7-8: CONFESSIONS 14-15: POST HIGH SCHOOL PLANS 22-25: AT HOME SIGNING DAYS 30-31: SHOUT-OUTS
Update The Senior Issue In the face of all of the challenges 2020 has bestowed onto this year’s class, the graduating class of 2020 will succeed. Enjoy 31 pages dedicated to DHS’s senior class.
photo illustration by Emily Danielsen
Volume 43, Issue 5, May 30, 2020 H. H. Dow High School, Midland, Michigan update.midlandps.org @dowhighupdate
2 Senior Distribution
Update is distributed monthly from September to June to 1,300 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 Editorial Board. 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 may be 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 8 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, 2007, and 2019. 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 27 MIPA Spartan Awards since 1989 and was inducted into the MIPA Hall of Fame in 2004.
Update May 30, 2020
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 Lillian Pressnell-Manceau Managing Design Madeline DeLong Managing Copy Sofia Aultman Managing Business Zane O’Dell Managing Photo Emily Danielsen Managing News Carter Newcomb Managing Opinion Katie Ramos Managing Feature Molly Birch Managing Sports Jason Laplow Managing Graphics Madeline DeLong Amelya Jankens Managing Social Media Sophie Ungerleider Managing Video Trevor McIntyre Managing Web Irshad Husain Assistant Managing Web Giselle Mahoney Page editors 1: Lillian Pressnell-Manceau 2-3: Cammie Hall 4-5: Jason Laplow 6-7: Emily Danielsen 8-9: Molly Birch 10-11: Jason Laplow/Hannah Raw 12-13: Molly Birch 14-15: Lillian Pressnell-Manceau 16-17: Emily Danielsen 18-19: Kayla Dominowski 20-21: Molly Birch 22-23: Jason Laplow 24-25: Jason Laplow/ Hayden Hetherington 26-27: Jason Laplow 28-29: Molly Birch 30-31: Hayden Hetherington/ Cammie Hall Assistant copy editors Hannah Kilbride Austin Urlaub Staff Writers Samuel Baker Mishi Khan Nate Nichols Audrey Xu Adviser Cammie Hall
Curbside pick up of cap, gown
Alexis Krawczak
Malissa Wagner Samantha Dubay
Rebecca McRoberts
Emily Savage
Vicki Jines, Dustin Potts, and Lynn Burns
Morgan Trevillian
Anna Jensen
Gavin Miles
Abigail Hnizda
Brendan LaForest
PICK UP LANE Seniors and their families made a special trip to DHS in order to pick up caps and gowns ordered from Jostens. Students held up signs with their names and staff gathered materials and placed them in open trunks. Graduation ceremonies are scheduled for July 24, 2020 at the Loons Stadium. The DHS graduation is planned for 4 pm.
@dowhighupdate Nichole Morley
Olivia Kaminski
photos courtesy Jennifer Coppens, Samantha DuBay, Olivia Kaminski, Rebecca McRoberts, Anna Jensen, Morgan Trevillian, Emily Savage, and Abigail Hnizda
May 30, 2020
Senior 3
Update
Sticking it to seniors Yard signs delivered to homes recognize class of 2020 students
Teachers and staff signed up to deliver yard signs to the class of 2020 on May 4, 2020. DHS Sports Booster Club and QRP worked together to create the signs.
Cameron Stuart
Isaac Drossner
Sasha Konovlenko
Breanah Thibeau
Nicholas Knuth and Lee Meitler
Jocelyn Cha
Jordan Nguyen
Emily Wyatt and Adam Gardner-Northrop
Emma Carlson
Benjamin Vercellino Alana Wiggins
Dillon Wendt
Chelsea Berg and Grace DeMoville
Dylan Gary
Lewis Nguyen
Victoria Leiti
Kaitlyn Tomiko
Cullan Sprague and Jennifer Hess photos courtesy of DHS Staff
4 Senior May 30, 2020
Remember when...? Seniors recall favorite memories of highschool at DHS
Emily Danielsen & Maddie DeLong
managing photo & managing design
N
obody ever expected that the class of 2020’s final days of high school would be spent behind a screen, longing for the times when everything felt normal. Then it may have seemed mundane to partake in the same daily routine, but now these seniors are thinking back to some of those seemingly ordinary school days that were transformed to likely be memorable for the rest of their lives. The following is a debriefing of the aforementioned.
s wa e t r pa ve th e t ri ll ha nch. o v fa n’t a e lu y d m m ut d I di e sa , and alk b , h k t ory ds an had t l wor and h, m e ien us o sit uc one. o m h m r t f f ly a . My ost o e, sc o jus asn’t ere g l a t t re room ut m f hom nice . It w les w ted.” o o st s ub ca ,b sn h “It’ lunc sses tress it wa t mo r tro mpli u u s o a the e cl the jobs, abo es, o so c e t sam ween tting car inu e got u m f t Be e ge se yo few ore li som h tho brief f bef o wit for a me ll t a bu inds B m Re rt
e
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graphics by Maddie DeLong & Jason Laplow
ould ory w r and I m e m e hool I did che orite c s h v , te hig man year s is my fa id i r o v i fa d h “My o be fres I’d say th as four I to . t d r have be a flye when I w ys wante ce of a n o se got t ry becau d I’ve alw t experie s o n mem as well a bly the be n to r a chee yer, prob ber Bur l m f be a chool.” A s high
“The first time football game. of my sophomo friend all but d went to the ma helped get me actually partic Rin Dunlap
I went to a Dow High . It was the Homecoming ore year, and my best dragged me to it after we all. It was super fun and e out of my shell and start cipating in school events.”
May 30, 2020 Senior 5
“Juni o shop r prom. I ping had a fo takin g p i c r d r e s s e l ot of f u n s, ge tures danc with t ti , in m a f r i e g / s i n g i n e at i n g d i n g r e a d y y f r i e n d s nner, g at fo r t h nd’s p h and o fun. rom. e dan ouse Pr f A ce, e x p e o m i s d e t o g e t h e r f t e r wa r d c o u r s e rienc finite s , we t h at wa s e, an ly a m to it w ent t jus d la e Alexi st year.” I’m thank morable t as muc o h s Ho f h u i l g I h uk g ot a s chan chool ce to go
“St a in f nding r cel ont o on to f e riva bratin the s p of th t to s lry ga g touc udent e wall m fron ee all e. It hdow sectio w n on t of m of the as am s at t n t h Aus op of e and stude azing e n t f tin he ts i eel w n Url aub orld. like I wa ” s
“Mid l favo and/ Do ri w bein te mom footbal ent b g in l the s was ecau game se id s s after o crazy elines s e it all h nior yea r, a c a espe every po nd head reaming ppened this is m ing t int s ciall s y a n d y h in ye yelli o fast an e ba beca cored a smo rs, and use we . It was nd and d ng for D d o s k w h Ann ed them e did an adn’t w uch a cr oing kick w azy n on M , it’s Jenn d the s g i i ett dl y gh oing dow were un and/Dow t n in d histo efeated game ry.” and we
photos by Austin Urlaub and Ann Jennett
“Bea win ting Gra t in vo he SVL nd Blan c C bea lleyball hampi to ti o t Dist ng Mid his yea nship r l r year icts in b and to w or on m for my asketba in la l Alys y home st gam l this e sa K c eptn ourt.” ever er
6 Senior
Update May 30, 2020
Special thanks to their favorite teachers
Seniors share memories created with some DHS’s staff members Zane O’Dell
managing buisness
RIN DUNLAP photo courtesy of Rin Dunlap
Dear Mr. Gardner: Thank you for
teaching me how to be a leader without being hyper-controlling. You were the best choir boss I could ever ask for.
AMBER BURTON
photo courtesy of Amber Burton
ELLIE PENN
photo courtesy of Ellie Penn
Dear Mr. Schurman: Thank you for
always having an open door. You always have the best advice and tell it like it is. Thank you for being awesome.
JACOB KNIGHT
photo courtesy of Jacob Knight
Dear Mr. Evans: I’d like to say thank
you so much for believing in me. When I transferred to Dow you made me feel very welcome and were always there to talk about history or anything to. Thank you for that and you were always one of my favorite teachers.
“I would like to say thank you to a few teachers: Ms. Berg, Mr. Frye, and Mrs. Snyder. Ms. Berg thank you for your support and always being there for me when I feel like getting something off my chest, you’ve always been such a cool realistic teacher and I appreciate it. Mr. Frye thank you for making learning less boring. I know it’s been a while since I was in your class but you still are one of my favorite teachers. I will always remember our talks before class with Kaleigh. Last but not least, Mrs. Snyder, thank you for coaching me freshman year and thank you for also being such a cool teacher. You’ve always made my end of the day exciting, I hate that we didn’t get to do kid labs but all your exciting ideas made up for it.”
May 30, 2020
Senior
Update
ISABELLA RHEE photo courtesy of Isabella Rhee
Dear Mr. Murray: I would like to thank him
for putting up with me in AP comp sci, precalc, and when I would randomly come visit him in the math office. He made his classes really engaging and fun and he was clearly very knowledgeable in his fields. It’s thanks to his class that I chose to pursue a degree in computer science :) and I’ll miss waving at him through his classroom door and him ignoring me :,)
HANNA SHEWCHUCK photo courtesy of Hanna Shewchuck
ALEXUS HOUK photo courtesy of Alexus Houk
Dear Mrs. Meyer: I’d like to say thank you to Mrs. Meyer for being a great teacher and for always making biology exciting and interesting, and for helping me and Natalie out so much with our IA.
7
ALYSSA KEPTNER photo courtesy of Alyssa Keptner
Dear Mrs. Meyer: I really appreciate all
the energy she brought to class and her teaching style. I’m thankful that I got to spend 2 hours of my day in her class because it made me excited about learning.
“Thank you Ms. Royalty for always being there for me as a teacher and as a mentor. Charlee and I never would have been able to make it to internationals without your guidance and leadership! Hopefully, there will be another team who loves buying and merchandising as much as we did! Thank you for staying after school to help us practice our role plays and prepare for our event. Some of my absolute favorite memories from high school were the Orlando trip and being a part of DECA. Over the past 4 years, I knew if I needed help in school or in life I could turn to you for advice and guidance. In your marketing and computer tech classes, you taught me to have confidence in myself and in my abilities. As a DECA advisor, you showed me why that confidence matters and how it can be applied. Because of you, I know that I am ready for whatever comes next after high school. I am going to miss being your student, and I will always consider you a friend! Thank you for all you’ve done to prepare me for life in the real world.” graphics by Emily Danielsen
8 Senior May 30, 2020
CONFIDENTIAL Seniors spill their long kept high school secrets
Sophie Ungerleider and Rose Sobeck managing social media & staff writer
“I always struggled to stay awake during 4th hour because I always feel the need to take a nap after lunch, so I’m sorry Mrs. Meyer I promise I loved biology.” -Stephanie Martinez
“Honestly I learned if you want teachers to like you just tell them what they want to hear.” -Jacob Knight
“I never read a single book to completion in any of my English classes, except Hamlet and Persepolis. Sorry, Mr. Frye.” -Rin Dunlap
“I never le and my frien especially sin year and he u when the ban
“In sophomore year, I accidentally br Bushey’s stapler during economics clas never told her it was me” -Gretal Grossm
May 30, 2020 Senior 9
earned the school fight song nds still make fun of me for it, nce I had Mr. Pickering freshman used to make his classes sing it nd marched the halls.” -Alexus Houk
“During my freshman year we had to read Alas Babylon for our exam and I forgot to read the book so I Sparknoted about half of it the day of the exam and I got an A on it.” -Sara Church
“One time I was in the office and I saw the single person bathroom. Ever since that day I never used the other bathrooms. I would always walk to the office and use that bathroom instead because I thought the other bathrooms were gross.” -Sydney Block
roke s... I
man
“Don’t write stupid stuff on the bathroom stalls. Come on guys, not only does it show you’re dumb, just think of the janitors who gotta clean it? I mean, there was a turf war in the stalls at one point between the kids writing and the janitors painting over.” -Robert Ball
“Freshman year I would do anything I could to get out of Peterson’s lifelong and world history class.” -Ann Jennet
graphics by Molly Birch
10 Senior May 30, 2020
Can YOU believ Unearthing past senior relationships that some may find hard to believe Austin Urlaub & Sam Baker
assistant copy & staff writer
Jenna Sommers: During her three years at Jefferson Middle School, senior Jenna Somers dated three boys, the first being Tyler Lyman. “We were dating for 30 minutes and at lunch, he came over to our table and he had Skittles,” Somers said. “He gave all my friends Skittles but not me, and when we got back to English class I broke up with him.” After Lyman, Somers dated Austin Ieuter and Owen McCaffery. “So, I was dating Austin but then Owen was his friend and he thought I liked Owen, so then we broke up, and then I dated Owen,” Somers said. “But also before I dated Owen my friend also liked him too so there was drama there too.”
AWKWA R
D... photo courtesy of Jenna Sommers
Aidan Belgiorno & Jordyn Moore: Seniors Aidan Belgiorno and Jordyn Moore dated for one day during the sixth grade. “I literally just saw her profile picture on Kik, asked her out over Kik, and then we broke up after we first were dating at school,” Belgiorno said. “I remember we hugged once and it was really weird because she was taller than me and I felt awkward because I’d never talked to her before that.”
May 30, 2020 Senior 11
ve they dated? Austin Urlaub: Over the course of his three years at Jefferson Middle School, senior Austin Urlaub dated six girls. “It went in order like this: Emma Wright, Grace DeMoville, Mikaila Brubaker, Lillian Pressnell, Ali Sova, and then Lydia Barber,” Urluab said. “I dated six girls in three years all around a week and all of them broke up with me. I never broke up with any of them.” Of the many breakups the most notable was the one with Demoville. “We were on our first ‘date’ and it was at the Midland Community Stadium,” Urlaub said. “As middle schoolers, we were just walking around the perimeter and she broke up with me, standing in front of me but over text. So she said, ‘look at your phone’ and on my phone, I looked at Kik and it said ‘I’m breaking up with you.’”
graphics by Maddie DeLong
H.A.G .S!
Collin Erickson & Isabella Rhee: Seniors Collin Erickson and Isabella Rhee started dating at the end of the eighth grade and broke up during the summer. “I remember one time I went over to his house to hang out and we literally sat there and did nothing the whole time because he’d be like ‘what do you want to do?’ and I was like ‘I don’t know what do you want to do?’,” Rhee said. A significant height difference between the couple also existed, with Rhee currently standing at five feet flat and Erickson at six feet, six inches. “The height difference wasn’t that bad, I’m used to being a lot taller than everyone else,” Erickson said.
photo courtesy of Isabella Rhee
12 Senior May 30, 2020
Molly’s Madness
With Molly Birch Save me, Springsteen
My family was not at all ready to have six feet of water in our basement on May 21, 2020. We were not prepared to have to evacuate. I was not prepared to have to drive myself to my grandparents’ house on such short notice. My neighbors, my family, and I drove in a caravan from Midland to Sebewaing, MI. In the hour it took to get there, so many things were going through my head: ‘Where are my friends? Has the dam broken? Does my house even have power? When can I go back home?’ The only solace from these thoughts was found in the countless Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, and Billy Joel songs I had blasting as loud as the speakers would go. If only Sprigsteen could save me from this. I was scared. No, I was terrified. The hardest thing for me was the suffocating feeling of not knowing. For hours, I sat in my grandparent’s kitchen, trying my best not to think myself into a panic attack. Watching the news only made it worse. Watching all the destruction replay over and over before my eyes only made me feel more trapped. I know my family didn’t have the worst of
Senior Pranks
What practical jokes would you pull senior year? Katie Ramos & Mishi Khan managing opinion & staff writer it. Not even close. Six feet of water is nothing compared to the amount of water others had. I feel selfish because I know my situation could be so much worse, but that doesn’t make me feel better. Sure, the Enrico Setiawan: stuff in my basement is Indoor go-kart race. just that, stuff, but it’s my stuff. Years of my life were entombed in my basement; treasured stuffed animals, countless photos, old art projects - you name the memory, it was packed into a blue plastic wap ld s with u storage tub. o w h e: I Hig be The thought of ruin f Dow ll B a eir e d ia D lass o woul go to th y that loss makes me e c Cind enior h. We n and cks all nt s so incredibly sad. I’m o ig the and H a pers arm clo differe l l o d heartbroken to think a t i f at d M hide go of igne of all those drowned ass es. Or ool to s h clas the sc y. memories. I find myself a er d v l l o scrambling to hold on sa e m ti to the things left in my head; the scraps of memory I have managed e to hold onto all these ky not se: Stic ould be r u B years because I have l e it w Samu Mahum Hakim: office, an-up. nothing now to prompt e main ut a hard cle h t Honestly always ss b my mind to remember. harmle wanted to camp out Right now, I feel stuck. on the roof of the Everything feels hopeless building and throw and I’m so incredibly water balloons at heartbroken. I’m so sorry underclassmen. to all the people who have been affected by this “500-year flood.” My heart hurts for you and everything you’ve lost, but I know we can get through this. Stay strong, keep fighting, and don’t let this current pull you under.
Shae Rogers: Solo cups full of water in the hallways.
Jacob Knight: Stuffing air fresheners into lockers, vaseline all over door handles, things like that.
Sentthur Vijayam: Turn the office hallway into a slip-n-slide.
graphics by Molly Birch and Madeline DeLong
May 30, 2020 Senior 13
Questioning senior skip day Teachers, students weigh in on controversial, traditional class holiday Ashlynn Barnard staff writer enior year can be one of the most unforgettable years of many people’s lives. It’s the year people wait for all throughout their education. It holds the last football game, last Homecoming, last prom, last everything. Senior year also brings along with it senior skip day. Seniors this year were met with hardship as a lot of their senior year traditions were cancelled or rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic: graduation, sports signing, prom, and so much more. Seniors took Feb. 3 off as their “unannounced” senior skip day. Some of the seniors did not participate in this day as there was going to be another one in May, but it was, along with other things, cancelled. The students that did participate seemed to not do a whole lot on their day off. Senior Cameron Stuart spent his day at home, relaxing. “For my senior skip day, I didn’t do much,” Stuart said. “I wanted a day to relax and stay home. So I slept in, took a bath, and did some skincare.”
S
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the canceling of almost everything that makes senior year, senior year. Some of the teachers respect the idea of a senior skip day. Some of them even participate in their own way. “I think a senior skip day is a final bonding time for seniors,” special education teacher Jamie Haruska said. “I remember my senior skip day fondly. A large group of friends and I loaded up in borrowed minivans and went to Cedar Point. It was a great memory that wouldn’t have been made without a senior skip day.” Senior skip day can be seen as a tradition in many schools. Some seniors did not get the chance to participate in this tradition this school year. “I think most of my friends went to school that day cause it was more of an unofficial one and there was gonna be an official one in May,” senior Mackalya Pirie said.
This years’ seniors seemed to add more skip days than just the traditional once a year occurrence, and some teachers were not okay with that. “I think that it is okay for seniors to have one organized day,” English teacher Chelsea Berg said. “When there are several days then it becomes more of an inconvenience to keep things organized in class. It can be annoying for teachers, but it’s also a senior tradition. I also appreciate subtle hints of when the day is, so I can plan accordingly.” Berg’s response was repeated amoung other teachers regarding this tradition. Along with teachers that are in full support of it or even in the middle, there are some other teachers who are the complete opposite. Math teacher Jason Gehoski was one of the teachers that said no, seniors do not deserve a senior skip day. “First, senior skip day(s) are not a school-sanctioned event,” Gehoski said. “Therefore, they should not take place. Secondly, the entire idea of a skip day has changed over the years. The attendance policy has also
changed over the years. Twenty plus years ago, when you missed school and it was unexcused, there were tougher consequences. Today, an unexcused absence isn’t that scary. It is just added to your allotted 10. Also, a true skip day, means that you are not getting your absence excused by your parents, which happens in so many cases today. You must also take into account that there really isn’t a skip day, there are skip days. The entire senior class used to miss the same day. The classes today can’t even agree on what day that is so different groups pick different days. I know that as a senior teacher, I used to try to plan around the day but since it has become multiple, I can not.” When society thinks of senior skip day, they connect it to the seniors while the teachers have just as big of a role in it. It has been a tradition for years and will likely continue for upcoming senior classes.
graphic by Molly Birch
14 Feature
Update May 30, 2020
Post-high school plans Senior class shares plans after high school graduation Lillian Pressnell-Manceau editor in chief
a
sit
Marek Belgiorno, Trent Bergman, Kara Coltson, Bacilia Cormier, Lilly D’Alessandro, Garrett Daniels, Dane DeLong, Zoie Hall, Ann Jennett, Joshua Kaiser, Garrett Mai, Sarah O’Connell, Kalli Quilici, Chloe Stensrud, Kaleb Studebaker, Breanah Thibeau, Kaitlyn Tomiko, Megan Trebilcock, Austin Urlaub
Army National Guard Madison Bornsen Berklee Online School Morgan Trev
Boston University Sofia Maher Brigham Young University Emily Savage
Butler University Aden Lauderbach, Braden Weick California State Polytechnic Universi
California Institute of Technology Neil Janwani Carnegie Mellon University Isabel
Collin Che, Irshad Husain, Samantha Ludwick, Ryan Sage
Clemson University Cassandra Fewkes College for Creative Studies Morgan K
Colorado Mountain College Cayden Snyder Cosmetology Emilia Bruce
Culinary Institute of America Julia Davis Florida Gulf Coast University Conner G
ra
iga l M ich n Univ
Heidelberg University Aidan Belgiorno Hiram College Aidan Moneypenn
ers
King’s College London Liam McLeod Lansing Community College Nicholas Knuth, S
it y
Lawrence Technological University Jacob Tomsich, Anthony Zeitler Marine Corps N
Grace Bremmer, Samuel Burse, Kirsten Butcher, Grace DeMoville, Mahum Hakim, Alexus Houk, Drew Huber, Aidan Murphy, Lewis Nguyen, Kevin Predmore, Kathryn Ramos, McKenzie Schur, Jacob Stachnik, Genesia Thompson, Lindsay Thompson, Aaron Vlasak
Austin Ieuter, Ruth Pasek, Jared Poliskey, Heather Van Dort
American University Tayce Shamamian
yne State Wa
nt Ce
Hope
Albion College Madden Brady, Joe Krzciok
Andrew Brandon, Peter Kozerski, Enrico Setiawan
y
Mid Michigan Community College Adam Barber, Brooklen Reid Massachusetts Institute of Technol
North American Hockey League Luke Blasy Northern Michigan University Lillian Pressn
Northeastern University Gabriela Donoso, Gustavo Santos Ramos De So Northwestern Michigan College Celestina Hammond
Ohio University Lucas Churchfield Paul Mitchell Cosmetology Emma Carls
Savannah College of Art and Design Elise Malkowski Scott Community College Sha
Semmelweis University Victoria Leiti St. Louis University Elizabeth Stoeck U of M Dearborn Abigail Farnum University of Dayton Hailey Tanis
Delta
University of Minnesota Nicole Melichar, Nicholas Soto University of Pennsylvania A
University of Rochester Stephanie Martinez University of Washington Natalie
a lle dV
y State Unive
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Grace Baillargeon, Rachel Chichester, Sara Church, Kahler Kranz, Gage Kroll, Owen McCaffery
University of Texas at Austin Anna Jensen Valparaiso University Adelina Wo Virginia Military Institute Christopher Varhola
it y
Lydia Barber, Katie Batha, Taylor Boettcher, Avery Brown, Amber Burton, Maxwell Coughlin, Cindeyia DeBruine, Isaac Drossner, Sean Fowler, Marc Francisco, Adam Gathman, Paige Golden, Lenora Higgens, Kylie Inman, Amelya Jankens, Riley Johnson, Olivia Kaminski, Alexis Krawczak, Brendan LaForest, Preston Leismer, Danial Leon-Damian, Tori Monica, Nichole Morley, Taylor Overzet, Charlotte Pohl, Nicholas Pound, Toby Rey, Abigail Ross, Reece Schaefer, Kaitlyn Sieg, Audrey Soehnel, Helen Sova, Cameron Stuart, Alana Wiggins
n
gin
Purdue
Gra
Sa
lley State Unive w Va r
Western Michigan University Nathan Johnson, Nathan Nichols
M ic
higan Tech
Ben Brueck, Reese Bunker, Nikolas Butcher, Ryan Collick, Christi LeCaptain, Matthew McMahon, Hannah Shewchuck
May 30, 2020 Update hig Mic
Feature 15
an State University
is State Ferr
Sydney Block, Gavan Boguszewski, Mikaila Brubaker, Nathan Burgard, Karnika Chandra, Ethan Christensen, Liam Donahue, Jason Fagan, Morgan Goudie, Sydney Haiser, Laura Hershauer, Tyler Hockemeyer, Olivia Jordahl, Saketh Karamaju, Albertas Klugas, Tyler Lyman, Luke Maldonado, Lea Marsh, Sydni Nikolai, Zane O’Dell, Christine O’Donnell, Nicholas Parker, Elizabeth Penn, Nathan Rhee, Lauria Rodea, Matthew Sebaly, Ethan Smith, Jenna Somers, Alli Sova, Emilia Teed, Ben Vercellino, Sentthur Vijayam, Olivia Yannarella, William Young
villian
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ity Andrew Selle
lla Rhee
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Maya Baker, Brandon Capp, Justus Drabik, Allison Leslie, Trevor McIntyre, Alec Newton
Gap
Mingi Jo, Samantha DuBay, Armani Lowe, Victoria Stokes
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Shane Juday
Nathan Klein
logy Sasha Konovakenko
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Anish Middha
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Trades
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Univ
Thomas Boomgaard, Kayla Bradley, Sam Fick, Maddux Kigar, Kyle Moening, Alesha Saylor
ersity of Michigan
Sean Anderson, Kimia Begzadeh, Jocelyn Cha, Kavya Chandra, Kevin Cheng, Loree Chung, Henry Deeth, Shichi Dhar, Collin Erickson, Iris Funaioli, Scott Gilbert, Adam Haydanek, Adhira Hyder, Trinity Lorenz, Guanghan Ma, Claire Newman, Annabella Park, Madeline Poupard, Ashwin Saxena, Kiran Sequeira, Julien Theuerkauf, Bennett Veith, Erika Ware, Emma Wright, Audrey Xu, Ethan Yarch, Rachel Yum
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Bryanna Della Vedova, Rin Dunlap, Avain Guillory-Rivera, Weston Johnson, Logan McNamera, Adam Pacholke
ae Rogers
e Neal
Haley Cummings, Jacob Knight, Lance Kowalczyk, Hunter Swincicki
Madison Anzarut, Gretel Grossman, Gabe McGuire, Evan Metiva, Mackayla Pirie
son
Year
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Haley Jaster, Krista Moe, Christopher O’Dell, Charlee Simanskey
graphics by Grace Sobeck
16 Senior
Update May 30, 2020
Glowed up while growing up Transformations from freshman to senior year Hannah Killbride assistant copy
A “glow up” is a popular phrase used to describe how a person’s appearance has changed and arguably improved over time. Many people experience changes to their appearance throughout their teen and high school years. Some seniors sent in photos to show how they’ve glowed up from their freshman to their senior year.
Emma Carlson
Sydney Block
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Emma Carlson
Trinity Lorenz
freshman
senior
Anish Middah
photos courtesy of Sydney Block
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Trinity Lorenz
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Anish Middah
May 30, 2020
Senior 17
Update
Enrico Setiawan
Kiran Sequira
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Enrico Setiawan
Stephanie Martinez
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Kiran Sequira
Sara Church
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Stephanie Martinez
freshman
senior photos courtesy of Sara Church graphics by Emily Danielsen
18 Senior
Seniors’ dream jobs
Update May 30, 2020
Compairing students past ideal jobs to theirs now
Hayden Hetherington & Kayla Dominowski
page editors
Lauria Rodea
Rin Dunlap
Then:
“I have had so much fun in TOK and it has broadened my horizons immensely,” senior Rin Dunlap said. “I hope to someday be as good of a leader and guide for my students as Ms. Pancost.”
Now:
TOK Teacher
Firefighter
Then:
Race Car Driver
Then:
Singer
Now:
Psychologist
Samantha Dubay
Ellie Penn “I love clothes and the story they tell,” senior Ellie Penn said. “As well as live events and what it takes to pull it off and make other people happy.”
“[I] was always really interested in how humans behave,” senior Lauria Rodea said. “Being able to not only understand people better but also help them is really fascinating to me.”
“I love cartoons,” senior Samantha Dubay said. “Drawing them and making my own would be something super amazing.”
Now:
Then:
Now:
Marketer
Veterinarian
Animator graphics by Hayden Hetherington
May 30, 2020
Update
New hobbies at home
Senior 19
DHS seniors take-up new activities during quaratine Giselle Mahoney & Nate Nichols
assistant managing web & staff writer
Senior Sara Church has been using her spare time during quarantine baking various treats.
“I’ve been wanting to make this for a layer of chantilly cake for the past couple months and I finally got the time to do it. From then I just started looking up different Pinterest recipes,” Church said.
photo courtesy of Sara Church
Senior Thomas Boomgaard revamps older material and transforms it into something new. photo courtesy of Thomas Boomgaard
“Ever since sophomore year when I first took wood shop at DHS with Mr. Meitler I have had a passion for making cool things out of nothing,” Boomgaard said.
Senior Ashwin Saxena picked back up a hobby he used to do and with the quarantine giving him extra free time he has been watercolor painting. photo courtesy of Ashwin Saxena
With her extra time and a peaked interest in painting, senior Grace DeMoville has been taking time to create artwork. photo courtesy of Grace DeMoville graphics by Madeline DeLong
20 Senior May 30, 2020
Wholehearted messages of motivation to
Teachers, administrators wish the best for Charger seniors with their senio Cassidy Wainwright staff writer
photo courtesy of Lori Hallberg
Lori Hallberg: I wish the best for the senior class! Always look for the positive and use your creativity to make the most of any situation.
h y 2 l Y
photo courtesy of Matt Murphy
Matt Murphy: Seniors - Continue to show that Charger SPIRIT as you move on to your next adventure. Be proud of your accomplishments and focus on the positives. Stay safe, stay healthy, and Charge onward!
photo courtesy of Curt Gledhill
photo courtesy of Erica Meyer
Erica Meyer: Life continually presents us with tough situations that oftentimes feel like a dead end but turn out to be bumps in an otherwise long, mostly happy road. Cling to your friends, family and those who love you and hold on to hope; this too shall pass. My senior quote (class of ‘03 baby!) : “ May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields...” Irish blessing Peace — Sra. Meyer
photo courtesy of Emily Grocholski
Emily Grocholski: Life is full of ups and downs. Keep people, music, encouraging words, places etc. that will help you remember your dreams.
Curt Gledhill: Congratulations. You made it through your senior year -- a year ending in an event that will be remembered and talked about for decades. You took on the stresses and strains of a very normal senior year of high school and added to it the uncertainty and irregularity of a worldwide pandemic --- the degree of which the world has never seen. And you survived it all. You survived and are stronger as a result. You take with you the unique memories and experiences that came with this quarantine. You learned how to adapt and thrive in a situation none have known before. Take those new skills, added to those gleaned from 13 years of education and carry them forward to a future that produces real change in you and in the world.
r H a y K m
Class of 2020 graduates
May 30, 2020 Senior 21
or photos, heartfelt words of encouragement
photo courtesy of Tricia Jendretzke
Tricia Jendretzke: Always be true to yourself!
photo courtesy of Carol Bremmer
Carol Bremmer: Try and remember all four years of high school, not just the last four months. Stay strong. photo courtesy of Richard Blasy
Richard Blasy: Years from now, you will definitely have a unique experience to share with others when you reflect upon your senior year at DHS. Spring of 2020 will just be a very small part of your very big life. Follow your passions and good luck class of 2020! Yo! ‘90 Rocks! photo courtesy of Erin Royalty
photo courtesy of Chelsea Berg
photo courtesy of Emily Hockemeyer
Emily Hockemeyer: Oh goodness!!! I will forever remember the class of 2020 as molding me into the Ms. H I am today. I very much enjoyed our time together and am genuinely excited to learn about the change you make in our world moving forward. Keep going. Keep your sparkle. Keep that fire! You’ve got this and so much more.
Chelsea Berg: Dear Class of 2020, The Class of 2020 has been in my life as a Charger since my first day and I’ve loved every minute that we’ve been able to learn and grow together. This certainly isn’t how anyone expected your senior year to end. Some people might try to downplay the disappointment you’re feeling about the things you are missing, but DO NOT let them. You worked hard for 12 years of school to get to this point and now things aren’t what you planned - it’s okay to be sad, it’s okay to be angry, and it’s even okay to be happy. Whatever you feel about what’s going on is OKAY! It might not feel like it right now, but you will learn so much from this time in your life. You might not realize it tomorrow, or next month, or even next year. But one day, you’ll look back and realize that this craziness has made you a better and stronger person. Until that time, keep your head’s up, keep looking forward to all of the incredible things your future’s hold, and never forget what it means to be a Charger! <3 Ms. Berg
Erin Royalty: Class of 2020, you will forever be in my memories and my heart. My wish for you, is that you identify and pursue your passions! Find something you love doing and figure out a way to make a living doing it.
photo courtesy of Sarah Pancost
Sarah Pancost: The Class of 2020 will always be remembered. You CAN do hard things- you’ve proven it! Special congrats to the members of Dow High’s largest IB Diploma class. You are spectacular and I loved learning with you.
22 Senior
Seniors signing A from home
Update May 29, 2020
Highlighting Chargers headed for college with athletics in mind
s with many other unique experiences that the class of 2020 is beginning to have, college signings for athletic scholarships have become commonplace in the homes of seniors all across the nation. Many talented Chargers are collegebound and athletically able, and some did not get the opportunity to be recognizd by their peers as standout, college-ready athletes. The following is a collection of both those who were able to sign in-school as well as those who were not.
Audrey Xu
staff writer
all photos courtesy of those pictured
Aidan Belgiorno will be wrestling at Heidelberg
Max Coughlin will be playing baseball at Delta
University in the fall. Belgiorno has been on the varsity wrestling team all four years of high school, reached 100 career wins, and qualified for state his junior and senior years. He is also a varsity football player, and was named first team All Conference and Associated Press all-state honorable mention. “My first goal for college wrestling will be to make the starting lineup,” Belgiorno said. “After that, I’ll be working towards being a national qualifier and hopefully being an allAmerican. After college I hope to help coach at a high school wherever I end up living and maybe referee tournaments and matches.” Coaches Dennis Doyle and Jason Watkins made a large impact on Belgiorno’s decision to continue his wrestling career. They made him into a better person and leader through a positive work ethic and mindset.
College. He remembers when the baseball team won districts against other talented schools. He is excited for the next chapter of his career. “I am looking forward to playing with new teammates and better competition,” Coughlin said. With the achievements and experience in high school, one of Coughlin’s goals is to throw a 90 mph fastball.
Xander Brooks is continuing football at Trine University. He has played six different sports in the past few years to grow and learn more. He expanded past a set group of sports that most athletes have. “In college, I’m really looking forward to just competing at a higher level and being able to play against a lot of people I know,” Brooks said. “I love football and the fact that I can keep my dreams alive really excites me.” Brooks wants aspiring athletes to know to work everyday until exhaustion and then work some more, and then even more. Accomplishments come from the work that athletes do themselves.
Collin Che plans on continuing his swimming career at Wayne State University. He swam all four years, and a proud achievement was being one of the top eight swimmers in the state in the 50 and 100 meter freestyle during his sophomore year. Another achievement was getting state qualifications for every individual event this past season. “I decided to continue to swim in college because I simply love the sport and what it has to offer, like meeting new people and making new friends,” Che said. “The challenge it brings me and the potential it has for me to grow into a better person.” Che has gained valuable experience and confidence throughout his swim career. Looking towards the future, he plans to continue to work hard and push himself and his teammates to work their best.
Garrett Daniels will continue track and field at Saginaw Valley State University. Daniels was a state qualifier in the high jump and 300 hurdles last year. He also played football, and was an All SVL first team athlete. With all the accomplishments so far, he has set some goals for college. “As for goals — moving forward, just getting better, and having fun competing,” Daniels said. Looking back, one of Daniels’ favorite memories is defeating MHS this year in football that secured the playoff win. Everyone on the team worked hard to defeat the undefeated team, which Daniels is looking forward to in college with track and field.
Paige Golden will play soccer at Delta College this fall. Her favorite memories these past four years include working hard to beat Rochester Adams and being told of her new captain role senior year. She enjoys her friendships with her teammates that makes soccer a fun sport to play. “My favorite memory is when I hung my hammock in between the goal posts during practice,” Golden said. “And we were all hammocking while the coach was trying to get practice started.” Golden is looking forward to playing at the next level in college. She is also excited to meet and bond with her new team and coaches.
Haley Jaster will be attending Northwood University and is committed to playing volleyball. Her biggest achievements were making the SVL Team and All-Region Team. Her favorite memory and another proud achievement was winning the SVL Championship. From reflecting on her volleyball career so far, Jaster has some advice for aspiring college athletes. “My advice would be to never lose sight of your goals, always give your best effort, and to push the boundaries,” Jaster said.
May 29, 2020 Update Anna Jensen is committed to continue her rowing career at the University of Texas. Jensen has achievements across multiple sports, including breaking seven school records in cross country, track, and swimming. She is also proud of being an All-State athlete in these three sports and was an Academic All-American Athlete for swim this year. Jensen has advice for those who are also looking to create an impact through sports, especially rowing. “I think the biggest thing for athletes aspiring to compete at the next level, especially for rowers is hard work,” Jensen said. “[Rowing] requires a lot of work on and off the water to reach your best, but the rewards of competing with your team and leaving it all out there on race day makes it all worth it. Above being a strong athlete, college coaches want to recruit good people. They want athletes who are dedicated to their sport and are good teammates.” Jensen’s goal is to win the national championship, which would be a first in the university’s program history. She is also looking to make the national team and possibly compete in the Olympics.
Alyssa Keptner is committed to play lacrosse at Trine University this coming fall. Her biggest achievement was winning the district and SVL championships in three sports — lacrosse, basketball, and volleyball. Her love of sports, especially lacrosse, is reflected in her family. “My older brother David made the biggest impact on me to continue college sports, because he plays lacrosse for Trine and loves playing,” Keptner said. “It has made his college experience better and it also makes him a stronger person.” Keptner is looking forward to continuing her improvement as a player and a teammate. She wants to help make the culture of the lacrosse program stronger.
Sasha Konovalenko is swimming at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Konovalenko was captain of the varsity swim team her junior and senior years, where she was able to motivate and inspire the team. She was a member of the 400 freestyle state champion relay this year, and was the champion of the 200 IM event at the valleys championship. By experiencing growth as a swimmer and leader, she has some advice for younger athletes. “I’d tell athletes to genuinely love the sport they do and have fun with it,” Konovalenko said. “There will 100% be times when you want to quit and you hate the pain of training, or maybe you feel super stressed out in races. But once I started having fun and realizing that I don’t race to meet someone’s expectations, I do it because I love the sport and my team, I was able to relax and got my best results. Sometimes I needed to swim for myself. Other times I needed to swim for my team. Regardless, I found something to keep me going because I knew that this was what I wanted to do.” Konovalenko mostly focused on academics in her college choice. She is excited to swim for MIT because she sees the growth and care that the coaches and the other recruits have for each other and the sport. She loves the sport and realizes that it is a larger part of who she is.
Senior 23 Joe Krzciok will be swimming at Albion College. Some important influencers in his sports career and life are swim coach Gary Strickler and his teammates. The memories he has with them have guided him to his decision. “The main reason I’m continuing swim is the hope of creating another family like I had throughout high school,” Krzciok said. “Not only that, but it helped teach me how to balance school and sports at the same time. The time management skills I developed were of great importance to me.” Krzciok is proud of achieving the qualifying time for states in his individual event this past swim season. Even though states for boys swim was cancelled due to the pandemic, he was proud to have qualified and will be continuing to train hard in college.
Evan Metiva is continuing his football career at Alma College. A great moment for Metiva was beating Midland in the city championship 42-7. It was unforgettable to score a touchdown against them and win with his teammates, affectionately called brothers. “The thing I’m looking forward to the most about playing football at Alma is to just have the opportunity to compete at the next level,” Metiva said. “And just be able to test my talents and abilities against better competition.” Metiva wants to reach his full potential with football in college. He is also looking forward to strengthening his leadership skills at Alma.
Krista Moe will be attending Northwood University and playing softball. Her favorite memories include hitting a homerun off of the same pitcher that her sister hit a home run off of and beating Grand Blanc last year. “My advice would be to take self-initiative,” Moe said. “If you want to play at the higher level, you have to find time to practice on your own. You get out what you put in.”
Claire Newman will be furthering her swim career at the University of Michigan. In her four years on the varsity swim team, Newman was the Division 2 Female Swimmer of the Year twice. She also holds five state swim titles, four individual titles and one relay title. She has some advice for those who are looking into signing to a college. “I would advise athletes to take a serious look at why they’re doing their sport, especially if they want to pursue it in college,” Newman said. “It’s great to participate in sports for fun, in fact, I encourage it, but collegiate athletic programs require a certain dedication that cannot be replicated by a high school program. Also, no student athlete should ever allow the ‘student’ aspect of their title to take second place. Even professional athletes have to quit eventually. Invest in academic opportunities before even considering athletic ones.” Newman’s current goals for college swimming are qualifying for the Olympic trials and swimming in a relay at a NCAA meet. She also wants to maintain her positive attitude and above all, never lose touch with her faith.
24 Senior
Update May 30, 2020
Senior signing, continued all photos courtesy of those pictured
Mackayla Pirie is committed to swim at Alma
Avain Rivera is continuing his baseball career at
College. In high school, Pirie liked waking up early and working through morning practice to eat breakfast with her teammates before school. She was a captain this past year, and was a top eight swimmer at the district swim meets. “I decided to swim in college because I wanted to continue on with the sport that I love,” Pirie said. “I have a passion for swimming and I wasn’t ready to give it up yet. I also wanted to go into college knowing that I would have an automatic group of friends to turn to.” This year, Pirie won a high points award, demonstrating her dedication to swim. She is proud to say that she’s faster than her older sister in the 500 freestyle event.
Oakland University. His biggest achievements are being on the All-State Second Team last season and winning districts for the first time in over ten years. “Work hard, and give everything your all, because hard work will pay off at the end,” Rivera said. “And always have fun playing the game as well.” Rivera wants to be the Rookie of the Year in the Horizon League. He also is planning on working hard towards his goal of making it to the MLB.
Charlotte Pohl will play soccer at Delta College in the fall. An achievement in the past four years was beating Rochester Adams her junior year. Her and her teammates worked hard for it and it paid off. Playing collegiate soccer was a surprise for her. “I was originally not planning on continuing my soccer career after high school, but due to our final soccer season being cancelled, I couldn’t imagine ending without closure,” Pohl said. Pohl doesn’t want anyone to take anything for granted and play like every game is the last, because anything could happen.
Hailey Tanis is committed to play golf at the University of Dayton. She has made a positive impact in the sports world, with a Michigan Positive Athlete nomination and receiving the Midland Daily News Sportsmanship Award. “I always knew I wanted to continue playing a sport because being on a team and staying competitive has always been such a big part of my life,” Tanis said. Tanis is looking forward to getting to know her teammates, which is family on campus. She also wants to play golf to give her a schedule and keep her focused.
Jacob Tomsich will be playing basketball at
Lawrence Technological University. Tomsich has broken DHS basketball records, such as the single game record for three pointers. He has worked hard to achieve so much and is Lillian Pressnell-Manceau will play golf passionate about the sport. at Northern Michigan University. She is proud of going to “I wanted to continue basketball because throughout high states her junior year, becoming MVP her senior year, and school it was the one thing I put a ton of time into it and really being honorable mention on the Saginaw Valley League saw hard work pay off,” Tomsich said. Conference Team. Her memories and achievements have Tomsich’s hard work can be seen in his stats, such as his helped her to reach the decision to continue golf in college. scoring 40 points against Bay City Western. “I feel like doing a sport while doing academics pushes me in both respects,” Pressnell said. “I can manage my Conrad Varhola is swimming at Virginia Military time better, and I feel like I’m going to be healthier. I love Institute in the fall. With his one year at DHS, he has competed being a part of the team.” in many exclusive and higher level competitions. Pressnell hopes to shoot good scores that she is proud “Being part of a team that suffers together has always of. She hopes that playing golf will prepare her to continue given me support and strong friendships,” Varhola said. “I’m a healthy and athletic lifestyle, during and after college. going to a team and school where I anticipate suffering a lot.” Pressnell-Manceau is editor-in-chief of Update. Varhola advises younger athletes to never quit. There will be challenges, but learning to enjoy push against them will Isabella Rhee will be running track at Carnegie further the passion for the sport. Mellon University in the fall. Rhee has a school record in the 4x400 event, set in her freshman year. She went to states Anthony Zeitler will be continuing his golf career multiple times and has achieved the All-Academic Award at Lawrence Tech University. Zeitler was all-SVL for the three all four years of high school. years, having a low score at regionals and qualifing for states “I’m looking forward to having that team experience as a sophomore. again in college,” Rhee said. “You get pretty close with the “My advice to aspiring athletes would be to simply put in team and I’ll be spending a lot of time with them so I’m the work,” Zeitler said. excited to make new running friends.” Zeitler recalls tournament days where the team missed full Rhee wasn’t expecting to run in college, so this opportunity days of school for golf. He enjoyed the tournament van rides to continue her running career was a pleasant surprise. filled with laughter and good memories.
Senior 25
May 30, 2020 Update
Swim, hockey, basketball playoff runs cut short due to COVID-19 outbreak Chloe Stafford
page editor t the tail end of the winter sports season, hockey, boys swim and dive, and both girls and boys basketball were making playoff runs to compete for titles. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, all of these competitions were canceled along with the rest of the conventional school year. For the seniors competing on these teams, these cancellations meant the end of their high school sporting careers. After their win over Marquette in the district game, girls varsity basketball had a 17-3 record heading into the regional semifinals that was supposed to take place on March 12. Winning the district game was a big accomplishment for the entire team. “[Winning districts] meant that we could continue our season,” senior Alyssa Keptner
A
said. “We worked so hard all season, and continuing strong into the postseason was really exciting.” The team was informed the day of the game that they would not be able to play and that their season was over. The cancellation was a huge disappointment to the entire team and left them without closure to their season. “It really disappointed me,” Keptner said. “I wish that I could have more closure with the girls I spent the last three years with, but we got to end our season on a win which was nice.” The boys swim team was also caught off guard by the cancellation of their state meet, which was set to be held March 13-14 in Holland. This meet is only open to those who qualify, and the eight member team had been preparing for months. It had been previously stated that the meet would still go on, but that it would be held without spectators. The team heard of the cancellation as they were preparing to leave DHS on their way to the meet. “It made me feel really confused, disappointed, and sad that we wouldn’t get to have our last performance as high school athletes,” senior Colin Che said. “Many of us had been working incredibly hard for this moment and I couldn’t believe that this could happen in a very short time frame. After a few days, I was fine with the cancellations and I have more to look
forward to than ever like college.” Because of the lack of a state meet, the final competition of this year’s swim season was the valley championship meet, where they won their winning title
back from Grand Blanc, who had won the previous year. The hockey team, having won their playoff game against Flint Powers, was scheduled to continue their season by competing in the first game of the Frozen Four against Riverview Gabriel Richard Catholic on March 13. This was the first time in 20 years that a DHS hockey team had qualified for this competition. The team had been taking their season step-by-step, with the Frozen Four as their ultimate goal. “We were preparing for this game just like all the other playoff games we won,” senior Alec Newton said. “By taking it game by game and not worrying about the future.” Being that this game was very important to the team and a large accomplishment, they were very upset to hear of its cancellation. “We put so much effort into the playoffs and we were finally at peak
performance,” Newton said. “For that to all get thrown away was heartbreaking.” Although these cancellations were disappointing for each team, they did not define the season, and they were all able to end on a win to close out the 2020 season.
graphics by Hayden Hetherington
26 Senior May 30, 2020
Senior success as t
Graduating football, basketball players reflect on how it felt to win against MH Jason Laplow managing sports
E
very year it seems as though the entire city of Midland stops in its tracks to witness the intense matchups of a now 50-year-old rivalry. Naturally, the placement of DHS on the side of town opposite to MHS has yielded a fierce sense of determination every year for either school to be crowned city champions in each and every sport. In the now cut-short 2019-20 school year, DHS took home the bragging rights in multiple sports on multiple occasions, and senior athletes were arguably at the heart of it. Most notable was the football contest, where DHS secured a 42-7 blowout win in what was perhaps their greatest achievement of the year. This came after a week eight win over Mt. Pleasant - another fierce opponent - was decided by an extra point kick. According to senior quarterback Shane Juday, this was a key victory on the way to the win against MHS and the beginning of the playoff push. “After beating Mt. Pleasant in a whirlwind of a game, we knew we could win any game we played in, no matter what happens, even against all odds,” Juday said in an email interview. Any rivalry can yield surprising results, and the success of either team coming into the big game is arguably irrelevant. This year the Chargers ignited a spark through the doubts that both their rival school and their own had about them. “Speaking for the whole team, we knew we had it in us, when no one else did,” Juday said. “Even other students
[
had doubts, but we never did. Another thing that motivated us was in pregame warm-ups, when a plane flew over the field with a sign that said ‘Go Chemics 9-0’ before the game even started, stating that they had already won the game. We weren’t gonna let that happen. We spoiled their party. Let’s just say, we won when it really mattered. We all knew that senior year was a huge year and beating them against all the odds was quite satisfactory.” The Chargers indeed proved the airplane banner wrong by handing the Chemics their first loss of the season. To put salt on the wounds, DHS made it two rounds into the playoffs with a regular season record of just 6-3, while MHS was a first round exit after going 8-1. Both were defeated by eventual Division II state champion Mona Shores. Juday, as a team leader, feels that they could have gone farther, but still felt satisfied with what they had accomplished in what was his and so many others’ final year. “There was definitely a lot we could’ve done better throughout the season, and it came to a fast end,” Juday said. “I’m proud of my team, and my boys for what we accomplished over the course of the season. We all grew huge bonds as people and as teammates. It felt good going into playoffs on a roll, and how we handled top tier teams so well, but we definitely could’ve gone further, no doubt in my mind. It’s tough to think about sometimes.” The city’s greatest rivalry was again pertinent a few months later as the basketball team swept onto MHS’s
]
Taking care of the rival 2019-2020
MIGHT AS WELL KEEP IT: Senior Shane Juday runs the ball into the endzone to score a touchdown against MHS on Oct. 25. The Chargers shocked both the home and away sides of Midland Community Stadium, winning by a blowout score of 42-7. photo by Lillian Pressnell-Manceau
9/25/19 Boys soccer (W) 1-0
10/22/19 Volleyball (W) 3-0
May 30, 2020 Senior 27
the superior school
HS in their final year, share advice for those ready to take programs over
9
DRIBBLE IT DOWN: Senior Andrew Brandon protects the possesion of the basketball against Meridian High School on Jan. 6. DHS lost the contest by a score of 51-35 in their first game back after taking down MHS 44-29 on Dec. 19.
photo by Charlie Hunkins
10/25/19 Football (W) 42-7
12/19/19
Boys basketball (W) 44-29
home court to take care of them by a score of 44-29. “We knew that we were probably the better team,” senior Andrew Brandon said. “But we knew that it was going to be tough. Midland is always tough. It was just really cool to go onto their floor and win and to see the student support after we won the game.” It was no secret that both teams came in struggling, and continued the bad luck throughout the rest of the season, though DHS’s regular season record of 6-14 was still greater than MHS’s record of 2-18. The rivalry’s season series was split 1-1 after its last meeting, but DHS’s triumph in the first contest allowed the team an extra boost of confidence to get through the rest of the season, and pushed them to be able to beat top-5 Saginaw High by one point in what was the seniors’ last game in Herb’s House. “I think that we were all a lot more satisfied after that Saginaw High win,” Brandon said. “That was really cool for our last game on our own court for me and for the other senior guys.” After the regular season came and went, DHS was two games into districts and ready to face SVL champion runner-up Mt. Pleasant before the suspension of all MHSAA activities due to the ongoing pandemic. “We won our first two games in districts and were about to face Mt. Pleasant,” Brandon said. “That was going to be a hard game, no doubt, but I definitely think we had a shot at them. We had some tough opponents coming up but I think that we were playing our best basketball at the end of the year
1/29/20 Hockey (W) 3-1
and that’s all you can really ask for.” The seniors representing both programs are proud of what they have accomplished, and are confident that their legacies will be carried on. Both have words for their peers about to take over. “Juniors and sophomores, keep working hard and listen to the coaches,” Juday said. “They know what’s best for the team. The harder you work outside of football helps what matters most in the game of football. There will be hardships and things to overcome, so be resilient and work hard to have the ability to make adjustments. Work hard in the classroom too, it helped me as a football player as well as a student. One last thing is that you represent the school when you put on that jersey, not just yourself. Wear that jersey with pride because when that jersey is taken away, there is no going back. I’ll miss Dow High football forever.” As for Brandon and his words for the basketball team: “We want to just leave a legacy of working hard and sticking together as a team through tough times,” Brandon said. “You know, we had a long stretch in the season where we lost a lot of games and it could have been very easy for us to break apart and start pointing fingers and start thinking individually, but we came together and saw it to the end of the year that we were playing our best together. You know, we go from November to March - a long time - through the dreary days of winter and there is going to be tough days where maybe practice is rough and it’s cold out but you just have to push through.”
1/31/20
Girls basketball (W) 52-33 graphics by Madeline DeLong
30 Senior
Jake Schneider, Your heart is as big as your smile. You are funny, strong, and above all kind. Believe in yourself and life will become everything you want it to be. Congratulations..we are so proud of you! Love, Mom, Dad, Rachel, Russ, and Matt
Maddux Kigar, So sorry you were unable to have the type of senior year we all experienced. Much better times ahead and couldn’t be prouder! Learn from this and move forward a better and wiser human! Love you, Mom and Dad
Update May 30, 2020
Lindsay Thompson, Wow! Austin Urlaub, Congrats! We are so proud of you. We can’t wait to see what you do next. You are off to great places! Love, Dad, Mom & Syd
Congratulations Bennett Veith! We’re so proud of your hard work and we know you’ll be on to great things at the University of Michigan. Go Blue! Love, Mom & Brian
you are an amazingly wonderful kid! We love you so much and are so proud of all your accomplishments! Can’t wait to see what the future brings. Love (with tears of joy and happiness), Dad & Mom Go Cardinals!
May 30, 2020 Update
Senior 31
Alexus Houk,
Congrats to the 2020 DHS Girls Senior Swim Class of
We are so proud of you! You have always worked so hard, set goals, and accomplished whatever you put your mind to! Your positive attitude and work ethic will take you far in life. We know God has great things in store for you! We look forward to watching you during your next adventure! We love you! Love, Dad & Mom
Katelyn Youmans, You have made us proud. Be strong and courageous as you continue walking in God’s presence.
Grace Bremmer,
To our dearest daughter
Your senior year...not like anything we imagined. You have the ability to find the good in difficult situations and we know you will find the bright spot in all of this. Stay strong. You got this. We love you. Mom and Dad
Megan Trebilcock, We are SO PROUD of you and ALL of your ACCOMPLISHMENTS! Your future is bright and we look forward to watching you achieve your future goals with love and support. You will always be a CHARGER at heart and we hope you value the many years DHS has given you. Thank you to the teachers, administrators and coaches who helped mold our daughter into the BEAUTIFUL human she is, inside and out! Liz and Brian Trebilcock
Emma Carlson, Sara Church, Anna Jensen, Sasha Konovalenko, Annabelle Park, Mackayla Pirie, Claire Newman, Chloe Stensrud and Audrey Xu. You have served as amazing role models both in and out of the water for our team! Thank you for your hard work and dedication to our Tradition of Excellence! May God Bless each of you in your life journey. Love, Mrs. Pirie, (aka Team Mom)
Lauria Rodea,
We could not be more proud of you and look forward to seeing what else you achieve in he future. Follow your dreams, never let anyone dim your light and always know you are loved! Love always, Mom and Dad
Krista Moe,
So sorry your senior year has to end this way! We’re proud of your achievements, and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you! Stay sweet, stay fierce, and most importantly, stay you! Good luck at Northwood! We love you! Mom and Dad
Mackayla Pirie!
Congratulations We are so proud of the beautiful young lady you have grown into. We know God has a perfect plan for your life and can’t wait to see how it unfolds. May God Bless you Beyond all Measure! Love, Mom & Dad
Helen & Robert Sova, We would like to say how proud we are of both of you. You have work hard to get to this important time in your life. It is life changing event for all. We love you both, Mom & Dad
McKenzie Schur, Promise me you’ll always remember, you’re Braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, and Smarter than you think. We are so proud of you and all of your accomplishments. We look forward to your next adventure! Dream big Sweetheart! Love you, Mom & Dad
Congratulations,
Isabella and Nathan! We are so proud of you! All our love, Mom and Dad Rhee Anish beta, Mom and Dad are insanely proud of you, always have been. Your work ethics, your drive, pure grit and eagle eyed focus has served you well and will continue to be the key to your success story. You are loved more than you will ever know. Your dreams are our dreams, many many blessings to you kiddo. With all our love, Your proud mom and dad.
30 Senior May 22, 2020
2020 SENIOR SENDOFF: UPDATE STYLE
Staff members refelct on experiences, memories, offer final words of advi
Molly Birch and Sofi Aultman managing feature & managing copy
S
enior Katie Ramos has been on the Update staff for three years. Her positions have included Managing Opinion, Managing Copy, and Assistant Copy. She joined Update to express herself in ways she couldn’t in a traditional English class. “Being on Update for the past three years has definitely changed me for the better,” Ramos said. “It has not only made me a better writer but also has helped me with leadership and how to handle certain stressful situations.” Reflecting on the class as a whole, Ramos will miss the relationships she made on Update the most. “My advice [to future staffers] would be to keep doing this job, it’s important, it gets news across and also allows you to put what you believe out there,” Ramos said. “Journalism is an important field and if you’re already on staff or planning on joining, keep doing what you’re doing, be the voice.” Senior Zane O’Dell has spent three years on staff as Managing Business and staff writer. He joined Update as a creative outlet but soon began speaking with large companies and interviewing heads of communication for his assigned stories. Reflecting on his senior year, O’Dell recognizes that being a part of the Update staff as changed
him for the better. “It’s done so much for me as a person,” O’Dell said. “Now that I’m beginning a new chapter of my life, I can look back and see how much more vocal and open I’ve become to people being forced to do that as my job, if you will.” O’Dell will miss writing about impactful subjects the most. He hopes to see future staffers take the chance to be involved with the staff as much as possible as it is worth the extra work. Senior Audrey Xu joined the Update staff at the beginning of her senior year as a staff writer. Though she knew this class would be a challenge, there were certain aspects Xu wasn’t expecting when she signed up. “[On Update] I’ve gotten better at writing,” Xu said. “What I didn’t expect was improving my time management and planning skills. So many things are happening at one time, and I learned how to manage it which helped me to apply the same techniques in my other classes.” Xu cherishes the memories she made as a member of the Update staff and is grateful for the things she was able to learn.
“[I’m going to miss] the staff and the culture,” Xu said. “It didn’t really feel like I was actively learning because of all the fun I had, but based off of what I’ve written at the beginning and now, I can see huge improvements [in my writing skills].” Senior Amelya Jankens will graduate with a total of three years of Update under her belt, each year with a new position. She has worked as Assistant Managing Design, Managing Opinion, and a page editor. Her love for journalism began her freshman year in the Beginning Journalism class and continued on throughout her career at DHS into Update. Jankens cherishes memories such as the 2019 Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s Spring Conference. Jankens liked the feeling of knowing that her work helped the newspaper as a whole. “[Update] has taught me to be self sufficient and how to work with others but also know when I need to work alone,” Jankens said. “Knowing Cammie changed my life because she helped me be confident in not only my skills but as a person. She helped me through so much from calming my anxiety attacks and just being there for me when I needed someone.” Looking back, Jankens will miss the bond that she
May 22, 2020 Senior 31
ice for future journalism students photo by Sophie Ungerleider
made with her adviser the most. To future staffers, she recommends making lists to try and ease the stress of deadlines and production. Senior Irshad Husain has been a staff member of the Update for three years, holding the position of Managing Business Editor and Managing Web. He originally joined Update as a result of his love of writing, but Husain found himself enjoying late production nights and the food that comes along with them. Husain finds that being on the Update staff has changed him for the better. “It has made me care more about local environments I find myself in,” Husain said. Husain has a single piece of advice for new and returning Update staff members. “Try to be competitive,” Husain said. “Make it your personal goal to write the best story in the paper. You don’t have to end up accomplishing it, but each time you’ll end up with a story that’s interesting and that you can be proud of and show off to other people.” Senior Nate Nichols spent one year on the Update staff as a staff writer. However, his work consisted of much more than just writing. Nichols also produced many of the videos for Update Online and worked with other students
to enhance their video communication skills. In fact, Nichols joined Update in order to work on more videorelated projects. When it comes to life after high school, Nichols will take away various lessons from this class. “[Update] made me understand what it’s going to take to create a stronger work ethic for college,” Nichols said. His favorite memory includes the many nights spent watching movies at production. He will miss the people from the class the most. For new or returning staff members, Nichols has one piece of advice. “Be vocal in the class,” Nichols said. “Don’t just sit back and let things happen. It makes it so much more fun.” Senior Austin Urlaub finished out his tenure at DHS by joining the Update staff as an Assistant Copy Editor. Over the summer before senior year, Urlaub’s interest in journalism peaked during an internship he participated in. “I was at the MSU Writing Internship over the summer where we took a tour of the university press,” Urlaub said. “That sparked my interest in journalism and I wanted to continue writing journalistic work so I applied to be on the Update staff.”
Urlaub is going to miss production nights the most but is grateful for the knowledge he gained as a member of the Update staff. “Update has changed the way I look at different media sources, now that I know the time and effort it takes to release a paper,” Urlaub said. Senior Lillian Pressnell-Manceau has been a part of the Update staff for 3 years. Building her way up, she took the position of Managing News Editor and Managing Copy Editor (at the same time) and finally took the title of Editor in Chief her senior year. She decided to join Update as a way to disperse her writing throughout the school, but quickly realized she would make some of her favorite memories on staff. Through Update, Pressnell-Manceau has bettered her team working skills and leadership skills. She will miss distributing copies of the newspaper throughout DHS on Update Fridays the most. To future staffers, she has one piece of advice. “Talk with everyone in the class and build new friendships,” Pressnell-Manceau said. “Who knows, you might even meet your best friends like I did!”
Drive A Challenger
After School Programs 3:45 - 5:45
As The High Schools and State allow
OPENING IN JUNE 2020 Mr R's Eastlawn Shopping Center Segment 1 MR R’s Eastland 6:30PM - 8:30PM 6/17 - 7/2 7/13 - 7/28 8/5 - 8/20
Segment 2 MR R’s Eastland 4PM – 6PM
June 22,23,24 July 15,16,17 August 5,6,7