Photo by Carter Oselett ‘17
Photo by Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Dave Dalton/Macomb Daily/MI Prep Zone
Campus Martius ice skating rink in Detroit provides a festive setting for a date with that special someone.
Features
Darrius Turner ‘18 plays in the marching band and on the football team. How does he manage both?
4Sports
Athletic Director Cody Smith escorts Linda Jackson and her granddaughter onto the court for the Dave Jackson Tip-off.
6 Entertainment 7 December 21,2016 Volume XLII Issue III
Syrian refugee crisis hits area BY Renee Prvulov ‘17 Entertainment Editor
A war is ripping their country to shreds, forcing millions of people to flee in hopes of finding safety and security. Syrian refugees need a new home while their country is at war. Many neighboring countries have stepped up and taken in Syrian refugees, along with many regions of Europe. The U.S. has met its goal of allowing 10,000 refugees into the country, but some still argue that this number is too low. Some of the refugees reside in Macomb, Michigan, and even in the L’Anse Creuse Public School District. There are a few who attend elementary schools in the district. Sheila Esshaki, English teacher, has worked closely with those who have fallen victim to the crisis. Esshaki, the ESL teacher, is in charge
of the Diversity Club, and speaks Arabic and translates for some refugee families in the district. She meets with them and helps them acquire materials and food. “Most of these people are educated and had professional lives. The have been reduced to children and are treated as less,” said Esshaki. Esshaki is concerned about the refugees, especially in this country. She is worried they will be perceived negatively in the light they were painted in, as dangerous, when they are just people seeking help and stability. Esshaki thinks the country’s first step needs to be accepting its role as a nation wanting to help Syria and then, to take in more refugees. “Europe has taken 500 times more refugees than we have. We need to accept
more refugees in our country; we have the infrastructure to support it,” said Esshaki. Some people perceive the refugees as a potential threat, but they have been driven out of their country and are just seeking refuge. “Unfortunately, some people are not sophisticated enough to separate a world being destroyed beyond their control and what the media is portraying,” said Esshaki. Among the challenges refugees are facing, they are lonely. They are isolated in other countries by a language barrier and have no network of social support. “I have not heard terrible horror stories first-hand, but I think the basic story of a refugee is they have been uprooted from what they know, the language is new, and they have nothing
from home that gives them comfort,” said Esshaki. She remembers a young boy in this district who was a refugee. He got in trouble for spitting at another kid. This does not necessarily make him a bad child; spitting was the only way he could communicate. The boy was getting picked on or bullied to some degree, and that was the only way he could express himself, since he did not share a language with the other students. Millions of refugees have fled and continue to flee their country. Their country is at war, being bombed by its own president, and no one knows what side to take. They are fleeing from the destruction of their nation, and look to Europe, the United States, and even Macomb Township for refuge.
Photo by Robert Cotic/Wikipedia
Syrian refugees pass through Slovenia. The country is the gateway to the destination of many refugees, Western Europe. At first, they turned away anyone who just wanted to pass through, but they kept coming back. Slovenia built a “corridor,” a path that refugees could use to walk through the country.
CCR classes host a ‘financial reality fair’
Photo by Morgan Sputa ‘19
Juniors, including Hunter Ludwig ‘18 (center) line up at the furniture table. Here they looked at options that fell within a given budget for furnishing home or apartment.
BY Gavin McHugh ‘17 News Editor
Photo by Morgan Sputa ‘19
Stopping by the credit union table, Steven Williamson ‘18 and Amanda Zonca ‘18 assess their potential loan options. Jason Hubbard, an event organizer and College and Career class teacher, said, “They had to get loans for vehicles or a personal loan. They received a credit score and their loan payment was based on their credit score, so some of the kids took a loan out for the same amount of money but one had to pay a lot more than the other person for the same loan. REALITY!”
In the midst of their junior year, the class of 2018 is starting to face a new horizon: college and life after high school. Moving on into the real world and becoming adults is nerve-racking for many students, as they are mostly in the dark about what they need to do and what to expect. However, students are not left to figure it out themselves. Many juniors have opted into taking the College and Career Class, a course tasked with helping prepare students for future life. On December 9, the College and Career classes held a financial reality fair in the LGI. The motive behind the fair was to teach students how to manage a budget by simulating a real-life scenario. As students walked in, they were handed clipboards, which described their jobs. Each student was assigned a career and a budget. Tables were set up around the room, each labeled with a different aspect of a person’s budget in the real world. The newly-employed students went around the room, visiting tables and de-
Photo by Morgan Sputa ‘19
Myles Morgan ‘18 speaks to LCPS teacher Nick Ellul to obtain information about lifestyle items. This included electronics, such as iPods, iPads, cameras, videogames, gym and other fitness activities, hair, nails, spa and pets. “Things that students feel they must have and things that are needed to help maintain appearance,” Jason Hubbard, an event organizer, said.
ciding what they would buy from each. The goal for students was to buy everything they needed while staying within their budget. There were multiple options at each table, such as the clothing table, at which people could choose between new or used items. The point of the fair, however, was not just to go around buying things. Each table was staffed with adults, who handed out papers pertaining to the items that table offered to students. The staff would also briefly explain the table’s content and its importance in the future and answered any questions they had. Students saw the fair as an opportunity to learn more. “I’m hoping to learn to manage my money when I’m older,” said Autumn Cram ’18. Cram was designated a physician’s assistant who had a budget of $39,000. “I’m trying to learn how to manage my money. It will help me be more prepared for the future,” said Trey Pace ’18. Pace was a psychologist who had a bud-
get of $35,000. Cram said that she was okay financially, acknowledging that she couldn’t buy everything, but she wasn’t struggling. Pace was burdened by repaying his high student loans but said that he was also alright financially. “I’m learning how to budget,” said Jillian Smith ’18. Smith was a pharmacologist who had a budget of $50,000. “I’m trying to see how the real world is, how hard it is,” said Julius Stoutermire ’18. Stoutermire was a mechanic who had a budget of $33,000. Wayne Cook, a College and Career class teacher, was walking around the room observing the fair. Cook gave light to the point of the event. He explained why it was a “reality” fair. “We want students to understand how costly it is to live and how some things they have are expensive and taken for granted. We want them to understand how much they will need to make to live the life they want after college,” said Cook.