Update December 15, 2017

Update

Volume 40, Issue 4 Dec. 15, 2017 H. H. Dow High School

Little helper

Volunteering at the Santa House with other local high schoolers, junior Sarah Pisarczyk waits with visitors in line where they write their names in Santa’s book.

page 18

photo by Lillian Pressnell

4: DowDuPont merger and spin, 12: 2017 music standouts, 14: Exploring the effects of sleep deprivation, 24: Managing hockey traditions

Update December 15, 2017

News

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 JEA, 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 22 MIPA Spartan Awards since 1989 and was inducted into the MIPA Hall of Fame in 2004.

Editor in Chief Maggie Duly Managing Design Farryn Cook Managing Copy Lillian Pressnell Managing Business Jon Baillargeon Managing Photo Katie Ellison Managing News Andre Buckley Managing Opinion Sophie Baus Managing Feature Anikka Thorson Managing Sports Ben Zeitler Managing Social Media Helena Nitschky Managing Video Trevor McIntyre Cartoonist Loree Chung Page editors 1: Maggie Duly 2-3: Faye Kollig 4-5: Hannah Raw 6-7: Quinn McCaffrey 8-9: Amelya Jankens 10-11: Jenna Wray 12-13: Farryn Cook 14-15: Camryn McGee 16-17: Abby Peterson 18-19: Helena Nitschky 20-21: John Rettig 22-23: Alex Doty 24: Ben Zeitler Assistant copy editors Faye Kollig Katie Ramos Staff writers Robert Heyert EmiLee Hunt Irshad Husain Zane O’Dell Zach Parfeniuk Jaxon Sowle Adviser Cammie Hall

PHOTO MONTH

Check out the Update

@dowhighupdate

photo by Grace Baillargeon

CROSS TOWN RIVALS CROSS STICKS: Junior Joey Johnson approaches the Chemic goal at the DHS vs. MHS boys varsity hockey game at the Midland Civic Arena on Dec. 6. The teams were tied up at the end of the first period and were locked in a stalemate in the second. In the third, penalties gave the Chargers a chance to pull ahead for a 5-1 victory.

REACTIONS Anna Kozel “I think charity is more important during the holiday season, because there’s kids there who don’t have gifts and stuff, and by raising money for charity it gives them the opportunity to have a good holiday season.”

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Jason Fagan “[I like] to go sledding but like stand up on my sled because it’s a lot more fun. You fall off more, it like spices it up.”

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Abby Carn

Ryan Flint

“I think it’s a good idea to get a good night’s rest, because it affects both your ability to focus and to retain information and it helps overall with your performance in school.”

“I personally think that hockey is the most fun to cheer for, because there’s the glass and just the whole atmosphere of having the whole rink just adds a little bit to it with everybody pounding on the glass.”

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WINTER SPORTS

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.

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

SLEEP

Staff Editorial

Mission Statement

OF THE

Update is distributed monthly from September to June to 1350 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.

STAYCATION

Distribution

GIVING BACK AT HOLIDAYS

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December 15, 2017

Update

News 3

THE FEED

National Day of Silence Zane O’Dell

Cram Night The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library will be holding their annual Cram Night for high school students to prepare for exams on Sunday, Jan. 21.

It starts at 5:30 p.m. and ends at 8:00 p.m. The library will only be open to high school students attending Cram Night, so it is recommended to bring student identification to get into the event. Pizza, drinks, and other snacks will be provided as well.

Siemens Science Competition

On Dec. 1, seniors Brandon Zhu and Daniel Zhang traveled to Washington D.C. to compete in the Siemens National Science Competition. Their main goal was to compete for over $500,000 in scholarships, and they ended up in third place with a $25,000 scholarship to share.

The topic of the project was sustained release of active pharmaceuticals.

Letter to the Editor

Cheer is an official sport

Sports

Letter from the Editor

Over a year has gone by since the 2016 election and this January will mark President Donald Trump’s first year in office.

Beginning with the build up of the election, our nation has been in a divide. Party affiliation and candidate support has tormented family and friend relationships.

We now live in a world where speaking our minds might lead to forming enemies out of people we’ve never had the chance to fully acquaint with. With this mentality, some Americans have lost the ability to be respectful listeners to fellow Americans that have a difference of opinion. What happened to speaking freely without being attacked in public or on social media?

With recent news, people have become more and more vocal with their opinions on social media. It is important to have an efficient and timely outlet to share thoughts, but places like Facebook and Twitter have become a platform for this

staff writer

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Kindness can bridge the divide

Update November 17, 2017

The great “athletic” altercation

Pom, cheer, robotics underappreciated for their time, effort Sophie Baus managing opinion

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n one fluid motion, junior Reema Patel simultaneously raises her racket and tosses the textured yellow ball high into the air, serving across the net into the opponent’s half of the court. This physical effort is just one of the many things that leads tennis to be commonly labeled as a sport. However, some programs that don’t hold this label raise question as to whether they should deserve the sport tag. Among the debated programs are robotics, pom, and cheer.

According to the MerriamWebster Learner’s dictionary, a sport is “a contest or game in which people do certain physical activities according to a specific set of rules and compete against each other”. In general, a sport is “a physical activity that is done for enjoyment.”

For students, each one has a different definition of what a sport actually is.

“You could say that [a sport] is some athletic thing, but at the same time, in the Olympics, shooting a gun at a target is a sport and that doesn’t require necessarily physical activity,”

senior Nick Collins said. “So, something that challenges the mind, not necessarily in a physical way.”

Robotics members receive varsity letters. Even with the recieval of varsity letters, some consider robotics a sport while others do not. “[Robotics] involve the amount of intensity that a varsity sport does and the amount of dedication varsity athletes put in is [the] same or if not greater on the robotics team,” Collins said.

Also a robotics member, Patel does not consider robotics to be a physical sport. However, Patel does believe that because robotics members do compete in matches and against other opponents, it is considered like a sport in that aspect.

“I do not consider [robotics] a sport because I play on the golf and tennis teams for school and I consider those more of a sport because it’s more of a physical activity,” Patel said. “For robotics, sure, you move around and build a robot, but you’re not physically doing anything. The robot is the one really doing the

work on the field, like there’s someone driving it for sure and people also are on the field, but you yourself are not the person out there and going and playing the game. I wouldn’t consider it a sport because it’s not you yourself doing the activity.”

Even though fall pom is not officially considered a sport by the school, junior Maggi McMahon believes that just like the winter/competition season, it should be considered a sport.

“We’ve tried to [officially] change [the club to a sport] because it’s a lot of physical activity and it does become competition and we put a lot of work into it, so I consider it a sport,” McMahon said.

McMahon believes that a sport is anything that has a lot of work put into it for a physical competition and contains physical activity.

“We do a lot of conditioning,” McMahon said. “We do ab work and work out our legs a lot and we drill kickline and the routines a lot so like the work that goes into it, the physical activity, is one big part. Then the competition as well because

we have a competition season where we compete against other teams all across Michigan and if there’s competition, I definitely consider it a sport.”

On the other hand, some students suggest that pom and cheer are not sports. Patel considers the two as sports, however, in competition settings.

“I believe like in the competition setting [pom and cheer are sports], but not at like football games, not when you’re like doing routines and things like that,” Patel said.

While some might not consider cheer a sport, students like McMahon think otherwise because of the certain athletic and ambitious skills required.

“I consider cheer a sport because again there’s a lot of physical activity, it’s really competitive, and they put a ton into it,” McMahon said.

Some people deny that activities such as pom, cheer, and robotics should be classified as sports, while others argue vehemently that these activities are deserving of the title. Regardless of how

heavily the definition of sport is debated, there will always be controversy when it comes to the interpretation of the word sport.

Ethan Poupard, 12

photo by John Rettig

Q A

: Do you believe robotics is a sport?

I found Q misinformation in the A Update’s Novembher article “The Great ‘Athletic’ Altercation”.

Two parts specifically are incorrect: “…some programs [cheer] … don’t hold this label [sport]” and “I would also qualify cheer and pom as not being a sport, because you are not competing (sic) against someone directly.” I will speak specifically only about cheer because I have 40 years of experience in cheerleading.

I have no experience with pom or robotics.

Winter competitive cheer has been an MHSAA sport in Michigan since 1994. Both acrobatics and tumbling and STUNT are recognized as emerging NCAA sports. Finally, in 2016 the IOC (International Olympics Committee) voted to recognize cheerleading as a sport and granted it provisional Olympic status. Dow offers fall sideline cheer (a club) and winter competitive cheer (an MHSAA sport). Dow’s home competition is on January 30, come check it out!

Thank you, Kathy Snyder POM IS BOMB: The varsity pom team performs a routine called “I’m a Lady” during the homecoming assembly. In the fall, the varsity team competes in a competition called “Highkick”, marking the end of the fall season. Then tryouts for winter season begin.

: I do believe that robotics is a competion, but not necessarily a sport.

: Do you think that pom or cheer are sports? : I would also qualify cheer and pom as not being a sport, because you are not competeing against someone directly.

photos by Regan O’Brien and Reece Leydorf

NO FEAR IN CHEER: Senior Jaden Trijo, soars to the HOLD UP TUNE UP: Seniors Ethan Poupard and Daniel top of a formation, supported by sophomore Cassie Zhang make adjustments to their robot before their Fewkes and junior Logan Rivard. After fall cheer ends, next event in the robotics event hosted at DHS in in coordination with the end of the football team’s March of this year. Constant tweaks and check-ups playoff run, winter competitive cheer begins. need to be done on the robots on competition day.

UPDATE ONLINEupdate.dhs.mps.k12. mi.us Interview with Griffin Chapman Video by: Trevor McIntyre

Watch Trevor McIntyre interview Soundcloud rapper, Griffin Chapman about his inspirations and how he got started producing music.

A Year In Review: Tweets Story by: Jon Baillargeon

Check out Jon’s story showing tweets throughout the year that recap major events.

great divide. It has long been common courtesy to avoid politics at the dinner table, but now more than ever, families have made pacts to omit talk of the left and right while spending time together over the holidays.

It is important to remember, especially around the holidays, that we are all just human beings trying to live our lives. When getting down to the root of things, we all have similar realities. We want a secure future, we don’t want to be at war, and, despite everything, we care for each other. Though we may not agree on most things, nobody wants to see another mass shooting where innocent lives are lost. If all people were to focus on our similarities rather than our differences, we are likely to see a greater change in everyday life.

Helping others is just one thing that unites this country. It has become a trend that people are more charitable during the holidays. To the nonprofit and

philanthropic worlds, the last couple months of the year are known as “Giving Season”. There are Salvation Army bell ringers perched at shopping centers, there are more opportunities for giving to those in need like through the Sharing Tree, and options to work with local homeless shelters like the Open Door.

Deep down, our moral compasses point in similar direction. As the year comes to an end, I am going to encourage all people to be more introspective when communicating with others which requires us to stay informed as well. Divide isn’t inevitable. If we want it to be, America can be a united nation.

Enjoy the last issue of 2017.

Maggie Duly

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News

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Update December 15, 2017

Merge spin

Purpose of DowDuPont merger explained Maggie Duly & Irshad Husian editor in chief & staff writer

What you need to know about DowDuPont?

As the times are changing and new advancements are being made in fields from the arts to science, companies are doing whatever it takes to be the best in the business; local benefactor, The Dow Chemical Company is no exception. As of Aug. 31, 2017, Dow officially merged with DuPont, a similar chemical company, to form one large holding company known as DowDuPont. The combined entity is currently operating with three divisions: Agriculture, Materials and Science, and Specialty Products.

The purpose of the merger is not to form one large company, but to combine Dow and DuPont in order to create three strong and separate companies, one for each of the specialized divisions DowDuPont is currently operating under.

“Merge and spin is the term we’re using for this, it’s never been done before, it’s a unique structure that’s very shareholder friendly, but obviously has some complexity,” Executive Chairman of DowDuPont and CEO and Chairman of The Dow Chemical Company Andrew Liveris said.

DowDuPont’s fact sheet, found on their official website, states the company’s objective: “Bringing together the complementary portfolios of Dow and DuPont to create three strong competitors that will lead their respective industries through productive innovation to meet the needs of customers and help solve global challenges.”

The holding company is on track to complete their

spin within the first 18-24 months after the official merger date.

“Two years in corporate history to have this merger is nothing,” Liveris said. “So we’re looking to the destination, not the interim period of time, inclusive of keeping the Dow logo alive and DuPont logo alive and of course the websites and everything else that goes with them. The products we’re shipping to our customers have either a Dow logo on it or a DuPont logo on it. The only thing that is DowDuPont is the overall arching holding company that has been setup to effect the three spins.”

The three spin companies will have aspects of Dow and DuPont in them including their drive for innovation. The Agriculture and the Specialty Products companies will have headquarters in Wilmington, Del., with projected annual revenue of $19 billion and $13 billion, respectively.

The Materials Science company will have headquarters in Midland, Mich. with a projected annual revenue of $51 billion.

“I consider the Dow we have been and the Dow we are making, especially the new Dow, to be a very innovative, fast, agile company that can innovate faster and has the scale to stay ahead of its competitors,” Liveris said.

How will merge and spin affect Midland community?

The Midland, Mich. community has been familiar with Dow and its contributions to the city through employment, downtown renovations, and educational advancement like the implementation of the International Baccalaureate program in the local high schools. The merger is intended to enhance the growth of both Dow and DuPont which will hence allow Dow to continue to give back to the community.

“As we all transition to a digital world with the birth of companies like Amazon or Alibaba, the big internet giants, companies like Dow and DuPont are racing to catch up with this pace of change, and one thing it’s meant almost certainly is the continual flux and change of the way companies are

constructed and operated and, therefore, affects the employee value proposition,” Liveris said.

While Dow strives to be a preeminent competitor, they continue to offer more to the community. Dow is opening a new innovation center at the old Dow Corning headquarters with hopes to have it ready for 2019. The innovation center is intended to bring in the top people in the necessary fields to make Midland, Mich. one of the best science communities in the world.

“This commitment, even with all this change, is unwavering, and there will be some effect to people, but in the main, we will grow faster by doing this change than the alternative,” Liveris said.

illustration by Faye Kollig information courtesy of DuPont, Dow, & DowDuPont official websites

News

December 15, 2017 Update

Sharing is caring

Saving the Internet as we know it

Sharing Tree is making an impact during holidays Hannah Raw

Farryn Cook

page editor

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ith the season of giving in session, the Sharing Tree has already begun its share.

The organization’s main goal is to help those in need with the essentials they require. At one point, it was an organization devoted to giving gifts. It has now developed into a system of donating essential items like clothing, personal care, utilities, and even transportation. Originally started by a church and then taken over

by United Way, the giving has been going on for over 25 years.

The Sharing Tree has various ways to donate.

Their most recent way for donating is their online store.

Instead of having people come in with their

items, this year they’ve now found an easier and quicker way for people to give. Traditionally, people who want to donate pick up a tag (provided by the organization), go purchase the item found on the tag and drop it off at one of their donation sites. On the online store, buyers can pick any of the six boxes and then pick the quantity of the options that come with it. There is also an option to donate money.

“We’ve actually been running out of the tags with the requests to go out and buy something, so the online store is kind of the only way people can purchase items right now,” United Way Community Relations Specialist Caleb Guthrie said.

The program recognizes families who struggle with the attaining fundamentals and make it their mission to help out and make things a little easier during the holidays. Last year, the program received 10,000 tags or 10,000 requests from families in need and over $300,000 worth of gifts, which were able to go back to the community. This year their goal is to increase that number and help as many people as possible.

“One in three are actually struggling with basic needs,” United Way Marketing & Events Specialist Ashley Kring said. “As you can imagine if you are struggling with everyday things like food and transportation, utilities, it’s going to be very hard to buy gifts for you kids.

Another way that people have helped was on the donations distribution day. On Dec. 4, volunteers got together and helped distribute all the donations that came in to the agencies that collect them. The Sharing Tree has over 50 agencies that send the donations all over Midland County.

“They go everywhere from Coleman to the City of Midland to West Midland Family Center,” Kring said. “They even go out to some schools too.”

The organization has only been growing and has brought attention to the community. While helping during the holidays, The Sharing Tree hopes to leave a big effect on the families and make this time of the year easier.

“It’s effective and there’s nothing else quite like it, the cornerstone of Midland County is the Sharing Tree,” Guthrie said.

Although collecting donations ended on Dec. 4, the online store will be running until Dec. 22, which allows those who want to donate a little extra time. graphic by Farryn Cook

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Conversing with Cook I remember the first time I grasped the concept of Google. I smooshed up next up to my brother Riley, with both of our eyes glued to the windows computer.

“Can you really search.. anything?!” I whispered, almost as if the idea seemed a little too far fetched to be true. Riley laughed, nodded, and showed me all the things I was capable of searching.

Looking back on that memory, it is absolutely insane that one day my children might not have the same access to internet that I did and still have.

Net neutrality is an essential, as internet is such a prominent part of our society. Despite this, many people aren’t aware of what it actually is.

Net neutrality is what gives us free, open internet. This means you can search the web without phone companies slowing down or blocking content that you want to access. Net Neutrality has been protected for as long as the internet has been around, that is until Trump’s FCC chairman, Ajit Pai, starting pushing for the removal.

Now, net neutrality is in serious danger of no longer being a part of our internet experience.

The consequences of this removal are far more harmful then imagined.

The removal of net neutrality means that the internet would no longer be open or free.

Users would have to pay to access and unblock certain websites, making the internet more like cable television.

This change would completely disrupt the continuum of internet culture our society has become so familiar with. Technology is what helps us advance, connect with people all over the world, form new ideas, become inspired from other people’s perspectives, and become educated on a number of topics. We cannot lose this.

When I think of how the internet ties into my childhood, I think of searching for music on youtube and trying to earn more islands than my siblings on Poptropica. These memories are essential.

The internet opens the door for curious minds to explore outside their library. Knowledge shouldn’t cost anything.

The vote on net neutrality is scheduled for Dec. 14, so by the time this is published the decision will be made. Regulating the internet will hinder advancement, and only benefit those who earn a profit off of it.

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News

Update

December 15, 2017

Charity, club open doors to give a little bit of love Citizens take time to give back over holidays to humble themselves Abby Peterson and Zane O’Dell page designer & staff writer

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verybody has their individual story, and everybody has their individual reason as to why they’re here, or circumstances that brought them here,” Community Outreach Coordinator Nate Place said.

“But I do know that as far as positively impacting the community, we’re doing that one life at a time.”

The Midland, Mich. community is helping to solve the issue of homelessness. Statistics from the Open Door have proven that homelessness can affect anyone. Out of the U.S. homeless population, 1.37 million people are children under the age of 18 Not drug addicts or elderly men begging by the road, not even adults with the risk of being laid off their job.

They’re children, some the same age as high school students. Place has been envisioning endless possibilities of ways to help.

The Open Door has been serving Midland for almost 45 years. Pastor Stanley Andersen of the Midland Assembly of God Church established it in 1973.

“It began as a place for 18-22 year olds to find their place,” Place said. “It started out as a coffee shop, and it was just a place to connect.

But after its inception, it became evident that there was a great need for someone serving the homeless population. There wasn’t anything like that in our county.”

Presently, the Open Door is the only shelter of its kind still standing in Midland County. They have three separate locations: their soup kitchen, men’s shelter, and shelter for the homeless women and children of Midland.

“We are housing over 293 people a year and that number continues to grow each year,” Place said. “Three years ago, our organization was completely volunteer run, which means

that there was no staff whatsoever.

They hired an executive director and we have exploded.”

Being a non-profit organization, the Open Door cannot depend on any government funds. They run completely based off of volunteers and donations. In three years, they went from being an $80,000 a year organization to an almost $600,000 a year organization. A staff of one developed to a staff of 14 in that time.

The reason being they are completely faith-permeated.

“It’s not just faith-based, faith-based is actually middle of the road,” Place said. “We are faith-permeated, meaning that we have faith through everything that we say and do from in the shelter to here in the administration building.

So, that requires us to accept zero federal funding, so we’re 100 percent donor based. And we are blessed and fortunate enough to be not affiliated with just one church.”

The Open Door is working with 75 local area churches to ensure that they can continue to help the homeless community within Midland.

Their vision is to see every man, woman, and child that God brings to their door experience the lifetransforming power of the Gospel of Christ, becoming faithful disciples and stewards who enjoy God, utilize their gifts to serve others, and lead godly, interdependent lives.

“Dedication and perseverance, boy I would say you need to be dedicated to helping people,” Place said. “Our executive director always says that this is a ministry, and it is a ministry.”

Although the Open Door is making great efforts to help the community of homeless people, the same general goals are being strived for within the walls of with the club called A Little Bit of Love.

Sophomore Rin Dunlap has been determined to do everything he can to lead students to make a change for the homeless community. The change of heart Dunlap experienced is something he hopes to use to inspire others to join him in such actions.

“Without getting into too much detail, the summer between eighth grade and freshman year I was homeless for about two months,” Dunlap said. “And I didn’t really have a place to go, like to get anything.

So there were all these people passing me and they could give me money, but like they couldn’t give me anything else because they didn’t have anything else, and I was just like, ‘well, what if people had, like, bags in their cars or even if homeless shelters had bags?’.”

From that moment on, Dunlap, with his friends by his side, has been taking actions within the school club A Little Bit of Love to do whatever they can to help. This December was a big step towards achieving their goal. The collection was for hygiene products and donations to help fill bags that can be given to those who need it on the streets. In total, $100.97 as well as over 200 items worth of donations were given to A Little Bit of Love.

Dunlap isn’t the only one who finds joy in helping others. Sophomore Morgan Kerttu is also doing whatever she can to assist.

“Our goal is to help people in our community and people outside of our community, people that are struggling to have housing and have enough money to keep themselves in a place where a lot of us are,” Kerttu said. “[Dunlap] has huge plans for this and I’m so proud of him. I’m really excited. He wants to see this stay with Dow and I think that’s a really great thing.”

SERVING UP A SMILE: Emily Reinhardt, a volunteer at the Open Door, prepares and serves food for the guests. Many people depend on these meals and volunteers like her.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: The Open Door, located on West Buttles Street in Midland, is an organization that seeks to house and feed those who have nowhere to go.

photos by Abby Peterson and Zane O’Dell

CANS OF GOOD: Canned goods such as peaches, green beans, and tomatoes are popular donations. The Open Door greatly appreciates all the donations recieved.

December 15, 2017

News

Update

Sophomore Madden a meal, he got himself a Brady is like many haircut with the money others who have seen managing news & assistantand copyit just helped, so homelessness in their every little bit helped.” lives. One day he decided A Little Bit of Love he couldn’t just stand is one side of the around and watch. community that wants “There used to be a to help those who aren’t man who’d sit by the fortunate enough to side of the road right have a home. The club outside the highway and consists of students that he would be begging each have the heart to for money,” Brady said. make a difference. Junior “He’d just say that ‘I Ruth Wager shows that don’t have a house, even the smallest of I don’t have a wife ways people take action anymore, I was divorced is appreciated by those and I have nothing, in need. please spare $20,’ and one “My drive is just to day we did it and the guy make a little difference was so happy he went out that can impact and and he bought himself transform into a bigger

OPEN THE DOOR: Volunteers Olivia and Lemi Good chop and prepare fresh vegetables for a meal served to their

impact,” Wager said. “It’s just making my little difference so that I can have at least some impact on big issues.”

Homelessness continues to grow in the community of Midland.

In 2015, the Open Door worked with 270 individuals who needed help. In a year’s time, they assisted a total of 294 homeless people.

Groups are making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate, both in the Midland community and in the halls of DHS. Dunlap’s vision is to make every little bit of love count.

guests. The Open Door also provides their guests with many clothing options kept in a side barn on their property.

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Opinion

Update

provide PRO: Guns proper Robert Heyart

Should concealed weapons be allowed in schools?

FAST FACTS: on carrying concealed weapons

Individuals must be 21 years of age to have a full license Schools still have the right to restrict guns, regardless of the bill

December 15, 2017

staff writer n order to protect in cases of emergencies, concealed guns have a place in schools.

A bill that passed in the Michigan Senate would allow people with concealed weapon permits and eight more hours of training to bring guns into churches, gun-free areas, and schools. However, despite guns and their infamous reputation for being involved with crimes, they can also stop them.

The concept of people possibly being able to have guns in high schools across the country has obviously sparked some controversy. The potential for this bill to help protect students as well as citizens is astronomical.

As a start, guns themselves aren’t responsible for the crimes committed by criminals, terrorists, and the mentally ill. Guns are a tool that they use to aid their goals. This is why there are background checks in place to try and make sure that responsible people are only allowed to own guns.

“You see [mass shootings] like in California where cities are gun-free which are prime targets for people who want to shoot out areas to hurt people,” senior Tyler Rabideau said.

In many cases, a shooter targets places they

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protection, improve safety will likely not encounter armed resistance. This is generally the reason why armed shootings don’t occur at gun shows.

Instead they occur at “soft” targets, like schools and churches.

For instance, in a recent shooting in Sutherland Springs, according to NBC News, there was a man who began to exchange fire with the shooter, the shooter retreated to his car and drove off.

“A benefit obviously is if an emergency comes and there is not enough time to contact the police, a trained individual who knows how to handle a gun could address the situation immediately and may save lives,” history teacher Tom Evans said.

Of course, not everyone can be trusted to operate a gun, for example, the mentally ill, and criminals.

This is why background checks are common sense. Within the bill, the requirement is 21 years of age or above, eight hours of extra practice, and they cannot display their weapons at any time. This will mostly allow the staff to have the ability to conceal carry.

People that are 18 to 20 can get a provisional license, but this won’t be equivalent to the full license.

“Again, there are some people that I would trust, with proper training, if they had a gun and it was secure,”

Evans said. “On a day to day basis it wouldn’t bother me that that person was there and ready if needed.”

Schools however, through the bill still have a right to restrict guns if they desire. On average, according to National Sheriffs’ Association, it takes police 18 minutes to respond to an emergency call, and it takes much more time in Detroit. But where seconds mean the possibility of more people being injured or killed by a dangerous person, it would be beneficial to have people with licenses to carry concealed weapons on scene.

Even though it might not seem like it, according to the National Institute of Justice gun violence has been decreasing for years. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Leading Causes of Death Reports, a person is 21.5 times more likely to die of heart disease; 18.7 times more likely to die of malignant tumors; and 2.4 times more likely to die of diabetes or 2.3 times more likely to die of Alzheimer’s than to die from a firearm. Gun deaths also include suicides, homicides, and accidents.

This bill is simply trying to help solve a problem concerning safety, and trying to expand the rights and freedoms of people in the U.S.

December 15, 2017

Opinion

Update

CON: Katie Ramos

9

Firearms in schools firing up concern, creating controversy

assistant copy editor

D

uring the past 10 years, in states that have passed right-to-carry laws, gun violence has spiked according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. There are more mass shootings now than ever. In June of 2017, Michigan House passed a bill that would allow people with a license to carry concealed pistols in schools. If that doesn’t scream scary, then what does? Guns in churches and schools should not be allowed due to increasing gun violence. Rightto-carry laws have brought negative effects to the United States.

“Statistics show that more guns in the hands of people makes society less safe,” English teacher Cory Thompson said. “When people have a weapon available to them, they are more likely to use it, than if you don’t have one available. I am in favor of gun control, not abolishing the second amendment, but reasonable gun control measures.”

Americans own more guns per capita than the residents of any other

country, according to a recent Pew Center survey. Most people in the United States, as of now, own a gun.

Researchers from Harvard have found Americans own 265 million guns which is more than one type of gun per adult, which seems overboard.

“My number one problem with guns is that you can’t say that they are meant for anything other than killing stuff,” sophomore Avery Brown said. “You can’t say that they aren’t meant to hurt or harm, that’s the only reason they were created, to kill stuff, so it’s not like ‘guns don’t kill people kill people’ people definitely assist, but it’s not like the gun itself is not a dangerous object that needs to be contained and not let into a public school.”

In the United States, 40 out of 50 states are allowed to open carry with some kind of permit, which can be dangerous to the people and area that surrounds them. Some states believe that passing right-to-carry laws will make the number of mass shootings decrease, which seems

very contradictory.

According to Stanford Law School Professor James Donohue, after decades of researching crime data, the states that have decided to take up RTC laws have seen up to a 15 percent increase in gun violence after the laws have been put into play.

“I think people should be allowed to have guns,” Brown said. “I don’t think we should take them away completely, people should be allowed to have them while hunting. But in a public setting, unless you are a police officer, you should not have a gun on you.”

As of now, gun control in the United States seems limited. In Michigan, to buy a handgun, people must have a handgun purchase license or a license to carry a concealed weapon, or citizens are not able to buy a handgun. After purchasing a handgun, individuals are required to register it to local law enforcement. Registering handguns doesn’t always happen after consumers purchase guns, and that can lead to different problems; for example, the church shooting in

Sutherland Springs Texas where a man walked in and killed 26 people.

“We can’t tell if the person who’s carrying the gun is legally doing that without seeing his permit,” Thompson said. “I’m not questioning that some people feel it’s legal or the law says it’s legal, I’m just saying as a witness to your gun, I don’t know whether it’s legal or not. I have to decide, are you a bad person or a good person, and I don’t know, so you having your gun out would make me want to take my gun out just in case.”

In the United States, there have been more than 365 mass shootings which is enough for one each day of the year according to masshootingtracker.org. Even though 2017 isn’t even over yet, there have been 404 recorded mass shootings, and six of them took place in Michigan. If that doesn’t show that right-to-carry laws haven’t actually help decrease gun violence in the United States, then nothing will change the views of people of higher political power.

NO FIREARMS OR WEAPONS PERMITTED ON THIS PROPERTY Violators are considered trespassers and are subject to forfeiture or arrest graphics by Farryn Cook & Amelya Jenkins

10 Opinion

Update

Strength in sharing your story

Tess Striebel Looking back, what happened made me insecure. It made me distrust people and hate myself. Most of all, it made me put up guards. Bad things happen to people, but I never expected to be a victim.

In January, during eighth grade, I was sexually harassed by a boy. He was a new kid who had done this type of thing before.

I walked into gym class and made eye contact with a boy sitting on the ground. For the rest of the hour I could feel his eyes on me.

I later heard he’d told people he thought I had a great butt. I felt humiliated and helpless. I should’ve reported him immediately.

There were many other times he attempted to touch or brush up against me. I wanted to assume he didn’t mean to. When I saw him watching me, I tried to convince myself it didn’t matter. I didn’t want to admit he was a bad person. I knew it was more, he grabbed me intentionally and it wouldn’t stop there.

I clipped on my flag belt, excited for tag. The round began, I felt a hand grab my butt and squeeze. I whipped around angrily, fist raised, finding him with his hand still outstretched. I stopped. I felt like my life was in slow

Congress shall make

Stress stemming from lack of sleep

no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging

Getting enough sleep is important

the freedom of

My Turn motion. I wanted to punch him, but I knew if I did, I would make things worse.

I was too scared to fight. I felt like it was my fault. I knew I would never view boys or physical touch the same.

I sat down by the wall, pretending I was out, feeling tears in my eyes.

I could barely breathe.

I told myself it wasn’t a big deal, but my heart knew better. I ran out and stood in the locker room sobbing. “Why me?” I felt sick. I went through the rest of my classes like a drone. Emotionless.

Later, I went to the principal. Through tears, I told him what happened.

He promised to deal with it immediately.

People thought I lied for attention. Later, I laid in bed, shaking and crying uncontrollably, unable to breathe. I felt so alone.

Every apology felt fake.

Nobody knew what I was going through.

I realize what happened only sharpened my fears and shaped them into what they are now. I have developed a respect for women who’ve stepped forward to share their story. I have compassion on those who have experienced much worse than me. I often wonder if another situation like this crosses my path, I hope I’ll be able to strongly face my fears and deal boldly.

December 15, 2017

speech, or of the

Staff Editorial

press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

EDITORIAL BOARD: Maggie Duly Farryn Cook Lillian Pressnell Jon Baillargeon Katie Ellison Andre Buckley Sophie Baus Anikka Thorson Ben Zeitler Helena Nitschky Trevor McIntyre

Your Turn: 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. Submit your letter by Jan. 15.

Need more words to share your opinion?

Then write a 450-word My Turn column for our next issue. Contact Maggie Duly to have your turn in the next issue of the Update by Jan. 15, 2017

graphic by Jenna Wray

B

iology shows that, based on sleep patterns, an adolescent waking up at 6:00 a.m. feels the same as an adult waking up at 4:00 a.m.

On top of that, when a teen doesn’t get the recommended eight hours of sleep a night, the effects can be worse.

These consequences include significant differences in physical, behavioral, and mental behaviors, and mood. Not getting enough sleep amplifies the stresses of a student’s daily life.

Waking up early disrupts a teen’s sleep cycle. This cycle starts at around 10-11 p.m. From then on, doctors say that teens should get a minimum of eight hours to function normally and healthily. Unfortunately, with school starting at 7:40 a.m., this is usually not possible. Students who partake in extracurriculars or those with jobs can find it especially hard to balance everything they do in a day on top of homework. While they may know that not getting enough sleep is bad for them, students may not know that the often detrimental effects of not getting enough sleep reach beyond being tired all day.

Studies conducted at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that teens who get less than the recommended eight hours have a significantly increased risk of being overweight, not engaging in physical activity, suffering from symptoms of depression, engaging in risky behaviors such as drinking, using illicit drugs, smoking, and, most of all, not performing well in school.

While one of the biggest reasons students may stay up is to finish schoolwork, teens may not realize that by doing so, it harms their

academics more than it helps them.

One of the reasons teens may be staying up is due to procrastination.

In our society, procrastination is often glamorized. One might be seen as “cool” for not caring about doing schoolwork. Unfortunately, putting off responsibilities not only has the obvious effects of not doing well on schoolwork, but it can take away from sleep which, in turn, can take away from a student’s health.

To work against procrastination, a student can learn the art of time management. By sectioning off the day or putting work before relaxation, a student can benefit in areas of academics, sleep, mental health, and stress. Writing in a planner or setting aside distractions to get homework done right after extracurriculars is a good way to eliminate procrastination.

Not getting enough sleep takes all of the stresses of daily life and amplifies them. Try getting enough sleep and doing time management for just one week. It is likely that positive results will occur throughout the day.

CORRECTIONS FOR NOV. 17 ISSUE: - On page 7, Gabriela Donoso’s name was misspelled - On page 7, Gavan Boguszewski’s name was misspelled.

- On page 11, Aidan Belgiorno’s name was misspelled.

- On page 19, Hailey Tanis’s name was misspelled.

- On page 15, the Joe Wood photo should have been credited to Amelya Jankens - On page 13, Olivia Kaminski’s diet was misrepresented. The photo should have been of pasta with vegetables, fruit plates, and oatmeal.

December 15, 2017

Update

Opinion 11

A year with volunteering More people should donate, volunteer yearlong Staff Editorial

C

hristmas time is the most popular time of year to give to others.

Charities like the United Way of Midland County, the Sharing Tree, Toys for Tots, Make-A-Wish Foundation, and many others contribute toward making Christmas better for those who might not have the opportunity for a magical holiday. Donating and volunteering to charities that provide for the less fortunate during the holidays is very beneficial, however, why don’t people give regularly? More students and families should donate or volunteer to charitable organizations not just during the holidays, but year round.

Donating is one way to help others who are less fortunate. Giving to those in need provides items or money to purchase things to those who can’t afford those necessities on their own. Besides financially supporting those in need, volunteering is another great option.

Cartoon by Loree Chung “Southerners”

Serving time is a good alternative for those who don’t have the option to purchase products or give away money freely.

Helping out at different fundraising events or taking time to do things for people in need, like serving meals, are just few of the many approaches to help in this way.

Volunteering or donating is considered an important holiday tradition to many. Not only do these good deeds increase the holiday spirit in those receiving contributions, but also the benefactor. By giving, whether it be money or presents, a good example is set. When others see the smiles and positive outcomes affected by donating, they become inspired to give as well.

Instead of helping others during a certain season, it should become a habit committed regularly over the course of a year. People around the world are in need not just during the holiday season,

but all the time. Giving year round will lead to positive outcomes sprinkled throughout the entire year.

Providing to others leads to building personal relationships that can last.

Bonds can be formed with those helped, other volunteers or benefactors, or anyone interested in giving alternative objects or their time.

By seeing what some might have to go through and don’t have, a valuable lesson can be learned. It shows that people shouldn’t take what they have for granted. Students can become a part of something bigger by joining others that donate or give their time to help others.

There are many positive outcomes and effects resulting from helping those who are in need. Due to not only the benefit of providing for others, but the positive effects students will receive on themselves, students should donate and volunteer more, not just around the holidays. graphic by Jenna Wray

12 Opinion December 15, 2017

2017 music standouts Popular albums from this year, upcoming artists Farryn Cook & Quinn McCaffrey managing design & page editor

I

t’s summertime, seventh grade. The smell of stale graham crackers and marshmallows waft through the air and the song ‘Beautiful Girls’ by Sean Kingston plays softly in the background as the mind subconsciously tucks the memory into long term storage. Fast-forward four years when the song once again comes on the radio as part of a “Throwback Thursday” special and listeners can practically smell the honey from the crackers.

The mind has the amazing ability to attach certain memories and eras of life to songs that are relevant at the time. The melodies and cadences of each individual song leaves a lasting imprint on a human’s mind and everyone’s is different.

Music has the ability to take a person places they never imagined going back to or have never even been at all. These experiences can include something simple, such as remembering a moment shared with a loved one, or going to a concert.

Senior Chloe Ambas enjoys going to music festivals for the people there, the music that distracts her from life’s little annoyances, and the culture of it all.

“Everytime I hear Big Sean, I think back to Lolla because we had really amazing seats,” Ambas said. “For that, we arrived maybe an hour early for that artist so that was incredible. He made it really personal. Even if you were in the back, you were

really in the front. He made it as if it was only you and him there.”

Music can also serve as an escape from the toils and stresses of day-to-day work. When life gets too repetitive, too boring, too exhausting, music can be a way to pull students out of their funk. “[Music is] kind of an escape from school,” senior Brandon Mohammed said.

“You can use it to distract yourself. You can use it to work out, you can use it for really anything.”

While listening to music to enhance everyday activities, it’s inevitable for it to impact someone’s mood or their perspectives on certain situations.

“I think because it constantly surrounds me, whether I’m in my car or studying, it’s always a different mood of music, and so a lot of times it alters my mood,” senior Adi Middah said. “So if I’m sad, I put a happy song on.”

Every student has different experiences in high school, and different songs that become the soundtrack of their everyday life. For Mohammed, Mura Masa had the most standout, important album of his 2017. “[My favorite album of 2017 was by] Mura Masa,” Mohammed said. “He uses different instruments than most people, the steel drums, harps, yeah it’s actually really good.”

Along with Mura Masa, Mohammed joined in on the international enjoyment of Kendrick Lamar’s fourth

album, DAMN. “Kendrick does something different with each album so this album he went for a more spiritual look at life and I think his ability to be creative with every album and make it different is fantastic,” Mohammed said.

Kendrick’s album isn’t the first to tackle the idea of being different, as shown with Harry Style’s debut album. Each song is manufactured individually, yet somehow manages to tie together with it’s sister songs on the album.

“I really liked the fact that every song [on the album] was it’s own genre,” sophomore Taylor Overzet said.” The songs went from sappy pop music to almost a rock vibe, and I just really liked the diversity of music within it.”

No matter which album a person attaches to their 2017, music has the incredible ability pull the mind back to places it practically forgot. The scent of stale graham crackers, and marshmallows may always bring back memories of 2007, and maybe syrup will carry fond memories of HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar.

“Music is such a big part [of life] because it’s something that people can relate to,” Ambas said.

“So in times that you’re stressed it’s something you can resort to to calm yourself down. It’s also something that can hype you up and get you excited, so I feel like music just plays a vital role.

Top Albums of 2017:

Kendrick Lamar: DAMN.

Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album this year with DAMN. Rolling Stone named it the album of the year, and it’s up for Album of the Year at the 2017 Grammy’s.

The album is one of the highest selling albums of 2017, with 603,000 copies alone in the first week alone.

Big Sean: I Decided

I Decided, Big Sean’s fourth studio album is one of many albums this year to achieve number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart. The album sold over 151,000 copies in the first week, shooting slightly below his last album Dark Paradise, which sold 173,000.

Ed

Ed imm 451, pas Gra She

Ty

Flow The cha The Tyle

d Sheeran: Divide

Sheeran’s third studio album Divide also did mensly well with album sales. The album sold over ,000 copies in the first week, just 200,000 shy of ssing Kendrick Lamar in sales. Sheeran is up for a ammy in the catagory Best Pop Vocal Album. This is eeran’s first album after a three year hiatus.

yler the Creator: Flower Boy

wer boy is the fourth studio album by Tyler the Creator. e album reached number two on the Billboard Top 200 art. Flower Boy is up for a Grammy for Best Rap Album. e album sold 106,000 copies in the first week, making er’s fourth album a clear success.

December 15, 2017 Opinion 13 13

Harry Styles: Self Titled Harry Styles released his debut album this year after over five years with boyband One Direction. Styles proved he’s more than capable of maintaining a solo career, earning a spot of number one on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Styles sold over 193,000 copies of his album in the first week, earning the highest sales of a U.K. male’s first debut album since 1991.

Artists who emerged in 2017: Khalid:

At 19 years old, upcoming artist Khalid made 2017 his year. His debut album American Teen made waves, earning him four Grammy nominations.

SZA:

SZA also emerged in the music industry this year with her debut album Ctrl. She is up for five Grammy’s for her work, and is competing against Khalid for Best New Artist.

Mura Masa:

Lorde: Melodrama

screenshots from amazon.com

Nominated for a Grammy for Album of the Year, Lorde’s Melodrama was a perfect step back into the music world after her debut album, Pure Heroine. Melodrama sold 129,000 copies in the first week, and earned the number one spot on the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Mura Masa also released his debut studio album this year, after releasing EPs and a mixtape. His album is up for one Grammy in the catagory Best Dance/ Electronic Album.

14

Update

Feature

December 15, 2017

Sleepy scholars battle sleep disorders Seeing how sleep disorders impact day to day activities of teenagers Anikka Thorson & Zach Parfeniuk managing feature & staff writer

I

t’s third hour. While the time drones on, one student after another lays their head down, dark circles under their eyes. As much as they keep telling themselves they have to stay awake, the darkness slowly clouds their vision.

Sleep can affect students in many ways, including how they function in school and in their daily lives.

“I get around six hours of sleep because of after school activities and homework,” junior Sreya Manchiraju said.

According to the Sleep Foundation, students should get between seven to nine hours of sleep. However, that is not true for all people.

“Everybody has varying sleep patterns as far as requirements,” Polythomagram Technician at McLaren Hospital Matt Kerr said.

“Some people can get away with five hours and other people require 16.

It’s really based on the individual.

There’s no set amount of time. [A] doctor will generally tell you between

six and eight hours.”

Homework, combined with the dedication that extracurriculars require, may cause some students to cut time out of their sleep schedule to complete their responsibilities.

Additional variables can contribute to a student’s lack of sleep other than just schoolwork, like not enough physical activity and sleep disorders. Senior Paiton LeBeau deals with struggles on a daily basis due to narcolepsy that make school a little more difficult. ”It’s really hard for me to focus on homework because I just want to go to sleep and I’m so tired,” LeBeau said.

“Reading books for English [is] the hardest thing of my life because I’m like ‘this is so boring, I just want to go to bed’ and at school I’m so tired. Like, if the teachers turn off the lights to watch a video, I’m out, I’m tired, I’m going to bed.”

For students with

The average amount of sleep teenagers get each night is 7-7.5 hours information from www.nycischool.org, www.ur.umich.edu, and www.nationwidechildrens.org

narcolepsy, like LeBeau, the problems that come with it impact more than just homework and other school related activities. These effects translate into her personal life as well. ”I’m so tired that I don’t want to hang out with my friends all the time and it doesn’t make me motivated to go to sporting activities or go to practice because I just want to sleep,” LeBeau said.

According to the Sleep Foundation website, narcolepsy is characterized by excessive sleepiness, hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. Narcolepsy occurs equally in men and women. For LeBeau, her narcolepsy has not advanced to the point where she has sleep attacks or sleep paralysis, and, because of the medication she takes, her narcolepsy won’t

Teenagers go to school for an average of 32.5 hours each week in the US

advance as quickly.

LeBeau finds that having medication for her sleep disorder is helpful, but it’s not the only thing she uses to cope with her disorder.

“The medication helps a lot, but I really just try to keep a steady sleep schedule, which is hard for school, but I try and keep that schedule so my body is more used to it so I’m not as tired all the time,” LeBeau said.

Senior Hannah DeRuyter has been affected by a sleep disorder since she was in eighth grade. In April of 2017, she was diagnosed with sleep anxiety.

“Basically, I stay in a really really light sleep for most of the night,” DeRuyter said. “So, like, I can hear a car drive by or something while I’m asleep, and so I don’t usually get deep enough sleep throughout the night, so I wake up exhausted. If I do dream, it’s either really really vivid or nightmares and that’s

Only around 29% of students get the reccomended amount of sleep each night

graphics by Farryn Cook

December 15, 2017

Feature 15

Update

very draining of energy.”

Her doctors recommended some lifestyle modifications, but they didn’t seem to help her, and the prescription medicine hinders her during the day.

“I have a medication that makes me extra drowsy throughout the day so it would make it extremely difficult to pay attention in school, especially in the morning in the first couple hours,” DeRuyter said. “So I’d just be half asleep for most of the morning. Sometimes I sort of just sit there and don’t do work. I just get really tired.”

Narcolepsy and sleep anxiety aren’t the only sleep disorders that are possible for people to have. Some other sleeping disorders are insomnia and sleep paralysis.

“Insomnia is probably the most common [disorder] that most students have experienced at one point or another, where you have trouble sleeping,” psychology teacher Katherine Snyder said.

“That would be something maybe that’s related to stress in a person’s life in that

particular time. Some people have more chronic issues with insomnia that would need medical intervention.

There’s also sleep apnea, where people stop breathing while they sleep. There’s some really good treatments for that that would involve maybe wearing a mask when you go to bed, or sometimes if it’s an airway issue that you could lose weight or get surgery or something like that to clear out your airway. Narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome is another one.”

Some students struggle from sleeping disorders that have less to do with the brain and more to do with the lungs, like Obstructive Sleep Apnea. “[One of the] biggest [sleeping disorders] we see in lab are obstructive sleep apnea, and that’s where the throat [is obstructed], due to whatever,” Kerr said. “A lot of people like to always contribute it back to morbidly obese individuals.

It’s not always that case. A lot of times, it’s just mom and dad gave you large tonsils. So, that obstructive sleep apnea we see probably, seven out of 10

patients are probably going to have obstructives.”

Kerr stressed that one of the biggest human made issues has to do with electronics.

“I guess the biggest [issue] is what we would call ‘poor sleep habits’ or ‘poor sleep hygiene’, telephones, cell phones, we see a lot of that,” Kerr said. “Dependent on ‘oh I’ve got to check my email, I’ve got to check my Facebook, I’ve got to check the text message that just came in’. We get a lot of patients that are chronically tired, we bring them into the lab, and we have a controlled environment. So, we do provide a TV, but the TV is turned off when we start the study. The cell phones are asked to be turned off when we start the study. What we generally see is the patients go right to bed.”

Problems with sleep schedules have been seen to hold influence over how people function throughout the day.

Although it’s hard to completely eliminate sleep disorders, there are steps that can be taken to prevent sleep deprivation.

Sleep Disorder Symptoms REM Disorder

Insomnia

- Move in sleep as if awake -Act out dreams while asleep -Scream, yell or shout in sleep -Become violent, hitting, punching, or kicking

- Difficulty falling sleep - Waking up in the night - Difficulty focusing -Increased anxiety, depression or irritability - Daytime exhaustion

Narcolepsy

- Sudden attacks of sleep - Fatigue - Hallucinations

- Loss of muscle control - Daytime sleepiness Graphic by Farryn Cook

What Christmas is all about

Anikka Thorson Anikka’s Anecdote It’s the most wonderful time of the year. In this time of holiday cheer it can be easy for people to get caught up in the gift giving and receiving aspect of the holiday and forget what the holidays are really about. The holiday season is about so much more than the presents, it’s about the time you spend with family and the memories that you make.

One of my favorite Christmas memories has nothing to do with presents. In fact, I don’t even remember what presents that I received that year. That year I was about six or seven years old. I woke up around four o’clock a.m. on Christmas day. The rule in my family was we were never allowed to go downstairs until everyone was awake and ready.

I crept out of my bedroom to sit at the top of the stairs to look at the soft light shining from my beautiful Christmas tree and saw light spilling out from under my oldest brother’s door. I opened his door to find both of my brothers watching a movie on my oldest brother’s computer.

They invited me in and I closed the door behind

me sat down with my siblings who were huddled around the big desktop computer and watched the rest of the movie with them.

Sitting there with my brothers brought me a sense of comfort.

Even though there were few words exchanged between my brothers and I, I felt like it brought me closer to them. After our movie ended, there was still an hour left before we were allowed to wake up our parents, so I sat and watched as my brothers played a computer game. When the time finally came, we went to go wake up our parents and went downstairs to continue our Christmas.

Even now looking back fondly on that memory, that was the highlight of my Christmas that year.

It’s important to stop obsessing about presents because those presents are not what Christmas is about. The holidays are an occasion to take time away from work and school to make memories with your family and the people you love because when you think back on the past, what stands out most is the memories you made.

16

Update December 15, 2017

Feature

Miniture Model Movement Companies increase toy diversity for customer satisfaction Jenna Wray & Amelya Jankens page editors

graphics by Farryn Cook & Abby Peterson

AMERICAN BOY DOLL: American Girl has new release of boy dolls. Their newest drummer Logan is pictured.

GIRL POWER: Featuring different hair and curvier figure, Barbie makes it in the fashionista line.

VARIETY GOES VOGUE: Barbie breaks stereotypes by manufacturing a doll that features natural hair and a darker skin complextion.

I

felt like no one cared about me,” sophomore Kiran Sequeira said.

Sequeira described the feeling of not being able to find toys that represented her appearance. She wondered why her dolls didn’t look like her, to which her mother replied, “Society hasn’t gone there yet.”

Currently, some toy industries are coming out with dolls that represent different people.

America is composed of people from a variety of different countries and is home to different races and cultures.

Celebrating people’s differences is a unique part of today’s society. Along with the newfound acceptance of diversity, the toy industry is stepping up to make their products relatable to more children.

Mattel, the company that owns the doll brands Barbie and American Girl, began making dolls that are inclusive to more children. On Nov. 13, 2017, the company announced a hijab wearing Barbie based on the American Olympic Fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad.

The doll will hit stores in 2018. Prior to this release, Barbie had no dolls

that resembled or represented hijabwearing women.

In addition to the new fencer Barbie, other dolls recently introduced have a large variety of body shapes, height, and skin color. Such traits greatly differ from the blonde, Caucasian Barbies that were originally released in 1959.

Along with Barbie making improvements to their doll lines, toy companies like Lego and American Girl are becoming more gender inclusive with their products. Today’s children will be able to find toys that have a large range of appearances, which will allow them to find toys that better represent themselves.

Some children feel as though their toys do not represent them. Women like social studies teacher Jamie Zimmer never saw herself in American Girl dolls when she was younger. Although American Girl was trying to make their dolls to include the entire population, they have not been entirely successful in accomplishing this.

“Even then [the Truly Me™ Doll] never really felt like it was mine, or it looked like me,” Zimmer said.

According to Huffington Post, research has been done to link children’s toys to their self esteem.

Sequeira has been affected by the lack representation of her culture in the toys she played with as a child.

Sequiera, like many others, could never find toys that looked like her.

“It really made me feel like I was out of the ordinary and I would have liked it if I had a doll that was more like my culture,” Sequeira said.

Recently, toy companies started including minorities. Senior Jackie Lee, who is of Korean descent, felt ostracized by the absence of variety in the toy industry. When her features didn’t fit in with the blonde hair, blue eyed beauty standard set by toy companies, she felt that she didn’t belong as an American.

“I just felt like I wasn’t part of the group I should be in,” Lee said.

The advances that toy companies are making to be more diverse may have an effect on today’s youth. It will give children the resources to learn about diversity within America. The toy industry has grown to be more inclusive to more people.

SUPER GIRL: Lego company has begun to branch out on gender roles for their production of superheroes. One of their newest superhero girls featured is the wellknown Batwoman. photos by Jenna Wray

December 15, 2017

Feature

Update

17

Season of celebrating diversity Recognizing various religious traditions observed throughout winter season Rin Dunlap staff writer

A

cross the world, people are lighting candles, exchanging gifts, and celebrating the end of the year.

All different religions have various stories and traditions for their prominent holidays.

Chanukah, the major winter holiday of Judaism, is celebrated on a different date every year. The Jewish calendar, unlike the standard calendar, is lunisolar, meaning that Jewish calendar dates rarely align with actual days and months.

Chanukah (Hanukkah) celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in approximately 200 BCE, when a small band of Jewish people (called the Maccabees) reclaimed the temple from the Syrian-Greeks. When the Maccabees went to light the menorah to rededicate the temple, they found that only a single container of oil was left.

“There was only enough for one day, but supposedly, that small amount lasted for eight days, until new oil could be pressed and purified,” Temple Beth-El President Sheldon Messing said. “Hence, we light candles for eight days.”

During Chanukah, Jewish families light one candle a night, saying a blessing each night at sundown.

Most Jewish families living in America follow the tradition of giving gifts, but that custom is rarely followed in Israel or other Jewish-majority countries. A family may get together and eat latkes, play dreidel, or just listen to the story of Judah and the Maccabees.

Eid Al-Fitr, while not always celebrated in the winter, is a major holiday of Islam, and

is the Islamic holiday most commonly compared to other winter holidays. It marks the ending of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Ramadan does not line up with any specific month.

“Eid Al-Fitr is after Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar,” Midland’s Islamic Center board member Khaled Khan said. “The Muslim calendar is a lunar calendar of about 354 days, so over the course of a lifetime you could celebrate Eid in June, November, December.

In the course of my lifespan I’ll probably celebrate Eid in all of the months.”

There are many different ways for Muslims to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr. It is the only day in the month of Ramadan that Muslims are not required to fast, so some Muslims partake in the sweet foods that they missed during the fasting month. Others wear new clothes, give to charity, and give gifts to the children of their family.

“During Eid Al-Fitr, people take off a couple days to a week for celebrating, giving gifts to one another,” Khan said. “You’ll also see Muslims wearing new clothes.”

Diwali is also not always celebrated in the winter, but is still a major holiday in Hinduism. It is often celebrated in October. It is a festival of lights, celebrating the victory of good over evil.

There are many legends and stories told during Diwali, but the most popular is the story of Lord Rama and his wife, Sita. After being exiled from their kingdom in India, they returned, having defeated the demon king, Ravana.

“The god Rama, light, he defeats the evil god Ravana and he brings his wife home,” sophomore Sentthur S.K.V. said. “They return and the people celebrate their return.”

Diwali is celebrated by many Hindus across the world,

regardless of where they may live. People celebrating Diwali may attend fireworks displays and light candles. They could also decorate their homes with rangoli artwork, colorful designs made with rice or powder. Families celebrating Diwali typically celebrate by sharing gifts and food.

“Diwali is like the festival of lights, [so we use] candles and usually set the candles all around the house, basically celebrating the victory of light over darkness,” S.K.V. said.

“Other times, they also launch fireworks and stuff to celebrate the victory of light over darkness.”

Winter Solstice is the commemoration of the start of winter. Typically celebrated by agnostics, Pagans, and Native Americans, the Winter Solstice is a holiday for those whose religions or cultures do not have a holiday in the winter. It is usually on Dec. 21.

“We celebrate by waking up before the sunrise, and we go to a different place every year,” junior Kaedon

Cleland-Host said. “Usually it’s like a lake, or, like, there’s this stand that we go to, and we watch the sunrise. After we watch the sunrise, we head back home, and there’s a little stone circle [that] we have our presents in in our backyard.”

The Winter Solstice has many different names.

In Paganism, it is called Yule, and is one of the most important holidays. It is celebrated with a Yule Log, filled with spices and burned as the family celebrates. The Ancient Romans celebrated the Winter Solstice as Saturnalia, a celebration commemorating Saturn, the sun god.

“Winter Solstice is basically that time where the day stops getting darker and starts getting lighter again,” Cleland-Host said. “It was celebrated by our ancestors as a time of hope.”

Families gather and observe their holidays during the same time of year, regardless of what they celebrate.

Winter Holiday Dates Winter Solstice - Dec. 21st

Celebrating the days starting to get longer again and winter beginning.

Eid Al-Fitr - First day of Shawwal

Celebration that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Chanukah - 25th day of Kislev

Also known as Hannuka, the Jewish eight-day festival of lights. It celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple.

Diwali - 15th day of Kartika on the Hindu calendar

The festival of lights coincides the Hindu New Year, celebrates new beginnings and the triump of good over evil. graphics by Farryn Cook

Update

18 Feature

December 15, 2017

Community elves spread cheer Santa House works as opportunity for students to volunteer for holidays Lillian Presnell & Camryn McGee

managing copy editor & page designer

T

his year marks the 30th anniversary of the Midland County Santa House opening. It has been a tradition among families in Midland County to go to the Santa House around Christmas time since it opened in 1987. For years, children and parents have lined up and waited for their turn to see Santa, give him their wish lists, and see the reindeer pen. As students get older, they still look for ways to keep the Christmas spirit alive, and some do this by volunteering at the Santa House.

“I wanted to [volunteer] because it seemed like it would be a good opportunity to help in the community and I always had a good time at the Santa

House when I was a kid,” junior Sarah Pisarczyk said.

For high school students, the list of volunteer positions available consists of being an elf, Santa’s “security”, crowd control, greeter, handing out candy, and a few others. To keep it fun, dressing up is a part of volunteering. The volunteers are given red aprons when working as Santa’s elves.

“Typically, in the past, we have shown up in our normal clothing then we wear elf costumes, which are kind of funny,” senior Will Adams said.

A visitor might look forward to seeing Santa or the reindeer. As a volunteer, senior Elizabeth Klopf looks forward to

seeing her younger siblings get excited about these things.

“I know my family is going to be coming through [the Santa House], and I’m just excited to see all my siblings while dressed up like a little elf,” Klopf said.

This holiday season is Klopf’s first year volunteering at the Santa House, but for Adams, this will be his second year. Volunteering at the Santa House has left a positive impact on him, which he is grateful for.

“It’s really cool to see kids enjoying a resource that the community has to offer, like the Santa House,” Adams said.

“I think that everyone should definitely

SANTA ISN’t COMING, HE’S ALREADY HERE: (from left to right) Alexander Armstrong and sister Helena Armstrong sit on Santa’s lap. Many children are drawn to the decorations in the Santa House during the month of Decemeber. However, children aren’t the only ones seen sitting on Santa’s lap, many adults do as well.

take the opportunity to go see it. It’s a really cool thing.”

The impact that volunteering at the Santa House has left on Pisarczyk is also a positive one. This will be her second year volunteering on opening night as one of Santa’s elves.

“I’d say it gives me a lot of perspective [on] how much joy little kids have around holidays and I really like getting to help the kids, because I think kids are great,” Pisarczyk said.

Getting involved at the Santa House is easier than it may seem. To feel the positive effects of volunteering and sign up this holiday season, visit https://www. midlandfoundation.org/santa-house/.

MANAGING HIS WORKSHOP: Junior Sarah Pisarczyk helps a young boy write a letter to Santa. She volunteers at the Santa House frequently over the holiday season when not at school or extracurriculars.

December 15, 2017 Update

Feature 19

Spending a super staycation Events in December for those staying in Midland Emi Hunt

staff writer

S

ome families choose to stay home during December and the holiday season while others choose to travel. This holiday season, Midland, Mich. and surrounding areas offer events for those staying in state and looking for things to do. These events include a variety of indoor and outdoor festivities to fill free time with holiday oriented activities for all ages.

16

Bradley Home Holiday

Celebrate the holidays at the Bradley Home. The event will feature parlor games, vintage holiday decor, music, crafts, and more.

18 photos by Camryn McGee & Lillian Presnell

SMILES FROM SANTA’S HELPERS: (from top to bottom)Anish Middha (10), Kiran Sequeira (10), Will Adams (12), Justin Witt (12) working as volunteers at the Midland Santa House.

Volunteers do jobs like greeting at the door, and helping and playing with children with their letters to Santa.

15

Fab Friday at the Library

Grace A Dow Memorial Library presents Fab Friday. Fab Friday features games to play with friends and snacks such as pizza and cookies.

16

Creative 360 Candy Workshop

Christmas Carol at Creative 360

$18.00 2:00-4:00 P.M.

Captured Studios Swing Dancing

Open Create at Captured Studios

$5.00 8:00-10:00 P.M.

Stroll the illuminated paths, enjoy the festive lights, and the large poinsettia displays at the Dow Gardens annual Christmas walk.

FREE 2:00-4:00 P.M.

$5.00 2:00-4:00 P.M.

The loft at Captured Studios is hosting open swing dancing. The event features lessons at 8-9 p.m, with open dancing following.

Come alone, or bring a partner.

15

FREE 5:00-7:00 P.M.

Creative 360 will be hosting a candy making workshop. Bring two cookie sheets to the class.

Register online at becrative360. org to attend.

21

Dow Garden’s Christmas Walk

Open Create is an opportunity to amake custom art every Thursday with friends. Captured will supply any painting materials necessary, or bring your own projects to work on!

$10.00 6:30-8:30 P.M.

17

Creative 360 will be performing “A Christmas Carol“. The event includes a live show, holiday desserts, and cider. Pre-paid tickets are $15, $20 at the door.

$20.00 7:00-9:00 P.M.

23

The Detroit Zoo Lights

The Wild Lights at Detroit Zoo feature various holiday scenes lit up throughout the park. For more information on ticket prices, times, and dates, visit www. ticketstore.detroitzoo.org

$18.00 5:30-9:00 P.M.

graphics by Farryn Cook and John Rettig

20

Sports

Update December 15, 2017

Bored over break?

Midland offers plenty of activities to fill the day:

Toboggan run

Outlook on Alpine Club winter activities John Rettig page editor s snow starts to fall and temperatures drop to annual lows, students are heading to the slopes. Living in Michigan is a blessing to many students who participate in snowboarding and skiing because of the heavy snowfall and various ski resorts spread across the state.

With a high population of snow sport athletes, and a school that is open to any type of club, students and teachers formed the Alpine Club.

A photo provided by City Forest

The Midland City Forest features one of the last standing toboggan runs in the state.Toboggans can be rented for $8 per hour, and fit three to four people.

The toboggan run relies on weather conditions, and operates on a first come first serve basis.

Sled hill

“Alpine Club is a recreational ski and snowboard club,” advisor Lisa Bilodeau said.

“We ski at Michigan resorts throughout the ski season, usually on Saturdays.”

The remaining trips this year include: Crystal Mountain Resort on Dec. 16, Schuss Mountain Resort on Dec. 29, Caberfae Peaks on Jan. 6, and another Crystal Mountain Resort outing on Feb. 3.

“I’d say my favorite memory from Alpine Club would be actually learning how to ski, because

photo provided by City Forest

The sled hill at the Midland City Forest is open from 8 a.m-10 p.m.

The hill is groomed daily, and sleds may be rented for $4 per two hours.

Ice skating

photo by Emi Hunt

The Midland Civic Arena offers dropin public-skating Monday-Sunday. Drop-in for teenagers is $5, and skate rental is $3 per person. Drop-in skate times can be found at http://www. midlandcivicarena.com graphics by John Rettig

when I first started I didn’t know anything,” junior Eastin Block said. “It was cool to be able to learn with my friends.”

Depending on the skill, experience, and style of shredding, Alpine Club members’ favorite outings always vary.

“I look forward to the Crystal Mountain trip every year,” senior Adam Hancock said. “It’s a big resort and has really nice terrain parks.”

Every resort the Alpine Club attends has many hills with varying features and difficulty.

With coordinating such expensive trips and having so many students involved, it can be difficult for Bilodeau to manage everything by herself, so every year she has a small support staff to assist her.

“My five officers are very dedicated,” Bilodeau said. “They are willing to help out to promote the club whenever I need them.

They design the t-shirts and help with meetings as well as work the club table during conferences and parent night.

They are positive role

models for students and are welcoming to new members any time during the season.”

Skiing and snowboarding are seasonal sports, meaning that there is only a window of time each year that one can partake in them. Since these sports involve high speeds, cold weather, and possibility of serious injury, students may stray away from the Alpine Club but according to members of the club, it’s not as bad as it seems.

“I don’t think anyone should be afraid to join Alpine Club just because they think that you have to know how to ski,” junior Nick Bloom said. “You can join, learn, and have lots of fun.”

Students can join anytime by coming to a meeting or visiting the Alpine Club Moodle page, filling out a permission form and turning it in.

They can also join the text reminder group by sending “@lbilo” to 81010.

December 15, 2017

Sports

Update

21

New varsity wrestling coach brings experience, different approach to program Ben Zeitler & Alex Doty managing sports & page editor

A

fter a long practice full of demonstrations and drill work, head wrestling coach Dennis Doyle peels his green and yellow Asic wrestling shoes from his feet and leans back in his chair with a groan.

In his first year at the helm, Doyle has devoted himself to rebuilding a wrestling program that has been mired in mediocrity in recent years.

Previously, Doyle coached wrestling at Bullock Creek, the Midland Community Center, and, most recently, Jefferson Middle School. He was the head wrestling coach at JMS for the past six years.

Although Doyle is the new coach, he is very familiar with DHS athletics, having coached the past three years on the football staff. Along with his connections through sports, he has also seen his older son Connor graduate, and his younger son, Brennan, is a junior. Brennan has been on the wrestling team since his freshman year and is very thankful for the impact his father has had on his life.

“Not only has he been my wrestling coach, but he’s been my life coach for as long as I can remember,” Brennan said.

Because of all of these connections, Dennis is very familiar with the school, and when the previous wrestling coach, Josh Trader, stepped down, Dennis approached athletic director John Streeter about the job opening.

After going through the interview process, Dennis emerged with the head coaching position and the task of molding the wrestling team into a championship contender while maintaining high academic standards.

“I want to repeat as Academic AllState for Division 1, and I want to win districts this year,” Dennis said. “I really think it’s doable. Bay City Western and Midland High are the two teams we’re gonna have to beat. They are very good,

but I think with the group we have, by the end of the year we’ll be capable of winning districts.”

In order to reach these goals, Dennis has implemented significant changes in the program, namely a more rigorous workout regimen.

“We piggybacked the football team’s weightlifting program this summer, and we also piggybacked the hockey team’s weightlifting program this fall,” Dennis said. “Now that we’re in season, we are lifting three days a week and doing normal weight training, along with nontraditional weight training and things to build athleticism.”

His wrestlers have taken notice of the changes to the practice routine.

“This season we have been going up to the weight room a lot more,” senior Jacob Sweet said. “One day we are doing weights for your upper body, lower body, and other day doing deadlifts.”

Dennis is optimistic about the veteran wrestlers from last year, as several returners are poised to have successful seasons.

“We’re returning a very strong nucleus,” Dennis said. “We have two returning state qualifiers and five kids who have qualified for regionals at least once in their career.”

In addition to having confidence in his experienced wrestlers, Dennis plans to utilize an extensive assistant staff to establish a solid base for fundamentals and promote growth in the skills of the wrestlers.

“We have a total of nine coaches that have an amazing amount of knowledge and coaching ability,” Dennis said.

“All coaches at minimum were state qualifier wrestlers in high school, with several wrestling in college or military and others with head coaching experience. To say we are fortunate would be an understatement.”

“You have to have a set of values to build a program on. Those need to be set with high character, high academic standards, being a good citizen.”

Dennis Doyle, wrestling coach Dennis also stresses that he wants to increase school spirit by advocating appreciation for teachers and encouraging more student

involvement at home meets.

“For the home meet [on Jan. 3], the wrestlers are going to send an invitation to a teacher that has impacted their lives, and the teachers are going to be invited to the meet and will be recognized when their wrestler goes out to wrestle,” Dennis said. “Also, we would love to have a student section where they can wear throwback singlets. I would completely support that.”

Along with getting the school committed to their wrestling team, Dennis also challenges his wrestlers to make the next step in commitment as well.

“Athletes have been allowed to be very noncommittal in the past and that’s just going to end,” Dennis said.

“Either they’re all in or not at all.”

photo provided by Dennis Doyle

FAMILY MATTERS: Dennis Doyle poses with his son, junior Brennan Doyle, after the 2017 MHSAA District Wrestling Champtionship. “He has pushed me as a young child to be all I could ever be.” Brennan Doyle said. Along with assisting in coaching his sons, he is always their number one supporter if he’s in the grandstands.

Update

22 Sports

December 15, 2017

Rolling toward perfection

Classic leisure activity continues to grow as competitive sport Faye Kollig

assistant copy

D

uring the months of December and January, a collection of students can be found at Northern Lanes Recreation, amping up their skills at what is considered one of America’s classic pastimes. The bowling team practices three times a week under the watchful supervision, criticism, and encouragement of coaches Steve and Jeanie White.

Removed from the school’s varsity sports roster for 20 years, bowling has made a comeback, and was reinstated during the 2014-2015 winter season. There is a girls varsity team and boys varsity team, composed of students from all grades.

“I think [the program’s] gotten a lot more open and a bit more organized,” senior Damian Turowski said. “The jerseys our freshman year were just simple polos with the little Dow logo on them, and now we have the cool bowling jerseys with all the lightning and stuff. I think just from what I noticed, the coaches have been improving getting more and more involved with us, since freshman year, sophomore year they’ve been giving us more tips on how to bowl better.”

The new team has been building up its base of members and working towards creating a JV team. Each competition requires a minimum of five athletes to participate in two baker games and five head to head matches against one other team. During the baker games, all five teammates participate, one playing the first and sixth frame, the second the second and seventh frame, and so on.

During the head to head matches, one member of each team competes one on one. Each baker game is worth five points, and each head to head game one point, and the team with the most points at the end of the night wins the game.

“I think there’s a lot of team effort involved, especially in the baker games, but mostly I think the team effort comes in with the more experienced players helping the less experienced players and everyone just helping each other out, because it is pretty individual when you bowl up against someone,” Turowski said.

“It’s not really your team that’s directly

backing you, but it’s your team that’s indirectly, you know, helping you out, giving you tips, and giving you encouragement if you’re not doing that well.”

While some may consider bowling solely recreational, it is recognized as a varsity sport. Athletes must purchase or rent shoes and balls, must travel to face other teams, and must provide the pay-to-play fee, although it is slightly modified to accommodate the usage of the privately owned bowling facility.

Additionally, there is a considerable amount of skill involved that requires practice and strategy to hone.

“We practice where you’re going to throw the ball, how fast you’re going to throw it, how much spin you’re putting on it, what lane conditions are like,” senior Michael McNamara said. “Usually as the match goes on, the oil starts spreading out more so it’s easier.”

Many bowlers have stuck with the team because they enjoy the atmosphere in addition to the sport itself. Both Turowski, McNamara, and junior Rebecca White, among others, joined the team freshman year with varying levels of experience.

“I’ve been bowling since I was five or six years old because it’s something my grandma wanted me to do, and I’m just going to keep doing it,” White said. “It’s something fun that I enjoy and I like the people that do it and I’ve made a lot of friends through bowling.”

The increasing interest in the nascent bowling program is an indicator that the team will continue to become more competitive.

“We are a newer team compared to the other schools in our division,” girls coach Jeanie White said. “But the bowlers have an interest in improving their skills.”

Since its inception four years ago, the girls and boys teams have increased in size. Both contain more than seven members, and the teams are hopeful that their membership will continue to expand, eventually enabling them to create junior varsity teams. The bowling team is rising, and ready to compete in the established high school circuit.

photo by Alex Doty

December 15, 2017

Sports 23

Update

Stick to tradition

Views from the student section

Managers help hockey team compete at high level Jaxon Sowle staff writer

H

ockey was added to the list of sports at DHS in 1976, and since that inaugural season, student managers have played an integral role on the team. Despite this, it is a job that many people don’t even know exists. The team manager position gives junior and senior girls the opportunity to travel with and be a part of the hockey team.

Seniors Anna Blasy and Mina Fabiano were selected to take on the task this year. The two help the team by filling up water bottles to keep players hydrated, filming the games, taking players sticks to the bench and taking stats for the team. Blasy and Fabiano are encouraged to attend practices, but unlike managers of years past, their presence isn’t required at practice.

“At first I heard from Mina that [Jon Baillargeon] wanted the two of us to be managers for the season,” Blasy said. “I thought it would be a lot of fun since my whole family would be there anyways and I can be a part of the team in a way.”

Baillargeon isn’t the only player on the team that is happy to have the two. Senior Ryan Flint loves having managers on the team because their work allows him to turn his attention to the game at hand.

“Before a big game we need to focus on our game, and it’s nice if we don’t have to focus on our water bottles or take our sticks to the bench,” Flint said.

The appreciation for the managers doesn’t end at the players; the coaches also are grateful for the help.

The coaching staff especially appreciates how they take stats so that they can look back and break down games.

“During the game they are taking stats, you know, shots on net, faceoffs, and then at the end they do basically the opposite and they make

sure the bench is taken care of and everything’s returned,” head coach Dick Blasy said. “They make sure I get the stats and then their job’s pretty much done.”

The managers make the coaches’ and players’ lives easier while at the same time are enjoying their experience. Anna and Fabiano both have their own favorite things about the job.

“Some highlights would include the large number of upperclassmen that have been leading the team in the right direction,” said Anna. “Not to mention, the underclassmen are going to bring a lot of energy and skill to the team this season and hopefully through the rest of their high school career.”

While Anna gets a thrill from watching the leaders of the team guide the team, Fabiano has a different aspect of the team she loves. “[My favorite part of being a manager is] meeting the new players and making new friends and also being a part of the team,” Fabiano said.

Anna enjoys watching the leadership of the upperclassmen, and tries to set a positive example herself in order to help the team. Not only are Anna and Fabiano assisting the team by doing tasks; they also have a strong impact on the team.

“When you get good managers, they can kind of create a positive influence,” Dick said. “A lot of times they might make brownies or cookies or other things like that to keep the boys upbeat.”

Whether it be filling water bottles, filming, or taking stats, the hockey managers have been helping out the team in a multitude of ways photo by Alex Doty for over 40 years.

Zeit Writes I didn’t know that refs could be so good at giving the stink-eye to members of the student section, but there I was, holding awkward eye contact with the line judge as he stared daggers at me.

It was the opening round of volleyball districts, and our Lady Chargers trailed Mt. Pleasant. In order to try and throw the Mt. Pleasant server off her rhythm, I cupped my hands round my mouth and yelled “Your foot’s on the line!” as the server’s hand met the volleyball. My voice resonated throughout the quiet gym, and the ball careened into the net before dropping to the hardwood floor, its soft thud audible in the aftermath of my shout.

I cheered as the Lady Chargers pranced into a huddle of high fives to celebrate the point, but as I clapped my hands, the official turned his head towards the student section, focused in on me, and glared. It had to have been at least three full seconds that I uncertainly held his gaze before he returned his attention back to the match at hand.

Unsure of what to make of this icy stare from the official,

BenZeitler Zeitler Ben

I looked over to our beloved Mrs. Whalen in hopes of an explanation.

“You can’t be yelling during the serve, it’s disrespectful to the players,” Whalen told me, shaking her head lightly but firmly.

I went back to watching the game, but my mind stuck on the fact that it was considered “disrespectful” to try and distract an athlete in a sport that welcomes student sections. Why was it that in basketball, student sections could be as loud and obnoxious as they pleased during my free throws, but in volleyball I couldn’t distract a girl from her serving routine?

As I thought about it, I realized that each sport has an unspoken code of conduct that viewers abide to. For instance, tennis matches gather a big crowd at significant events, yet the audience is expected to offer only a polite clap at the end of a dizzying volley of impressive shots. In contrast, the stands explode in excitement at a football game when a run bounces outside for a gain of 12 yards.

As I found out through experience, when unsaid rules are broken, one risks getting the stink-eye.

December 15, 2017

Update

Sports

Grabbing onto opportunity

24

Young talent looks to uphold success of girls basketball program Andre Buckley

managing news

T

here is a four year gap between the oldest and youngest girl on the varsity girls basketball team. The intensity of a varsity team may vary from place to place. Most underclassmen play either on the freshman or junior varsity team, but a select few find themselves on the varsity squad. In the 2017-18 girls basketball program, Katelyn Murray and Jada Garner are the two freshmen playing varsity.

The varsity girls basketball coach, Kyle Theisen, states that the girls were going to be a great asset on the team.

He believes that it was a good idea to incorporate them onto the team this year.

“Jada and Katelyn came in well prepared by working hard in the offseason,” Theisen said, “They came in ready from day one and I knew I wanted them on my team.”

Murray has been playing since she was in third grade. In anticipation of this season, she has put in countless hours worth of repetitions.

“I worked really hard and I wanted to just play basketball,” Murray said.

“I was waiting to play freshman basketball, but I know I am ready to play varsity.”

Coming into her freshman year, Murray hadn’t played with anyone on the team except for sophomore Jenna Somers, so it’s taking time for her to become comfortable at the varsity level.

“It is difficult to adapt to the changes of the varsity level,” Murray said. “I try to build up my chemistry with the different players on the team, so I oftentimes ask them for rides.”

Among the things she isn’t used to are some unorthodox methods that Theisen takes to improve the team.

“We do yoga on Wednesdays as a break from practice,” Murray said.

“That should be interesting.”

Garner has been playing basketball since she was in fourth grade. She trains with her father, Lewis Garner, and has been doing that all of her life.

Having been an athlete for numerous years, Jada feels as if she is prepared

for the varsity level. Nonetheless, she still feels a dash of trepidation.

“I am a little nervous for the upcoming season, because there is a lot of pressure on me being that I am a starter,” Jada said.

Jada has time to better herself as she continues to grow as a basketball player. In doing so, she has been devoting a lot of time to improving her abilities. Outside of team practice, she works on her skills at home.

“I shoot around at my house a lot and I do that to make my shot better,” Jada said.

As assistant varsity coach this year, Lewis is coming from coaching three years at Bullock Creek. Prior to the season, he asked Theisen if he could help coach Jada and the varsity team.

“It’s actually a pleasure to coach Jada,” Lewis said. “My son went through DHS’s program, but I have never been able to help out from the bench as well.”

In addition to coaching his daughter, Lewis is willing to help out any team member who needs help with their game.

“I know my daughter is on the team, but I will not favor Jada over any of the other girls,” Lewis said. “I am here to coach the team not just Jada, if anything, I would be harder on Jada.”

With only one senior on the roster, this team is quite young. According to Theisen, the team is very diligent and dedicated. The players know they are going to have to work to get where they want to go.

“This is a very young team, but the future for this team is looking very bright,” Lewis said. “I can’t wait to become a part of the team’s great history.”

The team is already making strides to have a long postseason run.

The girls faced one of their toughest competitors from last year, Flushing, on Dec. 5 winning 40-24. During the game Jada spent little time on the bench. The team now fights to continue their winning streak on Dec. 16 at Cousino High School.

photos by Lydia Barber