April 2018 Issue by Fenton InPrint

InPrint FENT N

3200 W. ShiaWaSee ave., Fenton, Michigan 48430

MAKE THE BEST OF EVERYTHING As end-of-year events commence, students may wonder how to fully take advantage of them. For tips, see page 4.

APRIL 25, 2018 VOLUME 37

ISSUE 7

Photo ELLIE BENNETT

InPrint

the

Fent n

Fenton High School 3200 W. Shiawassee Ave., Fenton, MI 48430 Phone: (810) 591-2968 Email: inprintadvertising@gmail.com Website: www.fentoninprint.com

BRIEFS

Publication Policy

The InPrint is a student newspaper published every four weeks by the Advanced Journalism class at Fenton High School. We are an open forum. If the paper prints incorrect information, any necessary corrections will be made in the next issue.

LEARN THEN LEAD

Editorials

Editorials are staff editorials on which the entire class votes to decide on the stance taken. Opinions expressed in editorials are not those of the administration. Columns represent the opinion of the individual writer and do not reflect those of the administration. Polls represent a random sampling of 10 percent of the students attending the school.

Letters to the Editor

The staff encourages students, staff and administrators to submit guest columns or letters to the editor. Letters and guest columns may be emailed to inprintadvertising@gmail.com or deposited in the boxes in the main office or the media center. All the letters must be signed and include a phone number to verify information. Letters are subject to editing for space. Anonymous letters and those that are photocopied or addressed to a third person will not be considered.

Photography

Pictures considered offensive will not be run without written consent from the persons pictured and, if necessary, his/her legal guardian. All photography not labeled with a photo illustration has not been digitally altered to change.

Advertising

The InPrint reserves the right to edit any advertisement that is considered to be in poor taste for high school publication, or one that suggests a violation of federal, state or local laws. Through a voting process, the editorial board makes the final decision whether an advertisement should be published.

Staff

Print Editors in Chief: Website Editor in Chief:

Ellie Bennett, Devon Mann McKenzie Lookebill

Print Assistant Editor: Website Assistant Editor:

Ellie Vasbinder Jillian Ferry

Features Editor: Opinion Editor: Sports Editor:

Audrey Strickhouser Amber Kelly Tyler Soule

Multimedia Editor: Web Editors: Social Media Director:

Jacob Angelovski Gracie Warda, Madi Wheeler Emma Coffey

Artist:

Ellie Vasbinder

Ad Designers: Business Manager: Business Staff: Graphic Designer:

Haley Sordyl Vivian Huynh Cale Mitchell Michael Stinson

Writers:

Maci Best, Delaney Bryson, Sydney Bommersbach, Anna Ebert Andrea Elsholz, Taron Masi, Nick Megdanoff, Regina Pauly, Lydia Podlesak, Lily Tiong, Hannah Young, Lukas Zywicki

Photographers:

Abbey Banks, Matt Celotto, Kaitlin Gruber, Sena Haas, Jordyn Haines, Catherine Haines, Dow Kaenpracha, Lauren Megdanoff, Wilson Personett, Logan Reeves, Abby Sizemore, Maya Mead, Emma Senyko, Myranda Stark, Mason Tabor, Melissa Tousley, Jaden Williams, Katelyn Wallace, Reagan Wilson, Danielle Zawlocki

Adviser:

Pamela Bunka

@FENTONINPRINT

@INPRINTFENTON

@FENTONINPRINT

News Briefs

ASSISTANT PRINT EDITOR ELLIE VASBINDER

Members of presidential cabinets, governors, U.S. senators and more will all gather for the Boys and Girls State programs to teach attendees about the inner workings of government in a summer camp for politically involved students. The American Legion Boys State program is held at Grand Valley State University, while the American Legion Auxiliary Girls State program is held at Michigan State University; both run June 17-23. “The boys attending [Boys State] set up laws and deal with budgets of the town, county and state,” Linden High School senior Michael Derpilibosian said. “Elections are held the second day of the program and you can run for whatever position you desire. The program has benefited me because it has brought out more confidence in me to tackle an outof-control, corrupt government, which is what I hope to focus on in my future career endeavors.” During the week-long program, delegates learn about

PHOTO TORI HATFIELD

playING THE ROlE of a defense lawyer in American Legal System, 2016 senior Jayson Wolf (right) cross examines 2016 senior Nick Bills (left) in a simulated trial, much like the ones offered at each Boys and Girls State Programs. the inner workings of their city, county and state. They meet with elected and appointed officials to learn more about the government positions. Along with their mock political functions, the camp has simulated court system activities, field trips, debates, reporting and patriotic ceremonies. The programs prepare students for embracing their civic duties. “Boys State is such a great program that inspires brilliance out of attendees,” Derpilibosian said. “And for a time, I was seriously considering running for public office, but I decided that I’m going to hold off on that and let time work things out.” Boys and Girls State teach students about leadership, giving them certainty in their skills for

future seats in government. “My overall impression of the program was amazing,” Derpilibosian said. “It gave me a clear understanding of just how government works and how to seek the truth with people who represent their constituents in a powerful leadership position. It truly is a week that changes a life and I’m so blessed and fortunate that I was able to attend.” These programs are currently open to high school juniors who understand values of teamwork and possess leadership skills. While the application deadline for Girls State has passed, interested boys can still apply until May 25; forms can be found in the counseling office or at www.legion.org/ boysnation.

THE FINAL EDITION

The Fenton InPrint’s Senior Issue to utilize student-survey results FEATURES EDITOR AUDREY STRICKHOUSER

@FHSPUBLICATIONS

Leadership program available for politically involved students

April 25, 2018

As the final weeks of the school year approach, seniors are beginning to finalize their big life decisions about what they will do after high school. Whether they are planning to take a gap year, go to college, enter the workforce or join the military, the InPrint hopes to learn these plans and report them back to the student body in time for the senior issue of the InPrint. “The senior issue is a look back on all four years of the graduating class; the four years of sport records and trends that have come and gone,” Print Editor in Chief Ellie Bennett said. “In the issue, there is always a map of the United States that shows where everyone is planning to go after

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high school. The issue is a great way for not only seniors, but all students, to look back at the accomplishments of the Class of 2018 before they graduate.” The issue will feature the results from a survey asking seniors about their post high school plans, memories from their four years and a variety of other questions. The survey was sent out April 20 and needs to be submitted by May 4. “In an effort to include all of the seniors, I sent out a Google Form survey created by the staff via the school email,” adviser Pam Bunka said.“It includes a short series of questions and be easy for all of the seniors to respond to.” Students who have any ideas

about something they would like to see printed in the senior issue should contact a staff member or make the comment on the survey. “When making the senior survey, I chose questions that were both recreational and informational,” Online Editor in Chief Mckenzie Lookebill said. “The results will enlighten everyone about the class as a whole, not just about individuals. The goal of the survey is to collect data that will best describe the Class of 2018 in its entirety.” The issue will be distributed during the senior breakfast on June 6; students in other grades will receive the issue the following SRT.

RECIPE FOR

SUCCESS

Utilizing fiscal knowledge and volunteer experience, senior Kelly Canning places first in-state and seventh nationwide out of 4,000 in Investsmart’s annual essay competition PRINT EDITOR IN CHIEF DEVON MANN

PHOTO LAUREN MEGDANOFF

“When am I ever going to use this in the real world?” is the question Bruce Burwitz’s Finance class aims to answer for students, hoping to use the course to bridge the gap between the classroom and the world outside. In order to help bridge this gap, all of Burwtiz’s classes recently participated in Investwrite’s “Stock Market Game,” a national competition in which students create and manage simulated funds of real life businesses, creating business plans for the firms in question. The competition required them to submit essays to demonstrate the effectiveness of their plans and how they expect to turn a profit for their business. Out of the 4,000 essays submitted to the competition, senior Kelly Canning’s was awarded first place in the state of Michigan and seventh nationwide. “Mr. Burwitz had everyone in his finance classes participate in Investwrite’s annual competition as an end-of-the-quarter grade,” Canning said. “We had to pick a non-profit organization and use them as the basis of creating a five and 20 year business plan using stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. I

I didn’t really think anything of it when I submitted my final essay, I was just hoping to receive a good grade in the class. I didn’t expect my essay to do so well in the competition; the reception it’s received has been great, but unexpected.” -senior kelly canning

Blocked weBsites are reachaBle Students may request permission to use inaccessible websites OPINION EDITOR AMBER KELLY

didn’t really think anything of it when I submitted my final essay, I was just hoping to receive a good grade in the class. I didn’t expect my essay to do so well in the competition; the it’s received has been great, but unexpected.” Canning used the Salvation Army as the non-profit entity for her project, hoping that writing about her experience as chairman of the National Honor Society’s Salvation Army’s bell-ringing charity would add depth and personality to her essay. “The prompt for the competition was pretty open-ended and there weren’t many rules to adhere to, so I had some room to be creative with my essay,” Canning said. “Because of this, I chose to highlight my past experience working with the Salvation Army to show that I was really knowledgeable about the company. For the financial component, I kept the funds I utilized in my plan limited to bonds, stocks and mutual funds because they are fairly reliable sources of income for an organization that does have a lot of money flowing in.” Canning was unaware of her essay’s success in the competition until she was greeted by representatives from Investwrite and a party to celebrate her award upon arriving to class. “It was a total surprise when I came into Finance and saw representatives from the competition,” Canning said. “We ate cake and [the representatives] presented me with a banner and a huge trophy with my name on it, along with a $100 cash gift card. It’s a moment during my senior year that I was not expecting, but one I will definitely remember.”

As more and more research projects are assigned this time in the year, students are running into blocked websites. Most of the student body is under the impression that nothing can be done to view the websites; they’re wrong. Students are able to request the websites to be unblocked by asking teachers. With a few clicks, students may be able to access the websites. According to Technology Director Kevin Powers, if students send a quick email to their teacher with the link of the website in question, the teacher can then send an email to the technology department. If the site is deemed okay, it will be unblocked. “I wasn’t aware that I could go and ask my teachers to unblock a site when I need it,” sophomore Ashton Matznick said. “And I think that having this information will help with the common misconception about blocked sites being unaccessible. Personally, this is helpful because I think that websites that have no reason to be blocked should be re-enabled for Fenton High

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School students to access.” Youtube is another source for students that is often used for information. According to Powers, if a student finds an informational video they want to view during class time, they can simply ask their teacher to unblock the video and approve it for all “fentonschools.org” accounts. It takes them one click to make the video viewable for students. Because Fenton does have its own Wifi, the technology department is able to easily edit the content filter and modify the limits to what the students can and cannot view. The county does not control what filters fall onto the students’ computers, the technology department does. For a long time, students figured that websites that were blocked were completely unreachable. Now that the technology department is making it known that students are able to unblock websites, students’ ability to access these resources is easier than ever.

April 25, 2018

News

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST OF . . . From college visits to graduation, there are key things that should be done to make them the best that they can be

1 2 3 4 WRITER MACI BEST

Features

College Visits •

•

Be open to exploring a new lifestyle. While college can be a chance to restart, don’t try to be someone you’re not. Stay true to yourself and make a good first impression. In order to truly understand life on campus, course requirements, meal plans, etc., ask as many questions as possible. For example: How many students are in each class? What are the safety policies that the college has in place?

Summer •

•

Take a trip to somewhere unfamiliar. Even if you don’t have the resources to leave the state for travel, there are plenty of local things that are affordable and fun such as the Freedom Festival, the Art Walk and going out with friends. Get a job in a field that could potentially turn into a career. Summer involvement looks great for college applications.

Prom • • •

Plan ahead. Rushing around to buy a dress or tux is not only stressful, but expensive. Go with a date or a group of friends. Experiencing such a glorified event with one person or more helps make it more fun. Make good choices. Negative peer pressure is very real and gets people into a lot of trouble.

Graduation • • • •

Graduation is 46 days away. Take a deep breath and bask in the glory of it. Do not stress about something going wrong. This may be a big moment, but do not worry. Senioritis is the worst. Remember that all credits and grades must meet the requirements in order for you to graduate. Focus on the little moments. High school

April 25, 2018

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•

• •

•

Get a feel for the atmosphere and size of the campus to make sure it’s the perfect environment that meets all of your expectations. Focus on the on-campus transportation. Some colleges provide buses while others allow cars on campus. It’s important that you have a clear understanding about how to get to class. Heading off to college is a huge deal, so having some support when deciding where to go is necessary. Bring a parent or a friend to accompany you. Remember that the start of the school year is just around the corner, so finish any summer homework early to avoid back-to-school stress. Stay active. Kayaking, backpacking, biking, going for a walk or camping are all great ways to take advantage of the beautiful weather and getting out of the house. As always, make good decisions. The easiest and most common way to spoil time off is by getting into trouble. Put your phone away. This is a time to be with your friends, take advantage of it. It’s not the end of the world if something goes wrong. Step back, breathe, and focus on how awesome the dance itself is going to be. Most importantly, have fun. Don’t leave an hour after you arrive; hundreds of dollars, a lot of time and effort has been put into making prom an amazing experience. is a once in a lifetime occurrence, so make every second count. Remember that these maybe some of your last moments with your friends so cherish them. Also, remember that this is the last time to go to a sporting event as a Tiger and the last time to be with your SRT family. Lastly, remember it all happens so quickly. In the blink of an eye, you will be moving on to the next chapter of your life.

Photo CoURtESY MADI WHEELER

Photo ELLIE BENNETT

Photo CoURtESY AUDREY STRICKHOUSER

Photo ELLIE BENNETT

OR SAT? 1600 ACT? 36 GPA? 4.0

Students are under pressure to perform well on standardized tests and attain unrealistic GPAs to get into college PRINT EDITOR IN CHIEF ELLIE BENNETT

Today, people are just a number: social security, student ID, income, GPA and SAT or SAT score ACT. The next step for some students following high school is making the transition into college, but to get into their dream colleges, typically a high ACT score is needed. Numbers should not dictate a student’s future because they are not an accurate representation of who the student is as a whole, just how they placed on a test. Universities should look at Kalamazoo College and similar colleges as an example when it comes to assessing students’ standardized test scores. According to Kalamazoo College, “Your four years of academic and extracurricular achievements are much better predictors of your future success than the four hours you spent taking a test one Saturday morning. Therefore, Kalamazoo College does not require students to submit the ACT or SAT to apply for admission; however, students may submit standardized test scores if they choose.” This policy is something other colleges should model. Looking at the extracurriculars that a student is involved in demonstrates who they really are as a person, not just as a number. Putting less emphasis on these scores can help reduce levels of student anxiety. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) interviewed incoming freshman about their mental health state, with results showing that 41 percent reported as having high levels of stress and anxiety in regards to scholastic achievement. GPAs and the pressure to succeed are the root of this anxiety, causing competition between students. Students are more worried about what their GPA is and what college they are going to more than actual learning the taught material. Many universities, like the University of Michigan and Michigan Tech, have established high standards for admission, with the University of Michigan reporting their median ACT score as 31. Because a great deal of students desire to attend these types of universities, many hope to receive scores somewhere around or north of 30. However, getting these higher scores is often not likely to happen; only 47,628 of the 2,030,038 students who took the ACT in 2017 scored a 30 or above on their test, according to ACT.org. A score of 34 qualifies as the 99th percentile, and students getting a perfect 36 encompassed only 0.136% of test scores in 2017. According to the Princeton Review, the main value of standardized test scores is that they provide colleges with a “standard way to judge students, because every applicant will have a varied background, attended a different school and taken different classes.” These tests allow for colleges to assess the academic merit of a student in comparison to other applicants. While it is fine to want to have a standard way of judging students, they often have varied backgrounds; some have learning disabilities, some come from broken homes, or have to work to support the family, because they have to focus on other, important matters, other are given the upper hand. GPA would make the most sense as a way to judge students compared to test scores, but because students have a tendency to cheat, it has become less of a representative of their true intellectual capacity. According to bestcollegereviews.org, 51 percent of students admitted to cheating on an exam one or more times in the past academic year, which skews their overall GPA. There are alternative education options after high school besides college that don’t put as much emphasis on a student’s GPA, like trade school. According to tradeschool.com, “depending on the specific trade school program, a high school graduate might also be required to have achieved a 2.0 or higher grade point average for admission. The application will ask questions about the potential student, including the trade programs that they are interested in, their educational background, the career goals they have set for themselves and their work history. Once the trade school application has been turned in, an applicant will need to meet with an admissions counselor. This counselor will review the application with the applicant to clarify their answers and ensure that they are enrolled in the right program, at the right level.” These type of applications get to the core of who a person is, taking into account their life and experience. The ACT and GPA are just numbers on a paper that are used to define how smart we are, when in reality, they are not a true test of who we are as a person or our intelligence. We all retake tests to get a better score and because of this, the number on that page should not be the basis of who you are or what you’re capable of.

InPrint STORY nline

ART ELLIE BENNETT

Check out fentoninprint.com for helpful hacks before taking the SAT.

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April 25, 2018

Opinion

Photo HAILEY BATES

TRIplE THREAT

THE MOST OVERRATED MAN IN SPORTS

David Pietryga becomes the 54th student-athlete to be named First Team All-League team for three different sports SpORTS EDITOR TYLER SOULE Photo WILSON PERSONETT

Since he was eight years old, senior David Pietryga has been participating in a variety of sports. It started with soccer, and his love for outdoor activity led to him becoming a three sport athlete. Recently, Pietryga was the 54th person in Flint Metro League history to be named to a First Team All-League team for three different sports. “I would say that I fell in love with all three sports when I started my freshman year,” Pietryga said. “This is when I began to see some recognition for playing all the sports. This allowed me to continue to follow the path that I had started.” After soccer, Pietryga was led into the three sports that he plays now: baseball, basketball and football. Even before his freshman year, he knew he wanted to carry his favorite sports through his senior year. “I have been playing these three sports ever since I was little,” Pietryga said. “When I came into high school, I wanted to be a three sport athlete all four years of my high school career. I always had the mentality that I needed to be the best no matter what; it pushed me further.” Playing with him on the diamond, senior Logan Benson sees nothing but hard work and a positive atmosphere surrounding Pietryga, which could be considered one of his biggest contributions to the team. “David brings a great atmosphere, always trying to bring up everyone. He’s there for his teammates and has their backs,” Benson said. “He brings in a positive mindset, always looking for the best in everything.” Pietryga has used this opportunity to reflect on the hardships and work that helped him achieve this. In the end, though, it comes down to the people who helped him along the way. “It felt great to be the 54th person in 50 years to do so,” Pietryga said. “It allowed me to look back and be happy with all the work and dedication I’ve put in to making all this happen. I would really like to thank my parents. They have been with me through the good and the bad, which has influenced me to be the best I can be. I’ll never be able to repay them for their support. Without my coaches and teammates, none of this would have been possible. I’m just glad to have experienced everything with my teams.” Varsity basketball coach John Gilbert recognized how hard Pietryga works and how difficult it is to do what he accomplished. He credits Pietryga with playing for his team, not himself. “He’s a team player; he cares about how the people on his team work and play together. That’s his biggest contribution. He understands that you got to have old guys and young guys kind of meld together,” Gilbert said. “To play three sports and to focus on all three of them, it’s a tough thing. You have to put time into basketball, you have to put time into baseball, and football is year round now. The thing that sets him apart is that he has a high work ethic.”

In practices, whatever drill we would do, I wanted to be the best no matter what. With that mentality, I felt that’s what pushed me when games came.”

- senior David Pietryga

InPrint CONNECTION

Go to fentoninprint.com for the 2017-18 First Team all Metro League list. Photo EMMA SENYKO

Sports

April 25, 2018

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LeBron James was a great player. Keyword: was. As a rookie, and as a veteran, he played great. But now that he is on a below average team with below average players, he is forced to carry a entire team. His stats have risen to a high level, but again, that is only because he is the only player on the team that is at least average. Anyone can average high points in a game when they are the only person who touches the ball. LZ Sports Lebron James WRITER has been placed LUKAS ZYWICKI as the number one small forward/power forward in the league and is one of the highest ranking candidates for MVP. That is absurd; if you look at the list, you can see that there are other players in the league who are simply better. Kevin Durant, for one. Durant is a breakout athlete who has the ability to share the ball with some of the NBA’s best players and still manages to put up crazy high numbers. When James was on a team with the best, he averaged fewer points per game than Durant and was not as good of a player, and that was in his prime. The only thing that LeBron should ever go down in history for is his ability to cry about everything. No player since Michael Jordan has complained so much and whined about calls or no-calls as much as LeBron. Every little thing that happens in games, LeBron has something to say about it. It is embarrassing for the league and it has made the games less enjoyable to watch. In the finals last year, I remember LeBron flopping. It made me laugh. Klay Thompson was defending him and he stole the ball. LeBron went on to throw himself on the floor. After that, LeBron shouted at the official. He showed no respect and he looked as if he was about to cry; it was pitiful. When it comes to sports, LeBron James has annoyed the world. Nobody wants to hear it from him. He has been placed on a pedestal from the day he entered the league, and while he deserved it at one point, he no longer does. He is not doing enough to be considered as a MVP candidate. LeBron acting as himself has put too much drama into the league. All we want to do is watch basketball, not a drama show. If we wanted that, we would watch “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Hello,

Spring WRITER MACI BEST

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

WATCHING A PLAY unfold, senior Jessie Lynch competes alongside her lacrosse teammates at their game in Swartz Creek. “I’ve been playing lacrosse for three years, since the team was first created,” Lynch said. “I’m really sad that I’m going to be leaving soon, because I’ve watched this team grow so much over the years. I’m really going to miss it.” PAINTING A SET for Dramatic Arts, sophomore Addie Schaudt puts the final touches on one of her class performance assignments. “This was my first time painting a set,” Schaudt said. “I love art, so I really enjoyed being able to apply it to this class, along with being around so many people who are comfortable with expressing themselves in this way.” READING TO THIRD graders, junior Lauren Beck visits Tomek Eastern Elementary with Key Club for the “March Reading Month” Reading Awareness Program. “After school, a group of us went over and were assigned to different classrooms,” Beck said. “I enjoyed seeing my old teachers and revisiting the school I grew up in.” POSING FOR A picture, sophomore Julia Adams

Photo abby sizemoRe

Photo Katelyn Wallace

3 Photo abbey banKs

stands alongside her SRT sisters Margaret Berry and Hannah Polzin at Meet the Team. “I was so excited for soccer season to start,” Adams said. “Part of the reason I love soccer so much is because all the girls are like family. We really have something special and everyone shows real love for each other.”

LISTENING TO THE prosecuting attorney speak, sophomore Thomas Lockwood attends the latest School Safety Meeting. “I think it’s necessary that we have these meetings,” Lockwood said. “Some people need to realize why school safety is such a pressing issue, and that it’s not okay to make jokes or not take it seriously, especially after everything that happened in Parkland and around the nation.”

Photo Reagan Wilson

Photo DoW KaenpRacha

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April 25, 2018

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