Update September 29, 2017

Update Volume 40, Issue 1. Sept. 29, 2017 H. H. Dow High School

Volleyball team adopts new fundraiser Varsity volleyball players juniors Izzy Velasquez, Sophie Pennex, and senior Anna Blasy show love to adoptable pup, Hot Cocoa, while volunteering at the local Humane Society on Sept. 21. Proceeds from their game against MPHS went to Midland Humane Society. photo by Lillian Pressnell

page 19 4: FEMA Application deadline Oct. 12, 8-9: Parking Policy PRO/CON, 16-17: Too Juul for school, 22-23: Opioid Awareness

Update September 29, 2017

News

Letters

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

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

Open Column

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

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

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

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

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

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

Check out the Update

PHOTO MONTH

@dowhighupdate

photo by Tess Striebel

PLAYING BRASS WITH CLASS: Senior Michael Sebaly and junior Cody Hunt lead the baritone section of the marching band as they rally the school for the varsity football game against Flint Powers Catholic by marching the halls Sept. 22 during second hour.

REACTIONS ALVIN LOPEZ

“I think they’re doing good things to keep animals safe.”

9

MAYA BAKER “It’s sad obviously.

I feel really bad for them because they didn’t do anything to deserve this. I feel like it’s a terrible thing that’s happened. It’s devastating.”

10

SCOTT STOLZ “[My favorite part about fantasy football is] bragging rights with your friends.”

11

JAD SAFADI

“I actually think it’s a really dumb idea because when it snows, all the parking numbers are going to be covered up and we won’t be able to see anything and if one person parks in the wrong spot, it’s gonna screw up the whole system.”

PARKING RULES

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

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

FANTASY FOOTBALL

Staff Editorial

Mission Statement

OF THE

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

NATURAL DISASTERS

Distribution

HUMANE SOCIETY

2

12

September 29, 2017 Update

THE FEED

National Day of Silence Robert Heyart staff writer

New district attendance policy

MPS attendance policy has changed at the high school level. At this time, students will not be penalized for surpassing a specific number of missed class periods, but they must still abide by the make-up work policy for each class.

“We were not in compliance with a required end of course assessment requirement,” Superintendent Michael Sharrow stated in an email.

Previously, if a student were to miss 12 or more days in a class, they would have to score a minimum of 70 percent or higher on the final exam in order to receive credit for the class.

This policy has been terminated.

“It is your job to be in school every day ready to learn,” principal Steve Poole announced to the student body on Sept. 14.

“You do get paid for attending school. The average salary of high school dropouts is $20,000. The average high school dropoutwill make around $1 million less in career earnings than a college graduate will. Come to class prepared to learn and succeed.”

New environmetal club at DHS

The Go Green Club held it first meeting on Sept. 21 and its focus is on the environment.

Meeting in room 220 on Thursdays, Go Green is all about helping to recycle and produce less trash. The adviser helping to construct this club is math teacher Cindy Roberts. Some of Go Green’s ideas are to push for recycling bins in the hallways to help reduce the amount of reusable paper going into the trash can, possibly doing some clean-ups, and help to spread awareness of the trash problem.

Homecoming Parade Oct. 5

Homecoming is only a couple days away, and organizers and clubs are getting their banners finished in order to participate in the Homecoming parade. This parade is on Oct. 5 starting at 4:15 pm. No seventh hours are being held in order for students to participate. The students marching in the parade will line up on Oakridge Dr. across from Calvary Baptist Church and travel down Perrine Rd into the DHS parking lot in front of the Gold gym.

News 3

Back in the swing of things Letter from the Editor New school year, new Update staff, excited and ready to bring to you all the news of yesterday and today. This year our staff is filled with many newcomers looking to keep the journalism trade alive.

We‘re all learning the ropes in our new positions, but I assure you our number one goal has remained the same: to educate, inform, and entertain all of our faithful readers.

With that being said, welcome to the very first issue of the 2017-2018 school year!

There have been rumors that traditional journalism is dying, however, they are just that: rumors.

The first amendment includes five basic rights given to the United States citizens, one of them being freedom of the press. It is my hope that as long as there is a constitutional right, Update will unceasingly report the news in order to serve the people.

For those of you unfamiliar with our school publication, we are a public forum distributed free to the students and staff of DHS, and our

UPDATE ONLINEupdate.dhs.mps.k12. mi.us Inside Central Park Elementary Video by: Trevor McIintyre The school opened it’s doors for the first time this school year. It provides a unique opportunity for students to be immersed in STEM education with makerspace classrooms.

vision is to bring to your hands what you want to read and what you need to read. In that respect, we hope to meet ground somewhere in-between for each reader that picks up our publication. On that note, our staff doesn’t make up the stories we report, we find them, and we tell them.

We encourage our readers to follow the news reported by the Update staff past our print edition, through our multimedia portals that we have set up in order to be up to date on news coverage day in and day out. This year we will continue to communicate through social media. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Many stories span to our Update online website where we also post videos to better capture stories through word of mouth. This issue, exclusively on the Update online, you can see an inside look on the new STEM Elementary School, Central Park, that is now up and running.

In the first print edition of the year, our staff has tackled topics we

feel are relevant to our readers. If you or anyone you know was affected by the flooding that took place this summer, find out how to apply for FEMA before the deadline in Zach Parfeniuk’s story. Be sure to check out Ben Zeitler’s story about opioid addiction awareness, inspired by the Legacy Center, to see the effects of prescription drugs on students’ and community member’s lives. For all of the sports fanatics out there, take a look at John Rettig’s fantasy football how-to.

Lastly, Update is a public forum for student expression, so if you feel there is something our staff should cover don’t hesitate to contact us.

Enjoy the issue,

Maggie Duly

4

Update Update September 29, 2017

News

US’ homework: finding qualified teachers

Interest in educational degrees declines, creates concern for classes Katie Ellison managing photo

A

ll around the country, schools have been seeing a drastic decrease in applicants for teaching positions.

“When I first applied for a job, I remember coming into Midland Public Schools 21 years ago, there were like 500 people that applied for the social studies job that I was able to get,” Principal Steve Poole said. “This year there was one and a half social studies jobs and there were 99 candidates.”

According to the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant applications for science, mathematics, and foreign language teachers are all current fields lacking educators.

The University of California’s national study shows that in 2016 just 4.6 percent of incoming college freshman have education as their probable field of study. Since these

studies began in 1971, this rate has been on a steady decline.

“I have wanted to be a teacher as long as I can remember,” social studies teacher Chelsea Berg said. “I think that I have always had the desire to help people learn new things.”

However, Berg’s biggest conern was finding the perfect district for herself after graduation.

Unique electives tend to be the toughest spots to fill at DHS. Business and special education courses are particularly difficult. For the two special education jobs that were open this year, only nine applied.

“Special Education is a tough area,” Poole said.

For the business opening, they were not able to find anyone.

“Mrs. Majestic was able to more over full time which was good,” Poole said. “But her move effected teaching positions at Midland High.”

Other than business, unique

electives are more difficult to find educators for. ‘’Industrial education is also tough area,” Poole said.

Although the industrial education position was filled three to four years ago, it was very difficult to find people. The lack of teachers is due to a variety of reasons.

Over the past eight years, satisfaction has decreased from 62 percent to 39 percent of teachers describing the profession as very satisfying according to a MetLife poll. This is the lowest it has been in 25 years.

“We’re not in the same environment when it comes to teachers, or really educators as a whole, having the respect that they once did,” Poole said.

Education is often looked at as a cause for all these problems, which Poole believes may

keep people from pursuing the teaching profession.

“While I’ve had many great moments since the start of school, my favorite part so far has been getting to know my students,” Berg said.

However, those who are still interested in teaching aren’t the type of people that are in the profession for the paycheck.

“New teachers will not have the same pension that people who are already in the system would have,” Poole said.

He describes teaching as a passion, and it’s truly not cut out for everyone. I think that I have always had the desire to help people learn new things.

“It has to be a calling,” Poole said. “It has to be something you want to do.”

graphics by Farryn Cook

News

September 29, 2017 Update

5

The choice shouldn’t be life or home Dre’s Discussions

Road to recovery

Enrique Sanchez, a two-month-old, was diagnosed with pyloric stenosis. Pyloric Stenosis is a condition that caused serious vomiting, dehydration, and weight loss in infants. The parents were informed that the photo by Carol Eigsti situation was curable. got knocked down, but other stuff Their doctor told them is being replaced.” that they would need to Other students were impacted go to Driscoll Children’s by the flood, and still feel the Hospital, in Corpus effects, but through local aid, and Christi, Tx. Although it government aid through FEMA, was only just a few hours the path of recovery is in sight. up the highway, for them, FEMA’s primary objective is it was a blue moon away. to coordinate the response to Being that they were disasters in the United States, undocumented, they would including pre-planned protections be obligated to pass the or evacuations before a disaster border patrol checkpoint. occurs, and providing relief They had a tough dilemma efforts and recovery after a at hand. While deciding disaster has occurred. FEMA whether or not to go, provides insurance for lost or a border patrol agent damaged furniture, vehicles, showed up. The agent buildings themselves, and other said that they could escort types of equipment. This can them to the hospital safely, apply to renters as well. In order but when they arrived to receive aid, there is a sign up they would be taken away online as well as phone numbers from their kid and would to use for registration. be arrested. The couple To sign up online, go to FEMA. agreed to do so. gov and follow instructions to fill Under President out the application. FEMA’s phone Barack Obama, the lines are found with the following Department of Homeland numbers: 800-621-3362, 800-462Security formulated a 7585 (TTY users), and 800-621policy that immigration 3362 (711 or video relay services). agents should avoid These lines are open from 7 am enforcement in schools, to 11 pm EST every day. For those hospitals, churches, and who have questions about flood public demonstrations, related issues specifically, FEMA’s unless there are regional office in Chicago, Illinois special circumstances. can be contacted with the number: The Sanchez’s 481-800-611-6122. hour nightmare with

FEMA applications for flood damages due Oct. 12 Zach Parfeniuk staff writer

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a government agency in charge of pre-planning and recovery efforts in the face of natural disasters, has application deadlines due Oct. 12 for Midland citizens affected by the flooding that happened this summer.

Over the summer, from June 22 to June 27, Midland experienced historic flooding, with many residents having their homes flooded and in some cases, entire rooms, even houses were destroyed. Several DHS students were significantly affected by the flood, and some had to move houses. Senior Duncan Donahue was one of the many Midland residents that had their basements flooded.

“We got around 56 inches in our basement,” Donahue said. “Our backyard is Sturgeon Creek, and the creek came into the house.”

However, unlike some others, the effects of Donahue’s flooded basement went even farther than a fully furnished basement.

“That was my room, so it was completely gutted,” Donahue said.

“It’s almost repaired but it’s not quite there yet, so for the last couple months. I’ve been sleeping in my 10-year-old brother’s room, which has been an experience.”

This had even more of an effect on Donahue’s summer as his schedule got rocked by the flood.

“Debate files, standard essay, college app stuff. Sharing a room with a 10-year-old means that the amount of time you can be in your room working is a lot less,” Donahue said. “I spent a lot more time in coffee shops.”

Sophomore Elizabeth Stoecker had her entire house flooded.

“We got about three and a half feet in our house,” Stoecker said. “So 90 to 95 percent of all of the stuff in our house was gone.”

Stoecker ended up losing most of her belongings during the flood, but after the flood, relief came from her neighbors.

“We had some people in our neighborhood that were impacted more severely than us,” Stoecker said. “We had a lot of people from the neighborhood come to help us and provide things for us, which was very nice.”

Stoecker had to move immediately after the flooding, so there wasn’t a lot of time for a true vacation, but as of the start of the school year, she is on the path to recovery.

“Yes, we are still recovering, because we did lose a lot of stuff,” Stoecker said. “Some things you can’t replace, like pictures that

Andre Buckley federal agents goes to show that the Trump administration will go to round up people illegally, whether they have a criminal record or not.

I believe that everyone should be able to live where they want, especially since we claim to be, “the land of the free.” Although it is a difficult topic, I believe that immigration is a good thing.

Without immigration American would not even be the land it is today.

Did we all forget that America was founded by immigrants? Many people say immigrants are taking the Americans job, which in a sense is true.

However, like any other person, they put in blood, sweat, and tears just like any other person to get those jobs.

To shut down immigration would plummet the economy.

How would you feel if you worked diligently and eventually received your diploma only to be arrested hours later? Is it all because something that says, “I am American?” Many children come to America and have adopted the American culture since day one and are discriminated against and are considered illegal. I find this outrageous and it need to be fixed soon.

6

Feature

Update

September 29, 2017

Florida Flooding: (all) Florida resident, Gretchen Petrie, stayed in her community near Fort Meyers, Fl. throughtout Hurricane Irma. Petrie and friend went through nearby homes to help rescue pets. The neighborhood experienced many down trees due to high winds and extensive flooding. After the storm she was without power for 12 days. photos courtesy of Gretchen Petrie

Natural disasters devastate country Texans, Floridians forced to evacuate, lose homes due to hurricanes Andre Buckley & Zane O’dell

managing news & staff writer

T

hroughout Houston, thousands are struggling everyday to find a place to call home.

The United States has been experiencing numerous life threatening natural disasters recently. A natural disaster is defined as a “catastrophic event that is caused by nature or the natural processes of the earth”. The austerity of a natural disaster is measured in the amount of casualties, economic loss, and the ability to rebuild the population of the specific area affected.

Events that occur in unpopulated areas aren’t necessarily considered disasters. Recently, as a nation have encountered a lot of different types of natural disasters. Hurricane Harvey was a catastrophic and extremely destructive Atlantic hurricane which became the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005. It ended a record 12-year drought in which no hurricanes made landfall at such

an intensity in the country. In a four-day period, many areas received more than 40 inches of rain as the storm meandered over eastern Texas and adjacent waters, causing life threatening flooding. With 51.88 inches, Harvey is the wettest tropical hurricane on record in the United States. The resulting floods eradicated hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott will need more than $125 billion in federal relief. It affected 13 million people from Texas through Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. As of Sept. 14, 2017, 82 people have died.

Throughout Houston, thousands are struggling everyday to find a place to call home. Fortunately Anderson Parets, a former DHS student, and his family, took shelter in Missouri City, Texas nearby Houston, Texas.

“My streets flooded with water, and the city ordered

an immediate evacuation to everyone around us,” Parets said during a phone interview. “We stayed with someone that offered us a house on the street. My parents trusted them because they had children as well as us”.

Many schools were affected and flooded, and hundreds of schools were shut down. Parets said his school was closed for 24 days straight, he and his family are back at home safe.

Hurricane Irma has all but destroyed most of Southwestern Florida. The damages are staggering, and are estimated to cost about $200 billion-$290 billion according to multiple sources. The destruction that Irma has left in its wake will more than likely take a long time to be paid off and fixed, possibly even years of rebuilding to get everything else back to the way that it once was. The death toll from Irma as of Sept. 15 is at an average of 30.

September 29, 2017

Update

egory 5 t a C

How disasterous is it?

According to the National Oceanic and Atmosphereic Administration official website, there are five categories hurricanes fall under based on the damage and winds that occur. If a hurricane does not reach the status of a Category 1 it is classified as a tropical storm. The National Parks Service also rates wild fires in color coded categories.

Irma, Ma

ria

People whose homes and daily lives that thrive in southwestern Florida had to evacuate the cities and homes that they lived in due to orders from certain authorities. One of these evacuees, Meghan Thiel, a DHS alumna who graduated in 2008, and is now living in Florida before she had to evacuate.

“I felt very panicked, and kind of anxious, right until we got onto the plane,” Thiel said during an interview over the phone. “Even though we’ve had our hurricane kit prepared, there’s still so much anxiety and panic in the community.”

Before her and her family left, Thiel decided to go buy and gather supplies from local grocery stores, and when she arrived, all of the shelves with non-perishable items were completely empty.

“It looks very weird, it almost feels apocalyptic,” Thiel said.

While people like Meghan Thiel and Anderson Parets and their families were safe during the tropical storms, freshman Mercedes Krueger had her family right in the middle Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and she could do nothing about it other than ask her grandmother how she was doing.

“She said that their house is completely gone,” Krueger said. “It’s definitely not there because where they live, the hurricane hit exactly, because we’re on like the edge of the island, so it completely knocked out everything.”

The destruction resulted in 100 percent loss of power for the island.

The raging wildfires in the western United States are adding to the mix of disasters. As many as 90 percent of wildfires are caused by humans. Wildfires can be caused by forgotten campfires, gas, oil, lava, or even the beaming sun rays. Along with the vigorous hurricanes the United State has had, the country is also experiencing a lot of wildfires in the west.

Idaho has been through alot with wildfires covering hundreds of square miles. Idaho’s largest wildfire is burning in a rugged wilderness area. Authorities say they plan to protect the bridges, a ranch, and other important areas that have potential to be ruined by this 110 square mile blaze.

Whether it’s the hurricanes in the southeast, or the raging destructive wildfires of the western states, the United States’ natural disaster problem is indeed an issue that will take a long time to deal with and a lot of finances to clean up. Not only is the physical terrain of the country going to suffer, as well as the finances, but people are feeling the effects of these tragedies more than possibly thought.

“We’re thankful that we are safe, and we are thankful that our pets are safe up here,” Thiel said. “I would almost compare it to survivor’s guilt. You don’t know what’s going on down there.”

Feature 7

157 mph or higher

Catastrophic damage will occur

egory 2 Cat

tegory 4 a C ve Har

Katia

y

96-110 mph

130-156 mph Catastrophic damage will occur

egory 3 Cat

Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage

tegory 1 Ca

74-95 mph

Dangerous winds will produce some damage

111-129 mph

Devastating damage will occur

Low (Green) Fire starts are unlikely

Very High (Orange) Fires start easily from all causes and may spread faster than suppression resources can travel

High (Yellow) Wildfires are likely

Extreme (Red)

Fires will start and spread rapidly Moderate (Blue)

Some wildfires may be expected graphics by Quinn McCaffrey

8

Update September 29, 2017

Opinion

PRO: New parking for the new school year

Assigned spaces are to be faster, stressfree, more organized Faye Kollig

page editor & assistant copy manager

A

FAQ’s

t the bottom of each parking space in each lot surrounding DHS, there is a small white number that has made a big positive impact on the efficiency and safety of the morning, lunchtime, and afterschool traffic congestion.

“This is one of the safety precautions that a lot of schools have done because it lets us know who’s here, who’s not here, so we can keep better track of that,” assistant principal Julie Villano said. “It was something that was talked about last year. [After] MHS did [the assigned parking spots], there was a push for us. I think we try to be as consistent as we can between the two high schools. One big push we’ve had at Midland Public Schools is safety. The quote that our superintendent says is ‘safety is not convenient’,

so I know it sometimes may seem like a bit of a hassle, but better safe than sorry.”

For security guard Richard Lacosse, the numbered parking spaces make his job of keeping the school safe a lot simpler. With this system, he is able to tell quickly whether or not the correct vehicle is in its spot, which enables him to cover more ground.

“It’ll make it even better next year when they match the number on the ground with the number on the permit,” Lacosse said.

Aside from security, the numbered spots have other beneficial side effects. One of these is the ease with which a student can be informed of any problem with their vehicle. For example, if a student has accidentally left their headlights on, they can be notified and sent a pass before the

battery runs out on their vehicle.

A more practical consequence of the assigned parking spots is the reduction of traffic congestion in the parking lot. If a student knows exactly where they’re going, they don’t need to drive around the school searching for an empty spot. Not only does this reduce traffic, it also reduces the time each student has to spend in the parking lot, making it easier for them to get to class on time.

“I think it’s really convenient because it prevents me from being late to school, especially because it’s such a hassle to find a parking spot since I come in quite late,” junior Carljin de Smet said.

“It’s easy to know exactly where we go.”

A third result of assigned parking spots is the creative license it allows each student. As long as the decorations can be washed away, each student is free to decorate their spot to their taste.

This is an added bonus, but the main purpose of the assigned parking spaces was security and clarity.

“There is less confusion,” junior Alex Sinclair said. “It’s not just everyone fighting for the same spot, so there’s more organization. You know who’s in what spot. You know who’s supposed to be there, so it’s not just a random car, and they have records on whose car’s in what spot.”

Q

Q

A

A

: What do I do if someone parks in my spot or if their car is overflowing into my spot?

: Park in the 1-20 spots or staff spaces and report to the office. A pass will be sent to the student whose car is in the way, and you will be able to move your car to your assigned spot.

How do you feel about the new parking arrangement ?

0

40

80

Dislike the new policy

1

2

3

Neutral

4

5

Really like the new policy Results of a survey of 215 DHS students given on Sept 15 Graphic by Amelya Jankens

: What if I haven’t gotten my license yet?

:You have to wait until you get your license before you can purchase a space, and your options will be whichever spaces remain vacant.

September 29, 2017

Update

Opinion

9

CON: Parking creates confusion, chaos

Unclear rules leave students unsure of new parking arrangement Jenna Wray

page editor he new parking system at DHS, implemented with little warning, has become an enormous source of perplexion and frustration for students unsure of its purpose and mechanics.

The most common issue with the new parking system seems to be that some students are parking in the wrong spots. If a student parks in the incorrect spot, the owner must then go report the incident to the office to get the situation sorted out, which is a big inconvenience. Additionally, if one student parks in the wrong spot, others could follow suit. Senior Andrew Kozerski had students park in his spot twice in one week.

“I really wish people would park in the spots

T

Q A

they’re assigned to,” Kozerski said. “It’s like, there are numbers on the ground, use them.”

Some students, such as Kozerski, think that the problem of students taking incorrect spots could be solved by painting them.

Assistant principal Julie Villano said students are able to decorate their spots with chalk or other non permanent materials, however, students don’t like this because these wash away in the rain.

“I would let kids put a design in their spots so they would know where to park because the numbers are really hard to see, so if you were able to paint something in your spot it would be really easy ‘oh, I did that, I need to park there’,” Kozerski said.

Winter weather may cause more confusion. If the parking lot isn’t properly plowed in the winter, the numbers painted on the spaces may blend into the snow or get covered up.

: If I know someone is absent, can I park in their spot?

: No. Security guarde Rick Lacosse will report you to the office and you will have to move your vehicle. if you repeatedly park in the wrong spot, your permit may be revoked.

People may not be able to see their spot number, which may cause them to park in the wrong spot.

However, the problems don’t stop there. Many girls on the swim team are having issues with the new parking system. They had to pick spots close to the band room so they could get to morning swim practice on time. After swim, they have to move their cars to their assigned spot, which many consider a nuisance.

This causes lots of resentment toward the system.

“Even though the office has set aside parking spots for the swimmers, the issue [of parking during morning practice] isn’t resolved,” junior Veronica Matthews said. “It’s just a hassle and a time problem.”

Some prefer the old parking system, knowing that the sooner they get to school, the better spot they’ll get. Quite a few students get to school early every day, so it’s an obvious annoyance to

Q

have to park further away while someone else who gets to school later would get a better spot. This allows students to be able to park in either parking lot, and deal with the issue of morning swim practice.

“If I get to school earlier, I’d like to get a closer spot to the school, and also depending on what I’m doing on that day, I’d like to decide what parking lot to use,” Matthews said. “With swim I know they do reserved spots but a lot of times, it’s just, I just want to park where I want to park.”

Some students, including sophomore Evan Metiva, are upset about the office not letting them get parking spots until they get their license. These students will receive any spots that have not been purchased.

According to Villano, they can’t sell spaces

: What are the rules about decorating your spot? : You may use any decorations or coloring that wash away.

A

to students without their license because there are limited spaces. As of Sept.

12, the office only had four more spots to sell until the band season is over, which will further limit the options of students who will be getting their license in that time period.

“I don’t think it’s very fair because I’m going to get my license soon, like this semester,” Metiva said. “I don’t think it’s very fair that I can’t have a parking spot, that I’ll just be kinda out of luck, it’ll be either really bad or really far away.”

The new parking system poses many problems, but the office is working to resolve the issues. Next year, changes to the system may be made to accommodate the wishes of many students.

If a student is experiencing any problems with the parking situation, they should contact the office.

Q A

: Why was this system implemented? :In order to improve safety and accountability, enabling the security guard to identify cars that should not be in the parking lot.

Graphics by Farryn Cook

10 Opinion

Update

Tasteless Life

Lillian Presnell My Turn When I was an infant, my mother fed me some apple juice for the first time. I got violently ill.

Shortly after, I ate a baked good and suddenly felt an “itchy” sensation in the back of my mouth.

After a few more times, I learned not to eat cookies anymore. Anyone I would tell would just look at me funny. Fast forward to present day, the amount foods I can eat is fewer than the amount I’m allergic to.

As a doctor would put it, almost 16 years after the apple juice incident, my entire life has been like a ship sailing aimlessly around the sea.

My first allergy test was in the second grade, after we had figured out that my throat was not supposed to feel “itchy”.

I cried with every stroke of the 60 needles that pierced my back. The test showed that I had allergies to more than half of the foods tested.

Yet, half of my family did not believe I had allergies, and I don’t think they believe it to this day.

The other half has given me an endless stream of support. My friends lie somewhere in the middle.

For some reason, people, especially my friends, have always thought that it’s funny to use my allergies as the butt of the joke, somehow

lessening my allergies in the process. I close myself off, hoping they get the idea that I don’t appreciate the teasing. You wouldn’t make fun of a disabled person, so why make fun of me? It’s the same thing, it just isn’t visible.

The second time I got tested was in the fourth grade. My allergies had changed. I had gained and lost allergies. I was confused, but I listened to the doctor. I believed him when he told me that I didn’t need an EpiPen. One night, after eating something I was allergic to, I went for a run, resulting in me screaming in pain alone in my house with no EpiPen to save me, as physical activity exasperates my condition.

It took me almost dying for some people to start believing me.

I visited Dr. Leo for the first time this summer.

He told me that I have eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic, allergic inflammatory disease of the esophagus which causes my throat to have eczema-like patches on it, and because it’s happened so much, my throat is permanently damaged. I also have oral allergy syndrome, terrible seasonal allergies, asthma, and regular food allergies.

So I guess you could say my ship has finally docked, thanks to Dr. Leo.

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

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 Maggie Duly by Oct. 6, 2017.

September 29, 2017

Education can clear the smoke around drug abuse Knowledge key to prevention Staff Editorial

K

eeping students informed about addiction is important for ensuring that students make the right decisions for their future. It’s crucial to inform students about the dangers and effects of addiction. If there were more programs or courses to help to educate students about drug and alcohol abuse, it might help to better the decisions students will make down the road and cut down the addiction numbers seen in the world today.

Education about drug and alcohol abuse begins at an early age in Midland, MI with a program called the Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or better known as D.A.R.E. In hopes of prevention, this program helps to teach students about the negatives of participating in gang related activities, violent behavior, and drug usage.

Even though D.A.R.E. is a K-12 program, locally it’s taught in elementary schools-where most students might not even know what a “drug” is. This program prepares young students for things like potential peer pressure incidents later on in life.

Since the student participants of D.A.R.E. are so young, they might not understand the concept of abuse toward drugs and alcohol. Which is why it’s so critical to keep informing students about these concepts as they grow older.

The Legacy Center has started

educating high school athletes about opioid misuse this fall.

Opioid is just one type of pain medication some athletes might use recreationally. The program can help students to understand what might happen if they abuse drugs such as opioids. This is very beneficial to building onto that basic education students received in D.A.R.E. Students are required to take the class health and wellness.

This class touches base about different types of drugs and other important things along the line of prohibited activities. However, students have the option to instead of taking the course, test out of the class. Which means they won’t be required to take the course.

Over the years, some students have discovered the easy way out of the class. Which includes borrowing a friend’s notes from the actual course to then use on the test in order to pass with flying colors. This allows for students to pass the test and not retain any information that could be collected by actually taking the course.

Learning about the consequences and side effects of drug or alcohol abuse can limit the chance that students will later on become addicted. It is critical to inform students about the effects and dangers of drug and alcohol misuse at the age where things like peer pressure are present on a daily basis. graphic by Amelya Jankens

September 29, 2017

Update

Opinion 11

Athletics teach valuable lessons

“Popular Opinion 50% Off”

Sports, recreational or competitive, benefit students Staff Editorial

A

ccording the US Department of Education, out of the 49 million students enrolled in public schools, over 3.5 million of them were suspended at some point.

Some of these students are involved in sports activities.

Athletes tend to serve as role models of their schools and when their actions are out of poor judgement, the consequences are set to deprive them of their athletic status.

We believe that students that have suffered an athletic suspension benefit from the district’s appeal process and will further benefit from joining no cut sports. When a student is involved in any type of sport,

their time for other, perhaps questionable, activities is constricted. With practices, games, team meetings, etc. an athlete can become engulfed in the time management a high school sport requires. If their time is taken up with the demands of a high school sport, they will have less time to be able to make bad decisions.

Sports can also teach many important qualities. One of the main ones we believe that a team can give an athlete is perseverance to overcome challenges. A suspension can be a wake up call, and being able to get past this can be hard for some students. Joining any team can remind students of

how strength can get them past difficult times.

Another big thing that comes from being involved in sports is teamwork. Having a loyalty to any team that is joined can be reason enough to stray from the peer pressures of high school. Also holding themselves accountable for actions they make on a team will help students with positive outcomes in their day to day life.

Even if a student initially does not give priority to about the team they are walking on, spending so much time with a close knit group and student athletes with good moral compasses will help prevent an altercation with suspension in the future.

Editorial Cartoon by Faye Kollig

Cartoon by Iris Funaioli “A Student’s Struggle”

12 Opinion

September 29, 2017

n u f e h e k t i l s e k oo ic

ht l w g i t n , g s in a m o e c e d m i

e r ho u h o t y t a e h c w i e e TTawke quiz to s egee yrn M editor m a C e k& pag

Coo n& Farrynaging desig Man

Let’s talk about dates baby: Should proposals be extravagant or simple?

Dressing Up: How much money and time is put into the outfit?

A)Extravagent proposals are meaningful!

“I think it should be more simple than prom, but still out there. I like puns, puns are good.”

Logan Elliott, senior

A) Go big or go home!

“The most I’ve spent on a homecoming dress is $300, and I don’t usually spend that much time thinking about it, I just go to a dress shop and pick out the one I like.”

Paiton LaBeau, senior

B) Be simple.

“When I was younger I thought it would be cool to be asked in a cool way, but now as a senior just someone asking you is okay”

Britney Bawar, senior

B) Keep it causal.

“I don’t really stress about it, I just look in my closet for something I like. Or I’ll get something for cheap, I don’t like getting a fancy dress.”

Kimia Biegzedea, sophomore

September 29, 2017

Getting Dinner: Upscale, or lowkey?

A) Going out adds to the night. “[I prefer going to] places like the country club. I like going to upscale places that aren’t overly expensive.”

B)Stay in and get takeout or a home cooked meal.

“For homecoming I prefer keeping it at home, getting takeout.”

Logan Elliott, senior

Paiton LaBeau, senior

Taking Pictures: How long does spend taking pictures take?

After dance festivites:

Opinion 13

A)The shorter, the better. “[I go to] to the country club, [I’m there for] 30 to 45 minutes.”

“Usually we take a lot of time for pictures, I like to go to different locations. One time we went to Dow Gardens and Bay City.”

Kimia Biegzedea, sophomore

A) Continue the party!

What happens after the dance?

B)Taking time insures good pictures

Britney Bawar, senior

B) Go home and relax.

“[After the dance I] hangout with friends.”

“Nobody really stays at the dance the whole time.

And if there is something to do I’ll go but if not I’ll probably just go home.”

Nick Wray, senior

Paige Gilstad, junior

Choices were mostlyA’s:

Choices were mostlyB’s:

The DHS student who gravitated towards the A answers acknowledges that homecoming can be fun without spending money, but the extra touch can add to the experience. “[Homecoming is about] having an experience you don’t normally get to have with a group of friends,” senior Logan Elliott said.

The DHS student who chose mostly B’s knows that money can equate to a perfect homecoming.

This student believes that a good homecoming is dependent souly on the people time is spent with, regardless of the dollar amount spent. “[Homecoming is about] the memories. It’s a place for everyone to hang out, and the memories we make there,” senior Britney Bawar said. photo illustrations by Faye Kollig

14

Feature

Update

September 29, 2017

Season for scholarships Seniors start off the year early by applying for scholarships Anikka Thorson & Katie Ramos managing feature & staff writer

F

our years ago many students walked the halls of DHS as freshman, now many of these students are getting ready to take their next step in life by going to college. In their final year of high school many students are in the process of applying for college and scholarships. For those not planning to go the college route, they might be applying for jobs.

The Midland Area Community Foundation is one place that students to find scholarships.

According to their website, students applying for scholarships can apply for up to five scholarships at a time out of their over 250 scholarships.

Along with Midland Area Community Foundation there are several other websites where students can find scholarships.

Counselor Lori Hallberg recommends websites such as Fastweb, Sallie Mae, and MI Student Aid. “There’s a Sallie Mae [website] and a government [website] that students can put in their own qualifications, their GPA, their major, activities they’ve been in and those websites will email them when scholarships become

available,” Hallberg said.

With the all of the scholarship opportunities out there, choosing which ones to apply for can be a bit of a challenge. For some websites that have a limit to the number of scholarships students can apply for, the pressure to choose the right scholarships can be stressful.

“Read through all of the description of what each scholarship is looking for in their applicants and find the ones that best fit each student,” Hallberg said. “There are a lot of nationwide ones which obviously have a lot of applicants and then there are some that are just more local which wouldn’t have as many applicants, so if you can meet their criteria the better chances you have.”

Along with meeting the criteria for certain scholarships, time management plays a crucial part in the applying process because scholarships have a deadline that students need to meet. According to Midland Area Community

graphic by Farryn Cook

Foundation Scholarship Coordinator Heather Crowl, one of the most important things is to do as many things in advance so students don’t mob their teachers.

“If you’re applying, then you’re off to a great start already, just be sure to watch your deadlines and turn things in on time,” Crowl said.

“Ask for [letters of recommendation], a lot of times you need a letter of recommendation or references for, ask early, don’t wait till the last minute because usually teachers get bombarded with requests for writing letters and it puts a lot on your teachers to do that.”

The amount of work put into the essays for the scholarships can be tough , but that hard work can be worth it if the student receives the scholarship. Senior Kayla Coltson has just recently began the scholarship application process.

“I’m going to apply for about five [scholarships],” Coltson said.

“It’s less stressful than applying for colleges, but it’s still stressful because of writing essays but I’d say that the fact that you can’t lose anything from it makes it easier to apply for scholarships rather than college.”

According to Crowl, applying for a larger number of scholarships gives students a higher chance of being chosen for them, but it’s possible that students won’t get many at first. The number of applicants is often high, so students shouldn’t worry if at first they don’t aquire many responses.

“Don’t be disappointed if in the beginning you don’t get scholarships because what I hear from students is they have to apply to a lot of them to get a few, so it is work but hopefully it pays off,“ Hallberg said.

Kayla Coltson, senior

Q

: How did you find the scholarships that you applied for?

A

:“People have verbally told me about scholarships, our deca advisor told us about the deca scholarships, 4-H told us about the 4-H scholarships and also i’ve gotten emails based on different scholarships, like dosomething.org is what I do a lot and that’s the taking photos of creative things so just emails and verbal messages.

Q

Garrett Brillhart, senior

: What was it like applying for scholarships?

A

:“It’s nice because you have the chance to get money but it’s also kind of worthless because if you dont get it then you wasted your time.” photos by Katie Ellison

September 29, 2017

Update

Feature 15

Students discuss different options when purchasing clothes Sophie Baus

managing opinion

T

hree levels, sparkly tile floors, shiny glass windows displaying the trendiest outfits imaginable, and a store directory longer and larger than most might be a few thoughts that come to mind when hearing the word “mall”. When students think of places to shop in Midland, The Midland Mall and only a few department stores may come to mind. With this lack of options, it can be more challenging for students to find clothes that suit their style. Which is why some have turned to alternative options such as shopping online or traveling to different malls outside of Midland.

Junior Joey Johnson enjoys mostly shopping outside of Midland.

Somerset Mall in Troy, Michigan is one hotspot for purchasing clothing.

At this mall, Johnson enjoys shopping at stores like Vineyard Vines, Lululemon, and Nordstrom.

Like Johnson, Senior Andrew Melichar likes shopping at Somerset Mall. Somerset provides stores that Melinchar likes to shop at such as Brooks Brothers Junior Gigi Dauphinee is another student who is a big fan of Somerset Mall. She shops at stores like Altered State,

American Eagle, and Macy’s. She buys all of her jeans at American Eagle. Dauphinee shops at Macy’s every now and then looking for cool and unique clothing items.

“Somerset is a big one [I shop at] and then during the summer I go up to visit my relatives in Canada and they live in Montreal and so I do quite a bit of shopping there,” Dauphinee said. “My aunt lives in Minneapolis so when I go visit her I shop at the Mall of America.”

Even though Dauphinee doesn’t often shop in Midland, one local store, Marshalls, really stands out to her due to its uniqueness and affordability.

“Honestly my favorite store is Marshall’s because you can find stuff and it’s like there aren’t a lot of them and they’re relatively inexpensive,” Dauphinee said.

Another admirer of Marshall’s is junior Kristina Danielson. She loves how sometimes there can be some items that are one of a kind and cost efficient.

Shopping online provides people with the option to access any store at the touch of their finger.

Although this seems to be a convenient method for some, for others it can be more complicated. “[I] hardly ever [shop

online] because it’s hard some make it out to be. to figure out sizing and “I think it’s a lot of trial stuff and especially and error sometimes, but some it can be hard to I mean once you kind of return or exchange,” know your sizing for a Dauphinee said. brand then you can keep Not knowing the using it,” Wright said. correct size is just one Wright shops at of the complications of stores like Topshop and shopping online. Another Forever21 online. One reason why students new store that Wright might not like to shop started shopping at this online is the high prices of year was ASOS. some websites.

“I like the uniqueness “My friend Taylor of [ASOS’s] clothes like Hunter showed me a new it’s still stylish, but it’s website called Planet different from what Blue, which is like crazy other websites have,” expensive, but I really Wright said. like the clothes so I’m Malls like Somerset trying to figure out what in Troy, Michigan or the to do because I already local Midland Mall play have a lot of items in important roles in putting my cart I want to get together the style and but it’s too expensive,” wardrobe of each student Danielson said. here at DHS. For sophomore Emma Wright, shopping online is her favorite method of buying Shirt: clothes. For Lululemon Wright, it’s easier to just go online instead of taking a trip to another mall outside of Midland.

When clothes don’t fit the exact way Wright wants it to, her mother ships it back for her. For Wright, finding the perfect size isn’t as photo by John Baillargeon complicated as

Joey Johnson, junior

Emma Wright, sophomore

Shirt: ASOS

Pants: American Eagle

Shoes: Allstar Converse

photo by Trevor McIntyre

16

Update September 29, 2017

Feature

Negative Contenders Other alternatives to a Juul that are used by students include the following.

LUNGS OUT OF AIR The Sourin Air is a vaping device around 3 inches in length. It retails at $26.

It’s appeal is being able to increase the nicotene content with customizable juice like a vape, but it’s drawback is the very real risk of nicotine addiction due to this increase.

YA VUSE YA LOSE The Vuse Vibe is a pen style vape, costing $19.99 for the starter kit which includes the vape, charger, and one cartridge. The Vuse offers a 4.8% nicotine content, which is higher than cigarettes which leads to niotene addiction faster.

220 Puffs?!

Phix is a pen style vape, feature interchangeable pods similar to the Juul.

The Phix retails for $34.95. One cartridge gives a user up to 220 puffs. This is equivalent to an average 8.3 puffs on one cigarette.

HALF A PAYCHECK The traditional style vape features its box design, with a refillable tank offering the ability to customize vape juice to use. The traditional box mod vape retails anywhere from $30-$100, and nicotine levels vary from juice to juice. Vapes are the most expensive e-cigarette.

Information from official selling websites

Too Juul For School Use of new e-cigarette spreads unhealthy habits Helena Nitschky & Quinn McCaffrey & Emi Hunt

managing social media & page editor & staff writer

A

s adolescents living in the United States, students of all ages have been pestered about the harmful repercussions that come with smoking a cigarette.

Recently, a new fad has emerged from the smoke and has blown up all across the country, slowly seeping into the halls of DHS: the Juul.

A Juul is a small e-cigarette shaped like a long USB device. It has small “pods” that are inserted in the top and contain the nicotine packed juice. Each pack of pods contains four pods costing $17 as a whole.

Steadily, the Juul has worked its way to triumph as more students join the movement.

The “buzz” is the Juul’s claim to fame, hooking its prey at their first hit.

“A friend of mine had let me hit his Juul and I had gotten

buzzed instantly, after that I really wanted to get one,” Joe* said.

The higher nicotine content is the one aspect that sets the Juul apart from other e-cigarettes and cigarettes. The founders of Juul, James Monsees and Adam Bowen, wanted to create an alternative to cigarettes that would offer a nicotine level found in no other alternative on the market. One pod is equal to a whole pack of cigarettes in nicotine content.

The overwhelming urge to feel the buzz a Juul can provide is reason enough for some students.

“You hit it and you get buzzed and you feel good, which I think is worth the risk of getting in trouble,” Joe said.

On Monsees and Bowen’s website, they describe their device as being “committed to innovating with adult smokers”, but recently, some adolescents underage and of age are taking advantage of its design.

“I wanted it because I wanted something convenient, it’s not too big and it’s very easy to hide,” George* said.

The Juul has been commended for its compact and portable design; but what makes this cigarette alternative so hot on the market for teenagers is that it is easy to conceal

and not distinguishable as a vaping device.

George is an underage student at DHS. Even though he is not legally of age to purchase, his parents are aware of his possession of a Juul.

“My parents know that I have it and they don’t have an issue, so I don’t worry about it much,” George said.

Other students at DHS are of age to own a tobacco related product, but are still upset about not being able to bring their device on campus.

They believe that since they are of age, their decision to bring their Juul on school grounds shouldn’t matter.

“I should be able to bring my Juul on school property because if I am legal off campus, I should be able to be legal on campus,” Bob* said.

Bob is an 18-year-old at DHS who has a Juul and brings it on school campus, regardless of the rules.

According to DHS policy, the campus is completely smoke free. This means students cannot even bring their devices in their cars.

Students can get suspended if caught with a vaping device, or if they are underage Officer Jai Mahabir will be involved. Sometimes, photos of students using vaping devices and smoking can also get them in trouble, which are often emailed anonymously to assistant principal Julie Villano.

September 29, 2017

Update

“Just don’t [smoke on campus or underage], with the social media we have, it always winds up back at my computer,” Villano said.

Some students however, are choosing to ignore this advice, saying that the benefits they get from their device outweigh the risk of getting caught.

“I know that you can get suspended, get kicked off sports teams, and even get an MIP (minor in possession) but honestly it is pretty easy to hide and I don’t think I would get caught with it with it because they wouldn’t expect it to be what it is because of how it looks,” Joe said. “I don’t really worry about getting in trouble.”

Aside from the threat of getting caught, some students believe that Juuls are healthier than cigarettes because they don’t have tar or tobacco, which adds even more to it’s allure.

“I don’t think that they’re necessarily good for you, but they are definitely not as bad as cigarettes,” Bob said.

While the “healthier buzz” may be carcinogen free, there are many negative side effects to keep in mind before pursuing Juuls and other vaping products.

“When I can’t hit my Juul

Feature 17

“I know that you can get suspended, get kicked off sports teams, and even get an MIP but honestly it is pretty easy to hide and I don’t think I would get caught with it because they wouldn’t expect it to be what it is because of how it looks.”

Anonymous Underage Student at DHS in my classes, I get horrible migraines,” Ann* said. “I’ve even thrown up once from the withdrawal.”

Ann is of age but has begun experiencing withdrawal symptoms due to long hours of the school day and not being able to intake nicotine similarly to the way she did in the summer.

Not only is nicotine addiction an issue, there are other, more pressing side effects. According

to the Harvard School of Public Health, vaping is also linked to more serious health conditions such as Bronchiolitis obliterans (BO), informally called ‘popcorn lungs”. BO is the obstruction of the small airways in the lungs called bronchioles caused by the inhalation of toxic chemicals causing airways to scar and become narrow.

“I’m afraid of the side effects, but at this point I couldn’t stop even if I wanted to,” Jane* said.

Along with side effects, the cost of the Juul and its refills are affecting student’s lives. If a student has a job, a majority of their paycheck is going to the costs of refills on the cartridges.

“I probably spend like $60 a month on cartridges,” Bob said. “About 20 percent of my paycheck from my job.”

Even with knowing the repercussions of getting caught, impending side effects, and cost of sustaining the habit, students are still choosing to submit to the Juul life.

“I will continue to bring my Juul to school,” Ann said, “I am old enough to make my own decisions and it’s a lifestyle I am not willing to quit.”

* all student names have been changed for anonymity

SYMPTOMS OF NICOTENE ADDICTION AND WITHDRAWL Head ache s

a Nause

Insom nia

ng Tingli

Sweating

hroat T e r o S

graphics by Helena Nitschky and Quinn McCaffrey

Fearing the inevitable

Anikka Thorson Anikka’s Anecdote All my life, I have lived in the same place.

On the same street, in the same house, in the same room. For the past 17 years I have been been surrounded by a sea of constants. Not long ago, my mom approached me with the concept of moving houses. I shot down the idea on the spot, but she took me to see the house anyway.

Upon entering the house I broke down in tears. It didn’t make sense. In front of me was a beautiful house with a pool and more space than in my current house, yet I stood there in tears.

Then the pieces started to align: I’m completely terrified of change.

For lots of people, the thought of change is exciting and moving houses would be no big deal. Even just looking at the facts this possible move shouldn’t be that big of a deal. This new house is not too far from my house now; it’s closer to many of my friends. I would still be in Midland and I’d still be going to the same school. All of these things seem great.

Almost nothing would change, but all I can think is that it wouldn’t be my house.

The house where I grew up, where I went

from having my first steps to breaking my foot running up the stairs a few years later. The thought that if I move I can’t go back to this place that has been my refuge for so long is petrifying.

This fear is known as Metathesiophobia. It’s hard for me to process changes, like moving, because even though I know the facts and I know that if I move there will be all of these other great things that come along with it. There is the possibility that if I do go through a big change, that I will absolutely hate it. I won’t be able to just change my mind and hit control Z and have everything go back to the way that it was before.

Although it can be difficult, I’m slowly learning ways to deal with changes that don’t end with self combustion.

One thing that is really simple and really helpful is to step back and take deep breaths, because it can be so easy to get caught falling down a well of negativities that you don’t ever stop and look at what might be good about a change. I’m not all of a sudden going to be okay with change, but little by little I am getting better at dealing with it.

Update

18 Feature

September 29, 2017

Pretty Puppies and cute kittens Midland’s small grooming business has new owner with new changes

Abby Peterson & Hannah Raw page editors

T

o the relief of many students, it’s safe to say playing with animals will still be an option at local groomer Pretty Puppies. New owner Tonia Linda is continuing the tradition that DHS students and customers are accustomed to, while also throwing in her own new changes.

Tonia Linda is making it clear that Pretty Puppies will no longer be breeding dogs. Instead, she wants to focus on their grooming specialties.

When she lived in Kentucky, Linda was known for her grooming skills and even won an award for creative grooming.

Originally from Midland, she decided to come back this summer and bring her talents with her.

Pretty Puppies is no longer limiting themselves to puppies.

“I also groom cats,” Linda said.

“Which was not something they did before.”

One of the changes the new owner has already made is to take in both

DARLING DARLA: The new face of Pretty Puppies poses for the spotlight within the walls of Pretty Puppies.

Darla is the pet of the new business owner Tonia Linda. The loving pit-bull has become known for her styling collar and friendly personality. She and other pets will be able to roam-free while on a visit to the groomer.

dogs and cats of all ages for rescue and adoption opportunity. Linda has noticed that being able to run around with and love on the animals with no fee is a major marketing point for the business.

“It’s advertising I don’t have to pay for,” Linda said. “Everyone that comes in takes a picture of the animals, it goes on the internet right away.”

Instead of breeding the animals like the previous management had done, Linda has made it her mission to rescue animals.

When owners give up their animals or the animal is in a bad situation, Pretty Puppies will take them in.

Students don’t have anything to worry about though, as there will still be animals to visit just not as often.

“I’d definitely still go,” senior Haylee Snyder said. “Especially if they were rescuing the cats instead of breeding them themselves.”

A free roaming environment for the animals is something to get excited

about. The new face of Pretty Puppies brings a very friendly place for the pets to play. When visiting the shop, people can find animals roaming all over the place. Even the dogs and cats being groomed get to walk around instead of waiting in a cage.

“There is more free roaming animals because I like to be as cage free as possible,” Linda said. “It’s kind of like ‘why would you lock them in a cage all day?’”

Besides Linda’s new outlook on Pretty Puppies, the business also comes with their new furry face in the form of a loving mascot. Darla, a three-year-old pit-bull, is Linda’s beloved pet.

When there aren’t animals in the store, customers can still depend on Darla to brighten their day. She is known to be friendly with everyone, even the cats.

However, having a free-roam policy does bring risks of animals conflicting.

“I haven’t had a problem, but I’m very cautious.” Linda said. “I make

sure everyone gets along first.”

Pretty Puppies is a warm environment but a small business.

The opportunity for students to volunteer is a possibility for when the pet groomer business grows. Being an in-town business, there isn’t much of a need for more workers. Linda feels under control with her animal bather, Kayla Schneider, by her side.

“It’s a small staff for now but as we grow a little bigger and get some more rescues in here, we will probably get some more people to work in here,” Linda said, “It’s not only playing with dogs all day, that’s not all we do. It’s a perk of the job, but there’s still poop and pee we have to clean up too.”

From here on out, Linda is leading Pretty Puppies in a new direction.

She’s planning on giving the business a new name and creating social media accounts to help her career bloom.

This is a fresh start for her grooming business that she is excited to pursue within the town of Midland.

photos by Abby Peterson

WINTER ISN’T COLD: Winter is one of the biggest addiitions Tonia Linda brings to Pretty Puppies. The precious, longhaired feline has been able to roam freely in the store. “I have the cat room too,” Linda said. So I can always put the cats up if there’s a dog that likes to bark at them.”

September 29, 2017 Update

Feature 19

Dig for the Paws F Humane Society support from varisty volleyball Lillian Pressnell managing copy

LOVE AT FIRST SCRATCH: Juniors Izzy Velasquez and Sophi Pennex and senior Anna Blasy stop to play with newly rescued dog, Hot Cocoa.

TRAPPED TREY: Much of the money raised goes to dogs like this one.

Like Trey, many pups can use the love and financial assistance to help find a happy home.

or over ten years, varsity volleyball has been raising money for breast cancer awareness through a fundraiser they call Dig Pink. Last year they switched it up, partnering with the football team to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project. This year, on Sept. 26, they decided to change it up even more and are raising money for the Humane Society.

“We weren’t as invested in it as we usually were so we were looking at other fundraising opportunities,” junior Izzy Velasquez said.

Besides the fact that the girls would be more invested overall in the fundraiser if they picked it, there are many other pros to switching.

“There are more people who can relate to the Humane Society,” senior Anna Blasy said.

The coach of the team, Jeffrey Deitrick, agreed with Blasy.

“I think it’s a little more present for them, cancer is a scary thing and we’ve all been touched by it,” Deitrick said. “I can’t speak for them directly but it’s sort of my perception that cats and dogs are cute and

cuddly and sort of something they can get behind.”

More money could be raised because of how relatable and fun the fundraiser is. The team is hoping to raise as much money as they can for shelter, which will be used for keeping the building running, paying staff, and helping shelter dogs with health problems.

But there are some downsides.

Deitrick described their number one dilemma.

“I think that some people may get the sense that we’re not interested in supporting Dig Pink, and that’s just not the case,” Deitrick said. “So some people may feel disappointed that we’re not doing Dig Pink since it’s been such a historical thing.”

Despite this, the girls seem to be very excited about the switch.

The coach seems to be excited as well as very supportive.

“Anytime that we’re doing a sort of charity thing or fundraising is that it’s a chance for the girls to give back to the community,” Deitrick said. “The school and community and boosters all support our girls and their sports teams, so this is a nice way for them to give back, and I think that’s the biggest plus that comes out of it, so that’s the reason why I support it.”

DOGGO KISSES: Junior Sophi Pennex cuddles up to one of the many dogs that have filtered through the Midland County Humane Society.

SNIFFS AND GIGGLES: Junior Chinasa Okoro grins while playing with a rescue dog at the local humane society..

photos by Camryn McGee & Lillian Presnell

TOUGH TACKLE: Senior Anna Blasy collapses under the kisses of a hound dog. Despite some planning setbacks, Blasy remains optimistic about the fundraiser.

20

Feature

Update September 29, 2017

Setting up for success Varsity volleyball benefits in several ways from student manager Jacob Pasek Alex Doty & Amelya Jankens page editors

J

acob Pasek’s passion for volleyball has drawn him to the position of team manager for varsity volleyball, and he is passing expectations. Although he doesn’t play on the court, he is digging the part he had on the team. “[My babysitter] started playing with me and just like, teaching me,” Pasek said. “So in the summer ever since age, six we’d play.”

As he grew older, he began to pick up beach volleyball and his love for the game has grown. He made new friends through the sport, and helped old friends grow interested. Throughout high school, Pasek played volleyball for fun with members of the volleyball team. It was the team members that had the idea for team manager.

“I really wanted to play on a court team because there’s no opportunity for guys in pretty much all of Michigan and I love volleyball,” Pasek said, “So, um yeah, I love volleyball.”

When the opportunity presented itself, he knew he had to accept it. One thing that pushed him to take the job was the unique chance to play on a court team.

“I get to play volleyball,” Pasek said, “Against people who are really good.”

The duties of a manager reach far

beyond cheering the team on at games.

Pasek attends every practice and game.

At practices he hits with the girls, runs drills, and participates in scrimmages. For games, Pasek has to make sure that he doesn’t mess up the rotations, and he learned how to take stats.

The time commitment of being a manager is more consuming than it seems.

Between practices, games, and tournaments, Pasek has his plate full.

Pasek also makes

treat bags for the team on game days.

Although he isn’t allowed to play in games, Pasek is still seen as an important part of the team.

“He’s as much a part of a player on the team as any of the girls are,” sophomore Hailey Tanis said.

By participating in practices and developing good relationships with his teammates around him, he has felt like a part of the team from the start.

Pasek being the team manager has changed the 2017 season for varsity volleyball. Tanis likes having a manager there.

“First of all he’s a good manager, but having someone there to helps us out is kind of nice,” Tanis said.

Pasek’s teammates have noticed the major role he has played. His impact on the team is not unrecognized. His position as team manager could be passed down, but the passion Pasek has for volleyball isn’t one that a person can acquire overnight. With his new role on the team, Pasek has faced some challenges.

“Sometimes it’s awkward with it being all girls and I’m the only guy,” Pasek said.

He doesn’t let this faze him. Through volleyball, Pasek has been able to grow former friendships and make new ones with his teammates. However, being the only boy has caused some people to claim that he is only trying to be with the girls. He is unbothered by those who question his motives for taking the position. He plays volleyball because he loves volleyball.

“It’s not very common for a guy to play volleyball in Michigan anyways, so people being like ‘Oh you want to do it because you want to be with the girls’ I’m like no these are all my best friends,” Pasek said. “I’ve had some people say that to me so that would probably be one of the other challenges like what other people say about it but I love volleyball so I don’t really care what you think.”

photo by Maggie Duly

September 29, 2017

Sports

Update

Back on track

21

Exploring the intricacies of the impact of athletic training violations Maggie Duly

editor in chief

B

efore a student athlete in the MPS district can participate in a school affiliated sport, they must sign and agree to the district’s Athletic Training Rules.

These rules explicitly state that at all times throughout the year drinking, possession of alcohol, narcotics, and tobacco in any form is prohibited. Athletes must uphold society’s civil laws and adhere to the rules of the Board of Education’s Code of Student Conduct. Failure to comply with these rules leads to penalties.

The first violation of the rules results in a 90 school day suspension from the student’s season and one third of scheduled contests. If a second violation occurs the penalty is suspension from athletics for one calendar year. Early reinstatement is considered for first and second violations, after sitting out for a predetermined time and missing one third of athletic contests in a sports season. The third violation results in suspension for one calendar year with no option of early reinstatement.

To be reinstated early the athlete must first write a letter to their school’s athletic director outlining what happened, how they got caught, who they were with, what they have done since to show how they have changed, and what they’ve learned from their experience. From there they meet with the athletic appeals board, the district’s two high school principals and athletic directors where the decision is made.

“The early reinstatement is important, and I would say most

students that we see are granted early reinstatement because they want to get back and we want them to get back,” MHS athletic director Eric Albright said. “We want our kids to be back on the team and on the field and with their friends. They’re going to be better students because of it, their school’s going to be better because of it.”

Some athletes that prefer one season over others have been able to work through their mistakes while not missing any of their preferred sports season by joining a no cut sport to serve their suspension.

Senior Zac Chichester violated an athletic training rule last spring. Chichester favors the basketball team, so in order to avoid losing playing time he joined the cross country team this fall.

“Cross country has forced me to be in better shape which will help my endurance in basketball, and it has shown that I’m committed to helping improve Dow’s athletics,” Chichester said.

Chichester was able to race in his first meet at the SVL jamboree on Sept. 12 due to the athletic appeal process. “[The appeal process has] shown that our principals and the people on our staff aren’t just here to make sure the school stays in line,” Chichester said. “They’re actually here to help you as a person, they actually care about you individually.”

The MPS athletic program sees the advantages to athletes broadening their involvement.

While some athletes, like Chichester, are able to avoid major conflict in their athletic schedules, they still

have to put in a lot of effort to get back on track.

“They’re not getting off easy,” Albright said. “That grueling day to day physical activity, that time management, that stamina, that serves a purpose as well as benefits the kid so I don’t mind it.

It’s not as though they’re getting off scot free.”

DHS athletic director John Streeter agrees that students serving suspensions have a lot to gain from returning to the athletic program.

“Being a student athlete is a good thing and being around athletics is a good thing,” Streeter said. “We don’t want a student that made a bad decision to not be allowed to have a second opportunity to come back and be around a good influence in sports and their coaches and other athletes that are making right decisions. So we want to encourage them to be able to work off the violation and come back.”

Becoming a part of a new team and working hard to get back on track shows the character of these athletes as well.

“We don’t want to be so punitive that kids feel like they have no options or no recourse, so at least they have to take the initiative to do [another sport] on their own to work through it,” MHS principal Jeff Jaster said. “As an example, kids that go out for cross country to serve a punishment, that’s taking it seriously and I think they’re committed to making sure they get themselves back in a position to be eligible for whatever their sport is.”

However, the road to recovery isn’t all straightforward; there are hurdles to jump before becoming a

THREE STRIKES “We don’t want a AND YOU’RE OUT student that made a bad decision to not be allowed to have a OFFENSE: 90 day second opportunity school to come back and suspension of the be around a good student’s influence in sports season and and their coaches and one third of scheduled other athletes that are contests. making right decisions.

Possible

1st

John Streeter, athletic director

early return.

full time athlete again.

“I think the biggest obstacle for students are their peers, their friends they’re competing with, whether it’s football, basketball, soccer, or something like that,” Albright said.

“They don’t get to play the game with their friends and there’s always a sense of ‘I let my teammates down,’ and I think that’s a significant consequence and they have to earn the trust of their teammates and of their coaching staff back, and that’s part of the restorative process.”

High school students are susceptible to making poor choices, but with educators and coaches, students are guided through their mistakes.

“You want to give people the benefit of the doubt and hope that they learn a lesson and can move on,” Jaster said.

OFFENSE: Suspension from athletics for one calendar year.

Possible early return.

2nd

3rd

OFFENSE: Suspension from athletics for one calendar year. No early return possible.

22 Sports

THE EPIDEMIC

Update

September 29, 2017

Inside

Usage of prescribed drug escalates the illicit act of popping pills Ben Zeitler & Rin Dunlap & Jaxon Sowle

managing sports & staff writers

D

arting toward the goal, senior Brandon Zhu’s eyes zeroed in on his target. Zhu knew he didn’t have much time before the Traverse City West defender reached him, so he planted his foot, setting up for a shot. As he reared back to fire the soccer ball into the back of the net, the defender bowled into Zhu’s body, and he immediately crumpled to the ground in agony.

“I instantly knew something was wrong, because I had never felt pain that bad before,” Zhu said.

Zhu had suffered a broken tibia.

The bottom half of his leg slanted in an unnatural way, a sickening view for those who looked upon it. Quickly rushed to the hospital, Zhu was administered painkillers to ease his misery.

“Once I got to the hospital I think the adrenaline wore off, the pain intensified,” Zhu said. “The doctors decided that morphine would be good as a short term solution.”

The tibia was soon straightened

by medical staff, and Zhu was taken off the supply of morphine. Although Zhu himself was not hooked by the painkiller in the short time he was on the drug, he gained an appreciation for how one might become addicted to opioids.

“I think for more serious injuries that would place someone in constant pain, it would be nice to have such a powerful pain relief mechanism that works,” Zhu said.

Indeed, opioids such as morphine, hydrocodone, fentanyl and heroin are becoming an ever-increasing problem among teenagers, who use it to take away pain and dull the senses.

In particular, young athletes have contributed to the opioid epidemic, as they are more likely to become addicted after being prescribed pills to treat painful injuries such as Zhu’s.

A current opioid abuser, who wished to remain anonymous, began consuming the drugs to help cope

with a difficult point in life, and became attached to the opioids.

“It helped relieve stress when times were tough,” Bill* said.

Side effects of opioids include sedation, nausea, vomiting, and respiratory depression. Bill recognizes that the opioids are not only harmful to the body, but also against the law to use without a doctor’s prescription.

“I’m trying to quit, because it’s unhealthy and very illegal,” Bill said.

The most serious of opioid side effects is death. Unfortunately, there has been no shortage of opioid-related fatalities. According to npr.org, there were 20,101 lives lost due to opioid overdoses in 2016 alone.

Terry Hanley is no stranger to that fatal side effect of opioids; he has known several people that have perished from an opioid overdose, including his stepson, Zack Spaulding. “[Spaulding] had a blood clot, and

they gave him some pain meds, and I think it was a combination of that, plus the party lifestyle that he was into,” Hanley said. “He smoked marijuana at the time and everything, and I think at some point somebody offered him heroin, and he got addicted.”

Heroin is the drug that opioid abusers turn to after the illegal pills become too expensive, as heroin offers a similar high for a fraction of the price.

Hanley first discovered that his stepson was using heroin when Spaulding was 22 or 23 years old, after Spaulding and some friends were pulled over by police and were arrested for possession of heroin.

“That’s when we found out about it, and knew that there was a problem,” Hanley said. “We had him into rehab at least three times, four times, that we attempted to get him into rehab, but each time, he just kept going back to it.”

Following Spaulding’s last time * student name has been changed for anonymity

Multiple studies have shown that high school athletes are more likely to become addicted to opiods. How does this make you feel?

Not suprised at all

Luke Mavis, 11

Wow!! I had no idea

Graph based on 222 survey results from students on Sept. 15.

Madeline Delong, 9 “If they are prescribed by a medical professional, then I think that it is reasonable, as long as the patient doesn’t abuse them.”

Ellie Webb, 12 “A drug as addictive as meth that actually does lead to abuse of harder drugs? Yeah, maybe stop prescribing it.”

Photos by Kate Ellison

“Many pharmaceutical companies have been known to pay doctors to push opioids on patients; with this in mind not only should opioids be harshly monitored and legally limited to severe situations of treatment (e.g. cancer victims) but we need to begin looking at opioid addiction as a systemic issue linked directly to economic interests.”

Zoe Dauphinee, 9 “I think it is fine. If a patient is in legitimate pain, a doctor should prescribe a pain relieving medication. I don’t think the patient should be on it for a long period of time however, or if the patient isn’t in serious pain they shouldn’t be on a drug.”

September 29, 2017

Sports 23

Update

through rehab, he seemed to have a breakthrough.

“He ended up getting a really good job with a welding company out of Saginaw, and he loved it,” Hanley said.

“They did urine testing, so we were hoping that with the new job and being tested, things would go good. And it did go good, for at least nine months, because he had just gotten promoted, had just gotten insurance, 401k, all the good stuff.”

Unfortunately, he could not stay clean. One night, Spaulding relapsed.

“We don’t know why he did it that night, or what happened, but all of a sudden something made him decide to do heroin that night,” Hanley said. “We found him dead three days later.”

Hanley decided that he wanted to do something, something that would prevent others from making the same mistakes his stepson made.

For that reason, he began working with the Legacy Center to make presentations about the dangers of prescribed opioids.

“I want kids to be aware of what’s out there,” Hanley said. “I want communities like ours to know that this can be a problem. You see other cities and towns in the United States that are losing two, three people a day.

Nationwide we’re losing 144 a day to this kind of thing, and I just want people to know that you have to be aware of where this starts and how you can prevent it from starting.”

Hanley stresses that it’s key to ask questions when being prescribed opioids, as opposed to blindly taking them.

“Be smart when seeing a doctor or dentist that offers you pain meds,” Hanley said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Kneeling to take a stand

Testing your knowledge Statistics based on 222 survey results from students on Sept. 15.

The NIDA website provides clarification on opioids.

Rin Dunlap assistant copy editor

FACT: The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) website states that heroin is an

Yes

illegal opioid, but the majority of opioids are legally prescribed medications. So no, not all opioids are illegal. However, without a prescription, then “legal” opioids are no longer legal. Even with a prescription, the medication must

No

be kept in its original container. If it is not, the owner of the medication is considered to be possessing the drug with intent to sell, which is illegal.

87%

of students said opiods are used for pain relief

Opioids are medically used to relieve pain, due to their ability to bind to opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord, and reduce pain signals.

Due to the general populous associating the word “narcotic” with addiction, medical professionals prefer to use either “opioids” or “opiates”.

93%

62%

of students say the term “narcotic” is not widely used due to its negative connotations

NIDA’s 2015 survey reports that .3% of Americans 12 or older use heroin, while 4.7% abuse of students said perscription drugs prescription narcotics. The ages of 18-25 have the highest rate of are abused more than heroin prescription drug abuse at 8.5%.

When given a multiple choice of three types of drugs, The NIDA describes marijuana as a depressant, and cocaine is a stimulant.

82%

of students correctly identified Oxycodone as an opioid

Zeit Writes I’m not a fan of politics. The constant stream of bickering and insults thrown back and forth makes me shake my head in disgust. So, in September 2016, when I saw that NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick would kneel during the national anthem, I rolled my eyes.

“Play football, dude,” I thought to myself.

“Don’t stir the pot.”

At the time, I saw Kaepernick’s protest as selfish and ignorant. Yes, there were instances in which blacks and minorities were treated unfairly, but on the whole, there was no racial injustice to be found in the United States. Kaepernick was simply making a big deal of nothing, I thought.

I was wrong.

I have never been a supporter of Donald Trump, but when he was elected as our President, I was open to what he brought to the table.

“Perhaps what this country needs is a man who will get things done without worrying about what others think of him,” I thought.

Instead, President Trump has managed to push the United States into even wider disconnect.

On Sept. 22, during

BenZeitler Zeitler Ben a speech, our president mentioned Kaepernick and other athletes who have followed his lead.

Not a man to mince his words, Trump proclaimed that if a player kneels during the anthem, the owner should “get that son of a bitch off the field”.

I was put off enough by the fact that President Trump had profanely insulted someone for making a peaceful political statement.

Then I thought back to Trump’s comments concerning the white supremacy marches in Charlottesville, Virg.

Instead of condemning the protests, Trump said that there was “blame on both sides” to be had, and that many of the white supremacists were “very fine people”.

The stark contrast that I saw between these two reactions was enough for me to see the true struggle that Kaepernick brought to light a year ago. Do I like that the athletes kneel for the anthem? No, to tell the truth. But I do believe it’s necessary.

Although I will continue to stand for the national anthem, I would have a supporting hand on the shoulder of any teammate of mine who took a knee.

September 29, 2017

Update

Sports

24

Figuring out the fantasy of football

Beginner’s guide to the online madness of the NFL online competition John Rettig page editor

A

s September comes to an end, pro football season is beginning. There is one thing on sports fan’s minds, which is the game within a game: fantasy football. This online league competition is a way for avid sports fans to get more involved in the game, along with participating in a friendly competition. According to Fantasy Sports Trade Association, millions of people participate in fantasy football on several different sites every year.

1. JOIN LEAGUE

“There are many different types of leagues, some are for more casual play with friends, and some more competitive with prizes for being on top,”

senior Caden Skinner said. “My friend group, one year, just said we should get a league together, and being the sports guru I am, I was all about it.”

FANTASY FACTS 66% Male // 34% Female

38.6 Players that Pay Fee: 70% 59.3 million fantasy players in Average Age of Players:

North America

2. DRAFT PLAYERS

3. SCOUT PLAYERS

4. SELECT STARTERS

5. TRADING

There’s a few different types of drafts that leagues can select. Before the draft with your league, one can do a mock draft as a practice to help. Autopick, live snake draft, live Auction draft and the offline

draft. The most popular draft type is live snake draft, giving all teams an equal chance of selecting the best players. Teams pick one player per round until all rosters are full, completing the draft.

Based on the opponents of each team’s players, team schedule, and injuries, team managers select their starters. Each team can have one quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, one tight end, and a one flex position. Players have to select a kicker for the week and

a defense. The defense selected is a team’s defense, not specific players.

“I usually stack my starter list with the best overall players, not based off of who is going up against what teams,” sophomore Aidan Belgiorno said. “Go hard or go home.”

Some fantasy football players prepare before the draft by using online sources and previous knowledge to create a pool of athletes that they would like to choose. “On the app I use, you can look

At any point in the season, if you want to acquire a different player or try to upgrade a certain position, there is a trade feature.

Team managers can propose trades to other managers within their leagues. Opposing team managers can review the trade and chose to accept or deny it,

at the player’s previous seasons stats, to see how consistent their play is, and that’s how I select a group of athletes to pick from when the draft comes,” senior Alex Ieuter said.

if it’s accepted the offer with transpire within 2 days. “Tom Brady was real close to being traded off my team.” junior John O’Connor said. “I chose to wait to observe his Week 2 performance and I was satisfied with my decision to not trade him, his play exceeded my expectations.” graphics by John Rettig