brilliant writer with just being unique, creative, and different. I feel like it taught me sort of a lesson that I’ve carried ever since, which is that in this world a lot of the time we feel like we want to just blend in, but actually one of the most important things to do is to stand out and be unique and to own your own sort of creative self and who you are and to embrace that as a strength. So I think that for me that was the first time I really ever sort of thought about that. It’s a hard book to describe but my description would be that it is about this element called ice-nine which can turn water into ice. And this mad scientist who comes up with this, and his story interspersed with the story of the narrator interspersed with this guy who created his own religion called Bokononism and a bunch of other random characters. I don’t want to spoil too much of it, but basically crazy stuff happens with this that influences all of those other people’s lives and have to make their way in a new world. The closest analogy that I could think of it would be the modern thing that’s on right now and it’s very popular, The Walking Dead. You have some major post-apocalyptic episodes and a bunch of people with random backgrounds and then they all need to interact together and figure out what’s going on.” - Matt Johnson apr il

a survivor’s story a look at the holocaust through the eyes of a survivor. shane hoffmann

arry Cybulski sits in his office, surrounded by boxes of vintage stamps, discussing his life story. The room is filled with a familiar smell of dust and old furniture. The late afternoon sunlight streams in the window onto a well-worn couch, tucked in between tall shelves brimming with various items. Cybulski is a husband, father of two, retired history teacher and Jewish Holocaust survivor. He was born in 1937 in Paris, only three years before Hitler and the Nazis occupied France. He spent the first 10 years of his life in Paris before leaving and coming to America to start a new life. Cybulski lived with his father who was a shoemaker and his mother and sister. Being as young as he was, he was not yet aware of the trauma caused by the death of both his parents in Auschwitz. Both were gone by age five. His aunt was his caretaker and protector for several years. While not in constant danger, he often encountered German soldiers in his early life. “I saw Germans in the village, I was not really afraid, I didn’t really know what was going on,” he said. “It was worse for my sister because she’s five years older than me and she was more afraid than I was. A couple times there were things that had happened when I realized that we were in danger and that if the Germans found out we were Jewish kids we would be killed, you know, 36

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sent to a concentration camp.” After the war, he traveled with his sister to Utica, Illinois to live with an aunt and uncle who had previously traveled to the U.S. using his parent’s visas. Cybulski believed America was the promised land and from his first impressions, it delivered. “The reputation that America has, this was going to be a great country,” he said. “We were going to have a great future and so the people that lived in the town we went to were very friendly even though we were the only Jewish family. I didn’t feel any discrimination.” However, Cybulski soon realized that not everything was perfect. The language barrier presented a major problem. He and his sister were settled into a first grade class to learn English. “That was an incentive for us to work on our English, and I would say in about three or four months, we were good enough that they put me in the fifth grade and put my sister was allowed to go to a high school in the next city,” he said. His aunt and uncle did not emphasize education and they made little to no effort to help him learn English. Some kids teased Cybulski at first, but when he became proficient in English, he soon fit in. Another problem eventually presented itself. Living with his aunt and uncle fulltime proved more difficult than he had expected. “Staying with them was pretty hard,” Cybulski said. “They were actually worse for both my sister and I than staying on the farm back in France, although there was no danger from the Germans. My aunt especially was very hard on us. She was very strict, and my sister and I couldn’t wait to leave there. There was no real love lost.” Once he settled in, he began to make more friends and pick up new hobbies. “I actually was collecting stamps. I started collecting stamps in France and I continued with that hobby, but playing pool became very important in my life because this little town did not have any other entertainment,” Cybulski said.

The pool room was less than a hundred yards from where he lived, so it became a natural place to spend his days. However, it also became a point of contention between him and his aunt, as she thought it was a bad place for him to spend his time. Later in his life, Cybulski moved to Flint, Michigan to start a family. He married and had two girls, Susan Cybulski and Ava Butzu. He also took up a career as a high school history teacher. He has long since retired and has remarried. He is still living in Flint and both his daughters live in Ann Arbor. Cybulski’s experiences affected not only him but also his family. His daughter, Susan, acknowledges the toll that loss took on her father. “My dad had a hard time just talking and communicating with us as kids. It wasn’t till I was in my twenties that we started to become closer,” Susan said. He has since become much closer with his daughters, but she wishes that her family had been able to have counseling and been able to salvage those lost years. “Our experience is very unique, but in a lot of ways it’s very common to have something very traumatic happen that really affects relationships in the family,” she said. Cybulski often holds talks at nearby high schools and small colleges to share his experiences and inform students of the history of the Holocaust. Susan Cybulski and Butzu attend sometimes and both hope to continue spreading his story and legacy when he stops. Many of the known Holocaust survivors have passed away. While there is no definitive count of survivors, numbers are dwindling every year. The Holocaust is an extremely pivotal event in history and Cybulski believes that many people are still ill-informed about it. He feels it is his duty to teach other about his story, that it is important that all people, everywhere learn of these survivor’s stories, experiences, and how Holocaust families are impacted, before the opportunity is no longer available.

Left: Cybulski poses with his sister, Dory Cybulski on the day of his Bar-Mitzvah, wearing a traditional Jewish prayer shawl. Due to being an orphan, he was Bar-Mitzvahed at the age of twelve instead or the usual thirteen. The top of the picture is ripped showing where his aunt Ida ripped it. She ripped many pictures of him when he would disobey her and they would get in fights.

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what love can do saving lives, one helicopter ride at a time emily tschirhart

ary Kay Autenrieth smiles and pads around the dining room, searching for something to tidy. She eventually sits tranquilly at the kitchen table, drinking herbal tea out of a floral mug. Still dressed in her flight suit, hair tied up, she carefully holds the dog. Autenrieth finds herself only momentarily in serenity, as she has to return to the University of Michigan Survival Flight in a mere 30 minutes. Her original aspirations were to attend veterinary school, but Autenrieth has never been happier as a nurse, and finds a great joy in helping others. As a child, Autenrieth lived with a loving family, in the small suburbs of Jackson, Michigan, which was a typical American town, complete with churches, a post office and grocery stores. Her father worked almost everyday and her mother, a nurse, worked part-time night shifts so she could stay home during the day and help her kids get to school, do chores and cook meals. “[My mom] was the most amazing woman, in so many ways. She was a mother, an aunt, a grandmother, a nurse, a teacher and our connection to God,” Autenrieth said. “We always knew that no matter where we were, we were always loved by our mother.” Autenrieth’s interest in nursing was sparked as a girl, by her mother. Raised by Christian parents, she was a firm believer in God and God’s work. “When we would go to bed at night, I would climb down the steps and watch my mom get ready for work,” Autenrieth said. “And that was back in the day when nurses wore all white uniforms, 38

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white stockings, white shoes and special white-caps. I remember thinking, ‘My mom’s an angel’.” As she grew, her love for helping people grew with her. In high school, she was a wallflower and was comfortable only around her close family and friends. At the beginning of Autenrieth’s nursing career, she was interested in pediatrics. It was here where Autenrieth experienced her first miracle. “There are babies who are born who have significant heart defects,” Autenrieth said. “There’s a certain type of heart defect called a Hypoplastic Left Heart, and babies are basically born without the left side of their hearts. And there are surgeons at the hospital where I work that are able to do surgery on babies hearts while they’re the size of a walnut or a big grape or a small tomato. And to me, that’s a miracle.” There were moments when Autenrieth’s faith was tested. Even though her beliefs were deeply rooted from an early age, she couldn’t help wondering why God would allow the things she would see at the hospital. “When I was starting my job, for two months, I took care of one sick baby after another, after another, after another,” Autenrieth said. “I remember crying all the way home thinking there were no healthy babies left in this world. But I made my peace with God. Everything happens for a reason.” Even though the idea of saving lives can be idealistic, the nature of the job requires that one should be able to handle death. Autenrieth understands that not everyone can be saved. “I always tell my patient’s families that no matter how many IVs or tubes we put in, how many medicines we give, or how many surgeries the patients have, we do the best we can do with our human process,” Autenrieth said. Over the years, Autenrieth has developed friendships with her patients. Through the duration of her patients’

stays, she would visit and speak to them from their admission to their discharge, a period as short as two weeks, or as long as a few years. As a caretaker, she is able to create friendships over long periods of time. “I took care of one young lady who was in her second year of college and was an only child,” Autenrieth said. “Her parents were very loving and she had a wonderful boyfriend. She was unfortunately involved in a serious car accident many years ago. She was in the hospital for a long time. They were very supportive, and that family support, when a patient is sick like that is very important. It almost borders on miracles, what love can do. She was eventually discharged home, and came back for her follow up visit. She was unconscious during the transport so she never knew she flew in a helicopter. She was kind of teary while I was explaining the whole process of how we transport critical patients. And as we finished, I said, ‘Does anybody have any questions?’ The patient said no. And the boyfriend said yes. And when she turned around to look at him, he knelt down on one knee and proposed on the helipad. Her new life was starting. I went to her wedding and I gave a toast about love and life and precious time. I was there when she had her first baby. I got to hold the baby. She now has two children and they just came to see me in December. We keep in touch, and they are a wonderful family. And she was able to go back and finish school.” Throughout her career, Autenrieth has made many friends and saved countless lives. She has seen things that no one else has and lived under great duress. Even under stress, Autenrieth was able to provide medical assistance while also creating a sense of home and comfort. “Never take one day for granted,” Autenrieth said. “If you see the sun rise in the morning, you never know if that’s going to be your last sunrise. Live life to the fullest.”

athlete profiles abbie gaies madie gracey photos

community students play springtime sports at ann arbor’s three main public high schools.

terah blakemore

ella edelstein

andie tappenden

What grade are you in? I’m in 10th grade.

What grade are you in? I’m a freshman.

What grade are you in? I’m in ninth grade.

What sport do you play? I do crew.

What sport do you do? I do crew.

What sport do you play? Lacrosse.

When did you start crew? I started in ninth grade.

When did you start crew? I started a couple years ago doing Learn-to-Row and WRC, but I wasn’t that serious.

How long have you been playing? My mom played lacrosse and my grandma was really good at lacrosse, so I’ve kind of been playing since I was a baby, but I’ve only actually played on a team for a couple years.

Do you do it for a high school or a club? School: Huron High School. What do you like about crew? I like the team and having a second family with it and just the energy you get from it. What caused you to get interested in crew? My sister did it in high school and she had some fun with it so I’m like, “Oh, I’ll try it out.” What are you excited for in the upcoming season? I’m really excited to go to Midwest and miss some school to race. It’s going to be fun.

Do you do it for a high school or a club? I do it for Skyline High School. It’s a really great team there. Why have you continued to row? I really like the team. Everyone on the team is really great, and I like the sport because it’s really a team sport and it gets you really strong.

Do you play for a high school or a club? I play for a high school: Pioneer. What do you like about lacrosse? I also play field hockey, and they’re really similar. You have a stick and you hold it in a similar way. And I like that it’s really fast paced. It’s just fun. And it’s just kind of cool. I like how even just passing and catching is a basic and so fun. Are you excited for your first season? Yeah, I’m looking forward to it.

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a team to root for

Jasmine Chang and Antoni Alvarez, both prosecution lawyers for the A Team, pose with a trophy from the regional competition in Oakland County this February.

community’s mock trial team gets ready for the state competition alex shaw sophia camp photos

ast year, Community sent two Mock Trial teams (A and B) to the Michigan High School Tournament where both teams pro-

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gressed into the semi-finals, where they were forced to compete against each other. “[It] doesn’t end well because we’ve run through it so many times that [the] B team knows that [the] A team’s really good,” said Isaac Nation, a junior on the team. “Our B team and our A team both went to states, both made it into the state finals, meaning they were both one of the top four teams in the state.” Having two teams lets more people compete, but it also gives more practice to everyone competing. “You end up with a lot better ideas and things come up that you wouldn’t necessarily anticipate if you were just working with a small group of people,” said Chloe Root, teacher and coach of Mock Trial. Mock Trial is a simulation court case

where teams of students representing the defense compete against teams representing the prosecution. Students take the roles of lawyers, witnesses and experts testifying in the case. Scores are based on the quality of their arguments and the way they present themselves during the trial. By winning last year’s the tournament, the A team earned a spot at the National High School Mock Trial Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina. National trial cases tend to be more complex, which, combined with only four weeks to prepare, tests the abilities of participating teams. “It was basically just like a fast forwarded version of what we do all year,” said Sara Jackson, who played a defense lawyer and prosecution witness for Community’s A team. “Everything was just in

hyperdrive, overdrive because when we prepare for states we have months, we get the case in November and we compete in March or the end of February. Then for nationals you get four weeks, so you have to do all the same work for a more complicated case and so much shorter period of time, and at a grander scale because you are going to nationals.” Competing with 46 teams from as far away as Guam, the Community team eventually placed 20th in the US States and Territories. “We didn’t take notably high, but going to nationals still means we are the best in Michigan,” Nation said. A student on a Mock Trial team can play a few different roles. Nation, for instance, was the expert for the Defense, bringing outside, professional expertise to aid the defense’s argument. The role of the lawyer involves examining the witnesses and experts, as well as presenting arguments and opening and closing statements. Others take the role of witnesses, who are people directly involved in the case who testify as to their experiences. Witnesses prepare for two types of examinations. During direct examination, members of their own team ask the questions, which allows for advance preparation. Cross-examination, on the other hand, is when the opposing team

asks the questions, a more challenging role. “When you’re in the middle of an objection or if you’re being the witness it’s just how well you can think on your feet,” Jackson said. “When the other team is crossing your witness, that’s the only person from your team doing something. I just think witnesses don’t

“I think our team does a very good job of preparing us,” Jackson said. “So you go in there and you feel good and you feel confident going into your trials.” always get enough credit.” This year, instead of going to the Washtenaw County Regional as they have done in the past, the Community team competed in the Oakland County Regional in in February. Both A and B teams did well enough to progress to the State Finals in Lansing on March 19. There the top 10 teams in Michigan will

vie for a championship and a berth in the national tournament in Boise, Idaho. For both Nation and Jackson, Mock Trial has been a valuable use of their time. “I just think Mock Trial is a really good experience, I’m really glad I’ve done it for three years,” Jackson said. “I think our team does a very good job of preparing us so when you go in there and you feel good, and you feel confident going into your trials, and I think it’s definitely helped me with that, and being more sure of myself and more responsible and accountable.” The team welcomes new participants. “We’d love people who are actually committed to doing this. We are going to be losing a considerable portion of our A team (next year) to senior-ship,” Nation said. “We’d love to see some fresh faces next year.” Jackson adds, “It’s also helped with critical thinking skills, public speaking skills obviously, but also I think our team does a very good job of preparing us so when you go in there and you feel good, and you feel confident going into your trials.”

Teena Lee and Will Norton, both defense witnesses for the A Team, right before the first round at regionals in Oakland County.

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What is your biggest fear?

“My biggest fear as of right now, as well as of my childhood, is heights and I honestly have no idea why. It’s so bad, I can’t sit on a porch with my back to the railing. I [haven’t been in a situation that I] can remember. It’s very confusing because I can still go on rollercoasters and planes but simple heights just scare me. I guess since [rollercoasters and airplanes] are professionally designed and made professionally with skill, that kind of reduces that a lot. I do get a lot of anxiety [on rollercoasters but], airplanes I actually get excited to get on.”

Caryne Cristiano What is a moment that shaped who you are?

Enrique Ayala

“When I was younger and we were playing hockey and [my team] was there and we had a little party. It was when I realized that this was in a way my second family. [I’ve played] since I was like six or seven. I play for Skyron and I’ve played for the Cougars for the last few years. I’m planning to keep playing on Skyron, but I’m not sure if I want to go on to play in college or not.”

HUMANS OF COMMUNITY sophia rosewarne and omolara osofisan

What advice would you give your past self?

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

Marcy McCormick

“I would probably tell my past self to figure out a little quicker how much I love exercise and how much that can relieve stress and just to find ways to relieve stress sooner and more exercise earlier on. I would say about eight years ago I figured out how much I love to run and how much it relieves stress for me and how great it is. [I] run outside when the weather is nice. I just went to Gallup Park with my boys and ran with them, which was great. That’s flat, nice and flat. If I want hills, I will go to the Arb and do the hill workout or Bird Hills Park. I do have a treadmill but I really like being outside better. [I] love biking. I just got into biking with Liz and Courtney, they’re really into it so I got a really nice bike, but I really like running. Something about just being open and running and going wherever I want. I did not [run in high school]. I played a lot of sports in high school, but it was all very competitive. I think the advice I’d give myself is to not be as competitive, to learn to just enjoy exercise for myself.”

What is one of the best moments in your life?

Lanie Chagnovich What sets you apart from other people?

“I think I’m funny. I don’t know if anybody else does but I think I’m funny. I think I have a certain sense of humor that not a lot of people get very easily. I guess I’m pretty sarcastic. My mom always yells at me for being so sarcastic. I think I’m just really weird. I do things very strangely.”

What What are five words you would use to describe yourself?

Mackenzie Quigley

“One of the best moments in my life was this October. I got to go see one of my favorite musicals. I met the cast, and they gave me a poster with all of their autographs and with all these things like they’re my homescreen. I got into the musical a year ago and I was in love with it because I’m into musical theatre.”

is one

“Creative, annoying, weird, strong and gay. I just feel like those words sum me up because I’m not much more than that. I like painting, I write, I sketch a lot, I used to work with acrylics. I got interested in art when I was six because my sister was always doing art projects from her high school and I would help her. It was one of just my favorite things to do. I did art classes in middle school and I did art classes outside of middle school with my teacher and he taught me extra stuff. It was really fun.”

Aliama Schaumann

What is advice you would give your past self?

Eve Zikmund-Fisher

“Don’t hang on to everything that you are used to, just go with whatever you think would be fun or interesting because if you hang onto the old stuff you get stuck and you just aren’t happy anymore. As a freshman, I thought that it was going to be an extension of middle school, that I would have the same friends and do the same stuff. And all of my friends moved on and did the things that they were really interested in and I was still stuck going, ‘Wait. Where is everybody?’ It wasn’t really until junior year that I got into the clubs that I was interested in and started doing the stuff I really wanted to do. It was kind of a process, I think once I started doing stuff I enjoyed I realized how much stuff I had missed out on because I had waited so long. I think that is the big advice I’d would give. But also, high school is harder and you have to prepare yourself for the fact that you’re not going to be able to just do all your homework in thirty minutes and call it a day. That you’re going to be doing extra-curricular stuff and everyone is going to expect more from you, but you can still do it.” apr il

the spelling bee is on. community thespians shine in the craft theater. mira simonton-chao and elena bernier cet photo courtesy

In the dark lighting of the Community High School Craft Theater, Quinn Strassel perches on a stray stage prop, nearly alone in the scarcely populated space. The placid atmosphere filling the room is enjoyed but ephemeral, for in just a few short hours it will swell with nearly 85 Community High School students, all involved with the upcoming school musical, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” directed by Strassel himself. The quirky musical debuted on March 17th with a cast of 52 actors, though originally written for only nine. This fact is one of the biggest struggles faced by Strassel and his crew in this spring’s production. Strassel’s career in theater started at a young age when he was cast to play varying parts in local plays; his earliest roles being that of Dill in a production of To Kill a Mockingbird—a play directed by Elise Bryant whom he accredits for his 44

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inspiration to teach theater. Strassel describes Bryant not only as an amazing artist, but also a civil rights and labor activist. “She just became this kind of influential person, who made theater not just about the arts,” Strassel said, “but also about community building and about bringing people together around different ideas.” As the title hints, the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” centers around a collection of young spellers who, with very different personalities, each carry their own unique character traits. “It’s cute, but it’s also edgy,” Strassel said. “It’s just one of those shows that I thought one of these days I’ll do it.” With an expanded cast, this play gives more kids the opportunity to shine through the personalities of these odd yet heartwarming characters. Strassel has many people to help him

with this feat of putting on a play. With an immense crew, Strassel describes the group of actors and stagehands as an incredible, talented, enthusiastic group of people. But there are still challenges. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” involves immense audience participation, which means the whole crew has to be on their toes the entirety of the show—similar to CET’s last play, “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind.” With no show exactly the same, the “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” is a play that is sure to please the masses. The show fills in the gaps that you wouldn’t see if you were watching a spelling bee on TV. “As you continue watching you get to know them,” Strassel said. “The show actually has a lot of heart and you start to feel compassion for some of these characters.” He guarantees that viewers will leave with a refreshed belief in the good of humanity.

c.e.t.

q&a

bella yerkes and claire middleton

Callum Mein

Isabel Ratner

What character are you playing? Chip Tolentino.

What character are you playing? Olive Ovstrovsky.

How would you describe your character? He is a middle schooler, he is a boy scout, headed into puberty. He’s very whiney and can be cocky. He thinks he’s the best.

How would you describe your character? Olive is definitely the smartest of the group, but she’s very shy about her smartness she’s not one of the more outgoing ones. She really had to take care of herself a lot because her parents don’t really watch her and they don’t come to the bee. Which is really hard for her because she thinks her dad is going to show up and she’s saving him a seat. She’s like “he’s gonna come, he’s gonna come,” but he never shows up and her mom is in India. So you can definitely tell Olive is neglected. Her parents do love her but one of her songs is about the dictionary and she describes it as her friend, so you can tell she probably doesn’t have many friends.

Is he one of the spellers? Yes. He also has anger issues at some points. How do you identify with your character? I’d say the sass is the same. I myself may have tantrums. I’m not as cocky as him. I am a whiner and that’s how I relate to him. How did you prepare for this part? I wasn’t the most prepared, but the day before I looked over the music and I was kind of getting comfortable and familiar with the music. Is this the hardest you’ve ever worked for a part? I’d say when I did the Little Mermaid [with] Pioneeer Theater Guild, I wanted to be a lead and I worked my butt off before auditions and callbacks and I worked really hard and got a good part. What did you different with The little Mermaid? They both have a hold your head high attitude, but for Prince Eric he kind of is smooth and sweet. Chip is like ‘I’m the best, get out of my way.’ So you have to get into your character. I think it was easier to get into Chips’s character and I could relate more with him. Have you ever forgotten a line? Yeah I have. When I did the Wizard of Oz at Young People’s Theater I was the scarecrow and my good friend was Dorothy. At the last scene when Dorothy left, I started crying because it was the last show and I forgot my line because I was crying so hard on the stage in front of everyone. And then I was just crying and there was just a good ten seconds of just the scarecrow crying on stage and then I remembered the line so I said it. It was embarrassing.

How do you identify with Olive? I’m definitely not a shy person so I don’t relate to her in that way. I relate to not having people there for something big. I had a voice recital once and my parents couldn’t come, and that’s really hard because it’s nice to have support from people whom you love and who love you.That can be really difficult and I relate to as the bee goes on longer her motivation and drive to win is increasing and she’s like “oh wow I really want this thing” and I can definitely relate to that feeling of really wanting something and giving your all to that because if there is something you are really passionate about, I think being really determined can help you go really far. Have you ever forgotten a line? Last year for the 24 hour play we got our lines Friday night. We did two shows in one night. I come on from my 7:30 show and I was playing a piano in this little bar. And there was this part where we just looked at each other and we were just like, “oh my god!” We forgot an entire page of lines. We just had to go from where we knew so we skipped to this part where I was a bartender and even that was just a disaster, but we pushed through and finished the scene. You just feel so out of control. apr il

community automotive

sam millman

he 2015 Jeep Wrangler Sport Unlimited is a four wheel drive sport Utility Vehicle, but once you add a 3.5” lift and 35” mud terrain tires it turns into an off road beast. Jeep is a company with a background in creating vehicles made to go off the beaten path since 1941. Jeep made the original Wrangler (Willys) for the U.S. in World War II. The Wrangler has kept lots of the values of the original Willys Jeep, but the car has been modernized to perform to the best of its ability. The Jeep for many years was a small, two door SUV. In 2007, however, they released their new version for the Wrangler. With an increasing number families and people wanting a more practical five passenger car, Jeep decided to make a four door (five passenger) version of the Wrangler. They call it the “Unlimited” edition. The “Unlimited” was a huge success for people wanting a good daily driver, but additionally seeking the fun and cool factor of a Wrangler. The off road and hard core Jeep community was very skeptical of this new vehicle’s capabil46

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ity off pavement. In theory, the added weight and extra length on the wheelbase should have made this car not nearly as good in rough terrain, but Jeep somehow pulled it off and created one of the best four by fours on the market. The Jeep tested is not the stock “Unlimited,” it is actually far from it. The car is owned by Community High School junior Taylor Baughman. Baughman has fully customized the car himself using tools from his garage. The car was bought off the lot with a 3.5” lift and 35” tires, and since then, he has outfitted it fully with a new front stinger bumper, 12,000 lbs winch, 2” wheel spacers, steel fenders, 50” light bar and spotlights and a 170 db train horn just for fun. Baughman was able to afford all the upgrades he got, but the installation prices from a custom shop would have been through the roof. “Why pay someone to do a job I can do myself ?” Baughman said, “and learn something while doing it.” Baughman got the look he wanted from the Jeep, kept some money in his pocket and learned the basics of custom and modification work from the project

just by doing it himself. Baughman’s Jeep is built to go off road. The performance parts make the car perfect for many different excursions. The Jeep has been all over northern Michigan, such as Silver Lake Sand Dunes, Gaylord trail systems and the Traverse City trail systems, all. of which house extremely technical dunes and trails. According to Baughman, the Jeep performed flawlessly in every condition it faced: “The car felt at home as soon as I got it off the pavement,” Baughman said. Once the warm weather hits the Wrangler, it can display one of its signature features: the fully removable hard cover top. “Rolling down the street with the top off, four feet in the air is a feeling like no other,” Baughman said. The removable top turns this full sized SUV into a huge convertible, unlike any other car in its class. The Wrangler “Unlimited” is one of a kind. Its combination of off road capability, practicality and “cool” factor make for an awesome car and a ton of fun for a 16-year-old kid and his friends.

the job hunt

mira simonton-chao

whether it’s just for the summer or for the whole year, we know how hard it is to find a job as a high school student. here are just a few of the places around town that may be willing to hire.

Cupcake Station

Located in downtown Ann Arbor, the Cupcake Station only hires those 16 and older and only accept resumes, which can be turned in at 116 E Liberty St. If you have any questions, you contact them at (734)-222-1801.

Babo Market

In a prime location, Babo Market is located near Community and hires those of at least 14 years old (Michigan Law). Hiring dependent mainly on availability. Application can be picked up and turned in at their main location 403 E Washington St. To contact them call (734)-997-8495.

Panera

Located at 777 North University Ave, Panera is currently hiring new crew members and is looking for those 16 years or older. To apply, you can either contact them directly at (734)-332-3402 or apply online at snagajob.com.

Great Plains Burger Company

Hiring those 16 years or older, Great plains is located at 1771 Plymouth Rd. 56 t he c om m u n i c a t o r

and is currently hiring crew members. To apply, you can either use snagajob. com, call them directly at (734)-769-6900 or apply directly on their website: greatplainsburger.com.

Zingerman’s Deli

Located right next door to Community at 422 Detroit St, Zingerman’s hires those 16 and older. To apply, go online to zingermansdeli.com at the bottom of the page under jobs or you can go in and ask for an application and turn it in there. Questions can be answered at (734)-663-3354.

Jersey Mike’s Subs

Located on Jackson Rd Jersey Mike’s is currently looking for team members of 16 years or older. To apply you can either create an account on snagajob.com and apply through their website, call them directly at (734)-761-1100 or submit your application through jobhat.com.

Cinnabon

Located at the Briarwood mall at 448 Briarwood Circle, Cinnabon hires those 16 or older. You can currently apply on snagajob.com or contact them directly at (734) 327-4360.

four tips to remember when applying: 1. Always proofread your resume be-

fore submitting: check for any spelling or grammatical issues you may have made.

Don’t leave blanks. If a question doesn’t apply to you, write that.

If you’re writing a resume, tailor it to that specific job. List skills that may apply only to that job that maybe didn’t apply to another.

4. Make sure you fit all of the requirements before applying.

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pointing out the prize rachel hystad ken mcgraw photo

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon that has been bred to sniff out birds stands with his front leg up, as still as a statue, pointing at what could be a grouse. Ken McGraw watched Victor, his dog, as he takes this stance and knows there is a bird up ahead. He walks towards where Victor is pointing, looking for the bird. Suddenly there is a rush of feathers and twigs as a grouse flies out from the underbrush trying to get into the thick canopy above, but the bird doesn’t make it far. As soon as the bird hits the ground, McGraw grabs it and using his special hook grouse knife, he cuts out the intestines and stuffs slices of apple into the cavity to keep the meat fresh. When McGraw grouse hunts, he is wandering through the woods all day with Victor. He duck hunts around Pinckney and Waterloo Recreation Areas and normally wakes up at three in the morning. He did not grow up hunting: he started 10 years ago when he was 30 and he still loves it he is also a Community High english teacher, wakes up super early. To him, duck hunting and being an English teacher can go together. When he is duck hunting he wants to be in a good place because it is good to be there well before the ducks or anyone else shows up. “It’s not that different from the protagonist in the Hunger Games,” McGraw said. “She gets there well before any of the other players get there, which is actually the secret of her success. That is the secret to duck hunting.” McGraw hunts grouse in young aspen trees forests that are about 15 years old. The trees were cut down in order to make paper. The best grouse habitat is in a young regenerating forest that has somewhere between five and 15 year old trees, the trunks are about the width of a wrist. “It is really hard to walk through them and you have to go there because that is where the grouse live,” McGraw said. “Grouse hide and their evolutionary adaptation for survival is to sit tight and let you walk past them because they 48

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ABOVE: Victor, Ken McGraw’s wire haired pointing griffor waiting intently for the birds

are camouflaged.” Every time McGraw,he goes grouse hunting with his dog, it is a memorable hunt. His dog Victor inspires him to hunt because it is what he lives for and he feels bad if he doesn’t take Victor hunting.

To McGraw, wandering the woods in Northern Michigan Aspen Forest with a dog is what grouse hunting is about. “The first time I did that I became utterly addicted and I knew right away,” To McGraw, wandering the woods in Northern Michigan Aspen Forest with a dog is what grouse hunting is about. “The first time I did that I became utterly addicted and I knew right away,” McGraw said. He also duck hunts and goose

hunts, but waterfowl do not have the same effect on him as grouse hunting. When he does have the good fortune of shooting a bird, he puts it on ice right way because it is very tender and delicate meat. “It just doesn’t taste good to eat meat that has been marinating in blood and guts all afternoon,” McGraw said. When he gets home he takes the meat from the carcass and puts it in a bowl of salt water. He then brines the meat for a day or two. After the meat had been drained, he adds some spices and if he does not freeze the meat he will cook it right away. McGraw, in the future, would like to take a trip up north into Canada. “The further north you go the more grouse there are because they are a northern woods bird,” McGraw said. He would also would like to take a trip out west to North Dakota or south to North Carolina, where ducks and geese fly down the coast during their migrations. When McGraw is grouse hunting he uses a light 20 gage shotgun because in young aspen forests the trees are every close together so it is hard to walk in the woods, be quiet and watch his dog. To McGraw, filling the game bag is about taking those long twisting walking through the woods and having a good dog to show him where the birds are.

good grandson

Above: Carn Saferstein helps a customer with her groceries.

a skyline alum’s new business reaches out to senior citizens

frances mackercher

s a senior at Skyline high school, in 2013, with college plans secured and a winter filled with snow, Josh Carn-Saferstein entrepreneurial instincts prompted him to buy some shovels and start a mini snow removal service. He hired a couple friends, and they had a set route after each snowfall. Winter came to an end, but Carn-Saferstein services did not; his customers asked him to take care of their lawn, and he did just this. Along with the lawn, many customers had other needs that they

wanted help with. “One day a customer approached me and asked ‘Josh, can you find me a son? There’s so much for me to do, and I don’t know where to start!’, and that’s how Good Grandson was born.” Carn-Saferstein said. This remark lead the way to Carn-Saferstein’s new business, Good Grandson. Good Grandson allows senior citizens in Ann Arbor to have friendly, personal assistance rather than relying on family members and neighbors. Customers create a personalized list of weekly tasks, and Carn-Saferstein completes them on a subscription basis “I meet with every new client to discuss a weekly Assist List. After we create a list together, I visit every week on the same day to complete the specified tasks,” Carn-Saferstein said. “And if there are extra tasks that aren’t on the weekly list, I will extend my visit to help with those less frequent—biweekly, monthly or unexpected—home needs such as technology help or changing light bulbs.” Currently Carn-Saferstein is both the founder and the sole employee of Good Grandson, but he often hires

his trusted friends to help out when he is unable to complete a client’s tasks. Good Grandson customers trust Carn-Saferstein, shown by the adoring reviews on www.goodgrandson.com. After graduating from Skyline high school in 2014 and attending the University of Michigan for a year, Carn-Saferstein decided to take a year off of school to focus on his business as it continues to grow. “This winter, I plan to build my client list, improve the logistics of service and best understand how to employ other people for the future,” Carn-Saferstein said. “But I will also be taking online classes at WCC to keep up my credits and make mom worry less!” As his business grows, Carn-Saferstein strives to maintain the basic philosophy of Good Grandson. “I enjoy providing a quality, personal customer experience,” Carn-Saferstein said. “Many people can complete a job, but I strive to go beyond the customer’s needs. As customers begin to trust me, the barrier of the customer/worker relationship begins to fall and it comes down to two satisfied people.” apr il

always lost: a veterans memorial

ABOVE: Jennifer Horton admires the photos of fallen veterans.

suephia saam

ennifer Horton, the woman who brought the Always Lost exhibit to the Ann Arbor district library, visited the exhibit herself for the first time after the opening night. The exhibit is nothing but open and inviting. The walls are covered with pictures of all the fallen veterans and display pictures taken by the Iraq war combat photographers which are placed alongside literary works of art. It is designed so that the space isn’t tight, to make sure one won’t feel assaulted by the displays. The area allows one to ponder and contemplate, to take in the photos and poems and think about the effects of war. “I was just blown away by a lot of the things I read and saw and it’s quite moving to experience that,” Horton said. In the process of finding a venue, some-

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thing that was critical for Horton was that the exhibit be held during the holidays. Horton explained Christmas and Valentine’s Day are some of the biggest and hardest holidays to not be home surrounded by family. She felt it was important for the soldiers to be honored during this time, especially for people who have loved ones serving in war. Horton has her personal reasons for bringing this exhibit to Michigan. Her husband Christopher Horton is retired after 22 years of service in a combination of Act of Duty Army and Army National Guard and served in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom). After attending a retreat through the Wounded Warrior project in February of 2013, Horton was inspired and knew she wanted to bring the exhibit to Michigan.

After her husband returned from war, Horton noticed that loud sounds in public places were giving him anxiety. One time, while eating at IHOP, the loud clashing of plates and crying of babies began to make her husband anxious. She watched him begin to sit closer and closer to the wall, shifting his body so he was able to have his eyes on the whole room. “I said ‘Why are you putting your back against the wall?’ and he said ‘I just feel better,’” Horton said. After several experiences like this, Horton and her husband visited various Veterans Affairs departments. After this, he was then diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Horton found, like most soldiers returning from war, her husband also suffers from anxiety and problems with low blood pressure. Over

“War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks nothing worth a war is worse … A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing for which he cares more than his personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by the exertions the years, Horton has noticed the PTSD getting worse. She often wakes up to her of better men than himself.” husband’s yelling in his sleep. The yelling is almost always war related. When he first came home, she noticed that her husband was very excited to catch up on old relationships, but he soon became very anxious about the life he had left on pause. Then he became more of a homebody and started to keep things to himself. After not making much progress with the VA, Horton started calling military sources along with many different organizations to see if she could get help for her husband. Finally, she found a website called “Give an Hour.” “Give an Hour” is a non-profit organization providing free mental health services to military veterans and families that have been affected by the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to their website, this organization provides about 7,000 mental health professionals for the veterans in need. When her husband was deployed, they were able to talk on the phone and she was able to send him care packages, but because of the huge time difference and the lack of equipment it was often difficult for them to contact each other. While she waited for him to come home, she was forced to develop coping mechanisms. “I tried to not watch a lot of stories about the news and the coverage about what was going on,” Horton said. “Most days there was no in-depth coverage but I still tried to not watch it and I certainly didn’t watch any movies where there were soldiers being put in harm’s way.” The Always Lost exhibit has allowed Horton to honor the veterans who have served our country. “In my mind it’s perfect, it’s quiet, it’s off the beaten track and it gives you a rule to immerse yourself as much as you want or retreat back from it if you need to,” Horton said.

John Stuart Mill, 1862 (featured quote at the exhibit)

ABOVE: Soldiers preforming a cermony to honor the veterans. apr il

when spring has sprung stavi tennenbaum

what to listen to

listen to when you are

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m In Luv (Wit A Stripper)- T-Pain

driving when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sunny out

If you want to hear the playlist:

Body Language- Jesse McCartney

dancing with pals

Know What I Want- Kali Uchis FFYL- Quinn XCII The Way- Kehlani ft. Chance the Rapper

feeling empowered picnicking

1. open safari 2. enter this link: bit.ly/1P2z48u

Finessin- Baby E What They Want- Russ

cashing your paycheck for the weekend getting ready to make moves

Crash- Skizzy Mars ft. Pell

kicking back with bae

Weekend (Jai Wolf Remix)- Mocki

leaving school on a friday

Life is Worth Living- Justin Bieber

reflecting on the passage of time

Ooh- Jon Bellion Keep It Mello- Marshmello ft. Omar Linx

having dinner on a rooftop

7th Dimension- Koan Sound

vibing with homies

Travesuras- Nicky Jam

salsa dancing

Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)- Wyclef Jean Tie Me Down- New Boyz ft. Ray J

keeping things in perspective being independent!!

Some Things Never Change- Marc E. Bassy

thinking about the past

So Good- B.o.B

on a beach in florida

Somewhere in Paradise- Chance the Rapper Sweet Sun- Milky Chance Bloom- ODESZA

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

waking up in a GREAT mood

working out

cloud watching in the arb picking flowers on the side of the road an afternoon stroll by yourself

how to listen

3. your phone will open the spotify app to the songs 4. plug in your earbuds 5. have a listen

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making connections eighth graders who have been accepted into community visit the school to learn what forum is all about during connect with community.

aviva satz-kojis sophia rosewarne and maddie gracey photo

here was a calm chatter in room 303, which is Judith DeWoskin’s room. The smell of doughnuts and chocolate covered strawberries floated through the air as students sat together on an old rug weathered with age and memories. The freshmen, sophomores and juniors of DeWoskin’s forum were saying what they thought were the best parts of Community High School, as eighth graders eagerly took in the information being given to them. It was Connect with Community, an annual tradition at Community High School. Connect with Community is a chance for the eighth graders who have already got into Community through the lottery, to see and experience a quintessential Community activity: Forum. “I think it’s really nice for the eighth graders who have gotten in on the lottery and may be on the fence to come and see what some piece of our day is that’s real looks like, because up until now they’ve heard things, they’ve gone to that orientation, but it’s not the same as coming into a sweaty classroom at the

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

end of the day,” DeWoskin said. The older members of their forum can answer their questions about Community and what sets it apart from the other high schools. The eighth graders can use that information to help them decide whether or not they want to go to Community. Some people remember that, back when they were the eighth graders at Connect with Community, they were nervous being the youngest in a room full of high schoolers. “I remember that I went to Ken McGraw’s forum and I was really intimidated because everyone in that room was really tall and kind of mean looking,” said Camille Kon-

rad, freshman at Community. “But then when I started talking, I was really happy because they were all really nice and they offered me food.” Connect with Community is an opportunity for potential Community students to get involved in the family that is Community High School. This knowledge of the school and its atmosphere allows eighth graders to make the most informed and educated decision for their high school future. “I was kind of 99 percent sure before today that I was gonna come here but now I’m definitely coming,” said Anja Jacobson, eighth grader at Forsythe Middle School. TOP Students in Judith DeWoskin’s forum talk during Connect with Community with incoming eighth graders. LEFT Incoming eighth graders listen during the assembly in Craft Theater.

proust questionaire maisie montgomery

tess heidt

rachel duckett

Q: What or who is the greatest love of your life? RD: Who knows. Q: When and where were you happiest? RD: Probably when I was really young. Q: Which talent would you most like to have? RD: Something musical. Q: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? RD: I would change either my work ethic or I would talk less. Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement? RD: Staying alive for 16 years. Q: If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? RD: I would come back as a super domesticated cat or dog. Q: Where would you most like to live? RD: Somewhere like Ann Arbor, but not Ann Arbor.

Q: What is your idea of perfect happiness? TH: A quiet mind. Q: What is your greatest fear? TH: An afterlife. Q: Which living person do you most admire? TH: My Dad. Honestly. Q: What is your current state of mind? TH: Exhausted, but content. Q: What do you consider the most overrated virtue? TH: Detachment, lack of personal or emotional interest. Q: On what occasions do you lie? TH: When I [mess] up. Q: Which living person do you most despise? TH: People in general who could care less about other people, and only love themselves.

kaleb doughten-priuska

Q: What is your most marked characteristic? KD: The fact that I have a very unique family. Q: What do you most value in your friends? KD: Their constant acceptance of me and their work to make me a better person. Q: Which historical figure do you most identify with? KD: Pocahontas - sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fearless like me. Q: Who are your heroes in real life? KD: Beyonce, Nicki and RiRi. The Holy Trinity. Q: What is it that you most dislike? KD: People staring at me negatively. Q: What is your greatest regret? KD: Second floor bathroom. School dance 2015. Q: What is your motto? KD: Shalissa built the pyramids. Or, when in doubt twerk it out.

apr il

tastes of

ann mornings arbor mary debona and megan syer

he ccoommun m m u ni c i caattoorr 56 tthe

northside grill

In 1993, The Northside Grill was transformed from a dairy to the local diner that it is today, serving lunch and breakfast. The Grill specializes in the quality of their food along with the comfort of the environment. About 90 percent of the customers are returning, although they also focus on the attracting new customers.

angelo’s

Angelo’s, started by Angelo Vangelatos, opened in 1956 and has been family-owned ever since. Additional seating opened inside Angelo’s On The Side in 1993, a coffee house with take-out. Two years later, they opened a bakery. Angelo’s is best known for their eggs over easy, hashbrowns and toast.

the broken egg

The Broken Egg is located on the corner of Miller and Main in downtown. The Broken Egg’s most popular menu items are their unique omelets and their vegetarian version of Eggs Benedict, “Eggs Arnold”.

4 sparrow market

Sparrow Market opened in 1983 and is owned by Bob Sparrow. It offers breakfast items: bagels, breakfast sandwiches, omelets, doughnuts, scones, muffins, fresh orange juice, bacon and toast. Sparrow is a good option for those who are on the go and need a quick breakfast.

5 afternoon delight

Since 1978, Afternoon Delight has been in the Ann Arbor community offering a wide variety of local and healthy breakfast and lunch meals. There are many choices, including customized three-egg omelets, homemade bran muffins, fresh deli sandwiches and more. Afternoon Delight specializes in friendly service and reasonable prices. They also cater.

fleetwood diner Known for its famous Hippie Hash and a wide variety of omelets, the Fleetwood Diner first opened as the Dagwood Diner in 1949. It was Ann Arbor’s first restaurant with sidewalk seating. The name of the diner changed in 1971 from Dagwood to Fleetwood.

apr il

women who weightlift

kate burns

athryn Dybdahl, a veteran lifter, breaths in deep, before squatting down with a 45 pound bar and added 35 pound plates on her back, in Skyline High School’s strength room. Dybdahl started lifting freshmen year due to an injury, and ever since then she has craved lifting. As a senior now, she comes into Skyline’s weight room nearly everyday to continue training. Dybdahl is not only part of Skyline’s Barbell Club, but she is one of only two female lifters. “It’s good for your bones,” said Brandon Bedinger, Skyline’s Strength Coach, better known as Coach B. “It’s good for your muscles. It’s good for you overall health.” Many times women become “cardio buddies.” They go to the gym and use the elliptical and the indoor bikes, but rarely do they venture to the weights’ side of the gym. This is not a bad thing, except they are missing out on the incredible benefits those dumbbells and bars can give them. Other than the obvious benefits for your muscles, weightlifting is important for women’s bones both both in the short and long-term. “Everybody wants to do cardio, but lifting is good for females because it helps increase their bone density,” Bedinger said. “After a certain age on the onset of menopause, bone density in females takes a sharp decline because their estrogen levels decrease and some other things. By weight training, you can increase the density so much so that when that starts to set in it doesn’t have such a negative effect.” If there are such tremendous bene58

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

fits to weightlifting, why don’t all women do it? Maybe it is because of the judgmental stare the words some men mutter under their breathe when they see women come to the weights. “Some of the guys here look at you like, ‘What are you doing? You aren’t suppose to be here,’” Dybdahl said. This judgement just starts in the weight room but transfers over into the way women look. “A lot of people say, oh, females shouldn’t get too muscular,” Bedinger said. “They look manly. And to those people I say, if a female looks manly because she has muscles does a man look feminine because he doesn’t have muscles? Because I see a lot of males in the American population who don’t have muscle so they must be feminine then. I don’t buy into that culture. There is nothing wrong with being a strong female.” Don’t worry about being too bulky. Both the judgment from others while lifting and afterward having muscle and being strong, can be hard to put behind you. The way to do it is to pick up the weight and do it. “[I’ve gotten through it] by showing them I mean it by lifting a lot,” Dybdahl said. There is going to be judgment until they are taught otherwise, so for now just put it all behind you. Before going to lift, follow a few easy steps in order to be successful with it. “If you are timid get rid of any timidness in you,” Bedinger said. “It isn’t something you can be timid about. The weight has one job and it is to sit on the ground and not move, so you cannot be timid with lifting.” After getting over that, the next step is to find a teacher. Lifting is dangerous without good form, so find a good

teacher and learn proper technique. Along with a smaller risk of injury, having good form is good for women’s sense of purpose in the weight room. If you know good form then you know the stares aren’t from a lack of knowledge. The final step is to attack it and to continue to attack it. “Stick with it, you are gonna love it,” Dybdahl said. “It becomes an addiction more than anything. If you stop for a week you are gonna crave it. So get to that point, then you are good to go.” Once the lifting bug bites there won’t be much stopping it. “Lifting weights is one of the few things in life that is only satisfied by the act of lifting weights,” Bedinger said “Because as soon as you reach your goal there is going to be another goal and another goal. You can only succeed at lifting by continuing to lift and lift so you just got to start.”

ellekonrad “[A story about my car is] when it was really cold outside my car iced over and I got to push out the ice because they were in the shape of windows.” “[The most essential things in my car are] napkins, blankets and my swiss army knife.” “[I wish I had] more makeup in my car.” “[The weirdest thing in my car] is multiple pairs of sunglasses.” “[My car] was originally my grandpa’s car. They were going to buy me a new car but he just gave me his car so he could buy himself a new one.”

car?

what’s in your

andrewreynolds “[The most essential thing in my car] is the auxiliary cord.”

“[I drive a] 2007 Honda CRV. The car has been in our family for four years.” “[The weirdest thing in my car] is a piece of moldy cheese that fell out of a McChicken Snack Wrap.” “[My favorite song to listen to while driving is] Blank Space by Taylor Swift.” “[I wish I had a] Bug-A-Boo drink holder in my car.”

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nine S T O R I E S

students recap their funniest experiences. brennan eicher emily tschirhart

Jada Wilson

“I was hanging out with my friends and we were going down stairs that were really slippery. I slipped and fell from the very top of the steps all the way down. I wanted to laugh but my butt hurt so bad.”

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

Kasey Neff

“I was in preschool and I was in naptime. We had naptime everyday it was nothing new. And then I wet my bed. The person next to me was fast asleep so I took his blanket and gave him mine and I told the teacher he wet the bed.”

Emily Fishman “2015 New Years Eve. Sydney, Jada, and I were sitting in a basement. Jada whispered, ‘Get this on tape.’ And I was recording and she took out her little Capri Sun and squirted it all over Sydney.”

Callum Mein

“My friend Conor and I were driving and went right past this lake. To get back to his house, there was a gate and he started driving really fast towards the gate. He jumps out of the car while it’s going like 20 miles per hour and runs up to the gate because he wanted to open it before the car got there. But the car started slowing down and then started rolling back down towards the lake, with me in the passenger seat. I was freaking out and I literally stopped the car ten feet away from the water.”

Jonah Eichner “I was in Israel on this exchange trip and I was walking around with my buddies. It was around one in the morning. We encountered a dead cat and my friends decided to pick up the cat with a pizza box. We were gonna give it a fun little cat funeral. We waited for our other friend to come by, and we threw the box at her. She was laughing so hard.”

Kaleb Doughten-Priuska

Andrea Schnell

“This weekend, I went to the car wash, with my friend Nya and I vacuumed my entire car. So I spend twenty five minutes vacuuming this car, lifting up all the mats, making sure it was looking good. We leave the car wash and start driving back to my house with all of this movie popcorn leftover from Deadpool. And we were eating it, and I dropped this one piece on the floor. I screamed at this one piece of popcorn and she was laughing so hard, she literally flipped the entire box of popcorn on my freshly cleaned car. I stopped driving because I was crying.”

“When I was younger, my dad brought me to this market with him. I asked him if I could get a My Little Pony but he said no. I was so angry at my dad and I was crying and kicking while he pulled me out of the store. And I refused to get in the car, so I spread out like a star over the car door. My dad was pushing me in and I was crying and screaming. Then the police passed by and they thought my dad was attacking me. They interviewed my dad and I and realized that I was just being a dumb little kid.”

Maggie Mihaylova

Makela Lynn

“Me and my friends were going to Panera Bread. My friend Sadie didn’t close her car door all the way so we went around a turn, and my other friend was driving, who is a crazy driver. And Sadie slides, and she is hanging halfway out of the car door. Jenny’s sitting there laughing and doesn’t even help. We whipped around the corner at like 30 miles per hour and Sadie didn’t have her seatbelt on.”

“One time, me and my friend were at Meijers and we were super bored. And we accidentally hit this guy with our grocery cart. He was looking at some goldfish and I told him to buy seven. He bought seven goldfish for him and his friends. He is seven goldfish happier.”

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inside italy

alexandra hobrecht megan syer design

community high students travel to italy over mid-winter break

62 t he t he ccoommun m m u ni ci caat o t or r 62

PAGE LEFT, TOP LEFT: Students walk along the narrow canals in Venice PAGE LEFT, TOP RIGHT: The Island of Capri was a favored city by many PAGE LEFT, MIDDLE LEFT: Inside the Roman Forum PAGE LEFT, MIDDLE RIGHT: The Duomo in Florence PAGE LEFT, BOTTOM LEFT: Students were served gelato two or three times a day while visiting Italy PAGE LEFT, BOTTOM RIGHT: Florence from a window inside the Uffizi Gallery PAGE RIGHT, TOP LEFT: Located in Venice, The Grand Canal is the longest canal in the world PAGE RIGHT, TOP MIDDLE: Pizza in Pompeii served directly from a stone oven PAGE RIGHT, TOP RIGHT: A row of gondolas floating in Venice PAGE RIGHT, BOTTOM LEFT: The Colosseum stands tall in Rome PAGE RIGHT, BOTTOM MIDDLE: A view in Sorrento PAGE RIGHT, BOTTOM RIGHT: View from Capri

nderneath the stone arcs of the Procuratie, a series of three connected buildings in St. Mark’s Square, six students took cover from the consistent downpour. With cold and shaking hands, Ruby Lowenstein removed her raincoat hood and pulled a packet of papers from her bag, scribbling down a few words before the group headed off again to find the next item for the scavenger hunt. This was how Community High School students on the Italy trip spent their second evening in Venice, finding their way through the narrow streets and stone bridges. Travelers arrived in the evening after a seven hour flight from Detroit followed by a two hour plane ride from Amsterdam, allowing them to experience their first boat ride to the island of Lido. They would stay here for the next two nights, a pattern that would repeat for the rest of the 10-day trip led by Latin and government teacher Jason McKnight. Liz Stern, Steve Coron and his wife Kerri, Kevin Davis and Assistant Dean Karen Siegel traveled along as chaperones. Over the week, the group traveled from Northern Italy down the boot, starting in Venice and then moving to Florence, San Gimignano, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri and Rome, respectively. Because there was such a large amount of traveling during the tour, students became accustomed to cat-napping on tour buses, boats and trains. Sophomore Brynn Stellrecht remem-

bers Venice fondly because she had the chance to ride in a gondola. “It was very relaxing because we were just kind of drifting through Venice, which is something I didn’t think I’d be able to do in my life,” she said. “It was kind of an eye opening experience.” Throughout the trip, students were given periods of free time, which could range anywhere from 45 minutes to two hours, for the chance to buy food, shop and explore the cities in their own small groups. “I really liked Rome, seeing the Colosseum, and the people, and just walking around the cities was really cool,” said senior Paul Cook. In Florence, the students first saw the world famous statue of David, the Uffizi Gallery and the Duomo, visited ancient ruins of Pompeii in Naples and witnessed many of the famed sites in Rome, including the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and Vatican City. To fully experience Italian culture and history, students had opportunities in which they attended a cooking school, glass blowing factory, dancing lesson and “gladiator school”. Set in the Roman countryside, the Castrum Legionis Roma taught students how to use swords, shoot arrows and mainly allowed them to live a day in the life of an ancient Roman gladiator. While each student has different memories from the trip, Stellrecht vividly recalls the day they traveled to the island of Capri.

“I remember everything smelling like lemons,” she said. To reach a prominent viewpoint on higher ground, all of the students and staff piled onto one of the small buses touring the island. “[The driver] was making these hairpin turns in a bus that was meant for maybe ten people but we fit 25 into it and everyone was falling into each other,” she said. Junior Adrian Huntley, along with Cook, found Capri to be his favorite place the group visited. Both agreed the sunny weather made the day more enjoyable, as it was the first day travelers experienced without rain. “It was warm and the water was just so blue and clear,” Huntley said. “I really liked the city because the city itself was kind of quaint and small and it looked way different than America.” Students embraced their family members back in the Detroit Metro airport on Feb. 22, suitcases filled with scarves, leather accessories and other souvenirs they had collected over the week. For many of the students, to say the trip was life-changing is an understatement; thanks to the planning of dedicated teachers and tour guides, the trip offered opportunities that are simply not available in Ann Arbor. “I highly suggest that anyone go, it’s really cool,” Stellrecht said. “Order as much coffee as possible. It was a great trip.” To see more photos from the trip, go to www.chscommunicator.com

april apr il

animals first robin skrbina makes the courageous choice to put the animals first and go vegan.

obin Skrbina, a student teacher at Community High School, was in sixth grade when she first tried eating a vegan diet. When she was in sixth grade, Skrbina’s father, a teacher at U of M Dearborn, took his two daughters to listen to a speaker talk about animal rights. The speaker showed videos of slaughterhouses, which traumatized Skrbina. “It was just a huge emotional reaction, probably a lot because I was younger and I just had no idea,” Skrbina said. After seeing the footage of slaughter houses and hearing the speaker, Skrbina decided to eat vegan. When her veganism failed, Skrbina stayed vegetarian. Within the past year Skrbina has started to eliminate animal products from her diet again. She is not completely vegan yet; if she is offered free food with cheese or her friends are getting pizza, she will sometimes eat it, but she never purchases any non-vegan groceries or foods. Skrbina calls this “freeganism”, but about 90 percent of the time she is full-on vegan. She will sometimes go months without eating any animal products and has started to notice her body reacting poorly to certain foods on the rare occasion that she has them. Being in a diverse town like Ann Arbor has helped Skrbina change her diet. As a high schooler, she didn’t know anyone else that was even vegetarian and never mentioned it to many of her friends because people thought it was weird. “My friends from high school would always say stuff like, ‘Well maybe if you ate meat,’ and they still do,” Skrbina said of the jokes her friends would make if she made a mistake or couldn’t do something. Skrbina admitted that The Lunch Room, a vegan restaurant in Kerrytown, would be one of the things she would miss the most if she moves away from Ann Arbor. One of Skrbina’s high 64

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

sophia rosewarne

school friends came to visit her in Ann Arbor over the summer and was spending time with her and two of her friends who were also vegetarian. “He said that joke and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is the first time in my life that you’re outnumbered by people who disagree with you,’” Skrbina said. Since Skrbina has become vegan, she has noticed multiple benefits. In one documentary Skrbina watched, it discussed the land it takes to produce food and compared vegan, vegetarian and meat eater diets. Skrbina feels as though it makes more sense in terms of sustainability for the earth and she feels better about what she is doing for the world. Skrbina has also felt more awake and more energized since she made the switch to be vegan. Getting enough protein is not an issue for Skrbina; in fact, she feels as though she gets more protein than she did as a vegetarian. As a vegetarian Skrbina ate lots of bread, cheese and noodles, but now she eats lots of beans, tofu and peanut butter, which are all high-protein foods. “I think it’s just blown out of proportion,” Skrbina said. “I don’t think it’s that hard to get protein.” She said also has no trouble getting calcium from almond milk and feels as though she gets the same amount of calcium as everyone else. Though Skrbina has noticed many benefits of her diet change she thinks some things are irreplaceable by their vegan substitutes. Cheese on pizza, mac and cheese or grilled cheese have been the hardest for Skrbina to leave behind. “I’ve had good vegan grilled cheese, but in my head it’s just a good sandwich, it’s not grilled cheese or it’s good pasta, but it’s not mac and cheese,” Skrbina said. Panera’s mac and cheese was one of Skrbina’s favorite meals in high school but the longer she goes without eating these things, the less she craves them

and the more she craves other foods. Substitute foods to Skrbina are not the same as the meat or dairy product and can never be the same as them, but are just more good things to eat instead. Skrbina’s parents were a big influence on her healthier food choices. Skrbina’s father would always say that organic food costs more money but it makes sense to spend more on what you put into your body. Apples and tomatoes are the two foods Skrbina always gets organic; she notices a difference in taste between organic and non-organic apples. Some meals, like Thanksgiving - a meal where turkey, stuffing and gravy are traditional - may seem hard to fully enjoy as a vegan, but it is not hard for Skrbina. She usually brings tofu turkey and vegetables but would often rather eat spaghetti or some other food. When Skrbina first became vegan, it was hard to not eat non-vegan foods at Thanksgiving because she still had a taste for them but turkey no longer looks or smells good to her. Eating at restaurants can be hard for Skrbina though, and she often finds it easier to cook a meal at home. “[Being vegan] does limit your options a lot and if that’s something that’s important to you, it would be really hard to go vegan because when you do go to restaurants you pretty much can just get like salad, french fries or spaghetti,” Skrbina said. Skrbina loves cooking vegan; she finds it fun and has many vegan cookbooks that she finds recipes in. Skrbina loves pasta and has lots of vegan pasta recipes, one being a tomato cream sauce, which she thought she would never be able to have vegan. Skrbina compared the taste of her vegan tomato cream sauce to one you would get at a fancy Italian restaurant and feels as though they taste exactly the same. When Skrbina fed her cream sauce dish to her friends, she realized that she really could go vegan: “When

robin’s tomato cream sauce over zucchini noodles

olive oil 2 tbsp.

sea salt 2 tsp.

canned crushed tomatoes 28 ounces

sugar 2 tsp.

cashews 1/2 cup

1/2 cup

chopped 1/2 fresh basil 1/2 cup cup water 1/2 cup

1/2 cup

cooking directions:

1. cook pasta according to directions (or use raw zucchini noodles) 2. heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat 3. add garlic and cook for one minute 4. stir in tomatoes, salt and sugar and cook over medium heat, stirring ocasionally, for ten minutes 5. combine cashews and water in a high power blender until smooth 6. turn off heat and stir cashew cream into tomato sauce stir in some of the basil saving some for a garnish if desired 7. toss pasta or zucchini noodles with sauce and garnish with basil you eat stuff that tastes so good, I don’t really feel like I miss eating dairy.” Skrbina loves using tofu to add a texture similar to feta cheese to her salads and to make a spinach artichoke dip. She also loves making vegan cream cheese frosting by swapping regular cream cheese for vegan cream cheese in a recipe. Skrbina cooks for her roommates and enjoys packing a lunch for one of

her roommates who is also a student teacher. Skrbina and her roommate have been best friends since they were three or four but never attended school together until coming to University of Michigan. “I write her notes in her lunch and make her vegan lunches, she likes them,” Skrbina said. Skrbina doesn’t like being very vocal about her vegan views because she feels

as though vegans and vegetarians often get a bad reputation for being pushy about their ideas. Skrbina has no plans to end her veganism. If she raises children she knows that it is their choice and she can’t dictate what they eat but plans to never prepare a meal containing meat or dairy again. apr il

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Ann Arbor Community High School

t he c o m m u n i c a t o r

Full Service Book and Journal Manufacturing Since 1893

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struggles and triumphs a look at judith dewoskin’s life from childhood to now.

sophia rosewarne tracy anderson photo

On weekdays in elementary school Judith DeWoskin, a Community High School English teacher, left her house where she lived with her mother, father, brother and sister and walked 20 minutes to and from school in St. Louis, Missouri with her best friends and neighbors, Carol and Sandy, both of whom were a year older. DeWoskin spent much of her free time in elementary school with her friends planning clubs and playing games. “We had a stupid stupid club called the Davy Crockett club,” DeWoskin said. “We made up all these terrible hazing things like you had to walk around the block singing. Nobody ever joined the club but it’s just like in Huck Finn where they plan their club. We spent hours planning this club and how people would have to get through this maze in the basement that we were going to make out of string and crepe paper and god knows what. The whole thing was just planning, it was fun.” In middle school DeWoskin took math seriously. She had strong math skills in eighth grade, when she had a great teacher, but was never very good at math again. By the end of middle school, DeWoskin had started to think about good grades, but it wasn’t until high school that she gave them a lot of thought. As a high schooler, DeWoskin enjoyed dancing and spending time with her friends. “In high school I was boy crazy, I liked boys. I had some girlfriends that we hung out with all the time. We used to have parties. It was just an excuse to have boys and girls over to dance. I loved to dance.”

Just after graduating, DeWoskin met her husband of 50 years and was spending lots of time with him. DeWoskin spent her summers with friends. She visited her Aunt Lee in Chicago for about one week each summer. In high school she started attending a music camp, for which she got a scholarship to, where she played violin. She had good rhythm but a poor ear and bad sightreading skills. “I should have been a drummer,” DeWoskin said. DeWoskin came from a home where she did not have model parents to look up to. She described her parents as a ridiculous pair. DeWoskin saw her Aunt Naomi’s marriage and compared her parents’ marriage to her aunt’s. The relationship between her parents stressed DeWoskin. Her father came home late and was usually grumpy when he got home, but out of all of the children in her family, DeWoskin knew how to get along with her father the best. She says that they joked a lot. “He used to drive me to college, he would drive me to Washington University and in those conversations we joked,” she said. “Somehow we got each other.” Everyone got along with DeWoskin’s mother. She was a just nicer person, according to DeWoskin. Living at home, DeWoskin attended Washington University in St. Louis with a major in secondary education and English. DeWoskin originally planned on teaching at an elementary school, but it was her high school English teacher who encouraged her to pursue teaching at a high school level.

DeWoskin would go to movies with friends, but living at home put a crimp in DeWoskin’s social life as she was always dealing with family drama. DeWoskin learned to love modern dance when she took a dance class for a physical education requirement from a “wild woman,” who had a greater impact on her than any English teacher she ever had. Essays were a breeze for DeWoskin in college, but out of class papers made her hysterical. She would make what she described as a “fancy outline”. DeWoskin would write a paper on a legal pad and cut it apart; when she had it organized as she liked it, she would paste it down and write her paper. “I literally cut and pasted a paper,” DeWoskin said. Before coming to Community, DeWoskin held a job as a junior high teacher in 1943 in Harlem. “I loved my life there, just loved it,” DeWoskin said. Now, DeWoskin works 60 percent at CHS. About three years ago, DeWoskin started taking swim lessons and now can do backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. DeWoskin still finds joy dancing and spending time with her friends. She likes to watch movies, read and spend time with her children. DeWoskin has learned that sadness and joy come to every family and has gotten smarter from the many things she has experienced and helped people experience. She now feels more mellowed out. “I still love to cook and I adore my husband of 50 years and I have wonderful children and wonderful grandchildren and I’m pretty happy,” DeWoskin said of her life now.

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ve.

division st.

er a

ﬁfth ave .

mill

7 stories high

ashley st.

1st st.

6 stories high

10 stories high

catherine st.

14 stories high huron st.

washington st.

rty s

libe

t st. s. fores

s. university ave.

church st.

thompson st.

main st.

william st.

w e.

reaching new heights

ann arbor’s housing downtown increases in the form of new apartment complexes

hannah rubenstein eva rosenfeld graphic

hen Dave DeVarti was a child, he sat on his front porch, ate M&Ms and watched rainstorms. Decades later, when he started a family of his own, he moved just across the street and a few houses down from his old childhood home in the Burns Park neighborhood. He raised his own children there, sharing with them his tradition of watching the rain pour down while eating M&Ms under the safe shelter of their covered porch. DeVarti’s ability to enjoy that time on his front porch did not come without a fight. Ann Arbor’s zoning restrictions originally forbade him from building a porch as close to the sidewalk as he wanted. DeVarti and his son traveled 68

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around to houses within a two block radius of their home, measuring the distance between each house’s front porch and the sidewalk in order to prove that building their own porch would not be out of character for the neighborhood. Eventually, he was able to obtain a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and now he sits on his front porch as often as he can. All of that was six years ago. DeVarti now serves on the ZBA, and makes it a point to attempt to help people receive variances for front porches because he believes they are good for the town. “When [people] use their outside space, I’d rather have them out front where they see neighbors walking by,” DeVarti said. “I think it’s a community benefit to

have people living in that way in front of their house where they engage with the community.” But there are more examples of conflicts over Ann Arbor’s zoning map than getting front porch variances. To put it simply, the zoning map dictates what portions of the town are allowed to be used for what kinds of buildings, whether they be residential, commercial, industrial, open spaces or something else altogether. This is called use-based zoning, as opposed to formbased, which focuses on the architectural design of the buildings instead of their functions. Ann Arbor’s zoning map was put into effect decades ago. Any changes made to the zoning districts are generally pro-

posed and advised by the city’s Planning Commission. The changes are approved by the City Council, which consists of 10 members plus the Mayor. One of the biggest changes to Ann Arbor’s zoning map in recent years was

were built away from the core down- ings. town area, however, some of those re“Most of those tall buildings have tail stores left for the malls due to their been built to meet one niche of our slightly lower rents and greater access to housing and that is the niche of U of M parking. Downtown filled up with most- students,” Briere said. “I would prefer to ly restaurants and bars, making it less ap- see more variation in the housing modpealing to people who lived el. I’m concerned about it being primarfurther away. ily student. I think that the student deWhen the city discovered mand may or may not forever be there, that people believed there but the demand for other kinds of houswas nothing downtown for ing is definitely there.” them to do other than eat Finally, one of the main reasons for out occasionally, they decid- the buildup comes down to money. Tall ed that increasing the popu- buildings with lots of apartments brings lation downtown would increase the ne- in lots of taxes, which can be used to cessity for the stores people claimed they benefit the city. It makes sense, but Potts wanted, such as retail shops, pharmacies, is concerned with what the town will groceries or hardware stores, thus giv- lose in the name of collecting taxes. ing those businesses an actual chance of “How much do you give up in orsurvival. der to have this density in the downThat spurred on the construction of town and the tall buildings?” Potts said. multiple tall buildings that have been go- “How much of what was there historing up around downtown. Some of the ically or what ought to be there and buildings meet current zoning standards, could be there do we give up in order to meaning the developer has much more have more density? And we’re not getfreedom over what they build. Some of ting more affordable housing out of the them are Planned Unit Developments, density and we’re not saving farmland meaning they do not quite adhere to the out of the density. What we’re getting zoning code, but the City Council has is more taxes. Personally, I think we’re authorized the building, provided that paying too high a price. We’re changing they get more say over what exactly is Ann Arbor in a way that nobody really built there. According to Briere, it is very wanted.” difficult to tell the difference between She added that the buildup has already those two types of buildings from the been expanding the area that downtown outside. takes up, and that the zones that permit Another key factor contributing to these new buildings, some of which are the buildup is the University of Mich- 14 stories tall, extend all the way up to igan students. DeVarti believes that a Ann Arbor landmarks such as Burton certain percentage of the students have Tower and Hill Auditorium. the means and desire to pay for modern, comfortable housing. He said that these new buildings will continue to spring up around town until that - City Council - 1st and 3rd Monday of demand has been fully met. every month, 7 p.m. According to Briere, - Planning Commission - 1st and 3rd the housing is marketed Wednesdays, 7 p.m toward students. Some - Human Rights Commission - 2nd units come fully furnished or with furniture Wednesday of each month, 7 p.m. built in, something that is - Parks Advisory Committee - 3rd Tuesappealing to student who day of each month, 4 p.m. may not own furniture, but tends to drive away older people who already Check a2gov.org for more! have their own belong-

“Ann Arbor would always be a successful city. Changing, but sucessful.” the addition of D1 and D2 districts over the downtown area. D1 was intended to produce a densely populated core of the city. D2 was supposed to serve as a buffer zone between that dense portion of Ann Arbor and the residential areas. Ethel Potts, a longtime Ann Arbor resident, political activist and former member of the Planning Commission, said that she was active in the process of creating those districts and that the public was not given enough of a voice. “They thought they were including the public and what the public liked—they weren’t,” Potts said. “I went to all those meetings. We were managed.” She said that the meetings gave the public time to ask questions, but not time to simply make comments or suggestions. She believes that, as a result, the city council and outside consultants got the idea that the downtown would not be able to thrive if it did not become more densely populated. “Not in Ann Arbor,” Potts said, smiling. “Ann Arbor would always be a successful city. Changing, but successful.” But there were other things that led the council to believe there needed to be more buildup in the downtown. In the early 2000s, the city asked residents questions about whether they went downtown or shopped there, and why they did or did not do so. “A lot of people said ‘I don’t go downtown because there’s nothing there for me,’” said Sabra Briere, City Council member from the 1st Ward. “[They said] ‘There’s no service [or] thing that I want to buy that’s provided downtown.’” That was not always the case. According to Potts, downtown was once a central retail destination for the county. Once Arborland and Briarwood Mall

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21 things

hannah tschirhart

[When] the guy who invented frisbees [died] he was cremated and molded into a frisby. -Isobel Roosevelt Eight-thousand Americans are injured by a musical instrument each year. -Kim Pieske Giraffe tongues are purple. -Aaron Rogers

At the 2012 London Olympic games field hockey was the 3rd most spectated sport. -Jackie Mortell The surface area of Russia is larger than the surface area of Pluto. -Grant Griswold To be a disney princess at Disney world, you have to be between 5 foot 4 and 5 foot 7 and you can’t have any moles. -Emily Fishman Bikinis and tampons were invented by men. -Zaryah Bower Every three steps you take you step on a bug. -Eleni Tsadis

Banging your head against the wall burns 150 calories an hour. -Nadia Johnson Mars is only ½ of the size of earth. -Andrew Reynolds Adolf Hitler only had one testicle. -Sydney Parr

If you die in your house and you have either a cat or a dog, and they can’t get out to get food, a dog will wait 3 days to eat you and a cat will only wait 24 hours. -KT Meono

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Cheetahs are the fastest animal on land. -Juliette Nanos

When hippos are upset their sweat turns red. -Hunter Guyer Sea otters hold hands when they sleep so they don’t drift apart. -Jenni Krzeczkowski Polar bears can eat 86 penguins in a single sitting. -Britta Carlson

Fun fact, dolphins are born with mustaches so baby dolphins have these like little mustaches which is why they are considered mammals because to be a mammal you have to give live birth produce milk and have hair so dolphin babies have mustaches. -Courtney Kiley

It can take a giraffe two hours to swallow something it just ate. -Julian Mayes America never lost a war when donkeys were in use. -Kyin Griffith

Monkeys eat bananas with the peel on. -Lukis Brod Elephants are pregnant for 22 months. -Graeham Guindi-Bright

review

the witch TOP: Thomasin has wandered deep into the witch’s playground.

a disturbing but gripping take on puritan life in america.

kenneth simpson

et in the 16th century New England, “The Witch” is a movie that follows a Puritan family trying to find a new home after being exiled from their plantation. They find salvation in a new place to call home in the middle of the woods, but evil forces plan to foil their paradise. “The Witch” stars several new actors such as Anya Taylor-Joy (Atlantis), Kate Dickie (Prometheus & Game of Thrones) and Ralph Ineson (Kingsman: The Secret Service & Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part One and Part Two). The cast gives several edge-of-yourseat performances that creates a believable atmosphere for the movie’s 16th

century New England setting, giving it the support to come to life with amazing props and clever set design that makes you feel that you are in 16th century America. This film is a slow burn, riddled with minute but meaningful details that are essential to understanding the full weight of the plot. This sets “The Witch” apart from many mainstream horror movies in multiple ways. Scary moments are usually accompanied by a dramatic musical build up and then a short pause, causing the audience to feel safe until the villain appears to catch or kill a character. Contrary to this usual structure of a horror film, “The Witch” takes its time with tension, which makes you anticipate a significant moment in the film,

only to be left hanging. The film’s frightening moments are scattered and messy, causing them to lengthen the audience’s attention span. A moment in particular was when the witch cast a spell over the mother to make hallucinate her greatest fantasy and turned it into her worst nightmare Overall, this is a different type of horror that may not appeal to all horror fans, but if you come to this movie with a open mind and view it mainly as a period film, rather than horror, you’ll be in for a treat. “The Witch” is an unsettling movie with extremely shocking moments and an exceedingly eerie score. The terrifying ending leaves the the audience to decide its meaning. Overall: B+ apr il

op-ed.

BERNIE andrew gechter gage skidmore photo

Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont, is easily one of the most liberal presidential candidates the Democratic party has put forth in a long time. As a result, the enigmatic and energetic candidate has taken hold of the largely liberally minded population of high school and college students in Ann Arbor. He is not liberal in the sense that he blends in with most other stereotypical Democratic presidential candidates and sides with them on all of the things that they generally believe in. Rather, he’s liberal in that we have never truly seen a candidate like Sanders before. If he were to win the election, his policy would demand what Snaders calls “a political revolution”. Areas in which he demands reform are so drastically different than our current American standards that many citizens are put off by him. Many have accused him of being a socialist for his tax plan and its implications, but a large number of people like what he says about the U.S.’s class divide and believe that he would help reel in a lot of the government’s lost money over the years. Just recently, he managed to pull an unexpected victory in the state of Michigan over Hillary Clinton by 1.5% (49.8% to 48.3%). So, what does his policy consist of ? Sanders plans to rake in several trillion dollars during his presidency by steadily raising taxes, primarily on the exceedingly wealthy. He plans to take this a step further through a redistribution of wealth. He firmly believes this is the best way to even out the class divide

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which has plagued America for as long as we can remember. This could be an idealistically good idea for the economy; it would raise about $15 trillion in the time he’d be in office, which is more money than any other government-enforced policy would be able to raise. Another appealing feature of his policy is how much he sympathizes with many high schoolers who will likely, one day, be ludicrously in debt because of college. In other words, under Bernie’s watch, college will be free. How? Through a tax on the Wall Street speculators that would amount to around $300 billion. No one should have to be as in debt as many college students currently are and have been for a long time because of something like getting a good education. Sanders’ plan could lead to even greater benefits than originally anticipated. Perhaps the best thing about Sanders is that, out of the three candidates widely recognized as have the best odds to win (the other two being Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton), he is undoubtedly the most sincere and honest candidate. Clinton has been caught lying and changing her stance on certain issues on several occasions; about seven years ago, Clinton was an opponent of same-sex marriage, but starting this decade, she suddenly changed her stance and became a supporter of it. There is also a situation involving leaked emails she containing classified information that has been taking the spotlight on the news. Is she really someone who’s wor-

thy of trust, and especially enough so to be in office? Trump is even worse, for reasons that are obvious at this point. He continues to go back and revise statements he has made on live television, and to say the least, his business practices are heavily frowned upon. He comes from an inherently rich family background, and tends to retreat to that family background when facing heavy questioning at the podium. He recently cited his late uncle, a former top professor at MIT, as evidence of his excellent genes and outstanding genius. Sanders has run the only truly honest, sensible campaign. He sympathizes and fights for the average American and their rights with all the right intentions. Even those who do not necessarily agree with what his policy entails cannot deny that. He’s the only current candidate who has a history of sticking to his guns. This is evident in video footage from 1995 in which he tears apart a conservative man in court who used an offensive, homophobic slur. If he felt confident enough to say something like that over 20 years ago, then how long had he held his stance on gay marriage? He really is for the people, and while some critics may be against him for wanting to raise taxes, people should know that he is doing so for a good cause. We should be glad that he won the Michigan primary and hope he only continues to do well from this point on.

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op-ed.

“black-ish” takes on social justice issues

gina liu olivia comai art

On Feb. 24, 2016, the American television sitcom, “Black-ish”, aired their penultimate episode of Season Two, “Hope”, which tackled the issue of police brutality. This episode focused on the two main characters of the show— Rainbow (Tracy Ellis Ross) and Dre (Anthony Anderson)—as they debated how to explain to their youngest children why the issue of police brutality affects black people like them. The episode was praised for presenting the problem in a way that was familiar to many black families across the United States. “Black-ish” was able to display a serious topic on what is usually a laughout-loud comedy show, without forcing extra drama or comedic effects. It was one of the great examples of why social justice issues should be shown in mainstream media in order to reflect on the issues and help everyday people understand them. Possibly one of the most jarring moments of the episode was when Dre delivered a powerful speech about President Obama’s inauguration in 2008, an important event in black history, and how it affected him. “You remember that amazing feeling we had during the inauguration?” Dre said. “I was sitting right next to you. 74

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We were so proud. And we saw him get out of that limo, and walk alongside of it, and wave to that crowd. Tell me you weren’t terrified when you saw that. Tell me you weren’t worried that someone was gonna snatch that hope away from us like they always do. That is the real world, ‘bout And our children need to know that that’s the world they live in.” What came after was thousands of stories via social media that connected their own thoughts with what was on the screen. Prominent civil rights activist and member of the Black Lives Movement Deray Mckesson tweeted: “#Blackish’s reflection on the impact of the Obama White House & the ‘08 election was important & timely.” This proves how effective Black-ish’s exhibition of police brutality not only joined together the millions of black families with similar experiences, but educated the masses too. It is important for social justice issues like police brutality to be shown on mainstream media, not only because it can affix together people with the same experiences, but it can also inform the groups of people who are not as educated. Especially to younger adults, TV sitcoms or music videos can inform or interest them more than a rundown

of the day on their local news channel. When an issue can be represented in a way that is accurate and insightful, it can start a chain reaction of learning. Blackish put the ever-so-popular topic of #BlackLivesMatter on view in a direct yet relatable manner for educated people who did not go through the same experiences. People have been protesting lack of representation within TV, mainstream media and Oscar awards. When shows like “Fresh Off the Boat”, a family comedy sitcom based on the Asian-American chef Eddie Huang and his family, premiered, there were high expectations for it to be realistic and representative. Although it might not have been as familiar as wanted, it also managed to show a side of the United States many were not as aware of. In order for this kind of acceptance and understanding of difficult topics, mainstream media must show modern social justice issues for that to happen. Mainstream media will always be an image of what is happening on the streets. If TV and movies don’t show social justice issues, what is stopping everybody from completely ignoring them?

op-ed.

does the size of a class affect a student’s learning?

megan syer frances mackercher art

From 1985-89, a study was carried out by Tennessee’s Student Teacher Achievement Ratio (STAR). This study randomly picked 79 different elementary schools (from kindergarten to third grade) with over 11,500 students and 1,300 teachers who were divided into either small classes or large classes to determine if there was any improvement in the performance of the students or the teachers. Among the many results discovered, the biggest was that students in the smaller classes had improved standardized test scores in subjects such as math and reading and as a whole, they improved their scores by about five percent. The scores were between a class size of 13 to 17 and 22 to 25. One reason behind these results could be that the size of a class can affect the overall outcome of a student’s learning ability. If the class size is too large, students may not get the necessary attention they need to perform well in the class. All students should be put in smaller classes to have a positive impact on

their learning. Teachers can also benefit from this as their strategies and styles for teaching can improve based on the different methods that they can use to fit the student’s learning. Not only can the student and teacher’s learning grow individually, but both can build a more sophisticated relationship and grow with the support and environment of a smaller group. This can also develop connections among the students. Resulting from the relationships that are built, student engagement increases which can affect their learning. This was proven by STAR, as they found that the smaller class size resulted in a more active presence in the students which led to higher grades. Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, an associate professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University, admits that the effort and participation for a student increases when the class size is smaller. She wrote for the National Education Policy Center, “Not surprisingly, these characteristics have been shown to be important

to classroom learning.” Others may argue that the size of the classroom will make no difference on the methods a teacher uses, or simply that they are not the best educators, but a smaller classroom will allow the teacher to get to know each student better. This would lead to a higher chance of active participation and a more comfortable environment for both the teacher and the student. Along with this, the teacher may have more time to work individually with each student, which results in a higher performance in the class. From this, I would suggest that, at a minimum, academic classes, such as math or English, would have reduced class sizes. “The critics are mistaken,” Schanzenbach wrote. “Class size matters. Class size is one of the most studied education policies, and an extremely rigorous body of research demonstrates the importance of class size in positively influencing student achievement.” apr il

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the trials of technology alexandra hobrecht frances mackercher art

Forget Spotify. Forget Snapchat, Netflix and Candy Crush. In fact, forget smart devices all together. Try to think back before they existed. Because as hard as it is to remember, these inventions were absent from our daily life merely 10 years ago. Now imagine a childhood with these apps prominent in your lifestyle. Imagine knowing how to work the front and back iPhone camera at just two years old, understanding Netflix at three and text messaging at four. In the early 2000s, cell phones had one use: to make a phone call. They now serve a much greater purpose, and although this has improved communication around the world in many ways, electronics are changing the way children grow up. And it’s not always for the better. According to the Huffington Post, elementary aged children use seven and a half hours of entertainment technology per day. Playing outside and using imagination has been replaced with television, internet, video games, iPads and cell phones. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics have stated that children under two should have no exposure to technology. While this sounds harsh, it is for good reason. During this age, infant’s brains triple in size. Attention deficit, cognitive delays, impaired learning and increased impulsivity are symptoms of overexposure at this crucial stage in a child’s life.

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As children age, technology proves to be behind another relevant problem: childhood obesity. It’s not a hard concept to understand. When children spend hours in front of a television or tablet that may have once been spent playing outside, they are not exercising, and they therefore increase their chances of becoming overweight. Two to three hours per day of active play is crucial in the development of planned movement patterns for young children. If they spend this time in front of a screen instead, they are losing this development. While technology is not the only factor causing this problem, it is a major contributor to the epidemic, as one in three children in the United States are obese (Rowan). Technology also can help contribute to the development of multiple mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression and aggression. Young children are unable to understand that what they watch is not real.

When they are exposed to violence, which is portrayed in many shows, this can contribute to aggression. An article published by NPR reported a study found that sixth graders who went five days without electronics were able to read human emotions significantly better than those who had less human interaction. Games, and often shows, can be addicting as well. The more children play with electronics, the more they become attached to situations and characters that do not exist in real life. In short, children need to spend more time playing with one another and less time indoors with lit up screens. It’s not realistic to expect them to cut out technology completely, but limiting their amount of screen time each day will ultimately help as they continue to grow.

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problems with the re-formation stavi tennenbaum frances mackercher art

Beyoncé Knowles, arguably one of the most famous, successful black female artists of all time, performed as a featured artist during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, Feb. 7. This was Beyoncé’s second time singing and dancing in this major event. The Super Bowl is watched by a third of people in the U.S every year, and this year became the third most viewed television program in national history. Before, during and after the halftime show, the Internet swarmed over Beyoncé’s iconic performance of the song “Formation,” a brand-new track released 24 hours prior to the show. In the performance, she and her backup dancers were dressed in uniforms of the Black Panther party, which celebrates 50 years since its founding this year. The choice of costume for this performance is being hailed as a huge political statement, elevating Beyoncé from a modern feminist pop star to a socially conscious black rights activist. In addressing the prominent social issues of police brutality and black civil rights that continue today on such a public stage, which is normally reserved for purely surface level entertainment, Beyoncé has already drawn controversy and criticism from white audiences. To a black audience, however, it is still debatable how much she really stands out as a black female empowerment figure, and whether her message at the Super Bowl was truly a cohesive one. Sidne Fonville, a member of the African American Humanities class at Skyline, a course focusing on black history and culture in America, sees Beyoncé as a highly contradictory figure in terms of the black power movement. “People think [Formation] is this breakout song,” Fonville said. “But the song itself is not really talking about

black excellence or black power or anything. [In it], she tries to be relatable, saying things like ‘I come from the south, my daughter wears her natural hair, I have hot sauce in my bag.’ Then it’s talking about collard greens and cornbread, which is black food, but then there’s this twenty line thing about how she slays. ‘I slay, I slay, I slay, I slay, I slay.’ That’s the chorus, that’s the longest part. She says ‘ok, ladies, get in formation,’ get behind me in a triangle and I’ll be the point, because I slay.” Fonville elaborated that the lyrical back-and-forth of the song, alternating from Beyoncé’s self-glorifying chorus to mentions of her parents’ background weaved between name dropping about Givenchy and the Illuminati in the verse to a bridge about dining at Red Lobster, is problematic because it makes her message incomprehensible to white audiences. And reactions to her Super Bowl performance of the song epitomized this incoherence. “If I was part of white mainstream audience I wouldn’t be thinking ‘Wow, that is about black power or Black Panthers,’” Fonville said. “Everyone was talking about [how] ‘Beyoncé is so bad, Beyoncé is so beautiful’ and all that is fine and well, but if you’re really trying to make a socially conscious statement, people’s reaction shouldn’t be all about what you look like.” Beyoncé as an artist has always maintained a highly visual image, and the way she looks has huge significance to the message she conveys. In the “Formation” video, Beyoncé attempted a much more striking visual approach towards emphasizing historical black struggle in this country and important, often unrecognized elements of black culture. The video begins with her lying on top of a cop car submerged in

water, a reference to members of the black community fighting for their lives during Hurricane Katrina. For the majority, she is shown dancing with her troupe of fierce young black women in various different outfits, each of which are representative of the South and black heritage. “I think that the video was way better than the Super Bowl performance,” Fonville said. “The video was art, and it was really interesting how she did talk about a lot of different things in black culture and black history that people don’t know about. But also I don’t think it’s clear that that’s what she’s doing. I think that a lot of people probably just watched the video and [thought] ‘oh, it’s just Beyonce twerking in different outfits’ or, ‘oh, look, she’s lying on top of a police car.’ Perhaps the subtlety of the lyrics and images in video that accompanies “Formation” is fully intentional on Beyoncé’s side. As a pop icon with a twenty-year career behind her, and millions of diehard fans that worship the ground she walks on, her sending any decisively pro-black message is a huge step in bringing the movement into the public eye and the telling of a black narrative to the mainstream. As the majority of her songs in the past have centered around love, self-image, faithfulness, beauty and female pride, “Formation,” as a more socially conscious song, does represent a major turn for her. “It does take a lot of courage to do some of the things that she does do,” Fonville said. “I guess that’s a reason why you would like her and I do like her for that, but there’s a lot of steps that she hasn’t taken that just makes me apprehensive to be really supportive of her.” apr il

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students need sleep

cameron fortune grace koepele art

For Aidan Cotner, Community High School senior and self-proclaimed morning person, waking up for school to the loud radar themed alarm on his phone is agonizing. Although Cotner explained that he functions well once he is up and moving in the morning, it is still difficult for him to tell his body to get out of bed, often leading to the inevitable tap of the snooze button. This isn’t his fault, but rather biology’s. In David K. Randall’s book “Dreamland”, he writes, “Studies of teenagers around the globe have found that adolescent brains do not start releasing melatonin until around eleven o’clock at night and keep pumping out the hormone well past sunrise.” For teens, this makes falling asleep early hard, and waking up early even harder. There are often many things that students need to accomplish before their first class even begins. Cotner’s average morning includes waking up, showering and getting dressed, sipping a cup of coffee, eating a quick meal, gathering his things for school and then finally driving to school early to find a spot in the parking lot. In order to have a comfortable amount of time to do all of these things, Cotner wakes up around 6:30 a.m. There are other students that are not so lucky. For example, some stu78

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dents require more time in the morning to do their daily routine or have sports practices and responsibilities. According The National Sleep Foundation, the recommended amount of sleep for teens and young adults is approximately nine hours of uninterrupted sleep. In Cotner’s case this would require him to fall asleep by 9:30 p.m., a feat which is possible because of his malleable schedule. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone. John Cristiano, another CHS senior, is one of many students with a crammed after-school life. Homework, hockey and other extracurricular activities make it challenging for him to complete all of his responsibilities before 11 p.m. On top of their busy school schedules, teens are more susceptible to feeling exhausted due to lack of sleep than adults. This is because teenage bodies produce much more melatonin while sleeping than adults’. Lack of sleep can pose a slurry of issues ranging from mental to potentially harmful physical problems such as depression or exhaustion. The most visible issues in school are kids being tired or irritable in class. This can lead to students’ minds wandering, causing them to miss important content or directions. A solution to allow high school stu-

dents to get the extra essential sleep they need is moving the high school start time back. Cotner and Christiano both agree that merely tweaking the school start time to allow more time in the morning for students to accomplish tasks or get extra sleep would be beneficial. Cristiano said, “I feel like if school started 45 minutes later, around 8:30 a.m., I would feel refreshed in the morning.” A perceived issue that would result from moving the high school start time back is that students would end up being at after school activities later and staying up later at night, but this is not a problem. Even if students stayed up later at night due to a later first class period pushing their after school activities back, their bodies would be much better in line with the teenage body’s natural circadian rhythm than they currently are. A good night’s sleep should not be a myth during the week or a luxury reserved for the weekend. A lack of it can cause students to miss valuable inclass instruction and affect their mental health. “Sleep helps me feel relaxed and more excited about what I’m doing.” Cristiano said. “When I don’t get enough I feel out of it and everything irritates me more.”

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the importance of high school youth group

mary debona eva rosenfeld art

Students who attend public schools are asked to keep their religion at home and not talk about it at school. That is why it is necessary now for high school students who practice their faith to not only visit their place of worship every week, but have a place to go where they can freely talk about their religion with their peers. “Given that our society is taken by secularism, we’re a non-religious society,” said Enzo Randazzo, the youth minister at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Ann Arbor, “it’s important for Christians to have a place of refuge to express their faith, to learn their faith and to grow in their faith and then be sent out into their society, which is largely rejecting their faith.” It is Randazzo’s first year as the youth group leader at St. Francis. He works not only with high schoolers, but with the young adult ministry and middle schoolers who attend the parish school, too. The high school youth group meets on most every Sunday evening where they have group discussions about mass

that week, movie nights, Thanksgiving feasts, play jeopardy, make food, pray, go on retreats and do volunteer work. Of the high schoolers that attend youth group at St. Francis, many agreed that they finished their homework before going to youth group on Sundays, so they found youth group as a good place to wind down before the upcoming week of school. “[Randazzo] is amazing, he’s welcoming to everyone and he just has a way with wording things that helps me to understand it,” said Madeleine Batra, a sophomore at Pioneer High School. Batra attends St. Mary’s Student Parish for mass, but chose to go to youth group at St. Francis when she met Randazzo this fall. “I go to youth group because I think it is a nice place to go to not only just hang out with my friends, but get closer with God, in a fun way,” said Fiona O’Rielly, a sophomore at Community High School. “You go to church, but then you go to youth group and you get

to ask questions about what you learned in church [and] get deeper into it, but also talk to people that are your age about what’s going on. [Enzo] can connect with us better and he’s just like a really fun guy to be around.” Youth group has also been an important part in Enzo’s life. If he had not gone to youth group when he was in high school, his life would have gone down a completely different path and he would not be a youth minister today. “When you’re a senior, you’re going through a lot of decision making, like what college you’re going to go to, which will determine the rest of your life… [it] affects people tremendously,” Randazzo said. “When I was a senior in high school, because of church and being involved in youth group … I actually came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a priest. I would not have thought of priesthood at all if it had not been for youth group.” apr il

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VLAD KUKLEV

Just some homework and getting ready for a test on Monday for math.

GIULIANO FONTE BASSO

Probably our science report about renewable energy.

SACHA VERLON

What I’m going to do for the next 20 minutes before my CR.

ISOBEL ROOSEVELT

Right now my mind’s on Charlie, and my family, and my friends, who miss Charlie.

NATSUME ONO

The spork game and colleges.

KATIE GERDENICH

Right now I’m just thinking about going home and getting something to eat.

Pie, because I’m super full, because I had three pieces and it was super good also prom because god, prom drama man, and I’m tired because of this time change.

ZANE JONES

JALEANA PACE

EMILY LETKE

Julian’s smile.

KENNETH SIMPSON

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Summer.

My leg really hurts, I pulled it outside when we were playing capture the flag during gym class.

JADA WILSON

Well, there is this boy, not going to name names, I kind of have a huge crush on him, and I’m thinking about this selfie I just put on my snapchat story, and I’m thinking about whether he thinks I look pretty in it or not. I mean he probably will because I do look pretty in it, but I’m just thinking about what he thinks.

CHEYANNE ANDERSON

I’m just waiting for spring break to come.

picture this

recalling influential loved ones through photographs

giulia lynn

Every night before bed, Giulia Lynn reads her sister Makela a bedtime story. She is in kindergarten and learning to read right now. The two are 11 years apart but their relationship is still very strong. Giulia’s mother is from Pirassununga, Brazil, making Giulia half Brazilian. Makela and Giulia are often at the house alone together while Makela’s step mom and dad are at work. The girls also love to watch Netflix together, and Giulia recently discovered High School Musical and loves it. According to Makela, one of the funniest things her sister does it take videos on Makela’s Snapchat and try to use the slow motion feature. The best part of this is that Giulia does not quite understand it. “She thinks that the slow motion feature is going as she's recording herself so she'll say, ‘Hiiiii myyyyy nameeee" but it's like the slow motion isn't on yet,” Makela said. “Once it's slow mo, it's like really slow mo. She's really funny.” Makela and Giulia love to go tubing together when they are up north visiting their grandma at her house in Boyne City, Michigan. Makela recalled a particular time they went tubing together: “One time we stopped the boat and the tube stopped and she just stands up and she goes, ‘That was magical.’” Makela says it is weird to see her sister growing up so fast. Makela was in fifth grade when Giulia was born and now it’s been five years. “Next year I'll be a senior and she'll be in first grade and that's just weird,” Makela said. “I feel like next thing I know she's gonna be in high school and that scares me a little bit.” As for the future, Makela hopes only the best for her sister. “I just want her to grow up and just be a happy kid,” Makela said. “That's all I want for her.”

bronwyn kistler

Terah Blakemore cannot imagine her life without Bronwyn Kistler in it. The girls have have shared a friendship since Girl Scouts in third grade. “I like that we both can talk about ourselves and help each other out,” Terah said. Terah and Bronwyn love to watch horror movies, take walks and make videos together. One of Terah’s best memories with Bronwyn was driving home after a trip to the zoo. “We were driving back from Toledo and we started throwing french fries out a window. We threw them out the window all the way from Ohio to Michigan, and then we walked around and found the fries and it just meant a lot to us because they were from Ohio and they ended up in Michigan,” Terah said. After going to elementary and middle school together, the two split up for high school. Terah goes to Community while Bronwyn goes to Huron. Initially, this was difficult, but Terah says that they gained a lot from the separation. “It kind of brought us closer in a way since we make sure to make time for each other,” Terah said. “We used to talk on the phone till like 2 a.m., sometimes on school nights just so we can be together.” Bronwyn has taught Terah what a friendship means. “She taught me that friendship, it's when you really care about somebody and you just know you really couldn't just go on everyday without them,” Terah said. “[A friendship] is just knowing that they’re still there and just having somebody you can think about when you’re sad or happy, or just having someone you make so many different memories with.” apr il

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