Update December 14, 2018

Update

Volume 41, Issue 4 December 14, 2018 H. H. Dow High School update.dhs.mps.k12mi us @dowhighupdate

Students express their personal histories through tattoos and speak out against the stigma around them.

Page 9

photo illustration by Katie Ellison, Jenna Wray & Lillian Pressnell

6-7: YEAR IN REVIEW 12-13: HOLIDAY MOVIE REVIEWS 16-17: STRESSED STUDENTS 23-24: WINTER SPORTS

Distribution

Update is distributed monthly from September to June to 1300 students and staff of H. H. Dow High School, 3901 N. Saginaw Rd., Midland, Mich., 48640, free of charge. It is printed by the Midland Daily News and produced by the Advanced Journalism class.

Staff Editorial

The staff editorial is the managing editors’ response to current news events. The staff editorial reflects the opinion of the editors and staff. The final draft is subject to a vote by the Editorial Board. A majority vote is required for the document to achieve publication.

Letters

Letters are encouraged. They will be screened for libel, defamation, and/or obscenity and maybe edited for length.

All letters must be signed, although the Editorial Board will consider withholding names upon request. Letters may be rejected due to limited space, untimely material, or unbalanced representation. A full editorial policy is on file in room 218.

Open Column The ‘My Turn’ column on page 10 is open to the whole school.

Columns will undergo the same screening process as letters. All columns should be turned in to room 218 and should include the author’s name.

Membership/Awards Update is a member of the NSPA, CSPA, and MIPA. Update was a CSPA Gold Crown Winner in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007. It was a Silver Crown Winner in 2006, 2009, 2016 and 2017.

It was an NSPA Pacemaker winner in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, and a finalist in 2001, and 2003. In 1989, 1999, 2000, 2004, and 2005 the Update won Best of Show in NSPA competition. It won second place Best of Show in 2006. It won eighth place Best of Show in 2007. It won third place in Best of Show in 2008.

The Update has won 26 MIPA Spartan Awards since 1989 and was inducted into the MIPA Hall of Fame in 2004.

PHOTO MONTH

Mission Statement

As a public forum for student expression, Update, will honor the H. H. Dow High community and the journalism profession by placing truth, accuracy and objectivity first and encouraging all sides to voice their opinion.

Editor-in-Chief Anikka Thorson Managing Design Jenna Wray Managing Copy Katie Ramos Managing Business Zane O’Dell Managing Photo Katie Ellison Emily Danielsen Managing News Lillian Pressnell Managing Opinion Amelya Jankens Managing Feature Molly Birch Managing Sports Jason Laplow Managing Graphics Grace Sobeck Managing Social Media Hannah Raw Managing Video Trevor McIntyre Page editors 1: Anikka Thorson 2-3: Sophie Ungerleider 4-5: Hannah Raw 6-7: Mac Thackery 8-9: Emily Danielsen 10-11: Amelya Jankens 12-13: Jenna Wray 14-15: Giselle Mahoney 16-17: Maddie DeLong 18-19: Grace Sobeck 20-21: Ben Brueck & Zane O’Dell 22-23: Hayden Hetherington 24: Jason Laplow Assistant buisness editor Irshad Reza Husain Assistant social media editor Sophie Ungerleider Assistant copy editors Lydia Barber Mac Thackery Staff writers Gavan Boguszewski Xander Brooks Cierra Dillon Micah Damocles Adviser Cammie Hall

photo by Molly Birch

COLORING FOR CHARITY: Sophomore Andrea Vargas intently colors a coloring page at a German Club meeting. Members of the club color holiday themed coloring pages to make holiday cards.

The club fundraises money for two local charities, The Open Door and Caregiving Network every holiday season and makes homemade cards to go with the donations.

POP! We ask you the questions How do you feel about Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra getting married?

What do you

Andrew Li freshman “I don’t really care about them or their wedding.”

Cheka Queary sophomore “That wedding was impressively long and it seemed pretty extra.”

think of

Piper Reid

Jacob Hansen

Ariana Grande

freshman

sophomore

“The music video is amazing, and truly iconic.”

“Her new music video is super good and Sweetner was a pretty good album.”

Nolan Kane

Sam Willertz

and her new music video?

How do you feel about the Midland movie theater renovations?

@dowhighupdate

Update December 14, 2018

OF THE

2 News

freshman

sophomore

“I think that this revamp is a good idea, and it’s good timing.”

“I’m disappointed, because it’ll be closed for a little bit.”

Tyler Barton

Charles Tucker

junior

senior

“It’s pretty cool that Nick and [Priyanka] got married.

I’m happy for them.”

Morgan Goudie junior “Her music is really good. I listen to it a lot, especially in the car.”

Jocelyn Cha junior “I like new seats and being even more comfortable.”

“It’s interesting to see him pop back up again.”

Steven Hu senior “I think that is she wants to go for it and be a super star, she should go for it.”

Sam Martin senior “All these new changes would be pretty cool.”

photos by Irshad Husain and Xander Brooks

News 3

December 14, 2018 Update

In Brief: Wrestling program seeks funds for equipment, Parkinson’s research Jason Laplow

managing sports A fundraiser is being hosted by DHS’s wrestling program to raise funds not only for themselves, but for another, greater cause as well.

“It’s also to help raise awareness and donate to Parkinson’s and to help for people with Parkinson’s,” Jacob Bole said. A portion of all proceeds will go to Parkinson’s research.

While some sport programs sell booklets comprised of coupons, Charger cards, to local businesses to raise funds, the wrestling

program has taken a different approach to it, seeking donations from the community via the internet. “[The wrestlers] had to get 20 emails from people we knew, excluding close family, and we gave [them] to this online website and it sent out an email to all of those people,” Bole said. “Hopefully the goal is that those people donate anywhere from $2 to however many dollars they want to donate.”

Senior and wrestling captain Samuel

Kwiatkowski-Martin explains that the funds raised are beneficial to the wrestling program in multiple ways.

“Last year we got new mats, so we use [the funds] towards that,” KwiatkowskiMartin said. “We always use it towards cleaner because you have to clean the mats every single day multiple times so that none of us get a skin infection.”

The fundraiser last year had raised about $500 after only two days of progress.

In Brief: Colvin takes reigns Alpine Club

Gavan Boguszewski staff writer

The Alpine Club is a place where students with a passion to participate in winter activities like skiing or snowboarding can go.

The club was formerly run by Biology teacher Lisa Bilodeau, but has been taken over by Chemistry teacher Adam Colvin. The club was on the brink of shutting down, and some students knew that he had some experience with skiing.

With that information, they had asked Colvin to be the advisor for the trips so the club could continue.

In terms of changes that are being made

Appreciating opportunities Letter from the Editor

Many people don’t fully appreciate the privileges that we’re provided with at DHS. It’s so easy to complain. We spend approximately 30 hours a week in the same place, going through the same routines day after day. It gets boring, but we get used to it. We regularly forget to observe our surroundings because we don’t expect them to change, but that’s when we miss the things that make this school great.

So many things have happened to this school over the past few years, changes affecting both the physical building and the community built within. In the past two years we have gotten new drinking fountains, new shelves in the bathrooms, a new sound system in the gym and new security measures.

Recently, an old trophy case has been refurbished to display the wrestling team’s achievements and sophomore Anna Kozel overhauled the Charger Closet. The improvements aren’t done, teachers and administration gathered over the summer for the Appreciative Inquiry Summit with the focus of improving DHS for students.

This progress should not be taken for

granted. We are so incredibly privileged to have teachers that care about us. The teachers and administration at this school work to make their students successful and to make the Charger family a supportive and encouraging community. It’s important to take time to appreciate what we have because it’s really incredible.

Learn more about the Appreciative Inquiry Summit in Gavan Boguszewski’s story on page 5. Also be sure to check out Katie Ellison and Irshad Husain’s story about the Charger Closet on page 15.

Enjoy the issue,

Anikka Thorson

upon the club itself, nothing too big has been set in motion. Colvin is hoping for students to bring new ideas to him for discussion, however there are no changes that will greatly affect the way the students view/participate in the club. The biggest change is that he plans on having people bring their own food because it would be easier to plan instead of the previously established potluck that the students would all participate in.

“To be honest I’ve never actually been skiing much in

Michigan, so I’m kind of excited to go,” Colvin said. “I was planning on going myself so this will change things up a little. We are going to Crystal Mountain first, and we’re going to be going with 120 people, but it should be fun because I have never been skiing in Michigan before so I am excited, and I know the students are excited as well.”

The club plans on venturing to Shanty Creek, Caberfae, and Crystal Mountain. Their first trip is currently scheduled for Dec. 15 at Crystal Mountain.

4

News

Ever-changing city

Update December 14, 2018

Midland establishments opt for renovation

Grace Sobeck

managing graphics

I

f a student were to take a drive in around Midland, they might notice several changes in the businesses around them. Establishments such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, YaYa’s and others have been remodeled or are in the process of remodeling.

According to an article from Entrepreneur, a business should be under constant renovation. The reason for changing so much is to keep up with consumers wants and needs, which can be ever-changing. For example, the outdated look and technology of a restaurant can be off putting to some customers. To change this, corporate may order renovations to be made if time and finances allow.

Tina Anganis, Ya Ya’s manager, explained how Midland can be difficult for businesses to survive because consumer’s expectations in this town can be more rapidly changing than in other areas.

“Well, for one, people from Midland are very picky,” Anganis said. “They do not spend a lot on excess and extra things that they feel like they could provide themselves or do at home. So

you have to give good service, good quality, good price and be consistent with that. Plus the fluctuation of people coming in and out with Dow always moving people, makes it hard in Midland because it takes time to establish yourself.”

Reasons in terms of renovating according to Fuhrmann Construction Group Inc, are to further attract consumers, enhance the performance of employees, and to utilize space in an efficient manner.

When looking to fortify the looks of a businesses interior, Fuhrmann has a couple tips. The basics would include the repainting of walls or insertion of heat or air conditioning. Small additions like plants or paintings can add a more personalized ambiance. When painting, opting for a brighter color rather than dull or plain color can add life. Lighting can have a lasting effect on customers and employees. Choosing the right kind of light can provide for the right mood or energy for a room.

“We remodeled our dining room in hopes to bring in more of the evening crowd because lunch people are more

casual, so we were hoping to bring in more dining in the evening, and just give people a new look,” Anganis said.

In order to attract the evening crowd, YaYa’s added tables and chairs instead of having all booths. Anganis mentioned that this would allow for customer to move around and customize their seating arrangement. Along with physical alterations, the menu has been changed before in an attempt to lure new customers.

Both of the McDonald’s in Midland have remodeled with new dining pieces, digital ordering screens, and new colors and decor. The outside of both establishments now have a more modern aesthetic. Similarly, both Taco Bell’s have renovated their buildings with the same modern aesthetic.

Additionally they both have the digital ordering screens allowing for ease of order and pick up.

Whether the goal is to attract customers or please corporate, renovation can play a key role in owning a businesses and can lead to possible success that Midland businesses hope to achieve.

info by statista info by NAHBo

statistics from NAHB

graphics by Grace Sobeck

December 14 , 2018 Update

News 5

Summoning school shifts

Teachers come together to bring positive change Gavan Boguszewski staff writer

Giuliani’s Twitter trouble

Lillian Pressnell

The Lowdown with Lillian

I

n Sep. 24 2018 over 120 staff members, teachers, parents, and students came together in the Appreciative Inquiry Summit (AIS) to explore how they could create a more healthy environment empowered to thrive. The event was facilitated by Kathy Snyder and six DHS retirees whose goal was to discover when, why, and how people have been inspired in their lives in a positive way. Their goals were to dream of how they become the best version of their school, to design ways to help them achieve the dream, and to realize their destiny by taking actions to make their hopes a reality.

“The AIS is a model for bringing out the strengths in a system and it was developed by a professor at Case Western University, whose name is David Cooper Writer, and the system has been used around the whole world with large and small organizations to really create change in an organization,” Snyder said. “It brings out the strengths that are already there, because it's easier to build strengths than it is to correct weakness, and most systems already have some strengths in place, they just need an opportunity to amplify those.”

One thing that the summit emphasizes is the fact that positive reinforcement is a more effective

way of dealing with growth rather than focusing on abolishing weaknesses. Within the meeting, multiple brainstorming techniques were implemented within 12 different groups to harness and to focus on the idea of positive reinforcement for new ideas.

“It was a way for Dow High School to really look at what we do well and try to expand on how we can continue to do it better and improve in ways that we know that we can do as well,” Principal Steven Poole said. “In other words, if we know that we do well with communicating with students, how can we expand that to give you more opportunities to do things?”

During the brainstorming session the groups came up with some questions for themselves to answer to help further the improvement of the school.

Some examples are, ‘How can we better engage parents in the DHS community?’, ‘How can we improve the physical space here at DHS?,’ and ‘How can we strengthen the student voice at DHS?.’

With each of the 12 groups tackling one of the questions with the new technique of positive reinforcement, new ideas have come to fruition in an attempt to answer those questions. Such ideas include incorporating parents

“Mueller filed an indictment just as the president left for G-20.

In July he indicted the Russians who will never come here just before he left for Helsinki.

Either could have been done earlier or late. Out of control!Supervision graphic by Grace Sobeck please?” Reads a tweet more in school life for students, and from Rudy Giuliani’s creating a ‘Charger country’, a place Twitter.

This is exactly how for students staying afterschool it reads, I directly copy from 3:30-9:00 pm in case their and pasted it. Because of parents cannot pick them up. This the typo “G-20.In” (there potentially provides a place to should be a space before study, eat, interact, and space for the “In”), a hyperlink was mentoring/tutoring. created. A man saw that Some changes can be quite this domain was available minimal such as the arrangements for purchase for $5, and of desks in a classroom, but other created a simple page changes are more substantial, with the message “Donald and will lead to a greater learning J. Trump is a traitor to experience for the students our country.” As soon as while increasing the number of Giuliani found this had opportunities.

“There are teachers that are very happened, he tweeted that “Twitter allowed someone comfortable in those 34 desks that are all facing front, so it all depends to invade my text with a disgusting anti-President on how we look at that physical message”, which is simply space type thing, we would like to not true. Clearly, he has have a an alternative classroom outside to where people could go out no idea how hyperlinks, and even possibly the there and they could read,” Poole internet, work. said. “I would think that you would Why this is ironic? notice if there's more opportunities Giuliani is Trump’s to listen to people, a launcher to go cybersecurity advisor. I around, you know, some kind of a job shadowing, obviously, you would don’t blame him for not knowing how hyperlinks notice that the physical space.”

Changes are on the horizon. Both work. He’s 74, and was born 20 years before subtle changes and some larger the color television changes could strengthen the state was invented. However, of the school with the staff and this event highlighted community attempting to find new an important debate ways to further academic growth about qualifications for within the school.

governmental jobs. You’d think (and hope) that the cybersecurity advisor would at least understand how a hyperlink works.

At least Giuliani is doing better than Japan’s cybersecurity advisor.

He’s never even used a computer before.

Make no mistake, Giuliani’s resume is impressive. He’s served as New York City’s mayor, exhibited outstanding leadership during 9/11, and his 4,152 convictions make him one of the most effective U.S. attorneys in history, but what does this have to do with cybersecurity? There’s no denying that there are several other, more qualified and tech savvy people that could take the position. This is not to say that he isn’t qualified. It’s just that maybe he isn’t the best fit.

Maybe Giuliani will actually achieve something in this role. Then again, maybe it’s just one more ceremonial job title for him. There’s no doubt that he could do great things in this position, but will he? Perhaps the government should focus on appointing people who are the most qualified and knowledgeable to carry these titles, and treat them with importance while making changes and creating the security that this country needs.

6 News

Update December 14, 2018

50th anniversary of DHS, year in review

Happenings of 2018 in Midland, its surrounding community Jason Laplow & Hannah Raw

managing sports & page editor

I

n a year where DHS celebrated its 50th anniversary, events that impacted students and staff alike flowed through the halls, on the court, the field, or even in the parking lot and onto the sidewalks. The following are recaps of events from DHS’ semi-centennial.

January/February: Midland v Dow basketball games

photo by Amelya Jankens

BLAST OFF:. During the game against Traverse City Central, then senior Ben Zeitler runs across court towards the ball.

DHS won the game with a score of 51-38.

The varsity boys basketball team took two wins against crosstown rival MHS in 2018, first defeating them by a score of 58-52 on Chemic turf, before coming home one month later to beat them once again, in a one-point overtime game, 59-58. Then senior Ben Zeitler sunk a three-pointer in the final moments of the second game to photo by Sophie Baus secure the win. The varsity girls continued CONGRADS: At the 2018 DHS graduation, senior Regan O’Brien gives a the victorious trend, taking home two city championships of their own, first by a commencement speech to her fellow graduates. Over 300 students score of 49-37, and then again, 52-33. graduated from DHS on May 24.

June 2018

January 2018 March:

May:

CMU Lockdown and walkout

Graduation

An unexpected lockdown happened Mar. 2 following a shooting at Central Michigan University. MPS was put on lockdown for two hours, and some initially didn’t know the reason behind it. Students and teachers were expected to stay in their classrooms with the door shut and locked until further instruction. Instead of having two lunches, students were given a longer lunch that combined first and second lunch students.

Prior to the walkout, shootings at CMU and Parkland had recently occured. These shootings provoked schools across the nation to draw more importance to gun violence. Some students of DHS banded photo by Katie Ellison together to march out of the school and POWER TO THE PEOPLE: Students gather outside DHS to demand stricter gun stood, arms linked by the edge of the road. laws, led by seniors Aria Segura and Amelia Mylvaganam. On Mar. 14, a They stayed out for about 10 minutes. nationwide walk-out occurred exactly one month after 17 people were killed in a Vehicles honked on their way by, possibly mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Over 100 showing encouragement or supporting the students participated between MHS and DHS to show their support. students in their participation.

June marked the end of school for students, but May marked the end of high school altogether for seniors. On May 24, graduation was hosted at Dow Diamond honoring the class of 2018. In past years, the ceremony has been held in the DHS gym. This was the first year it took place at Dow Diamond. Due to MHS also using Dow Diamond for their graduation, the DHS graduates weren’t able to stay at the field and take pictures but instead traveled back to school where there they could then take pictures with friends and family. In order to make sure everyone got equal time, commencement carried a tighter schedule. Six tickets were provided for each graduate but general admission was open to students who had more. These extra tickets, however, had to be bought.

The Dow Diamond will be used for 2019’s graduation as well.

December 14, 2018 Update

News 7 November:

FIRESTARTER: The press box sits behind the stands before being torn down, burnt and empty.

In late August, lightning struck the press box, igniting the wiring and consequently lighting the entire box on fire.

A potential permanent replacement could be built in spring 2019 for the use of the community of Midland.

Side effects of swim A defect in DHS’ pool system resulted elevated chlorine levels. While the levels were never dangerous, some swimmers experienced bleached eyebrows and yellow tinted teeth. Swimmers were still allowed to practice, and dealt with the repercussions.

August:

photo by Jason Laplow

September/October:

Press box fire

New student resource officer

The Midland Community Stadium press box burned down in late August due to an apparent lightning strike. The press box was subsequently torn down and a temporary version took its place for the remainder of the season. Talks of a rebuild are set to start in the spring of 2019, according to Robert Cooper, Associate Superintendent of Finance, Facilities, and Operations for Midland Public Schools.

September meant the start of school, also the end of School Resource Officer Jai Mahabir’s tenure. After working at DHS for eight years, Mahabir was replaced by Officer Brian Soule, who has taken on the role of making the school a safer place.

The increase in security systems over the summer allow the administration to help protect the students.

October:

photo by Dana Winslow

FLY HIGH: In the 100 butterfly, junior Audrey Xu comes in second with a time of 1:07.22. Freshman Chloe Stafford came in third with a 1:11.09. Xu also swam the 4x50 individual medley (IM) relay and the 200 IM.

November 2018

Midland v Dow football game The varsity football team lost against MHS in 2018 by a score of 8-14. Though their regular season record sat just above .500 at 5-4, they were given new life when they entered the playoffs, an accomplishment rather rare for a sub-6 win team. They beat Flushing 34-31 on Oct. 26, which propelled them one round deeper into the postseason and set them up to meet again with the Chemics. On Nov. 2, MHS took Midland’s football crown once again, beating DHS 19-38 and ending their playoff push. They finished with a final record of 6-5. photo by Taylor Overzet

HOO-RAH: DHS students cheer at the varsity DHS vs MHS football game on Oct. 19. Despite MHS winning 8-14, the DHS varsity team went on into playoffs, only to lose again to MHS with a score of 19-38.

PLAY ON: The DHS varsity football team goes back out onto the field after halftime. Their loss to MHS in both the final game of the season and during the second playoff game ended the DHS season with a record of 6-5.

photo by Emma Schultz

photo by Taylor Overzet

SKYSCRAPER: Freshman Lauren Haines dives during the DHS girls swim team’s meet against Lapeer High School and Bay City Western. Haines came in third in diving and DHS won the meet 151-33 and 132-54.

8 Opinion

Update December 14, 2018

Tattoos are an art form, not just rebellious phase Katie Ramos

T

managing copy

here seems to be a stigma around teenage tattoos. Some see them as taboo, and the stereotype that high school students who have tattoos are angsty or rebellious should be changed.

“More so adults look down upon me for having [tattoos],” senior Chloe Welch said. “Family members and I think that’s because it’s not really a thing that you’re supposed to have when you’re younger.”

High school students who get tattoos have a reason to, like Welch for example, whose tattoos have a meaning behind each and every one of them. Teenagers don’t get tattoos just to get them either.

“I have ‘peace, love, positivity’ on my bicep and that’s my favorite rapper, that’s his motto,” Welch said. “But also, I think it’s just something really good to live by. Then my butterfly is for an

album called To Pimp a Butterfly

by Kendrick Lamar, because that’s one of my favorite albums, and then on my wrist, I have a matching tattoo with my sister, [it] just kind of links us.”

The idea that teenagers with tattoos being rebellious or angsty needs to be changed. The times are changing and so should people’s mindset on teenagers with tattoos. Although adults and other teenagers might not agree with teenager’s decisions to get tattoos, ultimately it’s not up to the criticizers whether or not teenagers get tattoos. It’s their body and when it comes down to it it is their choice and their choice only.

“I think there’s definitely a negative view, but I think more as Millennials move up or younger people like us that have tattoos, I think that it’s getting more normalized, which obviously is good,” Welch said.

Something else that young adults don’t strive for when they

get tattoos is attention. Teens don’t get tattoos for attention like some people may think. The teenagers with tattoos get them for the meaning behind them and that is something that others should try and see.

“Get a tattoo, and then they’ll find out that it’s not that bad,” senior Chase Perry said.

Why tattoos are portrayed negatively is mind boggling to those who have them. The reason for getting tattoos at a young age is due to the fact that the teenagers want them and that should not be seen as a negative thing either, due to the fact that they are younger.

According to The Art Career Project, in order to become a tattoo artist, they must either go through an apprenticeship or attend college classes, some even go as far as obtaining a degree from a university.

In this way, tattoo artistry is a respectable occupation. Something that adults and other teenagers should see, is that tattoos are how

photo by Emily Danielsen

some teenagers express themselves.

In other words, it is an art form for some.

“I think teens are seen as very fickle and won’t like tattoos they get at a young age when they’re older, but honestly you can always get a cover up or removal and it’s not a huge deal,” Welch said.

In order to get a tattoo under the age of 18, you must be at least 16 and have a parent or guardian’s signature, so it is also up to the parents and their decisions are something that people should respect as well.

One thing is that not everyone is going to agree with everyone else’s choices, but that does not mean putting other people down is okay either.

“I got these tattoos because they mean a lot to me,” Welch said. “They don’t have to mean a lot to anybody else because I got them on my body and my choice of having them for the rest of my life, that’s on me, that’s not on anyone else, so I don’t care.”

Opinion 9

December 14, 2018 Update

Online is not for everyone

Online classes help students to stay on track, if they are self sufficient

Lydia Barber & Mac Thackery

assistant copy & assistant copy

A

s many students would likely testify, sitting in a classroom being lectured by a teacher is often not the most ideal learning environment. However, a common alternative to the traditional classroom experience, online classes, are not always the best option for students. From falling behind in the class due to procrastination to not being able to ask questions to a real teacher in real time, there are still some difficulties that come with taking classes online.

A problem that often arises with taking classes online is students procrastinating completing their work.

“It’s easy to fall behind if you’re unmotivated to do the class, especially if it’s a harder class,” senior Leah Cochran said.

When taking difficult classes, a commonality is students falling behind and not prioritizing their school work because they aren’t in an actual classroom with other students or because they don’t have a teacher that they can talk to face to face if they have questions.

“I think kids can slack a lot for online classes because they don’t have to sit there and pay attention as much,” junior Madison Anzarut said.

With attendance not being mandatory, students can fall behind due to lack of interest or concern in or for the class. Without time constraints, students often don’t want to bother themselves with online work.

“My least favorite part is probably just the fact that you don’t have to go to the classes, so you can just skip it,” Cochran said. “If you don’t want to face the fact that you’re behind in your class you can just ignore the progress reports. That’s kind of hard because it’s pretty easy to let yourself ignore it if you don’t show up and you don’t talk to anybody about it.

When students do fall behind, it’s sometimes easier to put off catching up, despite having time to do so.

“I stay on top of [my class] pretty well,” freshman Maddy Johnson said.

“If I fall behind a lot, then I kind of procrastinate trying to catch up just because it’s kind of discouraging to be behind so far, but for the most part it’s easy to keep yourself on track.”

Communication is a critical part of learning for any student. Being able to interact with other students or a knowledgeable adult is key for understanding new material “Even when you do [have a teacher], it takes a while for communications,” Johnson said.

“You have to email questions about an assignment that you’re doing at that time. You don’t really get a quick answer, you just kind of have to figure stuff out for yourself.”

It is important, however, to recognize that every student has different learning techniques and strategies, and different preferences for the pace that they learn new information at. Some students find that it’s easy to pace themselves in online classes, and that it gives them a sense of freedom with their learning. Online classes can also help students who might miss a lot of school. “[Online classes] give you independence and let you work at your own speed and if you miss school you can just catch up at home,” Johnson said.

“Whereas for regular classes, you have to go into the classroom to get the work you missed.”

Online class facilitator Samantha Nelson, however, acknowledges the benefits that online classes can bring to busy students.

“They can take the class whenever they like,” Nelson said. “If they want to work on it on the weekends, or at night, or if they want to come in for the hour they’re scheduled in the classroom, that’s okay too. They just have to show up for tests and

exams, so all of the other work can be done at home, on their cell phone, or even on a long car ride.”

With the option of taking online classes, it is crucial for students to understand their own learning strengths and weaknesses. Online classes are very beneficial to those who want a more independent and self sustained learning environment, but for those who struggle without one on one teacher to student communication, online classes might not be the best choice.

graphic by Grace Sobek

10

Update December 14, 2018

Opinion

The perfect winter day

Alex Futter My Turn I wake up in the early morning tired, with the vision of myself laughing with my friends while swiftly carving down the mountainside. I rise out of the comfortable bed groggily. Rushing my way out the door, I jump into my clothes and snow pants while making my way to the buffet where I pick out two thick, buttery pancakes that make for a perfect start to the snowy day. Now, fueled and dressed up, I’m ready to hop onto my colorful board.

The first moment seeing the mountain reminds me exactly why winter is the best season. The once completely green mountain is now covered with perfectly white, glossy snow. I see people going up the mountain and gliding back down.

I can see the puffs of warm air flowing out of the top of the cozy restaurant at the peak of the hill. All these things combined, make for a great winter sight.

Shortly after, my friends and I meet at the base of the mountain and we can finally start our day of excitement.

We hit the lift and the cold, crisp air hits our faces on the way up. We start talking about the

new tricks and runs we want to try that day.

As I get on my board for the first time, I feel rusty and awkward for a couple of minutes, but I quickly start to get the hang of things and speed up a little.

My favorite thing about snowboarding is maneuvering through the trees in the backwoods trails. I slide in nervous, but I always have some adrenaline rushing through while weaving my way down the hill. I always love stopping mid-run to just sit and relax while I watch waves of skiers glide down the trails with my friends. While laying back, we look up into the trees and sky and watch the heavy white clouds trickle snow down to us as we talk about our day.

The day wraps up and my friends and I put in our last runs before we return to the village for dinner. I make sure to keep them long and enjoyable, because you never want to get off the mountain when the day comes to an end. When we get to the village, we eat a tasty, thin, pepperoni pizza. Midchew, I look back up at the beautiful winter mountain and think to myself, ‘this is why winter is my favorite season’.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Anikka Thorson Jenna Wray Amelya Jankens Ben Brueck Emily Danielsen Katie Ellison Grace Sobeck Hannah Raw Jason Laplow Katie Ramos Molly Birch Zane O’Dell Lillian Pressnell

Responses: Want to share your thoughts on a recent article published in the Update? Write a 250 word Letter to the Editor for our next issue. Contact Anikka Thorson by Jan. 25, 2018.

Happy hunting During this season, hunters need to respect the animals they kill Staff Editorial

H

unting has become a controversial activity in this day and age. Many believe that killing animals for sport is wrong and should be outlawed. Though human beings have been doing it for centuries to survive, some feel that it has gotten out of control.

Others may see poaching to be the same as small game hunting, but it isn’t.

One of a hunter’s number one priorities should be respecting the animals they hunt. Although man is the “alpha species,” that doesn’t give anyone the right to disrespect animals and their environment by making a mockery of how the animal unwillingly gives their life.

The important thing to remember is that hunting for small game isn’t the same as big game hunting in Africa or poaching. Some wildlife organizations have defined small game hunting to be just as harmful as hunting for large, sometimes endangered game.

Poaching is defined as illegally hunting or catching (game or fish) on land that is not one’s own, or of an animal under some kind of official protection.

Legal small game hunting is defined as the activity of hunting wild animals or game, especially for food or sport.

Poaching and hunting are completely different by definition. If poaching was the same as hunting, they would call it hunting and it wouldn’t be illegal.

The fact of the matter is, hunting is beneficial for the environment.

As animals reproduce, there is a risk of overpopulation. Hunting can assist in balancing the ecosystem as overpopulation occurs. According to

Sciencing, the environment suffers as the overpopulated species continues to eat those below it on the food chain. This imbalance can cause disease to spread and the ecosystem itself to fall apart.

Without hunting, overpopulation could potentially be a larger problem than it already is.

Along with hunting for sport, some hunt to feed their families. One main source of food for people can come from the animals they hunt. They shouldn’t be denied the right to food, no matter how they may get it. The focus shouldn’t be if hunting is good or bad, the heart of the matter is that the animals get the respect they deserve as they are hunted.

The animal deserves as much respect as can possibly be given. The animal is losing its life for our needs.

Whether the need is sport or for food, treating the animal with respect even after the end is crucial.

Make the kill-shot as efficient as possible. If the animal isn’t dead on impact, assist them by ending their life quickly and as painlessly as possible.

If you wound the animal and lose it as it runs away, do your best to find it so it doesn’t have to endure more pain than absolutely necessary. When you lose the animal after shooting it, it died for nothing.

Hunting is necessary for some to survive and helps the environment maintain equilibrium. Respect all animals while hunting during the upcoming and current hunting seasons.

Animals deserve equal reverence in life and in death, just as any human being would wish for themselves. graphic by Amelya Jankens

CORRECTIONS FOR Nov. 16 ISSUE: - For clarification, on page 2, Grayson Clements’ full quote is “The band Gorillaz is underrated, to be honest.“ - On page 5, Neil Janwani’s name was spelled incorrectly.

- On page 15, Tess Striebel’s name was spelled incorrectly.

- On page 16, Matt Murphy’s title was incorrect. He is an assistant principal.

December 14, 2018

Opinion 11

Update

Stopping stress

“Attempts to De-stress”

Anxiety that comes with school

Staff Editorial

I

t’s no secret that some students nowadays are insanely stressed.

Between sports, extra curriculars, and trying to maintain a social life, it is hard to keep up with schoolwork while sustaining healthy stress levels.

There are clearly problems with the way schools are running based on the quantity of stress students endure. It would be very beneficial for students to take mental health days to recuperate from large amounts of stress. Students will perform better if their minds have time to rest.

Mental health days provide this relief.

Stress levels may vary from person to person, but it is important for teachers to take into consideration the students’ mental health when assigning homework.

A major reason that students are stressed is the large load of homework they receive every night. Students

are up until all hours of the night trying to finish their last assignment or studying a little more for their big test. This is detrimental to students because they are not getting enough sleep and it becomes a vicious cycle of staying up late, being exhausted, and not being able to focus during class.

A solution to the ever rising stress of students would be having a study hall or study period where students could get their work done during the school day.

This would give students time to catch up on their piles of homework as well as give them time to ask their teachers questions. It would cut down on the hours of homework students have a night which would allow them to have more free time and sleep more: thus lessening their stress levels.

DHS provides some solutions to try to alleviate stress. One example is having guidance counselors.

They are here to answer questions about scheduling as well as help students when they have problems.

The guidance counselors will do everything in their power to make a student less stressed. They are accommodating to the students’ needs and can help by giving them a different schedule that gives them less stress or anxiety than their previous one.

Along with guidance counselors, the club SADD/ SAVE tries to relieve fellow students’ stress before exams by offering snacks and by giving students the number for a stress hot-line.

The amount of stress students undergo during high school is unacceptable.

Although the stress is overwhelming, it is a prominent part of a student’s life and it cannot be completely avoided. Students should instead learn to cope with it and use the resources provided to them.

Editorial cartoon by Jocelyn Cha

“It’s Coming!”

Cartoon by Loree Chung

12 Opinion December 14, 2018

Critiquing Christmas movies Three new festive films to watch this holiday season Jenna Wray & Amelya Jankens

managing design & managing opinion

W

ith so many new Christmas movies coming out, whether they’re on Netflix or in the theaters, it can be hard to know which ones are worth watching. Two staff members, Jenna and Amelya, took on the challenge of watching them.

The reviews are as brutally honest as possible, and multiple aspects of the film have been rated.

The Grinch: You’re a great one, Mr. Grinch

photos & graphics by Jenna Wray

The Grinch has never been a fan of Christmas, in fact he despises it. When he runs out of food for both himself and his dog Max, he is forced to go into the town of Whoville. Unfortunately for the Grinch, this happens right in the middle of their Christmas festivities.

Resenting the amount of fuss over this holiday, he decides that he is going to try to steal Christmas.

The writers of the film did a good job of staying true to the original plot, while adding some content that made the movie more entertaining and relatable. Through this, the viewer learns the Grinch’s backstory, and get a better insight into why he would want to steal Christmas. One thing that the writers did really well was the incorporation of quotes from the book into the script.

Adding those lines really helped solidify the ‘Dr. Seuss feel’.

The animation in this movie was absolutely beautiful.

One thing that should be mentioned, however, was when they were setting the scene in the beginning, the images were pretty blurry, and moved around rather quickly, which was a bit disorienting. The characters in this story were very likeable. While the Grinch wasn’t perfect, they gave him a backstory that evoked empathy in the viewer.

They did a very good job of showing the viewers different personality traits about the Grinch rather than telling them, and it was obvious that he really cared about his dog, Max, as well as the other people and animals he meets along this journey. Even though the Grinch was supposed to be the antagonist, it was very easy to root for him.

The Grinch is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, and he does a very good job at an American accent. The soundtrack of the movie is magnificent.

They were able to get popular musicians like Tyler the Creator and Pentatonix to record songs, which made the film that much more enjoyable.

The length of this movie was appropriate at one hour and 26 minutes which made it easy to sit through. The ending was rather predictable, but that can be expected of a classic. The ending itself wasn’t disappointing at all. It was actually very heartwarming.

This story did a good job of evoking different emotions. The movie overall was a comedy, and there were multiple times audience members might give a chuckle.

Although this is an animated movie, it isn’t just meant for children.

People of all different ages would find something to enjoy.

The Nutcrac

The main character egg shaped metal box for Christmas. The gif by a note telling Clara needed was inside. Th that the key to the box a quest to find the key another land that has after her arrival, she f mother had been the q realms and kept peace Clara was greeted named Philip when s mouse who stole the He warned her not t into the fourth realm dangerous and mos of the realms of thi the fourth one. Clar on a journey to the the key and restore There was lots of that made for high e were sadly crushed mouth of a nutcrack predictable, hard to worth $8. The plot it the events were a bit to follow, and weren’ ballet. In addition, th in the entire film was Christmas Eve. The characters w The protagonist, Cla

December 14, 2018 Opinion 13

cker: Cracking Expectations

r, Clara, was left an by her late mother ft was accompanied a that everything she he only problem was x was missing. On y, she ventures into four realms. Soon finds out that her queen of the four e among them. by a nutcracker she was chasing a e key to her box. to chase the mouse m because it was st likely deadly. Three is land are at war with ra and Phillip must go e fourth realm to find e peace in the land. f hype for this movie expectations but they like a chestnut in the ker. The movie was very sit through, and wasn’t tself wasn’t that strong; t confusing and hard ’t true to the original he only holiday element as the fact it took place

weren’t very likable. ara, was very

pretentious, and although they tried to give her some redeeming qualities, they weren’t significant and didn’t help redeem her. She was very problematic, and would blame other characters for her own issues.

The sugar plum fairy was equally, if not more, insufferable. Her voice was grating, and left some with a headache. Her character was just as annoying throughout the movie, and her character development was foreseeable.

There were only three tolerable characters in the whole film, of which one was a mouse that couldn’t even talk. While they weren’t animated to look super realistic, they were still very cute toward the end of the movie.

Philip was the best character in the whole film. He was helpful, and kind. He was so brave, unlike Clara who couldn’t focus on anything besides herself long enough to realize who the real problem was.

While this movie presents itself as more of a family movie, some scenes are actually extremely unsettling. While the mice are very cute toward the end of the film, in the beginning they are terrifying. Everything in the fourth realm is extremely creepy, along with clowns. The clowns are super scary from their design, down to the fact that they literally split in half. A person should not see this film if they have a fear of clowns.

Sadly, this movie is not worth watching a second time. It tried to turn a simple ballet into low quality action adventure movie and did not succeed.

photo by Amelya Jankens

The Christmas Chronicles: Saving Christmas Teddy and his sister Katie didn’t get along very well after their dad passed away.

Teddy was a bit of a delinquent, and went out with his friends only to hot-wire, and steal a car. His sister had caught the whole thing on tape, and later used it to blackmail Teddy into trying to get a video of Santa.

Woken up by jingle bells, the children saw Santa, and followed him outside to see his sleigh floating in the street. Wanting a closer view, Katie climbed inside, followed by a reluctant Teddy. All of their mischief caused Santa’s sleigh to crash, along with another series of events, and it seemed like Christmas would be over. The two children were now tasked with helping to save Christmas, and even helped Teddy discover something about himself.

This movie wasn’t really anything special. It was just like the hundreds of other Christmas movies. It wouldn’t be classified as a Hallmark movie, because there was not romance, but it had the same feel. It wasn’t very engaging, and was a bit boring.

There are some parts of the movie that are CGI, such as the elves. The elves themselves were a bit creepy, and looked like a cross between Angela, from the Talking Tom franchise, and Gremlins. They

were obviously fake and it was a little off putting to see them in a live-action movie.

There were also some scenes, like the one where they are traveling in a vortex to other cities, that look as though they are green screened, which also seemed a bit off.

There were some scenes that seemed a bit unnecessary, and a bit random. It makes sense if they were added to appeal to younger children, but they weren’t that beneficial. An example of this includes when Santa starts a jazz band in the jail. It wasn’t actually important to the plot, and may just have been added to increae the length of the movie.

The character Teddy did have really great character development, although it was a bit predictable. Angsty teen turned into a big softie and Christmas believer. The other characters were tolerable, but there really wasn’t anything different about them.

This movie doesn’t really seem to be marketed towards teens or adults. It is categorized as a family movie, but it would be more enjoyable for little children. There weren’t really any factors that would appeal to teens or adults. This movie is only recommendable to people with young children to get them into the holiday spirit.

14

Update December 14, 2018

Feature

Giving vs. taking

Molly Birch Molly’s Madness Human beings are takers. We always have been. It’s one of our natural instincts: you take what you need to survive, no matter the cost. Survival of the fittest, am I right? Back then, if you didn’t fight for your survival, natural selection would pull you under.

However, in this day and age, it’s really not necessary to behave the way our ancestors did.

We don’t have to take from others to survive anymore. In fact, many of us have more than we need. Many of us take our lavish lifestyles for granted while others struggle to find food and keep warm on the streets.

While we sit in front of our televisions in our heated houses, they shiver in the cold.

How have we come so far as a species to be experimenting with self driving cars and have facial recognition software in the palm of our hands, yet some still don’t have a home to call their own? How are scientists putting people into space and curing diseases, but children everywhere are suffering because they don’t have any food? We pride ourselves on being the most advanced we have ever been on this

planet, yet our fellow men, women, and children beg for mercy on the streets, in the cold with nothing to keep them warm.

According to an article from USA Today, in 2017, an estimated 13.4 percent of Americans lived below the poverty line. A family of four below the poverty line can make as much as $25,100 a year. There are some people just in Midland that make upwards of $1 million a year. It’s not too difficult to share the wealth when you make $1 million.

Do your part to help make someone’s holiday warm this year. There are an endless amount of ways to make your holiday break count: volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to Toys for Tots., donate to DHS’s own club Little Bit of Love (a club that provides assistance to those below the poverty line and homeless people), buy a case of fruit from a music student and donate it to a food pantry or homeless shelter. Instead of buying yourself a gift, buy a homeless person a coat.

Take charge this holiday season. Nobody deserves to be left out in the cold.

Honoring a lost friend

Remembering Max through writing scholarship Molly Birch

managing feature

A

fter graduating from DHS in 2015, Maxwell Muessig attended the University of Vermont, later transferring to Michigan State University. During a storm, Muessig and his girlfriend were killed on impact when their car was crushed by an uprooted tree. The loss was difficult for their friends, family, and the community alike.

“Anybody who knew him loved him,” English teacher Andrew Frye said. “To know him was to love him. He was just that kind of a kid.”

Muessig’s close friends decided that something had to be done to memorialize him. Being the prolific writer with a unique sense of humor that Muessig was, the friends decided that it was best to have a scholarship writing contest to remember him.

“They came to me

with the idea and it was done to find a student each and every year who in some way, shape, or form embodied what Max was able to just radiate: his energy, his positivity and his wicked sense of humor,” Frye said.

Some people have contributed to the Maxwell R. Muessig Scholarship with donations over the years, spanning from alumni to generous community members alike. The Muessig family has been the main support for the scholarship, but it couldn’t exist without the help of other donors.

“They have donated money and they have definitely shown some interest in this and supported this,” Frye said. “It’s obviously the Muessig family who’s really been kind of involved with this, but it extends far beyond them. It’s also kind of touched and affected the community in general.”

According to the Center for Education and the Workforce Recovery 2020 report, there will be 55 million job openings in the economy through 2020, 24 million openings from newly created jobs and 31 million openings due to baby boom retirements.

35 percent of the job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, 30 percent will require some college education or an associate’s graphics by Grace Sobeck

degree and 36 percent will not require education beyond high school. Within the next five years, two of every three jobs will require at least a two-year degree.

As a New York Times article describes, about half of Americans with higher incomes have a college degree. Among the poorest of Americans, fewer than one in 10 graduated from college.

The gap is growing.

With college costs skyrocketing and state funding for universities falling, it’s no surprise that the number-one reason these students cite for dropping out is the impossibility of paying for school.

Receiving even a small amount of scholarship money can help pay for college, and the Maxwell R. Muessig Scholarship can assist with that.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be a senior with college plans for after graduation. Specific requirements can be found on the insert. Students looking to apply can submit a satirical writing piece, song lyrics, a poem, a series of illustrations, and other forms of artistic work.

“It’s designed to give, at least, a college boost to those kids who seem to resemble or capture whatever elusive qualities made up Max,” Frye said.

Frye notes that the goal for the evaluation committee is to find a student to receive the scholarship who shares a similar sense of humor and creativity that Muessig had.

“There are some options presented,” Frye said. “Be able to [create] in a way that makes those people who are on the evaluation committee laugh and remind us of Max.”

December 14, 2018 Update

Feature

15

Changing, updating Charger Closet

Anna Kozel organizes clothing, hygiene products available to students Katie Ellison & Irshad Reza Husain co-manging photo & assistant business

T

ucked away in the back hallway of the school near Mr. McNamara’s room and the Little Theatre is the Charger Closet.

At the beginning of the 2018/2019 school year, sophomore Anna Kozel, like some students, had no clue what or where the Charger Closet was. In her Student Leadership class, Kozel heard people discussing recent donations being made to the Charger Closet. Not knowing what it was, her first time seeing the closet was not what she expected.

“It was just a giant room full of messy clothes,” Kozel said. “I did not like it.”

Kozel estimates that there are about 2,000 items of clothing in the closet. In addition to actual items of clothing, there is a shelf of personal toiletries such as soap, toothbrushes, and deodorant. It has been a long time coming to reorganize

the closet. She started the process about a week after the school year started.

“Nothing was organized by color,” Kozel said. “There was a bunch of stuff that was in the wrong size sections and there was also a bunch of stuff just all over the floors and stuff because it hadn’t been hung up yet.”

Almost everyday after announcements, Kozel, along with the help of a couple other members of Student Leadership, would go down to the closet and work.

“We would go and hang stuff up that had been donated, and organize everything starting at reds,” Kozel said.

They would sort their way through all the clothes; a section for the smalls, a section for the mediums, and a section for the larges, and then an additional, separate section for coats. There is a

rack for pants and shorts along with bins for.

“Within a couple weeks, I had everything in there organized by size and color,” Kozel said.

For some, simply not having a coat for the winter or no new clothes to wear can create a mindset of insecurity. The Charger Closet seeks to be a resource for students to go to for such a personal subject. If someone needs something from the Charger Closet, there are a variety of people who want to help.

“If you wanted to get anything from the closet, you could go to the office and ask or you could talk to Mrs. Outinen,” Kozel said.

Students can trade items of clothing they no longer wear for pieces in the closet, as well as take things they may need and not have the money for. If

photo by Katie Ellison

there’s something that a student no longer wears that still could be used for others, the Charger Closet is aims to be like DHS’s own little Salvation Army.

Trading clothes is also a key usage of the revamped closet.

“You can take something you like: something that makes you happy,” Kozel said.

One of Kozel’s biggest goals for the closet, now that it is reorganized, is to advertise it and bring awareness to the student body. Making as many people aware that this resource is here is her next step.

“One of my goals throughout the year, once the current cause is as organized as it can be, is that we’re going to advertise it, so that more people are aware that the Charging Closet actually exists,” Kozel said.

“Before I got into Student Leadership, I didn’t even know it existed,” Kozel said.

Kozel also hopes that an expansion may be possible in the future. Although she foresees the items that students will need, growth is limited because the space is only the size of a small college dorm room.

“I feel like the Charger Closet could use more stuff, but at the moment we don’t have space to put that stuff,” Kozel said. “But if we were to get more space, like somewhere near the Charger Closet, then we could store more stuff.

More of anything.”

Kozel is dedicated to restoring the Charger Closet and making sure that students have access to more clothes and personal care supplies if they need to, benefitting the school’s students as a whole.

ONLY SMILES: Being a part of Student Leadership, Anna Kozel took the opportunity to sort and organize the clothes that have been donated to students in need of clothing or hygiene products.

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Feature

Update December 14, 2018

Coping with daily stress that affects students’ mental health Anikka Thorson & Zane O’Dell

editor-in-chief & managing business

S

tress can be a problem facing a number of high school students.

It can typically be seen as negative due to the effects it can have. However, stress can be a key part of daily life.

Some students find that school is one of their biggest sources of stress.

Activities such as having to study for one or multiple tests scheduled for the same day or preparing for a presentation can greatly affect a student’s stress levels.

“At school the teachers try to have tests around the same time so it’s kind of stressful if I go into school one day and every teacher, like all three of them were like, ‘Oh we have like a quiz tomorrow’ and just trying to make everything around the same time. It’s hard to balance all that,” senior Sreya Manchiraju said.

According to Psych Central, stress does have an impact on an individual’s well being. Stress affects a person physically, mentally, and emotionally to the point where it can sufficiently harm their everyday lives.

“Physically I get really sweaty and mentally more overwhelmed,” Manchiraju said. “I feel like I can’t

Exercise Regularly: Aerobic exercise has been known to make people feel better and maintain a positive attitude.

keep up with anything. There’s so much going on that I’m unable to balance it and find what I’m really trying to do and say in my mind like everything just gets clouded up.”

According to the American Institute of Stress, stress can take a toll on a person’s body in a number of ways. Stressors can affect student’s respiratory and cardiovascular systems due to faster breathing and the faster pumping of the heart to give more strength to the muscles, but in turn makes breathing harder and causes blood pressure to rise.

Additionally, stress can trigger and intensify tension headaches.

Nurse Keith Swett has worked around stress patients and knows what the impacts of stress can be on the body.

“Bad stress can definitely have effects on your physical well being and can manifest as a headache, can actually increase your blood pressure can lead to chest cardio, high heart rate, which can cause some chest pain problems,” Swett said. “And then a lot of stress really, aside from physical aspects with your body has a lot of effects on your mood. Also, your emotional well being.”

Journaling and Drawing: Journaling can organize one’s mind and help get rid of negative thoughts.

Other symptoms of chronic stress can include anxiety, insomnia, irritability and depression according to the American Institute of Stress.

“I feel nervous, it gives me a really bad headache and I’m constantly tired and it’s just not a good feeling and I don’t like it,” junior Cameron Stuart said. “It takes a big toll in my emotions to like, I’m just a lot more of an emotional. Personally, I get mad or sad, really like a lot more easily than I would be normally.”

Some students like Manchiraju find that getting a good night’s sleep is more difficult when stress is added to the mix. “[Stress] definitely decreases [my sleep],” Manchiraju said. “Even if I’m done with my work and I sleep it’s like I’m still stressed about it in my sleep so even though I should be spending that time focused on sleeping and just clearing my mind I’m like dwelling on things while I’m just laying awake that I probably shouldn’t be.”

Stress can be something that a variety of people deal with, yet one thing that can be not as uniform is how people cope with their stress. Stuart has found his own way to cope with stress by trying to seek a calmer headspace.

“I get into kind of like a zen mode, I put on some calming music and I just get into sweatpants or pajama pants and just relax,” Stuart said. “You don’t think about anything.”

Swett believes that everyone copes

Sleep: Getting enough sleep is important for protecting mental and physical health.

Avoid Procrastination: Making a to-do list can help reduce procrastination related worry.

“Physically I get really sweaty and mentally more overwhelemed. I feel like I can’t keep up with anything. There’s so much going on that I’m unable to balance it and find what I’m really trying to do and say in my mind like everything just gets clouded up.”

Sreya Manchiraju, senior

statistics from the American Institite of Stress, Healthline & the Cleveland Clinic

December 14, 2018

Feature

Update

with stress in their own ways. He copes with stress by talking with loved ones about the stressors in his daily life.

“I think the best advice is to know what’s best for you as an individual and always make sure that you’re able to do that,” Swett said. “For me, it’s talking to decompress. And when I’m extremely stressed out sometimes just by simply talking with my wife and telling her what so stressful right now, that alone will help because then I’ve gotten that out.

And I can say it’s really not that much or it’s not that bad, or she can take something off of my plate.”

Beyond talking to friends and family, other techniques to reduce stress levels can include meditation, yoga, coloring, and other forms of physical activity.

“Another good [stress reliever] that I think a lot of people use is exercise that releases so many different endorphins in your brain that makes you happy, it actually gives you a feeling of euphoria with stress,” Swett said.

“I think it’s really important to know how each individual person can deal with their stress.”

There can be times when students need to destress in a public venue or an uncomfortable place. In that case, some students can to find other alternatives to deal with their stress.

“Usually I’ll take a pass and just like, take a walk around the halls or whatever,” Stuart said.

“Just try to get away from it for a little bit.”

Psychology teacher Kathryn Snyder believes that people can make that originally negative stress a beneficial tool for themselves.

“There’s a really good TEDtalk if you’re interested in getting a little more backstory by a girl named Professor Kelly McGonigal and the TED Talk is literally called ‘How to make stress your friend’ and what she talks about in there is, it’s not stress itself that is harmful to us

physical, physically and mentally,” Snyder said. “It’s literally how we mentally think of stress.”

Snyder explained that there are two ways to look at stress, a threat appraisal and a challenge appraisal. When an individual views stress as a threat, then they view it as something that can harm them and thus they experience more negative effects from their stress. On the other hand there is the challenge appraisal where an individual takes the perspective of their stressor presenting a challenge to them.

“If you can view stress as a challenge that we’re actually really well designed to overcome, then it helps our brain to think of other options and other opportunities and other solutions,” Snyder said.

While the negative effects of stress can sometimes be talked about more often, there is a more positive type of stress that isn’t always acknowledged. According to Swett, everyone thrives on stress and it can be good or bad depending how each person deals with it. Swett feels that in simplest terms, positive stress is used as a motivator.

“We need stress in our lives as some motivation for us to want to do things if that makes any sense,” Swett said. “Like when you have something amazing happen in your life, like having a child. That’s stress, but that’s good stress. Bad stress is when maybe you have five final exams that you have to do tomorrow and you haven’t studied at all. That’s bad stress. So good stress and bad stress, but we need them both.”

Stress can be quite prevalent in high schools, especially around the time of exams. It can lead to students feeling quite overwhelmed in a time of great importance and need for mental strength. When times seem stressful, it may just be a good time to take a deep breath, allow for a clear mind, and relax.

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illustration by Jenna Wray

18 Feature

Update December 14, 2018

Holiday food alternatives Vegetarian, vegan students share their ideas on other options Maddie DeLong page editor

F

or the holidays, people around America gather for big meals with their families. A number of these meals can have dishes that can be enjoyed around the country. Recently the plant-based diet has continued to gain in popularity as many public figures such as Ellen DeGeneres, Liam Hemsworth, and Venus Williams have made the switch.

According to Food Revolution Network, in the U.S. alone, about 7.3 million people follow a vegetarian-based diet. About 1 million of those people are vegan and consume no animal products.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, there are many types of vegetarians. Some eat dairy foods such as cheese or eggs, while others abstain completely from any food product that comes from an animal. A lacto-ovo vegetarian, for example, consumes milk and dairy foods, eggs, grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds, but not meat, fish, and poultry. A lactovegetarian follows a similar diet, but does not eat eggs. Meanwhile a vegan stays away from animal-based products entirely, sometimes including honey.

Those people have to work around their dietary choices and make the holiday meals work for them.

A variety of different types of holiday meals can also be made to suit different dietary needs. Milk can be swapped out for plant-based milks such as soy or almond milk, and there are also vegan butter and cheese alternatives. Baked goods can be made with apple sauce or flax eggs instead

of real eggs. Turkey and chiken meals can be replaced with tofurky, or other plant-based meat subsititues. Other protiens such as tofu, tempeh, or beans a rice may also find their way onto the plates of vegans and vegetarians alike Sophomore Gabby Taylor has been a vegetarian for about six years. Taylor explained that even though she is the only vegetarian in her family, her family has always been supportive of her decision. As for the holidays, there are dishes that can have meat in them, which could potentially cause a problem.

“I just eat what doesn’t have meat, and what does I obviously don’t, but I don’t make anything different so that I can eat it,” Taylor said.

It is not necessary to eat meat to get all the nutrients needed for good health.

A person who chooses not to eat meat may enjoy better health, because they will eat more plant-based foods, and because they may be more active in making healthy choices.

Another aspect of having these dietary restrictions is dealing with all the family that visits over the holiday season. Junior Annabelle Park classifies herself as on a plant-based diet, and she also is the only one in her family to have made this decision. She explained that even though her family are supportive of her decisions, they might not completely understand the reasoning or ideas behind it.

“My grandparents are over and they don’t seem to grasp the idea that I don’t eat meat,” Park said.

Some people without dietary

restrictions can have a hard time coming to terms with the fact that if they made the switch to a more plantbased diet, they might have to give up some of their favorite foods.

“You don’t really miss [meat] after awhile,” Taylor said. “It becomes your lifestyle and you get used to it and don’t miss it.”

According to Harvard Health Publishing, switching to a plant-based diet can benefit general health by reducing the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.

However it can also make it harder to get important nutrients such as vitamin B12, Omega-3 fatty acids, and iron.

These nutrients can alternatively be found in specific vegetables and grains, or can be added to the diet through supplements.

However, according to Medical News Today, vegans and vegetarians have a higher risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency compared with people who consume animal-based

products. The human body cannot use the plant based form of the vitamin, fortified foods, or food with added micronutrients, are recommended for those who do not consume eggs or dairy products, and a supplement may be necessary.

Although having these dietary restrictions could limit what is eaten during for the holiday season, there can be easy ways to work around them and start new traditions to continue to enjoy the holiday season.

graphics by Grace Sobeck

Feature 19

December 14, 2018 Update

istory behind anta House

Exploring Christmas past of Midland’s Santa House

Emily Danielsen & Giselle Mahoney

photo by Jenna Wray

co-managing photo & page editor

F

or 31 years the Santa House in downtown Midland has been a source of smiles for a variety of people. Santa, his elves, and reindeer greet about 40,000 visitors each holiday season according to Tom Valent, President of Gerace Construction.

The Santa House was built by the Midland Area Community Foundation and it opened on December 3, 1987, which replaced a temporary structure that was put up and torn down each year in December. “[Tom Valent] and some of his friends were really interested in setting up a Santa house. So they put up an a frame lean structure that was very small,” Ben Tierney, Communications Officer from Midland Area Community Foundation, said.

The current Santa House was designed and built by Valent and his team from Gerace Construction.

Since then, there have been some

improvements made to the property.

For example, Midland had a community fundraiser that raised around $50,000 to put a new roof and lighting in the sidewalk for night time activities in 2013. The Midland Area Community Foundation also added the Northern Star Train that takes people on rides around downtown Midland. The decorations in the Santa House weren’t just random objects that are easily bought from Bronner’s. In fact, Valent had an extraordinary collection of Christmas decorations in his basement that he donated to the Santa House.

The Midland Area Community Foundation begins planning the schedule and organizing events in early September. Valent owns the reindeer and brings them to the Santa House at the beginning of the Christmas season. The reindeer spend time outside and are attended by volunteers. Therefore, several

volunteers are needed throughout the Christmas season for different reasons.

“We’re still in need of volunteers.

So if any students or anybody wants to help out, we’d love to have them,” Tierney said.

This year, the Santa House is welcoming five Santas to spread the Christmas joy. The Santa School takes place in Midland, and for several years it is held at the Midland Center for the Arts due to the 300 Santas that attend. The school teaches the Santas about the spirit of Santa and how they are portraying the Santa character.

“We are not the real Santa, but we are someone portraying the image and it’s a privilege and a honor to portray that image as Santa,” Valent said.

According to Valent, Santa School in New York was started by Charles W Howard in 1937. He was the original Macy’s Day Parade Santa at the time. When he passed away, a

Santa School was started in Bay City in his honor. Valent moved the Santa School from Bay City to Midland years ago. The idea of having a Santa School in Midland took off and the number of people who wanted to portray Santa grew to the point where sometimes volunteers were turned away. “[The Santa School] grows 10 or 20 percent each year, and we say no to quite a few Santas because we don’t have the facilities,” Valent said.

According to Valent, over the last 31 years the Santa House has made a positive impact on the Midland community. It has been part of family traditions for years, and was created to leave an impact on the children as they grow up.

“You won’t forget it,” Valent said.

“It’s not just the Santa House, it’s the experience with this character or this spirit with Santa.”

20 Sports

Update December 14, 2018

Best case scenario

Pinning down details on Doyle, wrestling trophy display Cierra Dillon & Xander Brooks staff writer & staff writer

I

n the walls of DHS, behind a case of glass, a legacy is told. Plaques and photographs lie between wooden frames, serving as reminders of wrestlers past and present. By dedicating themselves to the team, they have shown commitment and determination. Although coaches have changed through the years, this determination remains constant.

DHS wrestling coach Dennis Doyle wants the best for the team and his athletes. Despite his dedication to the program, his introduction to the sport was unconventional.

“My best friend, our junior year in high school, he was over my house at Christmas break,” Doyle said. “And he just said, ‘we don’t have a 185 pounder, so I’m picking you up for practice tomorrow, and you’re going to be it,’ and so two weeks later, I was getting my butt kicked at a tournament in Anchor Bay and ended up my senior year, I qualified for the state tournament and won a match at the state tournament. So in a short time, I was able to have some pretty good success.”

After high school, Doyle’s involvement in wrestling ceased for 17 years. By the time he started coaching wrestling, his sons, Brennan and Connor, had developed an interest in the sport as well.

“Gary Hollingshead, who was the former head coach here, got my boys into wrestling and me into coaching,” Dennis said. “And I’ve just kind of fell in love with it. And I have enjoyed doing it year in and year out. [I] started at the youth level, which was good for me, because I had limited experience and didn’t know a lot and didn’t know the finer details. And went from youth to middle school to now- it’s now at high school.”

Brennan has always seen the passion that his father has for the sport and its athletes. Although Dennis strives for the wrestling team to be the highest quality it can be, he balances his determination with a positive spirit.

“He’s very passionate, but he’s light hearted,” Brennan said. “He tries to keep humor, so he’s never too serious. He doesn’t take things too seriously. He still takes them seriously, but not over the top.”

Senior Sam Kwiatkowski-Martin has witnessed the philosophy Dennis shows the team. Throughout Martin’s time on the team, Dennis has always helped him through wins and losses.

“He’s always helped me a lot behind the scenes just keeping me up,” Martin said.

“If I ever lost the match, he’d always give me a hug afterwards, just tell me to keep it up, that I would do better the next one, and

he’d help with moves and stuff as well.”

Dennis doesn’t just show motivation when it comes to the sport. When fellow wrestling coach David Kobel brought him to a neglected trophy case, Dennis made it his mission to restore it.

“One of the graduates from last year, his dad’s a finish carpenter,” Dennis said.

“And so we came in on weekends and started tearing [the trophy case] apart, but I wanted to make it look like nothing was being done to it just so it didn’t draw a lot of attention.”

Since he started working on the case in early 2018, Dennis has modernized the case, adding new plaques and pictures inside to give a more accurate reflection of the program. While there are less trophies on display than before, more awards have been added to honor individual accomplishments, from dedication to Saginaw Valley or State Championships.

Dennis has high hopes for the future of the wrestling program at DHS. One of his main goals this year is to win a district title in Michigan. His goals reach further than short-term achievements, however. He is confident in his team’s potential in future years, and the increasingly large number of wrestlers joining.

“I’m hoping that the number of wrestlers we have out this year is a trend that is going to continue,” Dennis

photo by Zane O’Dell

WATCH AND LEARN: Coach Dennis Doyle speaks to the team in the wrestling practice facility during a midpractice break on Nov. 29. said. “I hope it’s because people see what Coach Kobel and I are doing as something positive.”

From his work as a father, to his help in developing both the character and technique of his athletes, Dennis is a strong influence to many of the wrestlers. The wrestling team has had many successes, and within the trophy case he has worked to restore, the evidence of those successes continue to be displayed to the students.

BUTTING HEADS (LEFT): Junior Luke Maldonado and senior Tyler Eaton grapple during a match in the gold gym loft. Coach David Kobel referees the struggle.

photo by Zane O’Dell

photo by Ben Brueck

DISPLAYING GREATNESS (RIGHT): Located by the north stairwell, the new wrestling trophy case showcases the achievements of the wrestling program.

December 14, 2018 Update

Sports 21

Skiing in the Mitten Exploring the lower penninsula’s slopes Lillian Pressnell & Ben Brueck

In Advanced

rm

Beginner :What’s your favorite ski resort in Michigan and why?

Nate Rhee (junior): “Boyne Highlands.

I like the wooded forest, I like skiing through the trees.”

Will O’Brien (freshman): “Caberfae Peaks. The french fries are the best.”

Madeline Poupard (junior): “Boyne Mountain. It has better runs than most of the other places and the snow tends to be more groomed.”

te

managing news & managing web

ed

Q

ia te graphic by Ben Brueck

Andrew Carras (senior): “Nubs Nob. It’s just the best.”

Hans Dehn (senior): “Crystal Mountain.

I like Crystal because you can do some sweet tricks down there, man.”

Emma Meitler (senior): “Snow Snake. I learned how to snowboard there.”

Julia Davis (junior): “Nubs Nob. It has a large variety of runs.”

The resorts in order of percentage of beginner terrain offered.

50%

13.

16.

5.

2.

12.

7.

17.

3.

9.

10.

1.

6.

4.

19.

40%

30%

20%

graphic by Grace Sobeck

graphic by Ben Brueck

1. Boyne Mountain 143 mi Vertical: 500 ft · Trails: 60 · Lifts: 12 Lift ticket $77, rental $45 2. Boyne Highlands 164 mi Vertical: 552 ft · Trails: 55 · Lifts: 10 Lift ticket $77, rental $45 3. Nubs Nob 172 mi Vertical: 427 ft · Trails: 53 · Lifts: 11 Lift ticket $73, rental $45 4. Crystal Mountain 120 mi Vertical: 375 ft · Trails: 58 · Lifts: 8 Lift ticket $46, rental $38 5. Shanty Creek 136 mi Vertical: 450 ft · Trails: 53 · Lifts: 12 Lift ticket $40, rental $42 6. The Homestead 149 mi Vertical: 375 ft · Trails: 15 · Lifts: 5 Lift ticket $9, rental $31 7. Cannonsburg 109 mi Vertical: 250 ft · Trails: 20 · Lifts: 10 Lift ticket, $37, rental $25 8. Caberfae 100 mi Vertical: 485 ft · Trails: 34 · Lifts: 5 Lift ticket $44, rental $31 9. Snow Snake 46 mi Vertical: 210 ft · Trails: 10 · Lifts: 6 Lift ticket $30, rental $35 10. Treetops 128 mi Vertical: 225 ft · Trails: 23 · Lifts: 7 Lift ticket $42, rental $40 11. Otsego Club 124 mi Vertical: 358 ft · Trails: 31 · Lifts: 5 Lift ticket $50, rental $42 12. Mt. Holiday 129 mi Vertical: 180 ft · Trails: 14 · Lifts: 5 Lift ticket $34, rental $22 13. Hanson Hills 99 mi Vertical: 225 ft · Trails: 11 · Lifts: 4 Lift ticket $25, rental $20 14. Mt. Holly 77 mi Vertical: 350 ft · Trails: 19 · Lifts: 7 Lift ticket $57, rental $30 15. Pine Knob 92 mi Vertical: 300 ft · Trails: 17 · Lifts: 12 Lift ticket $57, rental $30 16. Alpine Valley 97 mi Vertical: 300 ft · Trails: 25 · Lifts: 14 Lift ticket $47, rental $29 17. Mt. Brighton 100 mi Vertical: 230 ft · Trails: 26 · Lifts: 18 Lift Ticket $52, rental $30 18. Bittersweet 178 mi Vertical: 350 ft · Trails: 20 · Lifts: 15 Lift Ticket $48, rental $27 19. Timber Ridge 182 mi Vertical: 240 ft · Trails: 16 · Lifts: 10 Lift ticket $45, rental $20

22 Sports

Update December 14, 2018

When I grow up

Jason Laplow Ben

Rooting for your home team DHS students’ pro team alliances page editor

4%

Laplow’s Look As with most childhood dreams, my aspirations have come and gone throughout my life. At five years old, I wanted to be a firefighter, before my sister told me that she was afraid that I would die. There was a period of time where I thought for sure that I would grow up to be a pilot, but after the realization that being a pilot takes more than just knowing how to use a flight simulator, I found myself clueless once again as to what job my daily adult life would consist of.

Around sixth grade, I found that I had a strength for writing.

Coupled with the fact that I loved sports, I made a decision: I was going to grow up to be a sports writer.

Being the sports editor for a high school newspaper isn’t a bad first step, but I’m not entirely sure that print media is the path that I want to take. It’s becoming increasingly hard to be a journalist in today’s day and age.

Last year, I began broadcasting some of DHS’s sporting events. I was at first too shy to go behind the microphone, but I later warmed up and called a few games of basketball. In the

spring, I was able to call baseball and use all of the phrases that were jammed into my head from years of watching baseball on TV. While being an MLB announcer truly is my dream job, there is an extremely small market for them. Thirty teams times two announcers per team equals 60 jobs, making it one of the rarest professions in the country. Through my work in journalism and sports streaming, I’ve decided that I would at least like to go down the sports journalism path, though I might not necessarily grow up to be a big-timeon-the-air reporter.

Rather, I’d like to work behind-the-scenes, on the graphical overlays, running the clock, changing the score, etc.

I’d even be fine with being a cameraman. It amazed me as a child that production crew members got to watch games for free -- they even got payed to do it.

I encourage everyone, whether you’re interested in sports or not, to help out with sports streaming. It might not be what you go into, but it certainly looks good on a resume, and it’s fun, if you’re a sports geek like me.

10.3%

Hayden Hetherington

5.6%

6.3%

Have you changed alliances in the past few years?

7.6%

49.2%

4.2% 3.4%

64.6% 4.9%

44.2%

6.3%

5.6%

6.9%

7.6% Statistics from a survey taken by 160 staff and students at DHS graphics by Hayden Hetherington

32.2% 14.4%

7.6%

10.2%

December 14, 2018 Update

Sports 23

Scopes in a blind, poles in a lake Student, staff hunters make their mark on opening day Trevor McIntyre

managing video

H

unting has been seen as a popular pastime for millions of people for generations, however originally some people hunted because meat was their main food source. Nowadays, hunters go hunting for sport or as a tradition, and use their kill for venison or other cuts of meat. It’s not a main food source for most people these days, but being able to feed a family for weeks after spending time outdoors with friends and family is a bonus.

In 2017, 574,127 individuals spent a combined 8.7 million days outdoors hunting in Michigan according

to the Department of Natural Resource’s 2017 deer harvest survey report. About 50 percent of those people were able to harvest a deer, which is up from the 22 percent it was in 2016. Out of everyone who purchased a license in 2017, 11 percent were under the age of 17.

This year, for the 2018 season opening day on Nov. 14, some students took off school to go hunting.

Junior Zach Seipke was one of them.

“My dad got me into hunting and has been taking me ever since I was a kid,” Seipke said. “Once I got old enough, I started hunting by myself. It has been a tradition to hunt, take off school, whatever we have to do to make it to the woods to hunt.”

Over the nine years he’s been hunting, Seipke recalled his favorite time.

“The most memorable moment that has happened hunting was last week,” Seipke said. “I was hunting in the U.P. and had the chance to shoot a nice buck that was running after a doe. I had about five seconds to grab my gun, open the window quietly and then pull the shot off. It worked well in my favor and it was one of the most memorable, exciting, and nerve wracking moments I’ve had hunting.”

Another winter sport in Michigan is ice fishing.

With over 11,000 lakes in the state, it’s not possible to be more than 6 miles away from a body of water, and never more than 85 miles away from one of the Great Lakes according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. With all this water, in the Hunting has been seen as a popular pastime for millions of people for generations, however originally some people hunted because meat was their main food source. Nowadays, hunters go hunting for sport or as a tradition, and use their kill for venison or other cuts of meat. It's not a main food source for most people these days, but being able to feed your family for weeks after spending time outdoors with friends and family is a bonus.

In 2017, 574,127 individuals spent a combined 8.7 million days outdoors hunting in Michigan according to the Department of Natural Resource’s 2017 deer harvest survey report. About 50 percent of those people were able to harvest a deer, which is up from the 22 percent it was in 2016. Out of everyone who purchased a license in 2017, 11 percent were under the age of 17.

This year for the 2018 season opening day on Nov. 14, some students took off school to go hunting. Junior Zach Seipke was one of them.

“My dad got me into hunting and has been taking me ever since I was a kid. Once I got old enough, I started hunting by myself,” Seipke said. “It has been a tradition to hunt, take off school, whatever we have to do to make it to the woods to hunt.”

Over all the nine years he’s been hunting, Seipke recalled his most memorable moment.

“The most memorable moment that has happened hunting was last week,” Seipke said. “I was hunting in the U.P. and had the chance to shoot a nice buck that was running after a doe. I had about five seconds to grab my gun, open the window quietly and then pull the shot off. It worked well in my favor and it was one of the most memorable, exciting, and nerve wracking moments I’ve had hunting.”

Another winter sport in Michigan is ice fishing. With over 11,000 lakes in the state, it's not possible to be more than 6 miles away from a body of water, and never more than 85 miles away from one of the Great Lakes according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. With all this water, in the winter the ice doesn’t stop people from fishing. Ice fishing consists of taking an ice shanty, a lightweight portable shed, out onto a lake and then drilling a hole in the ice to drop your line through. The most common fish seen ice fishing in Michigan are bluegill, crappie, bass, perch, walleye, and pike according to Sport Fish Michigan.

Junior Aaron Vlasak, who is an experienced angler, has been fishing most of his life.

“I can’t even remember the first time I went ice fishing, I was probably tiny,” Vlasak said.

“My dad got me into ice fishing, we would always go to lakes around my house in Minnesota and catch a ton of panfish. All of my family members and grandparents do it so it's been a tradition for a while.”

Vlasak reminisced on some of the better times he's had out on the ice.

“The most memorable time I had ice fishing was when me and my dad took one of my friends out for his first time and he was the only one who caught anything, it was a lot of fun and was really cold,” Vlasak said.

In Michigan, the cold doesn’t stop people from getting outside and enjoying the outdoors. Michigan was named one of the top 15 most outdoorsy states by The Active Times, with the Great Lakes being one of the main reasons. There are plenty of options for activities with the state's vast amount of land and lakes to go out and explore, and maybe bag a nice buck or catch a nice fish out on the water.

winter the ice doesn’t stop people from fishing. Ice fishing consists of taking an ice shanty, a lightweight portable shed, out onto a lake and then drilling a hole in the ice to drop your line through. The most common fish seen ice fishing in Michigan are bluegill, crappie, bass, perch, walleye, and pike according to Sport Fish Michigan.

Junior Aaron Vlasak, who is an experienced angler, has been fishing most of his life.

“I can’t even remember the first time I went ice fishing, I was probably tiny,” Vlasak said. “My dad got me into ice fishing, we would always go to lakes around my house in Minnesota and catch a ton of panfish. All of my family members and grandparents do it so it’s been a tradition for a while.”

Vlasak reminisced on some of the better times he’s had out on the ice.

“The most memorable time I had ice fishing was when me and my dad took one of my friends out for his first time and he was the only one who caught anything, it was a lot of fun and was really cold,” Vlasak said.

In Michigan, the cold doesn’t stop people from getting outside and enjoying the outdoors. Michigan was named one of the top 15 most outdoorsy states

by The Active Times, with the Great Lakes being one of the main reasons. There are plenty of options for activities with the state’s vast amount of land and lakes to go out and explore, and maybe bag a nice buck or catch a nice fish out on the water.

SEIPKE SCORES BIG: Juinor Zach Seipke holds his 8 point buck. The 205 lb deer was killed on Nov. 15. The picture below was the view from his hunting blind. The blind is up at the Hiawatha sportsman’s club.

photos courtesy of Zach Seipke

Sports 24

December 14, 2018 Update

photo courtesy of Brandon Kovacavich

photos courtesy of Aaron Vlasak

GOT EM’: Junior Aaron Vlasak holds the horns of his eight point buck.

He captured this deer in 2015 in Alcona county.

FROZEN FISH: A bucket of fresh fish caught by Vlasak after a day of fishing. He was fishing with his dad in Minnesota in 2015.

PORCUPINES TOO: Vlasak holds a porcupine that he killed with an AR-15. “It was really cold,” Vlasak said. “I’m suprised we got anything“.

GONE FISHIN’: A fishing pole pierces through the snow. The bobber was set up at the surface of the water to alert senior Brandon Kovacevich when there was a fish on the line.

TRUCKIN’: Junior Aaron vlasak sits atop a 1976 sqaure body Chevy. He was in Alcona county with a 12-guage shotgun in October 2018.

photo courtesy of Lily Mavis

OPENING DAY KILL: Sophomore Lily Mavis holds a doe that she shot on opening day 2018. She shot the deer from approximately 200 feet away.

DOG AND MAN: English teacher Brent Chambers and his vizsla, Kima. Chambers hunted woodcock with his dog in October 2018.

Big game photography continued from page 23

photos courtesy of Brent Chambers

BIRD HUNT: Chambers’ dog, Kima, alongside a Beretta and grouse.

Chambers hunted with a friend in December 2018.