Update, September 27, 2018

Update Volume 41, Issue 1 September 27, 2018 H. H. Dow High School update.dhs.mps.k12.mi.us @dowhighupdate

Blossoming from adversities Senior Paige Gilstad reveals her struggles with anorexia and she and her mom talk about her recovery process.

Page 15

4: ALICE 8-9: BREAKING DIGITAL ADDICTION 12-13: GO GREENHOUSE 23-24: A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE

photo by Katie Ellison

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

Staff Editorial

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

Letters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mission Statement

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

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

@dowhighupdate

PHOTO MONTH OF THE

Distribution

Update September 27, 2018

photo by Jenna Wray

LOUD AND PROUD: Senior Gigi Dauphinee joins the rest of the band in marching on August 21 during band camp. The band players were encouuarged to dress accordingly to the themes like Hawaiian. To view more photos from band camp, visit Update online at http://update.dhs.mps.k12.mi.us/.

POP! We ask you the questions Who is your favorite artist?

Kenny Gu freshman

“Khalid.”

What do you think “tea, tee, T” is?

Emma Meitler

Lauren Haines

junior

senior

freshman

“Kendrick Lamar..”

Alex Griffin sophomore

“Billie Eilish.”

Sara Church

Sonya Hansen

senior

junior

sophomore

Liam McLeod

Sam Hatfield

junior

sophomore

“I cannot say I thoroughly enjoy it, but I do think it’s an interesting use of sounds.”

“I love Khalid and Post Malone.”

Eastin Block

“I’d say it’s gossip about other people.”

“A letter.”

What are your thoughts on ASMR?

Zach Seipke

“I don’t really watch it but, it’s not really much to it.”

“Like gossip, anything juicy.”

Brooklyn Duranceau freshman

“I don’t know, it’s weird.”

“Gossip I guess is the word I would use.”

Ruth Wager senior “I’d be interested in knowing the science behind it.”

News 3

September 27, 2018 Update

In Brief: NHS annouces new scholarship

NHS revealed a scholarship at their first meeting. The Max Muessig Memorial Scholarship will award $1,000 to the recipient’s school of choice.

The scholarship was funded by Muessig’s parents, and several of his classmates. Class of 2015 graduates Ben Morgan, Alyssa Stone, and Morgan Zoeller

Cierra Dillon

staff writer created the scholarship as a way to commemorate their friend and keep his memory alive.

“Each entry represents Max in a different way,” Zoeller said.

NHS adviser Andrew Frye described him as a creative and loving person who always had a grin on his face. Zoeller expressed the need for DHS to

remember Muessig’s positivity and his love for writing.

The Max Muessig Memorial Scholarship is exclusive to graduating DHS seniors and will be rewarded in the spring.

Applications consist of a creative piece, either written or artistic, which reflects or manifests Muessig’s spirit.

photo by Grace Sobeck

LEFT to RIGHT: Gigi Dauphinee, Sreya Manchiraju, Stephen O’Donnell, Alyssa Stone, Barb Morrison, Wayne Morrison, Andrew Frye, Mark Muessig, Steve Poole.

Goals galore

In Brief: Miss Uganda discusses changes to better life in Uganda

Letter from the Editor

staff writer

Welcome to the first print issue of the 2018-2019 school year! I’m excited to bring you a publication that will highlight topics to spark conversations inside and outside of the classroom.

With a new school year underway come many new beginnings, one being a fresh staff of new and returning journalists ready and willing to continue to uphold the reputation of the Update. We as a staff are excited to continue the tradition of delivering new and authentic content.

Our number one goal is simply to provide news that educates, informs and entertains all of our readers. As a staff, it is our objective to report on what you want and what you need to read.

For those of you new to our school’s newspaper, the Update is a public forum distributed free to the students and staff of DHS. As a reliable publication, you can be rest assured that our writers work to find stories and tell them, not make them up.

Further than just our print publication, we are a multimedia publication with a website and other social media profiles such as Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook where I encourage our readers to keep up to date with the latest coverage of current events.

With these alternative platforms we seek to evolve with the times and social media’s ever growing presence in the lives of our readers, while also keeping in touch with the roots of journalism with our monthly print edition. This issue on Update Online you can find coverage on Miss Uganda’s visit to DHS.

Xander Brooks

Miss Uganda, Quiin Abenakyo, now travels and gives insight about her country, while raising money for the Miss Uganda Foundation.

The Miss Uganda Foundation is a Non-Governmental Organization founded by Brenda Nanyonjo. It was created to encourage young girls to follow their dreams, avoid teenage pregnancy, works to prevent drug

Within the first print edition, we have worked to take on stories that we believe are significant to our readers. Throughout this issue you will find stories ranging across a broad spectrum. From the updates on the burned down press box at Midland Community Stadium and the gold gym’s new sound system in Jason Laplow’s story, to a package covering eating disorders, to a story by Hannah Raw and Sophie Ungerleider on our very own traditions.

Finally, if you have any ideas you feel we should cover, feel free to contact us as we are a public forum for student expression. Other ways to get involved in our publication include writing a letter to the editor and writing a my turn column.

Enjoy the issue,

Anikka Thorson

abuse in Uganda and raise money for more wells to be built for the villages in Uganda.

Abenakyo continues to travel to different schools in hopes to raise awareness of this cause. One takeaway senior Andre Buckley got from this visit is to enact change.

“Be the change that you want instead of talking about it’” Buckley said.

LEFT to RIGHT: Miss Uganda, Quiin Abenakyo, visited Emily Grocholski’s 6th hour Sociology class on Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 in order to share the works of the Miss Uganda Foundation and ways to make a change. photo by Xander Brooks

Update September 27, 2018

4 News

Evacuating

past

procedures Policy changes way schools deal with lockdowns Lillian Pressnell and Cierra Dillon

managing news & staff writer n the wake of recent school shootings, Midland Public Schools is getting ready to adopt a new system of lockdown called ALICE, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. The usual Code Red consists of locking classroom doors, shutting off the lights, and huddling in a corner.

However, ALICE includes fighting back and evacuating the premises. MPS staff members were given an overview of ALICE in late August by the Midland police force with much more training to come later.

“ALICE was prompted by reviewing the latest research identifying best practices in safety procedures,” associate superintendent Brian Brutyn said in an email interview. “Each incident that occurs is studied by safety experts.

There are lessons gleaned from each incident that can lead to recommendations and new best-practices for others to enhance their current protocols.”

The plan for keeping students safe in ALICE may differ between classrooms due to different situations arising, but the teacher will determine the best way to limit casualties. This is one of the biggest differences between the current Code Red and ALICE. ALICE is much less limiting in terms of what teachers and students can do.

“I think the new system makes a lot more sense than the old system on trying to get out of

I

the building, trying to escape, barricade, instead of sitting and waiting,” math teacher Kyle Theisen said. “It just doesn’t make sense to say we’re gonna have this new training to protect everybody, but then not have everybody actually ready for it, or practiced right away, like this should be. It’s a great idea, but we’re not ready to implement it yet, because nobody knows what to expect.”

ALICE still has a long way to go. Staff, students, and even parents must be trained in order to be prepared. The plan is to continue training at future Professional Development meetings for staff. Student training for ALICE will be determined by grade level, to convey the information as appropriately as possible.

Comparing the former Code Red procedures and ALICE will show obvious differences including fighting back and evacuating versus sitting and waiting, but there are statistics to back up and defend the new choice of lockdown.

“They’re talking about the statistics of ‘What happens when instead of just sitting there, if imminent danger is happening, if you choose to fight back?” Assistant Principal Matt Murphy said. “If there are one or two gunmen, and there are twenty or thirty of you in here, the overall set of casualties will be lower if a number of people try to overpower and subdue somebody who’s attacking versus just saying

‘I’m gonna sit here, hunkered down.’

The main idea is that if students and staff are throwing things at a shooter, they will be caught off guard, off balance, and subdued, there won’t be as many casualties. It has been proven difficult for a shooter to operate a gun while things are being thrown at them. ALICE tries to make it as hard as possible for the shooter.

“I think that it makes sense,” senior Aria Segura said. “Because if you’re in a situation like that, the reality is that protocols don’t always work. It’s a situation-by-situation thing.”

While Midland Public Schools is still operating under the current procedures detailed in the Critical Incident Management Handbook, ALICE could be implemented as quickly as the end of this school year.

There is a lot of training that still needs to be undergone, but the statistics show these procedures are undoubtedly safer. Murphy also reminded students to always be alert and decrease the likelihood of a shooting.

“Don’t prop [the door] for your friend who’s running late and they texted you, and you happen to be going to the bathroom just to go prop the door real quick for them so they can get in instead of being inconvenienced of walking all the way at the front,” Murphy said. “The safety of you guys is the most important thing, and I’m kind of a stickler about it, because it matters.”

photo by Emily Danielsen

ALERT: Alert is your first notification of danger.

LOCKDOWN: Barricade the room. Prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER if needed

INFORM: Communicate the violent intruder’s location and direction in real time.

COUNTER: Create Noise, Movement, Distance and Distraction with the intent of reducing the shooter’s ability to shoot accurately. Counter is NOT fighting.

EVACUATE: When safe to do so, remove yourself from the danger zone. info from the alicetraning. com website

News 5

September 27, 2018 Update

Leading new ways in class School takes on project based approach Zane O’Dell managing buisness

S

ome high school classrooms follow a procedure in which teachers give information to students, students retain the information, and then show that they know it through a test. This procedure could be seen as bland.

That is what Project Lead the Way is hoping to change in select courses.

Project Lead the Way is a nonprofit organization that helps to enhance and develop certain curriculum in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools all across the country.

The curriculum was created 21 years ago, and has now reached Midland Public Schools.

Richard Blasy, a Human Anatomy teacher for 15 years, thinks that schools are starting to becoming more “spoon-fed”, where the information is simply given to students.

“That’s not life,” Blasy said.

“Life is you’ve got to figure out things. You’re going to have a job, you’ve got to figure problems out.

You’re going to have problems around your house, you’ve got to figure it out.”

Classes under the umbrella of Project Lead the Way are

taught differently than some other classes. Computer science teacher Diane White is helping to teach her students in the new and innovative ways using the Project Lead the Way standards, which make it so the curriculum is more project-based instead of doing things like taking a bunch of notes.

“The instructional style [of Project Lead the Way] is very different than maybe in a traditional classroom, it’s all project based learning where the students are presented a problem and [are] trying to solve that problem,” White said.

The students go about trying to solve that problem themselves, rather than the teachers showcasing how it could be done.

“They’ll go and figure out what they need to know and what they need to learn to solve that problem,” White said. “[Say] we’re in a traditional class, maybe I teach a new concept or skill, and then we do a project that practices that. In this class we’ll give them a problem before we’ve taught the skill, and then they discover: ‘Oh, I need to know how to do some particular type of task

g

Intro t

neerin o Engi

in order to complete this problem, or to solve this problem.’”

With Project Lead the Way being a national effort, it’s not only going to be implemented at the high school level. It’s also being implemented at the elementary and middle school levels across the U.S. Steven Last, a CAD teacher, believes that the biggest change that Project Lead the Way is going to bring is that students will interact more with each other.

“It’s going to be more collaborative, they’re going to get more real world design problems, it’s going to be a positive experience I think,” Last said. “Before we used to be kind of focused, [in] CAD, and didn’t really interact with students as much. So, I think the interaction is going to be different.”

The integration of Project Lead the Way into certain departments in Midland Public Schools will change the way that students learn and interact with each other. The purpose of Project Lead the Way is to push students and to broaden their problem-solving skills.

Human Body Systems

Computer Science Es

sentials graphic by Grace Sobeck

America’s voting dilemna

Lillian Pressnell The Lowdown with Lillian In the 2016 general election, only 43 percent of people aged 18-24 voted, according to Ipsos Mori.

I’ll admit I’m confused by this. For a generation that seems so involved and up to date in today’s politics, this number is disappointing to me. It’s disappointing that this generation doesn’t use their power of voting, of making change, to take charge. Especially a generation that seems to be so infuriated over Trump and his cronies.

For example, it would be an understatement to say that Trump was blasted for his support of Rob Porter, a former White House aide, who was accused of abusing his two ex-wives, while ignoring the wives completely.

Another standout on his record is his complete ignorance to Sen. John McCain’s lifetime of service to his country.

White House staffers had even written a statement that praised McCain for his service and heroism, but he declined to use it, sending out a tweet that carried his “sympathies” as if he has any.

Some may ask, how far can one person sink?

Trump seems to take this as a challenge.

It appears that Trump never fails to one-up himself in the idiotic tweet

category. On Thursday, Sept. 13, he essentially said that the death toll in Puerto Rico due to Hurricane Maria was “fake news”. He implored that the Democrats made up the death toll, which was commissioned by the Puerto Rican government, to make him look bad.

Apparently, he believes that a high death toll will harm his reputation, so he will do anything to try to cover it up, deflect it, or lie about it. This is not only delusional, but harmful to our country and its own reputation.

While we can’t directly change Trump’s antics, what the Senators and Congressmen say or do, we can make sure that they don’t drag us down with them.

Even though other political candidates may not carry all of your political values, it’s always best to vote because making sure your values are as well represented as possible is a very strong tool. Even choosing between the lesser of two evils is reducing the harm done to America and the world at large.

As we grow old enough to vote, we need to use our Constitutional right. Voting is the most powerful tool we have right now, and we need to use it.

6 News

Pressing plans for new box

Update September 27, 2018

Fate of press box to be determined Jason Laplow

managing sports

N

early fifty seasons of Charger football have been witnessed from atop Midland Community Stadium’s home bleachers inside a white, heavily-windowed press box. The 2018 season will likely prove to be its last.

The press box caught fire after a power surge due to an apparent lightning strike in late August. It wasn’t immediately clear whether or not the incident would impact the stadium’s heavy workload, hosting freshman through varsity football games along with lacrosse and soccer for both high schools. It also dedicates its time to hosting the region’s marching bands in an annual showcase.

While Midland Community Stadium’s press box played host to different sources of both print and broadcast media over the years, it also played an integral part in the stadium’s games by housing the public address announcer and the team in charge of running the stadium’s scoreboard. Without it, the district has had to improvise.

Heath Hetherington, owner of Central Audio/Visual and Design, was approached to provide a temporary system. Hetherington was only tasked with providing a public address system for the stadium’s varsity football games, but has been volunteering to set up the system for the freshman and JV games as well, due to the fact that his son, Hayden, plays for the JV football team. “[MHS] went ahead and hired me to provide a temporary sound system, a bigger system, to do the

varsity game,” Hetherington said. “Crowds are much bigger and much louder. [There’s a] marching band.

You need more coverage, louder sound pressure levels, those kind of things.”

Midland Community Stadium held DHS’s freshman and JV games during the week of Sep. 6. The home side, which held the press box, was taped off, so both allegiances spectated from the visitor’s side.

“I kind of liked it,” sophomore Dominic Owen said. “It made me feel like there were a lot of people watching.”

The first post-fire games at Midland Community Stadium utilized a mobile scoreboard because, according to Hetherington, the stadium’s own scoreboard had been hardwired directly to the press box. To counter this, the schools opted to install a wireless communication system for the scoreboard so that it can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the stadium.

“Nowadays, many [scoreboards] in town here are controlled wirelessly, so what they went ahead and did is opted to have the wireless controller installed on the scoreboard,” Hetherington said.

The fate of the press box is still being figured out, but it’s the district’s opinion that the press box will be demolished, according to Robert Cooper, Associate Superintendent of Finance, Facilities, and Operations for Midland Public Schools.

“I’m sure that a lot of people will think that we’re

just going to tear it down, but there’s a lot of rules and regulations that you have to follow,” Cooper said.

The checklist before demolition includes tasks such as checking for asbestos, which has already been done.

“We’ve been trying to do the things preemptive, so when the time comes, we can just do what we need to do,” Cooper said.

Until the demolition is complete, the home bleachers will only be open from each 30-yard line to their respective end zones. Once the teardown is finished, a temporary press box is likely to occupy the burn site. The now-defunct press box was built alongside the stadium in the 1950s, with the upper level being an addition that was tacked on some time during the 1980s.

Since then, building codes have changed. For one, the Americans with Disabilities act of 1990 may require a new press box to house an elevator.

“If you were to build our structure today, it would have to be to 2015 building code standards, which means you would have to have an elevator,” Cooper said.

If the press box were to be repaired from its current state, it would be grandfathered in, but if and when it shifts to a rebuild, any plans for a new press box would

THE UNKNOWN: An old storage area in the side of the press box now serves as a dark hole with miscellaneous objects in it. After the fire, some other issues with the press box have come to light. 2015 building codes will help to change that.

photos by Jason Laplow

SUMMER STORMS The Midland Community Stadium’s press box rests on top of the hill behind the bleachers, overlooking the field below. It was destroyed this past summer in a fire due to an apparent power surge by lightning. The press box will not be replaced in 2018, at the very least.

September 27, 2018 Update

News 7 QUEUING UP: Using a music playback system, Heath Hetherington prepares the music for the game. The music was used for the pom and cheer teams during their routines. Therefore, there was no downtime waiting for the music to be ready.

have to be parallel with the latest building code standards.

“The district’s feeling is that we have to build it to the 2015 building code standards,” Cooper said.

“That’s our opinion at this point.”

The price of a rebuild has not yet been determined.

“The insurance company is finishing off their reports, so, no, there hasn’t been a dollar amount established at all,” Cooper said.

While a timeline has not yet completely been established, a new press box, if built, will likely be a project for the spring of 2019.

“In my experience, it never feels fast enough for the people that are using it,” Cooper said. “I can’t blame them. They want a nice facility to use. Schools, when they build things, have to follow a lot of codes.”

For the time being, a temporary system will provide public address to all games at the stadium in one form or another.

“When you’re looking at a spring or summer build, [the press box] will be temporary with the different facilities until we get to the end of the school year,” Cooper said. “If we get there faster, great, but knowing the ways things process from the design to the bid to the actual build, and having the right conditions to build, that will make a difference.”

New sound system allows for better announcing Jason Laplow managing sports A new sound system has recently been installed in DHS’s gold gym. Central Audio/Visual and Design’s quote for the renovation was in the ballpark of $20,000.

According to owner Heath Hetherington, the previous system had seen better days. “[The old system] could

have easily been 15 to 20 years old,” Hetherington said. “They were having some troubles with the system not working, you had some bad amplifiers, and some of the speaker drivers were blown. So you might have been getting a quarter to a third of the system was probably working.”

The new system is drastically different than its predecessor, being that it is a distributive system rather than a centercluster, meaning that the

MAKING DO: Heath Hetherington announces at the JV football game against Bay City Central with his daughter, Isabelle. He also announced for the freshman game that evening of September 6, 2018. Freshmen won, while JV took a loss 6-12.

photos by Cammie Hall

sound will travel to the audience through multiple strategically-placed speakers versus one large cluster of speakers in the center of the room.

Hetherington believes the difference between the old and new will be drastic and hopes the new system will benefit DHS for generations to come.

“People will probably notice this because the condition of the past one was so bad that it will be a night and day difference,” Hetherington said.

“But, in general, you’d like for the sound system almost to be invisible. So that people don’t even give it a second thought.

They can just clearly hear, right? They can understand all the words and they have perfect intelligibility, and then it just becomes an afterthought.

So, that’s my goal is that it works so well that people don’t even notice it.”

The DHS pool, as well, will soon have a new system.

“The first phase of it is to upgrade the sound system,” Hetherington said. “We’re going

to add some new full-range speakers into the pool that will cover the audience area and the end with the blocks.”

Due to the unusual nature of a pool, the acoustics of the room will have to be investigated before installation.

“The flat ceiling and the water and the splashing, those kind of things,” Hetherington said. “You get a lot of reflections and things that make the room very noisy.”

Funds are still being established for the project.

8 Opinion

Update September 27, 2018

How do you feel when you don’t have your phone? peaceful

Responses based off of survey taken by 276 students at DHS the week of Sept. 9, 2018

Disconnecting from devices Digital detox alleviates students’ stress Amelya Jankens & Lydia Barber

insecure

managing opinion & assistant copy

P

normal anxious focused weird calm scared nice unsafe fine naked secure graphic by Grace Sobeck

hone alerts are received throughout the classroom.

Students are glued to screens, texting friends back and scrolling through their social media feeds. Their attention is on their phones, and not the lesson taking place in front of them.

In this new age of technology, it may seem hard to disconnect from smart devices like cellphones and tablets, but countries like France have recognized it’s importance.

According to CNN, French lawmakers recently voted 62-1 to pass a nationwide cellphone and tablet ban in elementary and middle schools, mainly affecting students under the age of 15.

These students are not allowed to have their devices on school premises. Teachers of students over 15 years of age are able to determine if their students can use their devices in class.

Former DHS student Cassy Do, has lived in France for over two years and is experiencing this nationally mandated digital detox every school day.

“The technology ban is pretty much where phones, iPads, Apple watches, or any other device is not allowed to be on or out while on school property,” Do said in an email interview. “This does not include computers used for specific school assignments.”

This concept, referred to by some as a “digital detox” is the removal of some or all of the technology used in daily life, with the focus of improving both mental and physical health.

“There is no distraction created from phones or any other device in class,” Do said.

“I can only check my phone for a dictionary or to check something online after I leave the school which definitely affects my reflex to just look something up.”

According to a survey taken by 276 DHS students, 35.9 percent of students said that they use their phones in class without permission. Of the students who took the survey, 133 people said that they spend between four and five hours on their phones a day. Currently, at DHS, 48.4 percent of students believe that they spend much of their free time on social media.

To reduce time spent on her mobile devices, social studies teacher Emily Grocholski chooses to read a book to help her relax at night, rather than go on her phone.

“If you’re doing media at night, right before bed, it’s going to make it harder for you to sleep,” Grocholski said. “Nobody in our family has their phone by the bed. We have a media station way away from everybody.”

In the digital detox survey, 85.4 percent students are asked to put their devices away in at least one of their classes according to a survey taken by DHS students. Walking into social studies teacher, Jeffrey Richards’ classroom, students are told to put their mobile devices into the storage caddy hung on the wall so they are not distracted by the them during the lesson. Some students feel that they benefit

from not having their phones with them in class with them like sophomore Bella Perez.

“I never take my phone to class,” Perez said. “It just helps me be more focused.”

Some teachers, like Richards, avoid using phones in their curriculum and stick to taking notes with a pen and paper.

“Go back to the old school of writing, so you slow down stuff,” Richards said. “Highlighting, that’s bringing in that change in the metacognition of what you’re doing.”

Richards also recognizes the detriments of being too attached to technology. He believes that students can be more productive without their devices on their desks. “[Studies] have shown that phones have a lot of addiction qualities, and a lot of time that’s really wasted for minimal gain,” Richards said.

Richards is providing an hour of a digital detox for his students while social studies teacher Emily Grocholski incorporates the technology into her classes.

Grocholski strives to make her classroom a place where her students can learn to balance different the elements of life.

“I think part of our responsibility is to teach balance in life,” Grocholski said. “And the reality is, the phones aren’t going away.

There’s a lot of adults that model bad habits. So in a classroom is a time where we can all together encourage each other and support each other for having balance.

Which means putting the phone

Opinion 9

September 27, 2018 Update

Yes

no

yes

64.1%

80

Other

No Yes

Number of students

70

yes

No

60

Yes

50 40

Would you ever do a social media detox?

No

No Yes

38.5% 61.5% no

Yes

yes

yes

graphics by Emily Danielsen The above statistics were based off of a survey given out the week of Sept. 12, 2018. The survey was sent to all DHS students. There were 279 people who responded.

5

20 10

Percent of males who use their phones while doing homework

59%

4

30

0

no

3

Do you silence your phone at night?

28% 72%

41%

2

Senior

35.9%

Sophomore

no

No

Junior

Percent of females who use their phones while doing homework

Do you go on your phone during class without permission?

Average hours DHS students are on their phone Freshman

down and paying attention to whatever’s going on in class.”

A number of the students who were surveyed tied negative feelings to not having their phone with them. However, junior McKenzie Schur feels better when she doesn’t have her social media.

“I’m really connected to them so I feel like when I don’t have them I’m more stress free,” Schur said.

In the busy world of today, though it may be difficult to disconnect, it’s important to recognize the value of detaching from technology.

“It’ll show people how much they’re actually on it and how much more they can get done without having their phone,” Schur said.

chart graphics by Emily Danielsen, graphic by Grace Sobeck

graphics by Grace Sobeck

10

Update September 27, 2018

Opinion

My Croatian Adventure

Anna Parish My Turn Let me give you a little scenario. Let’s say you walk into your history class and someone were to present to you the opportunity to go to another, unspecified country for a whole year, how would you react?

In my case, when Rotary Youth Exchange presented to my world history class my freshman year, I knew instantly that I had reached a major turning point in my life.

Of course it wasn’t an instantaneous process though. But after a bit of convincing my parents and a considerably long application process, I was given the offer to go to Croatia for the entirety of my junior year. Of course I very quickly took them up on this offer.

Typically, when someone is sent to Croatia on exchange through Rotary, they’re sent to the capital, Zagreb. But for me that was not the case. I was sent to Zabok, a small town in the hilly region of Zagorje of about 7,000 people.

Surprisingly enough though, this ended up being a major blessing in disguise. Why you may ask? Well I could say it was for a number of reasons; the warm-familial feeling of a small town, the stray cats, or even the peaceful train rides to Zagreb. But if there is any

one factor that rules over them all, it would be the exceptional people I met and the bonds I formed with them. This includes everyone from my class in Zabok, to the other exchange student in my town, to my host family.

Although exchange in the capital might have been equally amazing, Zabok became my own little second home.

Now all of this isn’t to say that exchange is all magic and wonders. There are most definitely just as many downs as there are ups. But as my Rotary club has always told me, “there is no such thing as a bad exchange”, and that couldn’t hold more true.

Exchange taught me, and I’m sure all of my fellow exchange students, a plethora of important lessons. It taught me how to put myself out there, how to be more independent, how to cope, and how to make the best of any situation.

All of these lessons just in themselves made exchange worth it for me in the end.

For any of you that might be interested in going on exchange, I couldn’t encourage you more. If you’re interested in learning more, you can contact either of Midland’s Rotary Clubs and they’ll be more than willing to help.

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

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

Responses: Want to share your thoughts on a recent article published in the Update? Write a 250 word Letter to the Editor for our next issue. Contact Anikka Thorson by Oct. 5, 2018.

Greener future

Cutting down on plastic waste ensures future of planet Staff Editorial

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ecycling has been ingrained into student’s minds for most of their lives, but putting a paper in a recycling bin isn’t the only thing students should be doing to help save the Earth from humanity destroying it. Teenagers know the basics of what recycling should be, but there are other ways to help reduce waste.

A group of students at DHS formed a club called Go Green. They are trying to make the school an environmentally and recycling friendly place. These students help pick up cans after football games as well as bring awareness to the detrimental state of the environment. The students involved in the club are starting a recycling movement and are getting others involved in “going green”.

Teenagers can do many things to help the Go Green movement. One way to start reducing waste is to cut down on single use plastic.

Instead of bringing lunch in plastic bags, put the food in glass or plastic reusable container.

Use reusable water bottles instead of single use plastic ones. There are so many ways to help the Go Green club’s mission without having to directly be in the club.

graphic by Amelya Jankens

When going out to dinner at a restaurant, many people choose to use a plastic straw. According to The Last Plastic Straw website, 500 million plastic straws are discarded in the US every day.

Simply asking to not have a straw at a restaurant is an easy thing that will cut down on waste tremendously.

For every person on Earth, there are 150 plastic bags according to the Ocean Crusaders website. Not using plastic shopping bags is an easy way to decrease waste on a personal level. Next time, bring reusable bags when shopping.

Small acts add up and that is the key to saving the environment. Even if it’s using a reusable shopping bag, the simplest actions can help with reducing waste. It isn’t about the big actions that help with the environment as much as it is the small, everyday actions.

It is important to cut down on waste because of the tremendous decline in the stability of the environment. The growing mound of trash cultivating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean should be a wake up call to people all around the world because of the amount of waste is unacceptable.

Because the actions of people everywhere, the Earth is dying. If students could make any contribution in lessening their waste, it will help the world in the long run.

September 27, 2018

Opinion

Update

11

graphic by Amelya Jankens & Grace Sobeck

Increasing our chance of survival Training program gains attention after recent school shootings Staff Editorial

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lert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate (ALICE) is an introduction into the worrisome reality that has become school shootings. There have been 23 school shootings across the US since the beginning of 2018 as reported in an informational graphic on CNN. It has become a huge concern for students of all ages.

School is supposed to be a place for learning and a place where students should feel safe, but the recent shootings have made it hard for some.

ALICE leaves students with a plan to try to stay alive if a shooter enters the classroom. The program was started

Cartoon by Loree Chung “Overcoming Fears”

shortly after the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

The training program’s mission, according to alicetraining.com, is to improve the chances of survival in a active shooter scenario. The situation with school shootings has come to a point where schools need a program that tells students to fight back or run to try to save their lives in case of a shooting.

The fact that school shootings have become common enough to need a plan like ALICE is not okay. ALICE trains people to be alert and proactive so that if a shooter is able to get into the school, students will be able to

protect themselves and the ones around them.

ALICE gives teachers a chance to prepare for a shooting. They are not powerless and they are able to protect the people and students.

Some teachers have already taken the safety of their classrooms into their own hands by having plans to fight back, but for those who don’t, ALICE can aid them in keeping their students safe.

The program is not only for school shooting readiness, although it was originally started for it. It is a training that is used for police officers, higher education, businesses,

government, and places of worship.

Although it applies to all of these organizations, school administrations are implementing the ideas of ALICE to make their students and faculty more safe.

ALICE is a training program that is unfortunately a necessity for today’s society. Students shouldn’t be afraid of losing their lives in school, or being attacked by an active shooter. They should be able to come to school for the purpose of learning, not to become sitting target. ALICE training gives them a chance to achieve just that.

12 Feature September 27, 2018

Go greenhouse Environmental club to build Hoop House Jenna Wray & Gavan Boguszewski managing design & staff writer

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he Go Green Club is taking their first steps into this year’s first big project, and the students are taking the lead.

The club has just acquired its first greenhouse, which will soon find its way to DHS soil. The Go Green Club began dismantling the greenhouse at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) on Saturday Sept. 5, 2018.

The club originally planned on buying a greenhouse kit, but because the kits available didn’t fit their size needs, they talked to Ed Meisel at SVSU. The school agreed to donate a greenhouse, and students have begun to disassemble it. The project doesn’t currently have a set end date, but Cynthia Roberts, the advisor to the Go Green Club, hopes the greenhouse will be assembled by October 2018.

SVSU donated a style of greenhouse called a Hoop House.

A hoop house is one of the more inexpensive yet effective type of greenhouses. They are typically made of a clear flexible plastic similar to that of a garbage bag.

The material is stretched over a structure of hoops, hence the name, “hoop house.”

Once the greenhouse arrives, it will be located behind the baseball field. The placement of the greenhouse was determined by a few factors. Roberts wanted a place for the greenhouse that would be relatively sheltered to prevent damage. She also picked a spot that would get a lot of sunlight, and would be easy to access without getting in the way of any sporting events.

The cost of maintaining a greenhouse can vary greatly. Cost depends on many things such as which crops will be grown during the different growing seasons and how many of these crops will be grown.

According to Scott Schultheis, Dow Gardens Manager of Horticulture and Greenhouse Production, greenhouses kept for hobby typically cost less to maintain. The produce grown in hobby greenhouses are typically grown only during the spring season, saving money on heating and cooling.

They were awarded a $5,000 grant from the Midland Area Community Foundation and plan to use the money to keep the greenhouse running.

According to Roberts, the Go Green members would like the greenhouse to be self sufficient. They have many ideas such as, collecting rainwater and setting up compost in the cafeteria.

They also had the idea of setting up a hydroponics unit, which is a way of growing plants without soil.

“Some hydroponics units are constructed from PVC pipe, and the water and other nutrients are pumped through the pipes,” Roberts said. “That’s one way to construct a hydroponics unit.”

While not set in stone, Roberts hopes that the greenhouse will have a growing season beginning in the winter extending until the end of the school year, and possibly into the summer months. During the winter time, the greenhouse will be heated by pickle barrels. These are large barrels full of water that will heat up during the day, to keep the greenhouse warm. The greenhouse is going to be lined with two layers of plastic, with an airspace in between that will help insulate the greenhouse as well. The greenhouse will be cooled with fans and vents, if it gets too hot, and opening the doors will provide circulation.

The greenhouse will be maintained by a variety of students.

Plants need a lot of care in order to grow. For example, most plants

need to be watered at least once a day. However, there is much more to keeping a greenhouse than just watering. Temperatures have to be correct, plants need the correct amount of fertilizer, and plants may need to be re-potted once they outgrow their old ones.

“You have to have somebody who’s available every day, let’s put it that way,” Schultheis said. “Plants don’t take a day off, so when there’s holidays, when there’s weekends, the plants are always growing, the plants are always needing water.”

The greenhouse is going to be available to a variety different students.

Any classes interested such as biology, foods, and health classes, are welcome to use the greenhouse. The green house will be open to various elementary schools, as well as MHS. Conversations have begun regarding a possible new environmental science class as part of the IB program. This type of class would benefit greatly from the introduction of a greenhouse, as well as other science classes such as biology. However, science classes aren’t the ones that could be assisted by the greenhouse.

“The foods classes are interested in getting vegetables from the greenhouse and experimenting with new recipes. And so there’s, just endless possibilities of what the greenhouse could be,” Roberts said.

Go Green is hoping that this greenhouse will lead to something greater. This is Go Green’s first major step in pushing DHS to a more eco-friendly school.

“It’s the idea of doing something small to make something bigger, so they see us doing this and it can actually make a change that would, I think, inspire some people,” senior Jason Wagner said.

September 27, 2018 PREPARED TO GO GREEN: Seniors Maureen Meadows, Jacqueline Laurin, Isabel Velasquez, Emilio Cuellar, Andre Buckely, and Jason Wagner met Sat., Sept. 8, at SVSU to begin disassembling the greenhouse.

GREEN LIGHT: Seniors Jacqueline Laurin and Emilio Cuellar begin to dismantle electrical conduits. The greenhouse will house student based projects such as produce and a hydroponics unit.

COMMUNITY SERVICE: Juniors Sasha Konovalenko and Hanna Shewchuck collect water bottles from the recycling bins around the school, some for the first time Wednesday, Sept. 19.

photo courtesy of Cynthia Roberts

photo courtesy of Cynthia Roberts

photo by Jason Laplow

photo by Jason Laplow

photo courtesy of Cynthia Roberts

PICKLE JUICE: Seniors Jason Wagner and Jacqueline Laurin dump the water out of a pickle barrel to bring back to DHS. Once the greenhouse is assembled, the pickle barrels will warm up and provide heat to the greenhouse.

COLLECTING AND SORTING : Every Wednesday morning members of NHS collect the recycling from the hallways.

Assisting in the recycling process allows students, like senior Tyler Contrad, to give back to their school community.

Feature 13

Radical recycling Club works to increase recycling Jenna Wray & Gavan Boguszewski managing design & staff writer While the greenhouse begins a new chapter for the Go Green club, promoting recycling is still a primary goal. They have increased the amount of recycling, by both advocating it, and adding more bins.

Recycling bins can be found in both the cafeteria and all around the school.

The bins are clearly labeled and students are encouraged to use them.

Posters that emphasize the bins are on the wall right next to them saying what they are.

One of the biggest challenges that the members face is the amount of trash thrown in the bins. One way that the club would like to address the issue is by increasing the number of recycling bins found around the school.

“So [trash in the bins is] one of our main issues that we’re tackling because people will shuffle them around the hallways or we just simply don’t have enough [recycling bins] yet,” senior Jason Wagner said.

“So we’re still deciding whether to invest in more bins or something else.”

The idea is to have an even ratio of recycling bins to trash bins. With this placement, the chance the waste is put in the correct bin increases.

“If you just see a recycling bin right in the hallway, you’re gonna put trash in it if there’s

nothing next to it, or if there’s trash and no recycling bin there,” Wagner said.

The recycling is collected every Monday

by Go Green and every Wednesday by National Honors Society, and this project can count towards volunteer hours for NHS participants.

After the cans are sorted, volunteers from the club will return them.

Go Green uses the money from the bottles they have collected towards funding the club.

The club is hoping to expand their recycling influence at the community stadium and sporting events. They would also like to work with the band recycling the water bottles they go through during marching season.

“We’re also trying to work with the band as of last meeting to recycle all the water bottles at the band uses and all the scraps and everything else.

Everything has a use,” Wagner said.

With Go Green’s ongoing crusade for the environment, they hope to inspire students to join the club, as well as doing small things on their own. The club meets every Monday after 7th hour.

“I think even if some people still don’t care, there’s still a lot of people that do care, or care just enough to actually do something. So I think that’s worth it,” Wagner said.

14

Update

Feature

September 27, 2018

Creative creatures

Learning to love my Paling around with not-so-furry friends crooked edges Katie Ellison

Molly Birch

co-managing photo

OINK OINK: Sophomore Katie Beckord’s potbelly pig, Oscar, is not an average indoor pet. The Beckord’s got their pig off a Facebook page. Oscar is house trained, goes on walks in the yard, and knows exactly when he’s supposed to be fed. Most people raise pigs to be eaten but Oscar is an animal whose attention and support is more rewarding than a meal. Oscar was also the star of Beckord sister, Carrie Beckord’s, senior project last spring.

SNEAKY SNAIL: Senior G Schuster’s accidental snail actually hitchhiked in on a plant Schuster bought from Soldans.

Shuster’s snail, yet to be named due to his unconventional arrival, has still made an impact. The low maintenance pet has been interesting to watch grow over time. “I bought some plants at Soldan’s and almost a month later I look in my tank and think ‘I don’t own a snail’,” Schuster said.

Molly’s Madness Body image has become highly stigmatized by the media and social media in today’s society.

As an impressionable young teenager, I suffered the brunt of this stigma.

I saw myself as fat when I was a healthy weight. I didn’t like how clothing looked on me because I wasn’t happy with my body. It was a long road to acceptance, and it started with taking a step back.

I had aspirations to look like Angelina Jolie, all sharp lines and sultry curves, but it isn’t remotely realistic for my body type. The expectations I had developed for myself were astronomically high. I wasn’t going to lose 10 pounds in a day by not eating anything, I wasn’t going to gain 10 pounds by eating a slice of pizza, and I certainly was never going to look like Angelina Jolie. I needed to re-evaluate my motives.

I needed to see myself as I was, not as the media portrayed the female body.

I began to say one positive thing to myself a day. Sometimes it was like, ‘your smile is crooked and it is beautiful’, but sometimes it was hardly significant. Eventually the single daily compliment turned in to two, then

three, then I was doing it all the time without thinking.

These small affirmations made me see my reflection in the mirror differently. I saw my imperfections and flaws as marks of individuality.

I wasn’t comparing myself to other people because I didn’t look like everyone else. My differences make me who I am. I wouldn’t be human if I was perfect.

I am not defined by my body. I am not and will never allow myself to be generalized with groups of “skinny girls” or “curvy girls” because I am not those things. I am 125.7 pounds of beautiful.

So I will never be Angelina Jolie. I will never have cheekbones that cut you deeper than the sharpest knife. I will never be a size two with a 20 inch waist. But I can celebrate the parts of myself that I love instead of focusing on the things that I can’t change.

A final thing to remember is that you aren’t perfect. You just have to learn that where you are with your body is up to you. You have the power to make positive changes that will make you happy. Start with selfimage. Everything after that will come easily.

photo courtesy of Katie Beckord

photos courtesy of Rachel Weldy

photo courtesy of G Schuster

DRAGON TAILS: Sophomore Rachel Weldy’s 10-yearold bearded dragon, Beardy, leaves some people confused or even afraid, but Weldy says he is both a quiet and allergy friendly pet. Although Beardy loves strawberries and running around his cage, his scales can be a bit intimidating to those unfamiliar to a lack of fur.

Weldy though, has never had a dog or cat, only a bearded dragon. “[Having a bearded dragon] makes for a good conversation starter,” Weldy said.

tr th

September 27, 2018

Update

Feature

15

Turning a new Paige An in-depth look into life with an eating disorder Pages 15-19 contain sensitive material about eating disorders Anikka Thorson & Molly Birch

editor-in-chief & managing feature

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nce you realize that you’re making a difference [in your weight], it’s a very powerful thing that you can change your body and you have complete control over yourself,” senior Paige Gilstad said.

As a sixth grader, Gilstad was first exposed to the concept of eating disorders when she saw a close friend struggling.

“I was like, ‘she seems really ill.

Does she need to go to the hospital? like, what’s wrong?’ because she was so skinny. And it wasn’t until then and I just kind of found out, like from my parents and stuff. And I would ask about it. That she had an eating disorder.

And that’s kind of how that event came to my knowledge.”

Gilstad began her battle with Anorexia nervosa in the seventh grade, a time when she felt as though she was losing control over most aspects of her life. She attributes many things to the development of her disorder, spanning from media portrayals of female body types to the issues she was struggling with at home.

“I was going through my parents divorce. Just being a preteen and stress and school and

photos courtesy of Katie Ellison

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An in-depth look into eating disorders, continued trying to figure out who [I was],” Gilstad said. “I felt like I didn’t have a lot of control over my life and there wasn’t many things I could do. So for some reason, I decided that the one thing I could control was what I put into my body. And, it was kind of like a battle against myself.”

The progression of her illness began slowly, originally adapting her diet to be more like her rather health conscious step dad, eating mainly whole foods.

“I didn’t immediately just go to ‘Okay, I’m going to stop eating’,” Gilstad said. “Over time, one thing after another I would eliminate from [my diet]. In the beginning, like cheese was okay. And then after a while, [I decided] cheese isn’t good for you. I’m going to cut that out. And then after a while, it was down to I didn’t eat anything with processed sugar, nothing with flour.

I mean, I basically just ate fruits and vegetables. And I was extremely picky about what I ate and when and it just started to take a toll.”

Although she didn’t want to admit it to herself, Gilstad knew deep down that there was a problem. Having complete control over the situation felt like a drug that she couldn’t get enough of.

“I was very defensive about it at first, because I didn’t even realize what I was doing,” Gilstad said. “I think it was always in the back of my head.”

One of the factors that contributed to the difficulty of Gilstad’s journey through Anorexia nervosa was the way it affected her family. It was especially difficult for her mom.

“This was so wrong on my part. I

Update September 27, 2018 just thought we could fix it,” Jeanette first, I started just introducing basic describe it to the customers,” Paige Gilstad said. “We would talk with things back into my diet.” said. “And so that was hard for me to her, we would would acknowledge A realization set in when she saw wrap my head around. But I was like, the situation, it was a really slippery her friends living a life without her. this job is really important. And I was slope, because for Paige it was. This is “My friends go out to get pizza,” like, this is one solid life choice that why we didn’t realize what was going Paige said. “I’m going to miss out on I’m making right now. And I just had on. She had just decided to become a that opportunity because I’m scared samples of every single flavor.” healthy eater, to be in a place Paige fully believes that going which, what of pizza around through this experience made her parent doesn’t people who are into the person she is today. want their kid eating pizza.”

“Some people are like, ‘Boy, are to eat healthy?

The main you embarrassed that it happened?’

I mean, we turning point that and I’m like, honestly, no, because were like, Paige attributes I can see a change and growth and great, but, to her recovery maturity,” Paige said. “And I mean, being overly was in sophomore everybody hits a low at some point, concerned year when she and I’m kind of glad I hit mine just about her got her first job at younger, and it’s over with and I was [being] Great Lakes Ice able to grow so much from it.” healthy and Cream. She was Jeanette believes that it would be eating healthy. excited to have a beneficial if eating disorders were At first it was job that paid, but more openly discussed. fine and then she soon found “It’s just something that nobody it just kept out that the job wants to talk about. Like it’s this ugly going, it just wasn’t going to little thing,” Jeanette said. “And it’s kept getting be as easy as she really unfortunate, because so many further and expected. people need support. I think there’s so Jeanette Gilstad, further “It was a much information that could be shared.”

Paige’s mom part of the job involved.”

Paige recommends taking it slow Through requirement that to get through an eating disorder. The therapy, Paige we all had to be problem may not go away overnight, realized that losing the weight wasn’t able to taste every single flavor to but little by little, recovery is possible her only motivation behind the eating know what it was like so we could if steps are taken. disorder. She saw that she had some underlying mental trauma that had never been dealt with that spiraled into Anorexia nervosa. Even though she was diagnosed with the eating disorder, there were other factors playing into her mental health issues.

“After I had started to recover from the eating disorder, there was still a lot of anxiety and depression and certain things that were going on,” Paige said.

When she began to understand how much the disorder was restricting her from social activities with her friends, Paige realized how much of of her life she was missing.

“I just completely closed myself off from everything,” Paige said.

“And it kind of wasn’t until I realized that this could ruin my relationship Photo by Giselle Mahoney with somebody. This is completely Quite the Artist: In her advanced 2D composition class, Paige Gilstad (senior), irrational like that. I’m like, ‘Okay, focuses to recreate a photo. The class is currently working on recreating photos of something here needs to change.’ At people that are important to the students lives.

“It’s just something that nobody wants to talk about. Like it’s this ugly little thing. And it’s really unfortunate, because so many people need support. I think there’s so much information that could be shared,”

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September 27, 2018 Update

17

Unseen Struggles of eating disorders Dissecting parallels between mental illness and disordered eating Emily Danielsen & Micah Damocles

13.5%

co-managing photo and page editor

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lose to 2.2 million teens suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life. That means about 5.4 percent of teens will be affected. Although those numbers leave a large impression, people aren’t fully aware of how eating disorders not only affect people’s physical health, but also their mental health.

Some eating disorders may even stem from other mental illnesses.

Senior Maryn Brown has suffered from Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) since the second grade. ARFID, previously referred to as “Selective Eating Disorder”, is a mental illness that restricts a person from eating a healthy amount of food out of fear of becoming ill.

Brown believed food was making her sick due to her anxiety. The anxiety manifested itself in the form of stomach aches. At a young age, Brown believed

1/3 of people with binge eating disorder are also diagnosed with major depression

that the food she was eating was causing her stomach to hurt, and it was not her anxiety that made her sick.

“I didn’t know about anxiety,” Brown said.”I didn’t know what depression was, I was too young. My family couldn’t think of an eight year old having something like that at that early of an age. And so to prevent myself from feeling sick, I wouldn’t eat. And then that just kind of became my habit.”

Developing a strong habit makes recovering a lengthier and more difficult process. Addressing the issue and seeking treatment early is important.

“One of the hardest things about eating disorders is the persistence of the disorder,” Dr. Jennifer Werries, a counselor at New Pathways, said. “It can be very difficult for the client to make those changes in both thoughts and behaviors that were once there.”

Finding a counselor may be hard for some, and it may take a long

69%

97%

of patients with

anorexia nervosa

of people hospitalized for an

also have obsessive

eating disorder had at least

compulsive disorder

one co-occurring mental health disorder

81%

1/4 people with an eating disorder also have symptoms

of people with bulimia

of post-traumatic stress

nervosa also have an

disorder

anxiety disorder

graphics by Madeline DeLong

Information from nationaleatingdisorders.org & eatingrecoverycenter.com

40-60%

of elementary school girls have concerns about weight regulation and body satisfaction that begin between the ages of 6 and 12

70%

of athletes have subclinical to clinical eating disorders

of sufferers will not seek treatment due to stigma, misconceptions, lack of education, diagnosis and lack of access to care.

time to find the right one. Getting a counselor that is trustworthy and helpful can make recovery a lot more manageable.

“I started counseling in sixth grade and switched between counselors and didn’t find one that I was really steady with until last year,” Brown said.

Some of the common signs of eating disorders include: fixating on body weight, basing self esteem on weight or body shape, feeling guilt and shame when eating, and drastic changes in eating habits. Parents and doctors may not always notice the person’s eating disorder until it becomes very noticeable and extreme.

“We have anorexia we have bulimia nervosa, we have binge eating disorder and then there’s other ones in the diagnostic category related to food, which may be considered less severe, but if left unnoticed, would go perhaps into another eating disorder,” Dr. Werries said.

For many, recovering from an eating disorder can be a long and difficult journey. Recognizing the signs and addressing the issues may aid in the recovery. Becoming healthier, and learning the value of self care can be a rewarding experience.

“I care about myself now,” Brown said. “I feel like with most eating disorders, a big part of it, regardless of what type it is, is the idea that you don’t deserve to eat. Something that’s so basic

to human life as just sustaining yourself.

The idea that if it’s anorexia, or bulimia, I’m not fit enough, I’m not thin enough to deserve food, or I’m not healthy enough to deserve food, or I just don’t like myself enough to feed myself.

So by feeding myself, that’s self care, that’s showing my body that I love it and want to take care of it as much as any other part of me.”

National Eating Disorders Association Helpline: 1-800-931-2237 For crisis situations, text “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line For more information, resources, and research on mental illnesses, visit the NIMH website at http://www.nimh.nih.gov

18 Feature

Eating disorders don’t discriminate

Update September 27, 2018

Athlete’s v. image image Eating disorders challenge athletes too Irshad Reza Husain & Giselle Mahoney

53%

hospitalizations involving eating disorders for male patients

1999-2009

males are at a higher risk of dying, due to their being diagnosed later because of assumptions that they do not have eating disorders.

males are at a higher risk of dying, due to their being diagnosed later because of assumptions that they do not have eating disorders.

62% 33% are affected by eating disorders when involved in diet, appearance, and weight affected sports.

40%

of those with a binge eating disorder are male statstics courtsey of NEDA graphics by Grace Sobeck

assistant business editor & staff writer

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s opposed to the general populace, athletes can be at a high risk of having or developing an eating disorder, according to a study conducted by the US National Institute of Health.

There can be many factors which may have an influence in this, chief among them being intense and rigorous workout routines, including dietary shifts, and training while still recovering from an injury.

The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) has reported that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. There are varieties of eating disorders that exist, with several different facets to deal with. Some of those can manifest into athletics, and create an even more complex issue to deal with.

“It is a challenge, as young adults and kids with anorexia nervosa want to keep a certain body image and have a certain body weight,” pediatrician Monica Dhar said. “As an athlete, they burn more calories which does not help in keeping the weight on and this creates a vicious cycle.”

In addition to that layer of complexity, a difference also exists in how an eating disorder affects women versus how they affect men - more women are diagnosed with eating disorders than men, according to Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center.

However, the NEDA stated that men in treatment can feel out of place when predominantly surrounded by the presence of women. This can be particularly negative, as they report that men who have eating disorders tend to

have a higher mortality risk than women.

Additionally, certain sports can be more prone to facilitating various harmful behaviors than others.

“In general, you’re going to see the athletes who are in what are considered more glamour sports, ones more focused on appearance, those are ones that you’ll see more eating disorders on,” certified athletic trainer Kassandra Voeks said. “Sports more focused on appearance, like gymnastics, swimming and diving, track and cross country, cheerleading especially for girls - and on the male side, wrestling - where they have to really focus on their body weight to perform - those will all be the main sports you’ll see them spring up in.”

To help deal with eating disorders, there are a couple signs to look out for, and a few courses of action that are recommended to be taken.

“Some early signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa, for example, are sudden and deliberate weight loss, food restrictions, irregular periods in girls, bowel changes, anemia, and skin and hair changes,” Dhar said. “To keep the lower level of activity in the sport such that there is not an increase of weight loss, eat frequently and in small amounts - calorie dense foods are key. Keep a positive self-esteem, and start and stay in cognitive behavioral therapy.”

While there can be different ways for the student and their doctor to help combat the effects of the eating disorder, there can also be ways that coaches or trainers assist the students with their best interests in mind.

“A big part of it is just trying to

be aware of the risk and keeping an eye on all of your athletes, making sure everyone’s eating healthy and taking care of their body,” Voeks said. “If you notice any changes, like with body change or eating habits, or just personality - when you notice those, to be more upfront about it and not let it go on. Confront that particular person, express your concern about their eating habits or their personality, and say you’re concerned for their well-being and you want them to seek help. Early detection and education on healthy eating habits helps by staying aware.”

Dealing with eating disorders can be a task that manifests itself in multiple different ways. Psychiatrist Suma Cherukuri believes that the best way to help is through nuanced solutions that give the athlete the attention they need and deserve.

“Maintaining a healthy body and mind is important for being successful in any area of life, especially athletics,” Cherukuri said. “If an athlete feels that they are experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, or if they notice that others around them are pointing this out to them, they need to seek help immediately. Time is a factor so that these individuals do not injure themselves further with the symptoms of their eating disorder.

When seeking help, it really should be from a multi-disciplinary team that would include both a primary care physician, mental health professionals like a therapist and psychiatrist, a nutritionist, as well as input from their coach and athletic trainers during their recovery.”

Feature

September 27, 2018 Update

19

10 Million 20 Million

experience eating disrders at one point in their life.

Age:

15-24

annorexia nervosa, highestleading cause of death

Media’s bodies

12X

higher than any other cause of death in this age group

How media influences body standards

statstics courtsey of NEDA graphics by Grace Sobeck

Katie Ramos & Mac Thackery

managing copy editor & assistant copy editor

W

ith social media being apparent in the lives of today’s youth, it’s influence on body standards seems to be growing. The way teens and adolescents are affected by social media goes farther than just online.

“With social media, students or anybody I guess is constantly seeing pictures, things going on around the world,” counselor Lori Hallberg said.

“Pictures of a more slender body may have more favorable responses, they might see negative comments over somebody who’s not what they may consider the ideal body.”

A classic image of societal perfection that is often portrayed online includesperfect skin, smooth hair, completely proportional body; these attributes can be detrimental in its effects. Society can be especially harsh on the youth of

today, leading to an added pressure on students and young adults.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), social media can amplify the characteristics of an eating disorder such as: obsessions, comparisons, and competition. That “perfection” depicted in images and comments is often a trigger for people with eating disorders.

“I think that’s a big thing to all the models and everything getting into Photoshop, some not being true to what their body really is,” Hallberg said.

There are many websites on the internet encouraging disordered eating. They often identify as part of the the pro-ana (pro-anorexia) or promia (pro-bulimia) movement. These websites tend to attract people who are easily affected by body dysmorphia.

“If they are looking for ways of possibly changing their appearance and they see this website promoting a quick and easy way of doing it, then they may follow it and not have a healthy outcome,” Hallberg said.

An eating disorder, however, is not directly caused by social media, according to Mental Health America. Media can serve as a trigger, and even worsen the severity, but the correlation does not equal causation in the sense that people see comments online and develop an eating disorder. Social media can be another cause of anorexia, bulimia or any other form of eating disorder. “[T]hat’s a psychological thing that’s fueled by social media, but it’s really a psychological acceptance thing to begin with,” psychology teacher Kathryn Snyder said. “Whereas social media

doesn’t necessarily cause these issues, but they can definitely intensify these issues.”

Both Snyder and Hallberg look at 1960s teenage model Lesley Lawson, “Twiggy”, as the beginning of the modern-day body standard. With a slender body, big eyes, and long eyelashes, she became an icon in the supermodeling industry in the 60s.

“To me, it has to do with being able to develop in yourself a level of self-compassion,” Snyder said. “See, I have value because I’m a human being, and it doesn’t have to be tied to my achievements - whether they’re [appearance] or academic achievements or sports achievements.

And figuring out a way to help all of us really, truly accept who we are, who they are, I think is the best way to tackle these issues.”

20 Sports

Update September 27, 2018

Grinding away Student athletes seek academic, athletic success Scho o Spo l W rts ork

Trevor McIntyre & Xander Brooks managing video & staff writer

I

n the world of sports, athletes spend countless hours per week perfecting their craft, whether that be sacrificing their early mornings before school, spending late nights on the field, or working Sunday mornings and weekends.

Ana Tucker is a senior who has been running cross country since Fleet Feet in 5th grade. Her daily schedule consists of going to school from 7:40 am to 2:25 pm, and then she has cross country practice from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm.

“It’s not very hard at all to keep up in school,” Tucker said. “After practice I always have plenty of time to get what I need done and still be able to get to bed on time. People think that maintaining a social life is hard when your schedule is packed, but it’s actually easier. Most of my friends run too, so I get to see them at practice.”

Some athletes say that their friend groups mostly consist of people who are in the same sport as them which works out great in the end. Another athlete who knows the struggle of balancing life and sports is senior Ally Jaster. Jaster is not only an athlete, but also a drum major.

Nick Sierocki: “The thing that drives me the most would be fullfilling what my coach wants me to do.”

“Today, for example, I had morning swim practice at 5:30 am, and then came to school,” Jaster said. “And I’ll go to practice right again after school at 2:40 pm and I’ll be here until 5:00 pm or shortly after, and then since I’m in band we have nightly band practice so I’ll be here until 8:00 or 9:00 pm.”

Athletes often put in the hours to improve themselves and their craft, and it shows in their events. For example, the girls swim team has won the SVL championship for the past 12 years. While some athletes say that they feel they get the recognition they deserve, some disagree.

“That’s hard because I would personally say no, but I think people also don’t understand how much effort actually goes into the sport and how much time we put in, because it’s so much different than a soccer team,” Jaster said. “I was on a soccer team and I loved the sport, but the practices after school are for only like two hours, whereas with swim it’s every day after school, mornings before school, practices Saturday, sometimes on Sunday, including all of the meets so it’s just a lot more [work].”

Failure is looked at very differently

Ally Jaster: “I think people don’t actually understand how much effort actually goes into the sport.”

by many athletes. Some see it as a burden or fear, others see it as a strength or way to learn.

“I think everyone’s a little afraid of failure, in the sense that if you fail people are going to look at you like you’re a failure and not appreciate what you’ve done,” senior Nick Sierocki said. “So a little bit, I would be afraid of failure.”

Compared to swim, football has a pretty standard practice schedule. For example, Sierocki’s daily schedule is less erratic and time consuming than a swimmer’s.

“My daily schedule is usually to wake up, eat breakfast, go to school first through sixth hour, get that over with, then practice usually goes from right after school until 6:00 pm,” Sierocki said. “After that I’ll get home, eat dinner, do homework, and then go to bed.”

One thing that drives some athletes to be better and win more is their coaches. For some athletes, their coaches are role models, mentors, and very important figures in their lives.

Succeeding isn’t only about winning for some players, it’s about improving and making their coaches proud.

“The thing that drives me the most would be fulfilling what my coach wants us to do, because he is such a big role model in all of the player’s lives,” Sierocki said. “So I think just doing what he wants and making him happy and having him look back on the season and say ‘they did what I wanted’ that would be what drives me the most.”

Students aren’t the only ones who feel the pressure of juggling school work and sports. Many coaches are also teachers and administrators.

Athletic director John Streeter has had an impact on DHS and the football program as a whole with over 20 years of experience.

“A lot of teams judge their sports seasons by wins or losses, I just like to see teams that improve.” Streeter said.

“I’ve always thought that if I work really, really hard to put kids in a place to be successful, they tend to put in the same effort and that results in success almost every time.”

Athletes lives are not all about Friday night lights, but also early Sunday mornings for swim and late evenings for band. Student athletes dedicated to their sports, social lives, and academics altogether.

John Streeter: “A lot of teams judge their sports seasons by wins or losses, I just like to see teams that improve.”

photos by Trevor McIntyre

l l i h y r r e B

September 27, 2018 Update

Sports 21

hits the World Series semifinal

Catching up with Barryhill players about making history

Grace Sobeck & Hayden Hetherington managing graphics & page editor

QUICK DELIVERY:(LEFT) Senior Jacob Stone slings a pitch at Northwood in the Gabby Mills tournament during the 2018 American Legion baseball season.

TEAM SPIRIT:(RIGHT) The 2018 Berryhill baseball team celebrates their regional championship win in Napoleon Ohio on August 12.

W

e were expecting to go home that game,” senior Michael Erickson said.

“When we were late in the game down 4-0 and I remember just the determination that everyone in the dugout had. No one was ready to be done and we ended up rallying four runs to go into extra innings.”

According to Midland Daily News, Midland’s Berryhill American Legion team made it the farthest they’ve been since winning the world series back in 2009, making it through regionals, then districts and states, all the way into the actual World Series before getting knocked out in the semifinals.

Although they did not win, spirits soared as they reached the semi-final game. Stone reminisced about the energy within the dugout during these suspenseful moments.

“We scored those runs and just everybody came back into the game and it was completely different,” senior

photos courtesy of AnnMarie Erickson

Jacob Stone said.

With the shift in energy, it became apparent that they were playing a different game of baseball: one more passionate and certain. Their preparation going into making it to semifinals should not be discounted.

The team worked their whole summer to prime themselves for the following World Series.

“It was the biggest commitment of my career between playing baseball and then preparing for the fall season for football,” Erickson said.

Berryhill’s season took up most of the boys’ summer with tournaments starting on Thursdays and ending on Sundays throughout the summer, these rigorous hours proved to be a commitment.

“I know some of the teams we played had people committed to schools like UC Berkeley out west or some of the East Coast teams had kids committed to Delaware State,” Erickson said.

The semi-final game played against Wilmington, Delaware, ended in a 5-4

loss. According to the American Legion website, Wilmington went 2-1 in their Stripes Division which outscored their opponent 11-8. Midland’s Berryhill team clearly posed lots of competition.

“It’s, like, the best team from each region,” Stone said. “So when we played they were all super good teams with kids [who were going] to go play in college and stuff.”

According to League Lineup this was the first time in 42 years that Delaware would be represented at the World Series. They had defeated close competition, Leesburg, Virginia going 10-0 which qualified them for an appearance at the World Series.

“Berryhill takes players from all over Mid-Michigan,” Erickson said. “So it’s a similar tryout [to Dow High], but it’s more competitive and on a much larger scale,” Players must stand out to make the cut for Midland’s American Legion team. Because this baseball team is collecting baseball players on a larger

scale, they have to be a five tool player: being able to hit for average, hit for power, to run the bases, to throw, and to field.

On top of the hard work needed to play at that level of competition, Erickson said a player needs humility.

“Especially playing at the World Series, it’s some of the most competition we’ve ever seen in our lives and you know there’s always gonna be players that are better than you,” Erickson said.

Erickson mentioned his thought process during the World Series.

Knowing the competition the boys were facing, it was helpful to keep themselves grounded to play an honest game.

After a long and hard-fought season, the Midland Berryhill team ended with a tough loss, but they came out of it with their heads held high. The returning players look forward to next summer for another chance to bring home a title.

22 Sports

Update September 27, 2018

A Legacy of Excellence

photo by Katie Ellison

Students, coaches share their thoughts on DHS’s history of success Ben Brueck & Madeline DeLong

page editors

T

here is a rich history of sporting success in the building and many of the teams have had winning seasons for multiple years. Boys varsity tennis has claimed seven state titles and won the Saginaw Valley League (SVL) 39 times. Girls varsity swim is another championship team, capturing the SVL championship for 12 consecutive years. With all of this, these athletes could feel a lot of pressure to uphold the legacy of their teams and their school. The pressure that students feel could either help or hurt the team by pushing them to do their best or causing more stress.

Boys varsity tennis has finished no worse than fourth in the state over the past decade.

“There is an expectation of our program that we will always win the SVL,” varsity tennis coach Terry Schwartzkopf said. “I think there’s an expectation of the program that we better come in first or second at regionals and then at states you know there’s an ebb and flow,” Schwartzkopf has been coaching tennis for 12 years, and has been with the team for six of their seven state titles.

These high standards and the teams outstanding track record lead to pressure on the athletes to perform and live up to prior years’ success. Sentthur

SKV has been on the varsity tennis team for three years and feels pressure to win every year.

“Pressure is kind of what drives me forward, even though sometimes it is actually kind of tough because the other teams are a lot better than you,” SKV said.

He uses the pressure he feels as motivation to grow as an athlete and perform to his best ability. In this case SKV uses the pressure as a tool to better himself.

Girls varsity swim is another sport where students feel the pressure of a win streak.

“We’ve won Valleys 12 years in a row now, so it’s like there’s a lot of pressure to get the 13th one and continue the legacy,” senior Chelsea Fenton said.

Fenton has been on the varsity girls swim team for four years, and said that this season the team has grown closer and have been making more progress than they have in previous years.

Fenton also explained how the pressure helps the team by pushing swimmers to attend practice.

She emphasized the importance of swim being a team sport and how the team has achieved success through closeness. The team’s expectations are that athletes try their best all the time and that mindset seems to win championships.

Other sports that dominate the SVL include boys varsity lacrosse they are undefeated in SVL

championships, boys varsity soccer, boys varsity swim, boys varsity golf, and girls varsity tennis.

This list gives an idea of the sporting legacy that students strive to uphold. It’s not just the athletes that contribute either, it’s all of the student body that supports them by either going to events, Charger Rallies, or playing in the band.

7

39

boys varsity tennis state titles

boys varsity tennis SVL titles

12

6

consecutive girls swim SVL titles

consecutive co-ed lacrosse SVL titles

Charger Triumphs

Sports 23

September 27, 2018 Update

What’s Happening Sports of life Boys Varsity Football

Record: 2-2 Next Game: Sept. 28 7:00 @ Saginaw

Jason Laplow Ben Laplow’s Look

Boys JV Football

photo by Katie Ellison

Boys Varsity Soccer

Record: 11-1 Next Game: Oct. 1 7:00 @ Midland

Boys JV Soccer

Record: 10-2 Next Game: Oct. 1 7:00 @ Midland

Swartzkopf’s Success

Q A

: Why do you think Dow has been so successful at tennis?

: Right now, you’ll find a lot of the best players in the state of Michigan don’t play but during at least the last 10 years the guys around here put egos aside and they played because they love the game.

Q

: Do you feel pressure to win championships, or matches in general?

A

: When I took over the program we hadn’t won in 23 years, so I didn’t really ever even contemplate winning a state title it was more about getting the best out of kids and for me in high school tennis is more than just about tennis as about raising young men up to be good men live in a culture where we’re taught lots of negative things and taught what not to do.

Record: 1-3 Next Game: Sept. 27 6:15 vs Saginaw

Girls Varsity Volleyball

Record: 2-1 Next Game: Oct. 2 7:00 @ BC Central

Girls JV Volleyball

Record: 1-1 Next Game: Oct. 1 7:00 @ BC Central

Girls Varsity Swim

Record: 4-2 Next Game: Sept. 29 11:00 @ Groves Quad

Girls Varsity Golf

Ranked 2nd in SVL Next Meet: Oct. 1 8:30 @ East Lansing

current as of Sept. 20, 2018

New Podcast Listen to Managing Sports Editor Jason Laplow’s new podcast, The Hot Corner, on iTunes and Spotify.

The podcast will correspond with the release dates of the Update each month. graphic by Jason Laplow

Sports are taken so seriously for good reason: they don’t really matter. In a world where innocent people are dying every day and the country is more divided than ever, sports provide an escape from reality and allow unity among the masses.

In 2018, an estimated 103.4 million people set aside everything that really mattered to watch the pinnacle of the NFL season, the Super Bowl. For that one night, everybody was united under the umbrella of football.

Conservatives and liberals alike tuned in, as did Jews and Muslims. Men and women tuned in, as did friends and enemies.

The Patriots and Eagles were fighting for nothing more than a Lombardi Trophy.

Not territory, not human rights, nor anything that really mattered. And while there were big hits and missed field goals, no one died.

This isn’t to say that sports don’t matter at all, however. Last fall, we were all witnesses to the feud between certain NFL athletes and the President of

the United States.

Ever since, you haven’t been able to find a person who doesn’t have an opinion on the matter. The NFL has even made certain regulations, likely persuaded by POTUS, to regulate its athletes’ freedoms.

Jackie Robinson broke into the MLB in the 1950s, becoming the first African American athlete to accomplish such a feat, and consequently broke down several race barriers in the process. Since baseball has been America’s lifeblood for a large portion of its history, it has changed the country around it on several occasions.

The point is, sports are kind of a mixed bag when it comes to their significance to culture. They’re popular because the people who watch them are trying to get away from the problems of the real world. That’s why the arguments that politics don’t belong in sport are as old as the games themselves, even though sports have proven time and time again their ability to change the world around them.

September 27, 2018 Update

Cloaked in tradition

Sports 24

Football traditions revived year after year

Hannah Raw & Sophie Ungerleider

managing social media & assistant managing social media

D

HS is among one of the many high schools that has its own fair share of school traditions. For the most part, these traditions aim to cheer on the many sports teams and clubs that students participate in. From marching the halls to charging the field, it’s not unusual to see staff and students cheering on their school.

CHARGER RALLY For any home football game, hearing the fight song projecting through the hallways is common. Students and staff line up along the walls and wait for those first notes of the tune. The four drum majors appear first and lead the rest of the band throughout the halls of the school.

“When the band marches the hall, students of all grades are able to come out of their classroom and watch as we play in honor of the football team,” senior Lee Novak said. “Everyone likes being supported for something that they are passionate about and work hard for.”

Trailing behind the musicians are typically the pom and cheer teams. With loud cheering for the band and the team, Charger Rallies aim to celebrate the football players and get ready for the game that takes place later that night.

CHEER/BELL The cheer team works towards performing complex aerobatic stunts in the air and entertaining the crowd of students in front of them. Although new cheers are added to the team’s performance, they always find ways to use the fan favorites from the beginning of cheer.

“Dynamite” is a notable example of this.

“My favorite cheers are “Dynamite” and “Chargers Chargers Are You Ready,” senior Chloe Welch said. “My favorite traditions are getting ready together as a team and listening to the Wop when we drive to the stadium.”

Their constant flipping, jumping, shouting, and stunting keeps the students on their feet, in touch with the game’s progress. Another cheerleading tradition is the bell. A member of the varsity cheer squad rings the bell every time the team scores. It electrifies the stands making it hard to miss when a player scores.

POM The pom pon team enters the stadium to the drumline cadence each home football game.

When a touchdown is scored by the football team, the squad has to kick the exact amount of points that DHS has on the scoreboard. If they mess up, however, they have to do equally as many push ups in front of the crowd. Once halftime arrives, the pom team makes their second appearance, center stage on the field, surrounded by the Charger Marching Band.

“I think you can’t do pom unless you like performing in front of a bunch of people, and just being able to share what you put so much effort and time into with all of the school is always great,” junior Emma Wright said.

DRUMLINE The drumline has a variety of traditions that they get to participate in.

“I just love the entire atmosphere and that the student section is very encouraging to the drumline. “My favorite thing to play for them is A Milli, but I also like anything we can do that they haven’t heard before,” senior Nick Bloom said.

Dancing with the pom team in jamout and countless stick flips are the extra details that go into the entire production. Jam out is a long-lived tradition where drumline plays a cadence and forms a semi-circle around the pom pon squad. During the MHS vs. DHS game, the two drum lines from opposing schools will participate in a drumline battle.

HALFTIME At every home game, band makes their halftime appearance. The 248 members work on a performance for showcase, a regional marching band competition held at the Midland Community stadium each year. The band then uses parts of that longer show to perform at halftime shows at football games.

As they march onto the field, the army of white jackets stand out in the field of green.

Each song, hand picked by band director Steve DeReese is arranged with a series of movements to make words, or an image, on the field.

“Performing with the Jefferson eighth

grade band for one home game is my favorite marching band tradition because it’s fun to see who will be joining us next year and it’s a cool experience for them as well,” drum major Isabella Rhee said.

Pom also performs along with band, including their DHS sequence. Spelling out D, H, and S with their poms before exiting the field, they continue the tradition that has been passed on each year. From loudly marching into the stadium to the elaborate pregame performance and a lengthy halftime show, the band makes it their goal to express their Charger spirit.

FLAG BOYS The energy when the football team scores is not complete without the flag boys. A job taken on by two seniors from the boys varsity soccer team. Their job is to raise the flag high and run whenever the team scores a touchdown.

To prepare for a game, these runners are painted all over their body.

“I enjoy being able to take part in my school by running the flag down the track,” senior Jordan Plewa said.

STUDENT SECTION The student section is an area exclusive to students that want to cheer on their team and be surrounded by their fellow peers. For every game, there is usually a theme that students are expected to follow. Themes like Hawaiian and black out are popular.

With the student section comes the student section leaders. This year, they’re Nick Lipsitt and Isaac Moolenaar. These students, usually seniors, are in charge of building up the energy and making sure students are rooting for their team. The leaders take responsibility for the spirit stick, a decked out stick that gets passed down each year to incoming seniors from the current leaders. Along with the spirit stick holders, there are also the students who are in charge of making the shakers for the section. Like the stick, this job gets handed down to chosen juniors. These people are responsible for handing out the shakers at football games and making sure they are returned. photo by Katie Ellison

Partners in Change: Psychological and Community Services, PLC 720 West Wackerly Street, Suite 11, Midland, MI 48640 4912 E. Pickard Road, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858 Telephone: 989-832-2165 Facsimile: 989-839-4376 Websites: www.midlandpsychologists.com www.mindfulnessformid-michigan.com www.eatingdisorderrecoverymidmichigan.com www.pawsitivehelper.com Email: partnersinchange@midmichpsych.com Resources for parents and students For parents or students looking to start treatment services, an excellent place to start is with your child’s pediatrician or by calling a local eating disorder specialist for an assessment. These professionals can help you determine the best level to initiate treatment.

For more information: Websites: ● Partners in Change: Psychological and Community Services, PLC, Eating Disorder Recovery of Mid- Michigan, website http://www.eatingdisorderrecoverymidmichigan.com/ ● Mid Michigan Eating Disorder Recovery Alliance (MMEDRA) website http://mmedra.com ● National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) website https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ ● Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) website https://bedaonline.com/ Hospitals in Michigan with Inpatient Services ● University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ● Beaumont Hospital, Troy Intensive Outpatient Programs ● University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ● Comprehensive Treatment for Eating Disorders, Grand Rapids

How to Approach Your Parents about Your Eating Disorder

By Rebecca Brumm, MA, LPC, Eating Disorder Specialist Reaching out for help with an eating disorder or about your challenges with food and your body image can be difficult. Eating disorders flourish in shame and secrecy. Thinking about opening up to your parents about your disorder can lead to concerns about disappointing them, fear they will be angry, or questioning if it is better to handle it on your own. Downplaying the disorder only allows it to grow and get worse for you.

Common myths about eating disorders stop people from getting treatment early, when recovery is most likely and causes needless suffering. Myths like, “It is not an eating disorder unless you are vastly underweight or are hospitalized,”or “Eating disorders aren’t that serious, they’re about vanity,” or “Eating disorders are just a phase or a cry for help” are not only incorrect, they make it even more difficult for the person suffering to overcome this potentially life threatening disorder.

Remember, recovery rarely happens in isolation. Having love, support, guidance, care and hope from others will make an enormous difference in your ability to fight and overcome your eating disorder. Your parent’s help will likely be the cornerstone of the support you need for your recovery from your eating disorder.

Below are a few ways to help support you in starting this conversation: ● Ask for a specific time and place to talk where you can give your parents your full attention and they are able to give you theirs. ● Be open and honest about your feelings, worries and needs. State the emotions you are feeling and what you hope your conversation will lead to. Helpful phrases might include, “I feel scared and sad about a health problem I am having,” or “I need your support and guidance to help me find treatment.” ● Be open to their response. Understand that your parent’s first reaction may be an emotional one. It’s important to know you are not responsible for other people’s feelings.

It is likely that if your parent’s first reaction is an emotional one that they may need space and time to regain perspective of the situation and will come back to you once they are better able to talk through things.

An eating disorder can take your life and often it is very difficult to love yourself while in the middle of one. Your parent’s unconditional love and support can help to loosen the grip of an eating disorder and help move you toward recovery. Although recovering is not an easy task, full recovery is possible. Many people go on to live happy and productive lives once they understand their disorder and gain skills to manage their emotions and behaviors. Lastly, parents may not be available to help in all cases. If this is your situation please consider reaching out to a trusted adult. A teacher, coach, guidance counselor, or other adult can offer support and help you find treatment.