Longboat VIKING
Haslett High School Student-Produced Newspaper
10.30.15 Volume 21 Issue 2
Two faces, two stereotypes -Pages 6-7 ILLUSTRATION: KENZIE ADLER
Five words or less College visits Attention juniors and seniors, there are only five days left of college visits for this year. Eastern Michigan University will be visiting on Tuesday from 8 to 9 a.m. In the same week, Michigan Tech will be visiting Nov. 5 from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. and Ferris State University on Nov. 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The following week will have a visit only on Nov. 12 with Heidelberg University at 10 a.m. The final visit will be Nov. 17 from 8 to 9 a.m. with Lake Superior State University.
KENZIE ADLER
Senior pic deadline Calling all seniors! If you want your snazzy senior portraits in the yearbook, you better get them in. Senior pictures are due Monday. The senior picture requirements are on the Haslett High School Homepage. If you had a professional photographer take your photos they generally submit them. But if you have not had your photos taken and want to have one taken, talk to yearbook adviser Julie Price about it. Also, if you haven’t bought your yearbook, you probably should. As of Tuesday the price is $65. But make sure you get them before winter break because after Jan. 4 they are increased to $70. If you’re wondering how to purchase books, pick up an order form from the office or yearbook room #411. You can also order online at www. yearbookordercenter. com ; the School code is: 3956.
HUNTER DAWSON
Break please!!! Finding yourself wondering on a daily basis when the next break is? You’re not alone. Our next break is the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 25-27). After that is three more weeks of school until winter break (Dec. 21-Jan. 1). Then there’s Martin Luther King Day on Jan. 18 and Presidents Day on Feb. 15 until Spring Break finally arrives on Friday, April 1! Hang in there Vikings, it’ll be here before we know it.
Unmasking the sleep crisis Hours missing in sleep schedule causes long-term effects estimates that 100,000 crashes a year are a result of drowsy driving. Around 1,550 Children throw tantrums against nap people die from these crashes. times. Teenagers pull all nighters to squeeze The long-term effects are much more in as much time as possible with their smart severe. Sleep deprivation can cause high phones and textbooks. Many adults do the blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, same in an effort to work as many hours psychiatric problems and obesity. Those as they can. In this caffeine hooked, work who sleep five hours or less a night have a obsessed world, sleep has always come 50 percent chance of obesity because of the second to everything else. release of the hunger hormone, Ghrelin, “I think it’s incredibly helpful to get a which is a gateway to even more health decent amount of sleep, but it’s usually the issues. first thing to go when I have a busy day or A common excuse for late nights is the up my schedule,” senior Grace VanGorder need to work and study, but dismissing said. “I have a crazy busy schedule and it’s sleep can actually take a huge toll on grades (sleep) nice to have, but there is a lot of and work ethic. Circadian Neuroscientist important things. It’s the least important Russell Foster said during a popular Ted compared to grades or my sports or other Talk that the ability to learn a task in sleep extracurriculars.” deprived individuals is destroyed. “Our VanGorder’s view on sleep is typical, ability to come up with novel solutions to especially among teenagers. Even Thomas complex problems is hugely enhanced by Edison is believed to have said, “Sleep is a night of sleep,” Foster said during the a criminal waste of time, inherited from lecture. our cave days.” Studies show that if Edison The results of sleep deprivation are was right, the cavemen are the ones who obvious to employers and teachers. YMCA had it all figured out. Sleep is as essential to Camp program director, Aimee Woodrow human health as eating and breathing. spends a majority of her year working with Short-term consequences of sleep kids ages 6 to 16 and managing high school deprivation include lack of alertness, and college-aged staff. impaired memory and impaired ability “Physical signs of lack of sleep to think. The National Highway include dark circles, puffy eyes and a Traffic Safety Administration general lethargy in their movement. Behaviorally, staff and campers who do not get enough sleep lack energy and enthusiasm,” Teenagers need nine hours Woodrow said. “They have less patience and for full brain performance, tend to have more and many of them, on a problems in a day. Small interferences turn into school night, are only getcatastrophes on tired ting five hours of sleep. days as opposed to on a well rested day, the interference would be no
HAILEY PECIC | Staff Writer
problem.” worse. With a need of nine hours, many As an employer, Woodrow considers only get an average of five on a school the role of sleep to pay a large role in night. To make matters worse, teenagers hireability. “Staff not being well rested are biologically hard wired to go to bed for work could certainly deter them late and wake up late, which goes entirely from gaining the employment they’re against the modern education schedule. hoping for,” she said. “It shows a lack It’s not certain why the average hours of prioritizing. I am very unimpressed have dipped, but popular theories include by individuals who have a hard time heavier workloads in schools and the prioritizing their health over late nights.” constant use of technology. To make up Working alongside Woodrow in the for the lack of energy, people turn to summers, Southern Illinois University stimulants, the most popular choice being junior Elizabeth Haubert, majoring in caffeine. Less common alternatives are elementary education, says sleep is essential drugs, and alcohol as a sedative. All three to success. “I went through a period of can be highly addictive. my life when I averaged maybe four or To provide a better night’s sleep, five hours a of sleep a night. I didn’t even it’s suggested that bedrooms be made remember what it was like to feel well as dark as possible and left at a cooler rested my entire senior year of high school,” temperature. Also, avoiding bright screens Haubert said. like computers, TVs and phones at least 30 She has since then changed her sleeping minutes before bedtime will help with the habits. “Our bodies do so much for us. process of falling asleep. They breath and think and run and laugh. But, the most useful tip is simply to The least we can do is take care of them,” make sleep a health priority. “If I could tell Haubert said. “Yes, this includes eating young people something in regards to sleep right and moving our bodies, but it also it would be that you need more than you means giving our bodies the time to rest think.” Woodrow said. “People turn into a and recuperate that they need.” different kind of person when they’re tired. As a future educator, Haubert’s big We’re all healthier, happier and better to be concern lays in sleep deprivation’s effects around when we’re well rested.” on children. “Sleep is so ridiculously essential to a child’s development,” she said. “It can affect test scores and grades and those are important, no matter how much I wish they weren’t. But long term consequences: more importantly, it hinders a child’s health, brain development and -High blood pressure physical development.” -Heart attack In the 1950s, data says most people got about eight -Heart failure hours of sleep a night. Now -Stroke the average is one and half to -Obesity two hours less. Teenagers have it much -Psychiatric problems
-Attention deficit disorder -Mental impairment
Short term Consequences:
-Decreased performance and altertness -Memory and cognitive impairment -National Highway Traffic Safety Admin (NHTSA) estimates that each year drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100k crashed, 71k injuries and 1550 fatalities
CONNER HEINZ
Get more what’s what around school at www. vikinglongboat.org
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ILLUSTRATION: BEN HAMPTON
NEWS
10.30.15
What challenges do young refugees face at U.S. schools? English as a second language teacher Jamie Trimmer has experience with refugees immigrating to the Lansing area. Here is her perspective on the challenges refugees face especially in the Lansing area.
TURKEY:
+2,072,000
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If they (refugee) come to the high school at 16 maybe 17 years old, maybe due to whatever’s been going on, they haven’t been able to go to school for the past few years.
SYRIA: LEBANON:
+1,078,000
-4,000,000 IRAQ:
+245,000
EGYPT:
JORDAN:
+128,000
+629,000
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Thousands are fleeing their war torn homeland CONNOR FRANK | Staff Writer Lines of bloated, unrecognizable bodies coat the crumbled sidewalks in heaps. Children holding rocket launchers in lieu of teddy bears, their arms just strong enough to fire a shot off in the direction of the gunfire that killed their parents. Four years into a heinous civil war between dictator Bashar Al-Assad and insurreVctionist rebels, and this is the state of affairs. Pillaging and widespread slaughter of people have sucked the marrow from the bones of Syria, a large nation on the brink in the upper middle east. The conflict started in 2011 when peaceful protesters were fired upon and slaughtered by government security forces. The country crumbled into a brutal civil war, where members of both sides have committed various atrocities, from gas attacks on civilians to barrel- bomb massacres during religious gatherings. A line in the sand was drawn by President Barack Obama in August 20, 2013, when he stated that if a gas Scan here for an interactive map of the countries that refugees are moving to
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attack were to happen, “that would change my equation.” Shortly thereafter, video footage was released of civilians vomiting themselves to death from a chemical attack, reportedly sarin gas, was released. United States response was to move a team in, with Al-Assad cooperation, to destroy the rest of the regime’s chemical weapons. According to the UN, over five percent of the nation’s populace (roughly 4,000,000 people) have fled their homeland to any nation accepting them. Turkey and Jordan have allowed nearly three quarters of these refugees into their countries, leaving over 1 million people to be ferried about on rafts and scrap-worthy boats about the Mediterranean Sea seeking asylum in any nation. For a lucky few, that reality is about to change. This year, the Secretary of State John Kerry has announced the acceptance of 10,000 refugees from Syria, an estimated 100 of which are to find home in the greater Lansing area. Refugees are distributed across the nation to cities with negative population growth rate, such as Detroit. This explains why one in five Iraqi refugees found a home in Michigan during the Iraqi refugee crisis. Director Judi Harris of St. Vincent Catholic Charities, an organization concerning refugees, said the incoming Syrians are more than mere peasants. “These are well- educated, English speaking people who are coming to America to save [their own] lives.
NEWS
We are expecting roughly ten percent to be under 18,” Harris said. The transition from a hardened, battlefield existence to suburban life will be no simple task. Teenagers will have to learn that the sound of a jet overhead does not mean an imminent gas attack from the government, and that a drive over a Michigan pothole on Marsh road doesn’t result in a terrible explosion the way a roadside landmine does. “[Refugee] kids are going to our schools...learning our culture, our way of life,” Harris said. “They will be traumatized from the war, and even if they had a safe life there, moving to another country is stressful…. Expect to see someone who is very lost, very confused, and very lonely.” The important task of incorporating the newly patriated Syrian-American teens into our cultural norms will be an ordeal that falls upon the student body. “It’s very great to invite them to games and things, and to teach them about our culture. The way we live. These people deserve to live and prosper. We are not being taken advantage of, we are showing our compassion as a people” Harris said. She emphasized the importance of accepting the refugees as new students, while respecting the tremendous amount of death and morbidity that they have had to overcome in their past. Moreover, the impression that the United States makes on these people will be formed entirely by the way they are treated during their tenure here.
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Take the extra step and talk to them (refugees). Try to make them feel like they fit in, offer to come over and help them with homework, have them come to your house. Things like that make them feel like they belong!
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The struggle in Syria
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GRAPHIC CREDIT: ian.macky.net
They are just trying to get used to our system- the way we have class is not the same as theirs. And the language barrier.
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The
Since the historic 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, a woman’s right to control her body has been the center of a male dominated public debate. Hoards of politicians, lobbyists and activists have fought tooth and nail to strip federal funding for Planned Parenthood, America’s largest provider of reproductive health services, since the non-profit’s inception in 1912. Now, thanks to the release of a heavily edited video depicting a Planned Parenthood official discussing the sale of human fetus tissue, the organization is facing public outrage. Although the Senate rejected the provision that would have defunded Planned Parenthood, many pro-lifers, be it as politicians or concerned citizens, are scrambling to find a new way to strip the organization of federal funds. To the uninformed individual, it looks like a simple correlation; less cash means less terminated pregnancies. However, what most people don’t realize is that the use of government money for abortion is illegal. In actuality, what defunding would really affect is Planned Parenthood’s ability to provide cost effective health
battleof beliefs
Planned Parenthood condones murder MEGAN KACZMARCZYK|STAFF WRITER
The Viking Longboat
A cold, stone, one room jail cell is the normal consequence for a murderer. But not all murders. In fact, most get away with it. Science is clear that human life begins at conception when a new human being is formed. In which case, that would make abortion considered murder. However, according to Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report, the organization’s affiliates performed 327,166 abortions. That’s more than 30 percent of the estimated 1.058 million abortions performed annually in the United States. In another annual report from Planned Parenthood it is reported an unborn baby dies every 96 seconds within a Planned Parenthood clinic. I personally believe that innocent human life should be protected, especially when it is most defenseless. Another ongoing concern with Planned Parenthood is the sell-
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The Viking Longboat is the student newspaper of Haslett High School, 5450 Marsh Road, Haslett, MI 48840 and publishes about every four weeks of the school year. It is published by the fifth hour Journalism class. The Longboat has been established as a student run public forum circulated within the school and to subscribers in the community and outside the school district. The Longboat is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Associa-
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ing of fetal tissues. A widespread video circulating news websites, shows the selling of the baby’s dead body parts after an abortion. Although it was found after a probe into Planned Parenthood that nothing specifically illegal had occurred, the selling of fetal tissues is absurd and should be illegal. Their affiliates According to Planned Parentperformed...more hood’s annual revenue report, than 30 percent of the group’s revenue exceeds $1.3 the estimated 1.058 billion and report that 41 percent of the income came in the form of million abortions health services grants performed annually government and reimbursements. However, the in the United States. organization received hundreds of millions of dollars from state taxes annually. If we stop funding Planned Parenthood through taxpayer dollars, then it will be forced to find other ways to get revenue, which will hopefully lead to the fall out of all Planned Parenthood clinics. The government should stop funding the clinic as well since
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tion, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Michigan Interscholastic Press Association. The publication is an 10time Spartan award winner and CSPA gold medalist. Letters to the editor are accepted at the discretion of the editorial board. Forms of speech not protected by the First Amendment will not be published. Letters must be signed by the author and may be edited for grammar, spelling and style. Direct all questions to the Publications Room, Room 411.
a fortune for necessary healthcare. However, because of the efforts of lobby groups like the Center for Medical Process, who is behind the skewed video, many people are convinced the organization is sinister. Contrary to popular belief, Planned Parenthood is not hacking up babies in a backroom for profit, nor is it raking in millions for countless abortions performed. Abortive procedures make up 3 percent of provided services, compared to the 45 percent for contraception and sex education resources, both of which have been proven to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. And as for the alleged selling of baby parts, with a client’s consent, the usage of fetal tissue for scientific purposes is not illegal – and neither is getting paid to cover the costs of implantation, processing and storage. In fact, fertility clinics will often do the same thing, so why is no one threatening to close those down? Easy answer: Women’s healthcare is not taken seriously. Thousands of innocent lives are being put on the line due to the perpetuation of inaccurate information and it could have disastrous results. That’s why its absolutely necessary for everyone to stop going off of their biased notions on what Planned Parenthood does and conduct their own research. The facts will speak for themselves. Rather than being a murderous corporation, Planned Parenthood is saving lives that would otherwise be disregarded..
Planned Parenthood
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CHRISTINE AWUOR|STAFF WRITER
services to people who can’t otherwise afford it. That means poor women of color living in urban areas will not be able to get lifesaving cancer screenings. It means broke college students will have to suffer with their STDs because they can’t afford treatment. It means the 432,000 scared and confused teenagers who seek the organization’s sex ed resources will be turned away empty handed. And regardless of how No other health center controversial abortion is, it cannot be denied that legal or not, the is as accessible, procedure will still be sought affordable, or out by desperate women. The attentive as Planned only difference is fatalities will be virtually guaranteed if the procedure Parenthood is performed in the back alley and not by a clean, licensed medical institution like Planned Parenthood. Ironically, it’s the radical pro-life groups that are jeopardizing the sanctity of nearly 3 million people’s lives. No other health center is as accessible, affordable or attentive as Planned Parenthood. Not only is Medicaid accepted at all 2,840,000 locations, it also offers medical services at the fraction of a hospital’s cost. This is why a fifth of all clients are low-income women. The organization has ensured that women won’t be paying
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Planned Parenthood saves lives
The Staff
Editor in Chief Kelsey Johnson Copy Editor Hailey Pecic Feature Editor Molly Gadola Opinion Editor Molly Brady
OPINION
News Editor Ben Hampton Sport Editor Brodee Gillam Photo Editors Ashley Dyer Rachel Hamilton Advisers Julie Price Cody Harrell
abortion is an ongoing issue that has caused a lot of political tension. For instance, a proposed bill called the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 prohibits, for a one-year period, the availability of federal funds for any purpose to any Planned Parenthood clinic or any of its affiliates. Those affiliates must certify the affiliates and clinics will not perform, and will not provide any funds to any other entity that performs, an abortion during such period. However, the bill failed to pass through the Senate. I hope a compromise can be reached to finally make abortion illegal in all of the United States and that we agree to stop funding all Planned Parenthood clinics. Although some may argue that Planned Parenthood is a beneficial service to unprivileged kids, I am more than certain that they can find other ways to retrieve birth control or STD checks such as visiting a primary care physician or local gynecologist. Although some may argue those aren’t as effective due to long wait periods or lack of funds, I believe that that’s the price to pay for saving just one human life. Planned Parenthood does not deserve to be funded by the government nor us taxpayers. Every human life matters. born or unborn.
Staff Writers Derek Choma Madison Nez Kenzie Adler Hannah Alverson Christine Awuor Leona Blosser Alex Davis Hunter Dawson Austin Eveland Connor Frank
Connor Heinz Megan Kaczmarczyk Katelyn Lee Khonnor Longendyke Kyle Looney JJ Miller Caleb Newport Alex Sadler Mia Salvador Kylie Stornant Cody Thelen Lauren Wey
10.30.15
A Staff Editorial
Write a letter to the editor! Let your voice be heard!
Ignorance is not bliss
Ignoring the horrors of war doesn’t help the millions affected While we go to bed to the sound of crickets and thunderstorms, another little girl crawls into bed to the sound of bullets ricocheting off of her window pane. While we walk outside to our neighbor’s gardening, a teenage boy walks outside his home and sees dead bodies littering the streets. While we walk down the streets of our neighborhoods with ease and bliss, a woman walks down the streets of her neighborhood trembling in fear because men with guns are watching her like a hawk. While we complain about how much we don’t want to be at school, there is a little girl sitting at home reading, wishing she could be given a chance to learn. These scenarios aren’t from your history books or accounts from war veterans; these things are happening right now all over the world. It’s hard to imagine the horrors of war and disaster when the most exposure we’ve had to it is on our TV screens. Often times, we will see horrifying images of starving children or cities in ruins, but after a few minutes of sadness and pity we focus our attention elsewhere. In most classrooms and homes, not a single word has been mentioned about the violence and war in the Middle East. And as a result, we live in a society that is satisfied with remaining ignorant to the horrific events happening around us. It’s not that this is a new thing, it’s just that it isn’t talked about as much anymore. Technology has allowed us to stay in touch with the outside world. It has also kept us within our own little worlds of Biggby, school dances and football games. But ignoring the world around us will just make things worse. It’s ignorance, insensitivity and a lack of compassion that drives war, corruption and poverty. Everytime we choose to ignore that
Have something to say?
news article or cease to ask questions we step farther and farther away from change. Nobody likes war or corruption or poverty and, as the young people of the world, we have the power to make a real difference. In a few short years we will be the ones running businesses, being elected into Congress, and teaching the young minds of America. Learning more about different cultures, ethnicities and world events increases our power even more. We could all use a little more kindness and compassion in the world. Ignoring the bad things won’t make the world a better place, it’ll make it a less genuine, more superficial place that we all so desperately want to escape. So let’s ask a few more questions, read a little more and expose ourselves to the world. We owe it to the children falling asleep to gunshots, the boys walking outside to their cities in ruins, the women afraid to walk down the streets, and the little girls who desperately want an education, to make a difference. We owe it to them to care and to promote change.
Take the challenge:
Angry, frustrated or downright upset about what we’ve written? Want to tell us how well we’re doing? Write a letter to us! Drop the finished product off in the Publications Room, room 411, for consideration to run in the next issue of the newspaper. We do NOT accept annonymous letters. Thank you.
Letters to the Editor are here to help! We know that you all have issues with different things around the school and in our community. We want to hear what YOU have to say.
Read at least one news article this week. Try to find one about something that takes place outside of our country.
Viking Voices: Is our school safe? On a scale from 1-10, how safe do you feel in school?
PHOTOS: RACHEL HAMILTON
10.30.15
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
“I think they do a good job on keeping on top of things so it feels pretty safe. The response to lock down is timely and appropriate.” Rhonda Sherwin Teacher
“I think our schools should have more security. I feel safe here, but when things start to happen you begin to realize that there’s not a lot of security in these schools.” Shreya Srivastava Senior
“I feel like it’s definitely a possibility that something could happen here, but I think most people here are smart and wouldn’t do something like that.” Chris Sweeley Junior
OPINION
“Overall I think the school is pretty safe, but there have been some instances where we were worried.” Allison Radway Sophomore
“You never know. I think teachers should be able to have guns and there should be metal detectors. You just never know what’s going to happen.” Thomas Ashley Freshman
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ILLUSTRATION: KENZIE ADLER
Two sides to every story:
TEENS VS. COPS S
enior Tony Tompson pulled into the high school parking lot, just like any other day. After parking his maroon Impala and making his way toward the building he was approached by an unfamiliar face. A man dressed in street clothes identified himself as a Meridian township police officer. “First the undercover officer approached me and he wanted to search my backpack. He didn’t believe who I was. They asked me if I had any weapons, if I was high, if I had been doing drugs, what was I doing going to school, and I told them I was just trying to get to class,” Tompson said. As Tompson became visibly upset with the officer, four more jumped out of an unmarked patrol car and joined their colleague. Meridian police were in the high
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LIFEBOAT
all over the Haslett area have encountered situations where they have felt profiled by officers because of their appearance. Sophomore, Patrobah Mazara says he can relate to Tompson’s frustration. Mazara has been pulled over on multiple occasions while returning home from friends houses on his bike. He recalls one moment that has stuck with him. “So I was biking home from my friend’s house one night, and a policeman pulled me over. I was a bit irritated because I was on a bike and I was being pulled over and it wasn’t even past curfew yet,” Mazara said. After a few questions, the officer asked Mazara to show him where he lived.
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I never thought this would happen to me at school. I was just trying to get to class. TONY TOMPSON
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KELSEY JOHNSON|Editor-in-Chief
school parking lot Sept. 17 as a result of reported gunfire and car break-ins on the corner of Haslett and Cornell roads. Meridian police officers were looking for two teens, ages 15-18, and possibly in possession of drugs and alcohol. One of the suspects was described as wearing a hat and dark clothes. As students began to file into the school, there was an announcement made that the school would be going into lockdown until the suspects were found. Ultimately, two suspects were caught, including a former Haslett student. Despite the outcome, Tompson was left feeling bitter. This is not the first time Tompson has been randomly questioned by police. “I was just wearing my favorite bucket hat, my normal clothes, a tank top,” he said. “I never thought this would happen to me at school. I was just trying to get to class.” Tompson acknowledges he doesn’t dress in a preppy style, “I might not be wearing some Sperry’s and khaki shorts and a polo but just because I don’t look all high class and fancy doesn’t mean they should call me out.” Tony’s experience that day is not out of the ordinary. Students
“He started following me in his car to my house,” Mazara said. “He asked me if where I took him was where I really lived, and I wondered why would I lie about something like that?” While Mazara put his bike away his Aunt and Mom opened the door to a sight no parent likes to see. The officer immediately asked if Mazara really lived there and if he was actually who he said he was. “He was pretty respectful, and I felt that he was honest with me. He told them (Mazara’s Mom and Aunt) he didn’t want to see me get in trouble, but at the same time I was wondering why would he assume that I was getting in trouble” Mazara said. Mazara left without any penalties but was still greatly affected by it. He often worries about his friends and the experiences they have had in the past. “My friends have had experiences (with profiling) and I’m a very protective person and I just don’t want to see them get in trouble,” Mazara said. “I just don’t want to see anybody end up dead for something stupid like that.” Senior, Macy Lydigsen felt that she was unfairly questioned by the police one night while driving home after a long night at work.
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“ I just don’t want to
see anybody end up dead for something stupid like that. PATROBAH MAZARA
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Police profiling an ongoing problem?
Although Lydigsen was only sixteen and driving past ten, she wasn’t breaking the law. According to the state of Michigan’s graduated driver restrictions, “teens shall not operate a motorized vehicle between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. except when driving to or from or in the course of employment.” “I just remember I kept asking him why I was being pulled over because he wouldn’t tell me at first,” Lydigsen said. “He technically pulled me over for speeding, but I was only going two or three over so I didn’t get it. I just remember being really mad.” Although the outcome was in her favor, and she didn’t get a ticket, Lydigsen believes she was pulled over because of her age. According to Michigan State Police Sergeant Derrick White,
officers are trained to ignore physical characteristics no matter what. That includes age, race, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, etc. “In a perfect world, clothing or any other physical traits should not matter,” Sergeant White said. “I’m not saying it never happens, as every department has a few bad apples, but it is certainly never taught nor is (profiling) it an accepted practice.” White goes on to say that he has arrested teens for MIP’s, shoplifting, and similar crimes from every race, gender and socioeconomic status there is. “I can honestly say there is no physical trait that stands out more than any other. Most of the time it is just kids making poor decisions.” White admits that police handle certain crimes more aggressively than others, but it’s all about keeping kids safe. “I know that teens sometimes feel like they are being picked on or profiled by the police when they are simply out trying to have a good time. I remember feeling the same way when I was a teenager. But police are there to make sure that laws are being followed and people out having a good time are doing so in a safe manner.”
LIFEBOAT
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HUNTER DAWSON| Staff Writer
CONNOR FRANK|Staff Writer
NBA 2K16
Star Wars Battlefront
NBA 2K16, a basketball video game, is a very well made game. While most people think game creators keep releasing the same game, that’s not true. They changed a lot about the game by changing features offered by it, and changing the shots of players in the game to resemble players in real life more closely. Overall, the game is great, one of the best things is the improved storyline of “My Career.” There’s a completely new storyline this year, now allowing you to start as a high school player and make your way through college to the NBA. The story is created by Spike Lee. Designers also made it harder, so you can’t just shoot threes and dunk. You actually have to try and drive in or spread out the defense. They also updated the plays so the use of screens and picks work better than ever. Also the cuts to the basket are sharper. When you throw a lob pass, they will actually attempt to catch it, instead of having it bounce off their hands. Personally, I would rate the game a 9/10 because the overall game is amazing. I haven’t played it in depth enough to find any flaws, but so far it’s nearly perfect.
An old friend has given a new hope to the return of the iconic PS2 saga, Star Wars: Battlefront and Star Wars: Battlefront 2. The beta for the brand new Star Wars Battlefront, crafted by Dice, was live from Oct. 8-12. It was immediately evident the allnew Frostbite 3 game engine, used in Battlefield 4 and Mass Effect, has changed the face of fictitious Star Wars scenes from the previous generation of games. The first/third personhybrid shooter got a major facelift, with even the lower resolution alpha tester, looking sleek and expressing a more developed level of depth. The game will not be a sequel, but rather a reboot from a new company’s perspective. EA games, parent company of Dice, obtained rights to Battlefront development from LucasArts. An attempt at adapting the Battlefront games for the Nintendo DS had been made in 2006 and failed. Disappointed fans have been yearning to experience more of the beloved series. Their prayers are being answered with what is anticipated to be as strong a release as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. This new game follows a trend of revamps in the movie and gaming industries, riding the nostalgia wave of classic films and pop culture of the late ‘80s and ‘90s. The release date for Battlefront 2 is Nov. 17.
New chapter for LINKS
New LINKS teacher, Amber Dale working with freshman Elias Manuel. PHOTO: RACHEL HAMILTON
HANNAH ALVERSON | Staff Writer There is a new and unfamiliar face in the LINKS program. Amber Dale was hired this year to take the place of former LINKS teacher Lisa Basore. “Working with people with various disabilities has always been a passion of mine,” Dale said. She has been working with people with special needs for 15 years. Her first experience with disabled kids was about 15 years ago at a pre-school in Howell. From there on, she worked with both kids and adults. Dale worked in the service provider industry for 13 years. Her job KAILI GOZALKA prior to being the LINKS adviser was teaching at Spartan Child Development Center. So far Dale has had a good transition. “I felt welcomed right away,” Dale said. “I really like it here. It’s been a good experience.” The students with disabilities are assigned a different student each class to help set a good example. Knowing who to assign LINKS to has been one of the challenges Dale has had to face. “It’s a little challenging to make sure those fits are good,” Dale said. “I didn’t know all of the students well enough to say ‘I think that would be a good fit.’” Dale has done a good job with making this adjustment. The students have also adjusted well. “I like it,” sophomore Sam Wiley
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She gives something new to the LINKS program.
TV show review: Arrow
4/5 Arrows
Alex Sadler| Staff Writer
Arrow is a show on the CW and can now be found on Netflix. The show is about Oliver Queen, a rich party boy who ends up on a shipwreck with his father, being stranded on an island for 5 years until he is found. During the time he claims to be on the island he acquires skills with a bow and arrow. He had to use these skills to survive and fight off the people who are there. His father, Robert Queen,
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said. “I think she’s doing a great job.” Wiley is a student with Down Syndrome. To aid in Dale’s transition, students who are part of the program jumped in to help the newcomer feel welcomed. “She’s a good fit,” said senior Kaili Gozalka, LINK of junior Maddy Mayes. “She gives something new to the LINKS program.” One of Dale’s goals for the next few years is to have the program grow. “It’s going to be tough because the LINKS program is so well established,” Dale said. “People in the community know about it. It’s one of the things Haslett is known for.” Dale is encouraging anyone who is interested in becoming a LINK to join. If it doesn’t work with the schedule, come and support at Peer to Peer meetings, held once a month during A and B lunches.
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Video Game Review
is a wealthy businessman with the intention of making up for his past sins by attempting to help the city. He fails with the coming of his death on the shipwreck with Oliver. His mother, Moira Queen, is a nice lady at first sight. You’ll quickly learn she has a dark secret that will keep you wondering what she does next. Overall it’s a very good action packed show that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
FEATURE
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Drumming up Support
Drumline preparation pays dividends throughout the fall football season CODY THELEN | STAFF WRITER As the football team prepares for the fourth quarter, the crowd goes wild as the drumline takes the field. “The cheers from the student section is one of the biggest adrenaline rushes ever,” sophomore Jake Lucier said. But the time and effort that goes into creating this energy is not easy. The hard work begins long before the school year even starts. All members get started in the summer practicing four hours a week until band camp, which then progresses to a staggering 13 hours a day of practice. Hard work is not the only elements that has accredited to their success. “There’s connections in the group that make us like brothers and sisters, how well we play and get along with each other really makes us special,” senior Andrew Winters said. The instructors and the senior leadership make it a priority to keep this dynamic. “The senior class has been really good for the drumline in that we help the younger class and as a group,” senior Ryan Abbott said. “Our leadership has improved since freshman year.” Abbott, a former St. Thomas student, made the switch to public schools because drumline was not offered at his old school. Once he began to endure the long, hard, hours that it required, he questioned whether or not being in the drumline would be for him. That all changed for him when he was finally given the opportunity to play at his first game after the third quarter. “As we took the field it was a little intimidating,” Abbott said. “But by far it is one of the biggest rushes I’ve ever felt and I knew it was worth it.” Despite the program’s ongoing success, the need for new equipment has been an issue. “It’s not that we are underfunded, it’s that the new equipment we need is a lot of money. We are trying to replace drums that are 10 years old that we got seven years ago used,” Abbott said. To reach the goal of raising $7,000, the drumline is hosting a can drive and hopes to partner with local businesses. They’re hoping this money will allow them to get new equipment and strengthen their program. When looking at the future of the drumline, the seniors are hopeful the program’s successful reputation will live on. “I hope everyone stays strong and not be at each other’s throats and maintain the respect they have for each other,” Winters said. At the end of the Homecoming game, both drumlines joined side by side for a drum off. During Dewitt’s performance, booing could be heard throughout the crowd. “The booing bothered me a little bit, I thought it was pretty immature from both sides and sections,” Winters said.“The drumline would like to thank the student section and everyone else for their positivity that’s really helped throughout the years.”
Senior Ryan Abbott stands on the snare drums of fellow drumline members senior John Ryan, sophomore Ayden Morton, junior Sage Johnson, and freshman Marisha Curtis PHOTO: RACHEL HAMILTON
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The Haslett Drumline does a great job of hyping up the student section.
I think it’s really cool when they go upside down and everything.
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MADI BRAMSON
ADAM MEHIGH
10.30.15
FEATURE
Senior Ryan Abbott strapped a Go-Pro to his chest during the Homecoming drum off and captured the student section. PHOTO: RYAN ABBOTT
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Mistakes end careers
Student athletes hindered by injuries CONNER HEINZ | Staff Writer Walk down the halls and you’re bound to see several students hobbling along on crutches, wearing casts or boots, maybe even asking their friends to carry their bags for them. Athletes in nearly every sport are getting injured left and right, putting their seasons in jeopardy. These injuries can range from a broken foot to a strained tendon. It’s the nightmare of any dedicated student athlete: having your season ended in an instant thanks to a freak accident or a moment of stupidity. Senior Will Holton was in volleyball class in the first week of school when he broke his foot, ending his final tennis season. “I went up to block my boy Luke (Sleeper), and he ran into me, and I got turned sideways in the air, landed on the side of my foot and broke it,” Holton said. He had high expectations for the season before his injury, hoping to be a League Champ, Regional Champ, have a 29 win season and reach the State Semifinals. Holton’s injury will not only affect his tennis season, but his basketball season this upcoming winter. “I’m going to miss the first four weeks of basketball, so I most likely won’t play in the first game,” he said. “Then I’m going to have to get back in shape because my cardio is going to be really bad, and that’ll be tough.” It was especially frustrating for Holton to have his high school tennis career ended with such an unnecessary and foolish incident. “It makes it ten times more disappointing because it was honestly the dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life,” he said. Similar to Holton’s situation, senior Grant Lemanski was not injured on the football field, but in an absurd incident in the locker room. “I had no shoes on, and some guys were messing around in the locker room. One thing led to another, and a shot put ball was dropped on my foot and broke my big toe,” Lemanski said. Lemanski was forced to sit out that week and in the homecoming game against DeWitt. He was able to return the next week for a crucial game against Waverly, thanks to a pregame Cortisone shot. Lemanski also expressed I’m very his frustration about his injury. “I’m very disappointed that I had to miss a game disappointed that because of someone else’s stupidity,” he I had to miss a said. game because of Junior Wana Mwondela actually did get injured while playing. “In the Mason game, someone else’s I was guarding my guy and when he cut, as stupidity. I cut with him, I felt a pop in my ankle,” GRANT LEMANSKI he said. “I tried to keep playing but every time I put pressure on it my tendon would just keep popping out, and it was the most excruciating pain ever.” Mwondela hopped off and got his ankle taped, hoping it would help. But it didn’t so I sat out for the rest of that game. “I got an MRI and they told me that my peroneal tendon was dislocated, and the only way to heal it was to rest,” he said. Despite the doctor’s orders, Mwondela decided to push through the pain and play the following week against DeWitt. “I didn’t play any defense because I just can’t move in that way. But on offense, it was rough at first but as I started going I didn’t really feel the pain and it didn’t really affect me that much,” he said. Blocking was harder, but Mwondela was able to do it. “I only had two targets that game, late in the fourth (quarter), caught one, dropped one, and I was crying during both of those, so it was a hard one,” he said. The coaches decided to have Mwondela sit out the next game against Waverly. “I could play, but I’m just not 100 percent right now, my speed has dropped drastically since my injury. It really sucks, it’s the worst thing ever,” he said. Although he’s disappointed about not being able to participate in the games, Mwondela places his faith in his teammates. “It’s really tough, but I just need to leave it in my team’s hands, hope they get out there and do their jobs and we get the W,” he said.
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Senior Will Holton’s tennis season was ended after breaking his foot. while playing volleyball in gym class. PHOTO: ASHLEY DYER
Is bubble wrap an option?
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percent of concussions in sports are from 16-19 year olds
39 783,960
percent of injuries seen in the ER are head and ankle injuries
number of injuries in football and basketball among kids 19 and under
Safe Kids Worldwide, based on hospital ER reports, 2012
SPORTS
10.30.15
Running into success
Butting heads, throwing trash BRODEE GILLAM| Sports Editor
MIA SALVADOR | Staff Writer Senior Tyler Evans has worked hard throughout the years to get to where he is now in cross country. The team as a whole has been stepping it up, as each individual runner has been getting faster and faster as they race. It proves how a hard working team can get far just by being there for each other and training on their own time. Evans was a new face to the cross country team. Going into the sport was a whole new experience for him, but he wasn’t afraid of taking the risk. Evans has shocked the Haslett community as he pushes himself at every race to show what his running skills are made of. This being his final high school year, he truly is making the most of the experience. The cross country team has become closer as friends and better as runners with Evans’ help, making the squad better as a whole.
Senior Tyler Evans running at cross country practice. PHOTO: ASHLEY DYER
MS: “What got you into cross country?” TE: “I started because my mom wanted me to do a sport my sophomore year and so I chose cross country because I thought that I was decent at running.” MS: “Have you been doing better than you were when you first started?” TE: “A lot better. I started off as the slowest person on the team and one of the worst in the region. But now, a couple years later, I am third on the team and pretty well ranked in the region.” MS: “How do you train?” TE: “The only thing you can do to get faster on your own time is run, run a lot.” MS: “Who are your biggest motivators?” TE: “My biggest motivation is my team. They are like family and they are why I still run.” MS: “How do you prepare yourself before a race?” TE: “Besides doing some warmup stretches and exercises, it is mainly mental. I tell myself that I am going to go out there and break my personal record and pass anyone who is in front of me.” MS: “How have you guys been doing as a whole this year?” TE: “Decent. We are all doing good individually, but we just don’t have enough people to do great as a team.” MS: “How are you going to feel on your last race? Happy or sad that your last season has ended?” TE: “A little bit of both. Sad that it is over, but happy and proud with both the improvements I made and that I stuck with it.”
Small guy, big racquet
When it comes to bitter rivals, nothing is ever held back. In the dictionary, a rival is “a person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity.” For me, a rivalry can not be put into words. A rivalry can only be described by moments. An Auburn-Alabama game from 2013, returning a field goal 100 yards back for a touchdown. It is a way of life. Haslett fans would be lost without the DeWitt game on the schedule. Michigan fans would be the same without knowing they will play Michigan State and Ohio State. Trick plays, tremendous pressure and bragging rights, all wrapped up into 60 minutes of football are part of rivalry fan fare. The Michigan-MSU game Saturday took rivalry to the next level. The historic final play. 23-20, Michigan leading with 10 seconds left, fourth down, blocked punt, touchdown MSU, game over 27-23. The fans and players went from having great sportsmanship to, in modern terms, being savages. Jalen Watts-Jackson, laying in the end zone with a fractured hip, was harassed by Michigan fans. On the other side, Michigan State players taunting Michigan fans with the Paul Bunyan Trophy they so desired. Rivalries can bring the best out of players, but the worst out of fans and players after the clock goes 00:00. Rivalries can take dangerous turns on the field. During the homecoming game against DeWitt, senior Jake Tahaney took a hit to the head that put him on the bench for the rest of the game. Three plays earlier, sophomore Nate Magnusson had his head targeted by the Panthers. Being disrespectful and not liking each other on and off the field is fine. It feeds the rivalry. But player safety should always be first. Head coach Charlie Otlewski is troubled by some questionable hits from recent DeWitt teams. “It has become way too common from DeWitt, and I know it’s not taught,” Otlewski said. “I don’t know why it’s happening and it has happened multiple times over the last three or four years. It has been the continuous hits to the head that have been occurring.” This frustration boiled over into an argument between Otlewski and DeWitt head coach Rob Zimmerman during the handshake line at the end of the game on Oct. 3. But tonight is a new game. A game of hard football, with vicious tackles, but without targeting plays. High school football players die from concussions, keep it clean fellas.
Takahashi helps patch varsity tennis team
KYLE LOONEY | Staff Writer Sports injuries are the worst possibility for any athlete or fan, but the underdog story is something great to witness. The boys tennis team lost one of its top players, senior Will Holton, to a foot injury early this fall. With him injured, sophomore Bruno Takahashi moved up to fourth singles while teammate sophomore Nate Choi was moved up to third singles. Having the pressure on, he has really had to “fill the shoes” to make it work. “Bruno is still learning the game but he has shown a lot of improvement, a lot of effort,” coach Henry Brunnschweiler said. Being put here would be hard for
anybody, but Takahashi has taken the first step to becoming a stand out athlete. He has been brought up in a fantastic program to work and improve. Previously, he has been a extra for the team along with some other players. He was a little surprised about being moved but is feeling pretty confident with his skill. “I think I’m doing pretty well considering I was an extra a few weeks ago, but I think I could do better than I am right now,” Takahashi said. This is the type of opportunity any athlete wishes for when he or she is putting in their all. Takahashi even has the backing from his teammates which is always a
confidence booster. “They are always there supporting me on the sidelines, cheering me on, even if I’m losing they are still there until the game is over,” Takahashi said. Being the rookie is never easy, but with the help of others, it makes things a little more relaxed. “He’s probably the best for it and has the skill to succeed there,” Choi said. Takahashi has already set goals for next season and hopes to improve. “Yes, definitely because most seniors are going to be gone so I’m going to have to step it up,” Takahashi said.
Sophomore Bruno Takahashi sets up a return during the league meet. PHOTO: RACHEL HAMILTON
Sports Ticker Varsity tennis team: sixth in the state—seniors Matthew Stewart, Toby Bepler and Nick Baugh went to the quarter and semifinals respectively.
10.30.15
After beating Walled Lake Central last week, the Vikings (6-3) play DeWitt (8-1), again, in the playoffs tonight.
Varsity volleyball play DeWitt in the first round of districts on Thursday.
Cross country regionals is today, at Uncle John’s Cider Mill, girls start at 3 p.m. and guys start at 4 p.m.
SPORTS
The boys soccer team lost to East Lansing 3-2 in the district final on Saturday.
The Kansas City Royals and New York Mets to play Game 3 of the World Series at 8 p.m.
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The
It’s a busy night in the Sparrow Hospital emergency room. As doctors and nurses work the dreaded night shift, they step out of the chaos for a moment and are greeted by a small food truck. Awaiting the hungry and exhausted staff is Kevin Cronins’ food truck, Daddy’s Little Grill. The 5 ton mobile kitchen is painted black with professionally done vinyl flames lining the bottom to express Cronin and his fiery cajun and New Orlean style menu. It is open from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. to attract hungry hospital staff. His wife, a night shift ER nurse, finds time to see him every time he does a late night run. Cronin is a Haslett man who has always had dreams of starting his own business. When the food truck “craze” became relevant to the Lansing area he pounced on his opportunity. Now he is the man behind the magic, as he handles both the business and the food. Cronin received the Certificate as Executive Chef ( CEC ) in 1998 at Lansing’s highly renowned restaurant Dusty’s Cellar. He later went on to win the Chef of the Year Honors in 2002 through
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The Haunted Auditorium. 8 p.m. to midnight at the MSU auditorium
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The Boneyard Scare Park. Featuring a haunted house, cornmaze, haunted woods, and hayride. Opens at 8 p.m. Visit boneyardhaunt.com
Bestmaze.
Food Truck
American Culinary Foundation. When his children, Caity and Michael, now 18 and 15, were young he would talk constantly about his goal to one day be an entrepreneur. He wanted to bring something new to the area, something no one had ever seen around there before. “I am just happy he is doing what he loves. He has wanted this for so long and I could not be more happy for him,” Cronins’ daughter, Caity, said. Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015, was the day the doors for Daddy’s Little Grill opened as well as the day Cronins’ dreams finally became a reality. His menu brings a little taste of New Orleans to the Lansing area with his pulled pork sandwiches and homemade gumbo. He hopes to one day have a permanent spot for the truck.
8 Things to do
Trick Or Treat! 6 to 8 p.m. The Terrorfied Forest and Manor. Take a 40 minute walk deep into a terrifying haunted forest, or try out Bubbles “fun” house. For Teens and Adults ONLY. Opens at 8 p.m.
Horror Movies
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Shawhaven Farm.
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Includes the Grand River corn maze. Trifecta of fear is a 5 star rated haunted house - with demented clowns! Opens at 7:30 p.m.
Featuring a zombie maze, burial simulator, haunted house, terrifying wagon ride, and more. Opens at 7:30 p.m.
Crimson Peak, Paranormal Activity, and The Witness are all playing at NCG
BACK OF THE BOAT
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Trifecta of Fear.
this Halloween
Experience the cornmaze and Trail of Terror- which includes a zombie ward, pharaohs curse and more. Opens at 7:30 p.m.
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10.30.15