Update November 17, 2017

Update Volume 40, Issue 3 Nov. 17, 2017 H. H. Dow High School

Adventures in Wonderland Performing a scene during tech rehearsal on Thursday, Nov. 9, senior Alix Campbell, as the caterpillar, and freshman Anna Stolz, as shrunken Alice, take their positions to practice for the show’s opening night on Nov. 16.

page 6

photo illustration by Emi Hunt & Quinn McCaffrey

4: Human Trafficking Epidemic, 9: To Kill a Mockingbird ban, 18: Hello DHS and welcome to my crib, 24: Clubbing with Carras

Update November 17, 2017

News

Letters

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

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

Open Column

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

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

Membership/Awards Update is a member of the JEA, NSPA, CSPA, and MIPA. Update was a CSPA Gold Crown Winner in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2007. It was a Silver Crown Winner in 2006, 2009, 2016 and 2017. It was an NSPA Pacemaker winner in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, and a finalist in 2001, and 2003.

In 1989, 1999, 2000, 2004, and 2005 the Update won Best of Show in NSPA Competition. It won second place Best of Show in 2006. It won eighth place Best of Show in 2007. It won third place in Best of Show in 2008.

The Update has won 22 MIPA Spartan Awards since 1989 and was inducted into the MIPA Hall of Fame in 2004.

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

Check out the Update

PHOTO MONTH

@dowhighupdate

photo by Logan Rivard

SAVING LIVES: Laughing, senior Madelene Cifrulak recovers after donating blood in the Green Gym on Friday, Oct. 27. The first of four drives that take place every year, the blood drive was just one unit shy of its goal, raising 66 units which helped save 198 lives.

REACTIONS Max Doty

Grace Baillergeon

“I usually drink a lot of water and eat bananas [after a hard workout] so I don’t cramp up.”

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“I think debate is really interesting and underappreciated. I’d love to go watch a match.”

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Zach Coon “[To Kill A Mockingbird] is very beneficial because it helped me learn right from wrong and to always tell the truth.”

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SEASONAL WATER CHALLENGE

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

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

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Staff Editorial

Mission Statement

OF THE

Update is distributed monthly from September to June to 1350 students and staff of H. H. Dow High School, 3901 N. Saginaw Rd., Midland, Mich., 48640, free of charge. It is printed by the Midland Daily News and produced by the Advanced Journalism class.

DEBATE

Distribution

ATHLETIC RECOVERY

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Caroline Theuerkauf “I love apple cider slushies because they reminds me of fun fall memories as a child.”

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November 17, 2017

Update

THE FEED

National Day of Silence

Zane O’Dell & EmiLee Hunt staff writers

Elf the Musical

The Broadway musical “Elf” will be performed at the Midland Center for the Arts on Nov. 17 and 18. There will be a matinee at 2:00 p.m. as well as an evening showing at 7:30 p.m. on both days. Admission costs range from $35 to $75. The cast will feature Erik Gratton as Buddy the Elf, as well as other actors including Veronica J. Kuehn and Ken Clement.

Santa Parade The 2017 Midland Santa Parade will take place Nov. 18 beginning at 10:00 a.m. The starting point is the MHS parking lot and the parade will end on Main Street. Entrants will be lined up for judging at 9:00 a.m. in the staging area. This year’s parade theme is “an old fashioned holiday” and will provide the community with holiday festivity and funding for the Salvation Army’s local Toys for Tots program.

RenFair Auditions RenFair 2018 is approaching.

Auditions for RenFair emcees will be held Dec. 12 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm. in the band room. Auditions for RenFair will be taking place Dec. 14 and 15 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the DHS band room. Auditions are open to students wanting to share their talents.

Applications and sign up times for both talents and emcees are located in the main office.

Battle of the Bands Battle of the Bands will be held in the cafeteria at 7:00 p.m. on Dec. 1. Come watch as bands created by classmates rock out and have a blast. Tickets are $5, and all proceeds from the sales will go to Kids Coalition Against Hunger. Bands and set-up volunteers can register in Ms. Zimmer’s room 221 to help set up the day of the event, as well as sell tickets and put up posters.

News 3

Distinguished Women Awards Letter from the Editor

Since the beginning of our culture’s history, women have been placed a step below men. However, over the years the female population has made strides in leveling the playing field. A few of the women that helped bring more respect to our abilities were honored at the 48th Annual Distinguished Women Awards Gala & Events presented by Northwood University.

One thing all the nominees have in common is leadership experience. These women are business owners, nonprofit presidents, and community activists.

To begin the ceremonial weekend on Friday, Nov. 3, five of the nominees were put on a panel and asked to reflect on their experiences by moderator, President of Dow Chemical Canada and 2016 Distinguished Women Award honoree, Debbie Stephens. Northwood and surrounding area high school students were invited to listen and learn from the women’s knowledge.

President and CEO of nonprofit Beyond the Basics Pamela Good encouraged listeners to find their passion and never let it go. Good

UPDATE ONLINEupdate.dhs.mps.k12. mi.us Update Staff Baby Pictures Story by: Jenna Wray and Amelya Jankens

Take the quiz to see which babies grew up to be which staffers!

Seasonal Water Challenge Video by: Jaxon Sowle, John Rettig, and Trevor McIntyre

Check out the Update’s version of the water challenge featuring classic fall and winter beverages.

discovered her passion while participating in a coat drive for a public school in Detroit. Upon her visit she learned that poverty was the underlying cause of illiteracy in our nation. Good founded Beyond the Basics in 2002 dedicated to provide an opportunity for underprivileged students to increase their reading level in six weeks.

“Society should be measured by the smiles on our children’s faces,” Good said.

Good was inspired by the children of Detroit that she had the opportunity to meet while implementing her literacy enrichment program. College students contribute to Beyond the Basics by tutoring K-12 students in the program.

When asked about the qualities of a good leader, the nominees agreed that leadership is universal, in the sense that people must work together in order to make a difference. Eileen Curtis, President and CEO of the Bay Area Community Foundation, said to look for people that have the strengths you don’t and

help to develop them to better the overall cause.

During the Gala and Awards at the H Hotel the following evening, each honoree was presented with a medal to celebrate the values they demonstrate as role models.

“In our daily walk we each have an opportunity to do more,” Pamela Good said.

This issue some of our staffers have been able to continue the theme of empowering women by telling the stories of gifted female athletes, such as Alex Doty’s profile on golfer Alexis Carras. We have also taken a look into the recent #metoo campaign on social media focused on sharing the experiences of sexual assault victims in Farryn Cook’s article.

Enjoy the issue,

Maggie Duly

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News

Update November 17, 2017

Rise of human trafficking Modern day slavery present nationally, locally Lillian Pressnell managing copy

$150 F billion

current market value of human trafficking market

260% increase in human trafficking in Michigan from 2012 to 2016

30

million current number of slaves globally

or years, Michigan has consistantly been ranked top 10 for human trafficking in America.

The United Nations defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation”.

Contrary to what Hollywood and the media highlights, human trafficking is not all about sex trafficking and multiple abductions.

“It’s not all sex trafficking,” Sergeant Dan Keeler said.“That’s really the high profile one and the one people hear about a lot, but realistically, worldwide, labor trafficking is head and shoulders above sex trafficking.”

Labor trafficking is when people perform labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Labor trafficking can include forced and involuntary labor.

Human trafficking is sometimes referred to as “modern slavery”.

According to freetheslaves.net, there are more people living in slavery right now than there has ever been at any given point in history, and many of the victims don’t even know that they are victims of human trafficking, as it can be hard to recognize the signs.

“If one of your friends is in a sketchy relationship and you think something is going on, you need to be able to recognize the signs so you can save that person,” Michigan Abolitionist Project [MAP] MidMichigan community group leader Tracy Montgomery said.

Montgomery is a part of the Michigan Abolitionist Project, which works across Michigan, the U.S., and the world to raise awareness and educate people about human trafficking.

“The idea behind it was to start community groups all around Michigan,” Montgomery said. “Right now there are

“There are more people living in slavery right now than at any other point in history” - freetheslaves.net

14 different community groups started in Michigan. The idea is that the groups will work within their community to try to raise awareness and educate people in order to prevent modern day slavery.”

Michigan’s proximity to the Canadian border and different waterways increase Michigan’s likelihood to foster human trafficking. The Michigan border is also mere minutes from Toledo, the fourth largest city in the U.S. for human trafficking. Detroit is the biggest city for human trafficking in Michigan, but Mackinac Island is also one of the leading cities in Michigan for human trafficking.

“Mackinac Island, surprisingly, is one that has an unusually high amount of human trafficking incidents,” Keeler said.

“There’s a lot of day laborers that can be exploited there.”

In 2016, the global human trafficking market was valued at an estimated $150 billion. In 2005, it was only $40 billion.

Human trafficking is the second most profitable international crime, second to only the illicit drug trade.

Human trafficking in Michigan has increased 260 percent from 2012 to 2016 alone. This is not necessarily because there are more cases of human trafficking, there is just more awareness about human trafficking and how to report it.

“A big part of it is that a lot of victims of human trafficking don’t really identify themselves as victims of human trafficking, they don’t realize that’s what it is,” Keeler said. “So it’s not always reported well. When it is reported, a lot of police agencies don’t necessarily know how the proper protocol to handle it. It winds up getting filed under different types of complaints such as prostitution or immigration violations.”

In the coming years, nbc.com says that human trafficking cases will be on the rise.

News

November 17, 2017 Update

Starting to speak out

First amendment paves way for equality

Breaking down sexual assault issues in Hollywood

Farryn Cook

Farryn Cook

managing design n Sunday, Oct 24, actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a message that said “Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote “Me too” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” This tweet sparked a movement, inspiring over a million people to tweet out “#metoo” while sharing their stories of sexual assault.

This movement was prompted by recent allegations made against producer Harvey Weinstein.

So far, 25 women have come forward and publicly accused Weinstein of various sexual assault crimes and misdeeds.

These women include Cara Delevingne, Angelina Jolie, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Sexual assault has long been a topic for conversation, and many people are using this movement to create conversations surrounding sexual assault.

Jane and Pam, both students at DHS, have experienced sexual assault in their past.

“Sexual assault is important to talk about,” DHS student Jane* said. “In my experience, talking about it, sharing my experiences, that’s what helped me heal.

We

O

Only 16 percent of all sexual assault cases were reported in 2006

need to be speaking out and coming together to spread awareness on this issue that’s extremely prominent in our society.”

This movement has been largely talked about, but it isn’t unprecedented. In 2014, the “yesallwomen” campaign spread and also opened up opportunities for victims of sexual assault to speak out on their experiences and get support from individuals who can relate.

“Being able to find someone who understands is more helpful than I can explain,” Jane* said.

“Being able to talk to someone who has gone through the same thing as you, or at least something similar helps in not feeling so alone.”

This case against Weinstein is not the first Hollywood scandal to make major media coverage.

The list of Hollywood men being accused of sexual assault seems to be rising. Amazon Studios executive Roy Price resigned due to allegations almost identical to Weinstein. On top of this, 38 women have spoken out on their sexual assault

1.8 million adolescents have been victims of sexual assault

experiences with screenwriter and producer James Toback.

“Everyone tries to hide [sexual assault in Hollywood] but everyone knows, or at least people who hire them know,” DHS student Pam* said. “But they just try to hide it from everyone. It’s wrong and unfair to all the women who have to go through [sexual assault].”

In an interview with NPR published on Oct. 23, 2017, Matthew Bellon, editorial director for the Hollywood Reporter talked about the nature of Hollywood scandals, and about how this isn’t an uncommon occurrence.

“I think there is an ingrained culture of accepted abuse in Hollywood, the pay-your-dues culture where people come to this industry from all over the world and they want to make it big,” Bellon said. “And they accept a level of abuse. And that, in my opinion, has been the cover for a lot of this sexual abuse. So in my opinion, ending the culture of abuse in general in Hollywood or at least taking steps to putting real consequences for people who are abusive will ultimately lead to an environment where this kind of sexual abuse is less tolerated and is shut down on the first instance of people knowing about it.”

Every 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted

1 in 5 women will be sexually assaulted while at college

* names have been changed for anonymity Info received via www.nsopw.gov and humantraffickinghotline.org

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Conversing with Cook Growing up, the only amendment I was aware of was the First. I would proudly declare to all my friends “You can’t get mad at me, I have the freedom of speech!” This phrase was bred of out ignorance, as freedom of speech does not insure freedom of consequence. Regardless, this concept has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Our First Amendment states five rights we are given as US citizens, including freedom of speech, religion, peaceful protest, press, and to petition the government. In the past couple of years, it seems that the perception of this amendment has been skewed.

On Oct. 20, 2017, a group of around 200 citizens chose to link arms for the national anthem at the Midland vs Dow football game. Their protest was intended to bring awareness to the inequalities in the US today. This protest was met with threats of attacks and counter protesters.

While standing in the student section during this protest, I admired the grit of these people, but concern was in the back of my mind. What if someone harms these protesters?

Why are they being threatened? Isn’t this just a successful use of their First Amendment rights?

Thankfully, no one was physically harmed at the protest, but it still left me with an unsettled feeling in my stomach. Why has violence become such a norm when there is a disagreement? If people are peacefully assembling, why should they be afraid of being put in danger?

When it comes down to it, our society gets extremely uncomfortable when someone is advocating for change.

This cry for revision is often met with unnecessary violence.

What our country needs to come to terms with is that there are going to be people who disagree with you.

Protests will continue as long as individuals feel there is oppression in play. It is okay to disagree with someone’s perspective. It is not okay to resort to violence in the face of this opposition.

We live in a country with many privileges, and we are very lucky to be living with our First Amendment. It is essential to creating change and paving the way for equality. It’s important to realize that even if a protest is happening in which you disagree with, everyone has a right to share their opinions. We have a voice and no one is allowed to take that away from us.

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News

Update

November 17, 2017

Taking a trip with Alice to Chargerland Drama interests capture actors with fantasy world in school play

Quinn McCaffery & Katie Ramos page designer & assistant copy

F

rom the Mad Hatter to the 10 Cards, all roles in this fall’s schools play vary and each add a new aspect to the production.

The play itself was adapted to fit an audience of all age groups. In the performance atmosphere, one has the ability to make a world of their own.

From delving into their characters to getting elbow deep in paint and props, drama students immerse themselves in the story of Alice and her numerous adventures in Wonderland.

There are many different ways to go about getting into character.

Junior Maggie Reed, who will be playing one of three Alices showcased in the production due to her various sizes throughout the story line, has mastered characterization through her experiences.

“I’ve been working a lot with the other two girls that are playing Alice; I dyed my hair so that I would look like them,” Reed said.

Reed is a seasoned student of the theatre, but for others, this comfortable attitude doesn’t come as easy.

“There’s always the anxiety of being with a new group of people that [you] don’t really know,” freshman Anna Stolz said.

For many students, this will be their first time on stage which can come with all sorts of nervous feelings. Those who have been around for a while though, are more than welcoming,.

“But they’ve all been so nice and kind of gotten me past [my fears].”

“Alice in Wonderland” will begin showing on Thursday, Nov. 16 and continue through Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Central Park Elementary auditorium. In addition to the 7 p.m. showing, there will be a 3 p.m. matinée on Saturday, Nov. 18. Tickets can be bought at the show and sold for $6 to students and seniors and $8 for adults.

SMELL THE FLOWERS: (clockwise, top left) 1. Alix Campbell 2. Maggie Reed, Robert Heyart 3. Anna Stolz 4. Jessi Brooks 5. Cameron Stuart, Lydia Barber, Avery Brown 6. Anna Stolz, Emma Allington, Maggie Reed prepare set designs, props, makeup, hair, and even practice performing.

The first showing is on Thursday, Nov 16. at 7.

photos by Katie Ramos

November 17, 2017

News 7

Update

History of North Korean tensions, how they’ve grown Andre Buckley & Rin Dunlap

managing news & assistant copy

CAST LIST Small Alice - Anna Stolz Regular Alice- Emma Allington Tall Alice- Maggie Reed Cheshire Cat- Gabriella Donoso Caterpillar- Alix Campbell Mad Hatter- Stephen O’Donnell Queen of Hearts- Ryan wall King of Hearts- Gaven Boguszewski Ace of Hearts- Evan Trotter-Wright Jack of Hearts- Ethan McKane- Wright White Rabbit- Robert Heyart LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: (clockwise. top left) 1.

Maryn Brown 2. Maggie Reed 2. Avery Brown 4. Madison Anzarut, Lydia Barber, Cameron Stuart, Anna Stolz work on getting ready for going on stage.

Students from all grades are involved in making the sure the show is prepared for the day it is performed.

graphic by Quinn McCaffrey

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Update November 17, 2017

Opinion

When’s the most wonderful time of the year?

Celebrating Christmas too early creates controversy Hannah Raw page editor

T

he month of December is soon approaching and students are starting the countdown to Christmas. To some, even thinking about Christmas this early is wrong. For others, it’s the start of preparation. With stores putting many Christmas items on their shelves and the announcement of Starbucks’ new Christmas cup, it seems like the rest of the world is on board with celebrating early.

Decorating for the holidays plays an important role when it comes to preparing early. Despite the myth of putting up a Christmas tree before Dec. 1 causes bad luck, Christmas fans aren’t discouraged from continuing the tradition.

Getting a head start on decorations can save time later down the road and provide the excitement of Christmas a little early.

“The day after Halloween I pull out everything in my room and I start decorating,” junior Adeline McCarty said. “I even play my Christmas Spotify playlist to get in the mood.”

For many, music is the key to celebrating Christmas and it’s easy access doesn’t prevent those from wanting to listen ahead of time.

With the many Christmas playlists and tunes that have already been created, it’s not hard for people to wind up listening to it.

“I start listening to Christmas music in July, it’s a year round thing,” senior Britney Bawar said. “My favorite music is Christmas music.”

Having no rules, Christmas is to be celebrated whenever one desires and the wait is sometimes too much. For some, just a month isn’t enough time to fit all the festivities in. Starting months

earlier can ensure more time to enjoy the Christmas cheer.

“I like to be in the mind frame of Christmas earlier so I can slowly build up to it and get excited earlier,” junior Eliza Dubois said.

Spending time with family at Christmas can be essential. The holiday is mostly a time to bond and rejoice in all the Christmas goodness. Traditions are a big part for some families, especially during the holidays. One tradition, putting up a Christmas tree, can put some in the Christmas spirit.

“My dad and I are die hard Christmas fans,” McCarty said. “Since we go to Kentucky for Thanksgiving, we put the Christmas tree up before we leave so when we come back it’s December. We put it up in November but we don’t decorate

until December.”

Some people, however, believe celebrating Christmas early isn’t necessarily good thing. The holiday Thanksgiving is sometimes forgotten or not built up like Christmas is.

Some believe that Christmas should be celebrated closer to the day and be appreciated more. In reality, Christmas is two months away.

“It gets kind of annoying when everyone’s playing Christmas music in October when Halloween and Thanksgiving are still coming up,” junior Brennan Doyle said.

Whether one celebrates in December or celebrates in July, the joy of Christmas is still evident no matter what time of the year.

However, the many benefits of celebrating early excite those for the season of giving. As the hit song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year’’.

Holiday recreation essentials:

graphic by Amelya Jankens

November 17, 2017

Update

Opinion

To kil l

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screenshots from Amazon & IMDB

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Andre Buckley

Mo

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managing news aving been read in multiple schools, “To Kill a Mockingbird” is Harper Lee´s prize winning book about racial inequality and the civil rights movement. As of late, the Biloxi Public School District in Mississippi has brought a lot of attention to this book. Eighth graders in the Biloxi school district were not able to read the book as it was banned from the required curriculum. Although the book was still available in the school libraries, the students were no longer required to read the

H

9

KILLING THE BOX OFFICE WITH GREAT CONTENT: The 1962 movie adaptation starring Gregory Peck is often used as a complement when teaching about Harper Lee’s work.

ll

bird”

story. DHS teachers have their own opinions as well.

“This book should not be banned from our curriculum,” English teacher Sarah Pancost said.

This isn’t a one-sided topic. Many people see different views. Why do people feel the need to erase the ugly in the world? Yes, some books do use hateful language, but in the service of a humane message. They have enough depth that their meaning can’t be summed up in a sentence or two, but they certainly aren’t

racist works. It exposes the hypocrisy behind bigotry.

“While “To Kill a Mockingbird” can be controversial and uncomfortable, it brings up important topics that society must ponder and discuss,” junior Davis Purtell said.

“To ban the book would be the antithesis of Harper Lee’s message.”

These powerful words have implemented a love for reading in many students today. It’s funny how the people that run the education system talk about embedding diversity in the school systems, but yet this decision contradicts that entirely. This book is a prime example of diversity.

Life is all about perspective and seeing things from different angles, which the book can provide.

“The system” wants people to think one way, yet this book allows people to think the other way, which creates a plight. Allowing people to see how others think shocks the system. It makes people feel

uncomfortable, but in the long run, it will empower them.

The children reading the book in the Biloxi school district are in eighth grade, and soon they will have no choice but to face all of the real world problems. If they actually read the book, they will be filled with knowledge that will allow them to deal with problems, no matter if it’s hard or easy.

“In no way it should be banned,” junior Grace Sobeck said. “Historically, it represented the struggle of minorities, specifically African Americans, and it cannot be evaded. Our students must be educated on the matter. If it offends someone, good. We treated minorities unfairly and this book was a highlight for learning.”

The people who are offended by it are the people who caused the book to be written in the first place. Books like “To Kill a Mockingbird” should not be cut out of school curriculum because of the valuable lessons and perspectives they hold. graphic by Amelya Jankens

10 Opinion

Update

Lifelong Shelter from the “Great” Outdoors

Rin Dunlap A child, lying in a hospital bed for over a week with second degree burns on around 26 percent of his body. What put him there?

Was it a car accident? A house fire? No, he had laid on the beach for two hours in 80-degree weather. This was me at five years old.

One summer, my parents and I went to the beach. My mother, having been distracted that morning, neglected to put sunscreen on me before we left. For a child without photosensitivity (an allergy to the sun), this may have just caused a very bad sunburn, but for me, it caused a weeklong hospital stay. After lying near stationary on the beach for so long, my skin had started to bubble up and split. Upon arriving at the hospital, I was diagnosed with photosensitivity, and discovered that I had second degree burns over most of my body.

Photosensitivity is an incredibly serious allergy, affecting around 10 percent of Americans. Because of its rarity and apparent absurdity, it isn’t taken seriously most of the time.

Before the beach incident, I hadn’t really gone outside for extended amounts of time. Itchiness from being outdoors led me to stay inside most of the time.

Since most people afflicted with this condition discover it very early on in life, adults other than my parents found it very hard to believe that at five years old, I had “suddenly

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

My Turn developed” this allergy.

Ever since, it has been ingrained into my mind that I should live a more sheltered life. I should not go outdoors unprotected, and even if protected, I should not spend unnecessary time outside. I leave the house with sunscreen on every inch of my bare skin and an extra bottle of sunscreen in my bag. I wear long sleeves and pants and I never go outdoors by myself.

I have been very closed off about this to most of my friends. Almost no one knew about it until recently, when I had another incident that caused me severe pain for weeks on end. The people I had told before this never believed me; even adults in my life told me that I couldn’t be allergic to the sun, that I’m just looking for attention.

Over the course of my life, I have gone to the hospital five times for my photosensitivity.

The outcome is always the same: the nurses tell me I’m just being dramatic, or not telling the whole truth; the doctors tell me that they can only suggest putting aloe on my “glorified sunburn”; and my parents are left with a huge hospital bill simply because even medical professionals think their child is lying.

This stigma around photosensitivity needs to stop. I am one of the less severe cases of this allergy, but people with an incredibly severe case are still viewed the same way: we are all just sheltered liars.

November 17, 2017

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

Your Turn: Want to share your thoughts on a recent article published in the Update? Write a 250-word Letter to the Editor for our next issue. Submit your letter by Dec. 1.

Need more words to share your opinion?

Then write a 450-word My Turn column for our next issue. Contact Maggie Duly to have your turn in the next issue of the Update by Dec. 1, 2017

Preventing human trafficking is a must Education can halt modern slavery Staff Editorial

W

hen one hears the words “human trafficking”, Midland, Michigan doesn’t normally come to mind.

After all, who would suspect a city voted in the top four best places to raise a family by Forbes magazine in 2010 to contain such a large amount of human trafficking?

Residents of this state need to become more aware of this crime and the legitimateness it holds; this is a significant way to try and help the problem at hand.

Individuals get so caught up with their daily lives that they aren’t familiar with what’s happening around them. The news and gossip around citizens of Michigan rarely contains “human trafficking”, a large issue. Instead, the talk mostly consists of high school sports games, celebrities, and upcoming holidays.

In the U.S., California is ranked the No. 1 worst state in the country for human trafficking according to the U.S. National Human Trafficking hotline. The state of Michigan has consistently been ranked in or around the top ten, which a lot of people are most likely not conscience of.

Being aware of important issues involved in Michigan can help lead to important changes regarding this problem. If more people are knowledgeable about this issue, they can pitch in inside their community or on a larger scale to aid the problem.

The Human Trafficking Task Force has already helped with campaigns, providing data, reports, funding, and more.

To help the contention, residents can commence a club or community group, host or attend an event to raise awareness, lobby policymakers, initiate a research project, become employed at an anti-trafficking organization, pursue a fellowship, attend human trafficking awareness training, volunteer, or support anti-human trafficking efforts.

In everyday lives, people can help by simply boycotting certain companies/products that facilitate human trafficking and in general just become educated about the issue. Even just encouraging schools to partner with students and include modern slavery in their curriculum can help by providing awareness to students and others.

By becoming more knowledgeable and aware of this crime, citizens of Michigan can get involved in ways to help eliminate this problem once and for all.

People need to start educating themselves about the issue of human trafficking in Michigan.

By doing this, there’s a chance for a greater engagement in the ways to help the fight against this horrific crime. With more involved, there will be a decrease in human trafficking and an increase in the knowledge of fellow Michiganders. graphic by Farryn Cook

November 17, 2017

Update

Opinion 11

Don’t delay, dual enroll today Students should take advantage of this opportunity Staff Editorial

D

ual enrollment is very beneficial to teenagers today.

In the United States, dual enrollment programs allow students to join two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, dual enrollment refers to high school students taking college or university courses. Less commonly, it may refer to any individual who is participating in two related programs. Ultimately, high schools should encourage more students to dual enroll.

Counselors don’t stress this program to students, so many student are ignorant of the fact that they can participate in such thing. There are multiple benefits to dual enrollment.

It allows students to understand what full-time college coursework will be like. By trying out a few classes while still in high school, students can get used to the academic environment before they leave the comfort and

Cartoon by Loree Chung “November 1st”

support of home. Students may be able to take classes that aren’t offered at their high school.

College courses can give students a closer look at their area of academic interest. If they are currently loving AP history, a college course next year on the Civil War or the Great Depression will help them explore that period in greater depth and precision.

Most students change their majors at least once. Taking a college class as a high school student can help students find their area of interest before the pressure is on to declare a major. If students don’t think they would qualify to take AP courses, or if a course wasn’t available in high school, taking a college-level class will help students demonstrate the ability to handle more difficult coursework.

This ability is something every college admissions officer wants to see. Perhaps the biggest benefit of dual enrolling is that students will be able to accumulate

college credits a lot quicker than any other typical high school student. With that being the case, students will more than likely be prepared to graduate college on time. Sometimes, students can even graduate early.

Dual enrollment is also a way to save money in the future. If students take certain college courses and earn credits, it will allow them to save. If students take courses before they start their actual four or so years of college, they won’t have to pay for those courses that have already been taken after they fully enroll in college.

There is no state office assuring that dual enrollment courses align with requirements at the state’s universities, and because Michigan’s 15 public universities are autonomous, their policies on accepting dual enrollment credits vary. Dual enrollment should become more popular and encouraged in schools nationwide.

CORRECTIONS FOR SEPT. 29 ISSUE: - On page 8, Carlijn de Smet’s name was misspelled - On page 13, Kimia Beigzadeh’s name was misspelled.

- On page 13, Camryn McGee’s name was misspelled.

- On page 15, the Emma Wright photo should have been credited to Katie Ellison - On page 24, Aiden Belgoirno’s name was misspelled

CORRECTIONS FOR OCT 20: ISSUE: - On page 1, Iris Funaioli’s name was misspelled - On page 2, Lilly Baker’s name was misspelled - On page 8 Carlijn de Smet’s name was misspelled

12 Opinion November 17, 2017

Deciding on alternative diets Comparing how different lifestyles affect health, daily menus

Katie Ellison & Abby Peterson

Breakfast:

managing photo & page editor

Gluten-Free Diet: Despite all the health crazes in this generation, food lifestyles do not always happen by choice.

Take freshman Sam Willertz, for example; he was diagnosed with Celiac disease in fourth grade.

When the blood tests came back, he was told by his doctor to stay away from any wheat, barley or specific grains. From then on out, Willertz has been living day by day with precautions most teenagers don’t have to think twice about.

“Sometimes it’s hard,” Willertz said. “Like sometimes I really want cake. And it’s hard to find like gluten-free cake. I mean there’s just certain

things that you kind of have to stay away from, but you don’t really have a choice.”

Senior Taylor Hunter, on the other hand, has more of a choice. She started her gluten-free lifestyle during her sophomore year when her meals weren’t sitting with her right.

“I started coming to school and I would like eat something and I’d have to run to the bathroom because I’d get really really sick,” Hunter said.

First her doctor tried cutting out dairy. When that didn’t help, she went to no processed foods. In the end, staying

away from gluten all together was the answer to feeling better throughout the week.

“I feel like I have more energy during the day,” Hunter said.

“When I was eating wheat and flour and bread and stuff I was just really tired all of the time.”

Now Hunter mainly eats fruit, vegetables, and meat to stay in prime condition. In fact, without all of the unnecessary fats that come with processed food, she has lost around 20 pounds. The drastic change of her diet-plan may come with some challenging guidelines, but is worth while.

Lunch:

Non-dairy yogurt with granola Grapes, carrots, and hummus

with sweet Dinner: Chicken potatoes, salad with kale

Dairy-Free Diet:

Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner:

photos courtesy of Taylor Hunter

Smoothie bowls and cereal Fruits, vegetables, and granola bars Grilled steak, salads, and curry chicken

From a young age, children have been told to drink milk in order to get strong bones. However, cross country star Anna Jensen has decided to cut dairy out of her diet almost completely. She is not lactose intolerant.

Nonetheless, her dietitian suggested to stop her dairy intake in so she can feel better while running frequently.

“It was kind of at the beginning of this cross country season,” sophomore Anna Jensen said.

“I was having some health problems and I just needed to change to feel better.”

Ever since switching to a dairy-free lifestyle, Jensen has seen some positive performance-based effects. Running is much less of a struggle when she feels better physically. Whenever faced with options to eat that go against her food lifestyle, Jensen has to remember that the pros do outweigh the cons.

The temptation to cheat a diet is always there, but it rarely

photos courtesy of Anna Jenson

dominates Jensen’s determination to feel less weighed down.

“My stomach feels better especially when I’m like racing or running,” Jensen said.

“But I haven’t really been dairy free for that long and I’m not like super super strict with it.”

Making the call to cut out dairy may seem impossible to some teenagers.

However, Jensen is one of the many examples that showcase the positive impacts of switching to a healthier food lifestyle.

November 17, 2017 Opinion 13 13

Pescatarian Diet: With plant-based diets becoming more and more popular, one moderate plantbased lifestyle is pescetarianism. A pescatarian is someone whose diet consists of fish but no other meat. “[The diet is] not incredibly difficult to maintain,” sophomore Gigi Dauphinee said.

Dauphinee is a pescatarian of six years. One thing she does to make sure she’s still getting enough protein is take the vitamin B12. This vitamin generally helps keep the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy while maintaining energy in people, according to the National Institute

of Health.

“Ever since I was little, my mom used to say that I would refuse to eat my chicken because I felt bad,” Dauphinee said.

As a young girl, Dauphinee would always tell her parents that chicken was something she never wanted to eat. She would even go to the extent of asking to bury the chicken nuggets in her backyard.

She also encourages people to look into their meat products.

Look into the types of growth hormones and antibiotics used commonly and be aware of those unnatural additions.

“You’re helping the animals who are

stuck in the mass meat production,” Dauphinee said.

If it is for health reasons, health teacher Lori Lee agrees that people should be watching and aware of what they eat.

“At this point there are so many antibiotics and steroids in the meat that people eat that it’s not even necessarily good for you anymore,” Dauphinee said.

When it comes to influencing others who are curious about this lifestyles, Dauphinee encourages those who are open to it to give it a try. Morally, Dauphinee feels being a pescatarian puts her conscience at ease.

Breakfast: Lunch: Dinner:

Smoothies with frozen fruit and chia seeds Salad, soup, or pasta dish Pasta, vegetables, and potatoes

Vegan Diet:

photo courtesy of Gigi Dauphinee

Breakfast:

Either no breakfast or fruits and vegetables

Lunch:

Indian food with carrots

Dinner:

‘Fake’ soy based chicken with fried peppers

According to the Wall Street Journal’s gallup poll, two percent of people in the US are vegan. Olivia Kaminski, a sophomore, is one of those in the two percent, being a vegan of around one year.

She found out about the lifestyle through social media. Through videos on the meat and dairy industries, she learned more about said industries. After educating herself on the industries, she became vegan.

“I didn’t want to support them,” Kaminski said.

Veganism is commonly given a bad rep due to aggressive PETA ads and stereotypical ‘preachy’ morals. Kaminski believes it’s not super

difficult to maintain or be a part of. Going vegan has also lifted her spirits emotionally.

“I just do it to live in full compassion,” Kaminski said.

With fake meats and vegan cheeses, there’s always vegan options at grocery stores like Meijer and Walmart. In the summer, there’s the Farmer’s Market twice a week which makes fresh produce easily available to Midland residents.

Health teacher Lori Lee states that at this age, students need to be focusing on getting multiple fresh foods into their diets.

“Whether they follow vegan or pescatarian, it doesn’t matter to me, it’s knowing what you’re eating,” Lee said. “Do you recognize the words

photo courtesy of Lillian Pressnell

on the label, and making sure you’re getting plenty of fresh goods.”

Nonetheless, Kaminski has felt clear benefits in her health specifically from her vegan lifestyle choices.

Specifically, her overall mood has improved.

She feels like she has more energy.

“It’s just easier to, like, feel alive because I’m getting the right fuel with plant based foods,” Kaminski said.

She recommends this diet to anyone who’s curious about taking it on. This diet is something she describes as truly changing her life for the better.

“I’m also just happier because I’m passionate about [veganism],” Kaminski said.

14

Feature

Update

November 17, 2017

Early bird gets to campus first Early enrollment offers opportunity to get head start on college work Rin Dunlap

assistant copy

T

he transition between high school and college can be intimidating to some students. The financial stress, social change, and the change of class structure can be very hard for some people. However, there is a program that can help smooth that transition: dual enrollment.

“Dual enrollment is similar [to regular high school], but it’s different in the way that the class is taught,” senior Wolfgang Vallazza-Margl said.

“You have less classes per week, even though it’s a similar amount of time you spend on your work.”

Dual enrollment is a program offered at many public high schools across the nation. It varies from state to state, and sometimes even district to district.

At DHS, students must get at least a score of 460 on the English reading and writing section and a 510 on the math section of the PSAT in order to be eligible for dual enrollment. Dual enrolled students may have their schedules adjusted to accommodate additional college courses.

“The majority of our students go to Delta just because it’s closer, and it’s less expensive,” counselor Jill English said.

Besides Delta, students can also attend Central Michigan University, Saginaw Valley State University, or Northwood University. The different levels of expenses for each school influences students’ choice.

“If you were to take a class at Northwood, where tuition is higher, then we can’t pay all of it,” counselor Douglas Bradford said. “You’d have to supplement it. If it is through Delta, [the state allotment] covers all of it.”

The state education board allows a certain amount of money towards each school district every year, which varies depending on student population, test scores,

and the average rate of previous dual enrollment students from that school district. If a student completes the dual enrollment application that can be found in the counseling office, then the classes that they enroll into have the potential to be completely paid for by this state-granted money.

“People come in with the idea of, ‘Well this sounds great, I can get all this college credit,’ because they think they can go over there and take their English and their math and stuff,” Bradford said.

“But unfortunately, that doesn’t work, because that doesn’t quite fit the criteria.”

Some students that want to dual enroll believe that they can take any college course, and potentially graduate with their Associate’s Degree. That is not the case.

“The school district will only pay for courses that are above and beyond what is available here,” English said. “For example, a lot of our students who dual enroll, they’ve taken BC Calc here, which is the highest math class that we offer.

Since there’s nothing else for them to take, they dual enroll at Delta to take Calc 3.”

If a student’s only reason for dual enrollment was to get a head start on their degree, they should rethink their plans. However, if they are okay with attending a different school entirely, a student with this motivation could enroll in Great Lakes Bay Early College (GLBEC).

GLBEC is a program that allows students to transfer directly from being a high school student to a college student their junior year.

Upon graduation, GLBEC-enrolled students receive their high school diploma, a Certificate of Completion, and an official college transcript

“It’s a different experience to normal classes, because you don’t really know many people in the class, so you have to take your own pace.”

Brandon Zhu senior

“Dual enrollment is similar [to regular high school], but it’s different in the way that the class is taught.”

Wolfgang Vallazza-Margl senior

with up to 60 college credits. Students may stay in GLBEC up to a year past their high school graduation date.

“I just went from a Dow student, to an SVSU student,” GLBEC senior Jillian Martin said. “So there wasn’t that middle, where I was half and half.”

Students participating in GLBEC cannot transfer directly from DHS. In order to participate, a student must first transfer to a high school that uses the GLBEC program, such as Windover High.

With GLBEC, students start their first semester with a set amount of GLBEC and college classes, and end their second semester with a full load of college courses. GLBEC students take their classes on SVSU’s campus and operate under a college schedule.

“The classes were easier, and I had two a day instead of six,” Martin said.

“They were longer classes, but they were structured better.”

If a student wants to participate in either of these programs, Bradford said their best bet is to come to their counselor instead of waiting for the information to come to them.

“The students need to seek that information out for the most part,” Bradford said. “When they do [Health Care Tech 2] it’s kind of incorporated into the class, and they’re told about it that way.”

Students participating in either program should be aware of the differences between regular high school and these programs. “[Dual Enrollment is] a different experience to normal classes, because you don’t really know many people in the class,” senior Brandon Zhu said.

“You have to take your own pace, you have to know what you’re doing, and you have to pay extra attention in class.” photos by Rin Dunlap

November 17, 2017

Update

Feature 15

Home(s) for the holidays Families contend with splitting time, locations during holiday seasons Anikka Thorson

managing feature

F

alling leaves and winter weather warnings mark the beginning of family get togethers. Holidays may be a simple gathering in the home, but for some students, the location of such gatherings may be contingent on family status.

Students who have parents that may no longer be together or who have expanded their families through new relationships find their holidays filled with logistical planning. The way some students, like junior Ainsley Lacey, have their time during the holidays divided between their parents can be

stressful at first until the new “norm” is achieved.

“The state of Michigan provides standard language for splitting holidays with parents,” Lacey’s mom Nina DeMarie said in an email interview. “Even years and odd years flip the schedule back and forth. Tim and I followed it but when we had special plans we just asked to switch.”

Not all families have the same situation. Parents can rearrange how the holidays are split by the State of Michigan. Some cases differ from the set standards because of special plans or traditions that the family doesn’t want to break.

“What [my parents] could do is do like whatever week [the holiday] falls on, but we have traditions so like for Christmas, I’ll spend Christmas Eve with my dad and his parents and then I’ll go to my mom’s for Christmas morning,” sophomore Lilly D’Alessandro said.

Christmas isn’t the only holiday in the mix. Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and others play a role in how the season gets divided between the parents. ”For Thanksgiving, as far as I can remember, I’ve always gone the day before Thanksgiving with my dad and then go to Indiana with my mom, and then every other year for Christmas we switch on and off between Christmas Eve and Christmas,” senior Joe Wood said.

As different as it may seem, celebrating the holidays with separated parents can sometimes be

quite similar to how they celebrated before their situation changed.

Students like Lacey don’t see many differences that are too far from the way things were before their parents split up. ”It’s really similar, you’re celebrating the same exact thing,” Lacey said. “I grew up until I was six or seven in the same household with [both parents] so like there are the same traditions that we do, like we all open presents at once and tuff and so it’s really similar because you’re doing the same thing that you grew up doing it’s just not all together.”

While in Lacey’s case it can be stressful to not be with their whole family around the holiday times, some are able to find a brighter side to each of their situations. ”There’s more, more of like the cheer and the presents,” D’Alessandro said.

“I mean and it’s just fun because I can stretch the holiday out a little longer.”

Q A

: What tips do you have for students with newly divorced parents?

: I would say it does get better, as much as you think it’s not going to like it’s kind of hard to go through that at first, and like to see your family separated, but it’s easier once you’ve been going through it for a while.

Ainsley Lacey, junior

A

: Keep an open mind. It will be difficult the first couple times that you’re not together, but after a while you know you will start to see that I think your parents will be happier and in turn kind of make you happier.

graphic by Jenna Wray graphic by Jenna Wray

Joe Wood, senior

photos by Kate Ellison

Update November 17, 2017

Feature

16

Seeing what it takes to dominate debate Members share qualities necessary to succeed in club competition Faye Kollig

assistant copy editor

“Competitiveness is important. You want to win.”

Austin Poon, Senior

“Always think strategically.”

William Wang, Junior

“You have to learn time management.”

Lily Martinez, Sophomore

“Everyone’s good at research.”

Abe Yum, Senior

photo by Faye Kollig

F

or some, debate is a heated discussion about different viewpoints, or a shouting match between Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Debate at the high school level has a very specific connotation.

“It’s not just arguing with people,” sophomore Lily Martinez said. “It’s a very specific setup.

It’s very precise.

You’re only debating about one thing, and you have a plan.”

The type of debate argued in the DHS debate program, policy debate, is structured, formal, and teaches skills not found in informal arguments.

“For policy debate, everyone has to speak really fast,” varsity debater, senior Abe Yum said.

“It almost sounds like they’re rapping or just talking gibberish. A good skill that almost every debater has is research, because everyone is required to find their own evidence.”

Topics are given during the summer, so debaters can begin working on their files and arguments before the season begins.

There

are two practices per week in the fall, one on Monday to practice debate skills and one on Thursday to review arguments and prepare files. During the fall season, tournaments can last multiple days and require missing school on Friday.

For preparation and competition, analytical thinking is an important skill for developing and countering arguments. In order to perform well under the time restraints of a debate tournament, it’s also necessary for debaters to be secure in their own knowledge and ability to improvise.

“You just have to have a lot of confidence,” Martinez said. “When you’re answering a question you don’t really know the answer to, you have to play your way around it and just go with the flow of it. [Debaters] are smart, not necessarily naturally smart, but smart because they’re doing research, and they know what they’re talking about.”

The fall season of debate requires a great deal of preparation, with practices lasting sometimes more than five hours, and expectations that team members will have their arguments and files prepared on their own time if necessary.

However, team members find that it’s also very much a team activity, and that there is something of a community for debate teams in Michigan.

“It’s very tight-knit each year,” former debater and team mentor, senior Austin Poon said. “We all like each other, there’s very little friction between people, and we’re just able to have fun and work together. As a community, we are very supportive of being an active voice inside our community because that’s what we’re supposed to be doing in debate as a portable skill to get out of debate is to train us to be active

leaders and active speakers in our community.”

In order to join the debate team, a student has to have taken the debate class seventh hour for at least one semester, but students who take the class do not have to join the team. Simply taking the class to get a taste of debate can be significant in learning academic skills, such as critical thinking, essay writing, and situational analysis.

Although debaters agree that speaking ability and confidence are important to do well, they also say that public address doesn’t have to be a forte to join the team.

“Anyone can be a debater,” Poon said. “I think it’s not as bad as a lot of people think, because the only people in the round are your two opponents, your partner, and the judge, so in that atmosphere I think you really do feel very competitive, so it’s not ‘I’m speaking to be a good speaker’ it’s ‘I’m speaking to win’. You want to win.”

Martinez admits she did not think she was a good public speaker before she joined debate.

“I hated talking in front of people, it just wasn’t my thing,” Martinez said. “But now I’m confident enough in myself to go out there and have conversations with people that I didn’t think I’d be able to have. In eighth grade, we would have these debates. I found that I just liked talking and sharing my opinion with people.

I like that it’s not mean, because it’s not on a personal level, but you get to put out your opinion and what you think and what your team thinks, and just be able to have that confidence in yourself has really helped and I really like that.”

November 17, 2017

Update

Feature 17

Tournament talk

There are reasons

Debaters discuss process of winning rounds DEBATE PRIDE: Seniors Duncan Donahue and Austin Poon pose with the Spartan after winning the 2016 MSU tournament.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS: Sophomores David Wang and Tayce Shamamian celebrate Wang’s success. He placed second for the speaker award.

THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT: While in a round, junior William Wang (left) and sophomore David Wang (right) are preparing to give another speech.

STUDENT SHOWCASE: The 2017-2018 debate team proudly poses with their novice state trophy won in 2016. They placed first last year. photos by Jennifer Dear & Robert Heyart

Robert Heyart staff writer

D

ebate is intense and rapid. After months of practicing for tournaments, one can hope that they perform their best. Any slip up could possibly lead to losing the tournament. “[The tournaments are] usually hosted at a local high school in Michigan usually around the suburbs of Detroit and Lansing and sometimes the bigger ones are at universities,” junior William Wang said.

“Usually six to eight [teams of two] show up, usually on our team there are about eight.

At local competitions at high schools, there are two divisions, one for novices and one for everyone else.”

Similar to other speech tournaments like forensics, there are different categories of debate. There are three different types: policy debate, public forum, and Lincoln Douglas debate.

“The one that I do is policy debate,” sophomore Tayce Shamamian said. “That is just the standard form of debate: eight speeches arguing usually about policy actions. There is public forum which is kind of legislative or at least similar to that. It is sort of like [Model United Nations] where you pick a topic and you act it out, like almost a parliamentary procedure.”

The debate team focuses on policy debate where they select a central topic that is debated throughout the year. This helps with standardization and makes it easier to judge teams, due to debaters arguing over the same topic.

“Our topic is education policy,” Wang said. “There is a more specific resolution, but the general idea is just increasing funding or regulation in education in the United States.”

It is essential that before a tournament, debaters research to find evidence to help support their argument.

Generally, they find support through facts. The number of sources that a debater has also impacts debating. There isn’t a standard for how many sources a debater can use, but generally more is better.

“Some people get all of their evidence from one source and have like all of their arguments from that,” Wang said. “Other teams have a different source for every single piece of evidence.”

Cards are standard units that debate uses for evidence, and each card represents a source.

“Generally you will have 12 to 20 cards in one [speech of the round],” Shamamian said.

“Each [card] should be from a different source or use different articles from one source.”

It takes time to research many different sources that support a debater’s argument.

Wang said that having sources does help with winning.

“It is a general consensus among educated in this field that what you are doing is arguably true,” Wang said.

The debate team has been very strong in recent years.

“Last year we came in third place at varsity states, and we’ve won novice states three years in a row now,” Shamamian said.

Anikka Thorson Anikka’s Anecdote One of the many cliche sayings out there is “everything happens for a reason”.

This also happens to be one of my favorite sayings, because, in my experience, it has proved to be remarkably true.

I have a reputation for breaking things. I have broken three laptop chargers, my closet doors, phone chargers, and much, much more. Last year, I went on a mission trip with my church to Sunflower, Mississippi, where I learned my flaw of destruction isn’t always a flaw.

When I think about mission trips, I think about building and fixing homes and helping people in the community.

However, when we arrived at Delta Grace, the church we were going to live in for the week and were given our work sites, I learned that I would be working on a house called the Taylor House. The Taylor House had been donated to Delta Grace to be used for missionary efforts.

My group’s job was to basically tear it apart. I was slightly thrown off by this news, but not all that disappointed because demolition is really quite fun.

When I set foot onto

my work site, I was immediately grossed out.

The Taylor House was disgusting. There was dirt everywhere, stains all over the walls, and it was just the opposite of livable. I went about my week in Mississippi tearing down walls to their base, pulling nails, ripping apart the ceiling, ripping out cabinets and basically stripping the house down to its original interior structure.

I never really questioned my being on that particular site during the majority of my week in Mississippi. It took me until the end of the week, while standing on top of a ladder, to really realize the significance of being where I was. Working on the Taylor House gave me the opportunity to take one of my faults and do something beneficial with it.

This saying is also true in more difficult situations. Many instances, when you are going through hard times, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and only focus on the bad things in your life, but it’s so incredibly important to realize that there is a reason for everything that you are experiencing even if you don’t realize it at the time.

Update

18 Feature

November 17, 2017

Hello DHS and welcome to my crib Accessories, designs lead to unique showcase of at home personalities Helena Nitschky & Camryn McGee

managing social media & page designer

A

student’s house can say a lot about them and their family. There is a saying that a house is just a house until a family it their home.

Whether it is the decor itself or different features the house showcases, these elements can range from a bowling alley to a sauna to even a unique showcase of art. Some students at DHS have chosen to give sneak peaks into the many unique aspects of their homes.

Middleton alley Tommy Middleton, 12th

“Once when my mom, sister, brother, and I were in the hot tub, my dad threw in a bunch of plastic vegetables and yelled, ‘Look We are vegetable soup!’.”

“I was a kid and used to have someone roll the ball down the alley and I would stand at the end and grab the ball a couple feet away from the pins and get strikes all day everyday.”

Soaring Eagle who?

Madelene Cifrulak, senior

photos by Helena Nitschky

November 17, 2017 Update

Feature 19

“I’ve had a lot of different rooms and [my parents] said this [room] was gonna be permanent so I designed it to describe me as a person.”

Chalk it up Hailey Tannis

photo courtesy of Hailey Tannis

“I would say it’s very modern. It’s like, there’s not a lot extra things hanging on the wall, I definitely stuck with the same color scheme throughout my furniture and walls and even my bathroom and my closet.”

Artsy Architecture Nick Fabiano

Moving to modern

“We have this one balcony that connects to one of our staircases that’s raised up a couple feet, and it’s super cool because you can go up there and look down on our second floor while you’re on the third floor.” photos by Nick Fabiano

Delaney Strouse

photos courtesy of Delaney Strouse

photos courtesy of Jacob Pasek and Ruth Pasek

Secret Passageways Ruth Pasek

“We call them cubby holes but they are pretty much just tunnels that go throughout the house.

When Jacob and I were little, we were able to crawl through the wall into our parent’s room.”

20

Sports

Update November 17, 2017

The great “athletic” altercation

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

I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NO FEAR IN CHEER: Senior Jaden Trijo, soars to the top of a formation, supported by sophomore Cassie Fewkes and junior Logan Rivard. After fall cheer ends, in coordination with the end of the football team’s playoff run, winter competitive cheer begins.

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

Ethan Poupard, 12

photo by John Rettig

Q A

: Do you believe robotics is a sport?

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

Q A

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

photos by Regan O’Brien and Reece Leydorf

HOLD UP TUNE UP: Seniors Ethan Poupard and Daniel Zhang make adjustments to their robot before their next event in the robotics event hosted at DHS in March of this year. Constant tweaks and check-ups need to be done on the robots on competition day.

November 17, 2017

Sports

Update

21

Aching athletes overcome agony Key ways to combat post-performance pain vary from player to player Ben Zeitler

managing sports

T

he stationary bike whirs outside the weight room as senior Maija Rettelle pumps her legs, a constant repetition of cycles.

Rettelle cuts a solitary figure in the DHS loft, with only the faint sound of deadlift thuds behind her as she pedals. Although the bike she sits upon does not move from its block, it plays a crucial role in propelling Rettelle across the finish line in her cross country races. Rettelle’s persistent pedaling during Weights and Conditioning class keep her muscles limber to train for the meets she competes in.

“When I’m biking, it’s stretching out my muscles so when I run in the afternoon, I’m not super sore,” Rettelle said.

In addition to the stationary bike workouts, Rettelle practices healthy eating habits in order to help her sore quadriceps and hamstrings recuperate after grueling practices and races.

“My mom is a dietician, so she makes sure that I have enough protein in me to help my muscles recover,” Rettelle said.

“After I finish a race, it’s kind of hard to walk because my muscles are so tired, so after a race she has me have a protein shake or some type of protein bar.”

During wrestling season, junior Sam Martin

is also no stranger to having tired muscles.

Martin often comes home with an exhausted body following his wrestling practices and meets.

“In wrestling, you’re basically fighting people, so your whole body is sore,” Martin said. “It’s not like bumps and bruises, it’s more like you have a constant fatigue.”

Senior Alex Jonas has empathy for Martin in that both athletes suffer from soreness all over the body after contests. Unlike Martin, however, Jonas feels pain in specific regions of his body after Friday night football games.

“Normally, my hamstrings feel sore, my quads feel sore, and sometimes my arms because on the [offensive line], hitting the defensive line with my arms takes a beating over the course of a game,” Jonas said. “Postgame, my whole upper body is aching like crazy. I can’t even move my arms up and down most the time.”

To help Jonas ease the pain he feels throughout the week, DHS athletic trainer Katilyn Thomas places heating pads on Jonas’ legs before practices and games so that the muscles are warmed up when Jonas hits the field.

“My job is to get athletes back in play as quickly as possible, but making sure they’re

healthy when they do,” Thomas said. “We’re not putting athletes who are not completely healthy back on the field and getting them re-injured.”

While playing tennis, senior Adi Middha endures discomfort in his gluteal muscles, but chooses to forgo a trainer and instead handles treatments himself when it comes to keeping his body healthy.

“The glute is the foundation of a tennis shot,” Middha said. “My glutes often hurt from running and setting up for a shot, so I massage [my muscles] myself.”

Sophomore Sasha Konovalenko asserts that

her swimming coaches are also proponents of self-care when it comes to minor nagging injuries.

“Personally, I’ve never had discomfort in my shoulders, but I know some do,” Konovalenko said. “Our coaches recommend just icing our shoulders if they ever feel sore, but if you feel sore in your legs, you just tough it out.”

Athletes of all sports must find a way to recover from the arduous practices and competitions that they participate in, be it the care of an athletic trainer, a thorough self-given massage, a big bag of ice, or a spin on a stationary bike.

photo by John Rettig

HEAT IS A TREAT: “Heat treament really helps my pain in my hamstring,” senior Alex Jonas said.“It gives me time to relax after school and before practice.”

Jonas receives heat treatment on his left hamstring daily.

“My job is to get athletes back in play as quickly as possible, but making sure they’re healthy when they do. We’re not putting athletes who are not completely healthy back on the field and getting them re-injured.”

Katilyn Thomas, DHS athletic trainer

photo by John Rettig

TIRED YET REQUIRED: Senior Aaron Galvin Jr. stretches his legs after weights class. Galvin said. “[Stretching] stops me from cramping up later and being sore the next day,“ Galvin said. Galvin chooses to stretch on his own time, especially when in season.

22 Sports

Assessing athletes Jon Baillargeon managing business

G

November 17, 2017

No pain, no gain

Athletes committed to colleges put in extra effort Maggie Duly editor-in-chief

F

or gifted athletes, senior season is something to look forward to; it’s this time of year when some decide to sign a contract with a university to further their athletic and academic careers.

After signing to play a sport in college, there are only a few steps left to complete in order to be on track to play in college. Senior Sarah Ismail is verbally committed to play soccer at Saginaw Valley State University next fall. She is currently playing year round on the Nationals Soccer Club travel team. During the spring, athletes play showcase games to present their skills to college scouts. After communicating with the SVSU soccer coach, Ismail verbally

committed and is on track to sign with SVSU later this school year.

Ismail will continue to play travel soccer to keep up on her skills. She will also attend camps at SVSU in the summer before the fall soccer season begins.

“They have ID camps where they recruit people usually and they want us to go there just so we can be more familiar with the team also,” Ismail said.

While some athletes attend camps to stay on track for their college’s season, others adopt a new workout plan. Senior Jessie Brown signed to Michigan Technological University for Division II Tennis on Nov. 8.

“For Division II, my coach is okay as long as I play my high

school season and I’m getting in matches, but I do have to at least keep up my practice how I have been the last couple years and he is sending me a workout plan that I have to follow,” Brown said.

Now that everything is mostly said and done for these athletes, they can enjoy their last year on their high school and travel teams while preparing for college sports.

“I feel like [signing] is actually going to help me train better, because last year I had a tough season because I was so stressed out with all the college recruiting,” Brown said. “Now everything is done and I can just focus more on having fun and playing my senior year, and I don’t have to deal with all the outside stress.”

Molly Davis

CMU Basketball, 2019

Sarah Ismail

SVSU Soccer, 2018

Jessica Brown

MTU Tennis, 2018

etting student athletes to the next level is a big part of high school sports. The athletes, coaches, and student body all play a significant role in getting the players to excel in the sport that they play by supporting them on and off the playing field. It isn’t very often that a sophomore verbally commits to a college, but junior Molly Davis managed to pull it off.

Davis has been on the varsity basketball team since freshman year. She has verbally committed to Central Michigan University and is currently about to start her basketball season as a junior.

“It is really nice because I don’t have to worry about acceptance letters or all of the stress that goes with applying to college,” Davis said.

When it comes to choosing players from different high schools, there is sports scouting as well as academic scouting to make sure that the athletes meet the requirements for academics in addition to athletics.

“We see how fast they are in certain events and what their potential might be at the college level, but the most important thing we look at on our part is how the student is academically,” SVSU athletic director Mike Watson said.

“I think that is the overriding factor, how that perspective athlete does in the classroom. Regardless if they are a student athlete or not, at the college level we have to see how well they compete, and students compete in the classroom.”

Students looking to play at the collegiate level also take the rigor and quality of the school’s classes into consideration.

“You want to find a school that has good academics, but you also want to find a school at your level athletically,” senior Jessie Brown said.

Update

screenshots from Twitter

INKING THE DEAL: With her family looking proudly over her shoulder, senior Jessie Brown signs her national letter of intent to Michigan Technological University. Roughly 35 people crowded into the DHS Lounge on Nov. 8 to celebrate Brown’s commitment to MTU. Brown will play tennis for MTU next year. photo by Justin Sanderson

November 17, 2017

Sports 23

Update

The end of an era

Steps to collegiate athletics Emi Hunt

staff writer

1 2 3 4 5

Creating Relations Scouting Train

Research

Sign

Reaching out and creating relations with college representatives is the first step in the signing process. By contacting colleges, athletes show interest, and get the representatives thinking about their athletic skills.

“Once [coaches] got in contact with me, I contacted

them back and we went back and forth,” junior Molly Davis said.

College representatives cannot approach athletes before the athlete’s junior year, so it’s important for freshmen and sophomores to make contact with colleges they are interested in.

Spring and summer AAU tournaments are the main recruiting events for student athletes. College representatives attend the tournaments of the prospective athletes to assess performances and see students in action.

“They need to be talented in whatever sport they’re competing in,” SVSU athletic director Mike Watson said.

“Besides swimming and diving, [for other sports], coaches are always looking at how fast and athlete runs, how fast an athlete jumps, what their agility is like.”

As well as athletics, coaches must ensure the prospective athlete lives up to the NCAA education requirements in order for them to be scouted for their college.

Once a college is interested, athletes train to perform their best to show the scouts the extent of their abilities.

“There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t work out or play basketball,” Davis said.

Scouted athletes are

expected to keep up their skills, follow personal regimens, and do school required workouts.

“I have to keep up my practice, and I have to follow a workout program,” senior Jessie Brown said.

For many athletes, sports is not the only concern. The school must have the right balance between academics and athletics for the athlete to feel comfortable.

“For me, I realized I didn’t want to play D1 sports because it’s such a huge time commitment, and tennis isn’t my life,” senior Jessie Brown said.

“It’s not what I’m doing after college, and [Michigan] Tech has a great tennis program, but they have a great [computer sciences] program [which is] what I want to go into.”

Once the athlete finds the college that has the right balance, it’s onto the final destination in the college scouting process.

Signing: the final destination.

Once signed, the student is bound to play the sport for the college. Contracts vary from

school to school and sport to sport, but all contracts have one thing in common: the doors and opportunities they open for the athletes signing them.

Zeit Writes I’ve been playing football since I was four. It began with me watching my beloved Michigan Wolverines on TV, then going outside into the yard to emulate my idols. My dad would play quarterback. “Hut, hut, hike!” he would bark, and at “hike”, I’d explode out of my wide receiver stance, my little legs churning so fast that it was a wonder the grass didn’t evaporate under my feet. I’d haul in the pass, race to the end zone, and jump high into the air to celebrate.

At Siebert Elementary, I would wriggle in my seat in anticipation of recess.

The football stashed in my cubby awaited me, impatiently peeking out every time I glanced over at it. When my teacher finally released us from our lesson, I’d spring from my chair, snatch up my football, and bolt to the line forming by the door. Once outside, I made a beeline, with friends in hot pursuit, to the expansive stretch of grass that beckoned to be played upon.

We’d quickly divide into two teams, and the game would commence.

We laughed. We mocked.

We bickered. We fought.

We resumed play. The teacher’s whistle would

BenZeitler Zeitler Ben emit a piercing shrill, and we’d run inside, already looking forward to the next recess.

In sixth grade, I finally donned my first pair of shoulder pads, and never looked back. I loved the added physicality that real football brought. My two years as a MAYFL player, along with my season at Jefferson, were an absolute blast.

I blinked, and my first three years of high school football were behind me. I had only one season left. I blinked again, and I was standing on the Mt. Pleasant turf, warming up my arm for the season opener. I blinked a third time, and found myself in Traverse City, down by several touchdowns and time bleeding down to zeros.

The mortality of my football career stared me in the face. My mind began playing a rapid slideshow of all my football memories.

Touchdowns in the front yard. Laughs on the playground. Shouldering my pads for the first time. The recollections lapped like gentle waves, but then the tsunami of realization hit me: it was over. My football days were over.

I cried. No shame. It was the end of an era.

November 17, 2017

Update

Sports

24

Swinging between states

Winter work on golf game leads to new heights Alex Doty

page editor

A

s senior Alexis Carras approaches the first tee, she reaches for the driver from her bag. It’s January, yet a warm breeze gushes through the trees and the sun begins to peek above the mountain in the distance. With a loud clink, Carras hits the ball down the fairway and into the Arizona sunrise.

Carras is on the varsity golf team.

She has been golfing for as long as she can remember, but she started playing competitively when she was in eighth grade.

“My whole family played so I’ve always been doing it,” Carras said. “My parents played it and then I got interest because [my older sister] Kharissa was playing.”

In Carras’ eighth grade year, she and her family decided to send her to Scottsdale, Arizona to live with

her grandparents for the second semester of the school year. This way, Carras could still work on her golf game during the colder months of winter in Midland. Ever since, she has lived in Arizona for the second semester of the school year.

“It was obviously a hard decision for us as parents because we didn’t have her living at home,” Alexis’ mother Jenny Carras said. “But we felt very fortunate that she had this chance to work on her golf and get closer with her grandparents.”

While Alexis is in Arizona, she doesn’t get a free pass from school. She takes classes online provided by MPS in order to keep on top of her studies.

“Since it’s online schooling, I can do it whenever, like I could wake up at 1 am and do it if I wanted to,” Alexis said. “What we do is, in the morning is when we do homework and they [my grandparents] check on it and the afternoon we go out and play all day.”

The online schooling makes the whole process possible for Alexis and her parents are thankful for it.

“It was very helpful that she could do her online schooling through MPS,” Jenny said. “So that when she returned to school in the fall it was seamless.”

Between online schooling and golfing, Alexis’ schedule is relatively full every day she is on her stay in Arizona.

1*

Time voted to Michigan Super Team

2

Times finishing second in the state photo by Paiton Lebeau

“That’s all I do, is golf and school and eat dinner with my grandparents,” Alexis said. “My whole life is focused on it.”

Alexis said her golf game benefits tremendously from her stay. However, there are some things that are hard for her to adjust to while she is there.

“The toughest part for me is having to leave my immediate family behind,” Alexis said. “I leave my dad and my mom and my little sister, Tia, and that’s really sad for me. I miss them and I didn’t realize how much I would.”

Along with Alexis missing her family, she also misses her friends and is going to miss the last semester of her senior year.

“I definitely miss a lot,” Alexis said. “But I also get a lot of opportunities so I really have to look at the positives.”

For Alexis’ future, she will attend Lehigh University and plans to studying biology while playing golf for the university.

Alexis’ best round of golf during her high school career was a 68 and she finished second in the state for both the 2016 and 2017 golf season with individual scores of 145 and 149, respectively.

Even though Alexis has been playing golf for a long time, she doesn’t forget why she began playing.

“I think golf is just a fun sport and I love doing it,” Alexis said.

2017 SVL

MVP

3*

Times voted Division 2 All-State

4

Times qualifying for the state tournament * 2017 results not yet released