2014 Newspaper A Cut Above

The Best of the Best from the 2013-2014 Individual Category Newspaper Contest Michigan Interscholastic Press Association

October 2015 Dear Friends of Journalism:

T

his is the 17th issue of Michigan Interscholastic Press Association’s A Cut Above, which contains the best of high school journalism in Michigan. The purpose of this publication is twofold: 1) to showcase the first-place winners in the MIPA Individual Category Newspaper Contest and 2) to act as a guide for students and advisers preparing contest entries for this year’s competitions.

In the following pages you will find stories and art by firstplace winners among the five divisions 1, 2, 3, 4 and Middle School for newspaper. We have included category descriptions and judging criteria for each category.

Schools are placed into divisions based on student enrollment (we use numbers from the the National Center for Education Statistics). Division 1 contains the largest schools; Division 4 contains the smallest. We try to make sure each division includes an equal number of schools.

We are proud of all the winners and wish we could have published all of them, but size and space dictated how many, and in some cases, which ones, were included. Since all the winning entries were retyped to fit the format, we apologize for any errors. Please remember these are just a sampling of the award-winning work from the contest.

If you would like to help judge entries for this year’s Individual Category Contests, please call the MIPA office at 517-353-6761 email mipa@msu.edu, or visit www.mipamsu. org/judge. Judging will take place on March 1, 2014, at the Michigan State University School of Journalism. We need you!

I’d like to thank C.E. Sikkenga, MIPA’s newspaper chair; Pam Bunka of Fenton HS, yearbook chair for the 201314 academic year; Diane Herder, video chair; and Jeremy

The Cover Photo Photo by Monica Bradburn Fenton HS First Place Winner News/Feature Photo Division 3

Whiting, new media chair. MIPA’s contests couldn’t happen without the hard work of these talented folks, who run the contests in their content area.

I’d also like to thank Haley Kluge, Kelsey Parkinson and Alex Everard, MIPA’s office helpers for 2013-14, who helped organize contest entries, provided assistance on judging day and put together this year’s issues of A Cut Above.

Finally, I’d like to thank all the wonderful advisers, the MIPA executive board, The State News staff members, professional journalists and School of Journalism faculty for giving up a chunk of your Saturday to come to help judge and encourage a new generation of journalists. Without you, of course, there would be no winners!

For complete information about all of the contests, please check out the MIPA website at www.mipamsu.org.

Sincerely,

Jeremy W. Steele MIPA executive director

Published by Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Michigan State University School of Journalism 404 Wilson Road, Room 305 East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: 517-353-6761 Fax: 517-355-7710 mipa@msu.edu mipamsu.org

News Story

EATING LUNCH IN THE HALLWAYS TO BECOME A THING OF THE PAST Olivia Lang Grosse Pointe South HS Abolishing students’ ability to sit and eat in the hallways during lunch, new guidelines in response to a recommendation from the fire marshal will be put into effect once classes resume after winter break or soon thereafter, principal Dr. Matt Outlaw said.

In addition to the recommendation from the fire marshal, problems with noise and trash have also led to the decision to stop students from eating in the hallways, Outlaw said. “(The trash has) been ridiculous, there’s been so much garbage left on the floor this year and it’s everywhere,” said Outlaw. “There are two classrooms within the circle area (where students are currently allowed to sit during lunch) and the noise can be an issue for them.”

Outlaw employed a temporary solution last Thursday, Dec. 5 which stated students may only sit on one side of the hallway in order to clear a pathway. He is currently working with members of the Student Association (SA) to develop new rules that eradicate altogether the use of hallways as a lunch destination.

“If you watch somebody trying to get down the hall they’re literally weaving in and out,” said Outlaw. “Our requirements are to have a safe, safe environment, and the crowds in that hallway are bringing into question that safety.”

One of Outlaw’s main concerns is that the added stringency to the hallway rules will detract from the students’ freedom that he finds to be a strength of the school, he said.

“This is kind of a college feel at South. We don’t want to lose that. We want students to have a lot of freedom.

We allow students to come and go, but at the same time we have to manage the building,” said Outlaw. “I want to come up with a middleground thing where we can have the hallways safe and free, but still maintain that freedom feel.”

Because these new rules will be eliminating some of the lunchtime eating spots, more places to eat will need to be added, Outlaw said. Ideas for these new lunchtime eating locations are the girls gym and the cafeteria in the Boll Center. Cleminson Hall could also be made available during lunch as a study place, but food would be prohibited.

“A place where kids could sit on the ground and study where it wouldn’t be a hazard would be nice because I think they just like the idea of sitting in a circle and talking,” said SA member Katharine Kuhnlein ’16.

Using the girls gym as a place to eat lunch does not deviate far from its past. It was used as a cafeteria before the commons opened, Outlaw said. However, being that it is a gym, it could not have the collegiate feel of the cafeteria or commons, and there is a fear of scratching the floors, but it is very centrally located. “(The girls gym) is one of our major practice facilities.

Up until 2007 when the commons was opened, it was the second cafeteria, and we still used it for cheerleading practice and gymnastics and other sports,” said Outlaw.

“We already have the tables, so we wouldn’t have to buy anything.”

On the other hand, the cafeteria in the Boll Center has the opportunity to be glamorized, Outlaw said.

Outlaw proposed that with creative thinking, the cafeteria in the Boll Center could become very enticing despite the long walk. “It could become like a lounge, it could take on a coffee house feel to it, or it could become Seniors only or something,” said Outlaw. “We can redo some things, we can talk furniture.”

The cafeteria in the Boll Center currently has 80 seats, but there is room to add even more, Outlaw said. The main problem is its location. For a student on the first floor of the main building, getting to the cafeteria would mean crossing into the Boll Center and trekking up three flights of stairs.

“This (the Boll Center cafeteria) is really cool,” said SA Member Lindsay Stanek ’16. “It’s just far.”

Another problem that would be faced if the cafeteria in the Boll Center were opened up for lunches involves redistributing hall monitors in order to make sure students are not running around the building or eating where they should not be, Outlaw said.

Even though the cafeteria in the Boll Center has the potential to become a lounge type of area, students’ opinions might ultimately come down to location. “(The girls gym) would be most popular among the student body,” said SA historian Rachel Forcillo ’14. “It’s really close.”

A group of SA members will be reconvening with Outlaw Friday, Dec. 13 to present to him ideas regarding the new lunch locations, Outlaw said.

“I don’t want to decide what we’re doing; I want students to be creative, and I want them to come back to me,” said Outlaw. “It’s your school. I’m a visitor, and I honestly think that is one of the strengths of this school, that we look to the students to lead and if we actually believe that, the students need to be in the drivers seat, so we’re presenting a problem to the students and we’ll work together to form a solution.”

News Story

News stories report but not interpret events that have news value and timeliness to the publication’s readers. Either advance or follow-up stories may be included in this category.

Guidelines

• sharp, attention-getting lead that underscored news story importance • shows thorough reporting skills • effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources • avoids opinion unless properly attributed • sentences, paragraphs of varied lengths; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar; use of third person • uses inverted pyramid or other appropriate story construction

First place winners by division 1 Olivia Lang Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Lia Williams Traverse City Central HS 3 Morgan Van Hoof Dexter HS 4 Jett Jones Ann Arbor Community HS M Andrea Bavikatty Traverse City East MS

A Cut Above 3

News Analysis News Analysis

Stories should be interpretive by nature, not straight news stories. The elements of “why” and “how” should be examined through thorough research, but the writer’s opinions should not be expressed.

Guidelines

• sharp, attention-getting lead that underscores news story importance • clarifies the news elements, i.e. timeliness, nearness, impact, prominence • clarifies through research the background necessary to understand current news • develops an understanding of the issues/problems through interviews with varied and balanced sources.

• avoids personal opinions unless properly attributed • sentences, paragraphs of varied lengths, written clearly, concisely and vividly • effective use of facts/ quotes from both primary and secondary sources • proper diction/grammar; use of third person

First place winners by division 1 Camille Douglas Rochester HS 2 Lauren Semack & Haley Reid Grosse Pointe North HS 3 Emma Dolan Wylie E. Groves HS 4 Madeline Halper & Marcelo Salas Ann Arbor Community HS M Gabrielle Nahhas East Hills MS

PARENTS SEEK SOLUTIONS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION ISSUES Lauren Semack & Haley Reid Grosse Pointe North HS “The more we talked about it, we realized, ‘Oh my gosh there are a lot of really bad things happening.”

Parent Julie Moe, a member of the Down Syndrome Guild of Grosse Pointe, is one of many pleading with the district for inclusion of their special needs students. Moe and her husband Philip moved their three children to Grosse Pointe for the schools.

Their youngest, one-year-old Max, had Down Syndrome. The Down Syndrome Guild has met with administration since July, but at the Board meeting on Jan. 27, they re-voiced their concerns.

“So it’s not just kids with Down Syndrome. There are many other kids with other cognitive disabilities who had the same problems with inclusion, so it started with inclusion, but now it’s far more than that.”

The Guild requests that the district create an inclusive preschool program rather than its current segregated programs that exist at Barnes Early Childhood Center.

“When my daughter was at Barnes, they had a preschool with general ed students, and they included her all the time in there,” Karen Grobbel, parent of a special needs middle-schooler, said. “And now, for some reason, that’s not happening and (the parents are) very frustrated.”

Director of Student Services Stefanie Hayes believes assimilation into a gen ed classroom is a critical piece to success for these children.

“Our kids have to have access to the gen ed curriculum and their gen ed peers that are non-disabled,” Hayes said. “So we have to start with that in mind and then work on what their needs are and how we can supplement the aides and services to help in those areas.”

Joan Mason is an advocate for these students and their parents. She has a 23-year-old special needs daughter who graduated from North.

“Honestly, inclusion’s the kind of thing that has to be done from the top, and we have a failure of leadership and have had,” Mason said. “We’ve never had a superintendent take up the ball and say, ‘Okay, as a district this is something we really want to support.”

Moe said that during their first meetings with Hayes was when she started having worries about her son’s inclusion when he reached preschool.

“I remember one of the things she said at those meetings, which was ‘The law gives us wiggle room.’ That was my first area of concern, that instead of pushing for our kids, they’re finding all the legal loopholes,” Moe said.

Hayes said “consistency and alignment from level-to-level” is a “have-to-have” and that having a “continuum available for kids at all different levels of need” is mandatory by law.

According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, special education children are to be educated in a gen ed environment with typical students and are only removed if that education cannot be “achieved satisfactorily” in that environment.

Mason said this is where these “loopholes” can be created because the section of the law that specifies a least restrictive environment is ambiguous, and nowhere does it explicitly define inclusion.

“There have been parents who have seriously opted for inclusion, and it has been the equivalent of declaring war on the school district because it’s been a constant, constant fight, and it shouldn’t be,” Mason said.

Parents at the Board meeting also showed concern regarding

a perceived loophole in the law where special education students are in a classroom with a gen ed teacher but without typical peers present.

There is no requirement for gen ed teachers to have experience working with special education students, but Hayes said they provide training on professional development days.

“We have staff that are interested and willing all the time to work on professional development days that offer training for accommodations and modifications in the gen ed environment,” Hayes said.

Hayes also said that in the past, special education classroom assistants were not required to hold anything higher than a high school diploma, but that the administration now looks for stronger qualifications.

“They have some really great people, but when it comes to specific things like working on certain things in the classroom ... that person just sometimes doesn’t have that experience,” Grobbel said. “We’ve been trying to help the district with that for a while, and they were making some really good improvements when they had their last director of special education, but they’ve kind of halted.”

The district changed the qualifications for future aides in 2012, requesting a higher skill set.

“Right now, we are looking at having any new classroom assistants have their associates (degree) or passed what’s called the WorkKeys. It’s kind of a global skill set test ... For highly qualifying, you definitely want someone with an associates or the WorkKeys,” Hayes said. “But the people who had come in prior may have only come in with a high school diploma.”

Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) are another central source of conflict between administration and parents. Once a year, the district works with parents to create a specialized behavior and education plan that best fits a child’s needs. There was an influx of parents whose children were autistically or cognitively impaired or have Down Syndrome who complained during the Jan. 27 Board meeting of being intimidated and unfairly treated during these annual meetings.

“You’re not supposed to have their IEPs already planned out before you go into the meetings, but when they get there, they’ve already written all over the form. It’s like walking into a class, and the teacher has already given you your grade,” Grobbel said.

In some accounts, parents have cited that the district has brought its attorney to be present at the meetings.

“That is intimidation, and my advice is to all parents who walk into the room in that scenario is to adjourn that meeting and walk right back out,” Mason said. “There should never be a time that a parent walks into a room to find legal representation from the district whim they have not been aware that that is going to be the case.”

However, superintendent Dr. Thomas Harwood said that an attorney can be present to assist the process.

“There are times because of the complications associated with special ed requirements and rules that we may need an attorney present to help assist us in the interpretation of those particular rules,” he said.

Harwood said that the ‘administration will continue to meet with the parents.

“The Board, we make sure that any policies, laws, or procedures are appropriately put in place and followed,” Harwood said. “That federal and state laws are appropriately put in place and aligned with our policies.”

Mason has dealt with IEPs for almost 20 years, beginning when her daughter went through the district. Now, she

See Solutions continued on page 40 4 A Cut Above

Editorial

OUR VIEW: AP, IB CLASSES DON’T BELONG TOGETHER Staff Dexter HS AP English Language and IB English II will be combining for the 2014-2015 school year. While we applaud the district’s attempt to save money and consolidate resources through this move, in the end these classes are likely to different to integrate successfully.

This can best be demonstrated through an analogy from Pincipal Kit Moran. He said AP classes are like a long, thin rectangle, covering a large amount of topical material.

IB classes, he said, are more like a shorter, deeper rectangle, covering a smaller amount of material with more scope.

Through a general statement, which such differences in shape and style, or in this case the material being covered, classes within the AP and IB classes cannot be expected to combine together with any element of congruity.

Beyond the differing basics of the programs, the dynamics of the courses are also not in alignment.

AP classes are year-long courses, aiming for a single test at the end of the year. IB classes are two-year-long courses, aiming for a single test at the end of the second year.

Furthermore, the grading scales are also different. In AP, class work is worth 80 percent of a student’s grade, while the final exam is worth 20 percent.

In IB, more like a college course, class work is 20 percent and the final exam is 80 percent. And even more differences can be seen when looking at specific classes.

For instance, traditional AP English Language courses focus on non-fiction.

IB English II works more with fiction. While the grammar and vocabulary taught in both courses are

similar, IB English II is more closely related to an AP English Literature course, which students traditionally take their senior year.

In addition, IB focuses on an international, world view. This is in sharp contrast to AP, which is an American program from the College Board.

This results in a disconnect between curriculum. AP English Literature students reads canon books while IB English II students generally read more international books from authors with a wider variety of cultural background.

Despite the differences between the programs, the distrct has considered combining AP and IB classes since DHS became an IB school, according to Moran. To him this combination is logical as he said both programs have the same end goal: preparing students for college.

And it makes even more sense to him considering financial and logistical needs such as an IB high-level math and chemistry class each consisting of two students.

This also seems to point to the combination of other AP and IB classes as declining state revenues pressure the district to increase class sizes and combine resources.

While such blended classes can save money for the district and be more efficient for teachers, the differences between these two programs create learning environments that should not be combined.

While both programs are beneficial in aid and preparing college-bounds students, AP and IB should remain as separate options for studentsß to chose their own.

Editorial

Editorials should represent the opinion of the staff, editors or editorial board on a timely news matter of concern to the school, community, state, nation or world. They may express appreciation, offer interpretation or attempt to deal with problems.

Editorials are not to be bylined, signed or initialed, or in any way identified as being the opinion of the writer(s).

Guidelines

• topic relevant to interest and/or welfare of school or students • wins reader interest with impelling lead • presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence • states issues; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify • deals with specific issue; avoids preaching and rhetoric cliches • shows sufficient thought and research • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Emily Fleming Gross Pointe South HS 2 Staff Traverse City Central HS 3 Staff Dexter HS 4 Staff Ann Arbor Community HS M Riley Lynch Brownell MS

A Cut Above 5

Bylined Opinion Article Bylined Opinion

Articles of personal opinion, which carry the byline of the writer(s), may comment on any subject of interest (including sports) and/ or concern of the readers, or may express dissent from the majority opinion expressed in editorials.

Guidelines

• topic relevant to interest and/or welfare of school or students • wins reader interest with impelling lead • presents evidence/interpretation in logical sequence • states issues; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify • deals with specific issues; avoids preaching, rhetoric and cliches • shows sufficient thought and knowledge of subject, developed with personal style • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Alexzander Dudek Athens HS 2 Aaron Smits Traverse City Central HS 3 Paige Hall Southfield HS 4 Katharine Rzepecki Mercy HS M Eric Shenouda East Hills MS

6 A Cut Above

GOOD RIDDANCE TO CLEVELAND’S EVIL KIDNAPPER Paige Hall Southfield HS Yes, I knew Ariel Castro, the Cleveland monster who kidnapped and held captive three young women in his home for 10 miserable years.

He was my bus driver for two years when I lived in Cleveland and I was attending first and second grade at Woodland Hills Elementary School. He picked me up for school in the morning in the mustard yellow school bus and dropped me off after school each day, right in front of my red brick home, the one with a mechanic’s garage in the back yard.

I remember him as a funny guy who used to crack corny jokes about us riding The Magic School Bus with him as the driver. I also remember a sign on his bus that said something like “Get to school, you’ll survive, then nap time.” I never knew what to make of the sign.

Little did I know that he would later kidnap three girls, rape them repeatedly, imprison them in his home, have a child with one of them, and do unimaginably horrible things to all three of the women, over and over, for a gruesome decade.

I shudder to think of how close I came to that monster on a daily basis for two years. It could have been me.

After learning this year that my former bus driver was a convicted rapist and kidnapper, I made a few changes in my life. I am somewhat afraid of riding a bus now, and I have promised myself that I will never be the last one off the bus again. I’d rather get off the bus a stop ahead of mine and walk instead of being the last one dropped off.

When I heard that Castro hung himself in prison – one month after being convicted of his crimes – I concluded that he was a coward. He tortured his three captives for 10 years and now he couldn’t stand up to the years he was supposed to serve in prison.

He was facing life in prison, plus 1,000 years, for his atrocities.

Basically, he took the cowardly way out, getting off his own Magic School Bus more than 1,000 years before his designated stop. A true coward.

Review

ROMEO AND JULIET REMAKE FAILS TO IMPRESS Kate Soave Mercy HS Is the most recent film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet a new take on a classic story or yet another failed remake? The premise is strong enough; young Academy Award nominee Hailee Steinfeld and an (until recently) unknown Douglas Booth play the title roles of the most tragic and timeless love story ever written by none other than Shakespeare himself. However this gutsy stab at translating timeless literature onto the silver screen falls short of previous attempts and high expectations.

Hailee Steinfeld plays the love-struck Juliet with very little interpretation put into the famous lines, swallowing meaning in rushed and hushed deliveries.

Such is the case especially in the well-known balcony scene in which Juliet counsels with herself and reveals her love for Romeo. The meaning beneath the words is not emphasized and the scene becomes difficult to follow and understand, thus losing its beauty and agelessness. Booth portrays Romeo with a fair amount of talent, though he too fails to deliver a performance that can stand against that of Leonard Whiting, who played Romeo in the 1968 adaptation.

Paul Giamatti plays Friar Lawrence with a naturalness that almost eases the ache of seeing the title characters played with such little passion. His interpretation perfectly illustrates Shakespeare’s intentions and his intense emotion shown at the end of

the film is heart-wrenching. The range from comedic delivery to flawless dramatic reaction is wonderful to behold, especially in contrast to the lack thereof from the younger actors.

The general execution of the film leaves something to be desired. Dramatic opportunities are lost in overly dramatized music and comic relief is masked by fluffy romanticized orchestrations. The general cheesiness of the first half of the movie deprives this age-old tale of love and woe of some of its seriousness and gives instead the impression of a movie geared towards young girls looking for a fairytale to watch which is not what Romeo and Juliet is intended to be.

The movie does progress in terms of quality and by the time blood has been shed, the fluff has evaporated and almost completely vanished, replaced by actual emotion and action as well as a clear telling of the story.

However the long wait to get to this point is almost painful to anyone familiar with Shakespeare’s work or previous adaptations.

Overall, the most recent Romeo and Juliet is disappointing from the beginning then tries to make up for it by improving mildly with a well-orchestrated end.

The poor acting by the two lead characters diminishes the value of the whole film as well as Shakespeare’s words, and the extravagant form the beginning of the film takes only depletes the story. If one is looking for an accurate and entertaining version of the classic Shakespearean tale, this is not it.

Review

Review should present opinions, observations and evaluations of film, books, television, recordings, concerts, plays, restaurants and other things of interest to the paper’s readers.

Guidelines

• sharp, attention-getting lead that clarifies subject • gives short summary or adequate information about subject • discusses strengths and weaknesses of subject • uses specific examples to support opinion • displays knowledge of subject • shows thought and research • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Lucas Scott Plymouth Canton Educational Park 2 Melina Glusac Grosse Pointe North HS 3 Hannah Terwin Forest Hills Central HS 4 Kate Soave Mercy HS M Abby Harnish Traverse City Central MS

A Cut Above 7

Feature Column Feature Column

Each entry must consist of two examples of feature and/or opinion columns under the same standing head from different issues of the paper, authorized by the same writer(s). Columns must carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal nature of the content.

Guidelines

• sharp, attention-getting leads • express personal opinions; uses consistent style • reflects thought/research, freshness, individuality • effective use of facts/ quotes or supporting material • informative, interesting, entertaining • upholds journalistic integrity • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely an vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Tanya Madhani Novi HS 2 Tess Garcia Bloomfield Hills HS 3 Minika Litynski Mona Shores HS 4 Emily Reeves Ithaca HS M Abby Harnish Traverse City East MS

8 A Cut Above

A NEW BEGINNING At the end of September, all anyone could look forward to was homecoming, and I was one of those many students who was so excited for dress up days and the dance. The Monday before homecoming week, however, I thought my chances of even going to be at school were slim to none.

I was admitted to the hospital as a patient the Tuesday before homecoming after being in and out of the emergency room for two days. Meningitis was ruled out, but then the blood results came back. My white blood cell count was critically low. I did not understand what the nurses meant by this until the doctor came in and told me that I could possibly have leukemia. That was when everything came to halt. Did the doctor really just say the L-word? Maybe I bad heard him wrong.

I had heard him correctly. I was in shock. I was sad, but angry all at the same time. I cried, but I wanted to know why it was me. Leukemia felt almost like a death sentence to me. There was so much more I felt that I had left to accomplish in life. I want to go to law school, travel, and someday have my own family. I did not know why I would be put here if I was just going to be ripped away from everything later on.

I kept fearing the doctor would come in and tell me that it was for sure leukemia. I am almost positive that I cried every night I stayed in hospital. I thought about my family, and what would happen to them if it was for sure cancer. I thought about my nephew and my friends.

I thought of everything I had going for me in life, and it would all just be gone.

When the doctor finally came in and told us that it was a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic I had been taking, and not leukemia, I cried because I felt like I was getting a second chance at everything. It made me realize what is really important in life.

The people who are mean to me do not even matter in the grand scheme of things. They are so insignificant to where I am headed and the life I plan to live. I realized that being nice to others is extremely important. As of right now, I am striving to be ten times the person I was before. I can not imagine having been in the hospital without all of the support l had from other students and teachers here at school, friends, family, and even people I have never met. It is the least I can do to be supportive and kind to everyone around me.

Never again will I take for granted the little things in life. Homecomings, band competitions, pom practices, being at school and learning, sleeping in my own bed, petting my dog, and even just being able to walk around on my own seem like no big deal, but I have realized that they mean so much to me. I know that I have to take in everything while I can because you never know when it could all be gone.

It is like Dr. Seuss once said, “Today I shall behave as if this is the day I will be remembered.”

YOU ARE NOT ALONE School is finally in full swing, and students are settling into the grueling schedule of waking up bright and early and staying up late into the night struggling over English essays. In these few short weeks back with my classmates, I have heard in the hallways, at football games, and in classrooms what I dread most about coming back to school: bullying. There are few things that l can not put up with in life and number one on that list is when people do not treat others with the respect that they deserve.

As I have been a victim of bullying before, I can honestly say that I have never gone through anything worse.

Being a high school student is stressful enough, let alone being a teenager in general. When you add the pressures of constant judgment and harassment, it just makes everything that much more difficult.

You feel like you are alone and that no one could possibly know what you are going through. You lose sleep.

You can not concentrate in class because you wonder when the next remark, tweet, or Facebook post will be made.

The nervousness and fear consume you.

What I am here to tell those of you who have been bullied, is that you are not alone. When you think you are, take a look at your lunch table, teammates, best friend, mom, dad, teachers, and Ms. Smith. Instead of focusing on a few people who are mean to you, focus on all of the people who are truly there for you and love you.

What I find almost as horrific as a bully, is a witness

who simply stands by and allows it to happen. Those students are just as guilty as the bully. By not saying anything or taking a stand, they give the bully their full consent to continue. I know how much it hurts when you have a friend just watch or even join in on the bullying because they are scared of what will happen to them if they say anything. It hurts, and they may continue to be your friend, but if they truly cared about you, they would put an end to the rumors and comments.

I have noticed that a lot of students do not know how to react to a bully. Do you spit hateful words back? Do you return the push? Is it okay to cry? Although it may be difficult, you can not show them how much it hurts. It shows them that they are succeeding in whatever sick and twisted agenda they have. Just simply be nice to them. My mom has been telling me for rears to just kill them with kindness. It may seem a little cliché, but it works. The nicer you are, the less they have against you. Be so nice it hurts.

Most importantly, just be yourself. In high school, there are so many opportunities to be unique and stand out. I had to learn the bard way that it is okay be smart, geeky, and want to succeed. I do not want any of my fellow classmates to feel like they can not be themselves because of one person who is deep down just as, if not more, scared as the rest of us in this journey of discovering who we are. Stand up for what you are. Speak out for what you believe in. You are not alone.

Pro/Con Editorial Columns

ARE YOU SPECIALIZING YOUR EDUCATION? There is a point to tradition Kent Gruber, Novi HS A liberal education, which requires students to be exposed to a wide-variety of subjects, is incredibly important and is the basis for our course requirements. That’s a good thing.

We should all be able to accomplish things like pay for groceries.

But, it goes beyond that. A well-rounded education is about being able to problem solved in an effective manner.

Let’s say you’re a fashion student, and you’re taking physics. In physics, you need to arrange equations to get them to work or to find the solution to a problem.

In fashion, you take materials and arrange them in a way that works, just like an equation.

It’s more than the simple things we should all be able to do. It’s the complex.

It seems to me that many students want to question the validity of the course-work required in order to graduate.

That’s a good thing. I would even argue that this urge to question is probably a result of a liberal education which fosters the need to question.

As a student myself, I can’t say that I’d have it any other way. And, in reality, our current system isn’t all that restricting to begin with.

Some art courses are apparently a math credit for seniors… our system can’t be that restricting.

But, before that luxury your schedule will inevitably include courses that you don’t enjoy. Maybe most of them are annoying.

Who cares about the square-root of ‘x’ to the third pie of an octagon’s perimeter.

Who cares about Harper Lee’s commentary about the South in “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

That’s not the point.

Remember, the point of all that frustration is to show student’s how to think in ways that aren’t just straightforward.

Then, perhaps (though incredibly unlikely) you’ll be able to put that knowledge to use somewhere down the road.

That’s why a liberal education, especially one like we have in our school, is so crucial: to contribute to a student’s ability to advance, accept and foster better ways of doing things.

By being introduced to subjects we can’t stand, we must devise some way to get through it, or some new way to grasp material. It’s what we have to do to at least pass the dang class.

We figure it out.

Unless it’s O’Leary’s Honors Geometry class. Ain’t nobody got time fo’ that.

I get it though, and I bet you’re questioning the article at this point – I’ll admit it’s a really sketch subject for a lot of students.

I know I never bothered to think about our education systems as one that caters to my needs as an individual.

Tradition is meant to be broken Tanya Madhani, Novi HS I am in no way a Man of Science.

Mostly because: A) I’m not a man.

B) I’m not interested in science.

I’m not going to take a science class my senior year of high school.

I don’t think knowing how to find currents on a circuit physics problem is going to help me become an international lawyer.

Increasing the number of science and mathematics credits for students in situations similar to mine would be detriment of their GPAs and their futures.

If an aspiring illustrator were planning to apply to an art college, then a practical course of action is to take more artistically inclined classes.

Additional math and science classes would cause allotted time for those extra design and art classes to decrease.

While the opposition may argue that the increase in requirements would be a way to create a preparation program for future technical jobs and explore new career paths, those who do poorly in those classes come up short.

Yes, high school students should be required to know how to read, write, add numbers and know the Earth is round. Those are things that would make you a functioning individual in society.

But any more information should pertain to a particular interest or career. After all, our entire society is based on the idea of specialization.

We have specific jobs for every career out there. We have individuals who clean our teeth for us, people who provide us with beautiful pieces of aesthetics and those who park our cars for us.

When you consider the fact that there are people who have these weirdly specific jobs, you realize there’s really no point in taking more than the necessary amount of unrelated subjects.

So we should start young in our preparation for the future generation. With growing competitive markets in almost every field, it is much more likely that those with a head start have an advantage.

By instating more math and science class requirements, schools would be indirectly pushing students in a technical direction, a direction some might not want to travel.

One of those students would definitely be me, someone who’s taken two AP science classes and can’t retain a speck of information from either of them.

Pro/Con Editorial

Each entry must • have two (2) columns that express opposing viewpoints on one topic • the columns should be written by two people and featured on one page of the opinion/ editorial section • both columns should be glued to the same entry form • have a standing head that indicates the pro/con nature of the package • carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal opinion nature of the content • a school may submit a second entry in this category, and the pieces may be written by the same columnists or combination including one of the same columnists.

Guidelines

• topics relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students • two pieces, while offering opposing views, are consistent in style and tone • both pieces win reader interest with impelling leads • present evidence/interpretation in logical sequence • state issue; uses effective examples, facts and comparisons to clarify • deal with specific issue; avoids preaching, rhetoric and clichés • show sufficient thought and knowledge of subject, developed with personal style • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Kent Gruber & Tanya Madhani Novi HS 2 Courtney Zhu & Anshu Chen Bloomfield Hills HS 3 Ciera Stokes & Becky Simonov Wylie E. Groves HS 4 Theresa Walle & Megan Yatooma Mercy HS M Bri Johnson, Tristan Szafranski, Haley Scollard & Alex Dunlop Traverse City East MS

A Cut Above 9

In-Depth Feature In-Depth Feature

This is a single story, which may contain a sidebar or infographic from the same author. This is not a spread or a special section. Entries should concern subjects of a substantive and contemporary nature and go beyond the surface facts, give the reader detailed background information with interpretation based upon the facts and background information and often (but not necessarily) an analysis as to its meaning It is an elaboration of the WHY. Multiple sources are necessary.

Guidelines

• lead captures attention, arouses curiosity • topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of schools or students • extensive, intensive and thorough investigation • effectively combines basics of good news and feature writing • effectively organized with smooth transitions; carefully outlined • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; clearly written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar • balanced and fair presentation

First place winners by division 1 Mike Michalski & Madi Wilder Grand Haven HS 2 Scout Parsch Midland HS 3 Lauren Kimmel Dexter HS 4 Madeline Halpert Ann Arbor Community HS M Savannah Stepke Traverse City East MS

THE HEROIN EFFECT

Hardships in the family: Addiction not only effects the body and mind of one person, but becomes a disease the entire family needs to cope with together Scout Parsch Midland HS

Cathy Warren looks down at her two year old granddaughter and sees her son. She sees his nose, his hair, his personality. She sees that little girl, just like her son, Blake Warren, strong willed and already fighting back. Her family knows her father’s story, but Stella will never truly know him.

“He was just normal looking,” grandmother Cathy Warren said. “Brown hair and brown eyes; he didn’t look like a bad kid.”

Cathy never thought his drug usage was serious enough to affect her family’s lives as much as it has.

Blake grew up in a typical suburban family with two younger sisters. He had many friends and was dating a fellow classmate, Sydney Craig.

Craig and Blake both attended Central Middle School together and remained friends until high school. They were always together with their friends and immediately bonded.

“He was like the boy version of me. We were both young, adventurous, and had money, and it was great,” Craig said.

Craig knew that black was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Only six months into their relationship, she got a tattoo on her wrist of the original date they started dating. The couple was inseparable for three years until the worst happened.

Craig and Blake went out with friends often, like most teenagers, and experimented with some drugs, such as marijuana. They were not introduced to hard drugs until their friend James started using heroin.

She never tried the drug herself but watched as her friends and boyfriend abused the drug right in front of her.

“James showed Blake how tot use it and then I witnessed my boyfriend shoot up heroin right in front of me; it was disgusting,” Craig said.

At first, Craig chose not to interfere with Blake and his friends using the drug because she thought he was not depended on it. He just enjoyed using it with his friends at parties; it was never an addiction.

Although he was not addicted, later Craig tried to change Blake’s mind about the drug for their family’s sake.

“I tried everything except leaving him. It wasn’t that he had a problem or was an addict, cause he wasn’t, he didn’t depend on it,” Craig said.

At this point in his life, Blake was careless with his actions and repeatedly smoked in his house, although

his mother threatened him not to. After catching him smoking marijuana in their house again, Cathy was angry and overwhelmed. She could not tolerate the way he was living without consequences in her own house.

“It started to get physical and I called the cops on him. He just took of running on them,” Cathy said.

At age 18, after getting kicked out of his house, Blake moved into an apartment with girlfriend Craig and hid from his punishments. Because Cathy was the victim in the case, she was asked to fill out a Victim Impact Statement suggesting what punishment her son should be given. Only with her son’s future in mind, she asked for him to be sent to probation therapy. He had been in drug and alcohol counseling in the past at ETC (Education Training Connection), but it seemed it was not enough to make an impact.

Blake was assigned a probation office and instead of cooperating, he fled once again, making his punishment worse than it should have been. He had a warrant looking for him for nearly two years while he chose to live in hiding. Things changed once he got word that he and his girlfriend, Craig, had a baby on the way.

“He was a father by February and actually decided he wanted to grow up and turned himself in,” Cathy said.

Blake remained clean for the first two months while living with his daughter. It was not until friend James moved into the apartment with Blake and his new family that he started secretly using it again. James was still turning to heroin to escape his problems and Craig found his needles in her bathroom multiple times, only a room away from where her daughter was in bed sleeping.

“I would break the needles off and leave notes telling him to stop, threatening to call the cops on him,” Craig said. “Then I [realized] it wasn’t just James, it was Blake too.”

Craig continued to find used needles left out and she noticed money flowing out of her bank account without her permission. Blake had been so overwhelmed with the birth of his daughter and the crushing debt on the apartment that he, once again, turned to drugs.

A friend of Blake’s, Chad Roberts, had also been involved in these drugs and understood why Blake turned to them while under the stress. Roberts started using heroin at age 17 and continued to use it until he became clean at age 20.

“It just took all the problems away; everything was gone,” Roberts said. “I don’t remember most of my

See Heroin, continued on page 41 10 A Cut Above

Informative Feature

WHAT TO DO?

Informative Feature

Scheduling problems lead to angry students, but are the counselors to blame for the yearly mess?

Morgan Van Hoof & Kait Eekhoff Dexter HS Senior Margaret Bussineau wanted to take Humanities. And she wanted to take 1B French as well.

But because Humanities is only offered during a first and second hour and because 1B French is only offered first hour; Bussineau had to settle with an Upper Class Seminar; or UCS, an English class for juniors and seniors.

Like many students, Bussineau is the victim of a master schedule that leaves teachers, students, students, counselors, and administrators stressed and often hampers students who want to take multiple, academicallychallenging courses.

“I really don’t enjoy my (UCS) class,” Bussineau said. “It seems like a huge academic step down from AP English, but it was the only class that would fit. So basically, I am stuck having a class I really don’t want.”

So who’s at fault for what appears to be an issue year after year.

Bussineau said not to blame her counselor; Craig Rafail.

“Mr. Rafail could only do so much,” she said. “It wasn’t up to him to change the periods certain classes are offered.”

In addition, Dexter High School’s student-tocounselor ratio of more than students to one counselor is far above the state standard suggested by the Michigan School Counseling Association, which is 1-to-250.

Administrators say this imbalance cannot be fixed because of budget restraints. For comparison, Ann Arbor Pioneer average 275 students per counselor for the 20122013 school year.

“We’re understaffed,” Rafail said. “We need more time to commit to each individual student. It’s safe to say we get frustrated, but we get through it.”

In order to get more time, Rafail said, the counselors need to get the master schedule sooner. But the counselors aren’t in charge of actually making the schedule.

They often don’t get their student’s schedules until after school is out, and they are not contracted to work during the summer.

“Most schools get a master schedule in March and then have time to work with the students and their schedules,” counselor Kristie Doyle said.

So how does the scheduling process work?

According to multiple interviews with multiple sources, the master schedule is headed by Assistant Principal Ken Koenig who solicits help from volunteering teachers Ryan Baese, Debora Marsh and David Teddy.

Baese specifically joined the process to meet requirements for graduate school where he is getting his

Masters in educational administration. Baese said that he would like to continue being a part of the master scheduling process in the future.

The process begins in January after students request their desired classes in PowerSchool in December. With this information, 96 percent of students’ choices are satisfied in the first draft of the master schedule, Koenig said. He also said that the process for creating the schedule each year has been made easier with the use of new technology such as PowerScheduler.

However, after these numbers come out, the scheduling process is generally stalled as projections for teachers as well as the budget for the next year aren’t released until the spring. As budget numbers are released until the spring. As budget numbers are released and teacher retirements are announced, this affects the numbers of classes offered. Based on this information, the master schedule has to be modified again.

Because budget and retirement information came so late last school year, that made this year’s schedule particularly difficult to make, according to Dexter Education Association President Joe Romeo.

“Part of the problem came from the fact that Mr. Moran was told late that he would have fewer teachers, so the schedules had to be adjusted again,” Romeo said.

“The class lists are supposed to be available the third Friday in May, but they were nor this year.”

This meant that some classes with up to 70 students were not identified in time for adjustments in the schedule to be made in the spring.

This lead to some teachers not getting their actual schedule until the Tuesday or Wednesday before the first week of school creating some unhappy teachers.

“If a teacher’s schedule is not the same in the fall as he thought it would be, the teacher might have wasted time preparing for a course he won’t teach, or he might not be prepared for a class he is going to teach. Neither of the options are any good,” Romeo said.

According to Koenig, a large part of the difficulty with scheduling is all of the classes that DHS offers.

Koenig said offering a large number of classes creates more student choice, which creates more potential for classes to conflict by being offered during the same hour.

“The more classes we can offer within our teaching flexibility, the more possibility for conflict,” he said.

“That’s what kids don’t get,” Doyle said, ‘’every class is not offered every hour.”

However, Doyle also said some of the conflict also comes from the students themselves. She said students often sign up for classes based on what classes their friends are in or what teachers are “cool,” or based on classes they think they should take rather than ones they are interested in.

Stories should be written to inform or instruct.

Facts are obtained from research, interviews and observations.

Guidelines

• leads capture attention, arouses curiosity • topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students • thorough investigation through research and interviews • combines basics of good news and feature writing • organized with smooth transitions • balanced and fair presentation • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Meg Phillips Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Katie McIntyre & Hannah Lasky Midland HS 3 Morgan Van Hoof & Kait Eekhoff Dexter HS 4 Vahan Haseeb Madison HS M Alex Stern Traverse City East MS

See Scheduling, continued on page 22 A Cut Above 11

Human Interest Feature Human Interest Feature

Human interest features appeal to the emotions of the reader with inspiration, motivation, pathos or humor and often make effective use of quotes.

Guidelines

• leads capture attention, arouses curiosity • emphasizes new element, fresh angle • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques from a variety of sources • effective use of facts/ quotes • interesting; appeals to the emotions • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Kylie Capps Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Jack Duly & Sarah Wontorcik Midland HS 3 Mairi Clow Utica HS 4 Caroline Phillips Ann Arbor Community HS M Ben Baillie Traverse City East MS

DETOUR TO READ

What it’s like to be dyslexic Mairi Clow Utica HS A student stares at the pages of a book. All he sees is letters. The sentences do not “connect.” There is no story.

There is no plot line. There are only letters. The letters get jumbled up in his head. These jumbled words hardly form a sentence or paragraph, let alone an entire story. This student has dyslexia.

Utica students with dyslexia struggle with situations like this every time they open a text book. Constantly losing their spot, especially when going from one line to the next, makes the task of reading a seemingly impossible feat.

Dyslexia is usually hereditary and is caused by the gene DCDC2. Before 1881, when Dr. Oswald Berkhan first diagnosed it, people with dyslexia were often said to suffer from mental retardation or were diagnosed with aphasia, a disorder in which the patient is completely unable to communicate. They were deemed as being illiterate or even blind. Before Berkhan conducted his research on dyslexia, people suffering from it were viewed as being unable to be functional members of society. They were sometimes even placed in mental institutions.

“There are many misconceptions about dyslexia,” psychologist Dr. Angela Debastos said. “One common one is that people with it are ‘not smart.’ This is far from the truth.”

People back in the 1880s and before did not realize dyslexia was not a matter of intelligence; but was the way the mind processed letters, numbers, and symbols. In fact, some of the world’s most brilliant people had dyslexia.

To name a few, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Steve Jobs all had dyslexia. These people are considered by most to be some of the greatest inventors, innovators, and leaders of all time.

In order to reach their full potential, people with dyslexia must overcome many obstacles first. The most daunting of these obstacles is usually school.

“Dyslexia can really affect someone’s ability to learn,” principal Janet Jones said. “It all depends on the person and the severity of it, though, and a lot of students are able to compensate for it, too.”

One of the tell-tale signs of dyslexia is difficulty reading. This is often noticed in elementary school, when a child is first learning to read.

There are five components to the ability to read; one must be able to focus on text, be able piece together the sounds of words, control their eye movement, organize the information in their mind, and retain the information read.

“Dyslexia is a ‘language-based learning disability,’ which means it can effect reading, spelling and writing,”

Debastos said. “All of these are things people do every day to learn and to share what they know with others.”

For people with dyslexia, their fallback is putting together sounds, words, and sentences. The end result is not being able to form an accurate organization of the story or information, another essential part of reading.

“It can be frustrating if a person is not able to do them as well as other their age,” Debastos said. “However once a person with dyslexia knows why they have been struggling, they can begin to use their strengths to overcome their challenges.”

However, as Jones said, most students learn to compensate for what dyslexia causes them to struggle with.

“All people have strengths and weaknesses and each person compensates for their weaknesses in different ways,” Debastos said. “Some people with dyslexia may have strengths in auditory memory which means they are good at remembering what they hear and can use this to learn new things.”

It is estimated that 10 to 15 percent of people have dyslexia. However, because of people’s ability to compensate, only about 5% of people with dyslexia are actually diagnosed.

“Another misconception about dyslexia is that it is rare,” Debastos said. “But as many as one in five people have it.”

Sophomore Jonah Zook was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was only three or four years old.

“To diagnose me with it, they tested me on how fast I could name a shapes and other tests like that,” Zook said.

Debastos is a psychologist who tests for dyslexia.

“Dyslexia can be diagnosed by a clinical or school psychologist who has been trained to interpret tests of intelligence and academic skills,” Debastos said.

In order to help students with dyslexia, Utica offers many accommodations for them to overcome the challenges of learning that they are presented with.

“We offer a 504 plan and the option of tests being administered orally by the school psychologist,” Jones said.

Zook is one of the many students at Utica who has accommodations like these.

“I get extra time on work, IEP classes, and I have the option of typing notes instead of writing them,” Zook said. “These accommodations really help me.”

Despite common conceptions, dyslexia does not only affect someone’s reading and writing skills. It also affects their ability to distinguish left and right, another early sign of dyslexia in elementary schools.

Staying organized, and poor short-term memory (such as remembering a telephone number or to complete at ask) are also indicators of dyslexia.

For some, instead of letting dyslexia control them,

See Dyslexia, continued on page 22 12 A Cut Above

Personality Profile

A STORY OF REDEMPTION

Senior reflects on difficult battle with drug addiction Arianna DerManulian Grosse Pointe South HS “I want people to hear my story – the real one,” said Grand Hudson ’14. “People can judge and ridicule me but I don’t regret what I did. I learned and experienced a lot more than many do after only 17 years of life.”

Throughout middle school, Hudson said he struggled by being labeled as the nerdy, goth boy who kept to himself; he felt like an outcast to his peers.

Before starting high school, he said he was nervous because he didn’t want the same reputation.

“I was more of a nerd than anything else, and I didn’t want to have that name throughout high school, so I began to dress in goth and black attire,” said Hudson. “I didn’t really know who I was at the time and I wanted to be something more, different – I wanted to be cool, popular.”

Towards the middle of his freshman year of high school, Hudson began smoking marijuana, he said.

“I remember convincing one of my buddies to smoke it (marijuana) with me,” said Hudson. “he had already tried, but I hadn’t, and I wanted to see what the fuss was about.”

After his first high, Hudson said he launched himself into a life of continual drug abuse.

“Smoking weed was something for me to do, it made me feel like people could almost ‘look up to me,’” said Hudson. “Doing this made me a part of a group and I felt important. But after the first couple times smoking, it began to accelerate.”

To hide the suspicion of smoking marijuana from his parents, Hudson said he maintained decent grades and disguised any negative emotions or feelings when he was home.

“Freshman year was honestly all about having fun,” said Hudson. “But, overtime, it spiraled out of control, it first started off smoking weed every couple days whenever we could get some. Then it turned into everyday. Then it was weed everyday and drinking on the weekends. Then it was weed and drinking everyday.

Then it was weed, drinking and pills everyday– it’s very easy to lose control without even realizing it.”

After not experiencing the usual “high”, Hudson felt from marijuana and alcohol, he decided to switch to pills such as Vicodin, Xanax, Oxycontin, Percocet, Ritalin and Adderall, he said.

“I couldn’t not have these substances on me,” said Hudson. “It first started out by talking to a few kids in school who had connections or prescriptions for themselves, but then I made my own connections outside of school and it got a lot worse. It was a progressive addiction because most people wouldn’t be as reckless to search for that next high, but I, and people

I know, were.”

After an obsessive use of pills, alcohol and psychedelics including ecstasy, mushrooms, acid, DMT and LSD, Hudson ended up getting caught by his parents because they noticed he was high everyday ay, he said.

“My parents ended up putting me in a program after I was caught and I was drug tested two to three times per week, so I wasn’t’ able to smoke weed or use most pills like I usually did,” said Hudson. “I learned later that heroin leaves your system within a few days and I saw no reason not to try it. I knew fully well what I was getting myself into and that I was easily going to become addicted.”

Being addicted to heroin and crack for over a year and drinking daily, Hudson said he couldn’t go a day without using drugs. He said he was spending about $60-100 per week on alcohol and drugs.

“I had it on me all the time,” said Hudson. “I used continuously throughout the day: in the morning, during lunch, after school, in the evenings and so on.”

Knowing the harmful outcome of his actions, girlfriend Allison Noseda ’15 said his addiction scared her, and she was always worried for his well-being.

“I knew what could go wrong and how terrible all those substances were,” said Noseda. “I felt like I couldn’t do anything about it and it was a terrible thing to witness. It was like watching him slowly dying everyday– his addictions were killing him.”

Since his addiction became so intense, Hudson began to take extreme risks such as purchasing drugs in dangerous areas, having substances on him at all times and walking around high or drunk, he said. He soon realized he hit his breaking point after he and a few of his friends were pulled over for speeding on Mack Ave. during his junior year.

“We went to a liquor store to buy some jello shots before we went to a movie, and then next thing I knew we were being pulled over on Mack; the red and blue lights flashing vibrantly all around us,” said Hudson.

“Luckily the driver wasn’t intoxicated, but the rest of us were and I was too drunk to realize that I had heroin on me at the time and couldn’t get rid of it. I ended up throwing an empty jello shot out the window and the copy thought I was getting rid of drugs so he searched me and found my little Altoids tin with the heroin in it and then I was arrested and thrown into the cop car.”

After the arrest, he was shocked to find the police officer taking him home instead of to jail, Hudson said.

“He didn’t end up taking me to jail, (which would have charged Hudson with a felony and time in prison) but instead took me home and informed my parents of what happened– after that I told my parents everything.”

Shortly after his sophomore year of high school,

Personality Profile

The personality profile captures the life, interests and accomplishments of well known or interesting people, based on interviews. The subject(s) should have experiences, thoughts and accomplishments worth reporting.

Anecdotes add to the personality profile.

Guidelines

• leads capture attention, arouses curiosity; reason for sketch is made clear early in story • emphasizes fresh angle; individualizes person • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques from a variety of sources • avoids encyclopedic listing of subjects accomplishments • effective use of facts/ quotes • interesting; appeals to the emotions • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Arianna DerManulian Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Emily Resmer & Hannah Lasky Midland HS 3 Olivia Niles Wylie E. Groves HS 4 Isabel Sandneiss Ann Arbor Community HS M Abby Harnish Traverse City East MS

See Redemption, continued on page 24 A Cut Above 13

Diversity Coverage Diversity Coverage

Stories tell about lifestyles, challenges, and potential of those from a diverse background. Will cover more than plight, also includes how the subjects dealt with it.

Guidelines

• topic relevant to school or students and relects life styles, challegens and potentials of those from a diverse background • sharp, attention-getting lead grabs reader and arouses curiosity • shows thorough reporting skills though research and interviewing • effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources • balanced, fair and sensitive presentation • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar; use of punctuation

First place winners by division 1 Annabel Ames Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Maitreyi Ananatharaman Bloomfield Hills HS 3 Alisha Anderson & Owen Kellenberger Dexter HS 4 Alex Wood Ann Arbor Community HS M Momima Mustaquim East Hills MS

14 A Cut Above

MARRIAGE–ARRANGED PLEASE Momina Mustaquim East Hills MS Marriage itself has become more of a challenge than ever. Finding the right soul mate alone can be very stressful. In times like these some may require the guidance of their parents to know if their significant other is the right match.

Your parents know you better than anyone else, and can help you find the right person who will accept you for who you are. This is how the system of arranged marriage works.

My grandmother, Malika Shuttari, found her a husband through an arranged marriage system when she was twenty-four years old.

“My parents met with a matchmaker, and introduced us to my husband’s family. I met my husband five or six times over a course of two to three months, trying to get know one another and learn more about each other’s families. At first, I was nervous. As we saw each other more often, and I became more comfortable and realized we were more compatible.”

My grandmother’s parents asked her what she thought about her future husband and if he was someone she would consider marrying.

“The decision was left to me to decide, and I chose to marry him because I knew he was someone who I would grow to love in the future.”

My grandmother is now seventy years old, mother of three of children, and grandmother of eight children. She stated it (her arranged marriage) was the best decision she had made.

Arranged marriages have been around for thousands of years. These arrangements are very popular in Latin America, the Middle East, and most parts of Asia. And, the system is becoming more common in the United States among immigrants who migrated with their families. They still follow the arranged marriage system.

Mrs. Endres, 6th Grade World Cultures Teacher, says, “It’s culture that dictates what kind of people have arranged marriages.”

She thinks that religion and culture play a big role in arranged marriages, and that people agree to be part of the arranged marriage system because they are raised to believe it is just part of their culture.

How does the system work? Well, getting into an arranged marriage relationship requires a lot of homework.

First, the family interested in the marriage finds out if any of their relatives or friends know another family who has a son or daughter who is suitable for marriage.

Second, the families and suitors need to spend time together, trying to get to know one another. Parents help pick the right candidate for their child because they know their child better than anyone else.

If a daughter or son likes someone, parents are the first to know. The next step is for both people who want to marry; time for getting to know this person a little bit

longer before an engagement. If things work out, both families and the couple approve, then the wedding and a date is set.

Family friend Hunza Lodhi shared her thoughts about her experience with arranged marriage.

“My husband’s family came to our house to see me.

It was the first time my husband and I officially met.

I knew his family, but my parents wanted to consider if I was willing to marry him. My parents allowed us to meet before we made that decision, which gave us the opportunity to talk and get to know one another better. Then the decision was left to me. If I had felt this relationship was not going to work, I wouldn’t have gone through with it. I have no regrets making that decision and because of it, my husband and I share a strong marital bond.”

Hunza has been married for seventeen years and has four children. She believes that whether it’s arranged or not, marriage requires lots of compromise. She is glad that her parents did not force her to make this decision.

Arranged marriages are not the same as forced marriages. Often people have a misunderstanding about it. Arranged marriages give the prospective couple a choice to get married or not. If either of the individuals chooses to reject the proposal, the family then continues to look for another suitor who is very compatible with their son or daughter.

It might sound a bit scary, but it works for most couples. Arranged marriages are known to have a less than 4% divorce rate worldwide. This may be because parents look into the prospective “family-in-law” to find out what their values are and what they are like. Therefore, the pressure is off the couple in determining each others’ background.

In arranged marriages, both individuals have a broader understanding of having to make things work because both of their families are involved. The couples are more willing to adjust with each others’ likes and dislikes. They tend to have more family support during more serious situations.

It takes a village to create a strong marriage. This statement is very true in a family-oriented society. The process of arranged marriages usually take anywhere from one to three years depending on each person, before they get married, till they meet the right soul mate to tie the knot.

Parental support is the key ingredient in the arranged marriage system. Parents provide valuable advice for the newly wed couples. When families are very supportive from both sides, and are always available to assist both the couples, then couples are able to build more loving and respectful relationships in the long run.

Arranged marriages do work in our society. Of course, it depends on the individual and what he or she feels is right. But, in the end, the most important thing that I learned is compromise and respect is the key to a successful marriage.“I thought it was very fun and it was cool with all the cultural aspects,” Kayle Herold (‘13) said.

Environmental, Health or Science Story

FEDS SEARCH FOR SPONSORS Aubrey Ritz Rochester HS The Falcon Engineering Design Solutions (FEDS) robotics team has been around since 1998 and almost had to shut down because a Rochester Community Schools (RCS) employee sponsor wasn’t available. No knowledge of robotics is required by an employee to be a sponsor.

“This isn’t just for science teachers or math teachers,” lead mentor of the FEDS Raffi Dermanuelien said.

“English or history teachers would be helpful in the Public Relations group. An art teacher could help with animation. A business teacher could help with finances and sponsorships.”

Mr. Dermanuelien has been working with the team for six years; the other lead mentor Mr. Alan Wareham has been with the FEDS for four. Because of these involved professionals, the teacher sponsor is mostly involved with supervision and paperwork.

“Most of what a teacher would do is administrative and can be managed flexibly time-wise,” Mr. Wareham said. “We would like the teacher to be at the team meetings during the fall (Tuesday evenings in October and November) and then on a regular schedule during the build season.”

The build season begins in January and starts with a release of the game competition video. This triggers the start of six weeks consumed with planning and building a robot for the competitions against other schools.

“My favorite part of Robotics are the competitions because it’s rewarding to see everyone’s hard work on creating a robot,” senior Jenny Lee said. “Plus, it’s fun too.”

The potential disbanding of the FEDS had some students nervous.

“It will be bad if Rochester does not have a robotics team because many current and future students will miss out on a great opportunity to learn about robotics and gain useful skills for their futures,” junior Patrick Kane said.

The 29 team members were desperately asking teachers and sending emails to secure a sponsor from RHS, but to no avail.

I think that there is an issue with the amount of time that is involved with being the club sponsor of a team that size,” math teacher and union representative Mr. Robert Byrd said. “There are school and district guidelines that are aimed to make our school a safe place to be, but can be kind of restrictive when it comes to how a club like Robotics can operate within the parameters of a school day or a work day.”

Unlike most clubs and sports, Robotics starts at 6 p.m. during the build season rather unlike other clubs which start directly after school, which may cause schedule problems for teachers and their families.

Volunteering for a club is not necessarily the issue for teachers at RHS. “I wouldn’t say it’s not because the teachers aren’t stepping up, because we run over 20 different clubs here, and we run many clubs where teachers don’t even get paid for them,” principal Charles Rowland said.

“They do it because they’re doing it for kids.”

Previous sponsor science teacher Sara Rosell has been with the team for three years, acting as a personnel director from keeping track of finances to checking grades, as well as opening RHS went it is closed for the team. Other important commitments have led her to step down.

“With a young child, I do not have the time to devote to robotics, teaching and time with my family,” Mrs. Rosell said. “I found I was spread too thin last year, and felt I didn’t have enough time to spend with my daughter.”

Mrs. Rosell had only positive experiences to share about her time with the FEDS. “It is one of the most rewarding and exciting experiences I have had since being a teacher. It is incredible to see the effort and engineering that goes into the final product,” Mrs. Rosell said. “I am always amazed at the skills and new, creative ideas from students.”

On Sept. 20, members of the FEDS received an email from Mr. Dermanuelien announcing that Mrs. Rosell, activities assistant Julie Harris and Mr. Rowland were able to secure co-sponsors, Marissa Nasiadka and Cheryl Cockerill.

“I suppose I am most excited about having a chance to give back to an organization that has done so much for our students, year after year,” Mrs. Cockerill said.

“After all, Robotics is an incredible life experience for its members and the idea of losing the team is unthinkable.

I am so pleased to be a part of this outstanding group!”

Mr. Wareham expanded on the benefits of joining a team such as the FEDS. “We’ve had students teach themselves how to program, some have developed their animation skills, others have learned to use heavy equipment in the machine shop (and have become quite skilled at it too), we even had a couple of girls who tried their hands at welding last year,” Mr. Wareham said. “Where else in high school could you have the opportunity to try all of that?”

Environmental Story

This story will focus on an environmental, health or science topic. It can be a straight news story or an investigative piece.

Guidelines

• topic relevant to the school or students and covers health, science or environmental story that is informative • sharp, attention-getting lead grabs reader and arouses curiosity • shows thorough reporting skills through research and interviewing • effective use of facts/quotes from both primary and secondary sources • balanced, fair and sensitive presentation • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar; use of third person

First place winners by division 1 Aubrey Ritz Rochester HS 2 Sarah Kouah Bloomfield Hills HS 3 Olivia Niles & Marie Portes Wylie E. Groves HS 4 Kelly Ann Arnold Ann Arbor Community HS M Andrea Bavikatty Traverse City East MS

A Cut Above 15

Alternative Story Form Alternative Story Form

ASF consists of a whole story told in an alternative way. It can consist of anything that is not a traditional story form. There should be visual destinations, good use of typography, easy to scan, well organized, can provide quick facts and deep context. It should not include traditional narrative.

The UGLY TRUTH Behind

Condiments Condiments like ketchup, ranch, italian dressing, soy sauce, and mayonnaise can have negative effects.

These flavors aren’t doing you any favors

Ketchup: the red enemy

LONG TERM EFFECTS

contains quite a bit of salt, which is to blame for a number of health concerns

made of tomato concentrate: real tomatoes cooked so many times that many vitamins and minerals are lost

of excess sugar

ketchup is not all bad; it contains vinegar, which is very beneficial to the digestive system

Guidelines

9.5 10 every year,

250,000,000 lbs.

2 tablespoons have 140 calories

3 Melissa Kwiatkowski & Kirsten Domsic Utica HS 4 Bridget Carlson Mercy HS M Rachel Harris Brownell MS

16 A Cut Above

Just one 1 TBSP. has 243 grams of sodium

gies, don’t d veg re ur

em h th nc

dress yo

balsamic vinegar

This zesty dressing contains antioxidants that can prevent cancer. It is low in cholesterol and saturated fats, which can lower the risk of a heart attack. It can promote growth of strong bones.

Soy Sauce: the salt master commercial soy sauces are made with harmful chemicals chloropropanols

fresh salsa Salsa contains ingredients that are rich in carotenoids, which can reduce cancer and heart disease.

Ranch & Italian Dressing: the paradox

Recommended healthy alternatives

In 2001, 25% of Great Britain’s soy sauces were found to contain these dangerous chemicals.

ethyl carbamate

LONG TERM EFFECTS

Both chemicals are linked to DNA damage and cancer

of excess sodium

high blood pressure stroke heart failure

Mayonnaise: big fat liar

LONG TERM EFFECTS of excess fat

obesity heart disease high blood pressure

low-fat dressings may have less fat, but it is made with more chemicals substances

Q&A with Nutritionist Abby Greenspun

Q.Which condiments, salad dressings in particular, are the worst for you?

salad dressing is worse than oil A.Creamy based dressings. I always avoid low-fat

dressing because they take out the fat and add more sugar and chemicals to the dressing. Always try to have a dressing with an oil base, or make your own.

Q.What is the end result of using condiments often?

A.Avoiding unhealthy condiments can be one of the few changes that can drastically affect your health. Using condiments can sometimes destroy the “healthy aspect” of a dish.

Mayonnaise can also be used to

1 Danielle Kullmann Rochester HS 2 Courtney Zhu Bloomfield Hills HS

of ketchup is purchased by

gies, don’t d veg re ur

Facts

the

people who buy burgers use ketchup

dress yo

First place winners by division

Recommended healthy alternative

HEINZ KETCHUP INGREDIENTS

em h th nc

• should be a story told in a unique, alternative way.

• this is not a traditional story as in inverted pyramid, news anecdotal, analysis or feature narrative.

• story is told with quick facts, it’s a quick read that provides readers with a unique approach to a story.

• while the read is quick, ASF should provide reader with complete information.

Readers should not be left asking questions.

• organization is such that story is easy to follow and logical, even though it’s in an alternative way.

• ASF is visually engrossing, bringing readers in through strong use of typography and other types of visuals.

• should not be packaged with another story or part of another story.

• stands totally alone as a storytelling device.

• submission only considered if submitted with entire page on which it was featured.

Diabetes Cavities Heart Disease Obesity Cancer

has a significant amount of high fructose corn syrup (AKA, lots of sugar)

EVERY BOTTLE IS

40%FAT

9 blespo o n has e ta on

s rie alo 0c

kill lice and remove tar

Recommended healthy alternative

from your car

honey mustard

Mustard is high in antioxidents and selenium, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Courtney Zhu, Bloomfield Hills HS

Sports Feature Story

CONCUSSION DISCUSSION

Concussion fears scare away future talent Matthew Cox Pioneer HS Campaigning for political office is a common and accepted occurrence in American society, while a campaign to attract kids to play football might raise a few eyebrows. But such campaign are underway as more players avoid football for fear of serious brain injury from concussion.

With so much controversy following head injuries in the National Football League and at the college level, parents are becoming more reluctant to allow their children to play football. However, Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Executive Director Jack Roberts is positive that now is the safest time to start the sport.

“Statistically, football has never been safer than it is today,” says Roberts. “But also today, football is under the most criticism I’ve ever seen.”

The lasting effects of head injuries players suffer is being brought to light now as technology allows doctors to make unprecedented progress in their research and diagnosis. According to NFL.com, there are approximately 5,000 plaintiffs spread among 250 lawsuits being made by former and current NFL players suing over concussion-related injuries.

Paralleling research that suggests the lasting impacts of head injuries is technology and teaching. This is being implemented at all levels of the game to make the general experience safer.

Brad Lunsford, the Michigan State University director of executive football operations, says MSU conducts countless seminars regarding head injury safety and precautions to benefit both the players and the coaching staff. “[Concussions are being] taken seriously. I can honestly say it’s taken more seriously now than it has been in my 10 or 12 years working in this profession,” says Lunsford. “Our head coach, Mark Dantonio, takes it very seriously. He’s always at (informational) events that are typically optional.”

Roberts organizes seminars on safety as well, but he said parents still remain concerned.

“So not only are we emphasizing even more safety in the teaching of the game and the enforcement of the rules,” says Roberts, “we’re also doing a bit of campaign about how good football is for kids, schools and communities.”

Despite all the information and help being used, some parents still are not at ease with their children playing. Tina Champagne is a parent of a junior Pioneer High School soccer player.

“I would be afraid he would be injured [if he chose football],” she said.

Champagne is ultimately pleased her son elected to play a different sport.

J.T. Stenglein, an incoming freshman hockey player at MSU, said that he feels safer playing Division 1 hockey than if he were to play football.

“There is more contact on every play [in football],” says Stenglein, “where in hockey you can go a whole shift without getting hit.”

Current football players say they feel passionate about their sport. MSU wide receiver Keith Mumphrey is subject to a lot of hits throughout the season as an offensive player. He has suffered two minor concussionrelated injuries in practice while at MSU, but is fearless nonetheless.

“I don’t care, it’s not even a part of my mindset,” he says, “You can’t play the game of football while worrying about getting hurt.”

While it’s notable that Mumphrey has devotion to the game he plays, experts say another blow to the head could result in more seriousness damage, causing his fearlessness to deteriorate along with his future with the sport.

MSU defensive lineman Damon Knox agrees that he never considers injury while playing. But he did add that he lines up on the other side of the ball from Mumphrey.

“The offense is a little more vulnerable just because you have more guys running full speed at you,” says Knox.

One dilemma the MHSAA finds is that parents have a problem with the sport, but they may not even realize that it is being played incorrectly sometimes, Roberts says.

“It’s a tremendous sport when played right,” he says.

But when players lead to tackle with their heads, concussion-related injuries occur, Roberts said.

According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research in the past eight decades, 678 high school football players died while playing, twothirds from helmet-to-helmet contact. In many cases, they see these at the professional level, too.

“The problem is that [kids] emulate what they see on the NFL field,” said Robert Schultz, who has been an MHSAA football referee for over 20 years. “They are consciously making the decision to lead with their head because that’s what the pros do.”

The MHSAA met with high school coaches over the summer regarding rule changes, with points of emphasis on hits to the head.

“The rules are getting stronger,” Roberts said.

Roberts revealed that officials will now target headon tackles with an unsportsmanlike penalty along with hitting a “defenseless” player (also called blind hits). “[Concussions] are not entirely avoidable, but they are at unprecedented low levels,” says Roberts. “The public doesn’t think it’s that way because there is so much public criticism and most of that coming from the professional and college game.”

So while the NFL and college level concussion talks are heating up and attracting a lot of attention, Roberts said at the high school level, everything is in place to make football as safe and appealing as possible.

“I don’t think the MHSAA can possibly preach safety more than they already so,” Schultz says.

Sports Feature

Stories may include personality profile, informative, interpretive (why), and/or human interest specifically related to sports.

Guidelines

• lead captures attention, arouses curiosity • emphasizes new element, fresh angle • colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style • reflects adequate re-search, sound interviewing techniques • avoids summaries of published materials • effective use of facts/ quotes • interesting; appeals to the reader’s emotions • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Schafer Thelen Grand Haven HS 2 Matthew Cox Pioneer HS 3 Emma Dolan & Maggie Davis Wylie E. Groves HS 4 Kelsey Hessbrook Ithaca HS M Sidney Norman Muskegon MS

A Cut Above 17

Sports Column Sports Column

Each story must consist of samples of two columns under the same standing head, authorized by the same writer(s). Each column must carry bylines or other writer identification to indicate the personal nature of the content. Each entry in this category must be written by a different writer(s).

Guidelines

• sharp, attention-getting lead • expresses personal opinion; uses consistent style; demonstrates knowledge of sports • reflects thought/research, freshness, individuality; avoids cliches • effective use of facts/ quotes or supportive material • informative, interesting, entertaining • upholds journalistic integrity • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar

First place winners by division 1 Matt Hawkins Novi HS 2 Erin Lipp Traverse City Central HS 3 Jacob Meschke Okemos HS 4 Arpan Lobo Clarenceville HS

18 A Cut Above

RED WINGS LOOKING TO BREAKOUT IN THE EAST

New conference, new opponents for Hockeytown players Arpan Lobo Clarenceville HS After the heartbreaking loss in the Western Conference semifinals to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, it looked as if the Detroit Red Wings dynasty was finally coming to an end. Losing three games in a row with only one win needed to advance to the conference finals and become even closer to a twelfth Stanley Cup, the men wearing the winged wheel could not get the job done. The 2013 season, which was shortened due to a work stoppage that cut out the first half of the season, was also the last year Detroit would be in the Western Conference. For the current 2013-2014 season, and for the foreseeable future, the Red Wings are going to play in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference. Now, the Wings only have to make one trip to the West coast, and most of their games will be on Eastern Standard Time. As they look to make the postseason for an incredible twenty-third consecutive year, they will have to adjust to life in a new conference. However, new additions to the team will help this dynasty last much longer.

During the offseason, general manager Ken Holland decided that a conservative approach wasn’t the correct route. He began the free agency period by spending immediately, adding veteran winger Daniel Alfredsson and hardworking center Stephen Weiss.

Alfredsson, age 40, had spent his entire seventeen year career with the Ottawa Senators. Many thought he was either going to retire or sign a one year deal with the Senators. It was a shock to see the long time captain for Ottawa sign with Detroit, but Alfredsson had one huge reason to make the trip across the border.

“I’m really excited to get this opportunity at this stage of my career to go for a Stanley Cup and fulfill a longtime dream,” said the Swedish born Alfredsson, “I had nothing but great times in Ottawa.” After the Senators were eliminated in the first round by the New York Rangers, Alfredsson saw an opportunity in

Detroit. The Senators have never won a Stanley Cup in their 22 year history. The Red Wings, in contrast, haven’t missed the playoffs since the 1990 season.

Alfredsson may be older than the average NHL player, but good instincts and an absolute rocket of a shot have kept the winger a threat. He signed a one year deal worth five and a half million dollars. Alfredsson is welcomed in Detroit, and will definitely contribute as a Red Wing.

As for Weiss, the 30-year-old center was a former top five pick by the Florida Panthers, with whom he had spent his entire career. However, in the eleven seasons Weiss spent with the Panthers, they had only made the playoffs once. Like Alfredsson, the allure of going to the playoffs and competing for a championship was too good to pass up. Weiss signed a five year contract worth 24.5 million dollars. He is a hardnosed player, who is always looking to create plays with effort. He will replace the departed Valtteri Filpulla, who joined the Tampa Bay Lighting after a disappointing 2013 season in Detroit.

Most of the Red Wings firepower has returned for the current season, as Captain Henrik Zetterberg and Alternate Captain Pavel Datsyuk are both primed to put up huge numbers. Datsyuk didn’t waste time making an impact, as he scored the game winning goal in Detroit’s season opener at home against the Buffalo Sabres. Other prominent returners include wingers Justin Abdelkader, who had his best season in the shortened 2013 campaign, Johan Franzen, who is a force in front of the net, goaltender Jimmy Howard, who was reliable in net during the playoff run last year, as well as dependable defensemen Niklas Kronwall, Danny DeKyser, and Brendan Smith. All these players will have an impact, but it will have to be a total team effort if the Red Wings want to raise another championship banner.

With the young season underway, it will be interesting to see the Red Wings adjust to a new conference. With new additions and a strong core of returning players, the team seems primed for yet another run at the Cup.

Sports News Story

TEAM 103’S WIN STREAK ENDS WITH LOSS TO ALLENDALE

Cougars tackle many large setbacks on defence, rally to finish with 6-3 regular season Gresham Olson Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS On the opening kickoff, defensive end Alex Hicks raced down field andzeroed in on the return man.

The CC crowd erupted at the sound of the hit, which sent the returner flying backward and downed the ball at the 24 -yard line. This was the biggest play of the Cougar’s win over Hastings,which began a threegame winning streak in October.

It was that kind of strength and hustle that motivated teammate Teddy Russo throughout the season. Russo, starting outside linebacker, was the only sophomore on the team and he said he really looked up to Hicks.

“That was an outstanding hit,” Russo said. “I would like to think that, yes, that could be me someday.”

In an effort to develop to his potential, Russo spent a lot of time working out in the off season and pushing himself in practices.

“I think a lot of getting pulled up has to do with work ethic and attitude,” Russo said. “I had to strive to show coaches how much I really wanted to be on team 103 by working as hard as I could in the weight room, as well as on the field.”

Russo also called starting quarterback Joe Nixon a role model.

“He is not an average quarterback,” Russo said.

“The way he played was truly inspiring.”

Nixon threw for· over 1400 yards during the

season, with 15 touchdowns.

He also ran for over 600 yards and two touchdowns.

Nixon credits the entire team for their leadership, though.

“Every single player on this team took part in being a leader,” Nixon said.

“We fed off of each other’s success and vocal leadership.”

Despite some tough losses, the team managed a 6-3 record for the regular season, enough to make it into the playoffs.

“They responded to adversity in a positive way,” Head Coach Trip Gallery said. “It would have been really easy to give up after some tough breaks.

However, they improved and responded in a positive way to each set back.”

The Cougars did not last long in the playoffs, losing in the first round to Allendale. Their coach was pleased with their effort, though.

“Team 103 was a team with high character and I’m really proud of them.”

For seniors, it was a sad end to the season, but for the rest of the team, the loss motivates them to come out stronger next year.

“In the offseason, I want to work as hard as I can to get even bigger, faster, and stronger,” Russo said. “I also want to· talk to the sophomores in my grade about getting mentally prepared to play at the next level. We have some outstanding athletes in my class that I am very excited to get to play with again.”

Sports News

Sports news stories may include general sports news or sports events and are constructed in news style.

Guidelines

• lead features interesting, important angle • uses colorful, lively style • avoids cliches, editorializing • displays knowledge of sports; uses understandable terms • shows research/interviewing skills; emphasizes how and why • effective use of facts/ quotes • proper diction/grammar; use of the third person • unity/coherence

First place winners by division 1 Claire Berg Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Emily Fisher & Dylan Rocha Midland HS 3 Scott Rogers Dexter HS 4 Gresham Olson Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS M Will Leonard Brownell MS

A Cut Above 19

Personal Narrative Personal Narrative

This is not an opinion piece.

It is a first-person account of an event or series of events that constitute a single, profound experience. The focus of the piece is on narrative — telling the story of the experience. It can be written in present or past tense. The author should take extra efforts to describe the journey and explain its importance.

Dialogue and internal dialogue are essential.

Guidelines

• a first-person account depicting a personal experience • lead captures attention, arouses curiosity • topic relevant to interests and/or welfare of school or students • effectively combines basics of good news and feature writing • effectively organized with smooth transitions; carefully outlined • sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly • proper diction/grammar • should have byline, which could include mug shot of writer

First place winners by division 1 Sheel Vaniawala Grand Blanc HS 2 Caitlin Stout Jackson HS

- TIE -

2 Veronia Latimer Waterford Kettering HS 3 Maggie Davis Wylie E. Groves HS 4 Caitlyn Roberts Portage Community HS M Sophia Beeckman East Hills MS

20 A Cut Above

CHANGED VIEWS AND CHANGED LIVES: WHAT I LEARNED IN ETHOPIA Caitlin Stout Jackson HS Like so many high school students, I have time and time again participated in charity work, community service, and fundraisers for all the wrong reasons.

It looks great on applications! It eases guilt. All my friends are doing it! It’s just a nice thing to do. It never seemed like something that really made a difference.

But this summer my perspective was forever changed. I had the privilege of traveling with World Vision, a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating extreme poverty, to Mekele, Ethiopia.

There I saw exactly what these nice little fundraisers are capable of.

We met a man who had been abandoned and abused as a child, and as a result was paralyzed from the waist down. He was near death before World Vision’s intervention in his community, but after receiving one micro-loan, he is now a store owner and a student at a university. In his words, “Before, I was living in darkness, but now I have hope.”

We met an old woman who had medals and ribbons hanging around her neck and a look of pride on her face. Our translators explained that these were awards for excellence in business and agriculture. A few years ago she was struggling to feed her kids, but then she was given one dairy cow by World Vision. She sold milk from that cow and used the money to build an irrigation well, and now has one of the largest farms in

Mekele.

And then there were the kids. We spent every second of our free time blowing bubbles, drawing pictures, and playing tag with the little ones we met.

These were kids who, two years ago, couldn’t drink water without getting sick. They couldn’t go to school.

They had nowhere safe to play. They had no hope of a better life.

But that has all changed.

These changes were funded by students like me and you. The efforts of teenagers around the world are literally saving and drastically improving lives, and these lives are not nameless statistics. They are my friends.

They are people with whom I have shared meals, laughed, celebrated, and cried.

That is why I raise money. I do it because I have seen what just a few hundred dollars is capable of. I am no longer motivated by guilt or personal gain, but by love.

Even if you don’t get a chance to see it first hand, know that the world is changing, and our “nice little fundraisers” are cultivating hope in places that were once deemed hopeless. That makes all the difference.

Sports Action Photo Sports Action Photo Any non-portrait, game photo directly related to sporting events should be entered in this category.

Photo may be in color even if published image was in black and white.

Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines

• effective cropping to center of interest • clear, sharp details • good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black, and white or colors • attracts, holds reader’s attention • avoids distracting back/ foreground • all elements in photo combine with caption to tell story • action, rather than posed photo • captures dramatic moment

First place winners by division 1 James Harding Grand Haven HS 2 Olivia Kraeuter Jackson HS 3 Katie Vontom Dexter HS 4 Nick Middleton & Sophie Steinberg Ann Arbor Community HS M Courtney Tice Muskegon MS

James Harding, Grand Haven HS

A Cut Above 21

Sports Feature Photo Sports Feature Photo Any non-game action photo directly related to sporting events should be entered in this category.

This would include reaction shots, crowd shots or other shots that capture the emotion and/or human interest angle associated with a sporting contest. Photo may be in color even if published image was in black and white. Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines

• Effective cropping to center of interest • Clear, sharp details • Good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black, and white or colors • Attracts, holds reader’s attention • Avoids distracting back/ foreground • All elements in photo combine with caption to tell story • Action, rather than posed photo • Visually tells another side of a sports story, rather than game action • Is not posed

First place winners by division 1 Maisy Hoffman Grand Haven HS 2 Olivia Kraeuter Jackson HS 3 Hope Dagenais Fenton HS 4 Dan Stelly Shrine Catholic HS M Ben Johnston West Hills MS

22 A Cut Above

Dan Stelly, Shrine Catholic HS

Scheduling, continued from page 11 “Kids have to make better, more informed decisions based on their capability,” she said. “Kids have to learn how to work with different people and different teachers.

You won’t get to pick your professor. It’s the real world.

You have to learn how to deal with that.”

As an example, Doyle said many students in January signup for difficult classes like AP Language and AP Literature; however, when the school year comes around; they realize that they do not actually want to be in that class or maybe they didn’t complete their summer homework. She said these last-minute decisions are part of the reason that the counseling office is so busy at the start of the school year.

Regardless of a student’s reason for being in the counseling office for a messed-up schedule, Koenig and the counselors agree that they’d rather have students in class.

“We don’t like having you stuck in the counseling office. It’s crappy,” Koenig said.

Though counselors, teachers and administrators said that the scheduling process has been chaotic for over seven

years, new Superintendent Chris Timmis hopes to see changes in the future.

“I understand the reasons for the delays this year, and Mr. Moran and I have talked about timelines,” Timmis said. “The ability to build the schedule as well as get schedule to students is contingent on information regarding staffing, which comes from the superintendent and Board of Education, being available in February and March.

And even though some teachers interviewed suggested that the schedule be changed so student choices not drive the schedule, Timmis said he doesn’t agree.

“I believe the high school schedule needs to be designed around student interests,” he said.

And despite the chaos and lines in the counseling office at the end of the year, Bussineau said she understands each counselor trying to schedule 400 kids is a monumental task.

“Even though I had a lot of scheduling conflicts this year, I have a lot of appreciation for what the counselors do for us,” Bussineau said. “It can’t be easy.”

Environmental Portrait Environmental Portrait

Photos in this category must show the personality and/or character of the people photographed. The photo should be posed, but show the subject in an environment that illuminates the character of the subject and gives insight into the subject’s personality. No more than two people should be featured in the picture.

Sports portraits should be entered in this category.

Photo may be in color even if published image was in black and white.

Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines Elissa Loch, North Farmington HS

Dyslexia, continued from page 12 they embrace it. Since dyslexia forces someone’s brain to process and interpret information differently, they are able to view problems and situations differently than others and solve them using different methods.

This increases the likelihood of coming up with creative and innovative ideas to solve them.

Just take a look at the late Steve Jobs, someone with dyslexia, who dreamed up and designed some of the world’s most advanced technology. There are even a lot of scholarships out there available to high school students with dyslexia or learning disabilities in general.

“Whatever condition someone has, they can still, with

the right accommodations, learn and do well in school,” Jones said. “With hard work, they can overcome it, reach their full potential and be successful.”

As Debastos and Jones both said, dyslexia is not something to be looked down upon. It is something that with committed effort, can be compensated for. Some of the world’s most successful people had dyslexia. People with dyslexia control what dyslexia is and how much it is affects them.

• effective cropping to center of interest • clear, sharp details • good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black, and white or colors • attracts, holds reader’s attention • avoids distracting back/ foreground • setting and props used for portrait gives insight into the subject(s) • emphasizes personality of subject(s) (no more than two in photo) • while photo is posed, subject(s) have a natural appearance

First place winners by division 1 Taylor Stevens Eisenhower HS 2 Elissa Loch North Farmington HS 3 Rachel Resterhouse Mona Shores HS 4 Cody Ziesler Ann Arbor Community HS M Shaina Kaufman West Hills MS

A Cut Above 23

News/Feature Phototograph News/Feature Photo

Photos in this category should be non-portrait, non-sports photos based either on on-the-spot coverage of an event that had news value and timeliness, or on the drama and emotion characteristic of features. Photos will be judged on both the quality of the photo as printed and how it was used in the publication.

Guidelines

• effective cropping to center of interest • clear, sharp details • good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black and white or colors • attracts, holds reader’s attention • avoids distracting back/ foreground • all elements in photo combine with caption to tell story • action, rather than posed photo • underscores news/feature importance

First place winners by division 1 Brian Quintos Plymouth-Canton Educational Park 2 Brianna Billard Everett HS 3ww 4 Devin Cleary Stockbridge HS M Siddarth Guruvi West Hills MS

Brianna Billard, Everett HS

Redemption, continued from page 13 Hudson regularly saw an addictionologist (a physician who specializes with addictions) and, after the arrest, realized he needed to seek more help, he said.

“My addictionologist and I decided that I would attend Intensive Outpatient (IOP) sessions,” said Hudson. “This program allowed me to still live at home but also be treated three to four times per week in group sessions and meetings with other addicts. Just quitting wasn’t and isn’t enough, committing to recovery and bettering yourself is necessary to begin to fully enjoy and participate in life.”

For a month, Hudson said IOP drug tested him daily. He also attended three hour sessions of group therapy consulting with others over his addictions.

“When I started attending these sessions I was hanging around adults ages 20-40, not really kids my own age or even my friends,’ said Hudson. “my therapist and other members from the IOP group convinced me to give being sober a try. My family and girlfriend really helped me through it and my life has gotten better and better ever since.”

Celebrating nine months of sobriety on Oct. 8, 2013, Hudson said he has never felt more accomplished and the experience has opened his eyes to who he really is.

“I’m unbelievably proud of the transformation he has made and I honestly couldn’t be happier with where he is

now,” said Noseda.

Not only has Hudson been a part of IOP, but he also attends a 12-step program, which is a set of guiding principles that outlines a course of action for recovery from substance abuse and behavioral issues. Hudson said the program teaches them not to become too proud or cocky of their sobriety but instead to take one day at a time along their path of recovery.

“I stopped hanging around my old friends who drank and smoked with me because being around that atmosphere stresses me out,” said Hudson. “I was never pressured to relapse but for a while I just hung around my family and my girlfriend. I was lonely for a while but then I started hanging around some of my old friends and new people who don’t use drugs recreationally or at all like I had. I’ve even convinced a few people to come with me to meetings who struggled similar to me; and helping them out makes me feel like I’m doing something helpful and accomplishing.”

Throughout the 12-step program, Hudson said that one of the principles that stuck with him was being taught honesty.

“For addicts and alcoholics, we cannot afford to be dishonest because its guilt that will cause us to relapse, so I haven’t told a lie for months,” said Hudson. “I feel like a really good person and I feel like I’m actually friends with my family, which makes me very happy.”

See Redemption, continued on page 25 24 A Cut Above

Last Issue’s Answers Across 2. Parkour 3. Fanta 8. Sudoku 9. Dandelion 11. Fluoride

Down 1. Monarchy 2. Playstation 4. Equator 5. Pterodactyl 6. Mustang 7. Russia 10. Calibri

LOST ELF! PLEASE HELP!

This is the Troy Independent’s Elf friend, George! George has been very busy this season.

Instead of making toys, he decided to steal cookies and hide them in the paper!

Please help out our staff and find George the Elf! He is hidden at least once on every page! Can you find him? Total of 19

IN CHAN’S INK

GRAPHIC BY LILY CUI

The Troy Independent is the official student newspaper of Troy High School, produced by students in the third hour Writing for Publication: Newspaper class. The Troy Independent is an open forum and thus encourages members of the school community to submit letters to the editor and guest columns. Interested in joining our staff? Sign up when you complete your 2014-2015 scheduling cards.

Editorial Cartoon

Editorial Cartoon

BY IN CHAN LEE

This category includes only editorial cartoons.

This cartoon appears on the editorial/opinion page. It makes a point and delivers commentary or opinion.

Guidelines

• appears on editorial page • simple in design • shows high technical quality • centered on one topic • timely • subject familiar to reader in everyday life • displays artistic talent • message succinctly stated

First place winners by division 1 In Chan Lee Troy HS 2 Alex Korson Traverse City Central HS In Chan Lee, Troy HS

Redemption, continued from page 24 For a while, he felt like his family was an enemy to him because he had to continuously hide drugs and his high appearance from them, Hudson said.

“I think a lot of teens are in denial of their problems and I’m hoping this article will be able to help them open their eyes to what could happen to them; especially after sharing my experience with them,” said Hudson. “if kids are struggling with addiction or they aren’t sure if they’re struggling I would recommend talking to someone they trust and seek help immediately. I think a lot of kids look to drugs as a solution to their problems, but in all honesty, it makes everything much worse.

Even just talking to me, I have plenty of advice and insight to give.”

As for the future, he plans to continue obeying the principles of the 12-step program as well as finishing high school, attending college and devoting his time to academics and his studies, Hudson said.

“I cant make the declaration now that ill be sober for the rest of my life,” said Hudson “sometimes I tell myself, ‘I’m not going to get high today but maybe tomorrow,’ but then I never follow through because I look at myself and see how far I’ve come and how much easier my life is since I’ve stopped using.”

Hudson said his life after addiction has changed dramatically. He said that he doesn’t have to hide anything, lie anymore or be someone he’s not.

“One way my life ahs changed is that if I wasn’t

3 Drew Koski East Grand Rapids HS 4 Alexa Danek Laingsburg HS

either on something or knowing that I would be on something soon, I’d find every way to try and get a hold of a substance to get me high,” said Hudson. “I was always thinking about going to get something, making plans to get something, I missed having something or I was looking forward to getting high and that became a driving obsession. It was an incredible feeling after I became sober because my mind wasn’t always racing with thoughts like these; it was almost peaceful. Sobriety has shown me just how fulfilling life can really by.”

Seeing Hudson regularly since the beginning of his senior year, counselor Troy Glasser said he has improved tremendously throughout his recovery.

“I have seen great growth by just talking to grand and getting to know him,” said Glasser. “I think talking about this and sharing his story contributed to his growth. I love grant; he’s a great kid and I am so proud of him. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him because I want to see him be successful. He has great leadership qualities and I know he will make the world a better place.”

Walking around school now, Hudson said he doesn’t care what people think of him, as long as he knows that he’s improving himself day by day.

“I used to be, ‘Grant the Biggest Druggie,’” said Hudson. “But now I’m just Grant, and that’s all that matters.”

A Cut Above 25

Comic Strip Comic Strip

Each installment of a comic strip counts as a separate entry. The purpose of the comic strip is to entertain.

Guidelines

• entertaining • simple in design • shows high technical quality • centered on one topic • timely • subject familiar to reader in his everyday life • displays artistic talent • message succinctly stated

First place winners by division 1 In Chan Lee Troy HS 2 Tyler Kish HH Dow HS 3 Diamond Jones Gull Lake HS 4 Joab Hatfield Williamston HS M Nick Albaran East Hills MS

26 A Cut Above

Nick Albaran, East Hills MS

Illustration Illustration

This category includes photo illustration, original artwork or original computer artwork used to establish a theme or mood with the intent to enhance any news/feature/sports article.

Guidelines

• clearly develops a theme or mood to enhance story • displays artistic talent within potential for expression using art, photography or computer • photos offer good, sharp contrast with varied levels of grays, black and white • art shows knowledge of composition, line and shading • attracts, holds reader’s attention • uses color, screens, typography and detail effectively • sizes and placement draw reader’s attention to story without overwhelming content • shows thought and creativity

First place winners by division 1 Jake Thomann Grand Ledge HS 2 Alex Korson Traverse City Central HS 3 Alana Fletcher Gull Lake HS 4 Hazel O’Neil Ann Arbor Community HS M Jose Martinez Muskegon MS Alana Fletcher, Gull Lake HS

A Cut Above 27

Pulse

Information Graphic

This category includes charts, graphs or diagrams created by hand or by computer and used to supplement or replace written content and give the reader information in a visual form.

Guidelines

First place winners by division 1 Simon Sun Stoney Creek HS

Mary Husser & Sara Schluckebier

4 Liam Knight Ann Arbor Community HS M Derrick Hollowell & Elliot Ross Brownell MS

playlist Update Song

The Update Staff

UPDATE EDITION

1 of 1,000,000

4:09

-1:02

Food

assistant managing design & graphics

DHS couples share their song

6.1% $35.12

MENU

Dress

Hannah Piper & Nathan Schell

27.6% $159.63

Tuxedo

“Ain’t No Sunshine ” Bill Withers

35.3% $204.00

Pedicure 4.5% $26.00

Alana Bergeron & Spencer Hulbert

“A Thousand Years ” Christina Perri

Manicure 2.6% $15.00

Hair 9.1% $52.50

Prices are based on averages and will vary according to the orders placed Meagan Dean & Alexander Enszer

Tickets 8.6% $50.00

Boutonniere

Boutonniere

35.3% $10.63

Village Green $8.00 Lapelle’s $3.50 - $8.50 Lil Pear Tree $7.00 - $20.00 Kutchey’s $15.00

2 Karina Zanyk McLean & Austin Woody H.H. Dow HS 3 Abby Mesaros Dexter HS

Now Playing

Amanda Bishop

I ADM IT ME ADON

• clearly enhances the story • visuals help clarify, simplify or visualize information • visually attractive • avoids excessive lines and/ or illustrations that might confuse the reader but shows effective detail • entertaining and/or informative • clear lines and even strokes as opposed to retraced or broken lines • taken advantage of art of computer technology • uses color, screens, typography and placement effectively

May 10, 2013

Prom breakdown managing copy & assistant sports copy

7

Update

Information Graphic

Manicure

LA Nails $15.00 Modern Nails $15.00 Happy Nails $15.00

Corsage 4.4% $25.63

Restaurant

Country Club $31.50 Genji’s $24.19 Cafe Zinc $19.18 Applebee’s $10.94 Villa D’Alessandro’s $18.50

“The Girl ”

Corsage

Village Green $20.00 Lapelle’s $15.00 - $30.00 Lil Pear Tree $15.00 - $50.00 Kutchey’s $25.00 - 30.00

City and Colour

Julie Cross & John Templeman

“Wanted ” Hunter Hayes

Hair

Salon Magnifique $55.00 Pedicure Nathan’s Hair Unlimited $40.00 LA Nails $25.00 Marcelo’s Salon $60.00 Modern Nails $28.00 Calypso Salon $55.00 Happy Nails $25.00

Macy Doster & Jacob Altscheffel

“You and I”

Ingrid Michaelson

infographics by Karina Zanyk Mclean & Austin Woody

Simon Sun, Stoney Creek HS Emily Binns

ORIGINAL WAYS STUDENTS WERE ASKED TO PROM Cole Skinner & Sara Schluckebier

Zach Wells & Hannah Fetner

“I asked Sara Schluckebier. I made a scavenger hunt with the letters PROM, each letter at a person’s house and the M being at mine, the last place. Then on my porch there was a ‘X’ like a treasure map would have with the letter M on it, Reese’s and a note that said “will you go to prom with me?” on it. And while she was reading the note I came out with roses so she could say yes. I was at my cousin’s house and we were brainstorming ideas because we both were asking girls to prom and I liked that idea the best so I used it. I would say she was very happy and pretty surprised that I asked her.

She had no clue that I was going to, so happy and surprised.” -Senior Cole Skinner

“I woke up Monday morning because I heard someone opening the door to my room. It was Zach and he told me he had breakfast for me.

I guess he just let himself into my house (he knows the garage code), came upstairs and woke me up and after, I had breakfast in bed and a prom date. I was super suprised he had brought me breakfast in bed and even more surprised when the waffles spelled out “PROM”.

It made me laugh pretty hard too, he definitely has figured out that food is my favorite thing in the world.”

business manager

Matt Lee & Jessica Renfro

Christi Wohlford & Lance Harmer

“I Won’t Give Up” Jason Mraz

Sydney Walker & Alex Hus

28 A Cut Above

-Senior Hannah Fetner

“I know Matt talked to McKenzie Laursen and they kind of planned everything out.

They talked to my coach and she sent out a text saying we needed to have a meeting for the seniors on Friday but when I walked up the stairs to the loft they were all in the formation and they spelled out “Prom?” with their poms and Matt was behind them.

When they were done he came out with flowers and asked me if I would go to prom with him. I was very surprised, because he was hinting that he would ask me later that night after his practice and my “meeting” so I wasn’t even expecting anything.”

-Senior Jessica Renfro photos by Emily Binns

“Up Up & Away ” Kid Cudi

Nicole Buckingham & Griffin Kendziorski

“Chasing Cars” Snow Patrol photos from amazon.com for promotional use

f ure, eboot,

Mike Wazowski and Monsters Universityrn in this prequel James P. Sullivan retu how they were about college life and as they are now. not always inseparable enture, Animation, (Comedy, Family, Adv Prequel)

Advertising Layout Advertising Layout

y

your et

of protecting President James Sawyer. Soon after, a heavily armed group overtakes the White House. Now the government is spinning out of control and it’s up to Cale to save the nation. (Adventure, Crime, Action)

Book summer sessions now!

Packages starting at $175 $10 off with this ad

Like us on Facebook

Laura Hoesl Photography

LauraHoeslPhotography@aol.com

517-898-7695

LauraHoeslPhotography.webstarts.com

This category includes ads for which students have created the artwork or photography, written heads and copy and done the layout.

Professionally created logos may be used. Ads should be attractive, informative and give all essential information. This entry is a single advertisement, not a page of advertisements.

Guidelines

• copy provides desired information • copy appropriate: concise, specific and fast moving • copy attempts to motivate the reader • illustrations/photos clear • parts of the ad assembled to give interesting appearance (balance) • gaze motion or eye movement arranged properly • distinctive: simplicity, action, emphasis, color, photography • standing details attractively arranged (trademark, name, address)

First place winners by division 1 Haley Kluge Grand Ledge HS 2 Emily Fisher Midland HS Haley Kluge, Grand Ledge HS

3 Lee Belding Northwest HS 4 Natalie Nohr Quincy HS

A Cut Above 29

Front Page/News Magazine Style Front Page Magazine

Page contains nameplate and references to inside stories. Page generates reader interest and uses effective photos and/ or artwork. Page will be evaluated for overall use of space.

Guidelines

• attractive nameplate, harmonizes with design, includes date, issue, volume, school, city and state • cover should be considered work of art • strongly relates to the inside contents • maintains visual interest • cover illustration (if used) may be compelling in size with a possible teaser headline depicting the mood of the story • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, emphasizing action • cover can refer readers to inside pages

portagenorthernlight.com | O C T 2 0 1 3 V O L U M E 4 4 I S S U E 1

the northern light Abstract One Clothing P.8 ENTERTAINMENT

First place winners by division

Dystopian Novels

1 Brian Palmer Rochester HS

Watch out for more Hunger Games on the shelves P. 10

2 Dianne Ro Portage Northern HS

Men’s soccer season fires up

3 Levi Kipke & Cameron LaFontaine Dexter HS 4 Eileen Pawlik Mercy HS M Riley Lynch Brownell MS

30 A Cut Above

KCC in Italy

Local choir travels to Italy P. 10

P.11

OPINION

Michigan passes law requiring schools to give opportunity for reciting the Pledge P.5

Portage Northern is now a “focus” school?

NEWS P.3

Portage Northern High School - 1000 Idaho Ave - Portage, MI 49024 Dianne Ro, Portage Northern HS

Front Page/Newspaper Style @TheWildcatRoar

Front PageNewspaper

24062 TAFT ROAD • NOVI, MI 48375 • VOLUME XLIII • ISSUE IV

DECEMBER 2013

News

Debate competes against fifteen schools

Page contains nameplate.

No advertising used on this page. Page will be evaluated for content and design for overall use of space.

PAGE 3

Guidelines

SPORTS

Wrestling focuses on details PAGE 7 A&E

Rock the Box concert photo essay PAGE 10

Photo by Ella Kruetzfeld/ Staff Writer

Bridgepointe:

a whole new world, just a few miles away Heartwarming experience sparks reality check for students

German Club During German Club’s holiday meeting, they made graham cracker houses. “It was so much fun to build the houses, even though we used graham crackers instead of gingerbread,” club president Lisa Barnikel said.

Jennifer Hepp Staff writer

jhepp@novischools.net

H

Distracted Driving Pledge

igh school students walked into an elementary classroom crowded with more than 40 children - girls with their hair curled, boys with trimmed haircuts - unaware that the small gifts the visitors would give the kids would result in even greater ones in return.

Along with choir director Claire Schurig, 12 student council volunteers and the a capella choir traveled to Academy of the Americas Immersion School to visit with children ranging from kindergarten through 8th grade Dec. 12.

Senior Julia Clark said all visiting students had to walk through a metal detector before entering the school.

“It was kind of different because we’re not used to that,” Clark said. “But their school is in a dangerous area.”

She said the visitors then split up to go to different classrooms where they participated in activi-

The week of Dec. 16, S.A.D.D. sponsored a campaign against texting and driving. They focused on raising awareness of the dangers of distracted driving by handing out a pledge for students to sign at lunch.

Students who pledged received a “no texting while driving” wristband or thumb band.

Dec. 18, Unity in the Community contest essays were due. Students participating wrote 500 - 1,000 word essays about how they promote unity and diversity. The winners will be announced by Jan. 6, and the top three finishers will receive a special commendation.

Rock the Box

This semester’s Rock the Box concert was held Dec. 13 in the black box theater. The show featured a variety of cover songs, acoustic sets, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire theme song and an original rap about literature.

Next semester’s show will be May 2.

Winter ACT Test

The high school hosted an ACT test Dec. 14. Students braved the roads after the first major snowfall of the year to take the standardized test.

Scores should be posted online anytime between Dec. 20 and Feb. 7.

AP Bio party

Dec. 19, AP Bio held its cultural diversity party. People brought in foods from their ethnic backgrounds.

Senior Navia Devarasetti brought in mini Samosas to represent her Indian heritage.

TV News update

Photos by M. Dunn/ Yearbook

Unity in the Community

Top: Kids cluster around freshman Josten Rodrigues as he shows them a card trick.

ties such as playing Bingo and decorating cookies.

“Just getting to know the kids was the biggest thing for me,” Clark said. “They were so sweet.”

Wearing a kelly green Major VI T-shirt and santa hat, Caleb Ascencio sang for the children with the a capella group.

“At first, everyone was a bit shy.

But then we started to sing … “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” and we made animal noises,” Ascencio said.

“The kids loved it and I think it made everyone have a great time.”

Volunteering to go on the field trip to take pictures for Yearbook, Marissa Dunn got to know one little girl’s story.

“She was telling me her bus hadn’t come for the past two days and she didn’t know why, so she had to walk to school,” Dunn said. “The teacher ended up taking her and her sister home one of the days because he didn’t want them to walk that far in the freezing cold … It was really sad.”

Dunn said the children were

Above: Members of Major VI clap while singing for students.

“It put a whole new meaning to ‘Holly Jolly Christmas,’” sophomore Caleb Ascencio said.

Far left: Sophomore Connor Ince gives a gift to a Bridgepointe student. The gifts were made by the Bridgepointe organization and included items such as scarves, soap, nail polish and gum. Left: Senior Julia Clark’s eyes light up as she engages in a conversation with one of the children.

Throughout the month, TV news class gave their daily newscast an upgrade by rearranging their studio and using a new opener. They plan on submitting the new opener to the MIPA journalism contest.

TES OF AM STA E

UN I

Winter Break

There will be no school for students or staff Dec. 21 through Jan 5.

Dr. MLK, Jr. Day

R

A IC

D TE

ONE CENT

$0.60

One polio vaccine

SPUD will host the annual “Unity in the Community” celebration Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. There is no school the following Monday, Jan. 20, for the actual holiday.

$15.00

Midterm Exams

100 volunteer vests

First semester will end with a special 3 day schedule, followed by a day off and the start of second semester: Jan. 21 - Full day, hours 5, 6.

Jan. 22 - Half day*, hours 1, 2.

Jan. 23 - Half day*, hours 3, 4.

Jan. 24 - No school Jan. 27 - Second semester begins *Release at 10:30 a.m.

One Act Districts

The One Act play will compete in a district festival Jan. 28. The play, “Letters to Sala” by Ann Kirschner, is based on the true story of a Jewish girl named Sala, who struggled through a number of labor camps during the Holocaust. It’s told through letters written between her and her friends and family.

25 vaccine doses

$25.00

50 promotional posters

$50.00

$100.00

800 purple finger markers

$350.00

350 carriers (needed to keep oral vaccine cool)

Purple Pinky Polio Progress Year

Countries with polio

1988................125 1991..................90 1994..................80 1997...................70 1998..................40 2000..................20 2003..................10 2010....................5 2013....................3 According to endpolio. com, today the world is 99% polio free.

very appreciative of everything the high school kids delivered.

“The kids were like, ‘Oh, look I got nail polish!’ ‘I got shampoo!,’” Dunn said. “But I just have that stuff at my house.”

Ascencio said there is a big difference between the Bridgepointe children and students here.

“In general, we do take for granted some of the things we have here,” Ascencio said. “Like, these kids don’t have heat sometimes.

And some of the younger ones are getting soap for Christmas and they’re incredibly grateful.”

It was Clark’s second time on the field trip.

“I kind of already knew the kids and how the school is, but the first time I went there, I was kind of shocked,” Clark said. “It’s a lot different and it’s really sad, but at the same time, they’re just so happy to have us there.”

Ascencio said the whole experience was really cool.

“It’s just great to see how happy they are,” Ascencio said, “and to see their faces light up.”

Volunteers paint purple pinkies

Interact club fundraises to eradicate polio Meghan Lorenc Editor in chief

mlorenc@novischools.net

For less money than it costs to buy a song on iTunes, a child can be saved from the possibility of lifelong paralysis or even death.

Jan. 7 - 9, students can spend the money they would spend on a soft pretzel or Cat Rack cookie at lunch to donate to Interact Club’s Purple Pinky Polio Project.

Each year the club works alongside the Novi Rotary to raise money to help get rid of polio in the three countries still plagued by it: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

“The actual Rotary International has raised tons of money over the years to try to eradicate polio for good,” Interact club sponsor Lori Ultch said. “They try to make it so that in other countries they have the same access to fight it.”

For the cost of a new pair of running shoes, 50 posters can be printed to promote immunization days so people who need the vaccine know where and how to receive it.

For the cost of filling your car up with gas, 100 brightly colored vests can be given to immunization day volunteers, so they can be recognized by vaccine seekers.

For the cost of a cashmere sweater, 800 purple finger markers can be purchased.

Interact club president Sahithi Chinnam said people’s pinkies are dyed purple after receiving the vaccine in underdeveloped countries as a way to distinguish who has gotten it. During the high school’s fundraiser, club members will color the pinky of anyone who donates, thus the name Purple Pinky Polio Project.

Chinnam said in the past, the project has raised up to $300.

That is enough to buy the new

iPhone 5s or 350 vaccine carriers essential to keeping the oral vaccine cool.

“Grab some change from your car and pockets and piggy bank. If you see a penny, donate it,” club secretary Maddie Eiler said. “It only costs 60 cents for one vaccine.”

Chinnam expects the project to turn out pretty well this year.

“I think since we’ve done it so many years of high school, people have gotten used to it,” Chinnam said. “I think when they see it, they know what it is and they’re more willing to donate money.”

According to the Rotary brochure on the project, the organization has been collecting money to rid the world of polio for more than 20 years.

Reported polio cases have dropped

99.8 percent and more than two billion children have received the vaccine since 1985. Polio mainly affects children under five, but can be contracted by anyone.

“Even though it doesn’t affect us [in the United States], part of Interact is trying to tell students that there are things outside our community that we can help,” Eiler said. “It’s a problem that I never realized was such a big issue. We only have 1% of polio left to end.”

• attractive nameplate, harmonizes with design, includes date, issue, volume, school, city, and state • page generates reader interest; showcases important content • sound, journalistic style of writing • maintains visual interest in lower half of page • consistent use of headline styles/type faces • photos effectively cropped, of varied size, shape, emphasizing action • demonstrates effective graphic style, with graphic devices contributing to impact of page • clear relationships demonstrated between story and related pictures/art • cutlines stand out from body copy; effective lead-ins used for longer cutlines

First place winners by division 1 Meghan Lorenc Novi HS 2 Narmeen Rehman Bloomfield Hills HS 3 Kirsten Domsic Utica HS 4 Sydney Schneider Laingsburg HS M Andrea Bavikatty Traverse City East MS

Get your purple print Jan. 7-9!

Meghan Lorenc, Novi HS

A Cut Above 31

Story Package Story Package

Opinion

Opinion

Content should be based on one significant topic built around a dominant story packaged with secondary stories. Does not need to be a true spread or full page design

SHOPAHOLICS to shop, to save... or both?

Students shop until they drop, but with hefty price tags some search for cheaper alternatives.

Guidelines

1 Simon Sun & Adrian Munteanu Stoney Creek HS 2 Jacob Alessi Waterford Kettering HS 3 Abby Mesaros Dexter HS 4 Alexa Danek Laingsburg HS M Erica Fossee, Rachel Harris, Liz Bigham & Caitlin Bush Brownell MS

32 A Cut Above

BY JACOB ALESSI jacobalessi@waterforddrift.com

Senior Kazarah Aho frequently shops to stay fashion forward

T

16

he sound of click-clacking high heels rings from her feet, her new dress sways back and forth on her body, and the designer hand bag she carries hangs precariously off her wrist. Down the shiny and glamorous aisles of Urban Outfitters, senior Kazarah Aho relieves all her worries with a little retail therapy.

It’s obvious to say that shopping’s a part of everyone’s lives, but to shop often for more than what is simply needed is the practice for Aho. A “shopaholic” is simply that: a compulsive shopper. Aho can rely on clothes to brighten her mood; shopping can turn any bad day into a good one.

“Clothes in general make me happy”, Aho said. “Shopping can make any day better; if I’m sad or feeling down about myself I can just go to the mall and forget about everything.”

After some time not getting new clothes, Aho insists on replenishing her collection. Her mind focuses on the want for those new pants, the bag she saw online, or the skirt from Free

w

w

MURMUR NEWS 20 December 2013

WaterfordDrift.com

People she absolutely needs.

“When I haven’t shopped in a while all my clothes look blah,” Aho said. “It becomes impossible to find something to wear. I mostly can only think about my need to go shopping.”

Using coupons or worrying about the price aren’t things Aho is interested in; she takes other factors into account when picking out what to buy.

“Coupons are a lot of work,” Aho said. “Usually I just use cash.

You really have to evaluate the price, usefulness, and quality {of the clothes} so it depends on what the item is worth altogether.”

The retail queen herself never goes too long without whipping out the money and buying new stuff. She admits to buying clothes, shoes, and other accessories at least every week.

Aho along with many others will forever be considered a shopaholic, while she always upholds her own style she’ll constantly be in need of more. Shopping is more than what’s on the price tag for Aho; it’s her life.

Opinion

Breaking the brand

Do YOU

Teens can still be in style without thinning their wallets

BY GABBY HILLIARD gabbyhilliard@waterforddrift.com

A

$

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘

When student expenses rise with car and college funds cheaper alternatives can be chosen for clothes, all while maintaing the same great style.

18

w

?

op like to sh

s the snow covers the ground, students walk into school bundled and trendy. Their lockers become their new closet. Stuffed to the brim with varsity jackets, wool pea coats, knitted scarves, and warm mittens.

In only one year fashion completely changes amongst the halls.

Girls trudge to class with combat boots strapped to their feet and infinity scarves draping from their necks.

The guys on the other hand show off their comfy crew necks, and colorful jeans while putting in effort to look like a famous Ralph Lauren model. All at a decent price, learning how to save each penny while still looking fashionable.

It’s better to shop smart rather than simply blow your money on clothes. Why buy a sweater for eighty bucks right now when you know you can practically get the same one for less than half the price at a different store.

Let’s face it, we’re in highschool, yes we still have to look fashionable. But that doesn’t mean people still have to present themselves behind an expensive brand like it makes them better in some way.

Fashion is fashion. Whether it’s from Urban Outfitters or Salvation Army everything’s still clothes. I think I can speak for most high school students when I say we’re pretty much all cash conscious with our money now. Between car payments, cell phone bills, and saving for college we don’t have that extra dough for high end clothes.

Keep your wallets a little fatter this winter and stay away from the big brands. It’s not about what you wear but how you wear it.

Shopping SMART

17

20 December 2013

Opinion

Getting new clothes is fun, I like to show them off at school.”

Up, up, and away. The Amazon “PrimeAir” drone consists of eight propellers which will possibly deliver your packages in less than thirty minutes in the near future. Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Steven Marshall, 11

Prime time W

Shopping relieves stress and makes me feel good, when I shop I’m able to change up my outfits.”

BY CHRIS HABBA chrishabba@waterforddrift.com

Ashley Iliades, 12

No, I am a very impatient person. I hate walking all around. When I see something I like I buy it quick and get out.”

Sahara Holly, 12

No, I never go shopping.

My mom is usually the one to buy the clothes for me.”

Elliot Morgan, 11

alking into a physical retail store is a thing of the past as online retail is dominating the world one step at a time.

Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos recently unveiled in an episode of 60 Minutes that the future of shipping will not only lie in the sky, but be carried by robotic drones.

The new service would be called Amazon Prime Air, and in an estimated four to five years the packages ordered by Amazon customers could arrive on what Amazon is calling a Drone.

Drones are octo-copters which have eight blades and are completely controlled using

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$198

$

MURMUR NEWS 20 September 2013

Amazon plans to change the way we shop forever with items from online to your porch in 30 minutes

GPS. These drones are designed to carry packages five pounds or less and deliver them right to shoppers’ door step within a half hour of placing the order.

Amazon claims that one day the Amazon Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today. I like the idea but am also curious to see the logistics behind this plan.

The company currently offers free two day shipping when customers subscribe to an Amazon Prime account for $79 per year and as a subscriber customers also get the opportunity to pay only $3.99 per item to get next day delivery.

Urban Outfitters “Frye Arkansas lace-up ankle boot”

Anthropologie “Arslan sweater coat”

→

First place winners by division

Retail relief

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• package generates reader interest; showcases strongest content • one dominant story element and graphic element, packages with secondary elements in form of stories/ graphic • visual elements tie package together to create cohesiveness, even if package extends to another non-consecutive page or does not fill an entire page • graphic devices, if used, contribute to overall impact of package • design reflects effective graphic style, personality of publication • consistent use of headline styles/type faces • content covers appropriate, timely issues/topics • stories written in sound, journalistic style • headlines get smaller in relation to importance of elements in package

.99

$169

Marshalls Marshalls “designer “designer pea-coat” pea-coat”

As an avid Amazon shopper myself, I enjoy all the great benefits my Amazon Prime account has to offer me. I frequently use my two day shipping benefits whether I’m buying a t-shirt or a new TV and I am the type of person that wants my stuff as quickly as possible.

If this all comes together it will change the way people shop forever, however, there’s a lot of things to take into account when thinking about Prime Air. First off, excessive shopping could become an issue. Amazon works by storing customers credit card information so the checkout process is easy and simple. Cus-

Nike “n98 Track jacket” $150

Old Navy “Men’s active wear”

DSW “Combat boots”

$44.99

$17.50

$35.99 w

WaterfordDrift.com

tomers can at any time checkout without ever re-typing the magic numbers that have to ability to drain their bank account blind.

Another issue would be robbery. People are stealing from inside houses, what will stop them from stealing that brand new package they just saw dropping down on someone’s front door.

With such a bizarre concept it’s hard to say if Amazon can really pull through, but taking into account the seriousness of their CEO I think they’re able to do it.

Amazon Prime Air will change shopping forever, though only time will tell if it’s for the better or worse.

20 September 2013

19

Jacob Alessi, Waterford Kettering HS

Editorial-Opinion Page/Spread

opinion

the double standard oby ugwuegbu

Editorial Opinion Page/Spread letter to the editor Dear Editors,

hazel o’neil illustration

On Sunday August 25, 2013, a whopping 10.1 million people tuned in to watch the MTV Video Music Awards. Out of the many performances, Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke’s was the most shocking. Cyrus started off singing “We Can’t Stop,” her summer hit song.

Cyrus came out of a giant robotic teddy bear, sticking her tongue out while wearing a one-piece teddy bear leotard. She performed while many giant teddy bears danced around her. She stunned the audience even more by stripping down to a nude color two-piece as Thicke came out to sing his hit song “Blurred Lines”.

Thicke wore a black and white striped suit; the only other thing Cryus wore was a foam finger.

Cyrus flaunted off her famous twerking skills and grinded on Thicke and continually used the foam finger to point at inappropriate places.

Miley Cyrus’s attempt to get rid of her Hannah Montana reputation worked. According to Forbes.com, the 20-year-old singer generated about 300,000 tweets per minute after her controversial

performance.

The internet buzzed about Cyrus for the next few days, but why only Cyrus? Thicke’s performance was just as controversial, yet didn’t get nearly as much attention or criticism as Cyrus’. Community High student Alice Held had a lot to say about this topic.

“There has always just been a sort of double standard. I think it’s just because of being a woman. How often we are given a minority role. We are not considered dominant in society so it makes us easier to be targeted,” she said. Thicke does has a wife and one child, but nobody mentioned how unacceptable it was to let a 20-year-old girl grind on him.

Most people found Cyrus’s performance to be ‘disgusting’ and ‘outrageous’. This is because in our society, men are considered the dominant gender.

A lot of people don’t like the ‘new’ Cyrus and don’t get why she is trying so hard to become famous again. But nobody is really focusing on Thicke because in the world it is commonly accepted for men to act inappropriately towards women. Most people look past his actions when perhaps they shouldn’t. C

As a student of Community High School for the past four years, I have been exposed to many different examples of journalism as demonstrated by The Communicator. Although many of the editions of the magazine have been well designed and written, I feel that overall the periodical has not reached its full potential.

For example, last year, many different articles would be written on incredibly similar topics.

Although it does provide a nice backbone to an issue, it felt to me as though the articles were written for a “wow factor” as opposed to trying to get to the bottom of the issue.

In other words, the “what” of the article was clearly addressed; however, the “why” was overlooked. In order to have a stronger impact on its readership, The Communicator needs to attempt to analyze the issues presented it its articles.

The Communicator has established itself as a high-quality periodical. Now, the articles need to mature. Present us with an issue and try to provoke a quality debate in the student body.

Build off of a taboo issue, and let students form opinions off of well-articulated journalism.

I have no doubt that the staff of The Communicator will be able to astonish its readers.

Sincerely, Katie Taub

staff editorial: after the storm In June of this year, Ann Arbor Public Schools faced a budget crisis that affected departments from athletics to teacher layoffs. The final cuts reflected a slashing of over seven million dollars.

Every high school was affected by the budget cuts, although Community was especially hurt by them.

Three of Community’s teachers were reduced to part-time. This resulted in the cutting of at least one class in the english, mathematics, jazz and art departments. This in turn has resulted in larger class sizes at Community. In contrast, there’s an AP class at Huron that has a measly eleven students in it, meaning if a student went from Huron to Community he would find his class size had increased by about 200%.

It is irrational to burden Community with more than its fair share of the budget cuts. Community students are more likely than students at any other school to take college classes. Community also has a nationally renowned jazz program, a Mock Trial team that has won three state championships in the last five years and a critically acclaimed theater guild.

Thus, Ann Arbor Public Schools should be in-

vesting more of its resources into Community, not less.

However, exactly the opposite is happening. Not only was Community deeply scarred by the budget cuts, but the entire school was on the chopping block during August. This would mean that not only Community’s academic resources would be gone from the district, but the relationships that the students formed at Community would be lost when the students were forced to go to their district schools. The staff that had produced so many productive members of society would be moved to another school, or worse, let go.

Without Community High School being factored in, the average ACT of the Ann Arbor Public High Schools (Huron, Pioneer, Skyline) would drop over half a point, from 24.3 to just under 23.7.

If Ann Arbor Public Schools wants to continue being on the forefront of Michigan, and even national, education, then the AAPS school board should continue funding Community as it has done with every other high school, not put the stress of elimination on its students and faculty each year. C

communicator policy The Communicator, being committed to the free exchange of ideas, is an open forum for expression of opinions. It is student-run; students make all content decisions. Letters to the editor are encouraged and can be sent to thecommunicator2012@ gmail.com. Signed articles will be accepted with no prior administrative review as space is available. The Communicator reserves the right to edit submissions. Furthermore, opinions expressed therein are those of the authors and not of this newspaper, Community High School, or Ann Arbor Public Schools. For our complete policy, please see www.chscommunicator.com.

46 o cto b er 2 0 1 3

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First place winners by division 1 Tori Phelps Stoney Creek HS

Staff, Ann Arbor Community HS

2 Taylor Bryant, Rebecca Ellenstein, Meghan Hurley & Camy Metwally North Farmington HS 3 Caitlin Heenan, Lauren Davis & Mackenzie Figueroa Fenton HS 4 Staff Ann Arbor Community HS M Andrea Bavikatty Traverse City East MS

A Cut Above 33

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10

Features

NovembeR 2013 1

Holt HigH ScHool RampaRtS

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What’s your bag m ? missing fro 2

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Essentials every student should keep in their backpack feature editor

1. Hand Sanitizer

Don’t go getting the whole school sick. You can even keep this in your lunch bag or pencil bag for before lunch so you don’t end up getting yourself sick. Stay clean.

“You never know what is on the

Photos by Kylee Voorhis

11. Schoolwork 8. Gum and mints

Kylee vooRHiS

It’s always got your back, it carries the load and it’s full of surprises.

Your backpack has everything you will need from day to day. It’s got everything from toothbrushes to last night’s incomplete homework. While most of the load we carry around is our bulky oversized textbooks and stacks of paper you would have to cut through with an axe, there are some unnecessary things we all have in our bags. It can sometimes become our handy wastebasket.

No one lugs around the same things as the next person, because we all need different things. Some people just need their homework for the night, while the rest of us carry everything but the kitchen sink. What are the necessities for high school students? Of course, these things will not apply to everyone, and it’s different from boys to girls, but these things can come in handy in a time of need.

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desks and tables you are touching every day, so I use hand sanitizer to prevent illness,” sophomore Kaitlyn Fulghum said.

5. Homework

Carry extra money around in case you need to buy a water or food at nutrition break, or if you forgot your lunch money. Make sure you have your keys because you have to get home somehow.

Just get it done. Don’t come to class the next day without having done your homework. To make the load lighter, try having one specific binder just for homework so you don’t end up carrying your whole locker around.

“It is pointless to just carry around your homework and not even do it,” senior Hawra Ahmad said.

3. Agenda

6. Feminine products

2. Wallet and keys

Don’t miss test day or the day a project is due. Agendas are good to keep track of tonight’s homework and to be sure you take home all the right binders.

“Students should carry agendas to stay organized. They will be aware of what homework they have that night so they don’t forget. It helps with time management,” senior Kristen Cobus said.

4. Chap-stick

Chapped lips are no fun. Keep a few sticks in your bag. For girls, keep some lip gloss or lipstick as well.

“Make sure you have Chap-stick don’t want your lips looking crusty,” junior Zeyniore Anderson said.

15

13

Ladies, make sure you have these.

You never know when Mother Nature will visit. Keep a few extra in case a friend is in need and make sure you are prepared.

7. Extra clothes

You never know when you will get stopped for a dress code violation or when you end up wearing your lunch to the next class. You may not have a ton of room in your backpack, so these could be kept in your locker as well. Be certain you have something in case you are too cold or too hot, or even just uncomfortable. “ B e c a u s e a c c i d e n t s a l w ay s happen, with water, food, or stuff from art classes,” Ahmad said.

Freshen your breath, so you aren’t the one everyone steers clear from after lunch. This can be helpful to those with a dirty mouth. And open a new pack of gum in class, and instantly everyone is your best friend.

“I have gum for after lunch, so I don’t have a bad taste in my mouth,” senior Cody Burke said.

9. Pens and pencils

This is a must have for everyone.

You can’t get through one day of school without having a pencil. Some teachers won’t give out pencils to students, so make sure you have some. Keep a few backups in case a friend needs one too or yours breaks.

10. Perfume, cologne and lotion

Everyone wants to smell good, just don’t overdo it in the hallways and make people feel like they need a gas mask. This comes in handy for after gym class, or if you had to sprint to class. Lotion can also come in handy during the colder months.

Having dry snake skin hands is never comfortable.

“I keep lotion in my bag because I hate when my skin gets really dry, especially in the winter time,” junior Rose Harris-Makinen said.

Don’t leave school at the end of the day without having everything you will need to study and keep up on class. It’s the main reason we have backpacks anyway.

12. Deodorant

In case you forgot to put it on in the morning, or if gym class gets the best of you.

13. Toothbrush and toothpaste

Walking around with your lunch still stuck in your teeth isn’t a good look for anyone. This may seem weird, but it can come in handy, especially for students with braces.

14. Books

Keep a free reading book or your assigned reading book for when you get some down time. These are always convenient to have on test days or for the bus ride home.

15. Food

For when hunger strikes. Keep an extra granola bar or a bag of chips in case you forget to eat breakfast as you are rushing out the door. Also carry a water bottle or a cup of water around with you throughout the day.

“Have some food, just a little snack in case your stomach starts growling,” Anderson said.

First place winners by division 1 Danielle Kullman Rochester HS 2 Dianne Ro, Hannah Teerman & Jon Crowell Portage Northern HS 3 Kylee Voorhis Holt HS 4 Natalie Nohr & Melissa Myers Quincy HS M Rachel Harris Brownell MS

34 A Cut Above

Kylee Voorhis, Holt HS

Sports Page/Spread For the Record

9786-3 Passing yards Regular season record

223-183 Out scored opponents 109.4

Consistency keying in

Tennis team qualifies once again for states

Driving to states

By Justin Theroux

By Justin Theroux The tennis team this year has once again qualified for state playoffs. Finishing a season as league champions and regional champions, the team considers this season another success.

Last season the team went undefeated. A perfect 13 wins and zero losses. Winning 11 out of 12 matches this year, the team has certainly met the standards from the previous year.

“I started playing my freshman year,” senior Andy Stamm said. “I would be frustrated a lot when I was younger after a loss, but now I don’t worry as much.”

Being more of a civilized sport, controlling emotions and showing integrity are important. “I don’t swear the same way I did when I play hockey,” senior Matt Baugh said.

Baugh first started tennis junior

year. Even within the two seasons he has felt himself grow as a competitor.

Senior Mitchell Stewart ended up breaking a school record. With 64 wins, Stewart set the record for most wins in a career. But looking past that, Stewart has enjoyed going to state matches and representing the school.

“I like the whole experience of states. It is a good way to bring the

team together.” Stewart said.

Every tennis player strives to qualify for states. It is an opportunity to showcase their talents, as well as one’s ability to step up in a stress filled match.

With the kind of reputation the tennis team has built, consistency is key. Stamm, Baugh and Stewart all have high hopes for the younger athletes and the future of the tennis program.

24

3

Sacks per game

4-1 2.5

137.5 Conference record Hours a day

Total practice hours

photo by Lauren Cotrell

“It was a succesfull year and a lot of with fun filled moments, but still accomoplishing our goals,” Stamm said.

“The season was pretty hype,” Baugh said.

CAAC red champs

By Laly Sorrone

This year the boy’s varsity soccer team won the Capital Area Activities Conference championship. This is the first time in four seasons Haslett has won the CAAC Red championship. The CAAC Red conference consists of DeWitt, Owosso, Fowlerville, Ionia, and St. Johns.

Haslett and DeWitt finished among the top two teams on the season.

Haslett came out against the Panthers with a close 2-1 finish. The Vikings finished with a 7-10 season but still came out with only one loss in the conference. When the season was done, it came down to the last games.

Owosso and St. Johns were not far behind in the running.

“The team had one of the best seasons in program history,” Stewart said.

“The team’s main goal was to finish the season as Red champs.”

-Nathan Gillespie “The game that was most crucial (to win) was against DeWitt,” senior Nathan Gillespie said. “The team’s main goal was to finish the season as Red champs.”

Many of the senior’s were looking forward to this season since the last day of last season. With one goal in mind, the team was very devoted throughout the entire season.

“The best game I think was against DeWitt and they were one of the top ten teams in the state and we had to beat them to win leagues,” senior Harrison Beyea said. The score of the DeWitt game was two to one.”

junior Vinny Barile heads the ball over DeWitt defender in the 2-1 victory.

SPORTS

cally another person for the girls to come to if they needed help with anything,” Holland said. Golf can be frustrating enough by itself. So, having

Holland had shot her personal best of 38 strokes this year at Haslett in a dual meet.

“I was just proud to be a part of making our goal happen,” Holland said.

Being a senior captain, Holland was the one to go to for anything. “I was basi-

a captain who feels equal to her teammates is nice.

Certainly, Holland wanted to improve her score. But wanting to simply have fun and enjoy the time with the team was also a priority.

“States was a great experience. The girls had a lot of fun stay-

ing the night in the dorms,” Holland said.

The team chemistry this year seemed to be at an all time high. Having easygoing and stress-free practices made a big difference.

Admit it, no one likes to do anything when they’re angry.

Especially trying to hit a little white ball into a cup from 200 yards away.

History is made every day in this school. Granted, some may be more memorable than others. But to those who made history, it lasts forever. The 2013 Women’s Golf Team can certainly hold on to the memory of being the first ever.

Girls Cross Country

Varsity Volleyball

Varsity Football

Now: Still running and practicing for

Now: Semi- final district matchup

Now: Training in the weight room for

next year.

against East Lansing.

next season.

strong

Then: District victory against DeWitt

Then: Finishing the season with a loss

Record: None

Record: 46-3-1

Record: 6-4

Player’s Word: “The season

Player’s Word: “We have

Player’s Word: “It was like a

Then: Finishing the regualar season

Wednesday.

met a lot of our goals by winning five tournaments and beating the nummber one team in the state,” senior Paige VanAtta said.

second family to me,’ sophomore Hunter Ruhstorfer said.

Boys Cross Country

JV Volleyball

JV Football

Now:

Now: Preparing for varsity next year.

Now: Getting ready for varsity to start.

Then:

Then: Picking up from an undefeated

Then: Finished the season against

Record: None

Record: 29-13

Record: 5-4

Player’s Word:

Player’s Word: “I thought

“The season could have been better,“ sophmore Connor Frank said. “Our record did not show how we played.”

Preparing for next season.

season last year.

the season was enjoyable, and we all got along well for the most part,” junior Emily Wegenke said.

Every student at Haslett who participates in atheltics pays an annual $200. This money is broken up and given to various funds to help support transportation, supplies, salaries, etc.

450,000

dollars spent towards athletics

82,000 + 105,000

4,500

total revenue

~200,000

fund-raised money

“The revenue only pays for supplies, salaries, training, and transportation,” district buisness manager Steve Cook said. “No indirect costs are paid for (mowing, lighting, heat).”

Chelsea

Player’s Word:

photo by Molly Hubbell

11.8.13

11

SPORTS

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additional allocation for football

against DeWitt in districts.

was a good experience,” sophomore Savannah Bain said. “Watching the boys at states was definitely the highlight.”

“The season was pretty fun, and we all worked together well,” junior Jacob Brucki.

“Our team is going to have to step up for next year with Luke and Alex graduating.” photo by Nicole Boog Haslett varsity football after the win against Owosso on Sept. 20

feat made each and every golfer improve.

By the end of the season, the team was able to improve individual scores by three or more strokes.

IN THE GAME

Alex McCormick finishes at regionals in first

10

As the captain of the first-ever girls golf team to qualify for states, senior Klaudia Holland is a part of the school’s history.

Not to say that past teams did not have good golfers.

But the combination of skill, compatibility and a common goal in mind, the team this year was bound for greatness. With an extremely powerful amount of team chemistry, the team acquired its goal.

“At the beginning of the season we made it our goal to qualify for states this year,” Holland said.

Having the drive to accomplish this

“I was basically another person the girls the girls could come to if they needed help with anything” -Klaudia Holland

Avg. passing yards per game Sacks on the year

Where does the Money go?

First time ever girls golf team qualifies for state tournament

11.8.13

Marc Hooper, Haslett HS

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First place winners by division 1 Matt Schmucker Stoney Creek HS 2 Jared Lutz & Brian Taggett Portage Central HS 3 Marc Hooper Haslett HS 4 Kurt McEwan Laingsburg HS M Julia Vannatter Traverse City East MS

A Cut Above 35

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Injuries among student athletes accumulate Sam Cozik: Concussion

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First place winners by division 1 Simon Sun Stoney Creek HS 2 Andrea Scapini, Haley Reid & Haley Ishmaku Grosse Pointe North HS 4 Kelly Arnold Ann Arbor Community HS M Alex Harring Brownell MS

PHOTO BY NORTH CAROLINA HEALTH NEWS A concussion can best be compared to a car accident.

The car, or skull, goes from moving at speed to stopping very quickly and the body of the driver, or brain, obeys the laws of physics and keeps going, resulting in a collision between the brain and the skull. This collision of brain and skull leads to the damage sustained by the injury, bruising of the brain.

Shoulder pads crack and helmets hit as players collide with one another. To most it is just another night of football; however, to the kid who just “got their bell rung” it may actually be much more. After taking part in a helmet to helmet collision, the player may have sustained a serious injury, a concussion. To the dazed player, the play may have a lasting, even lethal impact on the rest of their life Headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and noise, problems balancing, and nausea following a blow to head, all can be some of the telltale signs that accompany a concussion.

Sam Cozik (15) is one of nearly a dozen athletes who suffered a severe blow to the head and a subsequent concussion in a fall sport at Laingsburg.

Cozik picked up his concussion in week five of the football season while playing against Bath. After taking a hit to the head, Cozik remembers being

Robert Miller: Torn Labrum Behind concussions, another common injury in the fall sports season was an injury to the shoulder, more specifically the labrum.

Although it was a common injury this season, the labrum tends to be a relatively little-known part of the body and is an easy part to miss; however, the labrum is a very important structure in the human shoulder. The labrum is soft tissue that functions to make the shallow shoulder socket like a cup, helping to keep the arm seated correctly in the socket.

This function can be severely hindered when there is a tear in the labrum Varsity goalie Robert Miller (14) tore his labrum after a collision and step ensuing fall while playing soccer against Dansville. In addition to a loss in shoulder stability, a torn labrum can result in intermittent pain and sensations during movement of the affected shoulder. Despite his injury, Miller continued playing and was able to finish the rest of the season.

Like many injuries, most tears to the labrum heal sufficiently with time and rest, with most athletes being fully functional after a few weeks. Although in the more extreme cases, where the tear to the labrum is more substantial, it requires surgery.

pulled out and not much else, including a trip to the ER and CAT scan that night.

In order to get back in the game, players must be free of symptoms for a week, and are then able to be cleared to play again.

After weeks of retaining the symptoms, Cozik had an MRI to ensure no internal bleeding or other concussion related problems. While the MRI results came back okay, Cozik was informed that he had a minor form of Chiari 1 Malformation, which is a genetic brain disorder.

Finally, five weeks after his initial injury, Cozik was medically cleared and allowed to resume doing physical activities, although he was unable to participate in the entire second half of the football season.

Often regarded as one of the more common injuries in sports, especially in football, concussions are grabbing the attention of coaches, parents, players, and medical officials. As concussions become a more common injury, medical studies, confessions by upper level athletes, and evidence that concussions lead to severe health complications later in life has began to mount a substantial case for increased safety measures in athletics.

For more information on concussion injuries see the NFL concussion crisis at www.pbs.org/wgbtv/ page/frontline/ league-of-denial/

Normally the cerebellum (pictured in red), part of the lower brain that sits beneath the cerebrum and focuses mainly on motor skills, has ample room to rest and even move around within the skull.

For those with some form of Chiari Malformation, the back of the skull is either misshapen or too small. This lack of room forces the Cerebellum to be pushed down into the top of the spinal canal.

PHOTOS BY BRAINWAVZ.ORG

PHOTO BY COLDONE.COM The labrum is pictured above in blue. This soft tissue serves to keep the arm properly seated in the shoulder socket.

Jay Kusler: MRSA MRSA is a strain of staph bacteria. Staph are a common bacteria that can live in our bodies and are carried by many people in the nose.

When staph enters the body it then becomes an issue.

Staph usually enters the body through existing cut or sore and can create and infection. Being a bacteria, it does not take long before staph cells go from this...

... to this, a massive infection. While traditional antibiotics can be used to destroy staph infections, MRSA has grown to be resistant to many antibiotics such as penicillin. This increased resistance makes MRSA much more difficult to eradicate.

MRSA infections tend to be mild, but can be lethal if the infection spreads to the blood system or bones.

PHOTOS BY WEBMD AND SCITECH DAILY

The body image pictured is a composite of the injured athletes with each being pictured at their respective injury.

Beginning at the head is Sam Cozik (15), next is Robert Miller (14) at the shoulder, is followed by Jay Kusler (15) at the elbow and lower arm.

Next, is Ryan Wade (15) at the knee, and finally Joseph Hatt (14) at the ankle.

In addition to a torn labrum, Jay Kusler (15) suffered from another common injury this season, MRSA. Although technically more of an infection than a physical injury, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA is a health condition that is increasingly common in sports.

The infection tends to be received by touching a person or object carrying MRSA. Due to the infection being spread through physical contact, it is more common in sports such as wrestling where there is significant contact between athletes.

MRSA has become vastly more important with the discovery that it is resistant to methicillin, amoxicillin, penicillin, oxacillin, and many other antibiotics that were once able to destroy the bacteria making it very difficult to kill.

Ryan Wade: Torn Meniscus & Sprained MCL While most athletes are able to make it through high school free from permanent injury, others are not as fortunate. Some of the most devastating and lasting injuries are those to the knees and other major joints.

Ryan Wade (15) had his season ended before it had even begun when he tore his medial meniscus and sprained his medial collateral ligament, or MCL, in the annual preseason football scrimmage against Mt. Clemens. Shortly after sustaining the injury, Wade underwent reconstructive surgery to repair the damage to his knee but was unable to play for the rest of the season.

The human knee is a complex joint, with many components, which makes it very susceptible to injuries.

Due to its function as a sort of shock absorber, severe injuries to the meniscus can result in lifelong complications and pain while injuries to the medial collateral ligament can severely and permanently hinder mobility.

PHOTO BY BESTPRACTICE.BMJ.COM The knee is the not only the largest joint in the human body, but it is also a very complex one, with many components.

Joseph Hatt: Broken Fibula

Normal

Transverse

Oblique

Spiral

INFOGRAPH BY KURT MCEWAN There are several different ways that a bone can fracture with the three most common pictured above in relation to a normal bone.

Transverse fractures tend to go straight across a bone and are often the result of sharp blows to the bone.

Oblique fractures are when the bone breaks diagonally and tend to be caused by sharp, angled blows to the bone.

Lastly is the spiral fracture, which is similar to the oblique in that it is not straight across the bone. Spiral fractures are created when either one, or both halves of a bone are twisted.

The risk of injury in sports, especially contact sports, comes with the territory.

Even with the absolute best equipment and training, the risk of injury is always there, with there being no surefire way to fully protect any athlete from injury. Many high school athletes are able to make it through their career without injury, some are just not as fortunate.

Joseph Hatt (14) was yet another athlete who had his fall season prematurely ended by a severe injury.

Hatt was injured in the final ten seconds of the football game against Potterville, suffering a horrific spiral fracture to his fibula and a ruptured ligament in his ankle. He then had multiple pins and a bracket placed in his ankle during reconstructive surgery.

Despite the severity of his injury and the fact that many athletes with similar injuries have persistent issues with the injured ankle, Hatt expects the ankle to recover and be stronger than ever following his physical therapy.

Number of injuries among athletes 19 and under

394,350 Football

389,610 Basketball

172,470 Soccer

119,810 Baseball

58,210 Softball

43,190 Volleyball

43,190 Wrestling

37,770 Cheerleading

28,300 Gymnastics

24,910 Track & field

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS

BY KURT MCEWAN

STATISTICS BY USA TODAY

Simon Sun, Stoney Creek HS

36 A Cut Above

Entertainment Page/Spread Entertainment Page/ Spread Pages will be evaluated for content and design.

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First place winners by division 1 Paige Farnsworth, Kailie Fowler & Danielle Kullman Rochester HS 2 Lauren Kok H.H. Dow HS 3 Levi Kipke Dexter HS 4 Oren Steiner Ann Arbor Community HS M Jacqueline Squillace & Phoebe Miriani Brownell MS

A Cut Above 37

Photo Story Photo Story

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20 THE ORIOLE

PHOTO FEATURE

ROYAL HISTORY

Students rally in spirit with two queens

FEBRUARY 7, 2014

NATALIE NOHR `15 Photo Editor /News Editor

For the first time in QHS history two Miss Orioles were chosen by the student body during Oriole Week. Anna Brockway `14 and Kelsey Bean `14 tied for crown.

“It caught me totally off-guard when they said [we both won]... I was able to make Quincy history with one of my best friends, and it can’t get much cooler than that,” Bean said.

Aaron Cutler `14 was voted Mr. Oriole. “It made me feel good that the teachers and my fellow students respected me enough to be Mr. Oriole,” Cutler said.

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First place winners by division

Seniors Anna Brockway and Kelsey Bean receive their crowns from Homecoming Queen Bobbie Luckadoo `14. “Kelsey is one of my best friends and being able to share these times with her has created memories that will last a lifetime,” Brockway said. “It is such an honor being able to share the title with such a beautiful, talented girl who does so much for our school,” Bean said.

The Black Hole, QHS’s student section, brought spirit to the game on Friday of Oriole Week. “The Black Hole is important because we can help get the boys pumped up and we can get inside the head of the other team.

Having a good Black Hole is like having an extra player on the court,” Andy Parrish `15 said.

1 Annabel Ames Grosse Pointe South HS 2 Hannah Bradley Bloomfield Hills HS

Homecoming king Jimmy Strock `14 awards Cutler with the Mr. Oriole vest and scepter.

3 Sam Musgrove, Isabelle Sinibaldi & Katie Vontom Dexter HS

Tyler Powell `15 shakes hands with the Reading Rangers after the Orioles beat them 72-29.

4 Natalie Nohr Quincy HS M Grace Brandon Brownell MS

Honor Credit Union held a canned food drive at the entrance of the game. They offered free admission to any person who brought in two canned goods to donate. The group collected a total of 828 pounds of food to donate to the Sonshine Food Pantry.

The juniors took home the Oriole Week trophy after a week of competition. “My classmates have dedicated lots of their time and effort to the homecoming and Oriole Week activities over the past three years, [and] have earned some of the recognition that they deserve,” Junior Class President Nick Marshall `15 said.

Andrew Harmon `15, Logan Kestner `14 and Casper Boshers `17 play in the QHS pep band which kept the Black Hole booming all night long during the game.

NATALIE NOHR `15

Natalie Nohr, Quincy HS

38 A Cut Above

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Down for the count Government shutdown affects local families

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THE COMPOSITION OF

REPUBLICANS VS DEMOCRATS IN THE

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46

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Curing cancer one spike at a time Zac Sharp

Annual charity game especially important for Josie Dusack

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First place winners by division 3 Abby Mesaros Dexter HS

Staff Writer

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Photo Credit: Ethan Kremkus

Senior Josie Dusack serves the ball at the 2013 Volley For a Cure game against Chelsea to help raise money for breast cancer research. Dexter won the first three games in a row on Oct. 22, winning the match. All money raised from the game went to the non-profit Susan G. Komen Organization.

Abby Mesaros, Dexter HS

A Cut Above 39

SOLUTIONS, continued from page 6

accompanies parents to these meetings to ensure they receive the services their student is allowed.

“I had a vision of a round table, and we were all sitting at this table together talking about my child,” Mason said. “When I had the first bump heads, my visual became a rectangular table. I was on one side, everybody else was on the other side. Every parent is going to make that shift. They may start out the way I did.

Chances are they’re going to have a situation that makes them say, ‘We’re not all on the same page.’”

In addition to issues raised with the meetings themselves, parents cited failures in following IEPs. Harwood said the administration is stepping up to ensure the process improves.

“We’re working closely with the staff to go through the discussion about the IEP process, and we also have our special ed administrators taking a look into each and every lEP, and they are also attending some of the IEPs,” Harwood said.

Hayes said district staff must not only rely on themselves but also themselves and administrators within buildings.

“We have almost 1,200 kids with IEPs. I know that it’s almost humanly impossible for me to monitor each one and each person’s minutes, but we have professionals that are working with kids in the best interest of kids,” Hayes said.

The public comment portion of the Board meeting also raised allegations regarding the use of seclusion rooms which are usually small, padded, nearly windowless locations that are used in emergency situations when a student could cause harm to him or herself or others, according to the Michigan Standards for Using Seclusions and Restraints.

“We don’t have seclusion rooms in our district,” Harwood said. “We have what are called break rooms where a student, because of their behavior, may need a break from the activity and needs to be removed visually and physically from the activity, but they’re typically removed with a staff member.”

Hayes said that the use of these break rooms must be written into the child’s IEP. “It’s an area for them to calm down, to take a break, for them to regroup or regulate themselves dependent upon their disability and their need for behavior purposes and their IEP and their behavior plan,” Hayes said.

Hayes said administration investigated the rooms within the district that are used for quiet time, breaks and timeouts and plan to touch base with the parents to clarify. Hayes said there is only one seclusion room in the district. It is at Kerby Elementary School but is not active and is currently used for storage.

“Semantics. You can call it whatever you want. How did you use it? How did your staff use it? Was it used to be a sensory break, or was it used to be punishment? And can you ever prove that? As parents, you can’t ever prove that, which is the nightmare of it all,” Mason said.

“Now the school, by law, has to give you what your child needs, but you have to make sure that that happens. I’m always kind, and I’m always nice, but I’m tough, and I’ll say; ‘No, this is not good enough. This is what has to happen,”’ Mary Anne Cafagna parent of senior Anthony Cafagna said.

Cafagna said she’s been in the district under both the previous superintendent Dr. Suzanne Kelein and Harwood. She said that either way, it’s been a struggle for parents in getting the best services for their children.

“People come to me all the times because people don’t know how to fight. They don’t know who to go to or what to do,” Cafagna said. “You cannot rely on the school system. You have to

40 A Cut Above

be behind the scenes pushing the whole time, not taking no for an answer.”

Hayes understands the extent of the issues these families face.

“There’s a lot of emotion, a lot invested from families, the staff. You know, there’s a lot of involvement, and that can sometimes can cause a lot of emotional responses as well,” Hayes said. “So a lot of the things that we’re talking about are ongoing processes because a lot of things you can’t fix overnight. We do want to do better at what we do, but we do a lot of things really well already.”

Mason said these issues are nothing new to the district and have been around since her daughter was new to the school system.

“The fact that we haven’t done it before, we just didn’t have a group of parents pushing hard enough for it. Now you have the perfect storm. You’ve got a relatively large group of children of the same disability at the same age, and they’re right,” Mason said.

With a larger group of young students with Down Syndrome enrolling in the district, Mason said including these children will help typical and special education students learn to work together, promoting acceptance and positively impacting the integration between the two group in the real world. Mason believes Grosse Pointe needs a reality check.

“We, in Grosse Pointe, have become too comfortable with the status quo. We’ve institutionalized how we do things, and there’s been a lot of resistance to make that leap,” Mason said. “What I love about this group of parents is their package is pretty clear.

They’re not being vague about what they want to see happen.”

Harwood said that to help communicate and work effectively with the parents, there will be meetings to further discussion.

“We have continued meetings that we have with the parents and we have one scheduled again next week (Monday, Feb. 10), and so we’re going to continue the dialogue there,” Harwood said.

Mason still stands behind her belief that the administration can either be the problem or the solution.

“The disappointment, I think, for a lot of the parents (is that) when Dr. Harwood was hired into this district, he was hired to be the new head of special education after a tumultuous period of time,” Mason said. “I think that’s what the frustration is. You’re going to be held to a higher standard when people know what your background is if his is what you were brought into the district to do.”

Hayes said she and two department supervisors, Lillie Loder and Sue Lucchese, are meeting with families often to “be as involved as possible.”

“We know some of the areas that they’re addressed that we’re continuing to work on. For example, making sure that modifications and accommodations are in place, using data to help with decision-making. So we’re working on professional development for those things. Staff are attending training.”

Moe is determined to have her son Max be successful in the Grosse Pointe Public School System despite perceived difficulties she and other parents are experiencing.

“I will do whatever it takes to get my son a quality education. I will go to every meeting, and I have been going to every public meeting since September. I’ll keep talking, I’ll go to the media, I will sue,” Moe said. “They’ve been sued a number of times, but I will sue as publically as I have to when I have to do it to see a change.”

HEROIN, continued from page 10

life during those years.”

Roberts and his ex-girlfriend recently had a baby boy in January and he now understands the stress that was placed on Blake. He says that the urge to get high never goes away, no matter what stage of treatment you are at.

“It crosses my mind, the idea that I could be numb. But then I think that I have what Blake doesn’t anymore, and it helps,” Roberts said.

Blake had told his family he planned to stop using for the sake of his daughter and their life together. Once Blake said he was going to clean up his act, he turned himself in to the police and served his jail time. He stayed for nearly six days in a jail cell until he was set free from his sentence with probation following afterwards.

He came home to his daughter that Friday afternoon and decided to have a couple friends over to celebrate his homecoming. They were just watching the football game until Cathy came home, forcing his friends to leave. Craig was at work until nearly 10 p.m. and knew that Blake had left with his friends to go to a party. She received the call from James at 11 p.m. Blake was in the car with James, on his way to the hospital.

I don’t know why James would choose to drive himself,” Craig said, “My first thought was drugs; I don’t know what else it could have been.”

She rushed to the hospital to find the doctors trying to save her boyfriend’s life, while Cathy chose to stay with the baby. At that point, it had just been James and Craig sitting in the waiting room. After waiting for what seemed like hours, the doctors told them the news: he could not be saved.

“I was angry at Blake. I remember throwing things in the waiting room. He left me here alone with our daughter and debts,” Craig said.

Blake had overdosed on heroin while at his friend’s house. He had lived with asthma his entire life, but his family never thought it would be the cause of his own death. His throat began to swell as his body rejected the drug and he could no longer breathe. His inhaler-his one chance of surviving-was with him but was not working right.

On October 15, 2011, Blake passed away at age 20; his daughter was merely eight months old at the time. He didn’t live to see her grow, and she didn’t get to know her father. The doctor pointed to the phone and Craig knew what she had to do. She was the one who had to call everyone; his mom waiting at home, his sisters Casey and Kelly, and his dad who was two hours away up north.

“All I could thing about was how terrible it felt.

Knowing that his dad had to drive two hours to come home to a house without his son,” Craig said. “I was forced to tell everyone that loved him what had happened.”

Just six months before Blake passed, he, Cathy, Roberts, and Craig had attended a funeral for one of Blake’s friends who overdosed using heroin. Cathy was not aware that her son was abusing these drugs as well, and even if he was, she thought a death of his friend would scare him away from the drug.

“I told him I didn’t want to be one of those moms going through that and I remember him telling me ‘Mom, I would never do that, I’m smarter than that’,” Cathy said.

A year passed and two of Roberts’ friends passed away from the same thing: heroin overdose.

He repeatedly tried to stop and would tell himself every morning he wouldn’t get high, only to go to bed disappointed in himself. Roberts looked for something to help him become clean for a final time and stay clean. He saw these deaths as a major turning point in his life and it encouraged him to find help.

“It’s really hard seeing your friends lying in a casket knowing what you were doing,” Roberts said. “I would not wish for anyone to go through that, but it helped me.”

Blake’s death inspired Roberts to clean up his life, and in memory of him, he recently named his son after Blake. He felt that this way, he can be reminded what his friend had going for him, His son is a constant reminder of the fact that Blake doesn’t get the chance to be there for his child, so Roberts knows he should be there for his own.

Blake’s death inspired not only Roberts, but many other friends. Craig works to keep Blake’s memory alive in her house and visits Cathy and his family often. She covers the mantels and table tops in her apartment with pictures of him and talks to her daughter about him as well.

“She still remembers him and acts just like him.

It’s like his spirit is living in her,” Craig said. “I know he’s watching over us every day.”

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