February 6th, 2014 Issue

MILLAGE | PAGE 10

SNOW DAYS | PAGE 11

PING PONG | PAGE 17

THE

FOCUS

CLARINET CLUB | PAGE 21

Midland High School | February 6, 2014 | Volume 36, Issue 5

On Point

Seniors Jess Walter and Will Williams handle the pressures of leading their teams to success in their final season.

SPECIAL REPORT: Students partake in holistic health trends throughout the community.

Emily Resmer | Photo Illustration

Volume 36 Issue 5

FOCUS C O N T E N T S

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FEBRUARY WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE? 2 Table of Contents 16 Sports Zones 3 Editorial 17 Ping Pong 4-7 Opinion 18 Jess Walters 8-9 Decriminalizing Marijuana 19 Will Williams 10 New Millage 20 Advertisements 11 Weather Worries 21 Clarinet Club 12-13 Yoga 22 Competition One-act 14 Organic Food 23 Rachel Grunder 15 Meditation 24 Dating on a Dime FOCUS EDITORS

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Scout Parsch Editor in Chief Jack Duly Managing Editor Katie McIntyre News Editor Maddy Wheelock Features Editor Michael Adams A&E Editor Emily Resmer Sports Editor Kyle Blackwood Opinion Editor Sarah Wontorcik Photo Editor Mercedes Hussein Design Editor Emily Fisher Ad Coordinator Hannah Lasky Exchange Editor Michelle Demo Website Editor Jim Woehrle Adviser Midland Daily News Printer

WRITE A LETTER

If something annoys you about us, school, or life in general,

write a letter to the editor.

If something amuses you about us, school, or life in general,

write a letter to the editor.

If we got something wrong,

write a letter to the editor.

If it’s coherent and under 300 words,

we’ll run it.

Drop them off at room 345 with your name.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT 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 Press

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. Focus, however, reserves the right to contest the challenge of an administrator who attempts to censor and/ or remove an article or graphic element.

EDITORIAL

Time for change

What do you t hink?

What is your opinion on legalizing marijuana?

The legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington has helped both states economically. With this knowledge, many people are beginning to wonder if Michigan will be the next state to allow the sale of the drug.

“The only reason that marijuana is illegal is because it is a gateway drug.

The real danger is it’s smoke.”

Freshman Zach Monica

“Medical marijuana can be very beneficial to those who need it to help with their health but I feel that it would end up being misused.”

Sophomore Grace Pruett

F

or years, we have had the words drilled into us. Say no to drugs. No exceptions. Say no to drinking and smoking. No exceptions. (Unless you’re of age and responsible enough to know when enough is enough and you’re able to fight the addiction and the dangers that come along with it, in which case go right ahead and intoxicate yourself). But, as shown in the recent legalizations of marijuana in Colorado and Washington, these lines are becoming blurred even further.

When marijuana was decriminalized in those states, there came a frenzy of enthusiasm from citizens across the nation.

Even people outside the states where it was legalized, like in Michigan, became excited.

It begs the question—Will our state be next to legalize the drug? The advantages of marijuana legalization go farther than the fun and partying that no longer need to be hidden. Many people, though, are distraught by these new laws. They believe that marijuana is a gateway drug, and that

Christiana Haight | Illustration the legalization of it will just lead to more drug use. With easy access to this drug may come openings to find many others. All of this may be true for some, but while we do not promote the use of marijuana, see the positives to legalizing the drug.

In Colorado, marijuana sales skyrocketed in the first few weeks of it being legalized. In some of the larger dispensaries, more than 50 pounds of marijuana was sold. This year, it is estimated that the state will make $70 million in tax revenue just from the sales of the drug. They gain this much revenue (money that they collect on taxes) by establishing a sin tax. This is a special, high sales tax on items that are considered “sinful,” much like cigarettes and alcohol. If Michigan legalized this drug, we could collect similar revenues, which would really help our struggling state’s economy.

Another advantage to the decriminalization of marijuana is the potential reduction in overcrowding in jails and the court system.

The court would not have to spend money

on marijuana cases and would be able to concentrate on more serious crimes. If these nonviolent criminals were not jailed, it would save the state and taxpayers money.

The legalization of marijuana would also open up more opportunities for ill people to use marijuana as a pain killer and stress reliever. It is safer than some alternatives— even some pharmaceuticals.

In addition, the legalization of marijuana would develop safer smoking methods. If the sale of the drug could be public and regulated, there would be much less of a chance for drugs to be laced with something heavier or deadly.

The Focus believes that marijuana should be legal to use for recreational and medical use anyone who is over the age of 21. The advantages of this action outweigh the disadvantages. However, similar to alcohol and cigarettes, anyone who chooses to buy and smoke marijuana is putting themselves in danger and taking the risks of the drug for themselves.

“It should be decriminalized because it costs too much money for enforcement. It seems inconsistent to me that tobacco and alcohol are legal but marijuana isn’t. ” Junior Sam Bork

“I don’t like that it’s being legalized.

A bad drug is a bad drug. There’s a reason why it’s been illegal for so long and I think it should stay that way.”

Senior Gracey Houseal

mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 03

O P I N I O N

SUPERBOWL COMMERCIAL REVIEWS Chevorlet Commercial I didn’t like this at all. What do cows have to do with a car dealership? It was about a guy driving a cow “bachelor” to a herd of female cows for romance. It was completely ineffective. It didn’t make me like chevy or want to buy a car from there.

By: Hannah White

PUZZLE OF THE MONTH 1

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3 4

5

6

7

8

9

10 1. Another word for present.

2. What can you bake with and give to a girl on Valentine’s Day? 3. “Will you be my____________?”

4. A brand of orange soda.

5. What common shape do you see everywhere leading up to Valentine’s Day?

Princess Feminism

NFL Commercial This commercial is trying to show how patriotic and inspirational the NFL is. This is effective because it appealed to the emotions.

This also had clips of games that everyone would recognize.

By: Ella Colbert

6. What month is Valentine’s Day? 7 (down). Who shoots arrows to make people fall in love?

7 (across). The thing all girls want for Valentine’s day.

8. If someone is attractive, they are ______.

9. The four letter word that everyone says on this day.

10. Buy them at Hallmark for $5.

I was the kid that grew up with a Disney Princess bedspread and a Belle dress in five different styles. When my mom mentions a vacation, Mickey Mouse ears and the Cinderella Castle are the first things that come to mind. There are people who like Disney, and then there are Disney people. I am proud to associate myself with the latter. In fact, I got back from my ninth Disney park trip just two weeks ago. My dream has always been to work in Disney World during college, regardless of the horror stories I’ve heard about how staff members are treated. I’ve taken it upon myself to learn all of the Disney employee jargon just in case I get the chance to dress up like Wendy and pretend I can fly.

But even despite my love for the franchise, I know that Disney isn’t perfect. Because I also associate myself with feminists, I have been subject to hearing a lot of Disney hate, for Princesses especially, and it’s hard for me to disagree with the arguments these activists hold.

It’s easy to see the Disney Princesses as examples of weak female characters in the media. They’re almost all damsels in distress waiting for their prince to come and sweep them up into a stereotypical happily ever after. All of these girls are thin and traditionally beautiful—even Belle, whose entire plotline is based on the idea that appearance doesn’t matter (apparently, if you’re a girl, this idea doesn’t apply). But these problems are more than skin deep. For example, Aurora’s big climax is when she is awoken by a non-consensual kiss from a man she has never met.

While there are some definite failures in Disney’s attempts to create female role models for children, it would be unfair not to give

highlights as well. Mulan is the best example of a strong female princess. She pushes the gender roles of her community and creates success for herself. It’s a little sad that she has to make a man out of herself to do it, but I think Disney deserves a break here, since this correctly applies to the time period. There are even patriarchal flaws in Mulan’s story, but she still rises far above the other princesses.

Another complication I have with Disney is their terribly gender specific merchandise.

When I walk into a Disney store, it’s clear that I belong on the right side of the room, with the dresses and Minnie Mouse pajama pants.

Even more so, the boys are confined to the left, where the Pirates of the Caribbean hats and Toy Story action figures reside. Too often I’ve seen parents give disapproving looks as kids dare to venture across the store’s invisible line. God forbid their little girl likes Indiana Jones. If their son wants to wear a shirt with Cinderella on it, the apocalypse has come.

We’ve created a stigma with Disney, especially with Princesses. These characters are for girls, and they’ve been used to shape daughters into the gender roles that their parents want them to be.

Yes, I do have my problems with the way Disney portrays my gender. But I do think things are improving. The more recent princess movies like Brave and Frozen are beginning to give girls a better message.

Fighting for yourself is encouraged, and family comes before the handsome prince.

They still have a long way to go, but Disney seems to be making steps towards gender equality with every new movie they release.

Hopefully, the next time I go to Disney World, I’ll see a few princesses on the boy’s T-shirts.

So someday, if my daughter or son chooses, they may be the kid with the Elsa dress and Princesses on their bedspread. I’ll wear the Mickey Mouse ears and I’ll excitedly take them to the Disney parks. On every vacation we get. I just hope by that time, the happiest place on Earth will have made even more of an effort to keep both genders happy.

Cupid 8. cute 9. love 10. card 1. gift 2. flower 3. Valentine 4. Crush 5. heart 6. February 7.

WHERE’S VIC HIDING?

This year the Focus is trying something new. Similar to Where’s Waldo?, Vic will be hidden anywhere throughout the paper each month. The first person to find Vic, take a picture, and tweet it at @MHSFocus1 wins a free 44 oz.

Speedway slurpee. Make sure to tweet it with a flavor and your 5th hour teacher. Happy hunting, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

04 | FOCUS | FEB 06, 2014

*the Vic on this page does not count

PS4 and Xbox One reviews

O P I N I O N

The release of two video gaming systems, Sony’s PS4, and Microsoft’s Xbox One, has created a lot of hype. Which system is truly the best?

Kyle Blackwood | Opinion Editor & Kevin Sharpe | staff writer

PS4

It’s the little things, like sweat dripping off of Lebron’s shouting face as he slams down the ball, the shorts flapping in the wind as Kevin Durant leaps for the alley-oop, and the court shining against the lights. These qualities all point to how PlayStation has stepped up their game. Each game available for the PS4 starts out with an introductory video showing off how great it is. A lot of things changed between the PS3 and PS4. The most stunning changes like the graphics, are obvious; but other changes -- like the home screen, Playstation network, and the system in general -- have raised the bar for other gaming systems.

The hardware of the PS4 changed for the better, just like the software has. The PS4 has a slick and thin design that is smaller and more

1.

While balling out on a game, have you ever wanted to check the score of the football game on TV or set a DVR for one of your shows but you’re just too lazy to get up and switch to the TV? If the answer is yes, you’re not alone, and the Xbox One would definitely be the game console of to help you out. While the Xbox One is a great gaming console, it also can be the center for all the entertainment in your house. Music, TV, internet, movies, sports, and multiplayer are all integrated into the Xbox One. It also has an incredibly user-friendly home menu, allowing the use of all ages. All of these new features combine to make one console that gives Sony a run for their money.

Imagine a map full of gamers, all headed towards the same place trying to take it over, the same time with no lag. It may depend on the speed of your internet, but the Xbox servers are usually lag free. Xbox has taken multiplayer gameplay to a whole new level.

Any moment that leaves you yelling to anyone in the room, ”Did you just see that!?” can easily be recorded by saying, “Xbox, record that” and the Xbox will save whatever part of

Xbox One

compact than the PS3; and when it’s turned on, it barley makes a sound. The startup is quick and swiftly brings you to a profile menu where you can choose which profile you want to play on. The home screen is organized similar to like the Xbox 360 menu, with many things to do on the upper column, and after choosing an option it opens up a lower menu which you can interact with. Fans seem to enjoy how if an update on a game needs to be done, the PS4 does it while you are playing the game, not disrupting you from your gameplay.

The Playstation network is no longer free, but the price paid for the online play is paid back to the player with the fast servers packed with gamers. Also, the servers not only seem bigger, but much easier to get into, there are servers that can hold up to 50 gamers ready to unleash chaos.

The game play of Killzone: Shadow Fall fits

2.

the game feed you want it to very quickly.

This is not the only thing that Xbox made easy. To turn on the Xbox, you just simply have to tell it to turn on and it will, it has facial recognition in the kinect and will even take what you say and make your character in the game say it. Anytime users get bored, they can switch to movies, TV, music, sports, or back to the menu by just saying it out loud.

Xbox has been known for their reliable multiplayer gameplay, and they certainly do not disappoint. The servers flow together flawlessly although multiple servers sometimes cause a delay in game play.

Sometimes everyone just needs to take a day where they pick a spot on the couch, pick something to snack on, and sit there all day having the time of their life. There would not be a better system to have on that day then the Xbox One, all of the inclusive features and user friendly system make it a must have for those who want the most bang for their buck on an entertainment system. The bar was set high by the PS4 and, the Xbox One certainly lived up to their expectations.

3.

Xbox One Microsoft, while in pursuit of perfection, came pretty close this time. First of all, the Xbox One has been praised for having a larger size. That could easily become an advantage because larger size means that it would be longer lasting, due to better air circulation to relieve heat in a bigger console.

Since the “One” part of the name means that it could become an all-in-one console and that it acts like a hub for home entertainment.

Even though it’s only been out for a short time, gamers are very satisfied with the games.

Even with all these pros, the Xbox One still came up short on a few things. For example, its larger size means that it could easily be too bulky and there might be a lack of places to put it. Also, Kinect may seem cool, but the lack of privacy easily outweighs the coolness factor. Last but not least, it’s been criticized for being expensive with top prices going for $429.99. If you’ve got more money than you know what to do with and you’re up for a good time, give this one a spin

perfectly with the PS4, mainly because of the upgraded dual shock controller, which comes with the system. In Killzone, you control a floating drone that will do whatever you tell it to, and the way you tell it to do things is you use the touchpad on the top of the controller.

The controller is smaller and conforms more to your hands. Sony also added two more features to the controller, one is a small speaker on the front which you can hear audio logs or other players online from. The other is the share button, you press it, it takes the last 5 minutes of gameplay and share it with your friends.

Sony has sold substantial amounts of PS4s, not only blowing Xbox’s sales out the window, but also trumping the Xbox by selling their consoles $100 cheaper. When Sony released the PS4, they weren’t going for a great system, they were on the pursuit of perfection, and it shows.

PS4 vs.

Xbox One Playstation 4 While Microsoft tried to achieve perfection, Sony seems to have already gotten there. The PlayStation 4 has received plenty of praise and even outsold the Xbox. It was praised for being cheaper with top prices at $349.99.

The controllers have been praised for being better shaped and more user friendly. The smaller size makes it more concealable, easier to travel with, and less of a hassle to store and play. There’s also famous PS Plus free games plan because at a cost of $50 a year, you receive free games each month along with being able to play the online multiplayer.

Even this masterpiece isn’t without its flaws. The smaller size makes it shorter lasting with less air circulation. It also has a lesser game lineup and fewer attachments. Finally, as for all game systems connected to the internet, the internet can lag at times. If you have problem with alternative controls and have less change but are up for more obscure games, this is for you.

mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 05

My top seven Super Bowl memories

O P I N I O N

I have been alive for 17 of 47 Super Bowls.

Here are my top seven memories from them:

7. (All). ‘Super’ Commercials. “Hello ladies. Look at your man. Now back to me.

Now back at your man, now back to me.”

The Super Bowl is known to play host of not only world-class football, but also worldclass commercials. A few of my favorite commercials include the “Old Spice Guy,” the Fedex Caveman, the Budweiser Clydesdale, and, of course, the GoDaddy commercials.

I’m on a horse.

6. Super Bowl XXXVII (2003).

Tampa Bay 48, Oakland 21. Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction.” For most of my fellow generation of boys, it was the first boob we ever saw. I doubt that people even remember which Super Bowl it happened in. What’s even crazier is to think that Justin Timberlake was also a part of that halftime show…

5. Super Bowl XL (2006). Pittsburgh 21, Seattle 10. The Bus Stops. One of my favorite memories of this game was watching Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, a notably large fella, end his NFL career in his hometown of Detroit. I can still picture the big fella holding up the Lombardi Trophy and saying to his hometown fans, “I think The Bus stops in Detroit.”

4. Super Bowl XLIII (2009). Pittsburgh 27, Arizona 23. James Harrison’s 100 yard interception return for a touchdown. This play may serve as the most pivotal play in Super Bowl history. The Cardinals appeared that they were going to take a 14-10 lead into halftime, as they were fit to score from the Steelers’ own 2-yard-line. Instead, Steelers linebacker James Harrison intercepts Kurt Warner’s pass on the goal line and weaves his way down the field, 100 yards for a touchdown. I was out of breath just watching him run.

3. Super Bowl XXXVI (New England 20,

Reflecting on Syria 06 | FOCUS | FEB 06, 2014

TIDBITS

Random pieces of information told in less than 50 words St. Louis 17) & Super Bowl XXXVIII (New England 32, Carolina 29). Adam Vinitari’s game-winning kicks. “The Iceman,” and “Auto Vinatiri” are a couple of the nicknames that the Patriots kicker picked up after making clutch field goals to seal wins over the Rams and the Panthers. Despite my young age, I remember the vast implications of these kicks.

2. Super Bowl XLIII (2009). Santonio Holmes’ “The catch.” The Steelers trailed 23-20 after the Cardinals had scored 16 unanswered points, highlighted by Larry Fitzgerald’s 64-yard touchdown catch with three minutes remaining in the game. After leading the Steelers down the field, Big Ben Roethlisberger placed the ball perfectly around three defenders to the back corner of the end zone, where only Holmes could get to it. Holmes kept his feet inbounds as the he lifted the Steelers to their fifth championship.

1. Super Bowl XLII (2008). New York 17, New England 14. Manning to Tyree.

Potentially the greatest play in sports history.

Eli was all but sacked when he somehow avoided the rush to break out of the pocket and wing the ball downfield. David Tyree, a generally unknown player, elevated and hauled the ball in against his helmet, coming down on his back. This play kept the Giants’ drive alive, enabling them to seal the deal with a Plaxico Burress touchdown catch.

Before the game, the Patriots were 18-0, looking to become the second team ever to have an undefeated season.

Reading about Syria just makes me want to be sick. I think it’s impossible to have not heard something about that poor country, although I sometimes doubt that many know where Syria is even located (hopefully you’re at least aware that it’s in the Middle East).

In the Syrian civil war that has lasted almost three years, the United Nations reports that more than 100,000 people have been killed.

To give a frame of reference, that is more than the estimated American casualties in the Revolutionary War (around 25,000), Korean War (around 36,500) and Vietnam War (around 58,000), wars that all lasted longer than the current Syrian conflict. This is roughly the same number of deaths as the US suffered in World War I (around 116,000).

And the numbers will only rise as the fight continues.

The Syrian conflict broke out in the spring of 2011, with rebels fighting against Syrian

In millions,

224 °

roses were grown for Valentine’s day in 2013

BY THE NUMBERS

Source: CNN

3 THINGS you don’t have to worry about this month

1 2 3

Tweet OF THE Month Yeah of course I’m going to eat ice cream I don’t care if it’s 3 degrees outside #norules

Whether or not we will run out of snow days.

Worrying over that AP Bio exam you took. Don’t worry you failed.

Global warming

and one thing you still do...

Follow THIS User

Getting the perfect Valentine’s Day gift for your significant other. Trick Question, there never is a perfect gift.

@Suzee_Boo

President Bashar al-Assad’s government for democratic and economic reform. Since then, the violence has escalated as the Syrian army, backed by Russia and Iran, fights against many separate but heavily armed resistance groups supported by countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Both sides have been accused of severe human rights violations, including a massive chemical attack. More recently, an international team of war crimes prosecutors and forensic experts have compiled evidence showing systematic torture and killing of Syrian citizens by the Assad regime according to CNN. And the war is far from over.

There are a lot of things in our country that I think are kind of crappy. I’m not a huge fan of how the execution of the Affordable Health Care Act has shaken out or the corporate farming of animals. I think Congress needs to compromise more so we don’t end up with

another government shutdown, which, quite frankly, was kind of embarrassing. And I think it’s important to speak up and fight for things that make you upset.

But it’s also vital to keep perspective when speaking up about issues as well, which is something I forget as much as anyone else.

I’m so grateful that I live in a country where we have a democratically elected government and a constitution that protects our rights and assures that the government will strive to do its best for the people. I don’t have to be scared of chemical warfare or having to relocate to a refugee camp.

I hear people complain about President Obama or how China’s going to take over all our jobs and it’s okay to speak up about those things. Those things can matter too. But I think that we’ll be happier and honestly, better at fighting for those things, if we stay grounded and appreciate what we do have.

O P I N I O N

The cost we pay to fit in High school is not what I thought it would be. There is not a modern cafeteria where all of the “cool girls” sit with their friends, picking at their salads and gossiping about the best and worst outfits of the day. The hallways are not bright and clean, but rather dark and dingy. And the bathrooms – don’t get me started on the bathrooms – do not smell or look appealing to any sensible human being.

In other words, the high school we all experience is nowhere near the High School Musical trilogy every girl obsessed over in elementary school. I was given the impression that the mean girls would always lose, and I would win the dreamy Zac Efron.

I pictured high school to be easy. Only those who skipped classes and opted out of doing their homework would struggle. I, however, a good student who tended to go above and beyond her teachers’ expectations and hardly ever got into trouble, was proved wrong the second I stepped onto the Midland High School campus. Instantly, I felt insecure seeing all of the pretty girls with their long, wavy hair and tan, sun-kissed skin. The cute boys flirted with them as they laughed teasingly. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be one of those girls, and I would do anything to achieve it.

A few weeks into the school year, I began to unearth the secrets to fitting in. I started to receive the attention I had wanted, which I soon realized was not what I really wanted at all. I thought about the people I had seen on the first day of school; their faces, their smiles, and their laughs. Were they really happy?

I asked myself. Or were they just trying to fit in? I knew the answer, but I just did not

Happy Single’s Awareness Day

Going Ham

understand why. Why would they fake their happiness? If they were, why would they be risking their happiness to fit in? Then I thought about my situation. Why was I trying to fit in? I had turned into one of those girls, one of the girls with the wavy hair and tan skin. I was who I had wanted to be, but I was not happy.

Seeing the pretty girls and what appeared to be their perfect lives, I envied them. It is comparable to window shopping. Looking through the window from outside, I wanted everything I saw; but once I reached the inside, I was no longer impressed. Once I realized their lives were the opposite of perfect, I found clarity. On the inside, their lives were nothing but chaos. There was strong tension between the so-called “group of friends”. Rumors about one another were spread like wildfire, and gossip could not be stopped once it was started. All I wanted was to fit in but I only ended up damaging my reputation.

What upsets me is girls feel they need to live up to certain standards set by society to be accepted. Such as having a perfect body or being the girl every guy likes. It upsets me that girls go to certain lengths to achieve this, damaging their reputations and their self-respect. Do not let society, or even your friends, influence you to be someone you are not. Go against the crowd; stand out. You will only gain respect if you respect yourself.

“Does that turkey breast have nipples?” the man at the register asked.

“No. No the turkey breast does not have nipples,” I replied. I was fairly confused at the interaction that was taking place. Needless to say this was the first time that I had ever been asked this question.

“Well it’s not a real breast if it doesn’t have nipples,” the customer said.

“Well sir, I really don’t really know what to tell you. The turkey breast does not have nipples on it.”

“In that case, I don’t want it,” he said, grinning as he walked away.

This was my life as a Honeybaked Ham associate. It was a job like no other, full of strange interactions and tasks that I was completely disgusted by and unprepared for.

With a name like Honeybaked Ham, clearly it was an outstanding place to work.

My job at the ham shop was not the typical first job experience. Though like most first jobs it required a lot of cleaning, it was not the run of the mill dusting and sweeping. No, at Honeybaked Ham there was scrubbing ham juice off of walls and scraping rust off of the bottom of a sandwich cart vent. It also required cutting fat off of an atrocious number of hams and turkeys.

Past 5 p.m. (we closed at 6) speed and efficiency were key, because if everything was done by 6, then we did not have to stay any later than that. I’m not ashamed to say that I scraped dried soup off of plastic containers with my bare hands to save myself from having to clean the extra dish. Those few seconds were crucial.

I am arguably the fastest sweeper that you will ever meet. We didn’t mess around in the ham business. We got out at 6.

Then came Christmas time. There is nothing like Christmas at a store that almost solely makes a profit from selling hams. Every shelf brimmed with gold, foil-wrapped pork

Valentine’s Day. Here comes the endless tweets about people being alone. The hashtagged “team single” or “single’s awareness day.” And we all see those pictures of the life-sized teddy bears and how badly every girl wants one (as if a $50 teddy bear will really buy you happiness).

It’s not that I hate Valentine’s Day, granted I am single this year. But even taking on this holiday alone, I still have so much to be thankful for.

I actually know from experience that Valentine’s Day is not all chocolate in the shape of hearts and romantic dinner dates.

My first (and last) Valentine date was my sophomore year. I hopped into his car, ready to head to dinner, and he handed me a small box wrapped in ribbon. We had only been together for a few weeks, so I really wasn’t expecting too much from him. I untied the ribbons and found two faux diamond stretchy bracelets (like the ones I wore in middle school) sitting in the bottom of the box. I

smiled, happy to receive any gift from him, and started to put the box and bracelets into my bag.

“Uhh...I’m gonna need that box back actually, it’s my sister’s.”

After that embarrassing night, I’m really not too heart broken knowing I won’t have to go through another “romantic” Valentine’s Day dinner date.

In reality, people would barely notice Valentine’s Day if there weren’t advertisements plastered all over social media sites. Along with the numerous antirelationship hashtags on Twitter, there are also multiple Twitter accounts advocating the idea that if you aren’t in a relationship on Valentine’s Day, then you’re alone. It is a day that celebrates love in your life, whether that comes from your friends, family, or your current relationship. A day to be thankful for everything you have in your life that brings you happiness, and in some cases that doesn’t include a partner, but that doesn’t mean they

products. The line snaked from the counter, through the tables, and out to the door. Believe it or not, people didn’t love having to wait in line for 45 minutes to get a ham. Probably the only thing worse than standing in line for a ham for 45 minutes is selling ham to people that had to stand in line for 45 minutes. Once people have finally made it to the front of the line, many feel the need to be shown three, four, sometimes five hams before they decide which one they would like to purchase. They have waited 45 minutes for this ham and for the love of God they are not leaving until they’ve found the best one in the store.

Honeybaked Ham is not only for ham though.

No, there are also sandwiches. Logically, one would think that if there is a line to the door it may not be the best time to order a sandwich because most likely you will have to wait a while for it. That mind set didn’t deter the fearless Honeybaked Ham customers. It seemed to be a shock to everyone when their sandwiches were not ready at a snap of their fingers. However, my sandwich making skills are now much like my cleaning skills, exceptionally fast. I should make an excellent wife someday.

Though my time at Honeybaked ham was thrilling and fleeting, it has now come to a close.

I have officially resigned from my first job ever and though it was not what I had expected, I certainly wouldn’t trade my experience. I learned a lot about building relationships. There really is no bond like one between people who have glazed hams together. I also found the best in any situation. Even cutting fat off of ham. should be branded a position on “team single” or have “single’s awareness day” created for them.

Yeah, right now it seems like the fact that you don’t have a Valentine for one day of the year may be the end of the world. Just like the fact that your entire future may be hanging on the line due to how well you score on your IB Chemistry test coming up, or maybe that Friday’s basketball game may or may not determine your mood for the rest of the weekend, it is, after all, just a game.

Not everything is the end of the world.

There are things worth freaking out about, but sometimes you need to step back and look at the drama around you, and decide if you really want to be a part of it. And for God’s sake, not having a Valentine for one year does not mean you will live alone forever without finding love other than from the six cats that roam your house. And don’t think I’m mocking you; I’m one of you.

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Legal Potential

*Names have been changed to protect sources’ privacy.

With Colorado and Washington’s new rulings, the legalization of marijuana in Michigan is becoming more realistic. Many students regularly smoke this drug. Those connected to Midland High have very mixed feelings about the widespread idea of legal drug use.

Sarah Wontorcik | Photo Editor & Maddy Wheelock | Features Editor

41%

Reflexes can be impaired smoking

one joint

after

You are more at risk of a heart attack in the first hour after using marijuana There is one marijuana arrest every

141 million

people worldwide admit to smoking marijuana 1 marijuana arrest

regularly.

every 21 seconds

Percentage of high school students who have tried

marijuana: Percentage of teens who use marijuana before age 15 that later use cocaine:

twenty-one sec nds

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t was the second time Allie* had smoked marijuana, and the first time she had been high. She and her friends crowded around a table at Applebee’s, laughing about everything. Things were beginning to move in slow motion, and before she knew it, Allie was asleep in the booth. This was the first of many times that she would experience a high like this. “[When I smoke] I get really mellow and chill, almost like my head is floating,” said Allie, who agreed to talk on the condition she be anonymous. “Sometimes when I’m really high, things kind of look like they’re in claymation.”

Allie isn’t the only person at Midland High who smokes marijuana regularly. Officer Jeremy Davis claims that he often receives information regarding MHS students using marijuana outside of school. Students give many reasons and justifications for why they

8 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2014

choose to use the drug, but they mostly reach a general consensus—it is a stress reliever.

“I tend to have pretty bad anxiety. Smoking helps me relieve stress and relax,” Allie said.

As a whole, America is beginning to see marijuana as less of an issue. Just this year, the drug was legalized in both Colorado and Washington, and many states have decriminalization and medical legalization laws as well. When marijuana is legalized, people over the age of 21 are able to buy and sell the drug legally for recreational use. When it is decriminalized, the law is slightly more confusing to some. It is still illegal to buy and sell marijuana, but if someone is caught with a small amount, they will not be prosecuted.

The Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly estimated that the sales of marijuana will reach almost $600 million this year, which will bring in a large sum of money

for the state. In Michigan, it is currently only legal to use marijuana for medical reasons, as a pain killer if someone has permission from a doctor.

Allie and many others believe that marijuana should be legalized in Michigan, for economic and social reasons. One of those for legalization is Emily*. She is another regular user of marijuana, and although she uses marijuana, she says she would never use a “hardcore” drug.

She says this because the effects of marijuana are not as prevalent or immediate as those of more dangerous drugs. She does not believe that smoking marijuana will permanently affect someone’s personality.

“Weed is not addicting,” Emily said. “Pizza’s not addicting. You just like it.”

When Emily smokes, she often has an experience very similar to Allie’s. She says that everything becomes funny, and time either

seems to slow down or speed up. Sometimes, she will see stationary things appear to move, like a book on a shelf. She says things that she wouldn’t normally, and she dances around.

Emily says that smoking marijuana is not as terrible as people make it out to be. She feels safe smoking with friends that she trusts, and Allie does not see a problem with it unless she is around kids—though she would not be high in a restaurant or public place again.

Davis disagrees with these girls on the topic of marijuana legalization. He does not believe that marijuana should be legal for recreational use. He is not even sure if it should be used medically, because it only aides in relieving pain and stress, not in actually curing the patient.

“I personally don’t believe that ‘recreation’ should involve drug use,” Davis said. “Get a better recreational activity or hobby. Maybe one where you are doing something healthy or productive to better our community. So many kids say that marijuana can’t be bad because it comes from a plant. Heroin and cocaine also come from plants. Poison ivy is a plant. Plants and their by-products can be very harmful to the human body.”

Davis does not see many cases of marijuana possession in Midland High (less than a dozen a year), but he still knows that drug use goes on between students after school hours. Although, like Allie and Emily, kids caught with the drug

Mental State:

lethargy, anxiety, and paranoia.

Short-term Memory: sense of alteration.

Ocular Pressure:

40% 60% tell him it relieves stress, he does not agree.

“Our society as a whole wants a quick fix to every problem we have,” Davis said. “Instead of actually dealing with the problem and fixing it for good, our society just wants to make it go away now… Society wants to drown their sorrows, problems, and stresses in the bottom of a bottle of booze.”

When Davis or another officer catches a student below the age of 17 with marijuana, they are turned over to their parents. If they are older, they can be arrested; but both times, a report is made to the prosecutor and the evidence is collected to use during a trial.

75th District Court Judge Michael Carpenter handles many court cases involving drugs in Midland; and though he says that there have been many students caught with marijuana, he does not believe it is a serious problem.

“We have some pretty great young people at all of our area schools,” Carpenter said.

Though those under the age of 17 caught with marijuana are not arrested, they still must go to trial. Depending on whether the person is buying, selling, or using marijuana, the charges vary. Usually marijuana use constitutes as a misdemeanor, but the sale of marijuana can easily be considered a felony, depending on the case. Carpenter believes that, though the process takes a lot of time and money, legalization would not be a good idea.

reduces eye pressure, dryness creates red eyes.

Reasoning: altered sense of depth and effects on attention.

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Brain effects

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Mental State

Ocular Pressure

Short-term Memory

Reasoning

In the first day that marijuana

sale was legal in Colorado, venders made, collectively, more than

one million dollars.

Sources: www.huffingtonpost.com www.intheknowzone.com www.bestdrugrehabilitation.com Sarah

“[In] my opinion... legalizing marijuana would increase its use and I would expect a very negative impact in our entire community,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said when he was a prosecuting attorney, a study was done on marijuana usage. Though not thoroughly scientific, it was concluded that 90 percent of convicted felons had used the drug, and almost all highly drug addicted felons admitted to the use of marijuana at an early age.

“I found those results telling and disturbing,” Carpenter said.

Senior Shannon Spencer agrees with Carpenter. The dangers of getting caught with marijuana just are not worth it.

Spencer was about to be a sophomore the first time she smoked marijuana. She had planned it with her friends, and one summer night, they met in the woods to smoke.

“I felt like I had to do it,” Spencer said. “I don’t know if I really wanted to. I had to talk myself into it.”

Spencer did not feel high when she was caught. After a few minutes, when they had tried to start a fire and began to smoke, flashlights shone through the trees. It was the police—they had been alerted about the drug use in the area.

At first, Spencer and her friends thought it was

Wontorcik | Infographic

a joke. Someone had come to scare them. But when the policemen came into view, the reality became much scarier to Spencer.

“I learned my lesson, I guess you can say,” Spencer said.

Although Spencer was lucky enough not to get arrested, having to face her parents’ disappointment seemed like punishment enough. Davis also heard the call on the dispatch, and informed athletic director Eric Albright about the situation. Their coaches were told, and all those involved in the ordeal were suspended from their sport for three games.

“I kind of blocked it out,” Spencer said. “I didn’t want to remember it.”

After this experience, Spencer never smoked marijuana again. Getting caught her first time smoking was enough to turn her off from the drug.

“I’m not against it,” Spencer said. “I just don’t have the urge to do it.”

Carpenter realizes why many students are interested in trying marijuana, but he doesn’t believe that peer pressure should be an excuse.

“I am sure there are many reasons [why people use it],” Carpenter said. “None of them are probably very good ones.”

Saying no to legalizing marijuana As Americans, we have rights. And having said rights to do, say, and preach what we want are reasons our country is set apart from the rest. Yes, we have laws and regulations, but we are mostly free to do as we please. The laws and restrictions are almost always meant to keep us safe and keep our children and families out of harm’s way. Just because our freedoms allow us to change a law does not mean we should. The decriminalization and legalization of marijuana has been brewing in the minds of Americans for many years.

Because of the many harmful effects marijuana can cause to the user, the idea of decriminalization is not a good idea to me.

Marijuana is naturally occurring, not synthetic, which means it can be developed in many different places. And once it is decriminalized, it will become more common, which in return makes it less expensive and gives the younger generations of today better access to buy more of the drug, whether they are of age or not. It is called a drug for a reason. THC is the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. In 1985 marijuana was 3.48% THC. That percentage has risen to 8.77% as of 2006. That number has been rising for years. Today, some marijuana plants have known to peak at 22% THC. That means marijuana is getting stronger, which in return makes side effects worse. Now marijuana can disturb motor capabilities, sway appetite, decrease the ability to feel pain, increase mood swings, create hallucinations, and decrease short-term memory.

If marijuana is used excessively, more long-term effects are known to occur. Side effects such as: cardiovascular system issues, anti-social behavior (as if teens don’t have that problem already), increase in aggression, decrease in IQ, anxiety attacks, psychosis, and depression. Because this drug sways appetite and gives the user the “munchies”, the possibility of diabetes increases.

Also, teens who start smoking this drug early on are more likely to develop schizophrenia. All of these issues can occur in teens and adults just because we decided that marijuana should be one of our rights.

The law is created to protect us and keep us from doing anything we would regret. The government creates laws for a reason. Not just to be ignored later.

By Natalie Schwartz

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It takes a millage

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Come Feb. 25, there will be a county-wide vote on the Enhancement Millage Renewal, which will potentially keep millions of dollars in local school districts without raising taxes.

Aelish Shay | Staff Writer & Noah Surbrook | Staff Writer

Ballot

February 25, 2014 Enhancement Millage Renewal

YES NO

1. A millage is a way for communities to pay more for their schools than the state provides.

VOTE D

ire: the type of situation in store for the Midland Public School district if the Enhancement Millage Renewal, which is going up for a vote on the Feb. 25, is not approved by Midland County property owners. According to Superintendent Michael Sharrow, the district is currently spending $4 million more per year than they are taking in. This kind of budgetary policy cannot be sustained.

“We can’t cut our way out of this,” Sharrow said, “We’re going to need some help on the revenue side.”

A millage is a way that locals can agree to pay more than the state finances for their school district, which is outlined in Proposal A of 1994. It will in no way raise taxes for Midland residents, as it is only a renewal of the enhancement millage that was carried a few years ago.

The millage, if passed, will raise five million dollars to split between all districts in Midland County (MPS, Bullock Creek, Meridian and

10 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2014

Coleman), and will continue to bring balance to the budget.

Angela Brandstadt, vice president of the school board, commented on how critical the millage renewal is.

“Without this we’d be in a position where we have to use even more of our savings account, and there isn’t very much left,” Brandstadt said.

In 2013, administration attempted to pass a bond issue, which included a sinking fund and technology bond. The community was apprehensive, and the proposal fell through.

Those aspects will not be included in the version that will go up for a vote later this month.

Sharrow believes that the millage is not asking much of the voters, but is hesitant to state whether he is confident that it will be carried.

“It makes a lot of sense to the voters,” Sharrow said, “but I’m an old coach – ‘til the last pitch is thrown,’ as they say.”

On the other hand, Brandstadt appears confident that the millage renewal will be a success.

2.The current millage rate is 1.5 mills.

It is based off of the amount per $1,000 that is used to calculate taxes on a property.

It is a renewal, NOT a new tax.

3. The district can continue operating for 2 years without additional funding.

Aelish Shay & Noah Surbrook | Infographic

“I think that as long we get the word out, that people will come out and vote,” Brandstadt said.

Members of the board have campaigned to ensure the millage passes on Feb. 25, sending out mass e-mails which read ‘Can I add you to my YES list?’ and include general information about the renewal. They have also taken steps which have allowed them to receive endorsements from several sources, including the Midland Daily News, Midland Chamber of Commerce, Midland Tomorrow, The Midland City Education Association and the League of Women Voters.

There are many speculations as to the effects it will have on the district if the renewal is not passed. One of the intended benefits of the millage is to preserve current class sizes.

Additionally, it will prevent some classes from getting cut.

“Art classes, general electives, those are the first to go,” Sharrow said, “I don’t want to threaten people, but [if the millage doesn’t pass] it would be devastating to the district.”

Computer science teacher Robert Fox also

had input on the subject, and believes that it is integral for programs to keep students involved if they want to stay afloat.

“Keeping classes is about putting kids in seats,” Fox said. “Classes at risk are classes with fewer kids.”

The millage also goes towards things like new buses and repairs, which are not allowed to be bought through the general fund. What this renewal allows the district to do is focus on efficiency, as problems with the heating and cooling buildings desperately need to be addressed, as well as the current budget deficit.

In the worst case scenario, “We could lose local buildings and become a state-run school,” Sharrow said. Which would be a devastating consequence but a very real possibility if the millage is not passed.

Regardless of the outcome, the district is looking to make some changes in the future.

“We want to put a plan together to accomplish new things,” Sharrow said, “I’m going to tell the truth, we need to make more changes going forward.”

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eather orries

With the district experiencing seven snow days, one over the six-day limit, the administration must devise a plan to make up the missed time, but is having issues due to uncertainty. Casey LaValley | Staff Writer & Will Hackbarth | Staff Writer

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he early morning darkness conceals the city streets, with the only source of light streaming from the streetlamps and the headlights on Superintendent Michael Sharrow’s pickup truck. Through the window, Sharrow yet again glances at the remnants of the snow storm that blew across Midland the night before in an attempt to make the call that every parent, teacher, and student is waiting to hear: Midland Public Schools will be closed today due to weather conditions.

“I drive a two-wheel drive Ford truck that is terrible in the snow,” Sharrow said. “I always go out in that one because if I can get through [the snow] in my truck, I know that we’re good to go.”

Midland Public Schools has had a total of seven snow days so far, two for which Sharrow has gone out in the morning to examine the roads. The process begins at 4:30 a.m when Sharrow, along with three assistant superintendents, the transportation director, and the dispatcher, take to the often snow covered roads to decide whether or not it will be safe to transport students to school. Each one of them travels to a different area of town to scope out the severity of the conditions. From there, they meet together to deliberate and make a decision whether or not to close school.

If coming to a decision is proving difficult, Sharrow and his colleagues seek the opinions of other superintendents from neighboring districts, like Bay City. At this point, if nothing is concrete, they call the road commission and the local police. The verdict must be reached by 6:30 a.m., as that is when the buses are sent off to pick up students.

Although the announcement of so many snow days is exciting to many, it has become a major problem this school year. A large amount of class time has been lost and now teachers have to find a way to fit in the seven days of curriculum. This is particularly difficult as high school students have exams to take at the end

of each semester, which includes material that would have been taught on those days.

Senior Elizabeth Ladwig has experienced this problem first-hand in her AP Biology class. Because the class runs for a two-hour period, twice the amount of material needs to be covered. However, Ladwig and her classmates were able to learn a condensed version of the remaining information and take a few lastminute tests in order to be fully prepared for the exams.

“We already knew what material was going to be on the biology exam, so I felt prepared for that,” Ladwig said. “I felt pretty prepared for my other three exams too, so I'm not too worried.

If we had had six snow days last year, I might have been freaking out a little more.”

The administration now faces a large issue, due to the fact that they have exceeded the snow day limit. Between the two power outage days in November, the ice days, the heavy snow days, and cancellations due to cold, the district has surpassed the limit of its six excusable days.

With school cancelled January 28 because of the weather, that day will have to be made up somehow. State law requires 174 days of classroom instruction and 1,908 hours of class time. Administrators are finding it problematic to come up with a definite solution.

“The problem is that anything is possible,” Midland High principal Janet Greif said. “There is a lot of uncertainty because if we knew how many more days off, we could plan. But, we could have zero more days off or six and that will totally change everything.”

One solution that is favored by Greif is the removal of a professional development day. This would allow students to get out of school on the normal date and would also avoid the issue of seniors already being gone.

The district requires 75 percent of students to attend school in order for that day to count, so if the seniors have already left when a make up day arrives, there is a risk of not producing

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Fact Days will not be removed from Spring Break

It would be difficult to get 75% attendance because many students would be on vacation.

Fict ion There is a new law that will add time to the school day Clearing up the rumors that have been heard regarding how the extra snow days will be made up.

Adding time came from a ruling that was made last year.

It is not a law, but the district is calling it a potential plan.

enough attendance. Sharrow has also given consideration to this idea. Should there be more snow days by March 10, a PD Day, Sharrow would like the teachers to come in and do their PD on the snow day, allowing students to go to school on March 10.

To meet the 1,098 hours of class requirement, the administration has considered the addition of minutes to each school days, which other districts have done in the past. This comes from a ruling made last year that allows a district to add time to the end of each school day to make up for lost days and other districts have used it in the past. However, it cannot take effect until May, and the canceled day in question has to have occurred after April 1 of that school year.

The amount of time added will depend on the number of days missed.

However, these plans may not be necessary if Sharrow’s most recent action is successful.

Sharrow has already contacted local legislators to see if they would bring a proposal to the floor regarding the forgiveness of the two power days that occurred on November 18 and 19. No response has been given yet, but Sharrow notes that he will continue to contact them until they do. If they are forgiven, the district will have made up the seventh snow day and have one left to use, which will give some breathing room.

“The unfortunate thing about weather is that none of us have control,” Greif said. “We live in a society that likes to control everything and then we have the weather, which we can’t. So we have to learn to go with it.”

Fact Exams can be pushed back to accommodate for extra days After the end of exams, there would be nothing for students to learn, so there would be no reason to come.

Fict ion The district does not have enough funding to add days Actually, the district will lose funding if they do not meet the set requirement of school days and hours.

Casey LaValley | Infographic

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Beautiful Mind & Body

Holistic health has become a growing trend, and students are finding ways to better their health and decrease stress levels.

“Calming the monkey mind”

Our minds are busy and stressed from the outside world. Yoga is a practice of breathing control, meditation, and specific body postures in an effort to gain better health, become more relaxed, and find peace within ourselves. As students step on the mat, they calm their “monkey-like” chaos. Mercedes Hussein | Design Editor & Hannah Lasky | Exchange Editor

A

Kim Scott is performing a yoga pose from the Ashtanga series; it’s her favorite because it focuses on becoming a better variation of oneself. Although these poses do require physical strength, the calmness of the mind is an important factor. Hannah Lasky | Photo

Find your inner peace If you are interested in refreshing your mental and physical health, try these five basic yoga poses taught by Kim Scott at The Yoga Place.

12 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2014

s the slow music quiets the voices in the room, the students cross their legs and prepare for practice. The luminescent glow of the candles light up yoga teacher Kim Scott’s face and the meditation blue walls of the dim room; she slowly asks the students to silence their minds and bring their hands together for prayer.

“Bring your hands to your forehead asking to know the truth. Bring your hands to your mouth asking to speak the truth. Bring your hands to your heart asking to feel the truth,” Kim says as the students follow along using hand gestures, and the practice begins.

Kim’s curiosity of yoga and meditation is why she started practicing yoga, and has been consistent in it for fifteen years. The sense of community that exists in her yoga classes is her favorite part about the practice; however, Kim’s passion for yoga did not develop immediately.

“I was just curious about yoga and meditation. I hated it at first but I bought ten passes, so I had to come back,” Kim said. “By the end of the ten classes, I ended up loving it.”

Prior to consistently participating in yoga, Kim was overly concerned with the way that others viewed her. She was constantly over thinking the situations life brought to her, and had excess energy bottled up. Once she developed a passion for yoga, Kim was able to step back and take a new perspective on life.

“My excess energy went to my postures. I

realized that I can decide how I want to react to situations by deep breathing and having strength in my own personal control,” Kim said. “The decisions I made in life were much more enjoyable, I learned to understand that whatever we are in life, we have so much to give. I just want to spread the joy and peace.”

In Kim’s opinion, the hardest part about yoga is quieting the mind and letting go of busy thoughts. A large goal for yoga students is to create a “beautiful mind” which can be obtained through letting go of excess stress and tension. Without a beautiful mind, people compare and compete. Through yoga, once the students step on their mats they have the opportunity to let go of the chaos that is brought about by the outside world.

“As you calm yourself down and explore that place where you can return to over and over, you find that all of your answers lie within,” Kim said.

Five-thousand years ago there were Gurus who wanted to meditate 24/7 to find the meaning of life. However, as they sat in motionless positions for excessive periods of time, they noticed that their bodies were sore due to the lack of movement. Because of this, the Gurus began incorporating body movements to prevent the soreness so they would still be able to meditate for the time that they desired. Yoga poses are meant to work out all stress and tension, and rid the body of tightness, impurities and toxins.

Down Dog

Warrior

This position works out the tension in hamstrings and shoulders.

This position gives a deep leg and hip stretch.

The mind’s thoughts are emptied.

The mind gives off fearless energy and helps conquer obstacles.

F E AT U R E S “My favorite yoga poses are included in and college ages. clarity and awareness of what is around you the Ashtanga series,” Kim said. “There is not “I think that the younger age group is and what you should feel grateful for. Yoga that much movement physically, and it is all becoming more involved in yoga because they helps you to understand yourself better.” about becoming a better variation of yourself. are more open-minded when it comes to trying Yoga has also impacted Ethan and Kim’s ‘Happy Resting’ or ‘Savasana’ is my favorite.” new things,” Kim said. “They also deal with family relationship as well. Because both There is a common stereotype that says that a lot more stress than previous generations of them are consistent in practicing yoga, yoga revolves around Buddhist traditions, have.” they both agree on how their family runs and has a religious connotation to it. This Aside from using yoga to attain peace of smoother. With whatever situation that perception of yoga is created due to the mind and body, some people also use yoga to comes across them, Ethan and Kim take a step prayers that are said during some practices. increase flexibility to advance in sports. Senior back and breathe before instantly reacting.

The prayers are spoken in Sanskrit which gives Hannah Szymanowski began doing yoga in The Scott family is very compassionate and people reason to infer that there is a religious the seventh grade to become more flexible to understanding of each other through building background because they are unaware of give her a boost in soccer. Despite her use of their loving connections due to the practice of what the prayer is actually saying. Though the yoga to aid her performance, as she continued yoga. beliefs of both Buddhism and Hinduism go to do yoga she began to enjoy the mediation “My mom has done yoga pretty much my along well with the intentions of yoga, there is aspect as well. whole life,” Ethan said. “I love it because she no religious connotation. The prayers that are “The spiritual part kind of grew on me,” taught me not to worry about the little things said during the practices are simply thanking Szymanowski said. “Yoga definitely helped in life. She also showed me how to step back the famous Sage, Patanjali, for what she has with my flexibility, as well as stress. It’s and look at life in a different perspective.” added to the practice of yoga, and showing different than going to the gym and working Ethan is not the only one inspired by his gratitude towards it. Senior Ethan Scott, son out because yoga helps you both physically mother. Senior Casandra Kareus was also of Kim Scott, thinks that touched by the yoga religion should not be a “YOU ARE YOUR OWN PERSON AND YOU CONTROL YOUR OWN classes she attended reason for people to not HAPPINESS. NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU. ONCE that were instructed participate in yoga.

by Kim. Kareus YOU LET YOURSELF BELIEVE THAT, YOU’RE SO MUCH HAPPIER.” agrees in saying “Buddhism does have a large influence on yoga, CASANDRA KAREUS that Kim taught her but that shouldn’t deter not to worry about people from going,” Ethan said. “It is really and mentally.” the little things in life through the poems she about learning to accept yourself.”

Senior Nicole Meeks began practicing yoga recited at the end of each yoga practice.

Along with giving gratitude to Patanjali, because she was interested in Buddhism and “I really love when she tells us to leave there is also a lot of thanks given to mother meditation. Through yoga, she feels that she things in the past and live in the present earth and all living things. can de-stress and take a break to not think moment,” Kareus said. “I’ve had bad things “We want to connect to Mother Earth as well about anything for a while. Meeks has been happen to me in the past, and she really does as all other living things because we are all on doing yoga consistently for six months now, a great job of making me forget them and this beautiful journey together,” Kim said. “It but practiced for the first time in middle school moving forward.” is also very important to show gratitude to with her soccer team.

Kareus has been practicing yoga for a year. your body for showing up for you that day.”

“I didn’t appreciate yoga as much when I What brought her attention to yoga for the first As a yoga teacher, Kim loves to see her was younger,” Meeks said. “I think people time was from overhearing people talk highly students make positive changes after they underestimate how challenging yoga actually of it, and because she was a dancer and wanted begin doing yoga. Seeing people transform is. You feel so much more relaxed after you do to enhance her flexibility. After multiple is described as a beautiful thing to her as she it.” classes, Kareus became very interested in it sees them gain more confidence and become a Ethan has been practicing yoga for ten years and loved how calm she felt afterwards. better variation of themselves. Kim enjoys that at the studio where his mother teaches. Ethan “Yoga helped me find the peace within her classes create a sense of peace in a “sweet began his journey in yoga because it was free myself,” Kareus said. “My stress used to be so little community.” for him to go, since his mother owned the high, but now I am so much more relaxed and “It is a judge-free zone at all of my yoga studio, and because Kim always told him that see things in my life completely differently. I classes. Many students stay after and just talk it would leave his mind calm and would be started to really notice all of the close-minded to me, and making those connections is great,” something worth trying. people that surround us, and it just made me Kim said.

“I like how calming it is and how great I feel even more of an open-minded person.”

Yoga seems to become a growing trend after,” Ethan said. “I see things more clearly Stepping on the yoga mat involves forgetting currently, especially for those of high school after a yoga practice. The mental aspect brings the outside world and letting go of anyone

Forward Bend

This position stretches out the hamstrings.

The mind’s focus is turned inward.

Pigeon Pose

This position opens up the hips.

The mind is cleansed of emotion, it is the most emotional pose.

who is in the way today. Kim believes that it allows students to open up their hearts, free their minds, and find happiness in themselves with no worries about what anyone else is doing.

“Even if people try to bring you down,” Kareus said, “you are your own person and you control your own happiness. No one can take that away from you. Once you let yourself believe that, you’re so much happier.”

Peace, peace, peace Namaste

Headstand This requires core and arm strength and is the most commonly meditated posture of all.

Hannah Lasky | Illustrations Mercedes Hussein | Infographic

Child’s Pose

This position stretches out the back and the shoulders.

The mind becomes calmed and relaxed .

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Beautiful Mind & Body Healthy Lifestyle

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n third grade, Amelia Gullo stared enviously into the lunchboxes of her friends. White bread sandwiches with sweetened peanut butter and jelly, Little Debbie Hostess cakes, all things she was not allowed to eat. Looking into her own lunch box, she was met by her usual ham and cheese sandwich on whole grain bread, and fruit. The all-organic food that awaited her was certainly not her first choice at the time.

“At first, [eating all organically] made me jealous of the other kids and mad that I wasn’t allowed to eat the ‘good food,’” Amelia said.

“But as I got older, I developed a taste for healthy food and I have learned to appreciate and understand why my family tries to eat this way.”

Now a junior, Amelia has become very health conscious overall. With the influence of her father, Mike Gullo, she leads a lifestyle of eating organically. Organic foods are things that are grown and made without the use of any chemical input or antibiotics. In order to be truly organic, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) must first certify the food.

Mike’s interest in health and nutrition first fueled him to research the topic about seven years ago, and he has since shared this information and lifestyle with his family.

“Having someone as knowledgeable as my dad on this topic has taught me a lot about what is healthy to eat, living a healthier lifestyle, and about balancing my diet correctly,” Amelia said.

Eating organically requires a lot of extra work because reading labels is very important in ensuring that the food is indeed all organic.

“I definitely pay more attention to ingredients

in food and where my food is coming from,” Mike said. “It has taken some effort to seek out sources of organic food but it has been worth it.”

Along with reading labels, checking for a USDA certification on the packaging of the food is also very important. This certification shows that the product has been produced and processed up to national organic standards.

“Some big companies will put things in the food or pharmaceuticals that are organic but not USDA certified, so that people will think that they are getting all organic food but really they aren’t,” said Michelle Bone, owner of Nature’s Gift Organic Market.

H o we ve r , i n o r d e r t o o b t a i n a U S D A certification, the companies producing the food must pay a large fee. It is also more expensive to produce the food in an organic way. Though the Organic Market and organic food in general is a bit more expensive, to those who choose this lifestyle, it is worth the extra money.

“What you put into your body plays a big role in overall health,” Mike said. “I believe that a healthier lifestyle now will lead to better health and fewer problems as you age.”

Many studies, including those conducted by Stanford University, have proven this theory to be true. It is shown that taking in many synthetic chemicals can increase the risk of diseases and can lead to some cancers.

“Even though you might pay a little bit more for something now, hopefully in the long run it will give you immunity to some diseases and cancers because all of these chemicals are part of what is causing people to have these,” Bone said.

As more people are finding these connections, the market for organic food is skyrocketing.

As people are starting to realize the correlation between illnesses, such as some cancers, and chemicals in many common foods, lots of people are switching to eating all organically. Though it is more expensive, for those that chose this lifestyle, it is worth the extra money and effort.

Katie McIntyre | News Editor

Nature’s Gift Organic Market carries fresh produce along with a bulk food section, canned food, snacks, and pharmaceuticals. Everything in the store has been checked to make sure that everything that they carry is completely organic. Katie McIntyre | Photo People are gravitating toward this lifestyle now more than ever before.

“People are becoming more aware of what certain foods like fructose corn syrup and dyes can do to you,” Bone said. “People are more aware of alkalizing diets and the chemicals that are in most food.”

Those that have chosen to eat organically can feel the difference between their previous lifestyle and the organic route. The impact on overall health has been noticeable for Amelia.

“I believe that eating the way that we do has made me a healthier person and a more knowledgeable person and that this lifestyle will be carried with me when I am on my own and raising a family someday,” Amelia said.

Bone said being conscious of what she eats has made a big impact on how she feels.

“Non-organic food will bog you down. Eating non-pasteurized food will give you a lot more energy,” Bone said. “If you change your diet, you feel completely different.”

Jack Duly | Illustration

Grilled Cheese O rga ni c vs.

N o n - o r gani c Katie McIntyre | Infographic

14 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2013

Organic:

White Bread: Nature’s Gift Organic Market

$5.19 Non-organic: $.78 White Bread: Wal-mart

Organic:

Butter: Nature’s Gift Organic Market

$7.69

Non-organic: Butter: Meijer

$2.99

Organic:

Cheese: Nature’s Gift Organic Market

$6.49 Non-organic: Cheese: Target

$2.39

F E AT U R E S

Beautiful Mind & Body Journeying to a Beautiful Mind As new ways of staying healthy are becoming more popular, many people turn to meditation to relieve stress and find inner peace. Scout Parsch | Editor-in-Chief & Emily Resmer | Sports Editor

A

s each student closes their eyes and crosses their legs, the beating of a drum begins at a steady rhythm, allowing each person to reach a point of relaxation. While the eight minutes of drum beating proceeds, the sound becomes fainter to each of the 12 students in the room and they are able to focus on their own thoughts. The beating begins to increase rapidly and then slows to a low-tempo hum, bringing the class out of their meditative state. A dim light is turned on from a corner of the room and a voice reaches out to them: “So, how did that feel?”

“These are some of my favorite classes,” Midland’s Ways to Wellness store owner and meditation instructor Jeff Currier said. “I enjoy helping people demystify what meditation is so that they can use it to bring about personal growth and change.”

Jeff and his wife Jo Currier have owned the Ways to Wellness store for nearly four years.

They originally became interested in meditation in 2009 when their daughter became ill with migraine headaches, and was advised that the best therapy would be through the practice of meditation. Jeff and Jo instantly gained an appreciation for this practice and continued to use it themselves as a method of stress reduction and relaxation.

“I’m a lot calmer and I don’t react as quickly,” Jeff said. “The biggest thing that it has helped the most with is that it allows me to recognize the mellow-drama that occurs in my life and what role that I’m playing in it.”

The Curriers teach two different meditation

THE BENEFITS OF

Meditation

decreased stress increased energy lowers blood pressure decreased risk of heart disease enhances immune system

classes to teach students about the four main types of meditation: 1) focused concentration, where a person concentrates on one object such as a crystal; 2) focused generation, which is when a group is guided through the practice; 3) focused receptivity, as in yoga or walking; and 4) focused reflection, where a person focuses on a sound while they are aware of their surroundings.

Along with everyday anxiety reduction, meditation can also be useful for those with medical conditions, especially one that may be worsened by stress. These conditions include allergies, asthma, depression, binge eating, heart disease, high blood pressure, fatigue, substance abuse, and even cancer.

Former meditation instructor Michele Belson began meditating when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer to help herself cope with fear and stress. She also believes that it not only provides her with health benefits, but also helps her to better understand herself.

“It brings me a piece of mind,” Belson said.

“When centering your breath, it helps to calm your body and mind down. When releasing the craziness of the brain, you are able to function better.”

Belson has also seen how meditation has improved her relationships with friends and family.

“Being an instructor, it was my job to teach other people how to quiet their minds,” Belson said. “Meditation really makes you stop and smell the flowers and helps with becoming more in touch with your own relationships.”

WHAT DO YOU NEED? 1. a quiet place 2. a comfortable position 3. a meditative practice: CONCENTRATION uses and object to concentrate on, like a crystal.

GENERATION, also known as guided meditation.

RECEPTIVITY can be seen in the form of yoga.

REFLECTION is mediation to the beat of a sound.

Ways to Wellness store owner Jeff Currier leads his Learning to Meditate class through different types of meditation including reflection, concentration, generation, and receptivity. Currier holds meditation classes twice a month. Emily Resmer | Photo Sophomore Ju’Karri Cooper has also seen himself change along with the relationships around him through the practice of meditation.

After two years of frequent meditation, Cooper has become more easy going and less easily aggravated.

“Every time someone says that they’re mad or having a bad day or just stressed, the first thing I say to them is to try meditating,” Cooper said. “It gives me a clear head and I know what I have to do instead of always second guessing myself.”

The Ways to Wellness store holds meditation classes bimonthly. The sessions are open to any age; the Currier’s have had people attend their classes as young as age 11.

“The Learn to Meditate class is typically quite large with anywhere from 8-20 people,” Jeff said. That depends on the time of year. It used to be primarily age 30 and over but recently we’ve had a total of about a dozen high schoolers.”

History teacher Jeff Babin also feels that it is

JOURNEYING

TO FIND

oneself WHERE DO I START?

Breathing big full breaths Find your niche without distractions Make it part of your daily routine Get comfortable

important for his students to learn the benefits of meditation. Each year, Babin gives his students a lesson on how to meditate and what it can do for the body, mind, and soul.

“We live in a fast paced world with loads of pressures: pressures to win, pressures to be the best,” Babin said. “Meditation is something you do for yourself, when you can slow down for a few minutes each day, putting things into perspective, you are able to find that you have more patience for others.”

Many adults participating in yoga instruction hope to influence high schoolers to become active members of the practice to help them relieve stress and reach a point of Zen within themselves.

“Meditation helps to make a person more compassionate and more mindful,” Belson said.

“People tend to act on their emotions without thinking, but once you incorporate meditation into your thinking, you see things from a new perspective.”

Scout Parsch | Infographic

TIME SPENT PRACTICING? Keep it short enough to refresh the mind Start at just 10-15 minutes a day With experience you can move on to 20-30 minutes The health benefits comes with 20 minutes a day mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 15

S P O R T S

THE SPORTS

ZONE

Coaches and players reflect on their experiences with the winter sports seasons so far. Emily Fisher | Ads Coordinator & Jack Duly | Managing Editor

SPORTS BRIEFS BOYS

GIRLS

BASKETBALL

BASKETBALL Eric Krause

Coach: Eric Krause Record: 6-4 Top Performers: Austen Irrer, Jacob Dostal, Payton DeWildt.

Top Newcomers: Virgil Walker, Dylan Iseler, Matt Jarema Top Rebounder: Austin Irrer leading 7.1 per game Coach’s Quote: “We are very close to being a good team, we still have work to do, I believe by the end of the year we will be very good.”

Eric Krause

Winter Warriors This season’s top athletes 1. Senior Joey Adams practices his butterfly starts, turns, and finishes the day before the Tri-City invitational at Saginaw Valley College.

2. Freshman LeeAnn Rielle practices tutting for her routine she’s performing at the state competition on Feb. 8.

3. Senior Kyle Blackwood practices diving at the Dow High pool the day before the Tri City championship meet. He scored 288.4 points at the meet, his personal record Emily Fisher & Nick Wright | Photos

16 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2014

Elaine Coach: Elaine Mahabir Mahabir Record: 11-1.

Top Performers: Jess Walter, Emily Resmer, Jayden Williams.

Top Rebounder: Jayden Williams, leads with 8.9 per game Coach’s Quote: “I am very pleased with how my team has grown since the start of the season. The seniors have done a great job of transforming a young team with no identity into a group of ladies that are starting to look, act and win as a TEAM.” Elaine Mahabir

Joey Adams

Weights should be an IB class, because I be pumpin iron. @MariahSherman

STAT CENTRAL The last year someone scored over 1,000 points in MHS basketball Number of years since the boys swim team has won a Saginaw Valley Championship Number of ping-pong tournaments senior Jonathon Hentschel has won this year

LeeAnn Rielle

1983 35 6

Kyle Blackwood

Grade: Senior

Grade: Freshman

Grade: Senior

Sport: Varsity Swimming

Sport: Varsity Pom team

Sport: Varsity Diving

Stat: 100 freestyle - 1:00.63, 50 freestyle - 26.01

Stat: Making the varsity team as a freshman

Stat: 288.4 points in a diving competition

Favorite Memory: “When I made the varsity team, because everyone was really welcoming.”

Favorite Memory: “Diving off a 33-foot platform at the Michigan State diving camp, because you fall for so long and it’s really a rush.”

Favorite Memory: “Spaghetti dinners my freshman year because we would have a big Super Smash Bros tournament and we had a great team dynamic.”

Key to Success: “Never, never, never give up” -Donald Demko

Key to Success: “Practice a lot and pay attention when the coach is showing you what to do. Stay happy and positive or else you wont have any fun.”

Coach’s Take: “Joey has always been able to speak the words, now he is able to back his words with his actions.”

Pat Welter

Coach’s Take: “She is new to the varsity team, she shines in everything. She stands out in both practice and performance.”

Tracy Hall

Key to Success: “To not be afraid and to work hard because everything can be achieved if you just go for it.”

Coach’s Take: “Winners take chance, and he has worked hard in the off season to get where he is today.”

Pat Welter

Preparing to paddle S

P

O

R

T

S

Chemic Ping Pong Club is one of the latest sports trend this year. With their own ranking system and tournaments, students from a variety of sports are meeting everyday after school to showcase their ping pong talents. Dylan Rocha | Staff Writer & Colton Dexter | Staff Writer

Seniors Brendan Varilek, Noah Sanders and other ping pong players compete in the fourth tournament of the season. They meet every day in the girls loft at 2:25 to practice their skills. Since December it has been an official club. Dylan Rocha | Photo

T

he school bell has rung, students are leaving and ready to go home, but there is a group that is rushing to get to the girls loft right at 2:25. At this time, over 20 students are setting up ping pong tables, unpacking their paddles, and getting out ping pong balls. Immediately after setting up, the playing begins. The tension rises, and the playing gets serious as the zero to zero score is shouted from one end of the table and the first serve bounces over the net.

“We have football, tennis, and basketball players that can come together and bond during ping pong to form a sense of community amongst ourselves,” senior James Miller said.

The club started in 2011 with the original group consisting of 11 sophomores, who are now seniors. The club started as a leisurely activity to pass the time during lunch and after school. This new trend has caught the attention of many students. Now it has taken a more serious tone to becoming more competitive with tournament style play.

“Personally I wouldn’t rank high enough to be varsity, but being around them and their varying playing styles helps me and themselves to get better.”

Miller said.

As of December 10, ping pong has been declared an official Midland High club.

There are over 20 athletes in the club, and the top nine make up the varsity team, which consist of seniors, and two sophomores. The other players who show

up for tournaments are hoping to earn their varsity spot, or to see how they compare against the other players.

Although the team has many seniors, it welcomes new, younger members as well.

Sophomores Josh Hentschel and Korn Supatrabutra are continuously contenders for the semifinals, while sophomores Mason Dominowski and Nate Rapanos are playing to make varsity and improve their skills.

The team holds tournaments before every boys home basketball game, starting at 2:35. Tournaments are set against Traverse City Central High School, Dow High School, Saginaw Heritage High School and Northwood University.

To make this club official, Miller had to schedule meetings with the principal, vice principal and athletic director. He also is in charge up scheduling tournaments against other schools and reserving the girls loft for the team.

Gym teacher Will Luzar helps with assistant coaching the club. He purchased a new ping pong table and donated two additional tables. He still gives the club more equipment when needed, such as balls and paddles.

“Seeing 30 students all gathered at once playing ping pong is just do great to see,” senior Jonathan Hentschel said.

The two Hentschel brothers together have won all the tournaments so far this season.

Jon is on a three tournament win streak and won four of the six tournaments held so far. This winning from the Hentschel’s

originates from when they were younger.

Jon and Josh have been playing ping pong since they were little.

“When I was young my mother bought a ping pong table and my brother and I started playing.” Jon said.

Eventually ping pong became one of his passions. Since the tournaments started in 2011, Jon has played in every tournament and won nine out of all 18.

“Tournaments are my favorite time in ping pong,” Hentschel said. “All the different people from all the different sports is really neat.”

The rankings are made up of three different sets of polls which allow fans to see who the top players are, who is improving, and gives the players a chance to see where they stand amongst others.

Two of the polls are computerized. These two polls take into consideration the records of the players, their strength of schedule and other numerical stats. The third ranking is decided by the PCS, which is comprised of five different human polls from Brian Edlebrock, Eric Albright, Jon Hentschel, Eric Mier, and James Miller all put together.

On the third tournament of the year more players showed up than ever before. The fee to compete is $10, and is used to buy balls and repair broken tables.

The club plans to keep momentum going forward even after the seniors leave.

“Juniors and other lower classmen have been picked out to lead the club in the future to continue the club.” Miller said

Player Profiles

Take a look at the top performing ping pong players in the club.

Name: Jon Hentschel Record: 19 wins-2 losses Rank: 1 out of 25 Favorite Ping Pong moment: “Making it to the finals of all eight tournaments in 2012.”

Name: Korn Supatrabutra Record: 13 wins-7 losses Rank: 6 out of 25 Favorite Ping Pong moment: “Getting left alone at the Drew Davis’ house after the ping pong sleepover.”

Name: Eric Mier Record: 15 wins-6 losses Rank: 3 out of 25 Favorite Ping Pong moment: “Getting my first tournament victory last year against Nate Fisher.”

mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 17

S P O R T S

Controlling

the Court

Senior Jessica Walter, the all-time leader in points scored in school history, has been devoted to basketball all her life, and is ready to play at the next level. Nate Fisher | Staff Writer & Ben Luzar | Staff Writer

D

ead tired after her first ever travel basketball tournament, 8-year-old Jessica Walter crawled into her mom’s van. This was Jess’s first time ever playing on a full size court, as well as multiple games in one day. To her mother, D’Andra Walter’s, surprise, Jess plopped down in the backseat, took a deep breath and said, “That was awesome.”

From that moment on, D’Andra knew that Jess truly had a passion for the game of basketball.

Jess started playing recreational basketball in second grade at the community center, and continued playing there through sixth grade. On top of recreation league, Jess was also a part of the Midland Fastbreak Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball team starting in fourth grade up until this past year. Jess feels that playing for Fastbreak has been an important part of her success.

“You gain so much more time on the court, and more court experience from different situations,” Jess said.

The Fastbreak team, featuring standout players from around the Tri-Cities, has captured state championships in Jess’s seventh grade year and her eleventh grade year. During her time on the team, Fastbreak coaches Mark Juengel and D’Andra have gotten to be very familiar with Jess’s style of play.

“Jess has a unique blend of incredible athletic ability, a great work ethic and a really high basketball IQ. She can beat you in so many ways,” Juengel said. “She is a coach’s dream to have on your team, and nightmare to coach against.”

As a sophomore, Jess took a short leave from Fastbreak and tried out for a higher-level AAU team, the Detroit Crossover. As a part of Crossover, Jess had to attend practices on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon.

This would entail Jess waking up at around 5 a.m. to ensure they arrived at practice in time.

Furthermore, a travel team encompassing a larger region of higher-skilled girls meant traveling farther to tournaments. Despite the

18 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2014

Jess shoots a lay up [left] and defends [right] in a win over Bay City Central on January 14th. She scored 22 on the night, breaking 1,000 for her career. Nate Fisher | Photos hefty travel implications, Jess and her family thought it would be most beneficial to play in tournaments that would have more exposure to college scouts.

“Jess had college offers before playing Crossover,” D’Andra said. “But after Crossover, [the offers] lit up.”

Every day before Jess came home from school, D’Andra had already opened Jess’s mail, read it, and sorted it into piles best suiting Jess’s interests. This was years after receiving her first letter in eighth grade from the University of Michigan.

In addition to helping Jess with recruiting, D’Andra, who played college basketball at Michigan Tech, has always been Jess’s shooting coach.

“She would go out in the driveway and put me through shooting and dribbling drills; it

was always good having someone who knows the game around,” Jess said. “She always talks to me in ways to help me ‘think’ the game more, so I can see things and make reads that I may not have known were there.”

Jess has also had the opportunity to be a starter on varsity for all four years of high school. Being on the same team for four years has allowed for her to become in-sync with her coach, Elaine Mahabir.

“We have more of that relationship where she can be thinking something and I’ll know what it is, so she expects me to let people know what she’s thinking,” Jess said. “She holds me to that expectation of knowing what she wants.”

The two have accomplished a lot together, winning two district titles and one regional title in three years.

Jess’s most recent feat came in a win against Bay City Central, right before halftime.

Jess was fouled on a three pointer as time in the second quarter expired. She was currently at 999 career points and connected on two of the three free throws to become the second ever Chemic, and first ever female, to reach the 1,000-point milestone.

“It was really cool getting to 1,000, and how coach gave me the game ball was pretty sweet,” Jess said.

Jess was not affected by the pressure of standing at the free throw line in attempt to score her 1,000th point. She was well-prepared due to the strenuous shooting practices she puts herself through. What Jess calls a “quick” workout consists of making 100 jump shots and 50 free throws, as opposed to a “normal” workout, consisting of 300 jump shots and 100 free throws.

The Walters knew that a college decision for Jess was looming. Weekend after weekend of driving Jess to different colleges to watch games or meet coaches left D’Andra wondering if they were wasting their time.

That is, until they spent a weekend at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Jess liked what she saw from the very beginning, but IU was not ready to make a commitment until they saw her play in a tournament in Chicago the next weekend.

“That following week they called and offered. I thought about it for two weeks and committed,” she said. “After I visited the first time, I was like, ‘I love everything about it, I could totally see myself here!”

Jess is excited for her future at Indiana. She plans to study business, and has already been pre-admitted into the business school in hopes of one day opening her own restaurant. In terms of professional basketball, Jess has not entertained the thought yet.

“I haven’t really thought too much about it yet,” Jess said. “I’m sure if they opportunity were there, I wouldn’t be able to say no.”

For her MHS career, Jess goes down as the career leader in points, assists, three pointers, and free throws made.

S P O R T S

*= girls’ record

**= school record

Season

Points

Assists

3 Pointers Games Points **

Career

Assists

3 Pointers

**

*

Statistics as of 1/28/14

Games

Jess Walter

190

58

23

11 1076

299

115

79

Will Williams

156

30

26

9

710

145

108

72

Senior Will Williams’ athletic skills ** and natural leadership abilities have affected both his teammates and the basketball program at Midland High. Caroline Swiercz | Staff Writer & Emily Fisher | Ads Coordinator

W

ith the last seconds running down on opportunity to build his skills and play the court the clock, the varsity boys basketball effectively. Varsity basketball coach Eric Krause team is losing by two to Bay City said that if he could make the decision again, he Western. As a sophomore and new player on would have brought Williams up as a freshman, varsity, Will Williams puts up a shot that floats deciding not to because of not having chemistry over All- State Center, Matt Costello. The ball and being accepted by the team. The following sinks into the basket putting the game into year, Williams was moved up to varsity and overtime. Much has changed since that game became an essential player on the team. in 2012. Costello now plays for Michigan State “When he came up as a sophomore, we while Williams is a senior and getting ready to needed his talent. As a junior he was kind of wrap up a 3 year varsity career. like a co-leader with the other seniors. Now he’s “I became interested in basketball because The Guy,” Krause said. “He went from kind of my brothers played it a lot around me and got watching, to truly leading the rest of the team.” me involved,” Williams said. “It’s just an easier Krause said that Williams’ natural leadership sport that I can understand.” abilities and skill have affected the basketball Williams joined organized basketball leagues program in a positive way and Williams’ gives at the Midland Community Center after moving the program instant credibility. While on to Midland. He continued in the Community varsity, Williams tied school records in most Center leagues in sixth grade, and to increase points scored in both regular and post season. his skill he watched Krause said that a lot of videos “AS A JUNIOR HE WAS KIND OF Williams had a largely and researched a instrumental part in lot of college and LIKE A CO-LEADER WITH THE upsetting Saginaw professional players OTHER SENIORS. NOW HE’S THE High on their own and how they played. GUY. HE WENT FROM KIND OF court last season, a Williams then tried big achievement for out and made the WATCHING TO TRULY LEADING the Midland High THE REST OF THE TEAM.” seventh grade basketball program. b o y s b a s k e t b a l l In addition, ERIC KRAUSE team at Northeast Williams’ also has also Middle School. The positively affected the following year he came back and played on varsity basketball team. Krause also stated that the eighth grade team under Coach Christina Williams’ is able to take criticism and he is able Griffis. Williams comments that Griffis taught to set a standard for his teammates. him more about shooting and how to effectively “What makes Will stand out as a leader on use his speed to his advantage. the team is that he’s very popular and his ability “At the middle school level, Will showed a sets him apart, he has the most experience on great deal of physical prowess. He was very the team, he’s just natural,” Krause said. “He’s strong for his age and one of the fastest, if not always been the leader in his group for sports. the fastest, athlete on the basketball court. Will From the time he’s probably been in Midland.” also had an amazing court sense and presence Although Williams’ natural leadership on the basketball court,” Griffis said. “Overall, qualities have been able to help others, he’s Will made those around him better athletes by always had people there to support him. He said his knowledge of the game, his dedication, and many different parents he’s met, coach Krause, his overall commitment to the team.” and coach Mark Dickerson have helped him out Using his athletic ability, Williams easily through the years. transitioned into the high school basketball “In seventh grade, my best friend’s grandpa program. Williams was placed on the junior took me to a basketball camp. That kind of got varsity team his freshman year, giving him the me started and helped me out a bit and he’s

Will drives against Arthur Hill player Caylon Young in attempt to pull ahead in a tight game. The Chemics lost 70-63. Will is in the top eight points at MHS. Emily Fisher | Photo just been helping me out through the years,” Williams said.

Looking ahead, Williams aspires to attending Northwood University to play basketball. He’s planning on red-shirting as a freshman, he hopes to start as a sophomore.

In his high school career, William’s has been named first team All-Valley and made the Midland Daily News, the Dream Team.

Williams has made it to districts this past year

and will come out of Midland High athletics with achievements and lessons learned on and off the court.

“They taught me how to be a better player, a better person, and also it helped me out with getting better grades in school,” Williams said.

mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 19

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Clarinet Champions Senior Tanisha Frick and junior Kyle Franson (in front) practice weekly with the clarinet choir to prepare for the upcoming Solo and Ensemble festival. They hope to match last year’s score of a 1, the highest score that can be earned. Kelsey Pennock | Photo

Midland High’s clarinet choir is amazing many different audiences as they use skill and creativity to succeed both in Rhapsody Rendezvous and Solo and Ensemble festivals. Kelsey Pennock | Staff Writer & Michael Adams | A&E Editor

onths ahead of the other performers, junior Kyle Franson was already preparing for Rhapsody Rendezvous.

As a reviver of the new clarinet choir, he was determined to turn the choir’s performance into something to remember for not only the audience, but the performers as well. Franson dedicated more than 80 hours to arranging Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” in order to create the perfect adaptation for the choir.

“In arranging, you get to see how the different melodies, chords, and harmonies come together,” Franson said. “You make something that is such a popular song, something that has existed for 30 to 40 years, into your own.”

Franson and his friend, junior Shane Talbot, originally approached music teacher Kathy Peretz in December of 2012 about creating a clarinet choir similar to one that had briefly existed in the past at Midland High. Most of the members of the symphonic band clarinet section play in the choir. The group is especially unique because of all of the variations of the

same instrument within the group.

“An all-clarinet group has a variety of ranges and timbres,” Peretz said. “When we put it all together, we have a choir that resembles the sound of a huge pipe organ.”

In addition to regular clarinets, the choir features a number of less common varieties such as the high-pitched E-flat clarinet or the alto clarinet. The choir even has a contra bass, which can produce notes lower than a tuba.

The group continued to gain momentum as they went on to perform in multiple concerts, and eventually for Rhapsody Rendezvous with “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

“I felt Rhapsody went really well,” Franson remarked. “Before I even started arranging this piece, I had this goal of not being like the other clarinet choirs that I had seen on YouTube who were extremely bland.”

Senior Tanisha Frick preformed as the main soloist in the Rhapsody act. She and the other members of the clarinet choir were not only expected to play the complicated music, but to orchestrate creative choreography at the same

time.

“Out of all the acts in Rhapsody, we wanted to stand out and be the most entertaining, and that’s where the choreography came in. I’ve never played air guitar with a clarinet before,” Frick said.

Although the show went well, it required three months of practicing twice a week, and it was often difficult not to get distracted.

“One of the hardest parts is to not only maintain everyone else’s focus but to maintain focus yourself,” Franson said. “When we’re doing an intense piece with choreography that we’re also creating on our own, it can get challenging.”

Rhapsody was only one of the many performances that the choir has been a part of since it was created. Last spring, the choir earned top ratings at both District and State Solo and Ensemble festivals, and the choir has felt the pressure of doing just as well this year.

The Solo and Ensemble festival, sponsored by the Michigan Band and Orchestra Association, allows students to play in various solo and

group events and receive a rating based on their performance.

In this year’s Solo and Ensemble festival, the choir plans on performing a piece arranged

by Peretz titled Farandole. Although Peretz normally directs the choir and is available to assist them, the group often takes the initiative to solve their problems independently.

“I help the clarinet choir whenever they need me, but I love to see them work out much of their music on their own, which helps to develop their collaborative skills as well as their musicianship,” Peretz said.

Because of its small size, ranging from 10 to 15 members for each practice, the atmosphere of the choir remains friendly and laid back.

The musicians are not only brought together by the instruments, but by the friendships made in the club.

“When it’s time to get serious, sometimes we have a hard time doing that because we’re all having a lot of fun, because making music is awesome,” Frick said. “The best part is the music and the friendships.”

A clarinet is usually made of: A) Plastic B) Fiberglass C) Wood

What family is the clarinet in?

A) Woodwinds B) Strings C) Percussion

3)

What is a glissando?

A) A slide from one note to another B) Playing softly C) A type of clarinet

Which popular cartoon character plays the clarinet?

A) Timmy Turner B) Squidward Tentacles C) Porky Pig

Which continent is the largest contributor to the material used to make clarinets?

A) Europe B) South America C) Africa

C l ari net

Check out this interesting trivia to see how well you know your clarinets!

1) 2)

4)

5)

Quiz

Answers Key: 1) C 2) A 3) A 4) B 5) C

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Michael Adams | Sidebar

Source: http://www.funtrivia.com/en/Music/Clarinet-17569.html

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Performing with a purpose

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Tying for first place in the district competition, the cast and crew of The Yellow Boat have been practicing for 11 weeks to prepare for regionals.

This story has had a personal impact on the drama program with its theatrical interpretation of a true story. Jack Duly | Managing Editor

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hank you all for coming on such short notice. We need to ask for some help… ” David Saar, played by senior Gabe Klotz, says to a group of his friends, “Benjamin has tested… positive… for the AIDS virus.”

Saar’s friends step back, in front of their children, trying to create a barrier between them and the disease no one knows anything about.

This is a scene from the The Yellow Boat, a true story about an 8-year-old boy named Benjamin Saar, who died in 1987 due to complications after contracting HIV from a blood transfusion.

The play was written by Benjamin’s father, and tells the story of how his family dealt with this disease.

This is the piece that the drama club has selected to perform for this year’s competition show. They have been working tirelessly in order to memorize every line and perfect every cue. The success of the show depends on the director’s eye for detail and the hard work of the cast and crew.

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The Director

Standing below the stage where the pit orchestra would usually be, director Megan Applegate reviews upcoming events for the show. On the stage, the cast and crew sit in a semi-circle around her, giving her their full attention.

“Any other questions, concerns, or smart remarks?” Applegate says, finishing her speech. “Okay then, while people are changing could stage crew and stage managers do some spiking? Then I want to run the show.”

With that, the cast departs out the backdoor behind the stage. The stage crew stays behind to place tape where each object goes within the box for each scene. Applegate watches from the orchestra pit the entire time.

“Are we sure we want the boxes like that?”

Applegate asks.

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She starts climbing up onto the stage and begins rearranging the boxes. The entire time she is bouncing ideas off of senior Hunter Marsh on how the boxes should be arranged for efficiency.

“I like them this way better,” Applegate finally says. “They are less cluttered. Exits were getting crowded and people were tripping over boxes, now people can enter easily from the back.”

When she finishes on stage, she makes her way down to the pit and grabs her coffee that she has previously forgotten about since arriving. Stage Manager Liz Silverstein, a senior, directs the cast from outside into the wings of the stage to start practicing scenes that the cast had trouble with the previous day.

As the run-through of the introduction scene begins, Applegate watches the cast from the center of the pit. To get a full view of the performance, she moves from the right side of the pit to the left. When that scene finishes, the cast moves on to the next. The entire time, Applegate is standing in the pit, critiquing their performance, constantly moving around, never standing still for more than a few seconds. Her coffee sits on the stage, completely forgotten. In her eyes, this show has to be perfect.

“I first saw this show when I was a theater major at Western Michigan University,” Applegate says. “We met the playwright, who is the father of Benjamin, and it struck me.”

This show is also personal to Applegate because she sees her own family in this play.

Her son was sick when he was about Benjamin’s age and had to be in the hospital for a short amount of time. She knows, in some ways, how Benjamin’s parents felt.

As the practice winds to a close, Applegate calls the cast out to the front of the stage to talk about what went wrong and what needs to be improved. The auditorium is dead silent. No one but Applegate is talking. She talks about some of the problems with live theatre, and

Sophomore Josiah Greiner acts out a scene from The Yellow Boat, a dramatic theatre piece.

He is working on accurately portraying the character Benjamin as an authentic 8-yearold instead of a cliche child. He does this by observing how his younger brother acts in everyday life at home to correctly characterize Benjamin. Nick Wright | Photo how the cast needs to work to overcome them.

Finally, she ends her speech on an inspirational note.

“We need to care about this story. Remember that Benjamin is eight, he’s sick and little and in pain and confused,” Applegate says. “If he was alive today, he would be about 30, probably painting somewhere. I think it is important that justice be done to this story every time it is performed.”

The Cast & Crew After being dismissed from their daily meeting, the cast scatters off the stage and out the backdoor into the hallway. Some linger, eating McDonalds that they bought before rehearsal. Others move into a bright woodshop, directly across from the back door, forming a tight circle, chatting about the events of the day.

As the crew finishes preparing the stage for practice, the cast crowds into the side of the stages hidden behind the large, black curtains.

“Midland High School, are you ready?”

Applegate shouts from where she is standing in the orchestra pit.

“Midland High is ready,” the cast shouts back in unison as they begin the first run through of their performance.

This exchange between the cast and judge is unique to competition show because it signals the start of the timer. In the actual show, the cast will have 25 minutes to set up the stage and 45 minutes to perform and then get off the stage.

The play begins with a child therapist handing a drawing to two parents and all together saying, “Always.” Standing on the largest box in the center of the stage, holding a blue rescue

hero’s plane, sophomore Josiah Greiner begins moving his arms like the hands of a clock.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Blast off,” Greiner says slowly, quickening his pace between each number.

On cue, the rest of the cast storms onto the stage from each wing, each shouting their lines over each other to create a chaotic but organized moment.

“Yellow Boat is a modern theater piece. It’s not like what we read in class like Greek drama, like you read here and exit here,” senior Gabe Klotz said. “There are lots of people like a chorus that comes on and do stuff and they all have different lines and they blend together. It’s all about the overall picture and not the individual lines.”

As the practice continues, the cast acts out each scene of the play, occasionally being stopped by Applegate, who critiques them on their performance and suggests how to improve it.

All of this paid off on Jan. 25 when the cast and crew tied for first place with John Glenn at their district competition at in Bay City. This qualified the show to compete at the regional level at Holland High School on Feb. 7-8.

“It was really incredible because the judges thought we were on the same level as John Glenn, which has a great drama program and put on a phenomenal show,” said senior Melinda Kothbauer, a dancer in the movement chorus. “It was really inspiring and incredible.”

Tomorrow at four o’clock they will be back in the theatre again, continuing to perfect the show. The story of Benjamin lives on through the cast and crew within this performance.

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Films de Français All of Rachel Grunder’s short films are created from scratch, and written and preformed completely in French. Her video editing skills continue to amaze her teachers and fellow students. Nick Wright | Staff Writer & Christiana Haight | Staff Writer

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er first project was a short video for her eighth grade French class, and this one assignment sparked junior Rachel Grunder’s passion for cinematography. She started out small - using only Windows Movie Maker and filming with a point-and-shoot camera. But after her first successful video, Grunder became interested in creating videos whenever the chance arose.

Since the first video, Grunder has created many more videos and upgraded her equipment. She now uses a self-assembled green screen that she has set up in her basement, and has a professional grade movie editing software on her computer along with a new camera. Grunder does not just take out a camera and start filming, though. There is a process she goes through to ensure the success of every short film that she makes.

“We start by writing a script and gathering the props that we think we’ll need,”, said junior Emma Herron, Grunder’s close friend and frequent French partner. Herron often appears in Grunder’s films and projects.

First, they sit down to write their script. When all that is done, the two of them then set a date for the cast to meet. They set up the backdrop, get their props, and film the scenes. Filming usually only takes them one day. After the filming is done, Grunder puts the footage on her

background, but has started to experiment with the many other uses that the green screen can have.

Grunder, being an avid fan of Harry Potter, once used one of the movie’s techniques to create moving pictures on a newspaper in one of her most recent videos. She used lime green duct tape over the place where the picture would be, and then added in the video clip afterwards, changing it to the color scheme of newsprint.

Grunder uses special software to manipulate the greenscreen and add other special effects.

She currently has Sony Vegas 11, a professional grade video editing software, to edit her films.

“It’s a pretty versatile program. I can do the usual footage cutting with it, but it’s really great for special effects.” Grunder said.

She originally used Windows Movie Maker, one of the most fundamental video editing programs that exist.

“At the time, I thought that [Windows Movie Maker] was the coolest thing ever.” Grunder said. Now that she has Vegas 11, she sees how much more she can do and create in her videos - and how to make her ideas come to life. “ I can take a simple circle drawn in Microsoft Paint, add just two effects in my program, and the result is a glowing ball of light. It makes it so much easier for my ideas to become a reality,” Grunder said.

Rachel Grunder with her camera, and green screen setup that she created by herself using lime green poster board she had bought from Wal-Mart. Nick Wright | Photo

people that has seen nearly all of Grunder’s work, due to the fact that most of Grunder’s videos have been made for her French class projects.

“Rachel has always done high quality work in my class and I would expect her videos to be high quality as well, but I was not expecting the level of detail or technical expertise that went into them. I did not know she was so talented with video editing,” Rankin said, enthusiastic about having Grunder in her class for the first time during her freshman year, in French Three.

The most recent video that Grunder created was an elaborate piece titled Le Petit Prince, a “RACHEL HAS ALWAYS DONE HIGH QUALITY WORK IN MY CLASS humorous video about the book that they all AND I WOULD EXPECT HER VIDEOS TO BE HIGH QUALITY AS WELL, read in their class. It was the first major film BUT I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE LEVEL OF DETAIL OR TECHNICAL that featured so many scenes utilizing her green EXPERTISE THAT WENT INTO THEM. I DID NOT KNOW SHE WAS SO screen and special effects.

“Since ninth grade I think her technique has WITH VIDEO EDITING.” TALENTED WITHTALENTED VIDEO EDITING.”

probably improved a lot.” Rankin said.

FRENCH TEACHER, AMY RANKIN “The fact that I remember the Petit Prince video so well but not the ones from French computer and prepares to edit. She has a wide Whenever Grunder makes a major video, she Three probably says a lot.” Grunder has made variety of techniques, hardware, and software collaborates with others; almost always with around ten videos so far but is looking forward to making more in the future. She has only that she uses to ensure that her videos will be people from her French class. successful.

“Whenever I’m doing anything big, it’s worked on school projects thus far, but she plans The most useful tool that Grunder utilizes always with other people. Otherwise it’s just me on branching out and making more videos on for her projects is the green screen that she playing around with the effects” Grunder said. her own time as the year progresses.

“I’d really like to do something that’s not for assembled in her basement, turning it into her Herron is one of the most involved, as she has very own film studio. helped with almost every movie that Grunder school.” Grunder said. ”Just to be really creative and fun.”

“I bought all of Wal-mart’s lime green poster has made. board,” Grunder said, laughing.

“I act in the videos along with a few of the She uses the greenscreen in many different other students in our french class,” Herron said. ways. She can be seen using the tool as a French Teacher Amy Rankin is one of the

Which camcorder is right for you?

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Price: $868.98 Resolution: 2.96 mega pixels LCD size: 2.7 inches Information from cnet.com

mhsfocus.com | FOCUS | 23

Dating on a Dime A

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Dates can easily end up being an expensive amount when they don’t have to. The Focus will help you plan a nice date, that won’t break the bank. Michelle Demo | Web Editor & Natalie Schwartz | Staff Writer What To Give

What To Do

$10-20 date

Ice skating may seem cliché, or just plain cold, but a date at the Civic Center can actually be quite fun. Attempting to skate, holding hands to stay up, and even trying to race each other would turn a fun date into a wonderful one.

$1

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What To Do

$20-30 date

Hanging out will always be the cheapest option for a date. With as much snow that Midland has received, you and your date can go sledding down the hills at City Forest for absolutely nothing. If sledding isn’t exactly your cup of hot chocolate, build a snow man!

FR

What To Do

date

I wouldn’t want a lot, a simple gift and to be with her, maybe a movie but [it] doesn’t matter really.”

Matt McInerney “I don’t want anything extravagant! I’m just happy with some of my favorite chocolate and being with him.”

A homemade card lets you tell your boyfriend or girlfriend exactly how they make you feel without having Hallmark trying to do it for you. Then, if you really want to give a cute gift, you can make a hug or kiss coupon to let your date redeem at any time.

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What To Give

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$30-40

$5

What To Give

For a different and quirky date, head over to the Community Center and try your hand at the rock wall. You can compete to get to the top and even help each other reach your climbing goals. While you are climbing, you can test your hand eye coordination.

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“I’m a sucker for the handwritten note a n d c a n d y, b u t doing something like ice skating or going for a walk is the best thing that could ever happen.”

$5

Asian Express offers an inexpensive yet delicious meal. With a huge menu and friendly staff, not to mention the city’s best Yum-Yum sauce, this restaurant turns the awkward Valentine’s Day date into a comfortable one.

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What To Eat

Making your gift opens the doors to many possibilities. A homemade gift can be as simple as a batch of cupcakes, or a loving poem to express how much that person means to you. You can even get creative with a can of Crush soda saying, “I have a Crush on you!”

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“I’ve never been good at getting c reative, bu t ic e skating and walks is what I really enjoy. A movie is too typical for Valentine’s Day, but Olive Garden would be very nice.”

One of the most iconic Valentine’s Day dates is sharing a cold and sweet ice cream treat. Dairy Queen is the perfect place to bring your date for some ice cream, conversation, and a great time.

What To Eat

The two most well-known things to give as a gift on Valentine's Day are: 1)chocolate and 2) chocolate in the shape of something c u t e .

Unless your significant other doesn't enjoy chocolate, this gift would be perfect.

Emily Riley 24 | FOCUS | FEB 6, 2014

What To Eat

Olive Garden is a romantic and quiet place to grab a bite to eat with your Valentine. Offering a wide variety of Italian pasta or soup choices, Olive Garden’s tasty choices fills the pages of the menu, and the salad and bread sticks are limitless.

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Want more ideas on what to give your date for Valentine’s Day? Then scan the QR code below to go the Focus’ new Pinterest board!

Don’t have a QR scanner? No problem! Here’s the URL: www.pinterest. com/focus0787/ dating-on-a-dime/

Maggi Dahl

Phillip Wandor

Michelle Demo | Illustrations