The North Star April 2013

Time crunch:

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How do students juggle homework, activities, jobs and a social life?

See page 10-11.

The LCN Journalism classes created this issue of the newspaper, from writing to design to photography.

Chris Popovich ‘14 tries to keep up with his World History book work.

Additionally, he plays hockey after school.

Photo by Jessy Jones ‘14

April 30, 2013

L’Anse Creuse High School - North 23700 21 Mile Road Macomb, MI 48042

Volume XXXVIII Issue VI

Photo by Brittani Chmielewski ‘13

2012 photo by Carrie Zaitz

Photo by Maegan Donajkowski ‘14

Who has the most creative way to ask a date to prom? Check out the ‘promposals’ on page 6.

The annual cardboard boat regatta was held last week. Physics students try to stay afloat on page 3.

A new LCN favorite is Menchie’s on 25 Mile Road, for tasty frozen yogurt. See the review on page 8.

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April 30, 2013

The North Star

French students voyage on to Paris Megan Graham ‘13

“I am so thrilled to be able to attend this trip. I hope that this experience changes me for the better. Seeing the famous artists’ paintings is something that I always wanted to see and witness in person. Traveling across the world seems so fun and surreal. After this, I can finally cross traveling to France off of my bucket list,” Duffield said.

The trip costs about $5,000 and that includes, four-star hotels, breakfast and dinner, departure from the airports, tickets to get into the monuments, and the activities they get to take part in. The students have to provide their own spending money for souvenirs and other purchases.

Bon voyage!

Reporter

Nick Crosson ‘14 Reporter

Not everyone has the opportunity to spend a week and a half in Europe.

Fortunately, all of the students in the French classes can choose to do so every other year. This summer, a group will embark on a trip to France!

“Traveling to France, seeing and doing everything we can do in France.

We get to see the famous monuments in not only Paris but Nice as well. And we get to witness the French culture, including their art, food, Parisian life, and the fashion for 10 whole days,” Marie Howard, French teacher, said.

“There are 16 students going on this trip and three adults,” said Howard. “We will have so much fun exploring and walking all day, every day.”

The group will be leaving June 23 and coming home July 3. They will be visiting famous sites such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower and Les Invalides, and get a local view of the City of Lights. They plan to tour Notre Dame Cathedral, and also explore the Louvre Museum all in one day. On the second day, they will be traveling to Louis XIV’s Palace of Versailles, and will travel to the top of the Eiffel Tower. On the third day, they will have a chance to cook with French chefs. On the fourth day, they will be visiting the paintings from artists like Renior and Monet in the Lou-

Photo by Marie Howard

In 2011, students gather together in Monaco, France, the southern portion of the country along the Mediterranean.

vre. Instead of going home, they will be taking the fast train to Nice, where they will be relaxing on the rocky beach.

Katelynn McMachen ’13 said, “I am very excited to go to Paris with Alyssa Meade, since we have been best friends since elementary school.”

“I plan on touring a lot of museums and walking a lot,” Meade added. “I expect us to learn a lot about France and the culture. I also expect to have fun with my current friends and the friends I am going to meet there. The thing I am looking forward to the most is visiting the Eiffel Tower. It is just one

Former student Megan Nowak ‘11 poses by the Eiffel Tower.

Photo by Marie Howard

of those monuments that, when you get there, it is so surreal that you are still in shock that you are looking at it when you are up close and personal with it.”

“I am excited to see the major landmarks. It will be such a different and cool experience,” said Jenna DeRieu ’13. “I really can’t wait to eat their food.

I feel like it will be different because you can experience another culture other than the American one.”

Art teacher Jennifer Duffield also gets to explore with the French class. She will see paintings from famous artists that she admires.

Supreme Court, students debate same sex marriage Abigail Donahue ‘15 Sports editor

Paige Zaziski ‘14 News editor

A recent U.S. Supreme Court case has been sparking different opinions on whether or not same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Last week, France’s government allowed same-sex marriage country-wide.

Michigan law states, “Marriage is inherently a unique relationship between a man and a woman… a marriage contracted between individuals of the same sex is invalid in this state,” according to Michigan Statute 551.1.

Supreme Court judges have been debating this issue and they have not reached a decision.

Students at LCN have given their input on legalizing gay marriage in the state of Michigan. Many feel that samesex marriage should be allowed by law.

“Do whatever makes you happy and do what you want,” said Gage Minkley ’13. The enforcement on the law is getting in the way of people’s happiness.

Chase Walker ’14 said, “I don’t really have a problem with it. If they’re happy with it, then more power to them.”

Several other students feel the same way and believe the government should not dictate nor destroy the pursuit of happiness that is acknowledged in the Declaration of Independence.

“I think there should be less government intervention on the topic,” Devin LaPorte ’13 said.

There have been several protests for

and against gay marriage that distracts Other arguments include conflicting from larger issues for the government. religious beliefs.

Science teacher Sara Strozewski’s secSydney Zablocki ’15 said, “I disagree ond hour, AP Chemiswith it because it’s try class, believes that “I don’t really have against my religion it should not be the a problem with it. If and belief. I don’t government’s decision they’re happy with have a problem with whether the governit, then more power gay people. I just don’t ment should control agree with it.” to them.” gay marriage or not. It The Supreme Court should be the people’s -Chase Walker has been hearing cases decision, not the govand will continue to ernment’s. deal with the issue Other students diswhich leaves many upset. Although agreed with this stance. They believe many believe the government should gay marriage should not be tolerated. allow same-sex marriage, the law reKyle Dollar ’14 said, “Personally, I mains unchanged. And many couples don’t think it is right. But I mean, if are frustrated by their inability to tie you’re happy, that’s great. Just don’t the knot in certain states. force it on me.”

April 30, 2013

James the Great

Ships, ahoy!

Physics students compete in boat regatta Megan Tipton ‘14 Reporter

Steven Adamic ‘14 Reporter

Splash! The paddle hits the water, as Physics students from MST and LCN race each other in homemade cardboard boats in the annual boat regatta.

Every year, all the Physics students come together and race there and back in the LCN pool using cardboard boats that students have built in the past two months.

The boat regatta was held on Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m. Boats were judged at 5 p.m. for various awards.

The event is usually very crowded. It is always a fun time and entertaining to watch.

“The students are always a little stressed during the making of the boats. They always say it is worth it when they are done with the boat regatta,” said Carrie Zaitz, Physics and Astronomy teacher.

Every year, the boat regatta teaches students the physics of a boat floating,

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The North Star

how to build a boat out of cardboard, teamwork and major communication skills. The boat is also one of the students’ main grades in the class. Also, students have an opportunity for extra credit by creating the fastest boat.

Also, students can be recognized for best costumes, for cheering, as well as the Titanic Award for the boat that sinks!

“The kids always have a great time,” said Zaitz. “It’s a hoot.”

Each year, the stands are packed with spectators for the boat regatta, so this year organizers introduced a live feed for people to watch from the cafeteria.

“My group is only half-way done with our boat, but we’ve all had a great time working on it. Although it has been very difficult, we are all looking forward to seeing the final boat in the boat regatta,” said Logan Latosz ’14.

Annually the pool at LCN is filled with hundreds of kids in costumes and racing their home made cardboard boats.

“It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the competition,” said Jennifer Farrar ‘12, who previously participated.

In 2012, Physics students struggled to stay afloat and paddle across the pool during the Cardboard Boat Regatta. Students from LCN and MST compete for many different prizes.

2012 Photo by Carrie Zaitz

Student wins MIPA honor Miranda Rysiewicz ‘15 Reporter

LCN student James Coller ’13, known as the editor-in-chief of The North Star has recently been recognized at the state level for his work.

Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) has a yearly contest called All-MIPA/Student Journalist.

State-wide, they select 15 journalists to acknowledge at the Spring Conference. Their photos are printed in the conference program. The top winners in news, yearbook, photo and video receive a $250 scholarship. This acknowledgement has not been awarded to an LCN student in almost 15 years.

“I have poured my heart out into the newspaper and to win this prestigious award means the world to me. It feels simply amazing to be rewarded for all my hard work,” said Coller.

Coller spent close to 80 hours preparing his portfolio for the Student Journalist competition.

“In order to be considered for the AllMIPA staff, I had to assemble a large portfolio containing my resume, multiple letters of recommendation, and a collection of my best work throughout my high school journalism career. It was a long and tiring process, but it was well worth it,” said Coller.

“This award means even more since it is only awarded to a handful of students in the entire state. There are thousands of deserving student journalists across the state of Michigan, so for me to be selected is truly a huge honor. I am extremely proud to represent Crusader Nation at MIPA. This is like winning the state championship of student journalism,” said Coller.

“I am very proud of him and it is well-deserved after all of the years of hard-work and dedication that he has put into the newspaper” said Kim Kozian, Journalism teacher.

Having a student on the staff win this award will positively reflect on L’Anse Creuse High School-North’s journalism program.

“He is definitely deserving of winning and he is the most hard-working staff member on The North Star,” said Danielle Alexander, yearbook teacher.

“It is definitely a good thing for our journalism program and it will make the kids want to work harder so they can be like James,” she added.

Coller became editor-in-chief of The

Photo by Kim Kozian

James Coller ‘13 accepts his Student Journalist Award at MIPA on Monday, April 15.

North Star in his junior year and completely redesigned the paper, changing the logo, switching to a new tabloidsized layout, and revamping the color scheme. He also started tying the paper into social media. The Facebook and Twitter pages have been a huge success.

In addition, Coller attended the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s summer workshop during 2011 and 2012 at Michigan State University.

There, he took the newspaper editors class the first summer, and “Taking Your Newspaper to the Edge” during his second visit.

“James has always just gone the extra mile for the newspaper,” Kozian said.

“He is willing to jump in and do it all virtually every moment of the day. My favorite moment of watching him in action was at the Jackson gym dedication this year. I was sitting up in the stands, and who do I see down on the gym floor with the other professional photographers, but James? He has his reporter’s notebook in one hand, his camera around his neck, and his iPhone in his back pocket. He is an amazing journalist!”

Coller plans to attend University of Michigan to study mechanical engineering. He said he might write for the on-campus paper, the Michigan Daily.

4 features

Play chess with the best!

Jacob Stocking ‘15 Reporter

C

hess is the quintessential thinking man’s game. It has roots dating back to the sixth century, and has been a popular sport for centuries. Mathematicians and chess enthusiasts have been analyzing skills and techniques for decades. The game is so popular, people have programmed advanced computers to play against the masters.

Fortunately for any chess fans at L’Anse Creuse North, they don’t need to play against a computer. Meeting in Room 122, the LCN Chess Club is run by social studies teacher Mark Forbert (who also runs several other clubs at LCN), and they meet every Tuesday after school until 3 p.m. (though due to conflicting schedules, this may change to a different day). The only requirements are that interested players show up, and want to play chess.

The club was formed in 2010, when Nathan Prior ’13 and David Spehar ’13 approached Forbert about starting a Chess Club.

“We thought it would be a fun thing to do,” said Prior. Spehar also said it was because of a “burning passion for chess.”

That year, members went on to take first place at a chess competition.

People of all skill levels are welcomed, although many bring a friend so they can play with them and not feel intimidated by the more experienced members of the club.

Prior will teach beginners skills and ways to improve their play style.

Then everyone spends the rest of the time playing against one another.

Club member Jacob Semrau ’13 has been playing chess since he was 3 years old.

“I like the challenge and the ability to make opponents quiver in their seat as you pick away their pieces,” said

The North Star

Semrau. “It is the only gentleman’s game where you can outsmart your opponent.”

Many of the members actively compete in chess competitions, with Prior having gone to one just recently.

“There are around six good, solid players we take to competitions,” said Prior. Semrau stated that members of the club frequently win when they go to these tournaments.

The club started with a lot of people, but due to scheduling conflicts, members have either had to drop out, or only can show up occasionally.

The day that the club meets had to be changed, both due to many members being in band, and other members being dual-enrolled at Macomb Community College.

So if you like chess, want to learn some tricks, compete with your friends, or just show off your skills, give the Chess Club a try.

Nathan Prior ‘13 and JaVaughn Davison ‘16 are members of the Chess Club, which meets in Mark Forbert’s room (122) after school on Tuesdays.

Photo by Anthony Bandy ‘15

April 30, 2013

Jessica DiBattista ‘14 writes the rough draft of a college entrance essay in the College & Career Literacy class.

Photo by Anthony Bandy ‘15

Class offers ACT help Taylor Trueblood ‘15 Reporter

English College and Career Literacy, Mathematical Reasoning for College and Career Readiness: These are two classes current sophomores filling out their course selection sheets most likely didn’t give a second look. Although listed as separate classes, these courses are actually the same class focused solely on ACT preparation, which switches between two teachers, Sarah Youngs for math and Wayne Cook for English.

To prepare her class for the ACT, Youngs focused on tips and tricks to help speed along math problems, calculator methods, timing skills, and getting exposed to the ACT setup, she said.

Juniors who take this class are better prepared for the future compared to the rest of their peers. After the ACT, Youngs explained that her students will look into the many details they must consider before applying to colleges such as scholarships, financial aid, and the programs offered.

“By the end of the class, most big life decisions are already set,” Youngs said.

Her goal is for the majority of her students in the class to already be accepted into the college of their choice before entering senior year.

“The class helped me minimize the choices to what college I’m going to go to,” said Christian Jordan ’14. “The best part was taking real practice tests in all of the ACT subjects.”

He recommended this class for the upcoming juniors. Jordan shared how the class helped prepare him for the future and introduced him to the real world by looking in-depth to his college choices.

“It explained the different aspects of the ACT well and I would recommend

the class,” said Hailey Stevens ’14.

Cook explained that every week the students of College and Career switch between the math and English portions.

“Mrs. Youngs and I flow the weeks nicely, so some weeks we might add a day or take away one as needed,” Cook added.

“We focused on critical reading and writing for the ACT, specifically,” said Cook.

Although the ACT scores have just come back and have yet to be compared with their PLAN test scores, he is hopeful that his ACT prep students will have met their expected growth. If the scores were not as high as the students wished for, Cook will spend the rest of the year digging into the specific areas they need to work on to reach their goals. For the students who have nothing more that they need to work on, Cook said he is scrambling to figure out how to fill the remaining time.

“This is the first year for this class so next year we’ll know what to improve,” he said.

He has already planned to change the grading system from credit/no credit to actual grades next year so the students will be more motivated to do the work.

Starting next year, a science portion will be added, taught by Jason Hubbard.

“We’ll be focusing on skills the ACT expects students to know, like reading and interpreting graphs, charts, and other data representations. Also, students learn the skill of pulling information from data passages,” explained Hubbard.

Being able to quickly pick out the information in a passage will speed along answering questions.

College & Career is a beneficial class that prepares students not only for the ACT but also for the future.

April 30, 2013

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The North Star

25,453 people are following you...on Twitter, of course!

Ky-Ky Blake ‘15 Cover Editor

It was New Year’s Day 2012, and people were partying and watching the fireworks in the sky, while Brad Taylor ’14 decided to create a Twitter account. Why not? It is only the latest thing on the web nowadays.

However, no one would see it coming that in over a year, Taylor’s page would be blowing up with followers: 25,453 followers at the moment to be exact.

“I don’t have a Twitter, but that sounds like a lot of followers,” Jessie Gingas ’13 said.

High school students have on average about 200300 followers. How could one junior gain about 85 times that amount? One theory is that Taylor participated in the ‘follower trick.’

Best friend Katy Nelson ’14 said, “I think that he probably followed a lot of people which in return followed him back. Then he just like unfriended a lot of the people.”

Another theory is about Taylor’s tweets. Steve Marino, a supervisory aide, believes that Taylor may be writing awesome tweets. “Maybe he says stuff that would make his followers ponder, maybe something racy or just cool stuff,” he said.

The ‘follower trick’ seems to work for many people and may be logical; however, the second speculation may just be questionable. On a site with millions of accounts, what would make one person’s tweets any more important than the next person’s?

Close friend Abby Laporte ’14 said that Taylor’s tweets are relatable while Nelson feels just the opposite. She said, “He’s not that different from anyone else.”

“I tweet about anything, nothing really special,”

Taylor said.

If Taylor isn’t any different from others, then what is he like as a person outside of school? Could his personality be the reason he was able to attract so many people to follow him on Twitter? People who follow Taylor on Twitter but do not know him personally do not have much to add.

“I know that he is very outgoing,” said Gingas.

Scott Condra ’15 said, “I don’t know him, but I know that he is very good at soccer. He might be the team captain, I don’t know.”

However, close friends of Taylor see a different side to him.

Best friend Hayley Tomich ’14 said, “Brad likes to joke around a lot, but he does have a soft side to him.

He is generally a nice person.”

Nevertheless, Taylor himself said that he’s just an ‘average Joe’ with a normal life like anyone else. He likes to play soccer, ping-pong, and he likes to hang out with his friends after school. But as an ‘average Joe’ with 25,453 followers, the question still remains: how did Brad Taylor retrieve so many followers?

“I didn’t do anything special, it was all just random.

One day when I was on Twitter, I noticed that I had 600 followers, and I thought ‘wow.’ Then it seemed like I was gaining maybe about 500 every day,” said Taylor.

No one knows how he got so many, but yet people are still continuing to follow him. If most students don’t know much about Taylor, then why do they follow him?

Follower Matt Rhomey ’15 said the reason he started to follow Taylor was because of popularity.

“I heard he was cool, so I started following him,” he

1 in 2000

Brad Taylor ‘14

Photo from Twitter

said.

“He’s just really popular, so I started following him,” Condra said.

Follower Brittany Partin ’14 said, “I didn’t even know I was even following him, because I mostly follow random people. But I think he’s popular, he seems like a cool person.”

The saying, ‘birds of a feather, flock together’ holds true in this instance. Because a few people started to follow Taylor, others began to follow him, too. Maybe Taylor’s discovery was simply by chance, but whatever caused the spiral effect of followers, it sure has made his name well-known around LCN and Twitter.

With Taylor growing more followers every day, some people may envy his internet popularity, but not Taylor’s close friend Nelson. She encourages his popularity. “Have fun racking up more followers, Brad!” she said.

#ifihadamilliondollars. . .

Zulaikha Khan ‘14 Reporter

“I would either use the money for education or pay for my grandfather’s treatments,” said Caitlyn Chaplinsky “13.

“I would open my own pet store,” said Lindsey Radcliff ’13.

“I would store it away and invest. I hate wasting money,” said Leea Fellows ‘13.

“I would travel around the world, and go to as many different countries as I can,” said Margaret Callahan ’13.

“I would go on a vacation, some place warm,” said Janelle Paparelli ’14.

“I would buy myself a nice sports car

and a house I could live comfortably in, then I would save the rest for later,” said Haily Pike ’14.

“I would move to Bora Bora and just kick in the sand all day,” said Mason Thomas ’14.

“I’d buy my own house, pay for my college tuition, and buy a plane ticket to see my boyfriend,” said Elizabeth Zaccagnini ’14.

“I would buy a huge house and donate a large amount to a cancer foundation,” said Amy Landa ’14.

“I would pay off all my college tuition.

After that, I would buy my dream house and car and pay it all off. I would also help my family with their finance issues, and then I would open up my

business with the money left,” said Cordero MacNear ‘14.

“I would probably give part of it to some charity and then I would go on a vacation,” said Jenna Pellerito ’14.

“I would pay off any debts my loved ones have, pay for college tuition, and save some for emergencies or a rainy day,” said Hannah Vennard ’14.

“I would move to a coast that is tropical, and write music for the rest of my life,” said Noah Mattocks ’14.

“I’d give money to my family, donate to hospitals and charities, and then I would spend the rest on myself,” said Sterling Yowell ’14.

“Some of the money would go to my

family, college, and the rest to educational programs to better myself.

I would use the rest to travel,” said Raven Robertson ’14.

“I would buy a house, new car, clothes, and then put the rest in the bank,” said Karen Hilai ’14.

“I’d get someone to help me manage my money,” said Nick Abdelnour ’15.

“I would travel the world,” said Logan Kitchens ’15.

“I would put it away for my family in the future,” said Alex Reimer ’16.

“I would help people in Michigan, and the people around me. The rest would go to my singing career,” said Joshua Roberts ’16.

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April 30, 2013

The North Star

‘Promposals’

Tyler Hay ‘13 asks his girlfriend Breana Nead ‘15 to prom by writing it in the sand.

Photo from Breana Nead ‘15

Guys go all-out to ask their dream dates to the big dance Kayla Belanger ‘15

Nicole Hall ‘15

Will you go to prom with me? That is one of the most dramatic and exciting questions seniors are asking at LCN. Prom is a part of everyone’s high school experience, and it can make or break a person’s senior year. At LCN, prom is a pretty big deal!

There are so many ways to ask a date to prom.

Planning can be hard and stressful but the outcome is all that matters.

“I didn’t see it coming,” Breana Nead ’15 said. “I was on vacation and he

tricked me.”

Nead’s boyfriend, of one year and three months, surprised her while they were on vacation in Panama City, Florida. Tyler Hay ‘13 spelled out “Prom?” in the sand and surprised her with flowers.

Not all “prom proposals,” as they are called, have to be like Hay’s.

They can be simple and cute, also.

“At my soccer game I had my team hold up signs that spelled out ‘prom?’” Aaron Mar-

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sack ’13 said. “When she walked in, I was there with flowers.”

The more thought put into the promposals, the better they are. Brittani Chmielewski ‘13 had a proposal that she will never forget.

“We hung out and he gave me a bag and it was filled with tissue paper and there was a note on top. It said the bag was going to be divided into three levels,” Chmielewski said. “The first two were candy and notes, and then at the bottom there was a puzzle I had to put together. When I finished, it spelled out

‘Will you go to prom with me?’”

Some prom proposals are simpler than others.

Alex Murray ’14 had one of those proposals while she was working.

“He came to my work and bought me roses. I was embarrassed because my co-workers made fun of me. It was cute, though.” Murray said. “Then he walked me out to my car and wrote ‘Will you go to prom with me?’ in window markers on my car.”

Last week, Cody Barlow ‘13 asked Megan Barr ‘13 to prom dressed in a Tiger outfit!

Video still by Lauryn Birrell ‘14

Mark Antoun ‘13 asked Danielle Beranek ‘14 to prom over the “Crusader Connection” TV show.

Not all prom proposals have to be outstanding and amazing; save that for engagement. At any rate, these couples will be attending prom on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, at 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Prom will be held at The Palazzo Grande, 54600 Van Dyke

Ave., south of 25 Mile Road, in Shelby Township.

Tickets are on sale in the lunchroom and in Silvana Audia’s room, 107, until the beginning of May. See Audia or cosponsor Karol Henckel with questions.

April 30, 2013

The North Star

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Swap allows students to experience other schools Lauryn Birrell ‘14 Reporter

Nick Piwko ‘14 Reporter

Emily Waidknecht ‘14 Reporter

Photo by Hunter Harrison-Wojcik ‘13

Students of LCN walk the halls of LCHS during the student swap.

The L`Anse Creuse school district has always been a top district in Michigan, so, when rival schools come together to be one, they become united. The three schools, L’Anse Creuse High SchoolNorth, L’Anse Creuse High School and Riverside, are coming together through a program called the Student Swap.

This year is the first year that administrators decided to put this program to the test. This event took place on Friday, March 28, and also on Thursday, April 12.

When students go to the other schools, they met in the main office prior to the beginning of the school day and they get to meet the principal to ask any questions they may have had.

They got to have a tour of the building to see the interesting areas that are different from other schools. They attended the other students’ morning classes and lunch time. When afternoon classes occurred, they went back to their own school and shared with everyone their experience at the other L’Anse Creuse school!

There are a total of 16 students involved in this student swap. The

students that are participating in the swap are Cody Barlow `13 (LCN) and his partner David Wong`13 (LCHS), the next group is Allison Sorgeloos (LCHS) and Ashley Johnson`15 (LCN), Hayley Tomich`14 (LCN) and Francesca Ortisi`16 (LCHS), Bryan Wilson`13 (LCN) and Cody Schultz`13 (LCHS), Stephen Des Jarins (Riverside) and Marc Monahan`13 (LCHS), Adam Redoute`15 (LCHS) and Erin McGuire`14 (LCN), Leah Rose`14 (LCHS) and Alyse DeVos`13 (LCN), and Laura Rose (LCHS) and Hunter HarrisonWojcik`13 (LCN).

“Basically, you go to one of the other schools, either L’Anse Creuse or Riverside, and you walk around the school for four hours. You see what life is like at the other schools. They show you what the difference is between the two schools and what they take pride in about them,” DeVos said.

“Any of the ideas they use at their school that interest us, we will tell our school about so maybe we can use the ideas, too. I think it is a great idea. It’s a great experience for us to see how other schools work,” said Harrison-Wojcik.

The student swap has had amazing feedback from those who are involved in this experience. The LCN students are excited to see what new and exciting things they can share with their peers and the administrative team to make the district a better place.

Juniors live through ACT test Eshawn’e Harris ‘14 Reporter

Roneka Barnes ‘14 Reporter

At the start of high school, things go smoothly and people don’t have much to worry about. All that changes, though, once teachers start preparing juniors for an important exam that everyone must take. The ACT seems to be the scariest task one experiences during high school. This test determines one’s future college plans. Many juniors and sophomores in high school get very stressed and worried around the time to take the ACT at the beginning of March.

“That morning, I was nervous and excited to take that test,” said junior Jimazha Hatchett. “I had so many doubts in my mind that I wasn’t going to get the score I wanted, but I was happy to finally get it over with.”

The hardest part of the exam was the science portion, according to juniors.

The questions on the reading prompts were considered the easiest.

“The science part was the hardest because I had no prior knowledge of it, and the reading was the easiest because I simply looked back at the story to find an answer,” said Diamond Harris ‘14.

Several juniors who took the ACT already say they were nervous right before they took the test; however, many juniors weren’t too stressed about it a couple months before.

“I didn’t think that much of the ACT until I received my scores back. Instead of preparing myself for it like every other person in my grade, I just went with the flow and winged it the day of the test,” said senior Tiara Murray.

There are a number of seniors who have plans to retake the ACT. Many are seeking ways to get as much practice they can to achieve a score which they are content with. Some juniors already have a date set to retake it. Junior Daiquiri Swope said he will take his

over again in December. Although he is pleased with his score he knows he is capable of better.

Wayne Cook, English teacher, advised, “In general, they need to take a very careful look at their results from ACT. The score sheet will break down, very specifically, the answers they got wrong and the skill that question was related to. That is where their focus should be.”

Jason Hubbard, science teacher, said, “Practice with the timing of the test.

There are seven passages, you have 35 minutes so that breaks down to five minutes per passage. Also, make sure you are familiar with graphs and charts.”

It would be much better to do well on the first time one take the test, which is free, rather than spend over $50 to retake it again. The limitation to retake it is 12 times, according to www.actstudents.org; therefore, one should get as much extra practice one can get.

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The North Star

April 30, 2013

Frozen yogurt > ice cream Maegan Donajkowski ‘14 Photographer

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is a hot spot for many teenagers. It is located at 25 Mile Road and Van Dyke, and people venture all the way out there just to enjoy the delicious frozen treats. I would definitely recommend this location to anyone interested in frozen yogurt. My experience there was truly wonderful.

Menchie’s has a plethora of flavors, as well as a cornucopia of toppings.

They have anything one could ever imagine. Compared to Dairy Queen, Menchie’s has at least twice as many options for flavors and toppings. The possibilities seem endless. In contrast to Dairy Queen, Menchie’s has at least 10 different flavors of frozen yogurt.

Dairy Queen only has vanilla, chocolate, and a mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream. I was very pleased with the assortment of toppings to put on my frozen yogurt. They even had Fruity Pebbles!

The Menchie’s store is also incredibly

clean. The floor is swept at all times, and the tables are spotless. I could not help but notice that every time a customer was finished with adding toppings on their frozen yogurt, the Menchie’s server would immediately stop what he/she was doing and clean up after the customer. Also, the store is very appealing. It has very vibrant colors and incredibly cute decorations that attract customers.

The servers at Menchie’s were very friendly. Every time I have gone in the store, the staff has been nothing but nice to me. They are also very friendly to first-time customers and assist them with their order. They even let customers choose their own spoon color.

Menchie’s has three different color spoons: green, pink, and brown. The server at Menchie’s always asks the customer which color the customer would prefer. When leaving the store, the staff always says, “Have a smiley day!” It is a nice touch, and it never fails to put a smile on my face.

The price of the various treats is extremely reasonable. It is priced by the ounce, so customers can pay as much or as little as they desire. Most locations charge 46 cents per ounce. Customers can add as much frozen yogurt as they want and pay according to the weight of their cup. It is very convenient Menchie’s draws customers with its lively decor. for people on a budget.

Photo by Maegan Donajkowski ‘14 Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is benyogurt gives the impression of being eficial because it is healthier than ice ice cream, but it is not. It is somewhat cream, but it is not by any means what healthier. someone should be eating on a strict My experience at Menchie’s was dediet. Ice cream tends to have a higher lightful, and I definitely plan on returncalorie and fat content when compared ing for some more great frozen yogurt. to frozen yogurt, but based on the Everything about this location was toppings people put on their frozen wonderful. The friendly staff, cleanliyogurt, it could contain more fat and ness of the store, variety of flavors and calories. Menchie’s would definitely toppings, and lower amount of calobe the smarter way to go, as opposed ries definitely entices me to go back! to an ice cream parlor. The wonderful thing about Menchie’s is that the frozen Menchie’s receives 5 out of 5 stars!

“42”: A legend born Jacob Ducich ‘15 Reporter

Jackie Robinson was the first African American baseball player in Major League Baseball.

Robinson played in a time of racial segrega-

tion. He won Rookie of the Year in 1947. Robinson also won the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award in 1949. Additionally, he also won the World Series in 1955.

Robinson was inducted

Ratings Guide Bad Okay Decent Great Awesome

into the Rickey Hall of traded Fame in away 1962 and anyone his numwho had ber, “42,” something is the only insulting to number to say about be retired Robinson. leagueThe team wide. eventually Durwarmed up ing the to him for movie “42,” Photo by D. Stevens/ Warner Bros/ MCT the fact that Robinson he was a Harrison Ford plays Branch Rickey and Chadwick Boseman plays Jackie Robinson in “42.” (played by kind-hearted, Chadwick skilled baseHe is soon promoted to Boseman) ball player the Brooklyn Dodgers tries out for a minor and he was equal to despite death threats and everyone. league baseball team racial slurs chanted on with a connection to the Later in the season, Brooklyn Dodgers. At the the field.

Robinson lead the DodgRacist pitchers delibbeginning of the movie, ers to the World Series, erately attack him by the only people who want and Robinson became throwing fastballs at his Robinson to succeed are one of the most respected head. Umpires sabotage African American sports and recognized players in his game by calling him fans and the Dodgers’ the game of baseball. out when he is safe. A owner, Branch Rickey The movie “42,” Jackie police officer even drags (played by Harrison Robinson’s story, directhim off the field at one Ford). Robinson ends up ed by Brian Helgeland, is making the minor league point. During the begina fun movie for all ages. ning of Robinson’s first team and records many The movie is not only for major league season, base hits and homeruns. history-lovers, but also

mixes in some action and comedy to make it enjoyable for everyone, even if a person is not a baseball fan. The scenes in the movie make the setting feel genuinely like the 1940s. It brought to life the realism of racism back in the 1940s.

The setup was very intense and brought a sense of action and adventure. Above the scene selection, actors like Chadwick Boseman gave the scenes emotional appeal as his character’s career moved along. Harrison Ford, who played Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, also added to this thriller of a movie.

“42” is a fun, emotional, family-oriented movie that is a must-see wonder for people who like action, adventure, comedy, sports, or history.

Overall “42” was wellscripted and extremely well- acted and deserves 5 out of 5 stars.

April 30, 2013

The North Star

Sheeran’s latest delights fans

February 17, 1991, in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, according to Wikipedia and Song Facts. He managed to find his passion in music at a young age, and produced his first EP, “The Orange Room,” when he was 16. He has gained popularity in England and several other countries, and recently has broken through in the United States.

His latest album, “+”, which came out September 9, 2011, and was produced by Atlantic Records, debuted at number one on the U. K.’s album chart.

Sheeran wrote popular country artist Taylor Swift’s song, “Everything Has Changed.” On “+”, Sheeran has written all of his songs, and the songs are a mix of hip-hop, folk, troubadour, rock and acoustic music.

The song that stole the airways, “The A Team,” is the first song on Sheeran’s album. It was inspired by Angel, a woman that Sheeran met while doing a show at a homeless center. Sheeran told Interview Magazine, “It’s her story. Well, the song itself was written all about her story, so the song is about a drug-addicted homeless woman.”

The song catches the listener’s ear with the strong, confident vibrations of Sheeran’s guitar, and rhythmic beating

of his hand against his guitar’s body. There is a jumble of music notes that intermingle to create a melody that makes the listener sway. Overall, the song is laced with a distinct vitality that is concealed in a calming shell. The hoarse whisper of Sheeran’s voice, tinged with his accent deepens the meaning of the story, and gives it a rough edge.

The carefully picked diction creates an elegant flow of words that make breath-taking images.

It’s evident that the lyrics are sad, but it’s hard to discern the full story. A listener’s curiosity takes over and makes discovering the back story more fulfilling The tenth song on Sheeran’s album, “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You,” is an upbeat, lively rap song. However, Sheeran’s style of rap has a fluidity that most rappers lack. It’s not as rigid as Eminem’s, and his lyrics flow smoothly into each other. The song

with the aroma of delicious foods just to study and make it seem less stressful. The place is so amazingly laid back, it feels just like a library.

According to the official website, the company originated in 1981 and was founded by Louis Kane and Ron Shaich.

The business prospered throughout the east coast of the United States and finally throughout the nation in 1980-1990.

Panera was announced the dominant operator in the bakery-café category.

By 1997, Panera Bread had the ability and potential to become one of the most famous brands in the country. Au Bon

Pain Co. was the original name of the Panera Bread franchise. By May 1999, the owners officially renamed the company to Panera Bread, and it became a hit.

Panera is a “bakery-café,” which means it sells pastries and treats, along with items such as coffee and light lunch foods. If anyone wanted a place that served soups, salads, sandwiches, and cookies, along with an area to relax with free Wi-Fi for homework, then Panera Bread is the place to go.

Although Panera Bread is a delightful café and has a fantastic setting, I feel that it is sometimes unbearable to pay for the

items they sell. For one day out, it could cost $15 just for one person. The food and desserts are absolutely delicious, but after a while it is hard to go just because people do not want to pay a fortune for the food.

One specific item at Panera Bread is a “U Pick 2,” a special that offers any two items, half-sized, for $6.99. Along with the meal, a regular fountain drink costs approximately $2. All together a meal for just one day is a little over $10, which is a tad out of hand for one person.

Everything is so amazing at Panera Bread it is extremely difficult to

Photo from album cover

Ed Sheeran’s latest album, “+” Shellie Zamponi ‘15 Reviews editor

Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran is taking hold of hearts all around the world. His distinct voice has been tugging at listeners’ heart strings since his single, “The A Team,” gained a lot of airplay in the U.S. in late 2012. Since then, he has become a top artist.

Twenty two-year-old Sheeran was born on

Panera makes dough Breanna Previdi ‘14 Photographer

High school students enjoy hanging out with friends and going out to places that have a relaxed atmosphere.

When all teenagers have the urge to fly through their homework and such with friends, they would much rather meet at a specific place. What is a better place to go than somewhere that has food and goodies, along with the subtle mood within the place to study with?

Café/bakery Panera Bread offers both of those things.

Several high school students drive to this soothing building filled

has a fast tempo that creates the original beat of his song. The most prominent attribute of this song is the message it sends; it is not a love song like many other pop culture artists’, but a song of determination.

It creates an eagerness to generate success and inspires the audience to make their own path. The verses are very distinct and unlike a lot of pop culture songs, the lyrics are not repetitive. You cannot help nodding your head to “You Need Me, I Don’t Need You.” One of the most melodious songs on Sheeran’s album, “Small Bump,” sits at number six on his album. The song was written about an experience Sheeran’s friend had, and is sung through his friend’s viewpoint.

The song begins with a rhythmic thud and threads in a gentle guitar, giving off a pleasant morning song. The tune is unlike any other that has been on the airwaves,

reviews 9

and touches your heart from beginning to end.

As the story of the song progresses, it goes from beautiful to devastating in two verses. At the end, it will leave tears in your eyes.

Overall, “+” brings forward a lot of emotion.

The album has varying songs about life, love, and determination. The meaning in the songs is left for you to discern, which could be looked at in a positive or negative way. This is what makes the songs perfectly imperfect, though.

Sheeran’s songs allow the listener to unearth meanings of their own. His lyrics are distinct; they are incredibly unique and differ from most popular artists today. He has brought a twist to traditional genres, and it is incomparable.

This is one of the best albums out there if you wish to veer off of the pop culture track. I give this album 5 out of 5 stars.

Photo by Breanna Previdi ‘14

Panera is located near 23 Mile Road and Gratiot.

pinpoint what is “wrong,” per se, about it.

If any person were to ask me about Panera Bread, I would recommend it any day. This bakery/café is different

from any other place I’ve been to; it’s very unique.

I give this restaurant 4 out of 5 stars because of its presentation and atmosphere.

The homework effect

Not enough tim

Haley Oeltjen ‘14 Reporter

seem

i g h h r o f r e v e n a h t r e ot ugh s

time

Homework can be the cause of failure in a student’s academic career. When students do not have the time to do homework, or if they choose not to do it, they can fail the class. According to the National Education Association, an average student spends 45 to 55 hours a week on homework. The National Education Association recommends no more than 10 minutes per grade level. For example, a twelfth grader should have no more than 120 minutes of homework per day. That can affect a lot of students and their daily lives.

Some students don’t have a lot of time between school, homework, sleep, work sports, and social networking. That might cause students to give up one of those choices.

“I have softball almost every day from 4 to 9 p.m.,” said Justine Chaplinsky ’14.

When does she have time to do homework? Depending on the amount, homework could cut into a student’s sleep time.

Teenagers are recommended to get six-eight hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. It isn’t that students have homework; it is the amount that they get.

“Sometimes, I get way too much homework and cannot sleep,” said Stephanie Scicluna ‘14.

It is hard for students to concentrate in school when they have stayed up late to get their homework done. Other students procrastinate when they receive homework.

“When I have an essay, I procrastinate and stay up later,” said Alivia Segal ’14.

A lot of classes have a lot of homework, but math classes seem to give the most homework, according to most L’Anse Creuse High School - North students.

“Algebra 2 gives me a few hours of homework every night,” said Ashlyn Gizowski ’14.

Other students disagreed, such as Segal. “I think World History gives way too much.”

Some students believe teachers should have a limit on the amount of homework they give each night.

Some other students don’t understand how they can get their homework done. They find it difficult. Some students have given tips on how to get homework done.

“Get a tutor or go online for help,” said Chaplinsky.

Sometimes students forget to do their homework.

“Get it over with and do it right when you get home,” said Scicluna.

Some academic clubs offer tutoring after school, such as Mu Alpha Theta for math help.

Managin g

Amanda Roberts ‘14 Reporter

April 30

The North Star

10 focus

How do you manage to play sports, and have time for everything else?

Courtney Dunford ‘14

Reporter

“Playing for the hockey team and having practice at 3 p.m. was pretty convenient for me.

After hockey, I would have time to do whatever I wanted,” said Kristian Alafriz ’15, varsity hockey player.

“I try to stay focused and not procrastinate.

When I have free time, I try to get ahead in my classes,” said Alyssa Meade ’13, varsity bowler and varsity softball player.

“It is really hard. You have to learn how to set priorities. Obviously school comes first but sports are a huge priority as well, so you kind of just have to learn to balance them all without becoming overwhelmed,” said Evan Coulter ’13, varsity basketball player.

“I really focus on school, so that way I can play sports. Hanging out with friends and other things are either before or after sports,” said Evan Horne ’16, freshman football, basketball and baseball player.

0, 2013

The North Star

me in the day?

focus 11

Students juggle work hours and load

h school st udent s

work.”

Another way that students can manage time with a job is to limit work to weekends only, like Alexis Atikian ‘15. She works about 10 hours Most students have or are looking for a job; in fact, only 16 percent of high school students are currently em- at Ciccarelli’s Sports Bar and Restaurant on weekends. ployed, according to Washington Times.com. Everyone “I work mostly on weekends, so it does not needs a little extra cash for a rainy day. Work can cause conflict with school but when I work on week a negative effect on school, if students do not manage days, I do my homework right when I get their time wisely. Students need to be aware of tests, home,” she said. quizzes, exams, and activities like homework. With Another sophomore, Emily Friedrichs, works many activities, and hours of homework, a job can be under 18 hours per week at JAPAC. Some tough to handle. How do students do it?

“Sometimes I get overwhelmed, but I know how nights, she works until 10 p.m., but she said to mange my time wisely so that doesn’t happen she sometimes has the option to complete her homework while at work. too often,” said Alex Steck ’14.

Nick Pendergast ’14 said, “I do get a lot of Nicole Voight ‘13 works at the Rec Center work, But it’s just something you have to get as a lifeguard and can get up to 20 hours a done to be successful.” week.

So be smart about jobs. Don’t bite off more She said, “When I get home from school, than you can chew! Also, stay organized and I try to finish most of my homework so productive. Planning ahead is not a bad idea.

I don’t have to stay up much later after

Joseph Biskner ‘14 Additional reporting by Cailyn Rentz ‘15, Miranda Rysiewicz ‘15 & Amanda Photographer Vandelinder ‘15

ork, me w

with ho

activities jobs,

Is social networking a distraction?

Casey Dobson ‘14

Reporter

Emily Parsell ’16 Q: On average how many hours do you spend on Twitter a day?

A: Two hours.

Q: Does it interfere with your timemanagement ability?

A: No. Q: Why or why not?

A: I am too busy when it comes to other things.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t on Twitter?

A: Homework, sports, and hanging out with friends or family.

Photo by Joe Biskner ’14

Megan Sarotte ’15 Q: On average how many hours do you spend on Twitter a day?

A: One hour.

Q: Does it interfere with your time-management ability?

A: No. Q: Why or why not?

A: I do my homework first.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t on Twitter?

A: My homework instead of doing it at 11 at night and sleeping.

Kayla Cardeccia ‘14 Q: On average how many hours do you spend on Twitter a day?

A: Half hour.

Q: Does it interfere with your time-management ability?

A: Yes. Q: Why or why not?

A: It distracts me from my homework.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t on Twitter?

A: Getting my homework done faster and going to bed earlier.

Jessica Los ’13 Q: On average how many hours do you spend on Twitter a day?

A: I don’t have a Twitter.

Q: Does it interfere with your time-management ability?

A: No. Q: Why or why not?

A: I don’t have one, and don’t want to waste my time listening to people’s drama.

Q: What would you be doing if you weren’t on Twitter?

A: If I had one, I would probably be doing homework or playing golf.

12 sports

April 30, 2013

The North Star

Tennis teams rack up the competition Photo by Sieloff

Maria Daka ‘15 Reporter

VARSITY

Due to a rainy season the Varsity Tennis Team has not been able to play as many games as they would like. Even though April has many rainy days, the girls make an effort to get as much practice in as they can.

“We have to have good grades and meet the skill level,” said Emma Harrison ’15. “It’s a lot more advanced than the JV team.”

Making the Girls’ Varsity Tennis Team is quite an accomplishment. The girls on the varsity team have been practicing harder than most players to make it.

“I think we are all ready,” said Harrison.

“We’ve been practicing a lot.”

This season there will be new players on varsity. Making varsity is a lot different from being on JV Tennis Team because John Broder, LCN Varsity Girls’ Tennis coach, pushes them to “the extreme” to have all their hits perfect. They are out on the court preparing for their hectic season.

“I think about what I can do to get the ball around the players and how my partner and I can win,” said Kristen Binge ’15. “I get a little bit nervous before tough matches. I play against older and more experienced players.”

For the girls, there is a bit of nervousness that kicks in before a match.

There are thoughts racing through their heads because the varsity girls are not too sure that the team will be intimidating and play tough.

“There are tryouts.

Only 14 players make the team,” said Binge.

“You have to be mentally prepared for the tryouts.

They are pretty tough.”

The coaches do cut players on the Varsity Tennis Team. The coaches want the best to make the team. The tryouts were a week long and to make it on the varsity team, the players needed more experience. Since 14 make the team, there are 10 doubles players and four singles players.

“The coaches are really nice and do a good job,” said Harrison. “They help out a lot.”

Coach Broder said, “The varsity team is one of the strongest teams I’ve coached. If everyone stays healthy and focused, we should have a another successful season. We are led by nine experienced seniors.

I expect that we will compete for the league title, and more importantly, that we will continue our lucky streak of making the All-State Academic Team for the twelfth of the 13 years that we’ve applied.”

At press time, the team was 3-0.

JV TENNIS The rainy days also keep the JV Tennis Team off of the courts. Despite the rainy days, the girls’ JV Tennis Team is determined to have a strong and an enjoyable season.

“The coaches want us to know our teammates as much as possible because they want us to get along and make new friends,” said Jamie Jacklyn ’15.

At the beginning of the season, the team takes a few minutes to huddle up and sit in a circle to introduce themselves.

Courtney Warren ‘13 competes in a singles match and takes a backhand shot during a 2012 varsity meet.

The coaches feel the need to have the teammates get to one another.

“I know this year’s team is amazing and fun,” said Coach Alex Bugdalski. “There are great players this year.”

Girls’ JV Tennis Team is confident on having a strong team this year.

The players are trying extremely hard to have a great season this year.

At practices the team will take time to warm up their hits.

“The team this year is a lot younger and there are mostly freshmen,” said Coach Peggy Jones.

“There aren’t as many players this year on the team compared to the previous years.”

The team is a lot smaller in 2013. The players automatically make the team, but this year there was a price to pay if girls wanted to participate with the pay to participate policy. It seemed to affect the turn-out.

“When we don’t have practice, it is likely that we have matches. And during the home matches we bring food for both teams,” said Jacklyn.

Coaches try to explain to the girls to just have

an enjoyable time. The JV Girl Tennis Team brings food to all the matches at home. The girls are kind enough to bring enough food for the guest team to have a snack between matches.

“I get nervous before every match, even though this year is my second year,” said Jacklyn. “I think about if the other team will be tough to compete against.”

When the girls get out on the courts, there are thoughts that are running through their heads that the other team will be competitive. The JV girls are determined to win, but they also want a superb match.

“Having a sport in the spring time is kind of tough because of all the rainy days,” said Michala Manfredo ’16. “But we have Coach Alex’s number and she lets us all know if the practices or matches get cancelled.”

“The players know that once a match is cancelled, they will have to make it up one day, preferably as soon as possible. They do not want to put the matches on hold for a while for the season,” said Coach

Alex. “Even though we’ve been having a bit of weather delays, the team is strong.”

Coach is very proud of the girls that are on the team this season because she has faith in them and believes that they will make it far this season.

Unfortunately, she can-

not take the whole team to the away matches, so she will have to pick the girls with the most experience.

“I have very high expectations for the team this year,” said Coach Jones.

“I look up to development of the young players and leadership.”

Photo by Sieloff

Gabrielle Buffa ‘13 and her doubles partner Alex Corbin ‘14 play a doubles match in 2012.

April 30, 2013

The North Star

NBA makes a slam dunk!

sports 13

Another Heat vs. Thunder final?

John Allen ‘13 Reporter

Trevor Conklin ‘15 Reporter

If the NBA playoffs began today, the Miami Heat would take the overall top seed, with a record of 62-16. The Oklahoma City Thunder is not far behind, coming in with a record of 5721. However, these two teams are in different conferences.

The Miami Heat has dominated the Eastern Conference, putting a 10-game spread between themselves and the number two seeded New York Knicks.

The battle for the Western Conference is a lot closer, with the Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs being tied for the best record. The Thunder have arguably the best

scoring small forward in NBA history in Kevin Durant, and many think he will lead his team to a championship.

The Heat would match up against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that has over twice as many losses. Miami has beaten the Bucks three out of four times this season, with its only loss coming in a game in which star player Dwyane Wade did not play.

“If the playoffs started today, I’d definitely have the Heat and the Thunder in the NBA Finals.

The Miami Heat have been too dominant and it seems as if the Eastern Conference will be a cakewalk for them this year,” said Donte Taylor ‘13.

Junior Keelan Washington thinks the Clippers will beat Memphis

and go on to beat the Thunder to win out the Western Conference.

“The Lakers really need to watch out because they have been struggling all season. I think the Lakers have the worst chance to advance past the first game of all 32 teams in the playoffs,” said Washington. He also added that he believes Carmelo Anthony will outscore Durant in the final few games of the season to stop Durant from getting his fourth straight scoring title.

Going into the playoffs, the Miami Heat is clearly the favorite to win this year’s championship.

“The Heat might have the best record, but I’m taking Oklahoma City to win this year’s championship,” said Rodney Connor ’13. He went on to say that Durant is

unstoppable, and with the emergence of the Thunder’s power forward, Serge Ibaka, the Heat will have no chance to stop the Thunder.

The playoff race should be a great one, because there truly are eight great teams in each conference. Even the Heat could lose to the eighth seed, which would be the Milwaukee Bucks, if the playoffs started today.

The Bucks have already beaten the Heat once this year, so anything is possible.

Needless to say, this year’s NBA playoff race may go down as the best one ever!

Photo by David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald/MCT

LeBron James of the Miami Heat dunks against Kirk Hinrich of the Chicago Bulls during the second quarter at the American Airlines Area in Miami, Florida, Sunday, April 14, 2013.

Off to the races: Track season begins Jessie Perry ‘15 Reporter

Photo by Sieloff

Darryle Johnson ‘13, aka the 400 king, runs the 400-meter dash for LCN.

It is a rainy afternoon on a school night. Many students get ready to leave school, but some stay after to begin training.

It is the time of year where spring sports begin. One of many spring sports includes Varsity Boy’s and Girls’ Track.

As the track season starts, many students put in hard work for their races. Practicing five days a week for two hours, sometimes even in the rain, track members prepare for their upcoming meets.

Kyle Evans ‘15 said, “I run the 800-meter dash and I’m usually at the track after every school

day for a few hours to run four miles and do interval training.”

Track athletes are eager to compete and see how great they are going to look this year. Some returning students are also looking forward to beginning the 2013 season of track, such as Tyler Ellis ‘15.

“I’m looking forward to being a better athlete than last year because I am trying to become a captain and set a good example for the team,” Ellis said.

The track team is hoping to make a comeback from last year, winning second place in the MAC Blue in 2012. This year they hope to place first,

like they did two years ago in 2011.

Ryan Filbeck ‘15 said, “I’m very excited to improve our team and my times, but I’m also scared of the lack of seniors that just graduated that were on the team.”

Varsity Coach Sharon Hicks is also very excited to see how her team will do this year. She puts in hard work to get her athletes into shape for their first meet against Cousino High School.

Hicks said, “We have a wave of new talent coming in this year, and they are incredibly hardworking, yet very young.”

Because of the rain, the track team hasn’t gotten a chance to compete

against any schools at press time. But hopefully in late April and May, they look forward to having weekly meets.

The team has a meet on Saturday, May 4, at Algonac High School, May 7, at Sterling Heights High School. The Dakota Invitational is away on Saturday, May 11, while Regionals will be held on Friday, May 17 at Warren Mott High School. The MAC Blue Division Meet will be at Chippewa Valley on May 21.

Students get excited about the track season.

Maddi Woodson ’16 said, “I have a few friends on the track team and I am excited to cheer them on.”

14 sports

April 30, 2013

The North Star

Lady Crusaders get back in action Team ready to bring home district title

Jake Carriveau ’14 Reporter

Justin Graham ‘14 Reporter

The girls grab their mitts, bats, and headbands and head out onto the field for yet another great season. The Varsity Girls’ Softball Team is ready to kick off the season after finishing 19-14 last year, as well as to avenge a district championship loss to Anchor Bay. “I think the season will go well,” said catcher Jenna Haddad ’15. “We’ll do well because, even though we have a younger team, we have a lot of really strong hitters.”

After losing four seniors, the current seniors on the team need to step up.

“Our seniors stand out in my mind,” said head coach Mark Forbert. “We’re looking good this year, even though we haven’t had a game yet.”

The team is also looking to ride the arm of pitcher Miranda Rysiewicz ’15.

“Miranda will do really good this season because she has been practicing all winter and has improved a lot,” said Haddad.

The Lady Crusaders moved from the MAC Blue Division to the MAC White Division, so expectations are even higher than before.

“We want to do well in our new league, and we are going to work hard and get a district championship,” said leftfielder Ashley Lech ’13.

The girls are going to need to give 100 percent in all of their games, seeing as they have some very tough competition in the MAC White, such as Chippewa Valley, Lake Shore, and Utica. With lots of first-year varsity players, all the players with experience on the varsity level need to be leaders.

“I don’t act like I’m better than all of the underclassmen. I look at it like I’m a leader and not a dictator,” said second baseman Erin Schuch ’13. “In the past, we’ve had issues with seniors being bossy to underclassmen, and it’s just not fair. You’re a team.”

The girls expect great things to come out of this season, and, with the talent they have, it won’t be hard to get that district championship that they all strive for.

Photo by Sieloff Studio

Erin Schuch ‘13 plays second base in a 2012 varsity game against L’Anse Creuse.

Q & A with Ashley Lech ‘13 Nick Piwko ’14

after you graduate?

I am not playing softball anymore.

How long have you been playing softball?

I have been playing for 13 years.

What position do you play?

I play left field and pitcher.

Photo by Mary Lech

What was your greatest accomplishment playing softball?

My greatest accomplishment is my first home run and coming back from my knee surgery.

How has softball impacted your life?

Softball has always been my outlet when I am frustrated or stressed, so it has positively impacted my life.

Up at bat for the Varsity Crusaders is Ashley Lech ‘13.

What are your plans for softball

What do you expect the season’s

Photographer

outcome this year?

To put up good competition in the MAC White, and hopefully get past districts.

Does everyone one the team get along well?

Yes, our team gets along great! We’re like a big family.

What do you like better, hitting or fielding? Why? I like hitting better because it gives me more action and impact on the game.

April 30, 2013

sports 15

The North Star

DO THE ROAR! Photo by Allie Brandimarte ‘15

Midfielder Gage Minkley ‘13, midfielder Ian Moews ‘15, defensman Rob Nolan ‘13 and goalie Vinnie Scarpaci ‘13 defend the net from L’Anse Creuse Lancers attacks.

Lax sticks it to opponents Nick Piwko ’14 Photographer

Tigers’ fans get psyched for season Photo by Susan Tripp Pollard/Contra Costa Times/MCT

Detroit Tigers’ Torii Hunter makes it a triple in the sixth inning as Josh Donaldson of the Oakland Athletics can’t make the play at third during an April match-up.

Tiffani Markwood ’14 Reporter

Friday April 5, 2013, was the big day for Detroit.

Opening day finally arrived. As the team walked on to the baseball diamond in those white and blue outfits with “Tigers” written across the jerseys with big smiles on their faces, and the sun shining bright on them, excitement was in the fan’s eyes. Yes, baseball is back in the D. “I think the start of the season is off to a good start But, I do think they need to work on being more focused,” said Jim Markwood. At press time, the Tigers were in third place in the central division with a record of 10-9. As it is early in the season, there isn’t a lot to worry about.

“I wish they would have come off a little bit stronger this season, although Prince Fielder is off to a great start,” said Tyler Fobare ’12.

In the second game while playing the Yankees, Fielder hit a double then innings later, he swung for another double home run. ESPN news said that Fielder is the next to get the MVP award.

“The Athletics are a 9-4 team. They sure are going to be hard to beat,” said Alan Markwood.

Friday, April, 12 2013, was the first game between the

Tigers and Athletics and the Tigers lost by one run.

But the next day, the Tigers took over, winning 7-3 adding excitement to every fan’s face. The next day was even better for those Tigers who murdered the Athletics with a 10-1 win, ending the series winning two out of three games “I really think Torii Hunter is going to be a great man for the Tigers,” said Matt Baker, youth pastor.

Hunter is the only new guy on any team to already rack up 19 runs. With the Tigers’ line-up including Austin Jackson, Hunter, Miguel Cabrera, and Fielder, the Tigers definitely have the best line-up in the Central Division.

“I really feel the Tigers are going to do it this year.

Be the World Champions!” said Tim Markwood.

With all the great players on the team and all the great fans, the Tigers can do it. They should show all those other teams that the they can be number one this year as long as they don’t fall apart in the final games of the World Series. As the Tigers start to pick things up and sweep the other teams, every Tigers’ fan is ready for the team to take off and give Detroit something good to talk about.

AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A YEARBOOK PARTY! When? May 30 (after school) Where? Cafeteria Cost? FREE! Pizza and signing pens will be for sale while supplies last...

ARE YOU GOING?

Jake Carriveau’14 Reporter

The chilly spring days roll back around and so does lacrosse season. The LCN team is looking like a potential district championship contender. With Coach Rob Melling and some outstanding play from certain individuals, the Crusaders are on their way to a strong season.

“We have good potential when we are clicking on all cylinders,” said Melling. “There are a lot of players who contribute to our success very well. We are scoring more goals and I give credit to the advanced gym class.”

After a disappointing season last year, the team has started very well; they are now 3-2.

“The season so far has been productive. Everyone is growing as players and as a team,” said goalie Vinnie Scarpaci `13.

Several of the players have improved their skills from the summer and fall lacrosse season, playing for Grosse Pointe Select.

“GPS (Grosse Pointe Select) has developed me as a player, and I am extremely grateful for that. It has given me the skills I need to play at a high level in high school and possibly even college ball,” said attack man Sam Mohawk `14.

With the offense producing goals, the defense needs to step up in their end. They’ve done just that.

“The defense has been playing very well with the new defenders like Josh [Alanskas`14], Kairos [Bodley`14], and Adam [Acker`14],” said defenseman Rob Nolan`13.

The team’s most exciting win so far this season was an overtime thriller against Grosse Pointe North High School in which Mohawk scored the gamewinner.

“It felt amazing,” said Mohawk. “Scoring a goal in that situation was more than I could ever ask for.”

The team is also looking to avenge an early season loss against rival Eisenhower High School.

“Next time we face Ike, we’re going to beat them,” said defenseman Trevor Green ’14. “We’re better than them.”

With the defense playing rock solid and the offense putting up goals left and right, the Crusaders will accomplish their goals for the rest of the season.

16 opinions

The North Star

April 30, 2013

Teen feels Kelsey’s Law should apply to all drivers, not just levels 1, 2 Kelli Cywka ‘15 Reporter

Thirty-three percent of deaths among teenagers between the ages of 13-19 were caused by car crashes and accidents in 2011, according to 24-7 Press Release. Better yet, approximately 25 percent of those crashes were caused by the driver using his/her cell phone.

These lives could have been saved if teens could learn to put down their cell phones while driving in the car, and pay full attention to the road; and this is exactly what Kelsey’s Law encourages.

On March 28, 2013, Kelsey’s Law went into effect with the goal of decreasing the statistics of teen car crashes and deaths. The law prohibits new drivers with a level one or two license from having their phone in use while in the driver’s seat, no matter what the ‘emergency’ may be. Is this law fair to teens? This author says no.

Almost every article I’ve researched shows that, out of all drivers, teens are possibly the worst. With high statistics of teen crashes, and even deaths, it is hard to put this law to shame. But what about to whom this law applies?

Kelsey’s Law only prohibits young drivers from using any technology in

the car, but what about those who are experienced drivers?

It is known that people over the age of 50 may have slower reaction times in the car compared to the average teenager. With that said, what happens when you combine slow reaction time in an adult, and do not restrict them from using technology behind the wheel?

More adults are using cell phones, and only time will tell when they become just as bad as teens with their phones behind the wheel. If the law were to be extended to everyone and not just new drivers, many more lives could be saved. Otherwise, I just don’t see the point in having this law that only restricts a certain age group.

Although Kelsey’s Law can be unfair, I’m sure it has helped save someone’s life. Teens, especially new drivers, have the worst reputation on the road. Some say they are careless about it, and others argue that they just lack experience, though it’s probably a little of both.

Those who do obey the legislation could have spared their life and someone else’s by putting down the phone when behind the wheel and giving their full attention to the road. How many other lives could this law save if it applied to all age groups, though? A few hundred

more, or maybe even a thousand.

Since this law only applies to young drivers, I guess nobody will ever know.

Another reason I do not believe Kelsey’s Law is fair to teens is that no teen would be able to answer or check their phone in the car in the midst of an emergency without the risk of being pulled over. If a loved one or a friend was seriously hurt or injured, teens are not allowed to take a simple call while in their car. If this is the case, they may miss something vitally important. That would leave them with Kelsey’s Law to blame. This is yet another reason why I believe the legislation is severely unfair to restrict only new drivers from cell phone use.

Though Kelsey’s Law may have saved a few lives, I still believe it is unjust to teens because it is restricted to young drivers and young drivers only, not being allowed to answer a call even if it could be urgent, and many other

Letters to the editor: Dear Editor,

Dear Editor,

I agree texting and driving can save many lives [February 2013]. An experienced driver that texts and drives doesn’t know the dangerous risk they put on themselves into while sending a simple text to their friend. The law [took] effect in late March 2013. This will hopefully get the message across that texting and driving is very dangerous. Many lives have already been lost because of texting. I am guilty of texting and driving; I need to realize that my life is at high risk when I text and drive at the same time.

When reading a recent edition of The North Star, I came across an article which I fell in love with. “Sneaker Geeks: stepping in style” [February 2013] is the article I am referring to.

The main reason it caught my eye was because I am a so-called “sneaker head,” too. The article is written excellently. . .the author of the article does a great job interviewing both people who have a passion for sneakers and those who don’t. . .It is great to see how broad of an area the author was able to cover.

Great article!

Alex Clark ‘13

Tyler Sirut ‘14

Photo by freedigitalphotos.net

points. If the government is so interested in keeping the roads safe, why do they set limits on the newest, and possibly the most careful drivers on the roads?

I say extend the ban to all age groups, or get rid of Kelsey’s Law entirely.

Readers comment on texting, Sandy Hook, cheerleading, sneaker heads

Dear Editor, The article on Sandy Hook and the safety of our school, in the February issue, was very informative. I thought that, with the tremendous effect that the Sandy Hook shooting had on the nation, an article about our school’s security was a appropriate and needed.

Because of the impact of Sandy Hook, I’m sure parents and students all across the country have been concerned with safety of their schools; therefore, this article could help give some ease to any students and parents in the L’Anse Creuse school district. The article also thoroughly describes all the security measures taken in the school. Finally, I would agree that our school is one of

the safest and there are not much more security measures that could be taken.

Maxie McNair ‘13

Dear Editor, I am writing to you on behalf of the cheer being a sport article [February 2013] and I feel in no shape or form that school cheer is a sport. Sports have a defense or force acting upon them and affecting their performance.

This is why I feel cheer is not a sport, for further explanation, ask for Mr. Forbert’s opinion.

Jacob Miller ‘14

April 30, 2013

opinions 17

The North Star

Tanning provides Vitamin D Courtney Harness ‘15 Reporter

Photos by Maegan Donajkowski ‘14

Year-round school: What do you think?

Taylor Campbell ‘13 Reporter

While several students are on summer break, at home or on family vacations, others are in school working all summer long. It is not because the students have summer school or are being punished. It is because their institution has switched to a year-round school. Students are not the only ones affected by their school’s choice of year-round schooling. It can affect families, teachers, and more. Recently, Warren Consolidated schools has decided to try such a program.

Year-round programs do not necessarily improve academic performance. According to the National Education Association, there is also something called multi-tracking, which could lead to problems with students’ schedules. Multi-track year round education has groups of students attending school at different times with different vacations, as opposed to singletrack, which the whole school would follow. These schedules could cause families problems. If a sibling is on a different vacation schedule, families are unable to vacation together.

Billy Petts ’10 said, “I feel that year-round schooling is not a bad idea whatsoever. Our country didn’t make the top 10 smartest students in the world; therefore, I feel education in the states need to be pushed a little harder for a better generation and future here in America. As much as current students would dislike the change, future students would never know the difference if that’s what they’re used to. However, personally, I believe you go to school to make a living, or you follow your dreams to make a fortune!”

With year-round school, teachers are not able to further their own education or attend college classes

during the summer months off. Students also would not be able to take part in summer activities, such as camps, except when school is on a break. It’s a shame that some students would have to miss out on summer fun.

Students need the summer to kick back, relax, to get rid of stress and forget about school for a little while.

Students deserve the summer to refresh themselves and take time off of school because they have earned it. It also would be difficult for students to stay focused if they were to be in year-round school. During the summer, they wouldn’t be able to focus because of the weather change outside. They would want to be out in the sunshine rather than sitting in a school, especially after a long winter in Michigan. Summer is meant to be fun and relaxing, not for students to be stuck in school learning.

Year-round school also makes it hard for high school students to get summer jobs, because they would be stuck in school. Students that go to traditional schools have the opportunity to get a summer job, giving the students an opportunity to make more money by working longer hours, rather than working a job that would probably last a few hours during the regular school year. Students with summer jobs could also save the money they make, and put it towards college funding. With year-round schooling, students may only be able to commit to a job for a few weeks, or for fewer hours, compared to a full-time summer job.

In conclusion, year-round school would change a student’s summer drastically. It would make the school year stressful, and not fun. Knowing friends from other schools are having a great summer while others are stuck in a classroom could be really disappointing . Hopefully, year-round school is not coming our way in the near future.

Although the winter season has come to an end, the tanning season has not. Many students from L’Anse Creuse High School-North go tanning on a daily basis. They lay under high amounts of UV rays to get a radiant, beautiful tan.

Recently, state legislators have been debating whether or not to put a law in effect for Michigan that states “Anyone under the age of 18 may not be allowed to tan.” Vermont and California already have that ban on tanning. Presently, the state law on tanning says that anyone under the age of 18 must have a parent’s consent to tan. Studies show that the age of most tanners is 17 years old. Such a ban on tanning would cause companies to lose more than half of their business.

A lot of people fear tanning, but it is not as horrible as people portray it to be. There are two methods of indoor tanning: stand-up or bed. Stand-ups allow people to tan more quickly, but beds are much more relaxing.

While in a tanning bed, many people worry that they will fall asleep and cook to death. WRONG! There is a timer set for the amount of time the user has chosen. Once the time is up, the bulbs turn off. If, at any moment, someone needs to turn off the lights, they have a button inside to do so. There is no possible way that someone would die from the bed itself.

Doctors tell you not to go tanning because it can cause melanoma (skin cancer). Although that is correct, it does not stop some from using indoor tanners.

Many things could cause cancer (diet soda, cleaning products, phone, etc), yet we drink, eat, and use them almost every day. There is no way to bubble yourself from everything that can make you sick.

According to Marshall Ramsey, founder of melanoma.org, a person’s skin tone, hair color, and eye color play a part in their risk for the disease. People with fair skin, light hair, and light eyes are 10 times more at risk for getting skin cancer than people with a darker complexion. Doctors suggest that if someone uses a tanning bed, they use it for no longer than 15 minutes a day, which is the maximum amount of time on the lowest level at most tanning places. Also, a person can reduce the risk by applying lotion and wearing goggles.

One thing doctors usually do not tell you is that indoor tanning is a great source of Vitamin D. A lack of Vitamin D for a prolonged amount of time can cause cancer and diabetes. The lack of this nutrient is normally found during the winter season because many of people spend more time inside. Whether or not a person uses an indoor tanning bed, he/she has a chance of getting some type of cancer.

News and movies show tanning to be much more dangerous than it really is. The Vitamin D nutrient would be very effective. Also, people who tan feel more confident and relaxed after they are done. A person chooses to tan for a reason, and he/she should be allowed to tan as they wish without the state stepping in to regulate it.

18 opinions

Same-sex marriage causes debate

Andrew Majchrzak ‘15 Copy-Editor

mockery of their religious beliefs and customs.

An anonymous source said, “Homosexuality goes against what I learned about in Sunday school, and what the priest talks about in church. If it wasn’t for the church, gay people would not know about marriage so that means they should go by the rules whoever created the idea of marriage, which means only men and woman couples.”

Another anonymous senior said, “I’m a little homophobic. They (gay people) don’t bother me, but it upsets me to see two men holding hands.

I’m a boy so maybe it’s just because I don’t understand what they could enjoy about that. “ This person does not hate gay people. He said later that one of his best friends came out of the closet and they are still friends. The disagreeing party might not believe in that because they do not feel those types of feelings.

People who support gay marriage may not be as religious as others. In this day and age, religion is viewed differently than

40 or 50 years ago; it may not have as much of an influence on beliefs.

Josephine Wright ’13 said, “Love is love.

Everyone has their own right to be happy.”

Wright’s statement goes back to Thomas Jefferson’s famous written phrase: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence. Does that mean it would be unconstitutional to restrict same-sex marriage?

It may be hard to open one’s mind to the way other people see things, but both sides of this argument make important points. A person does not have to be gay to see that they should be allowed to be married, nor does he/she have to be straight to see that marriage is the church’s ceremony and they might want to keep it sacred between a man and a woman.

A person should respect the views of the opposite side in a rational manner.

Same-sex marriage may be one of the most debated topics in America right now. The two main sides are the religious side, which does not agree with same-sex marriage. The opposite side believes inequality; everyone is equal and should have the same rights. Some people get very irate at the thought of allowing homosexuals to marry, and some get irate that people will not let homosexuals get married. It is a very touchy topic and it is apparent why.

At L’Anse Creuse North, Christianity is a popular religion. The belief system of this religion, and most others, does not condone homosexuality. Whether people like to admit it or not, marriage is part of the church. Most religions would not allow gay people to be married.

If America’s constitution was based solely on Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, or any major religion really, homosexuals would be not allowed to be married.

Without the church’s influence on American Photo by McClatchy Washington Bureau by David Lightman life, people would not be married at all. Marriage is from and through the church for the most part. Couples might not have to get married in a church, but it is a church ceremony. Just like communion and being baptized or confirmed.

If marriage was strictly a state contract to be loyal to one another, then would people not have a problem letting anyone get married? However, it is not strictly a state contract; it is a church ceremony. People are upset because it is almost a

April 30, 2013

The North Star

License to drive

Photo by Joe Biskner ‘14

A crowded parking lot results as sophomores start driving to school.

Mike White ‘13 Focus Editor

Every five seconds in the L’Anse Creuse High School – North’s parking lot, an incident, argument, or maybe even the honking of multiple cars occurs. With the sophomores of LCN driving to school, there is currently a sudden outburst from the juniors and seniors.

Even though some sophomores have passed their road test, they’re still not experienced. It’s not because sophomores are incompetent, it is just that some can’t handle the rush after school, or they themselves are in a rush and cause more problems. The new, inexperienced drivers make it twice as hard to get out of the student parking lot.

“The parking lots were already hard to try and get out of, but now with the sophomores driving, it is even harder to get out of,” said Autumn Premoe ‘13.

The sophomores driving to school adds a lot of extra tension to the juniors and seniors, and has been the talk of LCN. Parking spots are not available and leaving the

parking lot is more like a challenge to overcome.

Sophomores shouldn’t be allowed to drive to school. Why? Because the sophomores need to learn how to be patient and wait their turn, just as the juniors and seniors did.

“They might have experience, but they shouldn’t be driving to school and taking our spots,” said Lauryn Birrell ’14.

The sophomores have not yet even established a complete and steady role in their high school career here.

“They need more time adjusting to high school and on top of that, there is not enough parking for them,” said an anonymous teacher here.

Sophomores, please understand that we, juniors and seniors, had to wait our turn, and you should have to as well.

You will get your turn, too, don’t worry. How about you guys just wait until the seniors are gone and then start parking?

Sophomores, you aren’t even parking “legally,” meaning that your car is illegally parked in the

school parking lot. You did not purchase a parking pass, nor do you have the current right or ability to park or drive here.

So please respect school policies.

“There’s not enough space for us to park, but no one wants to ride the bus,” said Sammi Vespa ’15.

If sophomores understand that there is not enough parking, then why bother taking up parking spots that are not available? It is not fair to the juniors and seniors who now have to fight with the sophomores who have not earned the privilege to drive to school.

Beware, while you are driving to school, and parking here without a parking pass there will be repercussions. If you keep driving to school and parking without a parking pass, and an administrator finds out, you will receive a warning the first time, and thereafter, your car will be towed at your expense.

Remember, it won’t be much longer, so just wait!

April 30, 2013

The North Star

Tablets vs. textbooks

Chelsea Buyle ‘15

Photo by freedigitalphotos.net

Reporter

Schools all over the country are debating using tablets in the classroom instead of regular print textbooks.

Teachers find using tablets helps students learn more effectively than learning out of textbooks. Schools should make the investment to get tablets in the classroom to further educational success for students.

Schools switching to tablets would save a lot of paper, and in return, that would be helping the environment.

Also, it would not overwhelm the students as much. First of all, if schools switch to using tablets instead of textbooks, then there would be no need to print out handouts and homework assignments every day for five days.

Teachers would be able to put all of their assignments online. The students would be able to access the work right from the tablet. This would then reduce all the paper that is being used every day.

Teachers also give out worksheets that students may ruin or lose. If the work is on the tablet, there is no way to lose work; they would always have it.

Secondly, students go to school and have six or seven hours in one day.

Every day they go to class and get new worksheets and homework in every subject; there is no getting out of that.

Students feel overwhelmed and anxious with all the work they are given. They may get confused as to what papers go to what class. If they are able to have tablets, then it would eliminate paper all together. Students would have folders for every class on their own personal tablet. They could keep every worksheet or handout organized electronically. Their tablet would be like a big folder but a lot smaller. Students would not feel as overwhelmed as they would with all the handouts they normally get.

On the other hand, tablets can run out of battery life before the school day is over, making it so the students cannot

do their work in the last couple hours of the day. It is said that a tablet’s battery life is somewhere around seven hours a day, and unfortunately most school days last about eight hours. The students would be left in their last hour of the day having nothing to do; therefore, their grade in said class would suffer.

The other option is that students would need to find an outlet and plug in their charger. The problem with that is there would not be enough outlets for all the students. It may cause a lot of problems in the classroom for the students and the teachers.

Although battery life might not last long with a tablet, the tablet offers a lot more than textbooks and handouts can offer. Tablets offer tutoring apps that could help students right there in class.

Students would have a better opportunity to succeed with a teacher and the apps on the tablet assisting them. Also, students would access to the internet and be able to look up information they are not sure about. If instructors are teaching lessons that are generally hard to understand, then students will have a lot of questions. Teachers cannot answer every individual question a student may have. So if a teacher is

with one student, then the other could use their tablet for assistance.

Having tablets in the classroom would help the students out a lot because the materials they have to carry home and back to school would be reduced immensely. Students, on average, have about five to seven textbooks for school. That is a lot of weight for students to carry home and then back to school again. It is hard to carry all that weight, especially on your back. More times than not, students get home and see that they forgot one of their books at school. If they have tablets, then all of their books are on one device. That is a lot easier for the student, being that a tablet may only weigh one pound or less.

Also, it is nearly impossible for a student to carry seven subjects of textbooks and folders around school all day. At some point in their school day they would need to stop at their locker.

When students go to their lockers, they tend to have problems. They say that their lockers got jammed or they forgot the combination. If students were to have tablets, then they would not need to stop at their lockers as much as they would usually because they have all the information they need on their tablet.

This would make the teachers happier because they would be on time to class, and teachers would not need to write passes as often. Students would also be prepared for class. The students would not be able to say, “Oh I forgot my book in my locker.” He or she would not miss valuable class time.

To further education in the classroom, schools should invest in getting tablets for the students to use instead of old textbooks. Students should get tablets because it would help the environment tremendously, they would not use as much paper, and tablets can tutor kids right in class with the thousands of available apps. Finally, students would no longer need to carry around so much weight during the school day and when going home.

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opinions 19

North tar S L’Anse Creuse H.S,- North 23700 21 Mile Road Macomb, MI 48042 (586) 493-5270 The staff of The North Star are members of Quill and Scroll Society, Michigan Interscholastic Press Association and National Scholastic Press Association.

Editor-in-chief......................James Coller Copy Editors.......................Rachel Binge, Bradley Shutter, Jacob Semrau, Abby Brower, Andrew Majchrzak Cover Editor pgs1/20...........Ky-Ky Blake News Editor pgs 2/3..........Paige Zaziski Feature Editor pgs 4/5.......Mike Morello Feature Editor pgs 6/7.....Mike Srbinovich Review Editor pgs 8/9.....Shellie Zamponi Focus Editor pgs 10/11..........Mike White Sports Editor pgs 12/13.....Abby Donohue Sports Editor pgs 14/15...............Veronica Terryn Opinions Editor pgs 16/17..........Deiontae Nicholas Opinions Editor pgs 18/19...Javin Kuznia Online Editor..........................Jacob Puma Business Manager.........Brittiny Shepherd Photographers..................................

Anthony Bandy, Maegan Donajkowski, Joe Biskner, Breanna Previdi, Jessy Jones, Chris Popovich, Ky-Ky Blake, Amanda Maloney, Kayla Belanger, and Allie Brandimarte.

Adviser............................Ms. Kim Kozian

The staff of The North Star accepts letters to the editor with feedback on how we express our opinion in this paper. All letters must be signed. The staff also accepts future story ideas in room 213 or Ms. Kozian’s Mailbox in the main office. The viewpoints expressed in The North Star are those of the editorial newspaper staff, but do not necessarily reflect those of the administration and faculty of LCN. Visit Ms. Kozian’s web page, www.lc-ps.org/Schools/LCHSNorth, for editorial policies and procedures.

20 snapshot

The North Star

Give us a BREAK! Photo by Rachel Binge ‘13

Alyssa Licavoli ‘15 (middle right), her cousin Anthony (far left), brother Dominic (middle) and BFF Krissy Toth ‘15 (far right), hang out with the Paws, the Tigers’ mascot.

Photo from Kavon Jackson ‘15

Kavon Jackson ‘15 hangs out with his sister on their way to the beach.

Photo from Kayla Belanger ‘15

Photo from Rachel Binge ‘13

Michael White ‘13 Allison Parski ‘13, Kristen Binge ‘15, and Rachel Binge ‘13 hang out with Mickey and Minnie.

(Spring Break, that is)

Rachel Binge ‘13 views palm trees near her condo in Florida.

April 30, 2013

Photo by Michael White ‘13

Photo from Alyssa Licavoli ‘15

Photo by Rachel Binge ‘13

This dragon is made purely out of Legos!

Photo from Ky-Ky Blake ‘15

Photo by Rachel Binge ‘13

Rachel Binge ‘13 takes a trip with friends to Katie Edwards ‘15 and Ky-Ky Blake ‘15 play dress-up.

Disney World.

Photo from Rachel Binge ‘13

Photo by Kristen Binge ‘15

Allison Parski ‘13 and Michael White ‘13 meet the Easter Bunny.

Photo by Rachel Binge ‘13

Kristen Binge ‘15 and Allison Parski ‘13 play putt-putt golf in Florida.

Photo by Michael White ‘13

Kayla Belanger ‘15 and her sister, Jacquelyn Belanger ‘13 pose with the yellow M&M in Las Vegas.

Allison Parski ‘13, Rachel Binge ‘13 and Michael White ‘13 play putt-putt.

Photo from Kayla Belanger ‘15

Photo from Kayla Belanger ‘15

Michael White ‘13, Rachel Binge ‘13, Allison Parski ‘13, and Kristen Binge ‘15 stop for a photo in Downtown Disney.

Photo from Rachel Binge ‘13

A hot air balloon flies over Downtown Disney.

Photo from Tyler Scheich ‘15

Kayla Belanger ‘15 and her sister, Jacquelyn Belanger ‘13 sit in front of the Caesar’s Palace Shopping Center in Las Vegas.

Photo from Taylor Campbell ‘13

Jacquelyn Belanger ‘13 and Kayla Belanger ‘15 visit Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner.

Photo by Michael White‘13 ‘13 Rachel Binge

Sophomore Kristen and senior Rachel Binge wear matching outfits.

Photo from Isaac Morgan ‘15

Tyler Scheich ‘15, and Alyssa Howard ‘15 hang out and took pictures over break.

Photo by Rachel Binge ‘13

Jessica Howard ‘13 and Taylor Campbell ‘13 relax on the beach in A beautiful sunset in Florida.

Panama City with some friends.

Isaac Morgan ‘15 poses with Ben Franklin.

Clearwater Beach in Florida.