The Focus

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Midland High School | February 8, 2019 | Volume 41, Issue 5

Helping Hands On Friday, Jan. 18, 270 carts of food were given to local families in need.

Freshman Mitchell McMath, senior Lane Gauthier, and junior Taryn Vielma sort food in preparation. Students also filled shopping carts with food and transported produce to vehicles.

Photo: Maureen Aloff

Listening to the Silent Valentine’s Day is the most violent day of the year, and organizations like One Billion Rising are working towards ending domestic and sexual violence.

Photo Illustration: Spencer Isberg

Domestic Violence SoundCloud Artists The Grammys

Special Olympics

Left Hand - Even number page

in this issue volume 41 | issue 5

4 Inclusion in the Theater

Drama is performing a play with a lead character with autism.

5 Quinn McMath

news

10 Snow Day Explanation An in-depth description of what it takes to call a day off of school.

Package: Domestic/Sexual Violence

Freshman McMath can play a plethora of instruments and composes music frequently.

11 Assault Statistics

6 SoundCloud Artists

Local and national data surrounding violence and abuse.

sports

A look into the legalities behind sexual assault.

Three musicians have recently dropped new songs and EPs on the famous platform.

7 Pom’s Road to States

The Pom team prepared for the state competition over the course of the winter season.

8 Special Olympics

Special Olympics hopes to give an equal athletic opportunity to all.

9 Sportszone - Matthew Witt Freshman Witt has earned a starting position on the varsity hockey team.

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opinion 17 Editorial - Domestic/Sexual Violence Policies The Focus reviews the efforts of the school system to educate students about CSC.

18 The Grammys

The Focus picks some of our winners for the 2019 Grammys.

12 - 13 CSC Legal Process

features

14-15 Domestic Violence Stories Three survivors share their abuse and recovery stories.

16 Males’ Perspectives Sexual assault against males is reported less than against females, due to a negative stigma.

19 Valentine’s Playlists The Focus created a fitting Spotify playlist for every relationship status.

Editor-in-Chief |Bitsy Mammel Managing | Hailey Surbrook News | Mady Sherman Features | Jenna Spencer Sports | Katie Gibbs Arts/Entertainment | Hannah Woehrle Opinion | Kelly Craig Web | Adrienne Gray Photo | Spencer Isberg Design | Noah Jacobson Copy | Aubrey Chambers Ads | Jacob May Exchange | Maureen Aloff Adviser | Jim Woehrle Printer | The Argus - Press

editors

arts & entertainment

p ub licat ion policy

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Focus, established in 1977, previously the Vic Tribune established in 1936, is the official school sponsored newspaper of Midland High School. Focus is published monthly by the journalism classes at Midland High School and is distributed free of charge.

It is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), the Michigan Interscholastic Pres Association (MIPA) and Quill and Scroll. Adviser membership also includes the Journalism Education Association (JEA).

Focus is designed as a forum for student expression and as a realistic lab experience.

Court cases like Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier (1988) have restricted this right to free expression. As a result of the Hazelwood case, Focus may be subject to prior review

by Midland High School administrators, who legally reserve the right to pull or censor articles and/or graphic elements (artwork, graphs, photos) planned for publication.

Focus and its adviser(s), editors and staff writers, however, reserve the right to contest the challenge of an administrator who attempts to censor and/or remove an article or graphic element.

Administrators who attempt to pull and/or censor must provide reason on the basis of obscenity, if the article infringes upon the right of freedom of speech or rights to privacy, and if it and/or graphic elements are irresponsibly or inappropriately presented.

Letters of the editor are welcomed and encouraged. Letters are required to be a maximum of 250 words in length and must be signed to insure that the writer’s intent is serious. Any letter that is unsigned or uses a pseudonym will be refused. Focus reserves the right to edit letters as long as the writer’s opinion is unchanged and the facts presented in the letter are kept intact. Focus also reserves the right to remove from the letter the name of the individual toward whom it is directed or oriented.

February 8, 2019

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Right Hand - Odd number page

the

bulletin

news briefs

IB Open House

instagram of the month

MHS Spotlight :

Veteran To Graduate

On Monday Jan. 7 the International Baccalaureate diploma candidates from Midland High and Dow High hosted an open house to display the work they have done in the two-semester Theory of Knowledge class (TOK). The TOK classes invited MPS staff, administration, and parents to visit. Each station shared a lesson, highlighted connections with the IB Learner Profile, and some even encouraged the visitors to participate in activities.

One Billion Rising Walk On Friday Feb. 15, Midland High Student Council will be hosting a One Billion Rising (OBR) Walk to raise awareness for the organization. OBR is an awareness movement that promotes an end to domestic violence and sexual assault. The walk will be a one mile route around Midland High. Afterwards there will be free soup provided along with a survivor story from a guest speaker.

Principal Jeff Jaster On Friday Feb. 1, Principal Jeff Jaster announced that he will be leaving Midland High at the end of the 2019 school year after four years as principal.

He plans to take the position of Associate Superintendent of Administration.

tweet of the month On Friday Jan. 25, English teacher Sarah Dodick’s fourth hour senior English class asked Vietnam Veteran Jimmey Sequin to walk in the graduation ceremony with the class of 2019 on May 29. Sequin is an MHS alumnus but dropped out when he was sent to serve in the Marines in 1968. Because of his service in the war, Sequin was unable to receive his High School diploma.

“Our lives are all different and no matter what education is essential.

Even though I dropped out I still learn something new everyday and school is a really important thing to me,” Sequin said. @mhs_focus | web: mhsfocus.com

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February 8, 2019

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A CURIOUS STORY

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enior Tim Hackbarth has been acting since he was in fourth grade, but he’s never faced a challenge like this. For his role as the lead, Christopher, in the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime, MHS’s winter competition show, Hackbarth has to erase everything he’s learned and start over.

“Sometimes I fall into the tendency of doing normal acting like I would be acting any other character, and how I would be in that situation, but a lot of times Christopher doesn’t know how to express his emotions,” Hackbarth said.

“It’s difficult because it’s going against everything that I’ve really learned and developed as an actor.”

While it’s never directly stated in the play, Christopher is on the sensory deficit spectrum, and has trouble communicating his emotions. Drama teacher and director, Megan Applegate, said the cast has had conversations on how to approach this, so that they’re playing the role of Christopher accurately, and not playing a stereotype of someone with autism.

In order to prepare for the play, Applegate said she had the cast do research on how to deal with this subject.

She also had students and parents of

students who are on the autism spectrum come in and talk to them. One of these people was Tommy Wedge, the Assistant Professor of Theater at Saginaw Valley State University. Wedge is currently directing his own production of the play at SVSU, and has two children on the autism spectrum. He said he chose to put on this play because it’s exceptionally well-written and because of his personal connection to it.

“There was a lot of parallels and crossovers with my own personal experience, because I am so connected with the autism community myself and I thought it was an important story,” Wedge said.

Wedge said some of the questions the Midland High cast asked were about the physical choices that might be appropriate for a person on the autism spectrum and how Christopher might react to something emotionally.

“He told me that you don’t want to be like somebody else,” Hackbarth said.

“You don’t want to look at somebody and study somebody with autism and act like them. You want to more parallel to it and breaking it down as to why they behave that way, and if I was put in a similar situation how would I behave, and exaggerate it.”

This year’s winter show for the Drama Club features a main character who is on the autistic spectrum, which has created challenges for how to accurately portray the character. Staff Writer Ethan Ohlrich | Features Editor Jenna Spencer

Applegate said that the production has been a huge success, and that she would like to set up a scholarship and mentorship program to send a social message through the platform the show has given her and the drama club. She wanted a way for the Drama Club to give back to the community, and she found it through creating the program.

“I firmly believe that theater is powerful, so I thought that this was a really good way to demonstrate for my students how theater has an impact on the community as well,” Applegate said.

Applegate said that the scholarship would be for students with autism to go to a summer camp, and the money would go towards registration fees.

They are currently in the process of raising money through a Go-Fund Me page, and the drama club will donate a portion of ticket sales from all their performances. People can also donate to the scholarship at the show, and she hopes that it will be available this summer.

The mentorship program would also provide a group of friends to take pictures and go to dinner with for school dances, and people to sit with during lunch. Applegate said she

hopes this program will allow students with autism to feel more comfortable getting involved in other extracurriculars and programs, because they’re going to meet students already involved in similar activities. Their plan is to have the program begin around the start of second semester. Applegate said she hopes she can get students to sign up at their show.

Hackbarth said that he learned a saying from the community of people who know someone with autism, which is: “When you meet one person with autism, you meet one person with autism.” It means that there is a spectrum, and that each person who has autism is distinct from another.

“It taught me that I needed to take this role from an element of realism and look inside of me and when I’m uncomfortable, when I’m having difficulty expressing my emotions or when I’m anxious,” Hackbarth said, “ask myself what do I do when I’m anxious and then play off of that and take something that is real, something that I do and exaggerate it.”

The cast performed at the West Michigan Theater Festival on Feb. 2, and had a sensory-friendly performance on Feb. 7. They will also perform at Central Auditorium Feb. 8 and 9 at 7 p.m.

Senior Zion Lange (left) plays Ed Boone, the father of Christopher Boone, played by Tim Hackbarth. Their conversation escalates quickly while the chorus watches. The chorus is onstage for most of the show, typically sitting off to the side when they’re not a part of the scene. They also have boxes that they use as seats and set pieces. Photo: Jenna Spencer

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arts/entertainment

February 8, 2019

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MAESTRO IN THE MAKING

Freshman Quinn McMath has been composing since he was in middle school and was chosen as first chair tuba in the Michigan High School All-State Band. He hopes to study music in college and pursue it as a career. Staff Writer Aleah Ward| Staff Writer Mary Kent

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ver since freshman Quinn McMath first picked up a trumpet in fifth grade, he knew that he belonged in the music community. Over the last five years, he has spent his free time learning how to play 20 instrument and creating original arrangements and compositions. His love for music has blossomed over the years and he is now heavily involved with jazz band, french horn ensemble, clarinet choir, and marching band.

“I joined band and started playing trumpet, and in sixth grade I started branching out [musically],” McMath said.

However, one of his proudest achievements is earning first chair tuba in the Michigan AllState Band. Some of the best high school musicians in the state audition to be a part of the All-State Band, and to be awarded with this position as a freshman is very rare. This band receives more than 2,000 auditions from students all over Michigan, and only 400 are chosen to have a spot in one of five ensembles that the program contains. McMath has been chosen to be a part of the band since he was in 7th grade.

Band director Bill Monroe said he believes that this is a great accomplishment for a young musician, and sees a successful future for McMath in music.

“Not every tuba player auditions in the state, but most of the best ones auditioned and they picked him,” Monroe said. “As a ninth grader, to be better than any other tuba player that auditioned that day is pretty spectacular.”

Monroe said he recognized McMath’s musical prestige and efforts when he came into high school band. He said he sees very admirable traits in McMath as a musician, and notices that he able to take a mature approach in creating, playing, or writing music.

“He was curious and he was able to concentrate. I think that’s the biggest thing I see with the best musicians,” Monroe said.

“They know how to concentrate and focus on something and they can work really hard on accomplishing their goal for that practice session.”

Shortly after starting to become serious about music, McMath decided to expand his horizons and tried his hand at composing simple melodies using an app called MuseScore, which in turn resulted in McMath creating much more complex works throughout the years. As he progressed with playing, he decided to gain the help of a CMU music instructor, to mentor him and help him grow even more as a musician as he entered into high school.

Scott McMath, Quinn’s father, was also a

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February 8, 2019

musician. He played in a band called ‘Empty Pockets’, opening for national acts and released four albums. McMath remembers going to many of his father’s performances, which sparked his interest in music. “ I went up on stage and I would always give him high-fives during the middle o f h i s performances,” Quinn said. “And I was always really interested in music that he played” Scott said he really began to see his son express himself through music when he had joined band in the fifth grade, and began to see parts of himself in the way McMath showed his passion for music. When McMath composed his first piece in the eighth grade, Scott was very proud to see his son pursue something that he loved to do.

During his eighth grade year, McMath composed a piece to be performed by the Northeast Middle School band at their concert. Along with composing the piece, McMath also conducted the band as they played.

“He practices all the time so when he started composing, I was really surprised,” Scott said.“He has knowledge in theory and just his talent and his drive will allow him to go wherever he wants to go.”

In the future, McMath would like to study music in college and continue to improve as a musician. He hopes to potentially have a career in music, specifically focusing on composing music. After writing his first concert piece in 8th grade, McMath has since advanced further onto writing harder works.

“I’m working on a symphony right now. It’s really tough but it’s fun,” he said.

Throughout his years of practicing music, McMath has found a greater appreciation of what it truly means to be a musician and the effect music has in the world.

“I think that the beautiful sounds that shape a piece and the impact that it can have on people,” McMath said “If you take a famous movie or scene and you take the music out, it’s different. If you take it out, it’s almost nothing compared to what it would be.”

Freshman Quinn McMath practicing his tuba during fifth hour band. Out of all of the instruments that he plays, his personal favorite is the tuba. Photo: Aleah Ward

arts/entertainment

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NEW SOUNDS

Photo: Carter Hazen Art courtesy: John Riley Herman

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hile producing another beat, Senior Isaiah Bridges, also known under the name Zaytario Productions, was with Senior John Riley Herman when they decided to make a song together.

“We were sitting in my basement and I was making another beat when I heard Johnny free-styling on one, and it sounded pretty good, so I told him to hop on the mic,” Bridges said.

Herman has been singing since first grade and is currently a member of the Meistersingers. But, it wasn’t until the summer of 2018 that he started making hip-hop music under the name Johnnyworld.

Herman recently released his first freestyle Extended Play, or EP, Johnnyworld on SoundCloud.

Herman was initially inspired to get into hip-hop by artists such as Kendrick Lamar. He also said that one of his other influences was Bridges, his producer.

“Zay got me started,” Herman said. “He was making beats and told me to get on them.”

Herman also noted that he’s unique because he raps in a way that not many other artists do.

“My songs are straight from my mind and off script,” Herman said. “Sometimes it gets shaky but I try my best.”

Herman decided to make his music available on SoundCloud since it was the most economic choice, compared to other platforms.

“I go with SoundCloud because it's the only platform where I’m accepted,” Herman said. “All the other music platforms are too stuck up, like Spotify.

You have to pay money for other apps and I’m just trying to do this for free.”

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arts/entertainment

SoundCloud is a platform for a growing community of musicians. Artists Young Purch, Likwid Chkin, and Johnnyworld, have recently ventured to the service. Ads Coordinator Jacob W. May| Staff Writer Devin Alexander

Photo: Jacob W. May Art courtesy: Logan Brubaker

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or the past six years, seniors Logan Brubaker and Nathan Tata have been friends. But it wasn’t until their freshman year that they realized they both shared a passion for music and decided to combine their skills. Now, they perform in a band that they call Likwid Chkin, and are set to release an EP in February, Fatty Acid.

“We make comedy songs, kind of folky-country,” Brubaker said. “I can’t take myself too seriously, so I can’t make anything serious.”

Brubaker was initially inspired to start making music by electronic artist, Skrillex, and made electronic music. However, when he got his guitar, he started playing the genre he makes now. Tata draws his inspiration from his grandfather, who was also a musician. He remembers his grandfather playing the piano, sparking his interest in music.

“Not only that, but I just love humor; making people laugh is the best part of my day,” Tata said.

Likwid Chkin not only has a presence on SoundCloud, but on multiple platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. They have also performed in various locations around Midland, including Radio Wasteland Records, Live Oak, and MusicFest.

They share their voice on SoundCloud because they find that it is a great platform for the right audience, and they believe that people come to the platform to experience new music.

“You can upload anything, and it’s a community of people who are also original, and they want to support other artists.” Brubaker said. “While other services are for more popular music, on SoundCloud, people go specifically to find music they’ve never heard before.”

Photo: Jacob W. May Art courtesy: Gage Taylor

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enior Gage Taylor was sitting in English class his sophomore year when he corrected a classmate’s error. He then joked with his classmate.

“Purch, P-U-R-C-H, that should be my rap name,” Taylor said.

But it turned into more than a joke. Taylor rolled with it and soon after made his first song, “Trust No Th*t.” He soon after released his first EP, The Trash EP, and has another project on the way, titled Zephyr.

Taylor, also known as Young Purch, has since decided that he will be taking his music seriously, and sees it as one of his biggest enterprises. He one day hopes to make Young Purch famous.

“I’m 110 percent sure I’m going to make music in the future,” Taylor said. “I have high confidence, I have the charisma, and I have the stage presence.”

Taylor makes trap music exclusively on SoundCloud.

Although he states that his music has been lacking in a deeper meaning, Taylor plans to address a mixture of heartbreak, high school life, and family life in his upcoming releases. By taking music more seriously, Taylor plans on improving in the future by working on his flow and lyrics, and moving towards making Young Purch a well known artist.

“I want to make something people can actually vibe to and relate to, just like what every artist does,” Taylor said.

By releasing music on SoundCloud, he also wishes to inspire other artists to release content through the streaming platform.

“I want to be able to influence other people so they know that they can do it as well,” Taylor said.

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Varsity Pom Pon competes annually to be ranked amongst other schools across the state. Behind each performance stands hours of practice and preparation. Here is a visual of their rise to states.

Design Editor Noah Jacobson | Staff Writer Isaiah Bridges

(Left) Senior Sarah Hollingsworth perfects her heel stretch as Coach Katy Stearns stares in awe.

Photo: Carter Hazen

(Right) Senior Bailey White and sophomore Skyler Malone practice the changes made to the routine for states. This particular move is called a rhino.

Photo: Carter Hazen

(Left) Senior Taylor Henegar gets her makeup done by senior Brooke White in preparation for regional competition. The team traditionally gathers at Midland High to watch film, practice and share breakfast.

Photo: Spencer Isberg

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(Left) To conclude their season, the team performed at the Breslin Center in Lansing on Jan. 27 for their annual state-wide competition. The team placed 11th.

Photo Courtesy: Stephanie Gomola

February 8, 2019

(Left) Senior Hannah Jozwiak and junior Madison Smith smile at the crowd as they pose in a flatback. The team performed at Heritage High School and received a first division ranking and advanced to states.

Photo: Spencer Isberg

sports

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SPECIAL OLYMPICS On Saturday, Feb. 9, Midland High will be hosting an all female basketball tournament, and Midland Area County Director Chris Burns, is one of the team’s coaches. Tournaments like these are hosted around the county all throughout the year, rotating at different middle and high schools. Web Editor Adrienne Gray | Staff Writer Theophilus Rammidi

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or 50 years, Special Olympics has been giving kids with disabilities an opportunity to play on sports teams. From the beginning, it has spread to 172 different countries and there is more than 35 sporting events that kids can participate in, ranging from football, to cycling to cricket.

In past years Midland was a part of Mount Pleasant and Bay City’s Special Olympics, until it gained its own county organization in the 1980s. Midland County Area Director Chris Burns covers a wide variety of responsibilities, such as coaching an all girls team, helping out with the other sporting programs, volunteering as an assistant coach, helping out with fundraising, and making sure all of her athletes have their medical forms in and up to date. Burns has been apart of Special Olympics for as far back as she can remember, starting when she was just a child.

“I was brought up with the Special Olympics as a kid because my dad was actively involved, and he was there pretty much from the beginning,” Burns said.

Burns has been coaching the girls basketball team for four years, and her team of twelve players consists of girls ages 16 to 40, whom have all been playing together for many years. The team, The Flying Tigers, meets on every Thursday to practice, as well as having games on the weekends, and sometimes during the week.

“The girls have a very tight bond.

They have learned to work together and each player brings their own skills and personality,” Burns said. “There is a lot of spunk and spark.”

The Flying Tigers not only play other female teams, but also male teams. Burns said that this teaches them pride, courage, and enthusiasm.

On top of giving people with disabilities the opportunity to play in organized sports, the organization also does not charge a fee to the participants. Special Olympics relies heavily on the fundraising they do around the community. For money, they also write grants; set up tag tables at several different

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sports

stores; bell-ringing, bowl-athons, golf outings, and spaghetti dinners.

Participants of the organization can start playing in sports at the age of 8 years old, with no age restrictions afterwards. There are leagues for all different ages, in every sport.

Parent Gregg Young’s son, Andy, is involved in many Olympian sports including basketball, bocce ball and soccer. Young has also worked to set up other leagues for Olympians and their families, such as bowling and curling.

“Special Olympics is the opportunity for my son to stay very active in sports which he loves, as well as the chance to socialize with his friends,” Young said. “He really enjoys the competition.”

Burns believes through the Special Olympics, the athletes are taught more than how to be a good athlete, they learn about other people and building relationships.

On Thursday, Jan. 24, The Flying Tigers played in a league game at Jefferson Middle School. Photo: Spencer Iceberg

The friendships and the camaraderie, it’s more than just playing on a team but its building bonds to becoming better people Chris Burns “The friendships and the camaraderie, it’s more than just playing on a team, but its building bonds to becoming better people,” Burns said.

Anybody can be a part of Special Olympics; they take volunteers of any age to help in the program. Many of the volunteers are parents and families members to the athletes, such as John Muisenga. Muisenga is the Assistant Area Director, and he is also the aquatics coach. He has been involved for more than 20 years, ever since his son, JT, has had a passion for swimming in the program.

“The coaches and volunteers make the

difference,” Muisenga said. “They devote endless hours to keep the programs running all year round and providing opportunities for over 100 athletes.”

As for the athletes, all three volunteers agree that if it was not for the program, the athletes would not have the friendships and physical fitness that they do. Most athletes compete in multiple sports all throughout the year, which helps them stay in shape as well as continuing to meet new people.

“Each individual athlete brings something different, and I’m always glad to see them because when I’m with them, it takes away the stresses of everyday life,” Burns said.

By the Numbers

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Olympic-style individual and team sports in the Special Olympics

174

Counties host the Special Olympics program.

5,169,489 Athletes involved in the program around the world.

February 8, 2019

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peaks and valleys

Mady Sherman The peak of my athletic career was about 15 seconds before my first 70-meter hurdle event at the memorable Northeast Middle School Track.

It was memorable in the fact that it was made up of gravel, little, teeny-tiny rocks that would create clouds of dust when ran over and were unforgiving to human flesh.

Like I said, 15 seconds before the race I was antsy but confident in my abilities. I figured if I could do five other sports that year, why wouldn’t I be able to do track?

The gun went off, I ran towards the first

hurdle and leapt. It was when I reached the peak of my accent over the hurdle, the toe of my left shoe caught and my middle school self -- along with my athletic career -- came crashing down. I don’t remember quickly getting back up and miraculously jumping over five more hurdles and finishing at around 17 seconds.

As I walked up to the official’s tent to report my failing race time, my eyes were watering and the lump in my throat was full of embarrassment. After I gathered myself and my shame, I noticed the notso-dull throbbing sting on the right side of shoulder, down to my calves. I discovered those teeny-tiny rocks embedded in my now freshly pink skin.

After about a week of recovery, now equipped with what felt like hundreds of microscars, I was gathering my feet into the blocks at the starting line at the next track meet. I was anxious, scared to embarrass myself again and even more scared that I was going to accumulate more scrapes than before.

The gun went off. I ran, leapt, and landed wobbly on the other side of the first hurdle. I did it a few more times; and when I was counting my steps before my next leap, my footing faltered, I jumped too early and my toe caught. Again. I fell onto my left knee and slid forward in the gravel, tearing a hole in my leggings and

the knee underneath. I managed to hobble and jump a few more times to the finish.

The next meet my determination was high. I practiced all week and was genuinely terrified of falling again. I should have realized before the gun went off that maybe hurdles weren’t for me, but I hadn’t been bad at anything in all of my years of sports until then so I was committed to conquering the hurdle. The gun went off, I ran and jumped six times without fail. As I crossed the finish line, the middle schooler to my right drifted into my lane and bumped into me, which caused me to trip over my own feet and sprain my left ankle. As I sat, sniffling, I looked at my limp ankle twisting too far at the wrong angle. I realized I was at my low, you could say in a valley.

After this I was out for a good majority of the season; I had recovered in time for the last meet, but I was so embarrassed, I told my coaches that I still had a week more of recovery instead of trying again.

It was after these three feats that I begin to plateau in my skill level in sports. I realized my mediocrity early on and accepted it. My microscars and knee scrape have faded and my ankle doesn’t creak as loudly when I walk, but my athletic abilities have been on a steady decline ever since my toe caught on the first hurdle in seventh grade.

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The boys wrestling team finished 7th at the Chemic Clash on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Midland High. Both Alex Noey and Sam Hine had undefeated records of 4-0 for the day.

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The freshman boys basketball beat the Dow High freshman boys on Thursday, Jan. 24 at Midland High. Matthew Hebert had 17 points on the night.

AT H L E T E O F T H E M O N T H : M a t t h e w W i t t

Staff Writer David Draves efore freshman Matthew Witt could read or write, he already knew the ins and outs of hockey.

Starting at age two, Matthew would watch his father, hockey coach Steve Witt, skate around the ice rink. From that age and on, Matthew’s passion towards hockey and the bond with his father has grown, both sharing a common love for the sport.

“He could not get enough of being on the ice when he was young,” Steve said. “I would have to call him inside or upstairs from playing hockey, and he would head right back down. Hockey is an important part of our family; so all three kids have grown up around the rink.”

Matthew said that growing up to play hockey with the coaching of his father, along with the family’s history of the sport, is something that he contributes to his athletic success. Being under the coaching of his father is something that Witt said pushes him further. “He pushes me harder than a lot of other kids because he knows what I can do, and expects a lot from me,” he said. “This really helps get me better.”

Steve said that as a coach, his biggest goal for Matthew is to always enjoy the sport. Being a freshman has not been a setback for Matthew, as he has still shown dominance on the ice, scoring goals four goals with 15 assists in the first half of this year. Steve said that along with remembering to have fun, he’d like Matthew to bump this number to 30 points by the end of this year.

“Not to be cliché, but I want him to have fun with the game, his team and enjoy school,” Steve said. “I would also love to see him hit 30 points as a freshman; but he would be mad that I said that. Together, we would say 14 wins would be a good goal for him.”

With this year’s goals in mind and 11 years of playing under his belt, Matthew is pushing for a long term goal of being able to play hockey in college and beyond.

“I would like to play juniors somewhere, and then college hockey,” Matthew said. “[And] obviously the NHL, but that’s a long shot.”

Photo Spencer Isberg

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February 8, 2019

Sports

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SNOW DAY DEBATE I

t’s the tweet that put countless smiles on the faces of students and teachers alike: school cancelled because of bad weather. For the first time in several years, Midland Public Schools had school cancelled on a day of exams, which left students with excused first and second hour exams. The “miracle” (as many students put it) continued into the next exam day, Wednesday, Jan. 16. However, what followed left MPS and other districts at a loss for words, when five consecutive days were cancelled.

On Jan. 30, Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency due to the extreme low temperatures. Now that the district has exceeded the number school cancellations allowed, Superintendent Michael Sharrow said he hopes to apply for the waiver allotted to districts through Section 101 of the State School Aid Act. “We plan to apply for a waiver [which] can cover three days beyond the six days [allowed],” Sharrow said. “We will wait until spring before applying to see if we need all three. We will also make a plan if the waiver is not given to makeup days.”

School cancellations due to bad weather is something almost all students hope for, but most don’t understand how complicated the decision is to call off school.

Sharrow is responsible for the decision of cancelling school for MPS. He said the decision to cancel school is based on a variety of factors. Some parents count on school as a place for their kids to be during the day. “[The schools] are providing seven hours of safe, secure supervision for [students] everyday,” Sharrow said. “I’m putting almost 8,000 [students] out in the community that day, possibly without a lot of supervision because parents go to work. I take that

The possibility of having school cancelled is a common source of conversation among students during the winter season. However, most don’t understand the many factors and number of people involved in the decision to cancel school. Sports Editor Katie Gibbs | Staff Writer Megan Shaffer

seriously.”

Jessica Roth is a mother of four, whose ages range from a high school sophomore to one who is not even two years old. Roth has to deal with the conflict of finding childcare when snow days are called, and said this is a difficult task due to her and her husband’s work schedules.

“My husband and I both work in the

getting into accidents. Senior Lance Hovarter was in a car accident this year on a day that school wasn’t cancelled.

“I was going about 20 miles an hour on a 55 miles per hour [road],” Hovarter said.

“And then I fishtailed off the road, hit a fire hydrant, and then I went into a ditch.”

Hovarter had to call a tow truck, and received a ticket due to hitting the fire

medical field,” Roth said, a CAT scan technologist at the Covenant emergency room. “It’s not an option for us to stay home or last minute call in. It means we have to find someone [for childcare] last minute. I have to be in the ER at 5 a.m., so sometimes I’m already at work when they call a snow day.”

Student drivers fall on the opposite side of the issue. When school is not called off, despite bad weather, they could be left to driving on slick roads coated with ice and snow. Occasionally, this leads to students

hydrant. This, along with other conflicts related to poor road conditions is something other students have dealt with. Main roads are often plowed fairly early in the morning, but for students like Hovarter who live far away from school, it can become dangerous to attempt to drive to school. Side streets are also a source of difficulty because they are often not plowed.

Sharrow said he almost always receives negative feedback from his decision, whether he cancels school or chooses to stay open. Regardless of the weather, there

SNOW DAY FACTS

1098 10

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Number of logged hours required for each school year

6

is always controversy on whether school should be cancelled or not.

“When I call a snow day, I can have two angry sets of parents,” Sharrow said. “I have parents who think I sent their kids to school when the roads are bad and I shouldn’t have.

I also have the parent who goes ‘We both work and we have to leave a child home unsupervised today.’”

Some of the days cancelled during the state of emergency were made early the previous day to allow parents to plan for the additional days missed. To increase communication Sharrow made a twitter account, which he uses to post about school events and give updates on the decision to cancel school or not. He started using it about seven years ago.

Junior Ryan Kreusch has been following Sharrow’s Twitter page for several years and said he thinks the page has benefitted students in several ways.

“His snow day tweets are the main reason I got a Twitter account,” Kreusch said. “I wouldn’t trust any snow day news if it wasn’t on the news, so I decided it would be more efficient if I could get the news while still laying in bed, because if we ended up having one, I [can] just roll over and keep sleeping.”

Kreusch also said Sharrow’s Twitter has a big impact on him and other students outside of school cancellation announcements.

“I think its good he has a presence on Twitter,” Kreusch said. “It makes him seem more in touch with the district.”

Sharrow said the decision to cancel school is difficult due to the number of things he has to take into account, especially considering that cancelling school eliminates a day of teaching.

“Every time I call a snow day I throw away 6 hours [of education for students],” Sharrow said.

Illustration: Katie Gibbs and Megan Shaffer

Number of allotted missed school days before they must be made up

5

Number of school days cancelled due to bad weather last year February 8, 2019

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11,534 20,000 395 10 calls are made to domestic abuse hotlines each day

reported victims of domestic violence were ages 10-19 in Michigan

via ncadv.org

via michigan.gov

domestic abusive relationships were reported in Midland County in 2016

via michigan.gov

people will be physically abused by an intimate partner each year

via ncadv.org

MILLION

1 in 3

1 in 6

women will be beaten or raped in their lifetime

men will be beaten or raped in their lifetime via onebillionrising.org

via onebillionrising.org

NOT BEYOND REPAIR

Domestic abuse and sexual assault can shatter lives, families, and relationships, just like the shattering of glass. The Focus shines a light on survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault to show that, unlike broken glass, they are not beyond repair. This package starts with statistics, explores the legal process involved in sexual assault cases, recounts family experiences with verbal and physical abuse, and recognizes male experiences with sexual assault. Student Council leads One Billion Rising, the largest campaign combating violence against women in the world, here at MHS in the month of February. Exchange Editor Maureen Aloff | Staff Writer Caitlin Quinn

Of high school students have been purposely hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a significant other via loveisrespect.org

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Part 1 STATISTICS NEED HELP? CALL

877-216-6383

the domestic abuse hotline number for the Shelterhouse in Midland

Of teens who were in a violent relationship never told anyone about the abuse

via loveisrespect.org

February 8, 2019

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NOT BEYOND REPAIR Part 2 CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROCESS

E

Sexual assault is a felony that rarely goes to trial. Midland is making an effort to educate the youth about the consequences of criminal sexual conduct.

Managing Editor Hailey Surbrook | Staff Writer Brady Woods | Copy Editor Aubrey Chambers

Sexual Assault Stats*

very 98 seconds, an American is sexually assaulted; however, only 63 percent of these cases are reported*. Most charges typically end with a guilty plea or the charge being dropped altogether. The complicated nature of these crimes can be seen in a case involving a former MHS student.

On May 14, 2018, at 9:58 p.m., less than two weeks before he was scheduled to graduate from MHS, Gabriel Esquivel was arrested for the sexual assault of a girl under the age of 13. He was charged with criminal sexual conduct (CSC) of the first and second degrees.

Esquivel’s case was adjudicated in that summer and fall. Esquivel’s former girlfriend, Claire Laney, was in contact with Esquivel’s family and was present at his court appearances. She said that it was difficult for her to wrap her head around Esquivel’s actions.

“When I found out, I was in denial and thought to myself, ‘This isn’t like him and he promised he would never ever cheat on me,’” Laney said. “It took me a while to really think hard about it and then I eventually believed that he did this even

Carras also explained that sentencing works by assigning a point value to certain aspects of the case, including the defendant’s past criminal activity and specifics of the crime. These points are then used on a sentencing grid to evaluate the amount of time in prison or a minimum sentence. This is not the only factor that contributes to sentencing, and it is different for each case.

“The actual sentence given is based on many different factors, including what the defendant has to say, the recommendation from the department of correction, the prosecutor as well as the victim,” Carras said.

Only a small percentage of all criminal cases gets taken to court and the cases are usually resolved by a guilty plea, or both parties decide to dismiss the case.

District court judge Michael Carpenter worked on a number of sexual assault cases during his time as a prosecutor and defense attorney. He said that trials for sexual assault cases are often quite tense because defendants typically deny that they committed the crime.

“It usually means that the person

accused of the crime disputes that the assault took place, meaning that either it did not occur at all or it was a consensual act,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter also said that these cases must be treated carefully because they can have consequences for both the victim and accused that affect them for the rest of their lives.

“If a person was wrongfully accused and had to report on the Sex Offender Registry, it could impact their ability to live a normal life for up to 25 years or longer if the charges were not valid,” Carpenter said. “On the other hand, if the charges were true, we wanted to be sure to secure a conviction to protect the victim as well as any future victims from the guilty party.”

Carpenter said that sexual assault cases can be very difficult, especially when the victims are younger children and they are afraid to face their attacker and testify against them. However, if they don’t testify, the charges may get dismissed altogether.

“The difficult problem with these cases is that in order to get the longest

district] we’ll probably do a lot more of the prying into that, and then when we get some more information, we’ll provide it over to law enforcement so that they can help.”

Sharrow also said that in the case of sexual assault among students, the district has an obligation to report the incident to the proper authorities, and then they consider the academic consequences.

“There are two pieces of student code of conduct, [the first part] would probably result in a recommendation to the board and I for expulsion,”Sharrow said. “The second part of it is our obligation to report [the incident] to not only community mental health but the legal system as well.

We can be the complaint in a prosecution, but generally it will be the other child or the other parent who will make that complaint to law enforcement, but we are obligated to report both sides of it.”

Sharrow noted that the district reports

these incidents in order to ensure the well-being of the students. “[The students] are our ultimate responsibility,” Sharrow said.

The school has been putting in an effort to educate students about CSC by holding sessions taught by judges and attorneys.

In these sessions, usually taught in the eighth grade and eleventh grade, students are taught about things such as what is considered CSC and the different levels of CSC. “ We a r e t r y i n g t o g i ve y o u t h e information while you’re exploring being a young teen and what that world means, and how you handle all that,” Sharrow said.

These sessions educate students about what is and is not legal when it comes to sexual interactions, the different degrees of CSC, and the consequences that come along with them. Judge Carras said the main goal of these presentations is to

educate [students] about the laws relating to criminal sexual conduct.

Officer Eddie Hinson thinks that the district’s efforts to teach students about CSC are successful, and hopes it is making a difference in students’ actions.

“I think [the district does] a good job with the presentations [students] have gotten from the prosecutor and judges,” Hinson said. “With the education of [CSC], hopefully it sinks in and helps the situation.”

Carpenter has taught CSC presentations in the past and says that the best way to prevent CSC cases is with education. He hopes that people can be taught how to avoid and recognize CSC before it happens.

“I have presented to many students over the years to hopefully educate younger people how to best avoid being a victim or being wrongfully accused,” Carpenter said.

Out of every 1000 rapes...*

93%

13.3%

$127 Of juvenile victims knew the perpetrator

12

though he said he didn’t.”

Esquivel eventually pled guilty to the two counts of CSC of the second degree which resulted in him receiving a lifetime of GPS monitoring and six to fifteen years of prison time with 178 days already served. Felony sexual assault cases such as Esquivel’s occur at the circuit court level. There are twelve jurors present, and the defendant can serve up to fifteen years in prison. Judge Stephen Carras is one of the judges for the 42nd Circuit Court in Midland. He said a detective will investigate a case, then submit the information that is found to a prosecutor who will decide if the defendant will be charged with any crimes, and what those crimes will be.

“At the time of arraignment, the judge will set terms of bond and make sure the defendant has access to an attorney to represent him or her,” Carras said.

“Eventually the case will be set for trial or the parties will reach a plea agreement. If the person is convicted, whether by plea or trial, the person will then be sentenced at a separate hearing which usually occurs about 30-60 days after conviction.”

prison time possible; the victim would have to testify this is true; even if the defendant admits to committing the crime,” Carpenter said.

Sexual assault cases involving students can be partially dealt with by the school.

MPS can report sexual and domestic abuse among students in the district.

Superintendent Michael Sharrow said that if it appears that a student is being abused, the district has the power to investigate the situation and report the information to law enforcement so that they can investigate further and handle the situation.

“There’s a term, loco parentis, that means when your parents drop you off at the door, we become surrogate parents,” Sharrow said. “So just like your parent can search your bedroom at any moment in time, we can do the same. Our burden of proof is reasonable suspicion. So, in the case of an abusive relationship, [the

news

Of college women have been forced to have sex in a dating situation

Billion a year is used for rape crimes in the US

230 46 9 5 4.6

are reported to the police reports lead to arrest

cases get referred to prosecutors

cases will lead to a felony conviction rapists will be incarcerated

*Sources: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center, rainn.org, centerforfamilyjustice.org February 8, 2019

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Photo Illustration: Carter Hazen

February 8, 2019

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NOT BEYOND REPAIR

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Part 3 DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic violence survivor Sarah Schieber and her son Micah Schieber have suffered lasting effects from the abuse they received almost a decade ago. Another student has sought counseling to work through the trauma she received after living with a verbally abusive father. They encourage others experiencing domestic violence to seek help and solidarity. Editor-in-Chief Bitsy Mammel | Opinion Editor Kelly Craig | Staff Writer Toria Montgomery

ane remembers how she felt while living with her father and grandmother during her childhood: “I felt like I was walking on eggshells,” Jane said. “Things that were okay one day, a joke, wouldn’t be okay the next day, and if I said it again I’d get yelled at for it.”

Since her parents divorced when she was about two years old, Jane was courtordered to spend Mondays and Tuesdays with her father, along with every other weekend. She said that she felt happier when at her mother’s, and when she was eight years old, she asked to be able to spend more time with her mom. This was the turning point of her abuse. She said that her father heavily abused her mentally, emotionally, and verbally.

Jane said something that she continues to struggle with is realizing that the treatment she endured from her father

and grandmother when she was a child isn’t “normal.”

“I played the organ from the time I was six or seven to the time I was thirteen and I can’t remember him ever saying good job,” Jane said.

Jane is a senior girl whose identity is hidden to protect her from her father who she wishes to keep out of contact with. Since Midland Public Schools is a mandatory reporter, she doesn’t want to go to court to face her abuser again, which could be detrimental to her healing process.

“We’re under certain guidelines where if we know there’s abuse going on in the home, we have to report, even if it’s just a suspicion,” said Superintendent Michael Sharrow. “If we hear something, it is our obligation to report, and we can be negligent if we don’t do so.”

Sharrow said that he has seen an

Therapist Janis Duke said the Shelterhouse served 3,390 individuals affected by domestic violence in 2016-2017, but that it is highly underreported. Photo Illustration: Spencer Isberg

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unfortunate growth in the number of domestic abuse cases being reported and investigated since he began his career.

“This is my 34th year in education and it’s increased,” Sharrow said. “Sometimes I wonder if it’s more identifiable now, or are more people reporting it more often.

But I’ve certainly seen more of that.”

Therapist Janis Duke works through the Shelterhouse, a nonprofit organization committed to providing safety, shelter, advocacy and counseling to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. She counsels survivors and said that domestic violence doesn’t discriminate based on gender, race, economic class, etc, but it can happen anywhere to anyone.

“Domestic violence rates in Midland County are about equivalent to the national rates,” Duke said. “In the US, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience severe physical abuse during their lifetime. However, this number does not include other types of abuse including sexual, emotional, economic, and stalking.”

Jane finally reached her breaking point on Sept. 28, 2015, and ran away from her father’s home for the first time. Her mother had called her father asking about driver’s training, and they started arguing. Her father took his anger out on Jane, and started yelling at her. She decided to leave through her window and walked from her father’s house on Sturgeon Road to Walmart.

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” Jane said.

“I was sad all the time, I was unhappy and I just couldn’t do it anymore.”

The night she ran away particularly sticks out to her because she said she thinks that it was the first time she had defended herself from her abuser. At Walmart, she called her mother who picked her up and took her back to her house.

“The court forced me to go back about a month or two later, and I eventually left again in February of that year, and I haven’t been back there since,” Jane said.

“I took myself out of the toxic situation.”

Sarah Schieber, another survivor of domestic violence, was abused physically and mentally by her ex-husband, whom she married a few months after she met him through a friend from her church.

She has shared her story publicly through outlets like the One Billion Rising concert put on by Student Council last February. Schieber said she stayed in the relationship to protect her kids, who were 13, 11, and 9 at the time. She thought that she had to create an environment where the father is respected, even though her ex-husband was not respecting her.

“It was conflicting on so many levels,” Schieber said. “In front of my kids, I always tried to respect him. But there was such relief when we were finally out of the situation. In a way you are lying because you’re trying to keep things good for the little ones in the home.”

Schieber began to notice red flags in her relationship with her ex-husband during their honeymoon, like when he told her that he wasn’t going to change his underwear for the entire trip, knowing that she doesn’t like germs. Schieber said that this was one of the many attempts her ex took to control her and make her feel weak. After leaving the honeymoon with bruises, she watched her marriage deteriorate into a violent and toxic environment for both her and her children.

“In October, he and I got in a huge fight in front of the kids and he threw me around, and my kids saw all of that,” Schieber said. “Alcohol played a huge factor. I’ve never seen anyone drink so much beer in my whole life. He was a mean drunk, and I didn’t know that before we got married either. My kids saw the struggles, they saw the fighting.”

Schieber was not the only person on the receiving end of her ex-husband’s abuse. Micah Schieber, Sarah’s son, was also a target for his harassment and mistreatment alongside his mother.

“Whenever they’d get into a fight, he’d always lay hands on her, there was lots of yelling and screaming,” said Micah.

“There were a lot of times where he’d lock me in my room for three or four hours, just because he could.”

As the abuse took place, Micah recalled the feeling of helplessness as he couldn’t stop the abuse from happening to both him and his mother. Sarah said that she believes Micah was affected the most, because of the sense of justice in him.

“He seemed like the kind of person

February 8, 2019

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Sarah and Micah sit together in the living room of their home. Sarah has since remarried, but said that she was hesitant to start dating again, and needed encouragement. Photo: Spencer Isberg

who wanted full control all the time,” Micah said. “I remember always wishing I was bigger, older, so that I could stop it. As a son, that’s what you feel is your duty.”

Duke said that the idea of mental control is a common factor in the reason abusers attack their victims, and is not an involuntary action.

“Domestic violence is caused by an individual’s need to maintain power and control over their partner,” Duke said. “It is a choice on the part of the individual who uses these abusive behaviors-and is never the victim’s fault.”

Sarah said that while in the abusive relationship, she did not know that her kids suffered as well. She compared the feeling to when they found out her first husband, the father of her children, died.

After they left her ex-husband, Sarah said she was very thankful for the many resources that Midland had to help them, including the Shelterhouse.

“One thing we say a lot in our home is ‘I’m sorry,’” Sarah said. “The interesting thing is I don’t think any of them ever have been angry at me, I think they were just sad for me. To this day we are still extremely close. It’s almost as if this part of our life never happened.”

While the physical abuse was still traumatic for Micah, the mental abuse that took place in the household is one of the things that has stuck with and impacted him the most since leaving the situation.

“People think an abusive relationship is mostly physical, but it’s the mental things that hurt you the most,” Micah said. “It’s the things that people can’t see.”

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February 8, 2019

Duke notices that domestic violence can have devastating effects on children when they are exposed to abusive or toxic household situations.

“Children who have witnessed or who have been victims of domestic violence are at a higher risk of poor school performance, behavioral problems, increased anxiety and aggression, and long term physical and mental health problems,” Duke said.

Jane recalls feeling confused about what was abuse and what was not, and

chief. He advised her to go to the local urgent care, where an officer would meet her. She arranged for friends to pick up her children and they fled for Midland.

“We never went back,” Sarah said.

“We left with the clothes on our backs.

I was told by the police there to never go back unaccompanied, because [my ex-husband’s family] might kill me.”

The Schiebers stayed with family friends in Midland until they were able to move back into their old home. Sarah said that for awhile after they returned, they

This isn’t who I am-I’m not a victim, I’m a survivor. And that’s not my identity.

Jane still struggles with memories of her old living situation and the abuse she faced from her father.

“He made me, even to this day, very self conscious,” Jane said. “I get very anxious.

They build you up just to tear you down.

It’s tough to tell when it actually started because that was normal. Mental abuse is making you doubt yourself. It’s taking away all the control you have over your life. They isolate you. They make you feel alone.”

One day, Sarah and her ex-husband had a fight where he broke her finger, and the next morning she sent her kids to school and called the Midland police

still did not feel safe. They were worried that her ex-husband or his family would come after them. Eventually Sarah did press charges, but they were eventually dropped. She said that this is in part due to the court systems set to be more helpful to the defendant than to the victim. However, she still believes that the abuse has let her family grow.

“My perspective, especially towards women, has changed,” Micah said.

“When I hear guys bragging about how many girls they’ve slept with, it blows my mind that that’s something they’d would brag about because I don’t view girls as property, I view them as human.”

Sharrow thinks that the next generation of students are becoming more educated about domestic violence through programs like One Billion Rising and have the chance to lower the amount of domestic violence that happens in the future.

“I think [this generation] has the chance to change our world forever,” Sharrow said. “I think you guys are much more accepting and less judgmental than my generation.”

Now, having left and survived the situation, Jane feels that she has grown since leaving the abuse, with the help of counseling, family, friends, and hobbies such as reading.

“I am feeling more confident,” Jane said. “If you look at the person I was three years ago, I was a shell. I wasn’t a person.

I was an empty husk. Now I can laugh and mean it. I’m experiencing emotions now.”

Through recovery, Jane is rewriting her narrative, not wanting to be held down by the abuse she experienced in her past.

“I’m a person besides this,” Jane said.

“This isn’t who I am -I’m not a victim, I’m a survivor. And that’s not my identity.”

Sarah said that she never expected that she would fall into an abusive relationship. She had always thought of herself as a strong and successful woman, and she said that the abuse did not change that.

“If you’ve been abused or if you’re being abused, that doesn’t have to define you,” Sarah said. “You can take control of your life and become a success. I want the teens to know that you can be an overcomer.”

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NOT BEYOND REPAIR Sexual assault is a pressing issue across the globe; however, it is often not reported, especially in males. Male victims often do not report their assaults because of the stigma and the disbelief surrounding them. News Editor Mady Sherman| Staff Writer Brendan O’Callaghan | Staff Writer Carter Hazen

. t l u a f y m y l b a b o r p It was . n a m a e b t s u j d l u o h S I

No one w ill beli eve ME. Sexual assualt brings emotional stress and turmoil to the victim often leaving them mentally traumatized, anxious, and sometimes suicidal. Photo Illustration: Carter Hazen

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Part 4 ASSAULT ON MALES

he shower would run for hours before Josh would feel safe again. He would scrub and scrub at his skin, trying to wash away the memory and shame he felt that was constant in his mind.

Josh, a pseudonym given to an MHS senior to protect his identity, couldn’t come to terms with what had happened a few weeks earlier. He was going to hang out with a platonic friend he met two weeks prior, but it turned into a situation that would alter his life entirely. While attempting to talk with his friend, she proceeded to force herself onto him and raped him. Eventually, Josh was able to force her out of his home, but the days following he felt a wave of disgust.

Josh is an example of a underreported but very real problem; male victims of sexual assault. Ally Gajsiewicz, Prevention and Outreach Coordinator with Shelterhouse, said that nearly one in six men will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. While the number of women is higher, Gajsiewicz says this is because men are less likely to report assault or abuse.

“The best way to make social change around this issue is to educate our communities on the facts of the issue of sexual assault, and to encourage individuals to start by believing when someone discloses to them. Men absolutely can be [and are] victims of both sexual and domestic violence, and deserve to have their voices heard and get the healing they need.”

Josh was one such person in which healing did not come easy.

“I hated myself,” Josh said. “Nothing really helped, I think I became so numb that nothing made sense. Only after a while I realized it wasn’t going to change so I just stopped trying to feel better.”

Feeling entirely alone, Josh felt like he had no one to talk to about the incident.

He felt that even if he did report to his family or the police, no one would believe him. He also said he felt suicidal because of the situation. After a while he was able to confide in a close friend about the assault; he believes that his friends were able to help just by the act of listening.

“He was just a voice, another voice and ears, he just listened,” Josh said.

“He didn’t know what to say because he didn’t expect it to happen and did not know how to fix it. You can’t change something that’s happened and it’s not something so widely talked about

to where you know what to say [to someone in my situation.]”

Josh believes there is a stigma around males that have suffered from sexual assault, and that if a male claims he has been assaulted it might be seen as an act for attention. It is because of these low numbers that Josh was scared to tell anyone what had happened. He was also fearful that somehow the situation would flip and the female will take the stance as a victim.

For Josh, this fear came true when he found out that the person that attacked him had become pregnant from the incident. Not long after, he began to receive an overwhelming number of texts from his attacker’s friends and family harassing him about the situation.

“It destroyed me after I found out she was pregnant, I started panicking,” Josh said. “Not only did I not want to be with her to begin with but now she had this child to blackmail me. I can’t trust her, her whole entire family is not well.

I want the kid to be safe and to have a good life, but I don’t want to be the one to do it because it’s a reminder of what happened.”

Josh is not the only male to be sexually assaulted at Midland High. During his sophomore year, Kyle, a pseudonym given to an MHS senior to protect his identity, embarked on what he figured was just another day with friends when Kyle noticed that a girl that had been with the group was rather outgoing and was making advances at his friends. The next day when the group was hanging out again, Kyle said the same girl began to throw herself onto him. He was caught off guard when she began to force his hand onto her and he said he became very uncomfortable.

“Afterwards I felt weak,” Kyle said.

“People think that this situation might be cool and would congratulate me, but it wasn’t how I wanted to experience it.”

Kyle did not report the assault, but believes that those in his situation should speak out and report what happened.

Gajsiewicz believes men are less likely to report because of the stigma Josh also believes in.

“The negative stigma around male victims of sexual assault largely comes from our expectations in society of what masculinity looks like,” said Gajsiewicz.

“This includes beliefs that men need to be strong and cannot show vulnerability or emotion.”

February 8, 2019

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N OT B E YO N D R E PA I R

The Focus addresses:

CSC EDUCATION

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With the increase of sexual assault cases in recent years, it is important that students are informed in order to prevent these situations. This raises the question: are students receiving thorough education about CSC and similar topics? Illustration: Sasha Clemons

ith an average of 53 sexual assault cases a year, Midland is no stranger to Criminal Sexual Conduct (CSC). Midland Public Schools is trying its best to educate students about CSC in order to prevent cases like these from happening; however, the information given to students is not as in-depth as it could be.

Every year, there are two CSC presentations given to students. One presentation is given to eighth graders and the other is given to eleventh graders as a refresher for what was covered during the presentation they received in eighth grade. These presentations are given by various judges and attorneys from Midland, and they cover general topics such as what CSC is, the consequences of committing CSC, the different degrees of CSC, etc.

The Focus staff unanimously decided that, while these presentations are helpful in educating students about general information about legal side of CSC, the district could do more to educate students about the ins and outs and specific details of sexual assault and topics similar to it (sexual harassment, domestic violence, etc.). These topics aren’t taught very thoroughly or frequently and students rarely talk about them.

Teenagers need to know as much as they can about these topics in order to avoid these situations in later relationships, and avoid the numerous negative consequences that come along

February 8, 2019

with them.

The presentations given to students in eighth and eleventh grade focus on the legality of CSC, without covering vital topics such as recognizing toxic relationships so that the situations can be avoided. Also, they do not cover the topic of consent thoroughly enough; they just talk about the age of consent in the state of Michigan.

We were told that these presentations are being given to students to ensure that they aren’t just being taught scholarly information and they can be well-rounded individuals. However, we do not see that come through in the presentations; they are very formal and focus only on the legal aspects of CSC. The presentations should also be given more frequently, the content should be reiterated every year between eighth and eleventh grade, to make sure that students are constantly reminded throughout their high school careers.

These presentations should also cover more diverse topics. For example, more sexual orientations should be covered in the presentations. They should also dedicating more time to giving these presentations, instead of just giving them for an hour. This would allow the presenters to cover more diverse topics, and go more in-depth on the information that they already have.

Also, we believe that lessons similar to this should be taught to grades below eighth grade in order to prevent cases

like this when they are in middle or high school. We understand that we shouldn’t overwhelm younger students with serious topics like sexual assault and domestic violence, and that they might not understand the subjects. However, even teaching things as simple as “no means no” and “hands to yourself” to reinforce the idea of consent at a younger age could help prevent these cases in the future and is something that younger students could easily understand.

Along with sexual assault not being taught thoroughly enough, we also believe that the topic and those related to it are not talked about enough amongst students. Sexual assault and domestic violence shouldn’t be conversation stoppers, but when they are brought up during class, people often try to shift the subject. Luckily, we have movements like One Billion Rising that are trying to spread awareness about domestic violence and get students talking about it.

The Focus understands that the district is doing the best it can to educate students using the resources and money available to them. However, MPS could be doing more to at least spark conversation about sexual assault and domestic violence. We could extend the time of the presentations, in order to go more in-depth in the topic and talk about more diverse topics; we could have a sexual assault and harassment unit introduced into the health class; we can teach lessons about consent earlier.

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GRAMMY PICKS

THE FOCUS’ PICK: SCORPION BY DRAKE

The Grammy Awards will air on February 10, and have been highly anticipated. From artists such as Drake to Kasey Musgraves, there is a great variety in the nominations. Here are our picks on who should win big. Arts & Entertainment Editor Hannah Woehrle | Staff Writer Olivia Ortiz

BEST NEW ARTIST

D

ua Lipa should win best new artist because she has blown up so much in 2018, and has made a large mark on the music industry with her album Dua Lipa. Her style is pop dance music and she strongly focuses on female equality and empowerment. In her songs “New Rules” and “IDGAF,” she exudes that idea through the concept of getting over a guy and finding yourself with your close friends. For most of Dua Lipa’s songs she bases them off of things happening or that have happened in her life, such as relationships with ex-boyfriends and relationships of female empowerment. Her song subjects are partially why she is so relatable, because many people have gone through the same situations and love her authenticity.

Overall, Dua Lipa should be the best new artist because of what she stands for, her mark on the 2018 music industry, and just simply great music.

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opinion

ALBUM OF THE YEAR D

rake had a huge year with the release of his mega-hit Scorpion. Songs such as “God’s Plan,” “Nice For What,” and “In My Feelings” attracted attention from social media and many radio stations. Drake covered a wide variety of topics such as the issues in his life, his outlook on social issues, and how he treats other people. He showed those topics especially through donating and giving to the less fortunate in his “God’s Plan” music video. The budget was $996,631.90, and he gave it all away.

He also gave some insight into his private life and outlook with his song “Emotionless”, where he revealed that he has a son. By showing a great variety of positive themes in this album, Drake not only successfully created music that sounds good, but leaves a message.

THE FOCUS’S PICK: DUA LIPA

RECORD OF THE YEAR THE FOCUS’S PICK: CHILDISH GAMBINO

T Top: The cover for Drake’s album Scorpion. The album features 25 songs and was released on June 29, 2019. Above: The cover for Childish Gambino’s single, “This is America.”

His music video was quick to receive praise and has over 470 million views on Youtube. Left: The cover for Dua Lipa’s self-titled album, Dua Lipa. Lipa is a break-out artist from London, England. All photos used with permission, courtesy of Creative Commons.

his is America became a hit the second it was released. Not only has Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) gained a reputation as an accomplished actor, he has become an artist who challenges social issues with his music. “This is America” most notably addresses racial issues and gun violence among other topics. This song contains a variety of genres within itself. Starting off with a lighthearted melody that is revisited again later in the song, it abruptly transitions to a hard rap track. The music video, which is crucial to understanding the message of the song, includes images ranging from a gospel choir, a car wreck, dancing children, and the shooting of a blindfolded man (by Childish Gambino himself). Even after watching it for the tenth time, the viewer is left feeling frustrated at America’s social destructiveness.

February 8, 2019

FOCUS

LOVE TUNES

On Valentine’s Day, many people will be feeling a wide range of emotions. Luckily, The Focus has you covered for just about every mood. Here are our top picks for some Valentine’s tunes.

Scan the icon on the right for the fourth playlist.

Photo Editor Spencer Isberg | Staff Writer Annie Laforet

“All For Love”

“A Lonely Valentines”

“Thank You, Next”

Julia Gloria - Plums

Warned You - Good Morning

Just A Stranger - Kali Uchis

Everytime - Boy Pablo

Chamber Of Reflection - Mac Demarco

On My Mind - Jorja Smith

My My My! - Troye Sivan

Moon Undah Water - Puma Blue

Pothole - Tyler The Creator

Flowers in Your Hair - The Lumineers

Sincerity Is Scary - The 1975

I Don’t F*** With You - Big Sean

Girls Like You - Maroon 5

Can I Be Him - James Arthur

Ex Calling - 6LACK

Rules of Beautiful - Jacob Whitesides

Dancing on My Own - Jake McMullen

The Night We Met - Lord Huron

Shallow - Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper

Million Reasons - Lady Gaga

thank u, next - Ariana Grande

Enchanted - Taylor Swift

lovely (with Khalid) - Billie Eilish

Loving Is Easy - Rex Orange County

Him & I - G-Eazy & Halsey

Teen Romance - Lil Peep

Lemon (Edit) - Nerd

I’m Yours - Jason Mraz

Yeah Right - Joji

Angel Eyes - ABBA

FOCUS

February 8, 2019

opinion

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H U M A N S

an empathy lesson

o f

MIDLAND HIGH

Bitsy Mammel

I

Madalynn Bartlett Fr e s h m a n

My favorite childhood memory would be going camping up north in Brimley, Michigan and getting to walk in the woods with my family. My dad’s buddy, Brian, lives in Brimley and so him and my dad would and still do take us around their favorite spots that they would go to as kids, including Tahquamenon Falls. This year we plan on hiking Pictured Rocks. It will be me and my sister’s first time so that will be fun.

My favorite memory though would be when we went on a boat tour of the Soo Locks.

My favorite part was getting to sail within touching distance of a freighter.

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n the seventh grade, I had a serious texting relationship with a guy who at first seemed really sweet. We talked every day over text, and rarely spoke outside of our screens. Our conversations were pretty surface level; we talked about our school day, about the sports that we played, and about our family. He complimented me and told me I saved him, from what exactly I’m wasn’t sure.

Eventually, the relationship became much more serious, and I didn’t realize it until it was too late. If I didn’t text him back immediately, I’d receive frantic texts asking where I was and why I was ignoring him. After school I walked home, and it was normal for me to receive texts from him before I even left school grounds. Though he told me I was pretty and never insulted me, so what if he was a bit of a helicopter? It’s not like he was hurting me.

I should’ve known this was only the beginning, but my mind was being manipulated. He was saying anything he could to rope me back in. It progressed to him telling me that I stopped him from hurting himself. He told me he hated his life, and that I was the only reason he was still alive. He told me that if I’d stop talking to him, he’d kill himself.

How could I say no? I felt trapped. I wanted so badly to have his life out of my hands, and to be able to walk home from school without worrying about my phone constantly buzzing from my pocket. But I didn’t want to be named a killer, so I kept talking to him.

Eventually I couldn’t take it anymore and ghosted him. He was exhausting, and I needed to rest. The following texts were scary, some from his “mom” saying that he had committed suicide, some asking me if I wanted to date him, and some simply saying “Hey.” I never replied.

This boy knew exactly how to manipulate me into doing what he wanted. He crushed my trusting

capabilities and left me, even today, scared to have anyone form an emotional dependence on me. He even harassed people around me in attempt to get me to text him back. But he was never punished, and most people probably have forgotten what he did by now.

Recently I watched a TedTalk explaining the reasons behind the mistreatment of women by men. It said that males have a privilege, allowing them not to worry about walking to their car at night or asking for a promotion at work. In the world today, women are the more frequent targets of violence, sexism, and harassment on all levels. With Student Council’s annual One Billion Rising Week approaching, I’m hoping that we all take some time to think about the survivors, and what we can do to make life easier for our peers.

In my experience, if a boy hurts a girl, especially behind closed doors, there are no consequences. The boy doesn’t have to think about what the girl is going through, he has no empathy for her, and he’ll probably do it again to someone else. This is something that has to change if we ever want to end the violence against women that are predominantly committed by males.

I do not believe that every male lacks empathy, or hurts people without remorse, and that is certainly not the point I want to get across. I believe that everyone can benefit from thinking about someone that isn’t themselves.

Compassion is lacking today, especially in high school where our thoughts are centered around ourselves. We’re building our resumes, and just scraping the surface of who we are. However, this is no excuse.

We have to stand up against sexism, whether it’s in a form of a joke, a rude look, or a catcall. With OBR Week approaching, and violence rampant as ever, I hope we remember that it only takes a few seconds to stand up for others.

February 8, 2019

FOCUS

Take It or Leave It

creepy, not a compliment

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

Annie Laforet

I

often find myself in the presence of small children, and more times than not I end up having to explain some sticky subjects. One of the hardest topics I’ve addressed is catcalling.

On a summer afternoon I was walking with a little girl, my dance student, and eating ice cream when two grown men yelled “How’s it goin’ sweet cheeks,” from a beat up car. It took a lot of restaint to not cuss them out, but I held my tongue because I needed to be a good role model. However, I did mumble something angrily under my breath.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Keep in mind she’s ten, looks like a stick, and doesn’t know anything about anything.

A long “um” came out of me while my mind was racing trying to come up with an explanation.

“Those men just said something rude to us, that’s all.”

I thought I had a nice save but her little voice followed mine with another tough question.

“But all they were doing was saying hello. Why was it bad?” How could I prove that the nice words they said had an evil intent? From the point of view of a naive ten year old we had just been complimented and I had no reason to be angry.

This wasn’t the first time I experienced something like this, in fact it has been happening to me for over six years.

The first time I was catcalled I was 12 years old and it happened in our own Midland Mall. Two middle aged men whistled and called me honey.

At that age I too viewed catcalling as a compliment. Part of me was scared because I had no idea who the men calling me honey were, but I smiled as a I walked away.

Several years before that my grandmother began teaching me about catcalling, but she never used the term

FOCUS

February 8, 2019

“As you get older, men will start to notice your beauty and try to get your attention. You just keep your head straight and walk the other way. These men are dangerous and you need to avoid them.”

12 year old Annie believed that she could handle anything. I assured my grandma I knew karate (I didn’t) and that I could fend off any sort of predator.

Now that I’m older I’m realizing that my grandma was right about the potential dangers of being called “honey” on the street.

Am I safe? Is he going to touch me? Is he going to take me? Are all questions I ask myself when I hear a call coming from men decades older than me.

Catcalling isn’t only and insult, but a sign of danger.

The scariest time I was catcalled was outside of a Taco Bell in Birch Run. It was after a golf match and a teammate and I were enjoying some post-game refreshments when two men in a truck pulled up next to us and started honking and hollering. I tried not to show fear and I may have given them the finger, but after lowering my fist I ran inside behind my teammate. We both wondered if we were going to get kidnapped that day, all because of a catcall.

Some men and boys may see catcalling as a compliment and a way to attract women, but it has the opposite effect. It makes us walk a little faster and hold our belongings a little closer.

That day with my student I pulled her close and turned us so we were walking the opposite direction of the car, just in case that drive by catcall turned into something else.

“It was rude because they are older than us and want bad things from us,” is what I ended up telling her. She shrugged it off and kept eating her ice cream. Hopefully she got the message: catcalling is creepy not a compliment.

TAKE IT

LEAVE IT

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on a Twitch charity stream for transgender youth.

Rapper 21 Savage was arrested by ICE on February 3 and currently faces potential deportation on charges that he is a UK citizen.

TAKE IT Kraft stores offered free food for workers during the government shutdown.

LEAVE IT Conflict at the 2019 Indigenous Peoples March at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C sparked outrage towards students from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky.

TAKE IT

LEAVE IT

The 35 day long government shutdown ended on January 25 as Congress looks for a solution for funding Trump’s wall.

At least 21 people, a large number being homeless, died in the polar vortex that hit the Midwest last week. opinion

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H U M A N S

o f

MIDLAND HIGH

i’ll be there for you Hannah Woehrle

O

Tr i n i t y T h o m a s Sophomore

The greatest advice I’ve been given is to love and accept the person I am, and own it.

Growing up, I had a rough time being myself and opening up, since I always compare myself to others. Especially because I am African American, and you don’t see a lot of black people in Midland. I felt like the minority at times, and that I had to be just as good and if not better than the next person. I started to realize that loving myself doesn’t mean being better than other people, and that I have to be confident and be the best that I can be. Not the best that someone else can be. High school has really helped my confidence. The people I’ve met have helped me to learn who I really am, instead of the person I thought people wanted me to be.

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opinion

ne of my favorite tv shows has always been Friends. Ever since I was in middle school, I’ve been watching Joey, Chandler, Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Phoebe be there for each other, despite life’s ups and downs.

Whenever I imagined what my life would be like once I got to high school, I always thought my friend group would stay pretty constant, just like the gang from Friends did. But that hasn’t been the case. I wouldn’t say I’ve lost any friends since I’ve gotten to high school, d the people I spend most of my time with has gone through some changes. I try to surround myself with people who bring out the best in me, much like how the Friends gang brings out the best in each other.

Let’s start with Joey. Despite being stereotyped as “the dumb one,” he always puts his friends first. While no one in my friend group shows as much disregard for their grades as Joey, I have found people that show the very best traits that Joey has.

Rachel is the “princess.” She can be very high maintenance, however, she shows compassion when it’s most important.

Her friends are the people who bring this out in her and make her a better person.

Similarly, my friends have helped me grow into the person I am.

Phoebe, at first glance, may seem like she doesn’t belong in their group, but she fits right in. Just like with my friend group, it may seem like some of us are too different or that our personalities don’t “click,” but that doesn’t matter. It’s the “Phoebe” in us that makes us unique and keeps us from being all the same.

Next, there’s Ross. Ross is generalized as “the smart one,” mostly because he’s always reminding the others of the fact that he is a “doctor.” Despite pride, he doesn’t allow his need to be the smartest person in the room overshadow his capacity to care for the people in his life.

With my friends, this is also the case. We

understand that it’s important to care about school, but that it’s more important to be a good friend.

Chandler is the sarcastic member of the group, which can be both good and bad.

While his snarky comments sometimes come off as judgmental or rude, he never fails to make everyone laugh and brings an essential comedic element to the group.

He also understands not to bring jokes too far, which can be said about me and my friends: our ability to make each other laugh is what makes us who we are.

Lastly, there’s Monica. Monica’s perfectionist tendencies make her a bit bossy, but she is always willing to help her friends no matter what. In return, her messy friends help humble her when it’s necessary. One of the most important things to have in a friend is someone who will tell you the truth and who will help you no matter what, and I have found this in my friend group.

I used to think that a “complete” group of people had their own version of the characters, but as I’ve experienced changes in my friend group, I’ve seen that this isn’t the case. What works for one group of people may be entirely different than what works for another group.

It’s hard to imagine a friend group that withholds the exact characteristics that the characters in Friends do. However, I think it’s important that each person finds aspects of each character to take to their own group. No one has to be “the Phoebe of the group”, but they can be unique like Phoebe while also being genuine like Ross. My friend groups have introduced me to all different kinds of personalities, and I wouldn’t want to try and change them because I can learn and grow from them, just like the actual characters learned and grew from each other.

I guess you don’t even have to show any the traits of any of the characters. As long as you find a group of people who will always be there for you.

February 8, 2018

FOCUS

don’t breach free speech 1601 E Wheeler St | 989 832 8770 2713 Waldo Ave | 989 631 3060

Brendan O’Callaghan

F

ree speech: a right so valuable, yet so fragile.

It’s a right that many of us take for granted. While many may see the issues concerning free speech as far away and unaffecting of them, the issue of free speech under attack is more near and dear than we think. An example of this would be the sheriff of our county, who was found to be intoxicated while driving a few months ago. When the body cam footage was released on multiple media sources, the community was shocked. Seeing a drunk elected official cursing and attempting to talk his way out of the situation was bewildering. Plenty of news sources covered this topic, including a writer from Dow High Newspaper. The personal opinion piece in The Update explained how she felt the sheriff should step down due to his illegal behavior, which could have endangered the lives of others. While this was her own personal opinion piece, it received backlash from individuals supportive of the sheriff.

When I spoke to the journalist, she said the controversy reached a point where a number of students asked that the article be removed, and some even threatened to not attend school until it was removed. This is frightening on a number of levels. According to the First Amendment, the press has the ability to display its opinion, and this is a guaranteed right. The author of the article has stated that while she was not forced to take down the article directly, she felt that very few school officials were on her side.

When unpopular opinions are under attack and become protested, we enter murky waters. The ability to have an opinion, to say you disagree with something, is a right so many people do not have, a right that so many people die for to this day around the globe. We

FOCUS

see global conflicts with freedom fighters pursuing these fundamental rights.

Pressure, even in the slightest for the press, greatly hampers the fundamental rights of the press. While of course agendas that promote falsehood and hate should be scrutinized, opinions should not.

The right to express opinions, no matter what about, must be respected.

Opinions allow criticism of society, public figures, and ideals, and despite differences in opinion, it’s each individual’s right to be able to disagree.

Press opinion pieces should be protected and maintained whether they’re from a national news source or a high school newspaper. If we enter a period in which opinions cannot be expressed, or are suppressed and diluted in any manner we risk losing the some of the most fundamental principles of the Nation.

This isn’t just a local issue, this isn’t just a state issue or a national one it’s a world issue. In the age of agendas and fake news it is a dire must that free speech has too and must be maintained.

Press opinions aren’t the only ones that have to be protected. The individual’s right to free speeches to be defended as well. In recent times we see the suppression of free speech from both the right and left. People try to shut it down or protest it whether it be on college campuses or online, not even bothering to listen to another point of view..

Constructive opinions, whether popular or not, should not be suppressed. If we cannot listen and attempt to understand the other side of an issue, we simply cannot expect to learn and progress. By listening to the other side we can find compromises and settle on what we all believe in. While I’m not the biggest fan of Dow, I stand by their writer and staff because the protection of free speech is more than a crosstown rivalry.

If you would like to advertise here Contact Jacob W. May jacomay20@midlandps.org

$50 (4” x 4”) $30 (2” x 4”) $30 (4” x 2”)

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