Update February 1, 2019

4: DOW’S EFFECT ON THE FACE OF MIDLAND 12-13: THRIFTING VS. RETAIL 19: STUDENTS TAKE ON YOUTUBE 23: OFF-SEASON TRAINING REGULATIONS

Dangling down the ice

Update Volume 41, Issue 5

February 1, 2019

Mickey McMahon guides the puck down to Lapeer’s goal as the team leads the score 11-0. DHS won the shutout match 12-0.

Page 22-23

H. H. Dow High School Midland, Michigan update.dhs.mps.k12.mi.us @dowhighupdate

photo by Lillian Pressnell

Distribution

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

Staff Editorial

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

Letters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

PHOTO MONTH

Mission Statement

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

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

@dowhighupdate

Update February 1, 2019

OF THE

2 News

photo by Micah Damocles

FOD FOR THOUGHT: Junior Andrew Selle attempts to set a new lettuce-eating record at the 2019 Lettuce Club meeting. “I was pretty confident, I’ve been planning this since last year,” Selle said.

Selle and other participants were beat by freshman Samuel Baker (behind) with a lettuce-eating time of 5 minutes and 42 seconds. As the winner, Baker secured the position of president for the next year.

POP! We ask you the questions What is your favorite clothing brand and why?

What is your New Year’s resolution?

Sofi Maher

William Gandy

junior

freshman

“Zara, because it offers wide variety of clothing options and I like their style.”

Torrie Hutter

sophomore

senior

“Under Armor, it is just as good of a quality as Nike but for a better price.”

“Calvin Klein or Tommy Hilfiger, they are classics who are always stylish and trendy with celebrities I follow.”

Kylie Wright

Arianna Ruiz

Amber Amber Burton Burton

Brendan Chicky

sophomore

freshman

junior junior

senior

“To focus more on school.”

Who is your favorite music artist from 2018?

“None, I don’t really care about clothing brands.”

Aaron Brown

Julien Theuerkauf junior “Tekashi 6ix9ine, I think his music is fire.”

“To do a lot better in school, it’s going pretty good.”

Maggie Wallace sophomore “I didn’t really listen to too much new, but I do like indie music.”

“To gain weight, it’s not going too well.”

“To stay alive, it’s going pretty good.”

Devin Laforest

Camryn McGee

freshman

senior

“I really got into 80s and 90s.”

“Khalid, his music is chill and relatable and his voice is very soothing.”

photos by Gavan Boguszewski

News 3

February 1, 2019 Update

In Brief: Annual Sadie Hawkins dance

In Brief: Choir accomplishments

Irshad Husain

Cierra Dillon

staff writer

staff writer

Student Leadership will host the third annual Sadie Hawkins Dance on Feb. 9. The dance is semiformal and will take place in the cafeteria from 7-10 pm.

Tickets for the event are $5 when bought at lunch and $10 when purchased at the door.

One of four dances of the school year, Sadie’s offers an experience that is less formal than the traditional Homecoming and Prom, and more formal than the recently added Glow Dance.

Sadie’s was reintroduced Feb. 2017.

Student Leadership uses the dance as an opportunity to dance and have fun without the formality typically associated with dances.

In the past, the dance has raised money for the leadership program to improve the school.

This year, part of the profits will go help medical costs for junior Ruth Pasek.

“The dance has become a tradition at Dow High now,” senior Adeline McCarty said in an email interview.

“I believe people expect the dance and also look

forward to it.”

Social studies teacher Alex Karapas will act as disc jockey. In the past, Karapas has DJ’d for the Glow Dance.

Students who want to bring dates outside of DHS must make sure they are approved through a Guest Pass signed by the school’s administration. These forms are located in the main office.

Visitors must bring their school ID or driver’s license.

DHS reserves the right to deny any requests for guest visitors to attend.

At the most recent district choral Solo & Ensemble performance, on Jan. 19, the choir program scored highly among the 12 schools present.

There were nine soloists, one octet, the Men’s Honors Choir, consisting of 11 male students, and La Voz, a parallel vocal ensemble comprised of 11 female students. In total, because of people performing in multiple events, a total of 22 singers competed in this event.

“It was a lot of fun,” junior Gretel Grossman said. “It was actually

Second semester slump Letter from the Editor

A new semester can be an opportunity for students to have a fresh start. Almost like a relief, there is no longer the looming presence of an exam grade that could disrupt the grades earned in the first and second marking periods. Especially this year due to our wild exam week happenings. For the first time in my four years in high school, we had not only one, but two snow days on exam days.

On top of not having to take four to five exams, a policy was implemented that has dissolved the worries of any negative grade from the last day of exams. The policy states that exam grades from the final day of testing will only count if the score doesn’t lower the semester grade. I don’t think I have ever heard so much relief from my peers than on those days.

However, getting back into the swing of things for the latter half of the school year can also bring along a drop in motivation.

With the cancellation of exams, as wonderful as it was, the second semester slump has been a little more prominent. For some, after studying their brains out and not having a traditional ending to the semester, the

somewhat elongated semester break has made being back at school a little difficult.

While it’s easy for senioritis, or just overall laziness to set in, it’s important to push through this slump. Even though the thought of being at home sleeping in instead of being in first hour may sound rather appealing, it’s probably not going to benefit you in the long run. Taking a different perspective on the rest of the school year might make pushing through to the end a little easier. After all we’re already halfway done.

Enjoy the issue,

Anikka Thorson

funny, because originally, Mr. Gardner told us at first that [La Voz] had only got a 29 out of 30, but then he told us he was kidding and we actually got a perfect score.”

All of the solo singers received at least a 27 out of 30, with five of them earning perfect scores. La Voz and the performing octet also earned perfect scores in their ensemble performances. Every singer who performed at the district competition from DHS is eligible for the states competition which will also take place at CMU.

“I thought we did really well,” Grossman said. “We were a little worried at first because of some issues with how many people were coming, but it ended up being fine and it went pretty well.”

The choir program will be organizing and performing a Cabaret: a music concert taking place on the evening of Friday, March 15, 2019 in the cafeteria. Tickets are scheduled to be put on sale around Feb. 18, so anyone who attends can see these musicians along with others for under $10.

4

News

Update February 1, 2019

Real relevant ratings How Midland stacks up against other cities

Midland’s hospital/ medical care center was ranked

Zane O’Dell

managing business n 2010, the American business magazine Forbes rated Midland the fourth best small city to raise a family in the United States. While Midland has been known to be relatively boring by its residents, the city does have redeeming qualities when it comes to growing up or raising a family in the city.

I

26th out of 621 when it comes to best public schools in the state

#16 in

the state of Michigan.

Report card

A- B+ B A+ B

in Housing in Crime and Safety in Nightlife in Public Schools in Diversity

Midland, MI

4th

best small city to raise a family on Oct 25, 2010 according to Forbes

36th out of 790 when it comes to best places to live

info from niche.com graphics by Grace Sobeck

February 1 , 2019

Update

News 5

Celebrities and politics

Lillian Pressnell The Lowdown with Lillian Everyone knows about Kanye West and his love for Donald Trump. However much we may hate his tweets or find them annoying, it is his right to voice his opinions, just like any other American. graphic by Grace Sobeck A month into the longest government shutdown in American history, rap star Cardi B expressed her opinions on her Instagram.

Ranting about how Trump suggested furloughed workers return to work without there’s a higher percentage of pay, how scared she is people that want to live in town in the past 30 years,” Cobblestone about the government shutdown, and how Homes owner Mike Wahl said. “I think the millennial, young crowd Trump shutting it down for a wall and Barack going into their career paths Obama shutting it with a little bit more of an active down for healthcare are lifestyle want to move down. In completely different, suburbs, there’s an interesting she let her 40.3 million divide, where the people either want to be in town, or in a country followers know how she was feeling while also setting. There’s been a conscious encouraging action. effort to uplift and renew She was met with downtown, and we talk about support, some tweeting experiential learning, I think we’re moving towards experiential #CardiB2020 and saying that she is the living. We’re looking towards voice America needs what we’re going to experience right now. However, and what lifestyle we want.” she was hit with much Overall, there are multiple criticism, specifically factors that affect the housing from conservative market in Midland. Whether it is an anomaly that occurs for people commentator Tomi Lahren. who want a more suburban life Many critics said or moving for employment, there are some people in the region who that celebrities like Cardi B should stick to have either experienced or know someone who has had experience being celebrities, that they shouldn’t talk with the ever-changing housing about politics or the market in Midland.

Dow’s dominance over realty market

Chemical company takes housing industry by storm Irshad Husain & Micah Damocles assistant business & staff writer

O

ver the course of the last several years, Midland has experienced people moving in and out for various reasons.

Some of those reasons are workrelated, and can be associated with Dow and its establishment in the region.

“Moving out is always a struggle,” junior Gustavo Souza said. “When we went to Singapore, we left some of our things here in a storage over in Saginaw. We didn’t sell our house, but instead we put it up for rental and it wasn’t long before a family was interested.

When we moved back, we didn’t have to buy a new house; but the problem was that we came back earlier than expected, so there was still a family in our house that we rented it to, so we had to stay in a temporary house in the apartment complex by Midland High for about two months.”

Souza is a student who moved to Singapore when he was in seventh grade, as his dad works for Dow and a new position in his job opened up at the time. His family

moved back to Midland when Souza was in 10th grade. Their story illustrates the phenomenon of moving around that some people from Midland have experienced.

“I would say that employment in the region has been pretty stable,” Dow Chemical Company Chief Financial Officer Howard Ungerleider said. “We’ve moved people in, we’ve certainly transferred people from other locations, and we’ve also sent people to other locations around the world. Within the United States, we’re primarily here, with probably the largest presence within the Great Lakes region. We also have a large presence in all of our facilities in Freeport, Sea Drift, Baton Rouge, St. Charles, the Greater Houston Area in Texas, and here.”

The shift in employment is also now accompanied by a demographic shift in Midland as well as across the country that changes the dynamics of the housing market even more.

“In the more recent years, we’ve seen an increase that

government.

While I don’t believe celebrities are obligated to speak on politics, I think if an issue matters to them, they should use their platform to do the most good they can.

After Taylor Swift endorsed two Democratic candidates and encouraged people to vote in the Midterm elections in an Instagram post, 65,000 people registered to vote in the 24 hour period following the post.

Of course she was criticized, but I think she was doing a very good thing and using her platform for things that mattered to her.

Just as we might disagree with our friends or family on a political issue, we can disagree with celebrities on their views. This doesn’t mean that they aren’t entitled to their opinions and aren’t allowed to be vocal.

By sharing their opinions and information with a younger audience, perhaps subjecting them to new ideas and shaping their worldviews, they are doing good.

I believe that celebrities should use their platforms to encourage action and spread their beliefs. And yes, that does include Kanye West as well.

6 News

Update February 1, 2019

For N viewing pleasure

Renovated local NCG Cinemas opens early spring

Lillian Pressnell & Gavan Boguszewski managing news & staff writer

CG Cinemas, located on Cinema Drive in Midland, will be closed from Jan. 7 to March 1 for renovations of the entire theater, from the lobby, to the screen rooms, to the concessions.

Heated seats will replace the current ones. The empty lobby that usually contains movie posters will be converted into the purchase area for tickets and snacks, and the current ticket sale area will be a pickup area for purchases. A bar will also be added.

“We are doing an entire gut of the whole inside of the building,” manager Arik Hopopp said. “That’s behind concessions, the theaters themselves. In the very front we are going to have a bar there. We’re going to have a refill station, so it is going to look completely new and a lot different than what we had before. We’re getting heated seats so they’re bigger seats and they recline and they are warm.”

86 45

percent o reviewers f rate the theate d ra 3 star or better statistics from: tripa

dvisor.com

perc r e v i e w e n t of er t h e t h s r at e d e at e r a “ ve r y good”

The new leather seats are a bit larger than the old cloth ones, resulting in a shift from 1,500 total seats to 1,100. The theater will also be adding more food items like pizza, hotdogs, and hamburgers.

While none of these things would seem out of place at any other theater, like the bigger AMC or IMAX ones, these renovations could be seen as a fairly large jump for the Midland theater. It will cost around $1 million. Being closed for two months may seem like a long time, and business may be lost, but some insist that it will be worth it.

“Yeah it is [worth it] because you look on the outside of the theater and it looks really nice, but then you go inside and it’s grungy,” junior Emma Carlson said. “So, yeah, it’ll be worth it.”

Some may describe the theater as outdated compared to the larger theaters, such as AMC and IMAX. Online reviews depict the theater as in need of “serious updating”.

They describe the seats as feeling dirty (but comfortable) and the showrooms being far too cold.

This $1 million renovation is a huge facelift that the theater had

coming for years, according to some Midland residents.

“Personally for me, I’ve been waiting for this renovation for a long time, even before I started working here,” Hopopp said. “I’m very excited, and I know a lot of family and friends will come in and ask me in person “What’s going to happen?” and I mean this is the only theater really near Midland, other than Saginaw, so unless you want to drive 30 minutes to go to AMC or GDX, this is the theater. So I think it’s exciting.”

The usual employees who run concessions and ticket stands won’t be working during the two months that renovations that will be occurring. Some may participate in cleaning. Even when the theater reopens, the underage employees will not have access to the areas serving alcohol, due to Michigan’s bartending age being 18.

“For two months I’ll be out of a job when they do all the doing the reconstructions,” junior Parker Cobb said. “Then, there’s certain areas I won’t be able to access anymore because now that we’re serving alcohol and I’m not 18, I can’t be around the areas that they serve it from.”

Several online reviews found on Tripadvisor state that there is nothing inherently wrong with the theater itself, but the theme of wanting a renovation of the theater is apparent through the negative comments about the old seats

February 1, 2019 Update and how the concession and ticket lines are the same line. Various reviews enjoy the theater and leave generally good reviews with 86 percent of reviewers rating the theater a three star or better.

However, even the reviews favoring the establishment still gripe with the fact that renovations and updating are needed. Some reviews even state that they would prefer assigned seating, but nothing official has been said on that matter so far.

Some speculate that the talk of putting an IMAX theater in the mall prompted the NCG theater in Midland to renovate. Due to the vacancy in the Midland Mall, the conversation about what to put into it had people brainstorming. Ideas ranged anywhere from

News 7 national retailers to residential apartments.

One of the most popular options was the insertion of an IMAX theater.

“There was a thought that people were thinking of what to do with the mall, and someone said to put an IMAX theater into the mall,” math teacher Jason Gehoski said.

“I think that’s when NCG said ‘oh, we gotta get our own [renovations] so they don’t run us out of business’.”

While two theaters in the same town may seem a little extreme, back in the 1980s, Midland was home to four different theaters.

“There used to be Cinema 1 and 2, where the Secretary of State’s office is now, for this side of town, and then there was Studio M out by Valley Plaza, and then by the 7-Eleven there used to be a bowling alley, an arcade, but it started off as a movie theater, and then there was a drive in movie theater,” Gehoski said. “It’s just a field now.”

Studio M closed just five years ago due to the fact that they couldn’t

“There was a thought that people

make the expensive switch from 35mm film formats to digital ones. This is an example of a business that couldn’t keep up with the times, which NCG will be avoiding with this facelift. Studio M was the last of the four theaters from the 1980s to remain open.

NCG, which resides on the northernmost side of the city, remains the reigning theater of Midland. Just as Studio M couldn’t keep up with the digital era and the Sunset Drive-In couldn’t keep up with the quickly changing movie theater market, NCG is hoping to secure their future as a successful movie theater in Midland. By revamping the entire interior of the theater, the hope is that even more business will come in.

Whether the reasons for the renovation were to compete with the other theaters in the Bay area or to secure their spot as Midland’s main theater, the goal for the renovations is that they will boost business and draw more people to the theater. When it reopens on Mar. 1, the interior of the theater will be brand new.

were thinking of what to do with the mall, and someone said to put an IMAX theater into the mall. I think that’s when NCG said “oh, we gotta get our own [renovations] so they don’t run us out of business”.”

Jason Gehoski, math teacher

“We’re getting heated seats

so they’re bigger seats and they recline and they are warm.”

Arik Hopopp, manager graphics by Mac Thackery

8 Opinion

Update

February 1, 2019

Students, teachers disagree that annotation wastes time Giselle Mahoney page editor

A

n important skill that many students will use while in high school as well as beyond the classroom is using metacognition to understand text. The point of scribbling on the margins isn’t to torture students with a tedious task, it’s being aware of one’s owns thoughts and ideas on a deeper level.

The purpose behind the painstaking task is allowing the brain to remember the main ideas of the passage being read. Having to go through a text, analyzing each paragraph, making personal comments along the margins, and observing various pictures throughout the page is a time killer. However, in the long run the understanding will improve cognitive skills on a deeper level.

The ability to practice annotation is a needed skill in the classroom, to sit down and focus on a piece of information, while going through personal thoughts about the topic. The more a student is able to understand how they learn, remember, and process the information, the more information they will ultimately retain.

Social studies teacher Thomas Evans, is notorious for teaching students the proper way to use metacognition in his classroom.

“From a reading standpoint, I can see the students are actually reading and by looking at their metacog, I can help identify if they are effectively thinking as they are reading or if they’re just kind of glossing over the information,” Evans said. “So by looking at their metacog, I can tell if they are actually immersed in the text and picking up the ideas and thinking about the ideas as they read.”

When teachers encourage their

“Metacognition helps you to zone in on certain information and then can help you summarize the margins and help you get the key ideas,” Amanda Davis, sophomore students to reflect in their spare time, it allows students to discover their learning process and enables them to better understand their own learning processes and furthermore provides students with skills to study and complete work more efficiently and successfully.

Sophomore Amanda Davis encourages her peers to try annotation if reading doesn’t come easy to them.

“Metacognition helps you to zone in on certain information and then can help you summarize the margins and helps you get the key ideas,” Davis said. “The benefits would help you focus or gain them from the reading versus just zombie reading, which would help you not to do that.”

Metacognition isn’t the only way students can understand subject matter in text. Expand by showing clips and movies to students, can help those who are visual and auditory learners. Just reading a passage multiple times doesn’t work for those who aren’t to able to grasp the main ideas presented to them and regurgitate back the information. Mini lessons and

opportunities for practice allow students to develop confidence and be able to purposefully apply this type of reflective thinking to their reading practice.

By displaying a movie, students who are auditory and visual learners are able to interpret what was covered in the reading. In research conducted by the University of Newcastle, more than 200 Australian teachers showed how “movies added audio and visual elements to learning and showcased a more personal, empathetic look at the historical figures and events.”

“I don’t think you should do metacog on just the whole book, I think maybe pick and choose pieces to do or do other forms of learning,” Davis said. “Instead of just doing metacog do different activities, like more skits.”

When teachers “teach aloud” by going over the text, it demonstrates the interplay between the actual text and their own thoughts. When teachers provide options for a guided practice to teach students the proper way of doing metacognition, allowing the student to make sense of how doing annotations improves their understanding. As well when doing individual practice, it ensures that students are confident and successful.

Taking the time to process and do annotations on a piece of text will aid students in improving reading techniques and engaging in the text, allowing them be immersed in the information. Other alternatives, based on other learning styles, are also important in the classroom. By instructing students on the proper way to attack metacognition, students can have confidence and apply reflective thinking to reading and writing practices.

graphics by Emily Danielsen

February 1, 2019

Opinion 9

Update

Searching for smartphones

With many phones available, it’s hard for students to choose the right one Hayden Hetherington & Cierra Dillion page editor & staff writer

Google Pixel Compared to other smartphones, the Pixel’s camera really outdoes others. With both a portrait mode and a nighttime mode, the camera gives photographers an edge to capture a moment without using a professional camera.

The amount of megapixels for the rear and front cameras is standard for most of the newer models, at 12 megapixels for the rear camera and eight for the front. The nighttime mode significantly improves the image

when taking the picture in a dark room, while a new mode, called photosphere, allows the user to take a picture of something larger than what the camera can capture.

Base settings for the Pixel generally give the user more details about the battery life, such as an estimate of how long it has left. Specific to the Pixel 3 is the latest version of the Android OS, Android Nine, codenamed “Pie”. While the latest Samsung devices only

run Android Eight, or “Oreo”, the Pixel 3 is only one of a select handful of smartphones to run “Pie”. This new installment allows users to see just how much time they spend on their device. Pie charts collect time spent between applications.

Users can also set timers to limit how long they spend on certain apps. After time is up, the app will exit out, and the icon will become gray Although this is optional, it may be beneficial to those wanting to

limit how long they spend on their phone.

Google Assistant is a very important feature of the phone, it does small tasks like selecting photos a user may no longer have a need for and can delete them with a simple push of a button.

iPhone X With an easy-to-use interface and lasting durability, it’s hard to go wrong with an iPhone. Equipped with the ability to recognize faces instead of traditional passwords and fingerprints, the iPhone X is a great option for people who value convenience. The overall layout and design is pleasing to the eye, with flat colors and subtle shading on the default apps.

However, Apple has a tendency to make changes to installments of the iPhone that may turn potential users away. Two notable changes were the removal of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and the removal of the home button on the iPhone X. Apple has also sacrificed some of the capabilities available in the Android OS to create a closed environment in

which viruses cannot enter.

Although this makes the phone’s life last much longer and eliminates the stress associated with other smartphone brands and mainstream computers, people who are more interested in a smartphone with an open environment will want to avoid the iPhone and go for a phone that runs the Android OS.

Samsung With a uniquely sized screen and a stylus, the Note 9 offers a different take on smartphones.

This device puts emphasis on customization. From the different app shelves available, to the ability to draw on any screen, the Note series stands out. Like previous models, the curve of the phones edges hold

notifications that hold pop-up notifications. The Edge feature is brought further with a new pen; users can bring up different tools from around the screen and perform new actions.

The phone is available in four colors: Ocean Blue, Lavender Purple, Cloud Silver, and Midnight Black. Two different

storage sizes are available, with one allowing for 128 GB and one allowing for 512 GB. The Galaxy S9, Note 9, and A6 all run on Android 8.0 (codenamed Oreo).

Although these are the first Samsung phones to run Oreo, it isn’t the latest version of Android. Phones running Android may have

to be replaced frequently, as new versions of the OS are published every year. The Google Play Store is also very lenient when it comes to accepted content. More apps are available compared to the Apple App Store, and some can even be downloaded as apk files off the app store.

graphics by Grace Sobeck

10

Update February 1, 2019

Opinion

Why music is important

Evelyn Pressnell My Turn There are trillions of songs out there and hundreds of genres.

There truly is a song for every mood and feeling. Through the hardest times of my life, I turned to music and fell in love with some of the greatest artists. Some of my favorites include Rex Orange County, Post Malone and Mac DeMarco.

They were there through heartbreak, heartache and happiness.

It’s so crazy how something small can impact our life and change it, and for me, music changes everything.

One moment you’re extremely sad for some reason and when your favorite song comes on, it triggers your brain to think of the times when you listened to the song.

Dopamine is released when we listen to music, which is the ‘happy, feel-good’ feeling. Even science agrees!

When I went through my first messy breakup which hopefully is my last, I would just listen to music and cry. Even if it was sad music, it still helped me because I wasn’t talking to my friends or my family.

I could turn to the music and listen to other people who were in the same situation as me. I knew once I started to listen to different music

that I was healing. Even if it was situational depression, music really helped me and got me through it.

Some people are very antisocial and have a few friends and you know, music can help them too; help them become comfortable in stressful situations.

It can help to become motivated and excited to start a new day. When we see our favorite artists in concert or when they release a new album, we stop worrying and just live in the moment.

When people say that music is a way for kids to be brainwashed or that music is terrible, I have to disagree. Music is a beautiful way to connect with people and it can change our mood in a split.

We listen to music in the car, the shower, before sports games, and when we’re working. Music brings us closer to people, helps us make friends and solve problems.

Anyone can make music, but not everyone makes it for the beauty, but sadly for the money.

No matter what I’ll be going through, I’ll have my earbuds in my ears, listening to Rex Orange County, Post Malone or Mac DeMarco.

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

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

Responses: Want to share your thoughts on a recent article published in the Update? Write a 250 word Letter to the Editor for our next issue. Contact Anikka Thorson by Feb. 19, 2019.

Getting groovy goals Make self improvement goals year round, not just around New Year’s Staff Editorial

I

t’s that time again. People everywhere are saying ‘new year, new me’ and ‘thank u, next’. People tend to wait until the new year to make self improvement goals, but this begs the questions: Why wait for a new year to set goals? Why wait until next week when you could just start today?

Make goals all the time. There is no need to only set goals around the new year. Self-love is the most important part of living a content and prosperous life.

Instead of waiting for the new year to start going back to the gym, go today.

Instead of starting the diet in another day, start today. Instead of making excuses, make the choice to self improve.

According to a study done by Inc. org, the most common New Year’s resolutions are eating healthier and losing weight. People make these goals and don’t think them through. They don’t think about how they’re going to get there, only about the end result.

It’s important to think through their goals so they can actually complete them in an efficient manner.

The key to meeting any goal is to make it specific.

It’s easier to meet goals when a person knows exactly what they’re doing versus if they only have a vague idea of what they want.

If someone wants to lose weight,

instead of having a vague goal of losing weight, they should set a certain amount of pounds they want to lose and make a plan with specific steps to get to their goal.

Many people who set New Year’s resolutions make ones that are so long term that they don’t end up sticking to them or accomplishing them by the end of the year. This method of goal setting isn’t effective. It turns completing the goal into a chore and not something that is being done for self-improvement.

If a person is making resolutions, they should make smaller goals that can be built up to a larger goal over the course of the year. For example, not drinking soda is a resolution that is possible for an entire year.

Try making daily, weekly, and monthly goals to maintain motivation.

Strive to make small improvements and they will amount to a lot in the long run. It’s important to set goals not only around New Year’s, but year round.

Improving yourself all the time is better than only trying to do it the first few months of the year.

graphic by Amelya Jankens

CORRECTIONS FOR Dec. 14 ISSUE: - For clarification, on page 5, the Apreciative Inquiry summit was in August not September.

Additionally it is an AI model, not AIS and cooper writer was meant to be cooperrider.

February 1, 2019

Opinion 11

Update

Safe winter driving

“It’s snow fun if you crash”

Inexperienced drivers should start adapting to winter road conditions Staff Editorial

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ome days it snows a lot, and while some may think there should be a snow day, there isn’t. On those days, it can be easy for people to think that they were cheated out of a snow day and that they should have had one.

The truth is, students and even teachers don’t have any control over whether or not a snow day is called.

However angry or upset students may get, all they can do is prepare and be ready for the poor road conditions. By adapting to the weather, they can ensure not only their safety, but the safety of others.

Accidents can happen when the weather is bad, but most of the time they can be avoided. Often on days of inclement weather, the drop off line is very long and buses are late.

While this may seem like a sign that there should have been a snow day, the backup and lateness of buses is due to the fact that instead of freaking out that it’s snowing and dangerous, the bus drivers and parents act accordingly. Students may ask their parents to drive them to school instead of driving themselves, whether that be due to lack of experience driving in snow or because they know their parents have many more years of experience.

Parents leaving earlier may also contribute to the backup, in which case everyone shows up at the same time. Buses are late because they take their time to drive safe.

The school understands this. This is why they tell teachers to excuse students

who may be caught in traffic. It is better to be late and safe than to try and hurry to school dangerously, risking an accident.

When the parking lot is snowy and students can’t see their parking spots, all they can do is adapt. Students try their best to park where they think their spot is, and if they get it wrong, no one is angry. When it’s snowy outside and dangerous in the morning, students have to learn to adapt, similar to how they have to when their parking spots are covered in snow. Whether that be by leaving earlier in the morning or being extra cautious by taking more stopping distance while driving, students must do all we can to prepare and protect themselves in inclement weather.

Editorial cartoon by Jocelyn Cha

“Just being polite”

Cartoon by Loree Chung

12 Opinion February 1, 2019

Shopping at separate sto CHARGER SPIRIT: Freshman Lucy Teed shops at Salvation Army to get some of her clothes. “I like shopping there because there is a lot of vintage clothing and different options just like in stores,” Teed said.

She bought her Charger jacket from Salvation Army. photo by Katie Ellison

Teenagers show increased interest in resale shops Emily Danielsen & Maddie DeLong co-managing photo & page editor

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ith many growing internet personalities putting content out about thrifting, resale clothes shopping became a growing trend throughout 2018. For many years, shopping at stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army have been stigmatized. Today, thrift shops are no longer reserved for the pennypinching, but attract shoppers from all financial backgrounds.

Thrifting is made exciting because it turns shopping into a hunt for clothes that fit personal interests and styles. With the major vintage craze in fashion and home decor, the wide variety of items that can be found at these resale stores make those vintage pieces much easier to find. “[Thrifting’s] really interesting because you get to see a lot of different types of clothes and sometimes you can find clothes that you wouldn’t find at a mall or clothes that are more vintage,” freshman Lucy Teed said. “The range of styles that you can find while thrifting can reach almost anywhere, as

the clothes at these stores come from many different people with different style preferences.”

Due to the affordable prices thrift stores offer, people are given the chance to branch out, and find their own style, without spending lots of money in the process. With multiple brands of mass produced clothing, people are looking for a way to express their individuality and flair.

As well as the many different positive personal impacts thrifting can make, it is also good for the community that the store is in. With stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, when clothes are bought from them money is also going to help to benefit those charities and the things that they do around the community, such as providing services to the unemployed, homeless, and disabled.

While most of the clothing found at thrift stores can’t easily be identified with a brand, there are various different name brands that can be found that are at a fraction of the price, and still in great

condition. Sophomore Maggie Dean has found name brand clothes, such as a Tommy Hilfiger jacket, while thrifting.

“It is super cool and I can’t find it anywhere for that cheap,” Dean said.

With all of the clothing being at a much cheaper price than in store shopping, this easily allows people to bring out their creative side, and experiment with different items. Many clothing items that can be found at thrift stores are basic, staple pieces, and can be taken home and turned into something completely new, that nobody else would have.

While many people still prefer to go to the mall due to the newness and selection that they trust, thrifting is a fun, budget friendly way to get new items of clothing for a fraction of the price that they would be in stores.

Getting a group of friends together and spending time looking through all of the racks in thrift stores can be an exciting and rewarding way to spend an afternoon.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: Junior Gustavo Souza, sophomore Meagan Jones, senior Jaclyn Hagen, and sophomore Griffin Chapman show off their outfits.

Souza’s, Jone’s, and Hagen’s favorite pieces were their shirts. Souza’s shirt is from the brand Fatal, Jones’ shirt is from J Crew, and Hagen’s shirt is from Altered State. Chapman’s favorite piece was his fanny pack from Fila.

THRIFTY FINDS: Sophomore Maggie Dean shows off her thrifted jacket from Goodwill. “It’s probably one of the coolest finds I found, and it was super cheap and it’s reversible,” Dean said. She also bought her shirt at Goodwill.

February 1, 2019 Opinion 13

ores to suit personal style FEELING FREE: Junior Ellie Penn wears a shirt that she bought from the brand Free People. “There’s a lot of different colors, but it’s also pretty simple and easy to pair things with,” Penn said. Penn bought her shoes from SheIn, her pants from Nordstrom, and her necklace from Verbana.

photo by Katie Ellison

photo by Emily Danielsen

photo by Katie Ellison

photo by Emily Danielsen

COOL KICKS: Sophomore Meagan Jones displays her shoes by Fila. Her socks are from Paul Smith.

Buying new to keep up with trends Emily Danielsen & Maddie DeLong co-managing photo & page editor

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he classic shopping mall has and always will be the place to get a fun new outfit versus the thrift store. It can be the preferred place to go shopping among students since it is easy and reliable. Everyone has a different style in clothing, and almost everyone can find something to add to their closet from the mall.

Some students think that shopping at a mall is more convenient than thrifting since there is a bigger selection of styles. From Urban Outfitters to Nordstrom, there is a lot of options to choose from.

“I just buy things really fresh and clean,” sophomore Meagan Jones said. “I think it’s easier to find new styles when you’re constantly like looking.”

Although clothing in stores is usually more expensive, the price of knowing where it came from can be worth it. Shopping online also provides an easier alternative for some students since it’s faster than going into a store and looking around.

“I like to get stuff from smaller artists that make their own shirts,” sophomore Griffin Chapman said. “There’s this guy on Instagram, @reenostus. He just does cool stuff and I like to buy a lot of his stuff.”

Other than smaller, more selective brands, there are many bigger chain stores students shop at. Some of these stores can include J. Crew, Madewell, Pacsun, and Altered State.

“My favorite brands would be either Stussy or Off-White,” junior Gustavo Souza said.

When looking around school, it’s apparent that everyone has a different style of clothing. From sweatpants to button-up shirts, there is quite a variety.

“I would say my style is girly, and I wear a lot of jeans and tops with ruffles,” senior Jaclyn Hagen said. “I like to dress up on a day to day basis.”

With the stress and late nights that come with high school, there are days when many students would rather wear more comfortable clothes. On the other hand, some students use their clothing as a statement, and it expresses who they are without saying a word.

“I think if you are wearing something that gives you a lot more confidence, and it kind of shows people who you are, and it’s personal, but everyone sees it,” junior Ellie Penn said.

When you look to the fashion world, there are many models that wear a variety of styles.

Because of these popular model’s style, some students like to base their outfits off of some of these fashion icons.

“Taylor Hill or Bella Hadid [are my favorite] just because I love the designers they work with and it’s always so put together, but different at the same time,” Jones said. “It’s not something you’ll see everyday and that’s what I do with my style.”

While many style trends change throughout the years, the mall is a classic place for people of all ages to shop to find pieces that show who they are, and help to make them feel confident through life.

14

Update February 1, 2019

Feature

Don’t combust, trust yourself

Molly Birch Molly’s Madness It terrifies me to try new things. I am an anxious person, and being exposed to situations I’m not used to is difficult. I was assigned to a sports story for this issue, and I didn’t know what to think.

I saw the assignment and immediately felt like I was going to combust. I wasn’t angry, I was scared.

I don’t watch sports often and I don’t play sports anymore. I am the most unqualified person to write a sports story. This is not what I meant by “new year, new me.”

I could’ve thrown a fit. I could’ve raved until my Editor-in-Chief let me write something else. I could’ve shut down.

That’s not how you get things in life. Throwing a fit isn’t the way to overcome the challenges we will all eventually face in our lives. So I didn’t do any of those things. I didn’t cry and I didn’t run.

I certainly didn’t combust. I had no idea what I was doing, but I made it through. I wrote that story to the best of my ability. I soaked up all the information I could and I wrung out my brain until there was nothing left. The story isn’t my best, but I know that it is far better than it would’ve been if I had thrown a fit

and given up right away.

I realized that I could apply this philosophy to the rest of my life. I don’t have an excuse anymore. If I could do something as simple as writing a story, I could do the difficult things that will face me as an adult. I don’t know what those things will be, but I know now that I will be able to face them with my head held high.

The new year is the perfect time to try new things. Everyone gets to start fresh and you can decide what person you want to be and make the changes you want to make to better yourself.

Everyone’s a little afraid of change, even if it’s deep down. It’s human nature. We can’t allow ourselves to become stagnant because we’re afraid.

Even though I hate it with a burning passion, trying new things is important for individual growth.

I didn’t realize how important it was until I had to write that story.

Trying and learning new things makes you your own person.

It would be terribly dreadful if we were all the same. Life would be quite boring.

Maintaining grounds Staff goes extra mile to keep up with winter

Jason Laplow & Xander Brooks

photo by Katie Ellison

managing sports & staff writer

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s the snow rolls in, so do school closings, icy roads, and salted sidewalks. Preparing for the winter is a task for everybody, including DHS. Building Manager Tim Chisholm starts salting the sidewalks just as soon as Midland experiences its first frost. “[We salt] as soon as we start getting ice on the sidewalk, usually around November,” Chisholm said. “If there’s ice on the sidewalks, you definitely want to salt it and do the stairways and stuff so nobody falls.”

After a heavy snowfall, Chisholm puts in the work to ensure that no students are put in harm’s way when they are on campus. While Chisholm typically works solo, he occasionally gets a helping hand from others, like members of DHS’s contracted maintenance crew, EnviroClean.

“I get in here in the morning around five and then I can get it ready by 7:30,” Chisholm said.“Then, a lot of times, I go back out and spend a couple hours, so like on a good snow, I’ll spend five hours, but when we get like a snow day or something, I basically got about eight hours in the snow,

just the sidewalks and all that stuff. If [EnviroClean] is here in the morning, the midnight people, they’ll help me for like a half an hour, just helping get the stairs and stuff.”

The help he gets extends to include, administration, such as Principal Steve Poole and Assistant Principal Jennifer Coppens.

“I’ve shoveled Dow High before,” Poole said. “Mrs. Coppens has been out there shoveling.”

Salting the sidewalks or plowing the snow with DHS’s new Bobcat may help, but Poole has taken it into his hands to inform students of the dangers of driving in wintry weather.

“I try to tweet things out about leaving home early and staying safe on the roads,” Poole said. “I have gotten on the announcements in the past to advise safe driving.”

Though Poole does what he can to enlighten students of potentially hazardous road conditions, accidents do happen, especially when the call not to have a snow day is a close one. Junior Owen McCaffrey suggests that young drivers should take simple precautions to avoid accidents.

“Try to brake earlier than you

think,” McCaffrey said. “Don’t drive as fast and leave more space for the car in front of you so you don’t ram into the back of them.”

McCaffrey believes that DHS does a decent job of keeping things safe, but could take a few more steps to ensure student safety.

“There’s a lot of fender benders and accidents in the parking lot especially during the winter,” McCaffrey said. “A bunch of high schoolers packed together with snow and not really knowing how to drive isn’t really a good equation.”

Junior Adam Barber adds that winter weather impacts student driving beyond the icy roads. He believes that plowing the parking spots should be a top priority for DHS’s winter prep.

“It’s tough finding your spot in the winter because they don’t plow the parking lots,” Barber said. “Because they don’t care, I guess, but I mean people are just parking random spots and that’s no good, it gets people upset.”

Whether the students are satisfied with his performance or not, Chisholm explains that he “gets the job done”. Thanks to Mr.Chisholm and others at DHS students can have less accidents.

February 1, 2019 Update

Feature

15

Staying safe on slippery roads

Encouraging students to take driving precautions during winter season Hannah Raw

managing social media

When a flood of tweets to MPS Superintendent Michael Sharrow start pouring in and the snow starts to fall a little more frequently, it can mean winter is upon the city of Midland. Though winter can mean days off and fun in the snow, there can be a lot of danger that comes with this season, especially on the roads.

According to the website Safewise, Michigan is in the top ten most dangerous states for snow driving. Here are a few tips to consider when driving on the winter roads.

Don’t drive without any prior experience in the snow Driving in the snow can be a different type of dangerous and there can be considerably many more cautions to take to establish safety. If it’s a driver’s first winter, instead of heading out in the snow without any sort of prior knowledge, make time to learn the basics of driving in the snow. Go out with an experienced driver and let them explain what to do.

Check your tires

When the winter season approaches, it can be helpful to get winter tires. These tires can shorten braking distance by 25 percent and are properly adjusted to be in the bad weather conditions of winter.

Don’t accelerate harshly Keep driving as smooth as possible. Jerky movements can increase the risk of skidding on the roads. If skidding occurs, an option that can be used is gently lifting off the accelerator and turn into the direction of the skid.

Keep distance Whether it’s rain, snow, or sun, drivers should keep a safe distance between cars. Leaving more space can allow the driver to have more time to react to the traffic ahead. If cars are too close together, any sort of quick turns or stops can cause an accident.

Planning out the trip

graphic by Grace Sobeck

Before setting out on the roads, think about factors that can be affected differently by the snow. It can be best to only drive if absolutely necessary, less time on the snowy roads can be safer in the end. Leaving earlier than usual can help as road conditions may affect travel time drastically. If a person is running late, don’t try to go faster in bad driving conditions.

16

Feature

Update

February 1, 2019

Getting to know our very own Teachers tell about hobbies, outside of school activities Amelya Jankens & Katie Ramos

managing opinion & managing copy

Brent Chambers

What does your ideal day look like?

“My ideal day is breakfast with my family and reading the news while I drink a couple of cups of coffee,” English and social studies teacher Brent Chambers said.

“Then grouse hunting with my dog and the people that I love.

A great lunch, a nap, and then evening duck hunting followed by binge watching some Netflix with my wife after the sun goes down.

That’s a perfect day for me.”

photo courtesy of Erica Meyer

English teacher Chelsea Berg spends most of her time outside of school teaching dance at Miss Danielle’s dance studio in Freeland.

“It’s just kind of a fun place where you can go and sort of forget about all your other problems,” Berg said. “Our studio is a lot different. We’re more like a family.

We don’t compete we just kind of all like each other.”

Sean Murray Where is your dream place to travel?

“I really like going to Mexico, seeing the mountain in Mexico is pretty cool,” math teacher Sean Murray said. “I actually like mountains anywhere. The mountains in Colorado would be really cool, the mountains of Pennsylvania and New York are really nice. I’ve never been to Seattle. I’d like to see Seattle at some point.”

Chelsea Berg

photo courtesy of Brent Chambers

Erica Meyer

What is your favorite activity to do outside of school?

What movie title best describes your life?

“It’s the movie “Love, Actually’,” Spanish teacher Erica Meyer said.

“Hugh Grant is in the movie and he says, ‘I have a sneaky suspicion that if you look around, you’ll find that love, actually, is everywhere,’ and I think that that sort of speaks to my ongoing journey or goal of remembering what’s important in life. What’s important in life are the people around us and that we love them and we treat people right. It doesn’t matter what religion we come from, or how much money we have, or all those kind of things. What job we have, what grades we have, none of that matters. What matters is how well we treat other human beings.”

Alex Karapas

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?

“I want to go to Greece,” social studies teacher Alex Karapas said.

“My grandparents live in Greece.

My grandpa is from Greece. I still have family there and I want to go see them.”

Being a history teacher, Karapas wants to make it a point to see the Acropolis in Athens when he goes to Greece, among other historic sites. He is most excited to meet his family there and soak in the culture.

photo courtesy of Alex Karapas graphics by Madeline DeLong

February 1, 2019

Feature

Update

17

Diving deep into DECA Students talk business while preparing for upcoming competitions Mac Thackery assistant copy

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luttered about business teacher and DECA adviser Erin Royalty’s room, about a third of the 86 students that participate in DECA meet for an informational meeting about their next conference. Despite the competitiveness of the conferences, the friendships they form and their constant support of one another make DECA a club and not a competition.

Junior Iris Funaioli describes DECA as a business club for those who want to learn about the business world or simply how to present themselves in a formal manner.

“I think it’s a great learning experience for anyone who wants to be in a business career,” Funaioli said.

“Or even anyone who just wants to [represent] themselves in their future to understand the basics of marketing and professional language and jargon.”

DECA has a variety of competitive events to choose from. For first-year students, the Principles of Business Administration is an introductory-level list of events to give them an opportunity to test their skills and gain experience.

“I’m in [Principles of Business],” freshman Chloe Stafford said. “They’re only for first-year students. It’s different from [team events] because you do it individually, and it’s different from [other

photo courtesy of Erin Royalty

individual events] because it’s just an overview of a topic instead of actually something super specific.”

However, in their second year, DECA participants have the ability to choose a more specific branch of their entry-level event. Funaioli, for example, was in Principles of Marketing in her first year (a sub-event in the Principles of Business group), so she went into Apparel and Accessories Marketing this past year.

“I think it just depends on where your strengths lie,” Funaioli said. “Marketing might be more on your feet, getting a product and having to remarket it or create a hypothetical campaign for it during a role play.”

DECA is different from other clubs because, while being one of the

photo courtesy of Erin Royalty

BUSINESS GAL: Sophomore Michelle Charles participates in a discussion during a mock DECA day at Northwood University. The students involved in DECA travel around for different competitions during the year. largest at DHS, it is also competitive in Midland, in the state of Michigan, and around the world.

“This definitely is probably the biggest club I’ve done other than being in student council,” sophomore Michelle Charles said. “What probably sets this club apart from other ones is that, in student council, I’m always with the same group of people and it’s kind of small, but with DECA being so large, I’m get to meet so many different kinds of people.”

The levels of competition for DECA start at the district level. In 2018, there were 19 schools and 609 students that participated in the local district conference that DHS attended. This number will grow at states and at internationals, there will be around 18,000 students total.

“Internationals is a huge event, and there’s several thousand people there,”

HEATED DISCUSSION: Junior Ben Vercellino talks with a Northwood student during a mock DECA day at Northwood University. This mock DECA day was held before the competitions began.

Funaioli said. “The judges are very different in each level. At districts, your judging will be really nice, and then it gets harder as you go on, obviously.”

Despite a marketing and business class being recommended, DECA members aren’t required to take one, allowing for flexibility within student’s schedules while they participate in the club.

“I’m not in [a business class], and I’m doing fine,” Stafford said. “I think if you want to go into something business-based and you’re doing DECA, it would be important to take a business class, but I’m not necessarily looking to be in a business career.”

The opportunities outweigh any downside, according to Funaioli. DECA provides different experiences that benefit both people who want to go into business careers and those who just want a formal business-related experience.

“The experience is definitely worth it,” Funaioli said. “I kind of regret not joining my freshman year. You meet so many people, especially if you go on to the later rounds. You learn how the business world really works.”

18 Feature

Update February 1, 2019

Making resolutions feasible History behind resolutions, understanding balance Sophie Ungerleider assistant social media

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s the seconds count down to the new year, people are left with time for new beginnings and goals. The new year can be motivation for students to think of ways to improve themselves and grow as people.

For 2019, students were asked what resolutions they had in mind, their plan to execute that goal, and how well they have maintained it in the first month. As January flew by, it can be easy to lose sight and push ambitions to the side. As the first milestone of the new year is over, our fellow Chargers kept us “updated” on where they were with their goals.

Although resolutions are a modern tradition, they aren’t a new idea. They are rooted way back to ancient Babylonian tradition from over 4,000 years ago. Unlike our holiday, the Babylonians new year lasted for twelve days and occurred around the middle of March. The main

purpose of this festival, called Akitu, was to reign in a new king or celebrate the current king. They would take this opportunity to renew their promise to God that they would return anything they had borrowed, including money.

These concepts are seen to be the first of what we know now as resolutions.

Similarly to the Babylonians, people choose to make promises at the beginning of the year to instill and remind ourselves of our values and beliefs. These goals, although, are for our individual growth and not necessarily for a God or king.

The fresh start that the new year brings can be insignificant for some, but for others, it can be a chance to really reevaluate how they ideally want to live by looking at the way they manage their time, school, work, relationships, attitude, social life, and many other aspects of life.

“My resolutions are to be

more patient with people, and try to have better study habits,” freshman Hailie Radosa said.

Along with Radosa, students may align with school related goals. Being nearly half way done with the school year, it can be a good time to get readjusted and solve problems involving school.

Unfortunately, according to Forbes, while 40 percent make resolutions, only eight percent of people actually achieve them. The numbers can be drastic for different reasons. People generally tend to set unrealistic expectations. Therefore underestimating the size, effort and amount of time that will go into achieving their task. Jumping into any goal can be difficult, but according to Shape, many fail, simply because they went into their resolution alone and without any support. To avoid running into these issues, try to scale down the size of your goal

and take it day by day.

“My resolution is just to be kinder to people and not really judge someone by the way that they do something,” said freshman Sofia Aultman.

Aultman chose a goal that may not be very time consuming, but is still very effective.

“When I’m talking to someone, I kind of take into consideration, maybe if they don’t seem like they want to take to me or something like that, I don’t get angry or anything because they might be just having a bad day,” Aultman said.

The crucial aspects of achieving resolutions include: setting a good plan, having reasonable goals, hopes for a specific outcome, and staying on track, according to Forbes.

As people start the new year, be sure to remember to keep these instructions in mind to succeed and complete their new year resolutions.

Five tips to help keep resolutions real

5 4 3 2 1 keep it concise, but doable!

graphic by Grace Sobeck, Molly Birch, Jenna Wray

set a date for it to get done!

write it down, share plans inconsistency it consolidates with a friend! is okay! the goal!

Information from thegreenscentennial.com

February 1, 2019

Update

Feature 19

Young YouTubers Students film, edit videos to post online Anikka Thorson & Jenna Wray editor-in-chief & managing design

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ccording to YouTube, there can prevent YouTubers from posting YouTubers hear feedback about their are about one billion users on to their channel. Some students, content from their peers at te Nichols school. Stuart experiences their site, watching a total of like Lauderbach, find it a N about one billion hours of YouTube challenging to gain the positive feedback from his videos a day. A number of students motivation to begin the friends and classmates contribute to those statistics. Not only filming process. during the school day. are students watching, but some are “It’s a combination of “[People at school] also creating videos. not having time to make say they love it,” “If the world were perfect, I would videos and not wanting Stuart said. “In all my want to be a pro YouTuber,” junior AJ to, like, just laziness,” classes they’re like ‘Oh, Lauderbach said. “But that’s not gonna Lauderbach said.

I love your channel. I happen because YouTube could shut When it comes to watch your videos. I like down next week, no one knows. So I’m balancing both school and them’ and stuff like that. I not going to go to film school so I can be YouTube, some students, like get a lot of positive feedback from a YouTuber, it’ll probably just always be Nichols, choose to prioritize school it.” a hobby.” work over filming and editing.

Along with peer feedback, some Running a YouTube channel can “I just put school first, because you student YouTubers can receive support be a big time commitment, which can gotta keep the grades up,” Nichols from their parents as well. on m er a make it difficult for some YouTubers, said. “Because videos aren’t a set Nichols finds his parents C like Lauderbach, to stick to a consistent income when you grow up so, it’s just to be very encouraging upload schedule. Junior Nate Nichols put school first and then videos.” of his YouTube has made it a goal to upload videos at Not all students take the same channel as long as it least once a month, but has had trouble approach as Nichols. Junior Bryanna doesn’t interfere with sticking to it.

Dellavedova, who edits junior his school work.

“I always tend to not upload for a Cameron Stuart’s videos, sometimes “[My parents] love month or two,” Nichols said. “It’s really puts YouTube before her school work it,” Nichols said. “They hard to keep going and being to get videos finished. really want me to make Lauderbach motivated to make videos.

“I bust out my math videos, but if sometimes, J A Even though it’s kind homework really, really I’ve done this before, where I of not that hard, it’s fast and then I don’t do put videos first before school work and just with two hours anything that isn’t as then [my parents] are pretty mad at me of every day just important as the work for that. But other than that they want editing stuff, it’s time that is due that day and me to make videos, they like it.” consuming.” then I just stay up all Positive feedback isn’t always the School may not be night,” Dellavedova said. only kind of feedback that students the only obstacle that Some student can receive on their videos. Negative

photos by Katie Ellison

feedback can be a reality to many content creators. Nichols finds that it’s better to not take the negative feedback too seriously.

“You’ll get dislikes on videos, so I used to take those personally, but now who cares?” Nichols said. You’re going to get dislikes. Sometimes I even dislike my own videos just for the meme.”

YouTube channels can be created for a variety of reasons. Stuart created his YouTube channel in December 2018 when his friends suggested the idea to him.

“My favorite part about having a YouTube channel is it’s somewhere Stua where I can express my creativity rt and show myself to the world, I guess it’s more exposure,” Stuart said.

Despite the challenges and negative feedback that can come with creating a YouTube channel, students can still find reasons to create their videos. Nichols aims for his content to be a source of positivity for those watching.

“I guess it’s just a positive message every day,” Nichols said. “I think [my channel is] there to be silly, take away from the stress in your day. Enjoy. Sit down, enjoy and watch this video and hopefully bring a smile to your face.”

20 Sports

Update February 1, 2019

Chemistry boosts team synergy Hockey coaches focus on group camaraderie this season Molly Birch managing feature

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s the DHS hockey team kicks off another winter season, coach Dick Blasy and coach Jeff Richards welcome new faces to the team.

“We have a really talented group of players this year,” Richards said.

“They’re kind of great sponges. They just want to learn, they want to get better.

It’s kind of inspiring to be around them because they’re just trying to get better, and anything you say they’re kind of just taking it in. So they’re young, but playing very well for a bunch of young guys.”

With new and old faces alike, Richards said the team works hard to make sure they are playing the game together, not just as separate entities of the same team. He believes that it’s important to build relationships with each other to be able to play as a team.

“We have 10 or 11 new guys,” Richards said. “That’s not normal. It’s tough to get a lot of kids being replaced, so we’ve spent a lot of time on learning

new systems, learning chemistry, and understanding the habits that we want as a good team.”

Blasy believes that the family-like environment of the team has made them better. He said that chemistry among players is just as important as talent.

“A coach’s job is to create a family environment as much as possible,” Blasy said. “I think if a coach can establish good relationships with the team and make them feel that they’re part of a family, then you can get more out of them. It sounds kind of strange, but I think if the boys know you care about them, then when you push them they’re more apt to understand that you’re looking out for their best interest, versus if they don’t think you care about them, and you’re pushing them, then you’re just a mean coach.”

Along with team building exercises, the team hones in on the fundamentals of the sport during training. Some practices, however, are

STICKING TO HIS GUNS: Junior Austin Ieuter waits for the referee to drop the puck against Davison High School. Anytime play stops, the players are to resume the game in this way.

different than others.

“If coach is happy with us, then we’ll do a lot of passing and shooting,” junior Austin Ieuter said. “But sometimes he gets a little upset when we play bad, and we’ll have to skate quite a bit and that’s no bueno.”

Junior Luke Blasy has been a member of the team for two years, and he said that this year’s team has a tighter relationship than past teams. According to Luke, they play together on the ice, and there seem to be no cliques inside the team.

“This being my second year, [the team] feels like it’s a lot closer,” Luke said. “It’s not grouped up. It’s more just one team.”

Senior and team captain Joey Johnson said that his favorite part about being on the hockey team is being together and hanging out as a team both on and off the ice. Luke also enjoys the camaraderie that he finds with the members of the team.

“However your day was, you’re just always going to have fun after school,” Luke said.

Junior Alec Newton said that he enjoys game days the best.

“I get to dress up, coming to school looking good,” Newton said. “You get a free snack when you walk in and then you get to sometimes leave class early and go to games and it’s a lot of fun.”

While some sports require a certain GPA or certain grades to play, members of the hockey team are simply expected to be the best that they can be.

“We expect them to do their best and to be good citizens,” Richards said.

“What type of citizen are you? Are you being a good citizen only when people watch? When you see that piece of paper on the floor, and nobody’s around, do you just walk past it, or do you pick it up? If you work your butt off and you get C’s, then so be it, but you’re doing your best to become your best. On the ice we expect the same.”

photos by Giselle Mahoney

WORLDS COLLIDING: Sophomore Cameron Patty duels with players from Davison High School on Dec. 19, 2018 for possession of the puck. Patty scored a goal for the team.

February 1, 2019 Update While Richards expects smart thinking on the ice, he also expects respectful attitudes toward the refs and the other team from the hockey players.

“We don’t expect you to be taking dumb penalties and lipping off to the refs and just being disrespectful players,” Richards said. “We expect you to be your best on and off the ice.”

The coaches expect members of the hockey team to be smart on the ice, but Ieuter said that everyone takes penalties sometimes, even if they are thinking smart.

“In high school, it’s a lot more like there’s a fine line between fighting or doing something stupid getting kicked out, rather than if you play travel, or at a photo by Lillian Pressnell higher level hockey where you TAKING CONTROL: Junior Mickey McMahon gains control of the puck against Lapeer can fight and only get like a five High School on January 9. The Chargers ended up winning against Lapeer 2-0. minute penalty and stay in the game,” Ieuter said. “But in hockey, or something. And then there’s a 10 how character is what you do when like even if you throw one punch, minute penalty. It’s called a ‘10 in no one’s watching. Anybody can you automatically get kicked out of two.’ You have somebody else serve have character if their parents or the game and two games following the two minutes and you sit in the their teachers are watching, but that. So it’s a lot different.” box for 10 minutes. That’s if you hit do you have character when you’re Fights and penalties happen, but somebody from behind and they go by yourself. We encourage them DHS players try to avoid fighting on into the boards. So those are all the to try to make the right decisions the ice. According to Ieuter, it’s very different penalties.” because they represent way more uncommon for players to be kicked Dick has been stressing the than just themselves.” out of a game at the high school level, importance of mental discipline to As of Jan. 22, the hockey team whereas higher level players are the players this season. He believes was 9-6 with 10 more regular thrown out more frequently. that it is important to the success of games in the season. After the 10 “It’s very common at the higher the team that every member can stay regular games, it becomes single levels and in travel hockey, but not mentally focused. elimination in the playoffs. If the as much in high school,” Ieuter said.

“I expect them to win and lose team wins the first playoff game, “Kids don’t really fight because with class and try to stay mentally they keep playing. If they lose, they know they’ll get a two game focused and disciplined,” Dick they’re done. suspension following them getting said. “We’ve kind of struggled with “Right now we’re doing great,” kicked out of the game.” [mental discipline and focus] a little Richards said. “We’re having a good There are different kinds of bit. We’ve been really stressing winning streak. We’ve had some penalties in hockey. Depending on that a lot lately because we have injuries, but the neat thing about [the the severity of the penalty, each one couple boys that are too easy to get players] is that they’re all real excited has its own time limit for players to off their game and they need to be and passionate and they’re just sit in the penalty box. Only the most mentally tougher.” wanting to learn.” severe penalties result in players Dick also expects members Newton said that the season has being thrown out of the game. of the team to be good citizens moved quickly this year because “There’s just regular penalties, off the ice. He believes that it is the team has been a fun team to they’re all two minutes, like tripping, important to have character as a play with. He said that hockey itself slashing, booking, interference, and successful athlete. moves just as fast, if not faster. stuff like that,” Ieuter said. “Then “Off the ice I expect them “It’s the most action packed there’s a five minute penalty, which is to represent themselves, their sport you’ll ever play,” Newton like boarding and like pushing a kid families, and their school the right said. “Everything’s twice as fast after whistle or slashing the goalie way,” Dick said. “We talked about on skates.”

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Dreams vs. performance

Ben Jason Laplow Laplow’s Look As loyal readers of this column may know, baseball is the sport to which I have the greatest connection, due to the memories I have watching it with and learning it from my dad.

For years, my summers were filled with the voices of Mario Impemba and Rod Allen describing Tigers baseball in detail that was only rivaled, in my opinion, by their radio counterparts, Dan Dickerson and Jim Price.

My dad and I were equally surprised in September when neither of them were in the booth during a game in Chicago.

Studio reporter Matt Shepard and alternate color commentator Kirk Gibson occupied their places instead.

It was later revealed that the two mainstays were involved in an “altercation” during the previous night’s game. It was no secret that the two had been on each other’s nerves over their 15+ years of broadcasting together, but I don’t think that any of us expected it to get physical. It was later announced that they would not return for the 2019 season.

Last week, I was watching a Red Wings

pregame show, during which they announced the new primary Tigers broadcasters. After surveying “hundreds” of candidates, they decided on the two that had assumed the positions temporarily in September, Shepard and Gibson.

I have no problem with Gibson. He has two rings, one with the Tigers, and despite suffering from Parkinson’s, he still adds to each broadcast handily. I get the notion that Shepard only got the job because his lifelong dream was becoming the voice of the Tigers.

This poses the question, is fulfilling someone’s dream worth it if they aren’t necessarily good at it? I’ve heard Shepard announce football and basketball before, and he was alright, but with baseball, he just doesn’t feel right. It could be because I’m so used to Impemba, being that he’s been the voice of the Tigers my entire life. I’m sure that my dad would say the same thing about Mario, comparing him to Ernie Harwell.

This season, I might just turn the TV volume all the way down and turn on the radio.

22 Sports

Update February 1, 2019

photo by Hayden Hetherington

photo by Lillian Pressnell

LACROSSE IN THE DOME: Sophomore Gabby Wilson cradles the ball down the field to the goal while senior Brooke Stemler plays defense on her, trailing behind her and looking for the back check. The girls lacrosse players pay $100 to play for an hour every Wednesday on the Civic Arena turf in winter.

PUMPING IRON: Junior Adam Barber bench pressing 135 lbs during after school football conditioning. “We all know we need it to get stronger,” Barber said.

Training time during offseason

Students, coaches talk about how they can prepare while out of season Lydia Barber

assistant copy thleticism in high school is something that students, sports teams, and coaches prioritize.

A common way to keep athletes in shape after their sport’s season ends is offseason training. Offseason training can include practices, conditioning, workouts, and clinics. The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) has several rules and guidelines that dictate the happenings of offseason training sessions.

One of the most prevalent rules that coaching staff must follow during the offseason is the four-player rule. According to the 2018-2019 MHSAA Handbook Regulations and Interpretations, coaches are limited to providing coaching in their sport to four students in grades 7-12 of the school district in which they coach. As also stated in the four-player rule, two coaches being present does not mean that eight athletes can be present. “[Coaches] can’t interact that much with students, so they usually don’t come,” lacrosse player and sophomore Grace Wilson said.

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This rule extends across all Michigan high school sports, though it goes into more detail with sports like football and cheerleading.

“I think the rationale behind it is so we’re not having full blown practices in December,” football coach Jason Watkins said. “If there was no ‘x number-of-player rule’, then it would be kind of a free for all.”

Essentially, the four-player rule is in place to prevent overworking athletes and coaches and consuming their entire school year with one sport, functioning as a break from regular season practices. “[The four-player rule] is to encourage us to be more seasonal,” Watkins said.

“It protects coaches and players from themselves and from overdoing it.”

For football, the four-player rule changes to the seven-player rule the Monday after Memorial Day every school year. This rule change allows the football team to conduct “7-on-7” matches with other schools.

During their offseason, the football coaches make workouts available after

school to any athletes from any sport who are interested. The workouts are not specific to one sport, so they can be beneficial for athletes who would like to participate.

“The after school workouts are run by coaches because they’re not football specific,” Watkins said. “We’re doing weightlifting, agility, and core strength.

Jared [Poliskey] comes all the time, so there’s soccer players. We have wrestlers who don’t play football that come until wrestling starts. We’ve had baseball players in the past and track kids come in the past, so anyone is welcome to come.”

Wilson attributes offseason training to helping her and her lacrosse team feel more prepared before the regular season starts.

“It helps everybody stay in shape,” Wilson said. “You know other teams are also doing [offseason training], so if you stay in shape, then you’re not trying to catch up during the season.”

Open gyms are another opportunity for athletes to train outside of their regular season. A critical part of

running an open gym is removing any sort of coach involvement. According to the MHSAA, coaches may not coach, critique, evaluate or participate in the sport they coach. Open gyms must also be student conducted and recreational.

Organized instruction, competition, drills, or practice structure and instruction by captains, parents or others is not allowed. Open gyms must also not be a part of team selection.

“We have open gyms on Friday mornings where players come in and do what they want,” Watkins said. “It’s not a thing that’s really structured by me, but I’m here as a supervisory presence.

I’m the one to unlock the door and make sure that they aren’t doing things that are unsafe.”

These rules along with others have been created and implemented by the MHSAA to protect players and coaches during their offseason. By keeping after school offseason training inclusive and open to all athletes, they have the ability to benefit more than just one specific team, they can benefit anyone who wants to get involved.

February 1, 2019 Update

Pommers punching it to states

Sports 23

Varsity pom pon squad moves past regional competition to states Grace Sobeck

managing graphics Six minutes of high kicks, a mile run, and rehearsal. These are all the things that are done in preparation for the pom pon team to prepare for competition.

“This is my first year on varsity,” sophomore Hannah Morey said. “A big goal of mine is looking to make Division One every year.”

Division One is the highest grouping possible. This means that the group is more advanced in their skills than lower divisions. Morey, as it’s her first year on varsity, aspires to be successful enough to obtain the Division One rating, in their regionals competition at Heritage High School.

To result in success, work is put in by pommers. From cardio to stamina building, the girls work cohesively to pull together their best team possible. High kicks are done by the minute to strengthen them for competition.

“Practices are usually three or four hours,” Morey said. “We start by running a lot.”

These preparations combine for a thrilling performance. To obtain the ranking, judges score on an abundance of categories.

The judges of these competitions grade on categories such as showmanship, choreography, music, and difficulty.

Additionally, each judge chooses their own category and ranks the performance on it. Then, the judges rankings are turned into points that get added together to form the group’s final score. “[Pom competitions are] extremely competitive because there are only four competitions a year,” Morey said.

Some teams are really friendly, but the pressure and sometimes tension in the air are still palpable. Morey shares her experience with some of the teams she’s faced in the past.

“There are those other teams

that won’t even make eye contact with you, because you only have four chances to really show to their team what kind of team you are,” Morey said.

Despite the animosity of some, once the performance begins, some pommers stress fades away.

“I can never remember [the performance] because it just goes by so quickly,” Morey said.

On Jan. 13, the day of regionals the girls all met at DHS and arrived at 8 a.m. They drilled and then did hair and make-up in a 30 minute time frame. As they approached the competition, emotions were able to be noticed.

“We were pretty calm and excited, but also slightly nervous,” senior Cassidy Diehl said. “We had drilled a lot before and so we were pretty high energy and confident.”

To ensure spirits stay high, the team has designated people on the spirit squad. This is important during a competition, like regionals.

“We have a bunch of different groups and chairs,” Diehl said.

“The spirit group consists of people who, when we are practicing and down on energy or tired, they cheer everyone up and hype everyone up to get people going. They also plan spirit days.”

DHS was ranked Division 2, slightly lower than their hopes, though senior and pom captain, Abigail Peterson remained positive and provided insight on their ranking.

“This was a huge transition year for Dow High pom, especially because Dow does our own choreography,” Peterson said. “The movements used to be super sharp and in the style of hit and hold, but now it’s different in the way that it is more dance oriented. It was also difficult because we sacrificed a lot of time for school performances or others like Renfair. Overall, it was a great experience, although

I wish we could’ve made D1, I’m glad I could lead the team through this transition so we can be back on top next year.”

Although the team suffered a slight loss, Peterson was still able to recognize what she appreciated about the team.

“I can feel the energy from every girl and I can fully put my faith in all of them to give their best at competitions,” Peterson said. “As a captain seeing the team come together and support each other makes me so happy.”

The weekend of Jan. 26, the girls competed in their state competition at Michigan State University. After their hard work, they photo by Katie Ellison placed fifth out of ten, ON TO STATES: Junior Emma Wright along with senior Abby Peterson in their Division Two hold the varsity pom squad banner and march the halls. A Charger rally competition.

was held on Jan. 25 for making the state competition.

photo by Alexis Krawczak

HIGH KICKS AT HALFTIME: The varsity pom pon squad performing their routine during a boys varsity basketball game. The game was home against Bay City Western on Jan. 11.

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February 1, 2019 Update

Bringing home bragging rights Athletes shine in Community Center League basketball

Ben Brueck

managing web

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ommunity Center League basketball (CCL) has been a local winter sport option for boys in Midland, but the popularity has spread to girls this year. The league is coed, meaning that girls and boys play with or against each other.

Anyone can create a team, as long as they have five players and a coach. Players come out for different reasons, but many players do it to have fun. CCL can be an outlet for some pent-up winter energy. It can also provide a social opportunity with games, drawing crowds. With the evolution of girls teams the league’s draw might be expanded in years to come.

CCL offers the teams the ability to create a clever name. Teams are responsible for coming up with their own names. Each player being allowed to customize the name on their jersey is another freedom given to teams.

“It’s pretty chill, it’s not very competitive, and you just have fun,” junior Reece Schaefer said about the atmosphere of CCL. Hold My Hoops is an all girls team from DHS in the 11th and 12th grade bracket.

They started off the season with a loss against Chicken Noodle Hoops, their Midland High counterpart.

According to senior Emma

Avery, it was a rough start to the season, but the girls began to figure it out towards the end of the game.

“Hopefully we’ll just keep getting better,” Avery said.

Local Legends, a younger team hailing from this side of town, are in the 9th and 10th grade bracket.

Their season started off with a buzzer beater victory.

The reasons that players like sophomore Sam Hatfield join and create teams are to have fun. “[My favorite part is] having fun with my friends and seeing all the people who come out to watch us,” Hatfield said.

Schaefer plays for OK 11, this is his third year in the league. They began the season with a win against fellow Chargers on Delta Diffrance. The victory came on a key three-pointer from junior Aaron Vlasak late in the game.

Delta Diffrance is a group of friends that go out to have a good time and play some basketball while they’re at it.

“It’s fun relaxed basketball, and you can do whatever you want with your friends on the court,” junior Aidan Murphy said.

A member of Splish, Splash, senior Max Sanchez played high

COURT LEGEND: Sophomore Ryan Erdmann of Local Legends dribbles a ball during a CCL game on January 5. His team won, 18-16, after being tied and going to over time.

photo courtesy of AnnMarie Erickson

school basketball his freshman year, but has played CCL ever since. This year he is on a team with fellow soccer players and friends in the 11th and 12th grade bracket. Splish, Splash started off their season with a win over the Shotties, an all girl team. Junior Alli Sova plays for the Shotties and uses CCL as a way to relieve stress and have a good time with friends.

“Some people aren’t as good at basketball, but they can still play and have a good time,” Sanchez said.

CCL is a league with little to no entry barriers which allows a variety of people to play. It can be a training opportunity or a social event based on how it’s looked at.

At the end of the season there is a playoff and a champion is crowned.

This adds an end goal and incentive for teams. The winner takes home bragging rights in place of a physical trophy.

photo by Ben Brueck

GET THE REBOUND: Juniors Ethan Smith and Saketh Kamaraju of Delta Diffrance and Kyle Moening of OK11 pounce for a rebound during a game on Dec. 15, 2018. OK11 came out of the contest victorious on a late three-pointer.

photo by Ben Brueck

WHO, ME?: Senior Emma Avery stands surprised during a game on Dec. 15, 2018.

Hold My Hoops lost their season opener to Chicken Noodle Hoops.

photo courtesy of AnnMarie Erickson

EXTENDO: With sophomore teammates Ryan Erdmann and Sam Senkowski looking on, sophomore Jack Erickson extends his arms for a block during a game on Jan. 5. The Local Legends went on to beat Uncle Drew’s Squad.

THE HOT CORNER Listen to Jason Laplow’s podcast feauturing the Local Legends at update.dhs.k12.mi.us or iTunes/Spotify.