Nov. 17, 2017

the

Friday, November 17, 2017

Sailors’

Volume 56 • Edition 3 Mona Shores High School 1121 Seminole Road, Norton Shores, MI 49441

HOMEWORK

How much is too much? page 8-9

‘Cheap shot’ injures senior lineman during district finals – page 16 Superintendent resigns ­– page 4

editorial

2

Facing the Facts Racist costume is intolerable

I

’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again; some people just do not know how to act. In the past, I’ve been told not to write too much or talk too much about racism because some people just don’t care and don’t want to hear it.

I would like to think that people would care about such a serious topic, but since Morgan they don’t, I’ve Cathey, come to realize editorial editor that I have to talk about it.

On Halloween, a white student from Shores went trick-or-treat wearing a dreadlocks wig and blackface. To him, this was all fun and games; to me, this is beyond serious.

Throughout my life, I’ve heard many slurs, I’ve seen many slights of injustice, and I’ve learned about enormous injustices.

One thing I’ve never seen, Artwork by Morgan Anderson blackface.

Over time, I have learned the social media of many of the stuabout actors of the past doing blackdent’s friends. face. Other times, I’ve seen people If this doesn’t anger you, your mordoing blackface in both stories and als are twisted. other outlets, such as movies or TV We have a school that has some shows.

In all honesty, I talk about blackface students who take part in black face while we have others who have no and how I would not support or even idea racism is still real. Shores in all tolerate it, but I really didn’t expect its entirety, staff and students, needs to actually see it on Tuesday, Oct. 31, to get its head in the game and get on 2017. top of this.

But I did.

It may seem that this issue only falls I did and so did many other stuon the shoulders of one student and dents. The blackface wasn’t even his poor decisions, but every student something hidden. It wasn’t something I just happened to stumble upon; who was there with him and who said nothing contribute to the problem. it was posted and laughed about on Adviser Warren Kent III Editor-in-Chief Mal Meston Page 2 Editor Morgan Cathey Page 3 Editor Caitlin McCombs Page 4 Editor Mal Meston

Page 5 Editor Emmalee Dykstra Page 6 Editor Paige Judson Page 7 Editor Meghan Adams Page 8-9 Editor Madeline Eckerman Page 10 Editor Gabby Lopez

Page 11 Editor Kali Jend Page 12 Editor Marisa VanderMolen Page 13 Editor Taylor Dew Page 14 Editor Sammie Ladegast Page 15 Editor Carlie McNiff

For a school that consistently preaches BE NICE, wouldn’t it “be nice” if they could be nice to all their students and treat them equally and with the same amount of respect?

If students and staff got together and simply stopped injustices like this when they saw it, maybe it wouldn’t be such a big issue.

Looking at the school’s “Bullying/ Harassment/Sexual Harassment/Hazing” section of the handbook, I see it is clear these policies are general and glaze over many things.

In the handbook, it says, “Harassment is defined as any form of written, oral or electronic innuendoes, comments, jokes, insults, threats, or disparaging remarks concerning a person’s gender, national origin, religious beliefs, racial, physical characteristics, etc., toward a fellow student, staff member, or other person associated with the District.”

The way that the school handles things, like cyber bullying, should help students deal with a large thing like this. When someone is bullied online, the school treats it as a form of harassment despite the fact that it happened off of school property, and so they should treat the blackface, a form of racial joke, as such.

A show of standing against racism is a giant step with not a lot of effort behind it. Simply condemning this student’s actions would be enough.

Page 16 Editor Megan Swanker Photo Editor Isaac Varela Staff Jaylene Davis Chris Horvath Sarah Roman

The Sailors’ Log is a public forum for student expression distributed freely to students and faculty of Mona Shores High School.

The Sailors’ Log can be found at the following on-line sites: • www.thesailorslog.com (contains current stories, photos, etc.)

The Sailors’ Log

our voice

The Sailors’ Log hateful response comments need to stop Throughout the history of The Sailors’ Log, there have been many complaints and many disagreements, though, more recently there has been a spike of distaste for the school paper.

Many students do not even read the paper, and despite this fact, they still seem to feel comfortable enough to question the staff’s ideals and quality of work.

For example, a few students went so far as to rip up a copy of the last edition and then posted it on Snapchat with the caption, “This is what I think about this newspaper.”

Of course, every person has the right to free speech, and mistakes do happen, so obviously if there is a mistake, it’s always acceptable for a student to help by constructively commenting on something.

If your intentions include trying to better things for everyone, our staff will always take student opinion into consideration.

That being said, difference of opinions and ideals should never be a reason to show distaste for something that someone else has worked hard on, and that’s generally what the students’ hateful comments have become about.

For any students out there who may have a different opinion, it may be good for them to maybe write a letter to the editor. We will print it.. Perhaps if you have another opinion you should voice it, not hate on someone else’s.

All in all, our goal behind this specific editorial is to say this: Students, if you wish to see something in the paper that we are overlooking, let us know; simply criticizing us does us no good. We are here for you. We just need to know what you want.

• Facebook: Go to “MSHS Yearbook - Compass Points” (provides photos after every Shores event) • Twitter: @thesailorslog (provides easiest way to get information to readers) • Instagram: @thesailorslog (provides Picture of the Day and story sneak peeks) • Email: kentw@monashores. net (provides communication with staff)

Our Voice is the opinion message selected by the editorial board of The Sailors’ Log. Your Voice, the letters to the editor section, is the opinion of our readers. All letters to the editor must be signed.

This edition of The Sailors’ Log was printed by The Argus-Press 201 E. Exchange St. Owosso, MI 48867

The Sailors’ Log

editorial

Here's the true meaning behind feminism

F

eminism is a hot topic in today’s society that not many people have the full understanding of.

Feminism is a belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

When most hear the word feminism or feminist, they probably think men haters. However, that is not even close to the real meaning behind the word and belief.

I like to believe that I am a feminist not because I want to surpass men but because I want to be seen and treated like an equal. I don’t want to be told I can’t do something because I am a woman or told that I can’t do something as well as a man.

For example, I play soccer, which is a sport for both males and females. However, men are seen as “better” at the sport.

For indoor soccer, at shoreline, if you choose to play on a coed team, there is certain rules.

If you are a girl and you score a goal it is Caitlin worth two points and if you are a boy and McCombs, you score a goal it is worth one point. staff writer This is ridiculous.

We women do not need to be babied just because we are going up against men who are seen as the “stronger” gender. We are all equal, so if I score a goal, it should be one point, and if a man scores a goal, it’s also one point.

Feminism was first introduced to America at the Women’s Conference held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848.

Ever since then, there have been multiple marches, speeches, and laws passed for the equality of sexes; however, we still aren’t fully there.

Women still have far to go, and we will not stop speaking till we are heard.

Women aren’t only spreading their words through marches and speeches; a show on the Disney Channel, Liv and Maddie, is now expressing this hot topic in their show.

They show that women are seen as objects, which is wrong. In one episode, the main character (Liv Rooney “I would take a hike at my cabin at Intermediate Lake because the leaves are cool in the fall.” – Dima Poland, senior “I would take a hike in Colorade because it has great views and I love to ski." – Emilee Carlson, junior

“If I could take a hike anywhere I wanted, I would take a hike in Hawaii. This is because it is such a beautiful place.” – Sara Gappa, sophomore “If I could take a hike, I would take a hike in Hawaii for no real reason except that it's Hawaii. Also, it is super warm there, and I just feel like it would be fun.” – Deserra Davis, freshman

Artwork by Catilin McCombs played by Dove Cameron) states, “You can’t just go around rating girls like we’re objects. I feel like everywhere I turn these days someone’s telling girls who we’re supposed to be.”

She is completely correct. Women can’t even walk out the door without being judged on what they wear or what they look like.

We are constantly told who we should be and who we should not be.

However, this isn’t the only way we are expressing our feminist belief. Another way we are speaking our rights is in songs for example the song “Most Girls” by Hailee Steinfeld.

In the song she says, “Most girls are smart and strong and beautiful most girls, work hard, go far, we are unstoppable most girls, our fight to make every day.”

Today is National Take a Hike Day. If you could take a hike anywhere, where would it be?

Q the big

In each edition of The Sailors’ Log, eight students will be asked their opinion about a current topic.

3

She is simply explaining that no matter the labels all women are given we’re smart, strong, beautiful, and hardworking.

No women should be ashamed of who they are because we are not what people say, we define ourselves.

I am a feminist, and I am not ashamed of it.

If one truly believes that men and women are seen and treated as equals in our time, then I don’t know what to tell that person except that feminist, both boys and girls, will change one’s mind.

It is clear that we are all not equal, and something needs to change because that isn’t right. We need to teach children that women aren’t the “weaker” gender.

For example, in Dove’s commercial, Like a Girl, women and men were asked what it’s like to run or throw like a girl.

Many would make a wimpy throw, or run slow while flopping their arms.

Women were guilty of this as well. The saying “like a girl” has become an insult because everyone sees it as a weakness.

In the commercial, a woman says, “Yes, I kick like a girl, and I swim like a girl, and I walk like a girl, and I wake up in the morning like a girl because I am a girl, and that is not something I should be ashamed of.”

She is saying that women and men are equal; there is no difference.

We are proud to throw and run like a girl because when we do it, we use all of our strength and do it to the best of our ability.

Most people today do not fully understand the meaning of feminism. Everyone jumps to the conclusion that we want to have more power than men and that we dislike men.

Hopefully after reading this story you can understand that feminists are people who believe in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

Feminists want equality, not superiority.

“I would like to take a hike throughout Hoffmaster State park because in the fall, it is really beautiful, and the trails lead out to the lake.” – Carley Eggleton, senior

“For National Hike Day, I would take a hike on the Appalachian Mountains because (English teacher Shelly) Brower said it's a really cool place to go, and there are a lot of people on the trails.” – Seth Koeller, junior “I'd probably take a hike in Mount Everest.

This is because it is really tall, and it is a really cool venue with a lot of rocks.”

– Max Spagnuolo, sophomore

“I would take a hike in Peru becuase it seems like somewhere everyone else would want to go, and it sounds fun.” – Keondre Pierce, freshman

news

4

The Sailors’ Log

Superintendent resigns following ‘a very trying time’

By Mal Meston Editor-in-Chief Following a tumultuous few weeks, superintendent Greg Helmer submitted his resignation Monday at the Mona Shores School Board meeting, which was held at Ross Park Elementary.

School Board President Stan Miller read a statement to the approximately 90 community members, staff members and other attendees after the announcement of Helmer’s resignation.

Helmer “Greg has always told the Board that if for whatever reason he believes that he cannot lead the district in a highly effective manner, he would step down,” Miller said. “After much thought and reflection, Greg believes that he has reached that point at Mona Shores. Greg has a passion for education and drive for continuous improvement that will serve him well in whatever lies ahead. We wish Greg the best and understand that he wishes the same for Mona Shores.”

Shortly after Miller’s statement, a few people in the crowd clapped in favor of his resignation.

After this, the Board along with Bill O’Brien, the district’s director of curriculum/instruction/assessment, went into a closed session meeting for about an hour.

Following this closed session, Miller moved to name O’Brien as acting superintendent of Mona Shores, pending further discussion.

“I will offer as discussion that Mr.

O’Brien has been a rock throughout this process,” Miller said. “His steadiness, his trustworthiness, his reliability and his loyalty to the district are what prompted me to make that motion and that is what gives me high confidence in this decision.”

Additionally, members of the public were invited to address the board through public comments.

Former teacher and coach Mike Mack commended the board in its decision.

“Not one of you signed up for anything like this,” Mack said. “You did what was right for everybody, our staff, our students, and our district. It’s not easy, so I commend you. Second of all, you can’t get much better than Bill O’Brien. He’s a good friend, I’ve known him for a long time and everything that Stan says is true, so thank you.”

High school English teacher Jolynn Walek also praised the board for their decision, which has given her the opportunity to send her own two sons, who are currently enrolled in the Spring Lake District, to Mona Shores.

“I would like to thank each of you for your bravery and your dedication to upholding our district to the highest standards especially including those words in our mission statement regarding building character,” Walek said. “Thank you for making the right but undoubtedly painful and excruciating decision that you made your decisions and commitments to moving this community forward, and in honest, transparent and integrity-filled way pushes me to want to raise my sons in an environment where I know they will learn those same values. I commend you and I stand with you as we re-

Why did this happen?

Report shows Helmer bullied, intimidated

By Mal Meston Editor-in-Chief Following a 53-page report conducted by the Board of Education’s legal team, Shores superintendent Greg Helmer was originally placed on a “plan of assistance” by the Shores School Board before he was put on a paid administrative leave (see story, this page).

The public learned of this via an email from Stan Miller, the school board president, which was sent to parents, staff and administrators on Friday, Oct. 27.

According to the report, it was substantiated that Helmer retaliated against high school principal Jennifer Bustard. Additionally, assistant principal Kent Higgs and former Lincoln Park Elementary principal Karen Abraham both filed complaints against Helmer.

At this time, Bustard declines any further comment regarding the investigation because “it is a topic that is personal and is a private matter.” Higgs has also declined to speak further about the report, and Abraham no longer works for the district.

Miller sent a formal reprimand to Helmer on July 31, 2017, for violating the retaliation provisions of Board Policy 1662 and for dishonesty.

Helmer was substantiated on many claims given for bullying, harassment and intimidating behavior; however, the claim that Helmer sexually harassed Bustard is not substantiated, according to the report, which can be read in its entirety on The Sailors’ Log website (www.thesailorslog. com).

According to the investigation report, Bustard filed a complaint against Helmer Please see REPORT, page 5

build the time-honored excellence of Mona Shores Public Schools. Thank you for the strength and courage you demonstrated.”

Walek’s remarks were carried on by a sea of applause throughout the audience.

Helmer’s resignation comes a week after he was placed on paid administrative leave following a closed session of the Mona Shores School Board on Monday, Nov. 6.

That decision by the board cam on the heels of a 53-page investigative report that substantiated that Helmer had retaliated against high school principal Jennifer Bustard. Additionally, high school assistant principal Kent Higgs and former Lincoln Park Elementary principal Karen Abraham both filed complaints against Helmer.

The board meeting, also at Ross Park Elementary School, was attended by approximately 90 community members and staff from the school district.

At the beginning of the meeting, the traditional public forum session was held with all comments aimed toward the investigation report and the allegations filed against Helmer.

Community member Jennifer Flannery, who became emotional during her comments, said she was there to support Helmer because he encouraged her daughter to become a student athlete.

“I’ve known Helmer since I was in sixth grade and he has forever been an amazing friend to me,” Flannery said. “I’ve never known anything negative toward Greg. I’ve known females that have worked closely with Greg and have never once heard a negative comment that anyone has said about him making inappropriate comments or just

inappropriate anything. Greg’s a great guy.”

Another community member, Erin Matuz, expressed different views than Flannery.

“I am especially concerned because I don’t feel like the board has taken this seriously enough. I know there are people who believe strongly about behavior on both sides, but I think that is irrelevant at this point because the allegations are against our superintendent,” Matuz said. “I think that it’s terrible that we would subsidise this type of behavior in any professional person.

While I believe strongly that people deserve second chances I think that Mr. Helmer blew that.”

A few teachers from the district who spoke were Scott Volkmann, Eric Wahlberg, and Roxanne Schaner also spoke. Volkmann spoke about the positive things happening at Shores that are getting ignored because of this situation, Wahlberg spoke of the positive leadership qualities of Helmer while Schaner talked about how Shores needs to right its ship.

Following the rest of the regular board agenda, the board held a closed session, which lasted approximately two hours.

After that, the board returned and voted to place Helmer on parid administrative leave. on the future of Helmer.

Although the district is going through a difficult time, Miller said on Nov. 6 that he praises those who continue to keep in mind what is best for the future of our community.

“I am deeply grateful to our administrators and teachers for their professionalism and for their passion to keep doing what’s best for our students through a very trying time,” Miller said.

Why did we cover it?

Truth needed to be told to educate students

W

hile many wonder why a high tors-in-chief of The Sailors’ Log to get school newspaper staff would their input and opinions on the situation. tackle the story of a principal All but one of the past EIC’s expressed accusing a superintendent of bullying and their desire to publish the story. retaliation, I, as editor-in-chief of The Kim Rathsburg, former EIC said, “I beSailors’ Log, can tell the public that we, lieve by allowing The Sailors’ Log to inas a staff, did not take the decision to print vestigate this story, it also speaks volumes this story lightly. to the board about the severity On Oct. 27, as soon as I of the allegations as well as read the email sent by Stan

by Mal Meston, shows the students’ support Miller, the Shores Board of Editor-in-Chief for intolerance to bullying and Education president, I printed harassment.” out the 53-page investigation report and Additionally, feedback from the execbegan to read all of it. Yes, all 53 pages. utive director of the Michigan InterschoAs I was plodding through the pages, lastic Press Association and a newspaper I was shocked and surprised this was all adviser from another local high school going on with little acknowledgment from was solicited. the Shores community.

I brought all of this information to the I then knew the decision to publish current newspaper staff on Nov. 2. I wantthe story must not be influenced by just ed to know what their take on the whole me, so I began to contact all past ediPlease see TRUTH, page 5

Editorial

news

The Sailors’ Log

Breaking Language Barriers

5

Junior speaks fluent Assyrian with mom at home

By Emmalee Dykstra Page Editor Most students at Shores will only get the chance to learn a second language during a class, which is required to graduate.

For junior Sara Isaac, this is not the case.

Isaac was born in Bakhdida, Iraq, where she grew up speaking Assyrian, her first language. Along with that, she speaks English, Arabic, and French.

When Isaac was 11 years old, her family decided to make the move to America.

“I came to America about five and a half years ago because my dad worked for the US Isaac Army as a translator. His boss told him that we should come here because education is so much better, and so we did,” Isaac said. “People think it’s because of the ‘bad environment,’ but it’s a completely different story; living there wasn’t bad. We just got lucky before all the bad stuff happened in our home town and so people think we ran away.”

Of the four languages she speaks, two are more prominent in her life.

“I mostly speak a mix of Assyrian and English at home, especially with my mom because she doesn’t understand a lot of English,” Isaac said.

Being bilingual, Isaac said, comes with benefits that not a lot of students at Shores can say they have.

“Being bilingual is very beneficial because I’m more likely to get into good jobs and I can also travel without being

TRUTH

Continued from page 4 situation was and whether or not they believed the story should be published. All 13 staff members voted to run the story – for one main reason.

The one main reason for publishing the story was to inform Shores students of the real and true allegations placed against Helmer. In the halls, there was too much misinformation and untruths being told.

A staff member and I also attended the Board Meeting on Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 to understand the full process.

The staff and I have heard throughout the hallways of Shores too many rumors being spread about both Helmer and Bustard these past couple of weeks.

All of the staff members of The Sailors’ Log want the false rumors to come to an end, and by doing that, we all decided to publish the story to inform students of what really is happening.

The decision to publish the story was extremely difficult for me and the staff.

We knew that publishing the story could poten-

Megan Quigg

Languages: English and Spanish How she learned: Her mom is from Argentina and only speaks to her in Spanish.

How it benefits her: “It’s crazy how many more job opportunities there are and how much there is to learn from knowing two languages. Just having one leg up on my peers is really cool to me.”

Gaby Sanchez

Languages: English and Spanish How she learned: Born in Spain, her mom taught her Spanish Junior Sara Isaac, being held by her mother, is one of a handful of students at Shores who speak multiple languages. Isaac, who is from Iraq, speaks four languages.

(Courtesy Photo) completely lost,” Isaac said. “Plus, I can speak it when I don’t want people knowing what I’m saying.”

Isaac is just one of about 60.6 million Americans who is bilingual. At Shores, there are a select few who get to share the same gift as Isaac.

“I also like being bilingual because it freaks people out when I speak Assyrian, and I love seeing the reaction on their faces,” Isaac said.

tially hurt the feelings of a few who were impacted by the investigation report. Both Bustard and Helmer have family at the high school. We spent extra time discussing the impact this story would have on Bustard’s two children, who are sophomores, and Helmer’s one child, a sophomore, and wife, who teaches at the high school.

In the end, we decided that the truth needed to be told.

This is not the first time The Sailors’ Log has covered controversial stories. In the past 10 years, we have covered the controversy involving a transgender to be nominated for Homecoming King in October of 2010; the controversy involving the arrest of a choir accompanist for allegedly having sexual interactions with a student in February of 2012; and the controversy involving three administrative positions to be eliminated to help balance the budget in June of 2013.

The former EIC’s, the staff and the past controversial stories all helped to influence our decision to print the story.

The decision to publish the story of the resignation of superintendent Greg Helmer was strictly to inform Shores students of the real facts so that the false rumors will come to an end.

How it benefits her: “I feel like I can understand people in different parts of the world more, and knowing two languages makes me feel smarter.”

While it is all fun and games to see people’s faces when a language they don’t know is being spoken, Isaac said being bilingual is more than just showing it off to her friends; she does it to make a statement.

“I get bullied and made fun of for being bilingual and from another country sometimes, but it is usually the people who are less educated about culture, so I understand,” Isaac said. “They have a lot to learn.”

REPORT

Continued from page 4 after she had been involved in a pattern of “bullying, harassment and intimidating behavior to get rid of her.” After the first complaint was filed, Bustard filed another complaint alleging that Helmer tried to “intimidate and undermine” her in retaliation to the first complaint filed against Helmer.

According to the report, Helmer has been removed from the responsibility of evaluating Bustard.

In the board’s letter, Miller writes “the Board of Education reprimanded Mr. Helmer, placed him on a plan of assistance, and removed responsibility for performance evaluations of that staff person. The board also has enlisted the help of a leadership coach to assist Mr. Helmer in demonstrating objectivity in personnel matters and to better respect staff’s personal space.”

On Oct. 25, Helmer submitted a

letter to the Board of Education.

“From the first time I initially was made aware of the complaints, I have been embarrassed, shocked and mortified,” Helmer wrote. “I am deeply saddened and apologetic for the situation we have all faced for the past several months.

Without a doubt, it was a time of distraction, uncertainty, burden and exhaustion. While I do not concur with all the findings in the report, please know that I have accepted the plan moving forward.”

With the plans to move forward, the board voted to place Helmer on a “plan of assistance” until the end of June of 2018.

“The board takes the treatment of staff seriously and will continue to assess Mr. Helmer’s progress throughout the school year,” Miller wrote. “He has assured the board that he is committed to providing staff with a positive work environment, and we expect to see ongoing improvements in his conduct.

We look forward to Mr. Helmer’s growth and continued leadership.”

feature

6 “I’m thankful for my friends because at my old school, I didn’t really have many close friends, but here I do. Whether we are at the haunted hall or the movies, I just love spending time with them.” – Lauryn Jackson, freshman

“I am really excited for the opportunity to go to CHIC this summer in Tennessee because it is this big Christian conference that I get to go to with my church, and I get be with my friends and just have fun.” – Luke Diller, sophomore

“Freshman year, I first moved here from Europe, and I didn’t really know anything about an American high school, so I had my cousin drive me to school everyday, and she would show me around and show me how to open my locker and stuff.” – Caroline White, senior

TODAY I’M

“There was this time, two years ago, and we were either going out for my birthday or my report card. I got gifts, and I was happy, but my family, just thinking about them, I just started tearing up because I just love them so much. That just doesn’t really happen, and I don’t know why. I was justing thinking I just love them from the bottom of my heart.” – Robert Williams, senior

l u f k n a Th

FOR...

“A time I was really thankful for was when I was back in 10th grade and I was having issues with my mom, and during that time, I reconnected with someone I wasn’t talking to at that time, but she sat down and listened to me and was my friend. – Chris Brown, junior

The Sailors’ Log “I’m thankful for my friends always being there for me and also just being able to spend as much time with my family as often as I can because I just love them all so much.” – Makayla Lieb, junior

“In eighth grade, I was really sick with strep throat, and I was gone for a whole week, and then my friend (sophomore) Eliana Hardy actually reminded me that we had a test the next week, so I got to study for it even though I was really sick, so I was really thankful for that and for her.” – Kiley Jackson, sophomore “A time I was thankful for was when my family and I went to the Dominican Republic in Punta Cana, and we spent a week there over Spring Break. We had an amazing time, and it was probably one of my favorite trips. I was just extremely thankful for the opportunity.” – Adrian Silva, freshman

Food is definitely No. 1 thing to be thankful for, especially on Thanksgiving day

T

hanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, spending time with the people we’re close to, and food. Lots and lots, and lots of food. For example, most families will eat turkey on Thanksgiving.

No matter how much food you eat on Thanksgiving, everyone has a favorite food. Sometimes it’s meat, sometimes veggies, sometimes desert.

For senior Cameron Thompson, it is mashed potatoes.

My all-time favorite food is macaroni

and cheese. Sure, it isn’t a traditional Thanksgiving food, but it is my all time favorite. My grandmother has to make just for me, every year.

Senior Taylor O’Donnell has a definite love.

By Olivia “I love, love, love Watson, Staff Writer stuffing,” she said.

“Like a lot.”

Then, she followed with, “But I really

hate cranberry sauce.”

How dare she. Cranberry sauce is my second favorite Thanksgiving food. I just love the contrast the tang gives to everything else you eat.

Cranberry sauce is delicious (and yes, O’Donnell and I argued about it for 10 minutes).

But to each their own.

Just like O’Donnell with cranberry sauce, there are also foods that many people dislike. Some might say, hate with a burning passion.

My food hate has to be sweet potatoes.

It’s just something about the gross, slimy texture and the not quite right orange color. It feels like putting an alien food in my mouth.

And don’t get me started on pumpkin pie, or sweet potato pie for that matter.

They both feel and taste like baby food being baked to an almost inedible degree.

No matter what one’s favorite food is, most can agree Thanksgiving is definitely a great holiday. After all, who doesn’t love eating until they’re sick?

Pet peeves vary at school

By Chris Horvath Staff Writer

Everyone has pet peeves.

Pet peeves are not uncommon, especially among Shores students and teachers. Obviously, different things make different people annoyed, irritated, or mad.

English teacher Dave Droski said his pet peeve at school is getting behind slow walkers in the hallways.

“I can’t stand it,” he said. “It makes no sense. I don’t know why students can’t just pick up the pace.”

While many people point to freshmen as the main culprits of slow walking, freshmen Rachel Farrell said her biggest pet peeve is when people complain about freshmen.

“I hear all of these sophomores say how annoying freshmen are, like, you just were one,” she said. “It’s rude.

And it also makes no sense.”

Speaking of complaining, sophomore Olivia Brower said she hates complaining. Not just any type of complaining, but people who complain about their grades but don’t try hard.

“I don’t understand it,” she said. “If you don’t want to work hard, then you shouldn’t complain about bad grades.”

Droski also said another pet peeve around the school or his classroom is students leaving garbage in his class or leaving his classroom dirty.

“Look right there on the floor, a nice Pringles’ can that I have to take care of because some student didn’t feel like it,” Droski said.

Freshman Ethan Brown’s pet peeve coincides with Droski’s. His biggest pet peeve is when students make messes throughout the school.

“I like being able to go to school in a clean school, not a dirty one,” Brown said.

One of the pet peeves that students talk about at Shores is people who walk too slowly in the hallways. (Photo by Crhis Horvath)

The Sailors’ Log

profiles

7

From Shores to Holly wood Carly Jibson, a 2002 graduate may not have taken the most direct path, but she has made her way from Shores to Hollywood. Here are the major roles Jibson has had.

Shores Shows

2000 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Potiphar’s Wife 2001 Guys and Dolls as Adelaide 2002 West Side Story as Anita

Carly Jibson, a 2002 graduate of Shores, has found success on the stage and small screen. Jibson currently appears on two television shows.

Above, Jibson plays Vivian in TBS’s The Guestbook while left, Jibson is Desiree in Amazon’s One Mississippi. (Courtesy Photos)

Broadway

2003 Hairspray as Tracy Turnblad 2008 Crybaby as Pepper Walker

TV Shows

2017 The Guest Book as Vivian 2017 One Mississippi as Desiree

2002 graduate finds success on the small screen

By Meghan Adams Page Editor

From the Shores auditorium to Broadway in New York and finally to Hollywood, Carly Jibson has come along way.

It all started in the music program at Shores, but now, Jibson can be seen on not one, but two, television shows.

The first to come along was The Guest Book, which is a half hour sitcom on TBS. “(When I saw the role,) I read a woman who was ferocious, unapologetic, strong, funny, sexy and witty, and get this – not one mention of her physical appearance.

And guess what, 15 years later, I was back in fishnets and corsets again and was never more ready,” said Jibson referring to her TV role as Vivian, who is a bikini bar owner, after Jibson wore the same items while performing at Shores in Guys and Dolls.

Next came One Mississippi, which can be seen Amazon. Jibson said she had been a big fan of comedian Tig Notaro, and as soon as she heard, they were casting a big role for season 2, she knew she had to be a part of it.

“I was really moved by all of the subject matter, but mostly the way they dealt with the death of Tig’s mother on the show. I felt like I had never seen it spoken about or

handled with so much authentic truth,” Jibson said. “There was no way I was leaving that room without the job – and I didn’t.”

That go-get ‘em attitude began at Shores, where she performed in three musicals – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as Potiphar’s Wife, Guys and Dolls as Adelaide and West Side Story as Anita.

“Every role taught me something different about myself because it challenged me,” Jibson said. “Guys and Dolls was a tricky one because it was my first time being the lead in a show. Having that pressure and responsibility, I learned what leadership was and how important it was to be an example.”

After high school, Jibson promptly moved to New York to pursue her Broadway dreams, auditioning for the First National Tour of Hairspray, where she eventually secured the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, which she played until 2005.

This role, being her first, changed her life forever, she said, because it gave her the ability to do what she loved and meet many new people along the way.

“It was also a crash course in education that you really can’t put a price on,” Jibson said.

While working on Hairspray, she landed a role in another Broadway show, Cryba-

by as Pepper Walker. The show opened on Broadway in the spring of 2008.

After her Broadway shows, Jibson took time off to find out who she truly was.

“I was 18 years old when all of my dreams came true. It happened so fast, so many changes, so much growing up in such a short amount of time,” Jibson said. “It’s easy to lose sight of who you are, when you’re in the midst of what you’re doing.”

While in her off time, Jibson started writing stories, producing concerts, and even made an album.

“It was the best and most confusing time of my life, but incredibly necessary,” she said. “I will always refer to it as ‘the crash of 24.’”

During this time, Jibson discovered she was done with theater.

“It just didn’t fulfill me the way it once did, and I really struggled with that realization,” Jibson said.

Three months after her mother passed away, Jibson packed up everything and moved to Los Angeles to start a new life.

“I was too broken to be scared at that point,” she said. “All bets were off because it was time to go do what I promised my mother I would do: live.”

In her adventitious move, Jibson landed

her two current roles.

She said she has been struggling with that since she arrived in Hollywood.

“I had to pass on a lot of jobs. Jobs that went on to make other people lots of money,” Jibson said. “My overall objective was more important to me than just being able to say I had ‘made it.’ If you’re not doing things with any moral convictions or on your terms, that’s not really ‘making it.’”

Jibson said she is now living out her best life.

“It’s been a lot of ups and downs, and that’s putting it lightly, but I’m 33 years old, and when I look back at what I have accomplished so far in the 15 years of my professional career, I’m very proud,” she said. “The best advice I can give is to have a strong sense of who you are. This industry is all about judgment, competition, disappointment, soaring highs and devastating lows. We are all dying, okay; we can’t avoid that. And that’s the equalizer; that’s big joke at the end of all this. You work hard, you learn, live, love and then die, but the best way to do it on your terms, honestly, is to soak in all the joy that you can. That’s how you win. Do the best you can, be the best person you can and never take life too seriously.”

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Teachers view homework as necessary to learn skills

By Madeline Eckerman Page Editor When a visitor walks into a high school, without a doubt, she will hear students complaining about the homework from one class or the after-school projects from another.

Are all the student complaints about homework justified, or does homework have benefits that not all students are aware of?

“Homework is beneficial because practice makes improvement, and the more a student practices a concept the more likely they are to own it,” English teacher Roxanne Schaner said. “When the homework is to finish an assignment from class, it is beneficial because students need to finish it to understand the rest of the unit.”

Teachers say homework provides extra practice on a concept or skill that students otherwise would not practice on their own.

“Students don’t necessarily practice on their own, so they wouldn’t reach fullest improvement,” Schaner said.

This extra practice helps strengthen a student’s understanding of a concept which can help students be more successful in the long run on assessments.

“Benefits of homework include many tangible results such as higher test scores and a deeper understanding of the content,” social studies teacher Shannon Conrad said.

Almost all students have complained about the amount of homework they have, but it is very rare for students to speak on the fact that although homework usually isn’t enjoyable, it is proven to be beneficial for students in the long run.

A study by a team of scientists at Duke University put students with no homework up again students with homework and had them take the same test. In this study, 69 percent of the students who were doing homework performed better than the students with nothing.

Homework can also be a task that forces students to learn other life skills, such as responsibility and time management.

Conrad said, “There are also a lot of intangible results such as acquiring time management skills, learning to set priorities, problem solving, developing student habits and learning to stay on task which is becoming in-

We asked eight students to keep track of the amount of homework they had each night from Thursday, October 19 through Wednesday, Oct. 25.

These are their results.

creasing difficult with technology.”

The life skills students learn while budgeting time for their after-school activities and homework are skills that set students up for success in the real world.

Many teachers also say the homework students receive is often to complete assignments that were worked on in class. In which case, completing those assignments is necessary for students to grasp the full concept that is being taught.

“When the homework is to finish an assignment from class, it is beneficial because students need to finish it to understand the rest of the unit,” Schaner said.

For many AP classes, the amount of curriculum tends to be more than that of a regular call, and this can make time a problem for those classes “For AP students, I feel like (homework) is a necessity,” Conrad said. “There is not enough time in the day to teach all the content and skills needed to do well on the AP exam. Students have to practice at home.”

However, is all assigned homework beneficial, or are students responsible for more work after school than what is really necessary?

Conrad said, “I think students are doing way too much homework.”

Many busy students who struggle with keeping up with the homework load tend to be the students who take on challenging classes on top of different after school activities. Advanced classes and extracurriculars can be a difficult thing for students to balance, especially the excessive amounts of homework that comes with many Honors and AP classes.

“Way too many students are taking on (the challenge of multiple AP’s, extracurriculars, and a job) and have way too much homework and not enough sleep as a result,” Conrad said.

The balancing act between homework, extracurriculars, a job, family, and sleep is a tough task which is almost impossible to maintain. Students complain this balancing act would be a much more feasible task if the amount of homework was cut, but is that really a good idea?

Even though homework can make balancing all other aspects of life much more difficult, homework is also something that help set students up for success down the road, and many people would argue a little hard work now is well worth it if it means a bright and successful future.

Sarah Bayne, freshman Total: 595 minutes

Weekend 205 min

Monday 130 min

Wednesday 75 min

Thursday 20 min

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Many students overwhelmed with amount of work

conundrum

By Madeline Eckerman Page Editor

Homework is a responsibility that every student is familiar with; however, how much homework should students really be responsible for? Do students receive too much homework, or is homework a critical part of education?

The amount of homework a student will have usually varies depending on grade and classload.

Typically, the amount of homework increases as students go through school, and students who take advanced classes like AP and Honors commit themselves to more homework than general classes.

The National Education Association and the National Parent-Teacher Association both recommend that children be asked to do no more than 10 minutes a day of homework in first grade, then move up incrementally from there, with second graders doing a maximum of 20 minutes a day, third graders 30 minutes, and so on.

With that in mind, freshmen would have

90 minutes while seniors would have two hours.

However, students taking Honors and AP are even more likely to spend more hours of their night after school doing homework.

Junior Diego Stark said, “Students shouldn’t have to spend half of their day learning and testing and then have leave school and work on the same things they did all day.”

The majority of the homework assigned being “busy work” is a common complaint among students.

Students often will say that homework is beneficial to some degree, but often the assignments given to complete at home seem pointless and force students to repeat work and skills they have already mastered.

Often, teachers will assign worksheets that make students complete sometimes 20 or 30 problems that practice a skill that could be mastered in possibly five problems. This makes homework often a tedious and repetitive task that will eat up a

student’s free time after school.

“Homework is justified when there is a reason for it, but sometimes, especially in general classes, there can be too much busy work,” senior Althea Muth said.

For many students, their lives after school are already packed with extra curriculars like different clubs, sports, or a job, so trying to balance those activities on top of potentially hours of homework can be an nearly impossible task.

“Students do not get enough class time to work on their homework, so that work on top of extracurriculars makes life after school too busy,” sophomore Kate Roossien said.

While many students see homework as necessary and beneficial to their learning, spending hours upon hours of time after school can be overkill and a waste of time for some students.

Freshman Aiden Anderson said, “Homework can benefit students because it can help them do better on the quizzes and tests.”

This extra repetition homework pro-

vides students can help them reinforce the things they understand and strengthen the concepts they may not have completely grasped yet.

“Homework can help students so they aren’t going into tests and quizzes blind, so they can know what their strengths and weaknesses are,” Muth said.

At the end of the day, homework is an aspect of education that takes a student’s understanding of a concept and strengthens that understanding which is beneficial in education, but, does it really take hours of homework to strengthen that understanding?

Do students really need to spend hours on end working on assignments when sometimes those assignments are busy work and simply a waste of time?

“Homework, especially busy work, seems to take my enjoying my teen years away from me,” junior Erin Powers said.

“How am I supposed to have fun when my days are spent trying to keep up with the outrageous amount of schoolwork I have everyday?”

One night in the life of a teen: blancing act with sports, school

B How much is too much?

That seems to be the No. 1 question. While both students and teachers understand that homework is vital to education, the discussion about how much, and sometimes the rational for homework (i.e. “busy work”), can become contentious.

Here are stories and information that attempt to provide some clairty.

Suriya VanderOord, sophomore Total: 130 minutes

Tuesday 10 min

Wednesday 50 min

Tuesday 10 min

Weekend 60 min

Wednesday 20 min Thursday 20 min

usyness is not an unfamiliar concept to me.

Busyness (being busy) seems to take over my life and cause it to constantly be moving at the speed of light; therefore, I feel like I am always busy.

That being said, there are instances when I probably commit myself to more things than I have time for, and when that happens, it can lead to some long days and even longer nights.

I remember one Thursday and Friday in particular that dragged on. Walking out to cross country practice that Thursday afternoon, I knew I was in for a long 48 hours. That afternoon, I would go Madeline from high school cross country practice Eckerman, to soccer practice and not get home until Page Editor close to 9 o’clock.

That may not seem too terrible, but once I returned home, my night was far from over. I had hours of homework assignments and studying in store for that night.

I thought ahead to the AP Language vocabulary test, the AP Chemistry unit test, and the AP World vocabu-

Braden Vaandering, sophomore Total: 80 minutes Monday 5 min

Monday 20 min

Monday 30 min Weekend 60 min

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The Sailors’ Log

the HOMEWORK

Hayden Yaros, freshman Total: 170 minutes

Tuesday 60 min Thursday 125 min

The Sailors’ Log

Weekend 35 min

Madelyn Anderson, junior Total: 550 minutes Weekend 120 min

Tuesday 15 min

Tuesday 10 min

Wednesday 5 min Thursday 20 min

Monday 120 min

Wednesday 90 min Thursday 210 min

lary quizzes I had waiting for me at school the next day, and I was worried about how I would cram it all into one night.

I sat down at the kitchen table, took out my backpack, and stared at the textbooks, binders, and notebooks stacked in front of me. Opening my AP Language grammar packet, I began a night of homework that seemed to never end.

The hours ticked by from 11 p.m. to midnight to 1 a.m., and with each passing hour, my brain seemed to get more tired and my eyes more heavy. As time was closing in on 2 a.m., my homework pile was dwindling but not yet finished, so I opened my AP Chemistry review packet and went to work.

However, I did not make it far into the packet until my exhaustion took over, and I drifted into sleep where I was, at the kitchen table, mid Chemistry packet.

Hours later, I woke up and lifted my head off of my packet and checked the time; it was 4:30 a.m.

In less than an hour and a half, I was supposed to be at the high school to volunteer for the NHS blood drive.

Clark Meston, junior Total: 750 minutes Monday 120 min

Weekend 240 min

Thursday 150 min

Tuesday 60 min Wednesday 180 min

With that on my mind, I went to work to attempt and finish the last of my homework before I had to get ready for school.

For the next hour, I crammed as much school into that time as I could. With 30 minutes till I had to leave, I packed up my homework and prepared for school.

By the time I left my house at 5:45 a.m., my brain felt like mush and my body felt like a noodle with no strength left. I knew that long night of homework would have its consequences today.

I went through my day just trying to keep my eyes open and trying to keep my brain from shutting down.

That was not my first nor my last busy night. Long days leading to long nights is something that I have become familiar with as my life has become busier throughout the years. The amount of homework and extracurriculars has only increased since I was younger, and I don’t see that pattern breaking anytime soon.

Being involved in many things, I can experience and enjoy a lot more about life; however, it comes with the price of little free time and some very long nights.

Shambria Crawford, senior Total: 150 minutes Weekend 20 min

Monday 40 min

Thursday 45 min

Tuesday 15 min Wednesday 30 min

Alex Forest, senior Total: 765 min Weekend 120 min

Thursday 210 min Wednesday 60 min

Monday 105 min

Tuesday 270 min

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The Sailors’ Log

What is something odd you eat? What is your quirky talent?

Kalysta Millis, senior

Abriel Ginman, junior

She has the talent to squirt milk out of her eye.

She eats pickled beets with ketchup. She said she found out she liked this when her uncle and

“One time during breakfast at band camp, I put milk in my nose to see if the pressure would make the milk squirt out of my eye, and it did. I was shocked, and I haven’t tried it since because I do not want to harm my tear ducts.”

she were competing against her brother and her dad at Thanksgiving to see who could eat a whole corn on the cob the fastest, in under two minutes.

The loser had to eat something weird – she lost.

“My uncle tried it first and said it wasn’t so bad.

Everyone else in the family tried it, and he and I are the only ones who actually turned out to like it. Now, I eat it all the time.”

Jacob Rosel, senior Rosel eats pizza with bleu cheese dressing.

“My dad always had it with his pizza. I always thought it was pretty gross, but he told me to try it out. Turns out, it wasn’t so bad. I have it with my pizza all the time now.”

All About

Lauren Sander, freshman She eats chicken nuggets dipped in caramel.

“In McDonald’s Happy Meals, they would give out caramel with their apple packets. I never liked dipping my fruit in anything, but I love caramel. One day, I decided to try dipping my chicken nuggets in the caramel, and it surprisingly tasted good. I still eat it now.”

US

Noah Zimmer, junior

Some people’s talents have evolved over time.

“I’m very good at sound effects and voices. It grew over time, and I practiced more and more to make them better. When I was a young lad of five, I would always talk like Stitch from Lilo and Stitch.”

Grace VanArendonk, senior

From sideline and competitive cheer, she discovered her talent of doing cheer jump moves called toe touches and a backflip move called a tuck.

“Well, I can do a single toe touch tuck, and one day, I just decided to try 15 to a tuck and I did it, so I went for 20 and I did that. It’s just fun to do, and I do it when we are in between things at practice.”

Starting this month, The Sailors’ Log staff will ask fun questions to students so that we can get to know those we pass in the hall every day. Information was gathered by staff writers Sarah Roman and Jaylene Davis and page editor Gabby Lopez.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

Gypsy Bates, sophomore

Kayla Theis, senior

When she was little, Bates wanted to be a dancer, and it came true as she is still a dancer.

“I wouldn’t want to pursue it as a career, but I look up to a lot of choreographers.

My favorite style to dance is jazz and hip-hop, but I mainly do this as a sport.”

Emily Lieb, freshman

Growing up, dancing and pretending was not unusual for her to be acting like a princess.

Diego Stark, junior

He thought being a teacher would be fun, but when having to see the same kids on a daily basis is thrown into the mix, his mind changed in a blink of an eye.

“I’d like to be a pediatrician where I’d see kids, but I don’t have to see the same ones everyday.”

“When I was little, I would constantly watch Snow White, and I would act it out in front of the TV. I loved her cuteness and daintiness as I was growing up.”

One’s love for animals can take them on an amazing experience. She wanted to become a veterinarian as she gets older.

Brady Whalen, freshman Not every kid wants to become an astronaut or vetenarian, some choose a more scenic route.

“I thought driving taxi cab cars was cool, but now I want to be an anesthesiologist.”

“My grandparents owned a farm, so I was always there and grew up with them.

Growing up with them really expanded my love for them.”

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The Sailors’ Log

11

scouting sailors

Many Shores students are part of the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America.

Here are a few stories.

Holman family is heavily involved with scouts

By Kali Jend Feature Editor “On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by The Girl Scout Law.” These are the words that junior Kaylee Holman, freshman Kendra Holman and their family live by because their parents hope to raise their children with confidence, courage and character.

Kaylee and Kendra are part of Girl Scouts, their younger sister Koryn is also a Girl Scout, and their youngest brother Koen is a Boy Scout. Additionally, their mom Deanna is the leader of three Girl Scout Troops, and their dad Tim coleads Koen’s Boy Scout Troop.

Kaylee is now an Ambassador Girl Scout, which is the second-highest ranking, and has been in the program for about 12 years.

“I originally joined Girl Scouts in kindergarten because all of the girls at Lincoln Park were doing it, and it helped me build a friendship with them outside of school,” Kaylee said. “The reason I keep doing Girl Scouts is the fact that I can make the world a better place. I truly feel like I am making a difference when I live by the Girl Scout Law.” Following in her sister’s footsteps, Kendra has also been involved with Girl Scouts for awhile now.

“I have been a Girl Scout for about 10 years now,” Kendra said. “I originally joined because Kaylee started two years before me. I have continued to do it because it is fun, and we have a trip to Europe coming up soon.”

Kendra also said that being a Girl Scout is a positive experience filled with many benefits.

“I have formed friendships in Girl Scouts that I don’t think I would have developed otherwise,” Kendra said.

“I feel like Girl Scouts gives me advantages like skills that other girls my age might not have or ever learn.”

Not only has Girl Scouts helped the Holman girls become

The Holman family is a scouting family with all three girls involved in Girl Scouts while their younger brother is in Boy Scouts. Here, junior Kaylee Holman, her mom Deanna and junior Jocelyn Muchna are shown at a Girl Scout ceremony. (Courtesy Photo) better people, but through scouting, their family connection has grown closer.

“I think scouts helps us reinforce the values we have for our own children and extend that to other children too,” their mother said. “I am not directly connected to the Boy Scouts, but I do believe they are reinforcing the values we have for our children as well.”

Deanna has always had a special connection with Girl Scouts, leading back to her childhood.

“I was a Girl Scout for a few years in elementary school” Deanna said.“Although, it was a short few years of scouting for me, my Brownie leader came to my mother’s funeral even though I had not seen her since I graduated from high school. That made a big impact on me.”

Deanna said she appreciates the opportunity she gets to lead not only her daughters but other girls and make a lasting impact on their lives.

Deanna said, “it was not a lifelong ambition but rather a desire to see girls have access to an organization I feel provides wonderful opportunities to learn and grow that you really can’t get from sports or some of the other clubs and activities kids can be involved with.”

When their father Tim was younger, he was a part of Cadets, similar to Scouts, but through the Reformed Church of America (RCA). Just like his father, Tim wanted to be able to have a connection with his son.

“I want to make sure I could support the Cub Scouts Den leader if needed; I’m an assistant leader,” Tim said. “My father also was a leader in Cadets, and that was nice to have him there with me, so I wanted to have that connection with my son as well.”

Tim and Deanna said they both believe that scouting has not only helped to develop their children but helped to mold their family closer.

“The values and qualities that scouting supports and nurtures within the Scouts closely aligns with our values, so they support each other,” Tim said. “Scouting helps our kids think bigger than themselves or where they live and to think of others around them and the world globally. It just shapes our family with consistent values and that brings us closer together. Also, all the shared activities help us to learn and live together as well to have similar experiences even if we have unique ideas and learning.”

Other Scouts “I have been a Boy Scout for about six years. My dad encouraged me to do it, and it seemed like fun. I stick with it because it is my goal to become an Eagle Scout.

Also, I have gotten to know a lot of the people in my troop, and they are my friends. My favorite part of scouts is going to summer camps. My family always goes camping in the summer, and whenever we need to start a fire, I help because I know how to build a good fire. Also, we learn first aid in Boy Scouts, so in case anyone ever gets hurt, I will know what to do.”

– Carter Mann, freshman

“I have been in Girl Scouts for almost three years now. I started in eighth grade and plan to do it to the end of high school. I became a Girl Scout because my friends told me about it, and I wanted to try it out. My favorite part has been the movie nights.

In the winter, we have a day where we go to the cinema with other troops and watch three different movies and stay up until around 7 or 8 in the morning. It’s great bonding. I also have an advantage of selling cookies to other teachers in the building since my dad is one. “ – Ava Crago, sophomore

“I have been in Scouts since first grade. I originally thought it looked fun; now, I’m doing it to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. I am a Life Scout, which is one rank below Eagle. I am the Senior Patrol Leader for the Scouts, so I run the meetings and plan everything. I like to do all of the things Scouts do, and it helps me for jobs in my future.

My favorite part is being a leader and helping others in and through Scouts.

Whenever I have cuts or scrapes, I know exactly how to treat them and how to treat others wounds if they need help.” – Spencer Klairter, sophomore

“I have been in Boy Scouts for about nine years. My mom thought it was a good way for me to find an influential father figure. I am proud to say that I have achieved the ranking of Eagle Scout. I appreciate the fact that in Boy Scouts once you obtain a rank, you are able to assist younger Scouts.

I really like the camaraderie. I think scouting has taught me skills like teamwork. Scouting looks great on applications for jobs and college; you have more credentials towards the outdoors, you become more integral.”

– Tommy Newman, junior

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The Sailors’ Log

ADOPTION NETWORK

Taevien, English teacher Jolynn Walek & Breslin Every family’s story with adoption is different.

For English teacher Jolynn Walek and the help of Samaritas foster-to-adopt program, she was able to successfully adopt her son Taevien.

Taevien is now in third grade, and his brother Breslin, Walek’s biological son, is now in fourth.

Taevien, Walek said, was taken out of his home at 10 months due to neglect; he had been living with his mother and siblings in a hotel room, and the biological mother simply could not take care of her children.

Walek began fostering him when he was 4, and the adoption was finalized when he turned 5.

“I now have two sons and feel happy with them,” Walek said.

Kristin, Raegan & English teacher Chris Johnson

English teacher Warren Kent III, TJ, Kelsea & Rachel English teacher Warren Kent III and his wife Rachel entered the foster program through Luthern Social Services (now Samaritas) with the goal of adopting.

“Foster care was frustrating,” he said. “We knew our role was to take care of children so that they could return to their families, but you fall in love with kids too quickly for that.”

However, the Kents got lucky. The first two children (Kelsea, 6; and TJ, 4) they fostered joined the family permanently in August of 2014.

“We could not be happier with our family,” Kent said. I don’t know who is luckier, TJ and Kelsea or us.”

English teacher brings ‘peanut’ into family

By Marisa VanderMolen Page Editor

English teacher Chris Johnson will never foget the moment he saw his daughter for the first time.

“When her host mom opened up the door and she was holding her, it was a sight for sore eyes,” said Johnson, who along with his wife Kristin, adopted 1-month-old Raegan on April 6, 2017. “She was the most precious little thing; she was just an absolute little peanut.”

While the end result was rewarding, trying to adopt a child was a long, tedious and emotional journey for the couple.

For Johnson and his wife, who is an elementary teacher at Campbell Elementary, this was more than true.

“We decided to try to foster-to-adopt because we had some friends who had gone through it, and they were suc-

cessful,” Mr. Johnson said.

The Johnsons first chose to foster a child whom they would then hopefully be able adopt. Once everything seemed to be going in their favor, the court system and judge decided to give the birth mother one more chance.

“We knew that there was a possibility that it wouldn’t be forever, but you just kind of push that aside, and when you have that baby in your home and love it so much, it just kind of knocks you off your feet when it happens,” Mr. Johnson said.

Instead of going through a foster-to-adopt process again, the Johnsons decided to take a safer route through Adoption Associates, a Christian agency (serving all faiths) located in Michigan and nationwide. They have placed more than 5,000 children in loving, caring homes.

Make that at least 5,001 children as 1-month-old Raegan

two students’ stories

was brought home by the Johnsons on April 6, 2017.

“On a Monday at work, I received a phone call, and I just knew it was one of those phone calls that changes your life, and they said that our daughter was born and asked if we were ready to meet her,” Ms. Johnson said.

Raegan is originally from the east side of the state but is now living happily with her new parents.

“Raegan’s biological mother was young when she had her and knew that she wouldn’t be able to finish school or provide a quality life for her child,” Mr. Johnson said.

The Johnsons were presented with background information, including health, about Raegan’s mother and father.

They knew right away that this was their child.

The adoption was finalized on July 11, 2017, when Raegan was 4 months old, and she’s been living and adventuring with them since then.

two families’ stories

VanArendonk

Dudgeon

The Hillearys

The Fritzes

Senior Grace VanArendonk was adopted from South Korea when she was four months old.

In South Korea, it’s looked down upon to have children before marriage, which is what happened in VanArendonk’s case.

“My birth mother wouldn’t have been able to support me, and she still wanted to be successful, so it really was for the best,” VanArendonk said.

VanArendonk has two other brothers who were also adopted from South Korea for the same reasons.

Junior Ivy Dudgeon was adopted in September of 2016 by her grandmother. She had lived with her mother and father; her father moved to California to help provide for their family better, so Dudgeon was left living with her mother. Dudgeon’s mother wasn’t always mentally there, Dudgeon said, so it was difficult for her mother and father to make decisions about Dudgeon and their future as a family while being apart.

Dudgeon began living with her grandmother who then thought it’d be in everyone’s best favor to adopt Dudgeon. With her grandmother having full custody, there are no longer any unnecessary arguments and disagreements about Dudgeon’s future.

“I am so happy that it happened; it’s good to finally have what I need,” Dudgeon said.

The Hilleary family, which includes junior Grace Hilleary, has adopted siblings, Harmoni (11) and Harmon (10) who are from Flint, and Bailey (5) who is from Muskegon. Additionally, Grace has two biological siblings.

Although all of Grace’s siblings are from Michigan, there are many social differences in their household.

“Especially with the youngest coming from a less wealthy family, she is very different when it comes to greed, even though she is only five,” Grace said.

Even though it is a different way of life compared to most high schoolers, Grace said she wouldn’t change being a big sister for anything.

Sophomore Connor Fritz is one of 12 siblings in his family, which includes three biological children, eight adopted children, and one child going through the adoption process to become a part of their family.

Considering the age range of 13 months to 21 years old, there are always things needing to be done around the house. Fritz said he enjoys his big family and does whatever he needs to help around the house.

“It’s quite the experience,” he said. “I’m always cleaning and doing whatever my parents need. I’m their right-hand man.”

feature

The Sailors’ Log

thanksgiving Math teacher Carrie Helmer celebrated her first Thanksgiving different than how the typical family would celebrate. “ My birthday is November 25th, and my dad was in the service, so I was born in Germany,” Helmer said. “So when my mom had me, she had to eat her Thanksgiving dinner in a German Hospital, which they obviously don’t really celebrate. My parents were both young, my dad was in the military and she was alone over there. She was 18 when she had me all alone in there. But it was kind of fun because when I was little they always called me the turkey.”

Helmer said they always celebrate her birthday like any other birthday, but because Helmer it is always during hunting season, most of the time they would spend it in a trailer hunting all day.

“It’s kind of nice, even now, because sometimes it’s either right on Thanksgiving or right by it, so we just celebrate because the whole family is together for Thanksgiving anyway, so it’s kind of that you get to do a double because Thanksgiving is kind of more about family,” Helmer said.

Helmer said the only negative thing about having Thanksgiving as her birthday is that her birthday could be overlooked.

“I do enjoy having my birthday on Thanksgiving,” Helmer said. “It’s kind of fun. It’s either right on or sometime right around Thanksgiving break, so usually, I get the day off from work too.”

13

valentine’s day

new year’s day

Being born on Valentine’s Day is not what freshman Megan Quigg’s mother wanted for her daughter.

“Every time we talk about my birthday, my mom is always saying that she really didn’t want me to be born on the 14th because everyone was going to forget about my birthday and just ignore it,” Quigg said.

“But it turned out that I was actually born at 11:39 that night, and she’s always saying that she wished that she didn’t walk around the block like 30 times to speed up the labor process because then I would have ended up being born on the 15th like she had hoped for.”

Quigg said people haven’t forgotten about her birthday, but there is always a theme for it.

“Well, I don’t have a significant other to have ignore my birthday, but the people that have and do give me gifts usually give me Valentine’s themed things. So you Quigg could kind of say that they lump it together,” Quigg said.

While her mother wishes she was not born on Valentine’s Day, Quigg cherishes it.

“For my birthday every single year, I am always really enthusiastic about Valentine’s Day, so I always have hearts on everything, and I always give heart candies out as a gift for when people come over,”Quigg said. “If I could, I definitely would not change when my birthday is. I really love my birthday because I am a really romantic person already so I feel like I was the perfect person to be born on the day of love.”

Her birthday is practically the same as any other birthday would be, but hers is always with the theme of pink and hearts.

“We still celebrate and all that stuff, but the cake is usually pink, has some hearts on it, maybe says happy birthday but definitely is designed for Valentine’s Day,” Quigg said.

Junior Carlos Salazar was born on Jan. 1, 2001, and he said celebrating his birthday with his family is the best part.

“It’s just cool because my family gets all together. I have family that comes that I don’t see for a while, so it’s cool that they get to come over for my birthday and New Year’s,” Salazar said. “So it’s usually just a great day for our family to get together.”

For most of Salazar’s birthday, he and his family prep for the big party that night.

“We wake up and get ready for our party, which usually Salazar starts around 6,” Salazar said.

“We all meet up at a relatives house because it’s usually not just at our house and we always bring traditional food. We bring pozole, which is a traditional dish from Mexico City, and we all just dig in, and it’s cool because everyone brings their own dish so there is a big variety.”

He and his family celebrate New Year’s like any other family would but just with a birthday on the same day. They always bring a cake and presents for him to open before the night ends.

“We stay up way past midnight just for me and my birthday,” Salazar said. “It’s cool that I get to experience that.”

H O L I D A Y

birthdays

Believe it or not, but Frankenstein was born on Halloween. Well, not the acutal Frankenstein, but baby Oskar Frankenstein, who was born Oct. 31, 2017, in Florida. At Shores, many students and faculty were also born on specific holidays. Here is a sampling of those individuals. Others can be found on www. thesailorslog.com.

Page designed & information gathered

by Taylor Dew, page editor

april fool’s day

4th of july

halloween

christmas

Having a birthday on the same day as April Fool’s Day would definitely make for an interesting day.

But for freshman Mason Plooster, it’s not too bad.

Plooster said, “Having my birthday on April Fool’s is alright. The only thing is is that people always make jokes about me and call me a fool on my birthday.”

But having his birthday on April Fool’s doesn’t make for much of a differPlooster ence. He said he celebrates his birthday just the same as anyone else.

Just maybe gets a few more jokes about him than the typical person would.

Plooster said, “I wouldn’t change it if I could. Even though people joke around with me, it’s still kind of cool.”

Being able to celebrate a birthday with fireworks will always make for a great birthday.

Freshman Halee Smith was born on the Fourth of July, and she said she enjoys it.

“Usually, my family will go to a party, and it doesn’t necessarily feel like my birthday because everyone is celebrating for a different reason. It’s still fun though,” Smith said.

Smith Smith said her family always throws a party earlier on, and they also celebrate the Fourth and her birthday with friends and family. Then later that night, they always watch the fireworks, which, she said, is a great way to end her birthday.

Halloween itself is a cool holiday, but having a birthday on Halloween is even cooler.

Freshman Haiden Graham, who was born on Oct. 31, said, “I don’t think I’d change it because it is a really cool holiday to have your birthday on. We don’t really celebrate my birthday that much, but if we do any celebrations at all, then we do it on the weekend before or after,” Graham said.

He celebrates his birthday like anyone else and the most special part was definitely getting to celebrate his birthday at school Graham during the Halloween party in elementary school.

“There’s nothing super special, but in elementary, teachers would remember it was my birthday during the party, and they would let me do extra stuff because it was my birthday,” Graham said.

Freshman Avery Smith said having her birthday on Christmas is a cool experience.

If she could change it, she said that she definitely would not. When it comes to celebrating both Christmas and her birthday, she said her family celebrates them both on the same day but just splits it up.

Smith said, “We wake up, and then, we celebrate Christmas with our family, and later that night, we have a big dinner just for my birthday, and then, we do Smith gifts and after have dessert.”

When it comes to presents for both, it can be a sticky situation.

“I think I do get more presents, but it’s kind of like kids normally have Christmas and then their birthday, but mine is together, so it seems like I get a lot,” Smith said.

14

DOWN

sports But Not

OUT

The Sailors’ Log

Injuries are inevitable when it comes to sports.

Unfortunately, even at Shores, some athletes sustain injuries that end their season. However, these injuries aren’t permanent, and many of these athletes are able to get back in the game.

Despite season-ending injury, junior determined to return

By Sammie Ladegast Page Editor When a sea of blue and white left the Homecoming game against Jenison, the fans exited the stadium with the outcome they had hoped for: a 42-7 win that left the varsity football team with a 5-0 record.

However, this seemingly ordinary Friday night game didn’t end the way junior Damari Roberson would have imagined.

On Friday, Sept. 22, Roberson tore his ACL, the anterior cruciate ligament, which is a tissue that connects the thighbone to the shinbone at the knee.

“I was running the ball when I noticed that one of my teammates missed his block,” Roberson said. “This meant that I had to make a move to avoid the player from the opposing team. As I was doing this, I stepped in a hole on the field and hyperextended my knee, tearing my ACL.” Varsity coach Matt Koziak was also watching from the sidelines when he saw this horrible event unfold.

“It was a toss play to Damari, and he went to cut,” Koziak said. “Next thing I know, he’s on the ground with what I guessed to be a hyperextended knee. It was later that night after he got an MRI that we found out it was a torn ACL. I was heartbroken for him.”

On Monday, Oct. 16 at 11:50 a.m, Roberson had surgery to repair his damaged ligament. This surgery involved an orthopedic

Before his injury, Damari Roberson was a key offensive player. Here, he catches a pass against Reeths-Puffer in Shores’ 44-6 win. (Photo by Isaac Varela) surgeon reconstructing the ACL, usually by using a graft to replace it.

“I felt good going into the surgery,” Roberson said. “When I got home from the surgery, I really didn’t feel that much pain.

After a few hours, though, my leg felt as if someone was bending it in the opposite direction.”

Not only has this affected his ability to continue his varsity football season, of which he played as the wide receiver and linebacker, his injury will also prevent him from playing basketball in the winter.

“I am, obviously, devastated that this

OTHER INJURIES

Ahmad Wright, junior “I went to make a tackle at the Rockford game, I grabbed the other player, and he pulled back.

When I pulled back, I ended up tearing a ligament and dislocating my shoulder. I’m angry that this happened because it’s my junior season, and I was starting on varsity. It’s just a bump in my career, and next season, I’ll just have to come back stronger.”

Suriya VanderOord, sophomore “I received a concussion when I collided with a (volleyball) teammate and then hit my head on the ground.

This happened Oct. 17 while my team was in the Sailor Center. Obviously, this injury makes me extremely upset as I can’t play for a little while, but I know I am on the road to recovery and will be back stronger than ever next season.

Kalysta Millis, senior “I was doing a roundoff handspring tuck, but my feet didn’t follow. I broke my right foot and all the toes, and I fractured my big toe on my left foot. I just overcame a concussion that caused me to lose memory, and now, I can’t cheer for a while again. Hopefully I heal quickly, so I can do competitive cheer because I love being part of a family.”

happened to me, and I do feel depressed at times, but I couldn’t let my teammates see me like this,” Roberson said. “I tried to keep them in high spirits and keep my chin up when they’re around.”

While Roberson is trying to keep a positive outlook, Koziak said he is one of a kind.

“Nobody can replace Damari,” Koziak said. “This did show, though, that nobody is immune to injuries and that you must play every play like it’s your last because you never know when an injury can occur.”

This isn’t the first time Roberson has had a serious injury, either. Basketball was the

sport to blame for a broken ankle, one of the most common of the bone and joint injuries, back in eighth grade.

“I broke my ankle during warm-ups at basketball after I dunked the ball,” he said.

“This injury didn’t really matter that much to me, though, because I wasn’t the Damari Roberson that everyone knows me by now.”

Now, Roberson has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but he said he ready to take on that challenge if it means being able to run back onto the football field and basketball court for his senior year.

For a few weeks after his surgery, he had to use crutches for his mobility as he was unable to put much pressure on his healing leg.

“It’s going to take six months for my knee to fully heal, and every month reduces my chances of re-tearing it by fifty percent,” Roberson said. “I am also bracing myself for physical therapy because I heard it is going to be tough, but I am going to do what I have to do to ensure I heal as quick as possible to get back with my team.”

Despite being restricted to the sidelines of the field, Roberson continued to be an inspiration until the season ended with a district finals loss to Forest Hills Central.

“He found other ways to contribute,” Koziak said. “Whether that’s signaling in play calls or giving his teammates words of encouragement, he found his way of continuing to make an impact for his team.”

Trainer enjoys working with athletes When Beth Ballard, the previous Shores athletic trainer, left her position due to her pregnancy with her first child, Mike Shuster filled that vacancy.

Shuster attended Brighton High School, which is located almost three hours east of Muskegon. After high school, Shuster went to Grand Valley State University, bringing him even closer to his current destination at Shores.

Being an athletic trainer attracted Shuster’s attention, he said, because this job doesn’t require sitting in a cubicle all day, performing the same tasks on a daily basis.

“I did not want a desk job where I just sat in a cubicle doing the same thing every single day,” Shuster said. “My job is different everyday, and I get to work with athletes, which has always been a goal of mine.”

After college, Shuster moved to Lake-

Athletic trainer Mike Shuster aids Keontae Watson during the Homecoming football game. (Photo by Coy Lakatos) side and made the 30-minute trek every day to serve as athletic trainer at Ravenna High School until he transferred to Shores.

“I came to Shores because I wanted to be closer to home,” Shuster said. “I also was interested in this opportunity to grow as a trainer at a bigger school with a more established athletic program.”

sports

The Sailors’ Log

Kickin’ It:

Senior boots his way into Sailor record book

Senior Austin Flowers broke the 33-year-old record for longest field goal in school history with his 49-yard field goal against Grand Rapids Union on Oct. 6. (Photo by Isaac Varela)

By Carlie McNiff Page Editor In the past, many kickers for the Shores football program have been soccer players.

However, senior Austin Flowers is a true kicker.

“Obviously on the point aspect of it, Austin is one of the best, if not the best, kicker to go through here,” varsity coach Matt Koziak said. “He is a football player who kicks for us; he isn’t a kicker who plays football.”

Flowers, who broke the 33-year-old record for longest field goal in school history with his 49-yard field goal against Grand Rapids Union on Oct. 6, started his football career in seventh grade and began kicking in ninth grade.

“I like kicking because I get the chance to help my team and get a couple points for us,” Flowers said.

He said he has a certain mindset he gets into before taking a field goal.

“Every time before I kick a field goal, I just tell myself you better not miss, but after that, I just make sure I take the right steps before I kick it,” Flowers said.

Flowers said he feels the best after making a crucial field goal and felt especially good after making the field goal to break the school record.

“I feel good after I make a field goal because most of the times I have to kick them are in crucial situations where we need some points,” Flowers said. “It was a good feeling that I broke a 33-year-old record that was a hard record to beat.”

He said he does not do much to train for taking field goals.

“We just practiced field goals in practices on Monday and Thursday so I knew what I was capable of,” Flowers said.

Flowers said he advises himself to not over-think when taking a field goal.

“Some advice I have is don't think about it too much; just go up there and kick it like every other time,” he said.

Along with the record for longest field goal, Flowers set two additional records this season. He went 5-for-7 in field goals and 55-for-59 (93 percent) in extra points.

Coach Koziak said, “For him to be able to do that and also start on offense and defense speaks volumes on what kind of athlete he is.”

other record holders Senior Peyton Erndteman Soccer, 6 goals in a game

Senior Veronica Kastelic Softball, 70 hits and 64 runs scored in a season “It means a lot because I feel like I’m leaving a legacy at the school, and also that someone will challenge themselves to beat it.”

“Holding a school record is a sense of pride and accomplishment for the things that I have worked my entire life for. It makes me feel more connected to my school and other athletes who are dedicated to becoming great. It brought me closer to my teammates who worked year round with me. We pushed each other to achieve what no one in Mona Shores history has done before. I will never forget the days I broke those records, and it pushes me to always be determined and to believe in my dreams.”

Senior Taylor Dew Softball, 72 RBIs and 22 home runs in a season and 38 career home runs

Senior Sarah Mikesell Soccer, 40 goals in a season and 72 career goals

“It was a goal I set for myself when I was young, and I was so excited when I achieved it. Setting those types of goals helped me work harder at softball because I wanted to achieve it.”

“Being moved from center defender, trying to stop shots my whole life, to a forward who scores goals is a concrete way to show that the training and practice I’ve been putting in is working to provide what my team needed when they needed it, goals. It is a way to put on paper all of the hard work that I and the team put in throughout the season, and like our coach says, it creates a standard; the girls who come after me will know what they can and will have to do for their team in order to be successful.”

Senior Megan Swanker Soccer, 15 shutouts in a season “It means all of my hard work has paid off. Breaking a school record is a major achievement to me, and it has been one of my dreams to be in the hall of records since I was in middle school.

It feels like I am leaving my mark at Shores and setting new goals for younger goalkeepers to reach.”

15

Junior Raegan Cox Soccer, 4 assists in a game and 30 assists in a season

Junior Tommy Cotner Swimming & Diving, 267.10 points in six dives and 415.00 points in eleven dives

“It gives me a sense of school pride that the record just happened while I was working really hard to make my team successful.”

“Mona Shores records represent competition between generations. It’s cool to be able to work for a record that has been held for a certain number of years. To me, holding the record is cool for name recognition and all, but more so, it is fun to accomplish something I never necessarily set out to do. It helps to motivate me to try harder and hopefully break it again.”

sports

16

The Sailors’ Log

‘Cheap shot’ on lineman overshadows playoff game

By Carlie McNiff Page Editor The hit that injured senior lineman Chuckie Anthony during the Forest Hills Central playoff game on Nov. 1 has been called “cheap and appalling” by many as it has made its way across the west side.

The story even made it to the USA Today website.

The film of the hit shows the senior captain standing near the pile of players at the end of a play when a Forest Hills Central player comes from behind and dives at Anthony’s knees.

“Bobo (junior Sincere Dent) was running, and there was a pile, so I started pushing the pile,” Anthony said. “The pile started falling, and I was on the outside of the pile in the front. I felt something hit the back of my leg and heard a crack and could feel it pop. I tried to stand up and roll over, and when I rotated my knee, it hurt. I couldn’t rotate my knee but thought to myself I had to play. I tried to stand up but couldn’t and took my helmet off. They had to help me to the sideline. I was on the trainer’s table and asked him if I could still play, but he said I couldn’t.”

Varsity coach Matt Koziak did not originally see the hit during the game, which the Sailors lost 28-21.

“The coaches who were in the press box for me saw it, so I was going off of what they said,” Koziak said. “Once I saw it on film, I was appalled that it would happen and that anybody would do that to another player and take such a cheap shot. I did not see it originally, but I saw it after on film.”

If it was one of his players who committed the “dirty play,” Koziak said he would kick the player off of the team.

“It’s easy for me to say because we lost, but what you do as a coach says a lot about what you want the reflection of your proBoys’ Tennis Senior Zach Davis and junior Thad Krause captured the OK Black title at No. 1 doubles as the Sailors placed second overall in the conference.

Shores wrapped up its season with a fourth-place finish at regionals.

Boys’ Cross Country At the City meet, junior Nick Dennison placed third overall with a lifetime best time of 16:32. The Sailors placed seventh as a team.

Dennison, who was the sole runner at the state meet after he

Senior Chuckie Anthony, the team’s center, suffered an MCL tear in the district finals loss to Forest Hills Central on play that many are describing as “cheap” or “dirty.”

(Photo by Nora Brown) gram to be,” he said. “If it was one of my players, as much as I love our players, if they did something to that extent, going out to physically try to hurt another player, they would probably be kicked off of our team because that is not what our football team is or how it wants to be represented.”

Senior quarterback Tristan Robbins said the play was unnecessary.

“It was probably one of the scummiest things I have ever seen,” Robbins said.

“Chuckie did not deserve it.”

Senior offensive tackle Keontae Watson

placed 10th at regionals, finished 129th in wet conditions at Brooklyn’s Michigan International Speedway.

Girls’ Cross Country Senior Adele Cory led the Sailors to a fourth-place finish at the City meet with her ninthplace finish. The team wrapped up its season by placing 11th at the regional meet.

Football Shores finished the regular season with an 8-1 record and then beat Portage Northern 45-17 in the opening-round playoff game

said he was crushed by seeing that happen to Anthony.

“It killed me knowing one of my brothers got hurt,” Watson said. “At first, I didn’t notice what happened until I saw him down, and he didn’t get up like he usually does.

For me to always hold his hand while walking out to the field killed me because I would have never expected it to be him, but karma is going to get number 69 soon.”

Anthony had an MRI done, which showed he suffered an MCL tear.

This could impact Anthony’s plans to

Sports Briefs

before losing 28-21 in the district finals to Forest Hills Central.

Girls’ Golf Sophomore Logan Potts qualified for the state finals by capturing the individual regional title with an 85.

Potts then finished with a twoday total of 181 at the state meet, which put her at 50th.

Additionally, Potts led the Sailors to second place in the OK Black. Potts shot an 89, which was good enough for seventh

continue his football career in college as many small colleges were looking at him.

“It’s unfortunate that it happened because, obviously, we lost the game, so it ended our season, but more importantly, Chuckie has plans to play college sports, and I hope that that didn’t affect his dreams of becoming a collegiate athlete,” Koziak said.

Along with the support from his coaches and teammates, Anthony has been receiving support from people all over the state of Michigan.

“I didn’t expect it to go viral. I realized how many people actually care about me and how many people in our community have my back,” Anthony said. “It was cool to see that people weren’t making excuses for him. It was just cool that the community and even people who don’t go to Shores, like a lot of kids from Zeeland East and alumni from Shores, reached out.”

The Forest Hills Central player who injured Anthony was suspended for one game by his school. He and Anthony had a meeting on Nov. 8 at Shores where they discussed the incident.

“When I met him, it seemed like he was just a kid who made a bad decision,” Anthony said. “I couldn’t tell how sincere he was about it, and it seemed more like him getting out of trouble than him actually being sorry about it. It was like he was more sorry about being caught than he was about actually doing it. I’m sure he is a good kid, but I don’t know too much about him.”

Anthony said he appreciates the support everyone has shown him.

“I’m glad everyone had my back on this,” Anthony said. “I love my fans, my community, and this football program. It’s going to suck to leave Shores after this year, but I’m going to be doing big things and living life to the fullest. For anyone who plays any sport, ball out in your sport because when it’s gone, it’s gone, and you don’t get it back.”

place.

Junior Taylor Keessen, Potts and sophomore Chloe Knowlton all earned All-Conference honors.

Sophomore Brooke Southland was honorable mention All-Conference.

Girls’ Swimming The Sailors finished the regular season with a 9-3 overall record and an OK Rainbow record of 5-2, which was good enough for second place.

Shores had three OK Rainbow conference champions in the 200 Medley Relay (Evyn Johnson, Raegen Lockhart, Liz McNally,

Ari Cavanaugh), Cavanaugh (50 Free) and Lockhart (100 Breast).

Volleyball The Sailors, who placed second at the City meet, ended its season with a loss in the district championship match to Grand Haven.

Boys’ Soccer Shores lost 5-1 to Grand Haven in the district opener as the team finished with a 10-9 record.

Freshman Hayden Yaros paced the offense with 13 goals while junior George DeVeau led the team with nine assists.