ON CAMPUS PAGE 4 Discover what happens in the school before 8 a.m.
E U S S I C I S U M E H T
SYDNEY BENSON
SYDNEY BENSON
NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL
SINCE 1968
POINTE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 2016
Subscription services offer more than iTunes By Ritika Sanikommu & Gowri Yerramalli EDITOR & BUSINESS MANAGER
Switching from iTunes to other music subscription services has opened up Pandora’s box of advantages for users. Listeners are now transitioning from iTunes to developing subscription services for alternative their free cost and wide range of musical options. Technology teacher Sean McCarroll is one of these listeners. “Pandora doesn’t always stick with the song you like,” McCarroll said. “Spotify though, there’s playlists already made so you can skim through them, see if there’s anything on there that you wouldn’t like, or if there’s stuff that you do like. So I do like that better.” iTunes revolutionized the idea of collecting music into an accessible and compatible space for users. However, the enjoyment of a personalized playlist did not come without burden. Customers would still have to refine their music and categorize it to fit their personal needs. Since then, many other providers have been offering this service in an attempt to dethrone its competitor. The origin of music subscription services stemmed from a paid streaming service known as SiriusXM. Most hit songs do not play on the radio until they taste success on SiriusXM. For example, the song “Honey I’m Good” by Andy Grammer debuted on the satellite app before it blasted through radio speakers. In recent years, Pandora emerged as a competitor in the subscription service industry. It began making waves as a popular radio application. But despite its amplified popularity, it did not come without some quirks. Senior Nuha Mosa was a dedicated Pandora user until she came across Spotify. She enjoys the curated playlists that she can choose from depending on her mood. Along with Spotify, Mosa uses 8tracks. Similar to Spotify, 8tracks allows users to create their own playlists with different genres in one mix depending upon the creator’s taste. After experimenting with both, Mosa prefers 8tracks because it is cost-free. “I do like that (Spotify is) free, but if I wanted to use it more on my phone, like (the) mobile version, I would have to pay premium, which is probably something I wouldn’t do, so that’s why I use 8tracks,” Mosa said. Along with curated playlists, Spotify’s other complemen-
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tary additions appeal to students who are not looking to pay an obscene amount of money for popular songs. Although, the catch is that apps like Spotify and 8tracks only work through Wi-Fi or data usage. Because of that, junior Stephanie Roy does not mind paying for her songs on iTunes. An avid music lover, English teacher Geoffrey Young does not mind paying for songs nor does he find the Pandora and Spotify’s reliance on Wi-Fi an annoyance. Young has always budgeted for musical expenses to enjoy his hobby. His love of music also prompts him to buy it to support his favorite artists and the industry. “When it comes to actually having music, it’s always going to be essential to me to own the music first because it allows me to play it however I want to, but also because my love for music and artists will dictate that I support them,” Young said. “I’m never going to be a person who solely uses the streaming services to listen to new music.” According to Wired, the plummeting appeal of downloading music resulted in a subsequent fall in sales giving way to the rise of music streaming services. This is evident as artists such as Beyoncé, Jay Z and Kanye West are exclusively releasing their music through Tidal—a private subscription service—because it garners higher revenue for the artists. McCarroll believes that iTunes requires the customer to stay up-to-date with current releases, resulting in an inconvenience. “I had to pay for all of the songs and a lot of times I listen to them for a while and then I get sick of them, then I no longer listen to them,” McCarroll said. “With iTunes, you have to be more proactive with keeping up with music.” Roy also uses other music subscription services besides iTunes, such as Pandora and Spotify, due to the cost difference. She would also like to continue using her trusted set of music apps. “I looked into (others) but none of them seemed special, so I’m just going to keep using what I normally use,” Roy said. However, for others such as Young, iTunes will always be in constant use in conjunction with the emergence of innovative music subscription services. “I generally do try new things but I just think they will never replace either digitally or physically owning someone’s album if I am really into whatever it is that they do,” Young said. “I’m always going to purchase their music.”
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among online retailers that exaggerate using list prices By Katelynn Mulder and Olivia Robinson STAFF REPORTERS
With the rise of big online retail companies like Amazon and Ebay, more consumers than ever are using online shopping as a replacement to shopping in person. This is partially due to the perceived concept that there are more sales and bargains online. Recently, an investigation by the New York Times shows that this might not always be the case. When looking to buy an item, the consumer will usually see something called a list price. List prices are the estimated price of a good determined by supply and demand. They can be set by the manufacturer of the product, the actual price on the item or the company’s estimation on what the price of the product should be worth. “List prices are generally what the manufacturer suggest they should sell a product for, it’s not always what the price ends up being but it’s what they suggest it should be,” business teacher Brian Levinson said. “You can find list prices on almost anything. Companies like to show
list price to give you an idea of what they per- when in reality other websites may be selling ceive the value of something is, so when they do the item for the same price. This could mean that online retailers may be a promotion or mark something down you can using list prices to manipsee how much savings ulate buyers into thinking you’re going to have.” they’re getting an amazFor most compaing deal. According to nynies, the motive of times.com, hardly any reproviding a list price tailers sell goods for their is to highlight savings list price, but instead use customers receive by it as a tactic to increase buying their products. sales. Levinson says this is Social studies teacher because most comTerri Steimer is an avid panies are aware that online shopper and feels consumers are more that consumers need to be likely to buy someeducated before making thing they perceive as Terri Steimer purchases. a deal. SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER “I think that the online Whether shopping list prices, especially on for a new jacket or a phone case online, clearance sites including most people will see list prices followed by the Amazon, are often skewed. The list price is the lower price they actually pay to buy the item. top, top, top price and I know why that is, stores This lower price can help lead consumers to are able to name their own list price. So it’s not the conclusion that they are getting a bargain, necessarily coming from a manufacturer, it’s
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I think that the online list prices, especially on clearance sites including Amazon, are often skewed. The list price is the top, top, top price.
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IN DEPTH PAGES 6-7
“Too often, our instant horror overrides our logic and legal system.” WWW.YOUTUBE.COM
@thenorthpointe www.northpointenow.org
VOLUME 48 | ISSUE 11
Calendar | 2 News | 3
On Campus | 4 On Pointe | 5
Check out how the evolution of music distribution methods has affected artists and the music industry.
In-depth | 6-7 Review | 8
coming from the store itself,” Steimer said. “Especially if it’s a discount store or like Kohls or something like that they’re going to say, ‘well the list price is this but they are going to say this is our price. So you really have to know your prices and compare.” However, this does not make shopping in person any better. A shopper can run into other troubles such as driving long distances or not being able to find what they wanted to purchase, making online shopping a more convenient alternative. For junior Marissa Brown, the convenience of online shopping outweighs the risk of scams or making the trip. “W hen you go to the mall you don’t really know if you’re going to find what you’re looking for, and then it’s like you wasted a drive,” Brow n said. Brown enjoys finding vintage items online that aren’t available in stores, and has yet to feel scammed by online retailers. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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“How can Detroit afford a new $627 million hockey arena, yet have some of the worst schools in the country?” Editorial | 9 Sports | 10-11
PTB | 12
2 – Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – North Pointe
Price exaggerations
NEWS
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Even so, an online shopping site called Overstock.com, which is famous for selling used or discounted items, was sued in a California superior court for using high list prices to manipulate customers w ith their “reduced” prices. The suit was a case of false advertising because their prices matched all other retailer’s prices. The company had even asked a supplier to increase their list price in an email. In the end they paid millions to reimburse customers who had been scammed by their list prices. Other companies like Amazon have also been brought to court over cases similar to Overstock’s. W hile list prices may be able to trick the consumer into thinking they are getting a better deal, this does not mean shopping online is any worse than shopping in person. In the end it is the consumer’s responsibility to be aware of list prices and the chance of a company using them to make more sales. “I think what I would like to see is for that company to talk about the fact that the list prices are their ow n prices,” Steimer said. “I think that would be more f a i r, b u t I r e a l l y d o t h i n k i t ’s u l t i m a t e l y u p t o t h e c o n s u m e r t o b e t h e b e s t c o n s u m e r.”
Price $499
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College classes paid for by school By Emma Puglia & Michal Ruprecht WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & STAFF REPORTER
Money is tight and the burden of college tuition isn’t helping. Prices for tuition have increased by 79.5 percent from 2003 to 2013, according to the U.S. Labor Department. However, in order to ease the financial restraint, the school district prov ides a cap amount of money w ith a limit of only 10 classes over four years. 2015 alumnus Harris Bunker enrolled in multivariable calculus during his senior year, driv ing w ith fellow alumnus Bobby McGovern tw ice a week to Macomb Community College. “Yes (dual enrollment) is a challenge, but if you’re taking legitimate courses in it, ones that you know are gonna give you college credit, you’re going to save money and give yourself a leg up once you get to college,” Bunker said. “It’s definitely worth it.” The credits then transferred towards Bunker’s economics major at Michigan State University, allow ing him to complete the calculus sequence as a freshman. Not only does the program benefit students’ wallets, but a national study by the University of Iowa in 2013 revealed that students who took dual enrollment courses were 10 percent more likely to complete a Bachelor’s degree than the comparison group. Counselor Barbara Skelly believes dual enrollment is great way for students to get adjusted to college life and earn college credits. Students can get involved by discussing the option w ith their counselor and an admissions adv iser. “Some kids feel ready to start their college careers even though they’re in high school and this gives them the opportunity to do it,” Skelly said. “I think students should take advantage of this opportunity because it’s a great way to get started on college credit while they’re in high school.” STEM-related lessons and foreign languages rank as two of the most common college classes for high school students. Junior Eve Feldman takes a sign language class at Macomb and found that it led her to a career she would like to pursue. “It’s really showed me how much I like signing and using my hands instead of talking because it’s more expressive, it uses more emotions and it feels more personal than speaking is,” Feldman said. “I think dual enrollment for classes that North doesn’t have, especially a language that they don’t have, (are) a good idea because the only way you’re going to get better at a language is if you keep (speaking) it.” For students who’ve completed the amount of foreign language classes offered at North, colleges offer solutions for those who fear losing the language after a gap. After spending junior year in Spanish 5 AP, senior Sarah Cherr y decided to continue learning the language at the University of Detroit Mercy. “I think it’s a great idea. It’s gotten me more experienced w ith the language that you didn’t necessarily have in high school,” Cherr y said. “It’s more speaking in Spanish than solely composition and framed dialogue.” A lthough the college credit end result is the same, the difference between AP classes and dual enrollment is ev ident. “AP is definitely easier than dual enrollment on the whole. Teachers definitely care more about your personal stake in the class because you’re there five days a week,” Bunker said. “My professor last year, while he was a nice guy, Professor Williams, he didn’t have the one-on-one—I’m not sure if he actually knew my name, for example.” Based on her successful experience in the program, Feldman would recommend dual enrollment to other students. “I think (dual enrollment) could really give you a great insight on what college life is like because it’s at a college,” Feldman said. “I think if you have the opportunity and the purpose to take a dual enrollment course you should.” NATHAN LONCZYNSKI
NEWS
North Pointe – Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – 3
Mechanic honored at school board meeting
EVENING CONFERENCES
Dedicated district employees will always be acknowledged in some way. Two weeks ago at the school board meeting, mechanic Chuck Rose was recognized for his dedication and quick response to save leaking pipes. W hen students and staff were enjoying the start of winter break, Rose stayed after school until 1 a.m. after discovering a significant leak in the tubing. Rose took on the challenge as his own personal responsibility and ended up staying at school three hours past the end of his shift just to fix the leak. By cutting into his own break, Rose repaired a problem that could have cost the school tremendous amounts of money, time and hassle. The problem began when a heating coil in one of the classrooms on the first f loor of B-building was hit by cold air. This caused some tubing to crack and hot water to gush out, creating puddles in four classrooms. Custodian associate Dave Damore heard about the incident and appreciated the solitary work that Rose put into solving the problem. “Chuck came across the problem, turned the water off to the the univent system, got f loor suckers, cleaned up the f loor,” Damore said. “It could’ve been a lot worse.” In recognition of his actions, the board gave Rose a certificate of appreciation as well as personal gratitude for the unrequired
Wednesday, March 16 and Thursday, March 17 from 5-8 p.m.
TOWN HALL MEETING
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ABOVE: Chuck Rose giving an acceptance speech at the meeting. time that he put in to fix a significant problem. Board member Dan Roeske was grateful to Rose for his dedication to his job. “I don’t know Chuck personally, but I know of many of our custodians and mechanics that work in the building and it doesn’t surprise me that they take personal pride in their work and pride in the buildings that they are responsible (for),” Roeske said. “Grosse Pointe should know the exemplary employees in Grosse Pointe and what they do for our kids and for our district and for our buildings.” By Tommy Teftsis
Student Association presenters qualify for state conference
LAUREN ARCHAMBEAU
ABOVE: Juniors Lauren Archambeau, Mora Downs and Olivia Randazzo give their presentation on GPNspire at the regional conference. RIGHT: Senior Nicoletta Valenzano and senior Stephanie Godoshian accompanied Archambeau, Randazzo and Downs to provide moral support. LAUREN ARCHAMBEAU
Freshmen form Mock Trial Club
Courtroom mysteries entertain freshmen Eric Cueter and Jonathan Chapman, who are excited to participate in the new Mock Trial Club. A mock trial, or the stimulation of an imitated court hearing for the experience of solv ing mysteries, appeals to freshman Theodore Pappas, who formed the club in November. Pappas’ inspiration for the club was sparked by a v ido game. “There’s a series of v ideo games called Phoenix Wright, and you play as a defense attorney. You defend people for murder,” Pappas said. “It’s
like w riting a murder myster y backwards. Basically, the club is going to feature both the representations of trial in the courtroom, where you get to listen to some testimony and also investigate the crime scene.” Mock Trial Club is for any student interested in the American legal system, murder mysteries or solv ing crimes. There w ill be a brief informational meeting today after school in club adv iser Patrick Hicks’ room. “I am tr ying to replicate the legal system as best I can,” Pappas said. “It might be something for people who are thinking about going into a legal profession. They might want to check it out.”
Students across the state w ill soon hear about how Norsemen seek to inspire. Student Association juniors Lauren Archambeau, Mora Dow ns and Oliv ia Randazzo recently gave a presentation on GPNspire to a panel of judges for a chance to present at the annual student council state convention. “We had to have it be at least 30-45 minutes and it had to include how we planned the event and ever y thing that goes into the event, what we put into it to make it successful and then the outcomes of it,” junior Lauren Archambeau said. “(We’re) just tr ying to get other schools to do the event.” This is the first year that SA has presented. Randazzo believes that GPNspire was the perfect topic to share about. “The other presentations were dances, or like football game fundraisers, so we thought GPNspire would be unique from that because it’s such a different idea of speeches and donating to charity,” junior Oliv ia Randazzo said. Randazzo hopes that the presentation w ill improve North’s reputation and standing amongst other school councils. “It gives us credibility and it shows what we do here in our North Student Association and it shows what we stand for and all of the unique events we put on here. I think we’ll gain publicity from that,” Randazzo said. “It spreads the idea to other schools, which is good because the more money we donate to charity and the more inspiring messages we have out there, the better.” Student Activities director Pat Gast believes the presenters will develop better public speaking skills through presenting. She hopes that they will be able to share their vision with students from across the state and that Student Association’s first presentation at states will be a success. “It’s a wonderful experience for them to not only put a concept together but to deliver in front of 50 or 60 kids in the auditorium that they used. It’s a learning experience,” Gast said. “They learned how to speak toward an audience, they learned how to solve problems with the technolog y and they learned ... how to make it better.” The team’s presentation qualified to be presented at the Michigan Association for Student Councils’ state conference in April. By Sarah Wietecha
Tuesday, March 22 at 6 p.m. in Parcells Auditorium
WINTER SPORTS AWARDS
Tuesday, March 22 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center
SPRING MEET THE COACHES NIGHT
Wednesday, March 23 at 6 p.m.
GREAT WORKS CHOIR CONCERT
Wednesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
SPRING BREAK No school Friday, March 25 through Friday, April 1
BAND & ORCHESTRA BOOSTER
Tuesday, April 5 from 7-8 p.m. in room C-101
ACT TESTING Saturday, April 9 at 8 a.m.
BAND & ORCHESTRA CONCERT
Sunday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall
PSAT TESTING Tuesday, April 12 for freshmen and sophomores
BELLA LAWSON
ABOVE: The Mock Trial Club meets in adviser Patrick Hicks’ room on Wednesdays from 3:15-4 p.m.
By Bella Lawson
SAT TESTING
Tuesday, April 12 for juniors
WORK KEYS TESTING
Wednesday, April 13 for juniors
Follow North Pointe on Twitter: @thenorthpointe
PARENT CLUB MEETING
Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. in the Union
IN THE PAPER
Read about season four of House of Cards
4 – North Pointe – Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Morning rush
ON CAMPUS For students and staff, the day starts well before the 8 a.m. bell
FACES IN THE CROWD
By Sydney Benson
Sam Stafford
PHOTO EDITOR
Sophomore Sam Stafford dons a red and white uniform everyday during the summer. By working as a lifeguard, Stafford hopes to save money for college. Stafford took a lifeguarding class during the mid-winter break of his freshman year, and began working that summer in both the Shores and Woods parks. “Over the summer, I try to work everyday ‘cause I have a lot of fun with all the people I work with and the money adds up the more you work,” Stafford said. Staying awake proved to be one of the greatest challenges Stafford has faced while he is on guard. “While lifeguarding, it’s difficult to stay awake ‘cause not much happens, but you know you have to stay up ‘cause eventually someone will need help,” Stafford said.
Sarah Corbet
ABOVE: Senior Mar’Tel Morgan raps with his freinds when he arrives at school. “I listen to beats, and then I freestyle in the hallway, “ Morgan said. “It’s practice for my career, and it’s a good vibe for me and my homies. “
ABOVE: Freshman Will Hofmann attends student council meetings every Thursday at 7 a.m. “We talk about things we want to get done for the day, like about a task we have to do,“ Hofmann said.
Ja’Myre Redd In fourth grade, senior Ja’Myre Redd took a field trip to North and watched the step team perform. After her visit, she brought it back to her then elementary school, Poupard, and created the step team, P-Steppers. Redd was first introduced to stepping at her church. From there, her enthusiasm grew and has lead her to be the co-captain of the step team. “I love dancing,” Redd said. “Dancing is my passion.” The step team is in charge of choreographing their our routines and Redd enjoys meshing the previously done dances with her own style. “First we’ll look at videos on YouTube, then we pull pieces that we like in a routine and make it flow,” Redd said. Redd expressed her favorite part about step team is learning something new. “It’s actually very fun, it’s not hard at all,” Redd said. “It’s basically just understanding the concept and going about it and putting your own flair to it.”
ABOVE : Junior Burjonna Denham arrives at school early to connect with firends face-to-face and over social media. ABOVE RIGHT: Secretary Debbie Figurski starts her day around 7:30 a.m. and prepares for first hour. RIGHT: Sophomore Raphael Coty does homework in the library before school starts. “(I get here) around 6:40 and 6:50 a.m. because my mom has to go to work at 7, so she drops me off,” Coty said. ”I just do homework, or I’m always on the computer.”
Interesting presents
Teachers get all sorts of funny gifts, whether they’re ties or soap on a rope or Christmas ornaments. But one time, I had a student, a fourth grader, walk in and hand me a liter of bourbon. That was an unusual present, but I guess that his mother thought, “What can I get the man that sits with David for eight hours a day?”
Favorite movie
I don’t know. Whatever my wife tells me to go to.
Keeping in touch with former students
I see people all the time, not necessarily keep in touch with because I don’t do Facebook and things like that, but I run into people all the time. It’s scary. Some of the kids that I first started teaching are now like 35. They were about 10 when I first started.
Pastimes
My main pastime is reading. Historial fiction, fiction, anything that is interesting, mystery.
The sound of rambling lectures in the halls of the University of Michigan was the main thing junior Sarah Corbet heard during her two weeks at the Michigan Math and Science Scholars program last summer. Corbet did a focused study on human evolution and organism adaptation while looking at the casts of the Australopithecus organism. “We studied human remains and how to use the fossils to predict the climate during its lifespan,” Corbet said. “Teeth and occipital lobes are indicators of diet, but they only show what the organism could have eaten, not what they actually did eat. Through this process, we know the value of the fossil record but also understand that bone indicators are only a small piece to the puzzle of studying past climates.”
By Olivia Asimakis & Gowri Yerramalli
FIVE MINUTES WITH Counselor Brian White
By Ritika Sanikommu & Josie Bennett EDITOR & STAFF REPORTER
Although counselor Brian White is a popular staff member at North, he did not start off his career that way. He spent many years as an elementary school teacher before he finally settled in at the counseling center. White didn’t always know that he wanted to be a part of the education field, and he didn’t know what he wanted to do for most of his life. It wasn’t until he was older that he found that teaching suited him. “Some people become a teacher because of some wonderful teacher they had. I became a teacher because of some very interesting teachers I had and I also became a teacher because of some teachers I never wanted anybody to have to have,” White said. While he attended Wayne State University, he delved into teaching since he was interested in psychology and working with kids. He began his teaching days at Duffield Elementary in Detroit, and then spent the end of his career in teaching at Elmwood Elementary in St. Clair Shores. After nine years as a teacher, White then
decided to pursue counseling. “When I became a counselor you had to be a teacher first,” White said. “But I wanted to be a teacher first,” White said. White soon returned to Wayne State to continue his education in counseling. He had the opportunity to be an administrator of a school, but White was adamant about not wanting to become one. For White, counseling and teaching are two completely different jobs with different experiences and workloads. He believes that once in high school students learn to cope with difficulties with their counselors to rely on. While both jobs are different, White doesn’t regret a single day in either one. He enjoys his days at North and cherishes the memories he has of his elementary days. “You do a lot more (as a counselor). You’re going non-stop, so they’re totally different jobs, and (as a counselor) you don’t get kids mad at you as much,” White said. “You’re kind of the fix-it, you get things taken care of and things solved. It’s very fun.”
SYDNEY BENSON
ABOVE: Counselor Brian White values helping students. “Learn more patience and learn that kids are really good, and that things are harder for kids I think, than they were back in the day. They have more shiny neat things now,” White said. “Things are harder for them. You have more available to you, but you have much more expected of you.”
North Pointe – Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – 5
IDEAS
ON POINTE
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The top 10 things we are talking about this week By Rey Kam EDITOR AT LARGE
Movie
ALLEGIANT
Tris and Four are back in the final installment of the Divergent series and are still searching for a peaceful solution to conflict in a post-apocalyptic Chicago. Allegiant premieres Friday, March 18.
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March Madness “First Four”
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The college basketball craziness begins on March 15 as the eight wildcard teams battle for the chance to play in the March NCAA Championship tournament.
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BAD BUNNY 5K RUN Runners can spend the first day of spring running their first 5k of the season. The Bad Bunny 5k, at River Bends Park in Shelby Township, is a festive combination of Easter and athletics. Registration for the race is $30, and participants will receive a t-shirt. Check-in is on race day, March 20, from 8:45-9:45 a.m. and the race begins at 10 a.m.
VERNAL EQUINOX March 20 marks the vernal equinox, a day with precisely 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. Many Detroiters will mark the occasion by attending the annual Marche du Nain Rouge, a festival celebrating the seasonal transition of winter turning into spring through symbolic vanquishing of the deity Nain, who represents everything holding us back.
Event
MOVE-ITFITNESSLLC.COM
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FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION This weekend, students participating in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) Robotics Competition will gather to play the game FIRST STRONGHOLD against other Michigan teams. The Gearheads will be representing the district March 18-19 at Centerline High School.
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On March 20, the Palace of Auburn Hills will be “Thunderstruck” when AC/DC comes Event through on their AC/DC “ROCK OR “Rock or Bust” tour. BUST TOUR” Tickets for the event start at $112.
FIRSTINSPIRES.ORG
THE LITTLE PRINCE First appearing as an iconic novel by French author Antoine de SaintExupery, and later being adapted for the stage following its popular reception, The Little Prince will now get a new coat of paint as an animated feature film. The movie premiers Friday, March 18.
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MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS I.YTIMG.COM
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10 Album
IGGY POP POST POP DEPRESSION
Streaming
Iggy Pop’s seventeenth studio album, Post Pop Depression, will be released March 18. The album will feature several artists, including Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys (Josh Homme, Dean Fertita and Matt Helders).
WIENERSCHNITZEL.COM
Fans of dirt and motorcycles can rejoice. The Monster Energy Supercross event is returning to Ford Field March 19. Tickets are on sale with prices ranging from $15-$45.
DAREDEVIL SEASON 2 Those who couldn’t get enough of the lawyer -turned- vigilante’s adventures during the first season of Daredevil have something to look forward to March 18 as the second season premieres on Netflix.
TINYMIXTAPES.COM
STATIC.SRCDN.COM
Check your privilege MY TURN TREVOR MIECZKOWSKI
The Declaration of Independence specifically states that all men are created equal, and they have unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But is this really how things work? One thing that is definitely not equal for all Americans is our public education. At North, students are very fortunate. We have things we take for granted every day, such as clean bathrooms, textbooks, up-to-date electronics and caring teachers and administrators to help students reach their full potential. However, some of our neighbors are not as lucky. Mold infestation, toilet water leaking from the ceilings, mushrooms sprouting from the walls and not enough teachers to teach all the students— these are things that Grosse Pointers could never imagine happening in their school district. Unfortunately, students attending Detroit Public Schools (DPS), just 10 minutes away from us, are forced to deal with these unspeakable conditions on a daily basis. This problem for our neighbors probably won’t
be getting much better any time soon. Michigan has something called the State Financial Emergency Law. This law allows governor Rick Snyder to appoint an unelected emergency manager. This manager controls city finances, including the finances of their schools. This means Detroit residents have practically no control over the fate of DPS. The families suffering because of these schools have no say in how the situation gets resolved. But, the story gets worse. Snyder appointed Darnell Earley on Jan. 13, 2015. That was well over a year ago, and Detroit’s public schools have not gotten any better. In Earley’s first (and only) year supervising DPS, he did not solve any of the problems plaguing the district. Thankfully, Earley resigned on Feb. 29. Are schools are not the place for mismanagment . The lives and futures of children should be treated with respect instead a lack of concern. DPS teachers are some of the most outraged by Earley’s poor management, and with good reason. They are supposed to be able to teach their students, but they are unable to because DPS lacks to fix essential items that every school needs, such as textbooks and technology. The teachers Many have criticized them them their recent protests and sick-outs. Earley is one of those critics. However, when Earley consistently ignored resident’s and teachers, how else are teach-
ers supposed to get their point across? If anything, we should be praising the teachers for their hard work and their dedication. And of course, the story gets worse. The Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT) has tried to bring in their own private inspectors to prove that Detroit’s schools are unsafe. DPS officials stopped the DFT’s inspectors from entering the building, saying DFT’s inspectors would “complicate the district’s efforts to fully comply with state and local regulations.” How can Detroit afford a new $627 million hockey arena, yet have some of the public schools in themost distressed country? Ellen Degeneres and Justin Bieber to the financial rescue for some students. They were able to raise $500 thousand to donate to Spain Elementary School, a school in the DPS. Meanwhile Detroit was too busy spending money on a new hockey arena and renovating the RiverWalk. Every child deserves the opportunity to get an education. Whether you’re rich or poor, education should be equal for all, not a privilege for those born into a family that can afford it. How are all men created equally when they are not given equal opportunities? The answer to that question is simple: we are not.
IN-DEPTH
6– Wednesday, March 2, 2016– North Pointe
music A NEW AGE OF
The unifying power of music connects students across campus. Although a
Intellectual property is still property By Rey Kam
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Personally, I don’t really care if I can’t listen to Prince on Spotify. Were I more in the habit of listening to his music, or that of TSwift or Jay Z, I might be more bent-out-ofshape about the Tidal exodus. As it is, this problem doesn’t affect me specifically and I’m not even paying for it, so it’s no skin off my nose if I can’t find that one song. We live in a fantastic age of music, with countless medium to choose from for listening. Depending on where you are, how much money you have, and how much sound quality matters to you, you can take your pick. Relaxing at home with some time to kill? Throw a record on that turntable your uncle got you. Need to get somewhere else in a hurry? Pop in your earbuds and…..wait, which app do you want to use? What artist? Will there be Wi-Fi where you’re headed or should you opt for listening from your local files? And after all that, you may be left disappointed because your favorite artist pulled their music from the app you chose. Exclusivity always feels unjust, especially to groups it inconveniences. From a music-loving students’ perspective, artists’ music being yanked is a massive injustice. We are, as a demographic, generally broke. Free-streamed music is often our preferred way to discover new sounds, to listen to artists we don’t have the funds to own, even to create playlists or bookmark a song for later. Yes, Tidal is charging a rather high price for access to certain music, and it seems unfair and elitist. Let’s play devil’s advocate.
preferred genre varies from person to person, one can’t help but tap their foot to the vintage bouncy tune “Surfin’ USA” by the Beach Boys or feel moved by Adele’s crooning in “When We Were Young.”
Weird as it may seem to imagine your favorite artist/band earning a salary, that’s the reality of the music industry. Countless artists and record labels have built a lucrative business on our thirst for melody. The producers spend money creating music, expecting it to turn a profit when it’s released and sold. Streaming websites and subscription services also pay artists—based on how many “streams” their song gets, their company’s total revenue and the artist’s royalty rate. Ultimately, if an artist feels—for whatever reason—they want to have their product on a certain website, exclusive or otherwise, that’s between them and their record label and their accountant. They need to weigh the options, considering the size of the user base, the payout they’ll receive and what’s important to them. Artists switching to Tidal may feel strongly that the music industry needs to be more about quality than anything else, and want their users to have access to higher fidelity recordings of their songs. Or they may be after the salary bump made possible by Tidal’s higher payout rate. Whatever. We don’t get to dictate how an artist chooses to release their music, no matter how inconvenient it is for us personally. If you feel really strongly about this particular issue, feel free to boycott the artists who yanked their music to the more expensive platform. Bottom line: It’s a free country, and just as it is an artist’s right to remove their music from your reach through exclusivity, it is your right to take your earbuds elsewhere, and put your money where your mouth is.
Music activates stored memory in certain sections of the brain like the corpus callosum. According to two neuroscientists at the University of Montreal in 2001, how humans process the melody mentally triggers brain regions that are connected to “euphoric reward responses,” creating that uplifting feeling. The benefits of music are exponential.
What do you like about music platforms? By Anna Post ASSITANT EDITOR
“Yes I like it because you can share your playlist with other Apple devices and people.” NATHAN TRUSS
“I like how you can download pretty much any song plus you have a lot of radio stations you can choose from too.” TROY WILLIAMS
“I love that just for paying $15 a month my family of five can get all of the music we want. Whether it’s full albums, or singles.” MARISSA BROWN
“Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to use these formats. I do use YouTube a lot in my classes.” DAVE CLEVELAND
“I think you get more of a wide range of music choices and plus in most of those apps you can easily like it can easily create playlists for you and follow genres that you like instead of you coming up with all of them (playlists) on your own.” KENNEDY WILLIAMS
COST OF STREAMING
LIFE
From the phonograph to TIDAL, the distribution of music is ever changing. The way people listen to music not only alters lifestyles, but the entire music industry. By Abbey Cadieux & Lindsey Ramsdell ASSISTANT EDITORS
While attempting to make improvements to the telegraph and telephone, Thomas Edison created the phonograph, one of the first devices specifically used for recording and playing back audio. Edison’s invention started a long path of audio engineering and innovation that carried into the 21st century.
North Pointe – Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – 7
THE EVOLUTION OF
sound
1877 PHONOGRAPH
ELECTROSPECTIVEMUSIC.COM
1895
1925
Victor Talking Machine Company and Columbia Records licensed the electrical record COMPACT CASSETTE playing system developed by Western Electric. They began issuing electrical vinyl records. These records became the dominant method for music distribution throughout the mid 1900s, and remained at the top even with the development of the Compact Cassette. OBSELETEMEDIA.ORG
1963 LEARJET STEREO
Invented by American James T. Russell, the Compact Disc was commercially released in the U.S. His patents were licensed to Sony and Philips and a year later Sony produced the Discman D-50, the first portable digital music player. Sales rates for the CD reached their peak in the 1990s, and since then have been rapidly dropping.
COMPACT DISC
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
Napster became the first widely used music streaming service. It was a free website that allowed users to share their MP3’s with other users. However, most of these files were bootleg recordings or unreleased music, causing artists like Madonna and Dr. Dre to file lawsuits against the site. In 2001, Napster was forced to shut down after a crushing lawsuit filed by the Recording Industry Association of America.
ITUNES MUSIC
Sony created the first truly portable music player: the TPS-L2 Walkman. Only slightly larger than cassette tapes, the device is battery operated and came with its own pair of lightweight headphones—forever altering people’s listening habits.
1998
NAPSTER
Apple releases the iTunes Store, the first legal digital catalog of music. Steve Jobs made deals with five major record label companies to offer their content through iTunes. Individual songs were sold for 99 cents each, with the artist making a nine cent profit. iTunes Store software was only compatible with the iPod and Mac computer.
2011
Spotify is a music and media streaming app that is offered free, or for monthly payments for the upgraded “premium” version. Spotify became instantly popular, in June 2015 it recorded 75 million active users. However, lots of artist disliked the app and thought they were being unfairly compensated for their music and accused Spotify of “stealing royalties.” Artists like Taylor Swift and Adele have chosen to withhold new music from Spotify.
TWITTER.COM
TIDAL
SPOTIFY
WALKMAN
Korean company Saehan created the MPman F10. This was the first MP3 player of all time. The Internet provided for easy sharing of these small information files, and websites like www. mp3.com arrived that offered thousands of free, downloadable MP3’s created by independent artists. Through these mass-sharing methods, music piracy grew, and record companies’ sales began to drop.
Steve Jobs unveiled the iPod—a 5GB MP3 player that gave listeners “1,000 songs in your pocket.” While its sleek design fit comfortably in a buyer’s pocket, the device was not seamless. iPod users still relied on and often illegally)downloaded music via websites like Napster.
2001 IPOD
WIKIMEDIA.ORG
2007 SOUNDCLOUD
WIKIMEDIA.COM
Created by founders Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, the social networking site Soundcloud allows users to record and upload originally-created audio and share it with people around the world. Users can keep up with their audience by tracking how many plays, likes, reposts and downloads they receive on their sounds. The app is currently ranked third in most downloads for music services in the U.S.
To keep up with increasingly popular services like Spotify and Pandora, Apple ventured into the realm of music streaming with iTunes Radio. Like the other apps it generates playlists based on users’ preferences or on trending music. It was first offered free to all iTunes members, but after merging with Beats Music in 2015, users were charged a monthly fee. Apple Music currently boasts 10 million subscribers.
2013 APPLE MUSIC
Relaunched in 2015, Tidal is the first artist-owned streaming service. It is headed by Jay Z, but co-owned by15 other artists including Beyoncé, Kanye West, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj. By charging higher subscription fees, Tidal claims to pay the highest royalties to artists restoring value to music that has been lost through streaming sites. Lots of these co-owning artists have turned exclusively to Tidal to provide their music, but this was not received well. Earlier this year Tidal hit one million subscribers and is still lagging behind in comparison to Spotify and Pandora. While Tidal hoped to compensate artists, it’s high prices ended up sending many streamers running back to cheaper, or illegal streaming sites. 123RF.COM
HELLOGIGGLES.COM
1979
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
CIO.COM
2015
TRANSISTOR RADIO
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
1999 QUORA.COM
2003
1954
With the invention of the radio receiver came the transistor radio. These were small, portable radios that revolutionized the way people listened to music by allowing them to tune in anywhere. Although first produced by Texas Instruments, Japanese companies like Sony and Toshiba soon began to dominate the U.S. markets with their transistor radios.
WIKIPEDIA.ORG
HUBPAGES.COM
1982
WIKIPEDIA.COM
MPMAN F10
The Learjet Stereo 8-track cartridge was developed by Richard Kraus, the Lear doubled the storage of the fourtrack tape cartridge. Within a few years, it became the most popular form of music production, even surpassing vinyl records. This was largely due to its use in the car industry. Ford began offering it as an upgrade option in all its models in 1967, and later it was modified for home use aiding its growing popularity.
GRAMOPHONE
Emile Berliner founded the US Gramophone Company in Washington D.C. Concert bands and artists would come to the company headquarters to record their pieces which would be produced and sold by Berliner’s company. They often had multiple artists record the same song since popular songs would sell out quickly and making duplicates difficult.
REVIEWS
8 – Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – North Pointe
As season four approaches its end, so does President Underwood’s term
By Jen Kusch
MANAGING EDITOR
COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG
In today’s political climate of vocal bullies, power grabs and epic combovers, Netflix’s House of Cards has the opportunity to strike a chord with its sensitive audience. This drama puts on its boxing gloves in an anticipated fourth season, which seemed ready to put up a fight. But President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) swings and misses, his political footwork falling flat in the first round of his bid for another term as president: primary season. Season one perfectly balanced the good vs. evil dynamic of Washington. Zoe Barnes, a journalist willing to do anything for the truth, stood up to “the man” that was Frank Underwood and the Washington establishment. But, as luck would have it, she met her demise in front of a moving subway train via a light nudge from our narrator Frank. Ever since then, the writers of House of Cards have struggled to find a voice the people can root for, whether it be in amicable support of sheer disgustor a car crash of presidential magnitude that we cannot turn away from. The power dynamic between the most complex relationship on television, that of Frank and his wife First Lady Claire Underwood (Robin Wright), doesn’t deliver in season four. Not that there wasn’t hope. The writers hopped into the ring and nearly wrote themselves into a spectacular implosion that would rival even the Rounda Rousey/Holly Holm upset. Unfortunately, they ended up as the metaphorical Rousey in this situation, with their plot knocked out cold in just a few successive episodes. Frank fantasized of ending his wife’s life, a plot twist that would upend Washington as he knew it. Claire nearly filed for divorce, a move in the middle of his first term that would surely doom him. She nearly hit the kill switch on his campaign, finally asserting her power as more than merely homicidal arm candy at his dinner parties. Yet Claire and Frank emerge from season four yet again unscathed—entirely unhinged, and in need of psychoanalytic counseling and a removal of access to our
nuclear weapons, but alive and well, and married. This season lacked the brutality of seasons past, and made us forget about the Frank Underwood who murders senators, frames nosy editors for cyberterrorism and pushes doe-eyed journalists under trains. Underwood simply underwhelmed on his primary trail, with even an assassination attempt failing to turn his cold path into the trailblazing storyline we had all expected from the sociopathic man who just happens to be the most powerful man in the free world. Once you reach the top, there’s nowhere to go but down. Watching Underwood’s journey to the White House in past seasons made for an incredible ride, but witty dialogue and attempts at relating the plot to current events can only do so much for a show that has lost touch with the events that really matter. Season four has no overarching plot and no real rival for the Underwoods to overcome except for themselves. Their marriage is entirely overanalyzed, as by now viewers understand the characters well enough to move on to something else besides their mournful glances and handling of each other like stepstools under their tasteful leather loafers. The show spends so much time analyzing the two that there will be nobody to catch them when their political ladder eventually buckles. The show’s masterful visuals and strong soundtrack can only do so much to distract from an illogical plot and impossible political climate. With no end in sight, season four served as a mere placeholder to the hopeful finale that will be Frank’s final round in the 2016 election.
HOUSE OF CARDS 2013-2016 TV-14 NETFLIX
GAWKER.COM THEFISCALTIMES.COM
MOVIE
TV
APP
TV
ZOOTOPIA
THE 100
SUPER SHARP
LEGENDS OF TOMORROW
In its newest animated film, Zootopia, Disney abandons the typical cute animal storyline to deal with some of today’s biggest issues. The movie takes THEGLOBALDISPATCH.COM place in Zootopia, a metropolis where predator and prey have put aside their differences to live in peace. Zootopia focuses on Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny trying to disprove the stereotypes that bunnies can’t be cops by becoming the first bunny cop at the Zootopia Police Department (ZPD). But on her first day at the ZPD, she is assigned to parking duty while the rest of the cops are assigned to find 14 missing predators that have reverted back to their savage ways. With all of the other police busy, Hopps takes it upon herself to chase down a crook and lands in some hot water. Hopps is reprimanded by the chief of police while the wife of one of the missing predators approaches the chief to ask him to find her husband. Without thinking, Hopps offers to take the job and the chief agrees to give her the case, on the condition that she will lose her job if she fails. While looking for information, Hopps teams up with Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a sly con artist, whose sneakiness is able to help find the missing predators. At first the natural adversaries don’t seem like a good fit, but over time the fox and the bunny prove to be a dynamic duo. As the film goes on, the partners realize that there is more to the case than they thought and decide to team up once more to find out what is truly going on and who is behind it to take them down once and for all. The movie’s biggest issue is the lack of information about the antagonist’s motives. This hole leaves the plot incomplete, which leaves the viewer wondering why they did it. While this isn’t a typical Disney movie, Zootopia tells a story suitable for all ages that also manages to address a big issue: stereotypes. By using animals as a metaphor, Zootopia shows that who you are should not be based on your appearance, but your actions.
In a post-apocalyptic world, Clarke Griffin, along with 99 others, must try and survive on a possibly radioactive Earth. Filled with unseen developments and unique characters, author THEGEEKIARY.COM Kass Morgan creates a new take on the classic end-of-the-world story in The 100. After humanity put the world into a nuclear apocalypse, they abandon it for a life in space. Hundreds of years later, supplies are running low. Taking drastic measures, the colonies’ leader sent 100 juvenile delinquents-who were previously sentenced to almost certain death—to Earth as a second chance to see if it is now safe for humans to recolonize it. Main characters Clarke, Glass, Bellamy and Wells each bring an unique point of view towards the action on Earth and on the ships as both groups fight for survival. Morgan demonstrates what is happening on the ship and what life was like living there for hundreds of years, a stand-out detail about the book. With a strict class structure and lots of corruption, the book is more realistic. Instead of an almost utopian society living peacefully in space, Morgan creates a struggling community willing to turn on each other in seconds. This makes the novel unique as it reveals both sides of the story instead of just the 100 on Earth. The unwanted love triangle is the only bad thing about this book. The attraction between Clarke and Bellamy or Clarke and Wells feels forced. Even so, the reader will find themselves unable to resist rooting for a side, even if each relationship seems excessively artificial. Even though many of the characters are criminals, it was often hard to picture them as such. Most seem reasonable, though there are a few who take things to the extreme. This spins the book in a more realistic direction as some of the teenagers act how stereotypical juvenile delinquents are expected to. Even with an unnecessary love triangle, the plot and characters more than make up for it. Readers will find themselves unable to stop reading as Morgan creates an unforgettable story.
Super Sharp will sharpen your way of thinking. This trending app is equivalent to Cut the Rope, the popular game in which you maneuver through APPANNIE.COM a rope course to collect stars. Both games have the same objective, but Super Sharp is a more cutting-edge version of Cut the Rope. This app is simple and clean-cut, which adds to the difficulty of the game. The bright contrasting colors in each level pop against each other. The catchy music also increases the pressure and makes the gaming experience more intense. It is comparable to music from the quiz game Kahoot. The game has eight levels and it is hard to get past the first level. The game’s pleasing aesthetic hides the challenge of moving on, and it requires a lot of thinking, mostly outside-thebox. The goal is to get non-cuttable objects together by having them touch. The only way for them to be in contact is by cutting the other object. The catch to this is that in order to pass a level, the gamer must complete it in the required number of swipes, although they aren’t necessary to get through the objectives. This part was confusing because it was never mentioned that to the gamer. The game will let you go to the next challenge in that level, but not into the next level up if you don’t complete it in the number of swipes suggested. Another complication is that the number of swipes the game suggests is hidden until you click the top of the screen. The game is addicting to a certain point. More than often, the player will find themselves stuck inside a level. This app isn’t for relaxing, it has a large amount of stress and frustration. The clean cut of the game doesn’t make up for the levels of confusion and pure frustration after not figuring out a challenge. Super Sharp ends up leaving players feeling stifled.
Zootopia; Barsuk Records; iTunes; $7.99 2016
The 100; 2014-; TV-14; The CW
Super Sharp; 1Button SARL; 2015; Available for Apple and Android; $1.99
From the channel that brought superheroes to our living rooms, comes Legends of Tomorrow, a spin-off the CW’s Arrow and The Flash. Legends of Tomorrow is also based DESIGNTREND.COM in the DC Comic universe just like Arrow and The Flash. The show uses the supporting characters from the other two as heroes. This show follows those heroes as Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) recruits them and travels forward in time to save his own time period, 2166. Hunter must stop supervillain Vandal Savage from destroying the world, time itself and from slaughtering his wife and son. The series begins when Hunter gathers all of the crew to a rooftop and lets them know who he is and why he came for them. The members are motivated to join so they can be remembered forever. The backstories of each character (already established in Arrow and The Flash) eat up time and don’t add any depth to the story line. Too many characters equate to too much screen time wasted focusing on them. Time that could be spent developing the plot is lost in repetitive storylines, and while the action scenes are done well, they are frequently paired with narratives from the characters. This information is usually important, but viewers often forget since it is thrown in abruptly. There are many talented actors, but their characters are miscast which undermines their performance. The visual and special effects are the show’s greatest attributes. Many of the missions the team partakes in involve time-traveling, and the show does a good job of letting the viewers experience what it is like. The effects used for the superheroes’ powers are also appealing. Legends of Tomorrow is a show that brings out the best in the effects and purpose of each thing the characters do, but is too fast paced and repetitive for the viewers to grasp what is actually happening in each scene. Legends of Tomorrow needs to take the successful path that brought Arrow and The Flash to life, but until then it will just be a show with too much exposition, narrative and decent action entertainment. Legends of Tomorrow; 2016-; TV-14; The CW
By Billy Steigelman
By Katelynn Mulder
By Allison Lackner
By Sonny Mulpuri
IDEAS Political war continues online as well as off
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – North Pointe – 9
“Grosse Pointe Public School administrators and teachers are responsible for encouraging and ensuring freedom of expression and freedom of the press for all students, regardless of whether the ideas expressed may be considered unpopular, critical, controversial, tasteless or offensive.”
#TwitterTrials
BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY Anu Subramaniam EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Olivia Asimakis MANAGING EDITOR
Katelyn Carney SPORTS EDITOR
Billy Moin NEWS EDITOR
Mora Downs LIFE EDITOR
Gowri Yerramalli BUSINESS MANAGER
Emma Puglia WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ritika Sanikommu IDEAS EDITOR Katelynn Mulder STAFF REPORTER
Yena Berhane EDITOR-AT-LARGE
Radiance Cooper ASSISTANT EDITOR
Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above. Members who have a conflict of interest with an editorial topic do not partake in that meeting or vote. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Anu Subramaniam MANAGING EDITOR: Olivia Asimakis MANAGING EDITOR-AT-LARGE: Jennifer Kusch EDITORS-AT-LARGE: Yena Berhane, Rey Kam SECTION EDITORS: Katelyn Carney, Mora Downs, Billy Moin, Ritika Sanikommu WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Emma Puglia WEB ASSISTANT EDITOR: Alex Harring BUSINESS MANAGER: Gowri Yerramalli PHOTO EDITORS: Sydney Benson, Dalaney Bradley, Ava Deloach, Bella DeSandy, Erinne Lubienski, Nicole Fazekas MULTIMEDIA EDITOR: Lauren Sexton ASSISTANT EDITORS: Emma Brock, Caitlin Bush, Abbey Cadieux, Radiance Cooper, Allison Lackner, Lindsey Ramsdell, Anna Post, Sarah Wietecha STAFF REPORTERS: Josie Bennett, Bella Lawson, Nathan Lonczynski, Trevor Mieczkowski, Katelynn Mulder, Sonny Mulpuri, Montana Paton, Olivia Robinson, Michal Ruprecht, Billy Steigelman, Tommy Teftsis, Addison Toutant INTERNS: Darcy Graham, Erin Kaled, Joey Parison, Asia Simmons The North Pointe is edited and produced by Advanced Journalism students at Grosse Pointe North High School and is published every two weeks. It is in practice a designated public forum without prior review. Comments should be directed to the student editors, who make all final content decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the authors or the student editorial board and do not reflect the opinions of the Grosse Pointe Public School System. We are a member of the Michigan Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Student Press Law Center. We subscribe to McClatchy-Tribune Information Services and iStockphoto.com. One copy is available free to all community members. Additional copies may be purchased. Our editorial policy and advertising rates are available online at northpointenow.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100% recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Twitter: @thenorthpointe Website: NorthPointeNow.org
EDITOR’S DESK JENNIFER KUSCH
While the Democratic and Republican debates for the Michigan primary have come and gone, the political war rages on on social media. What used to be a place for posting selfies, travel pictures and connecting with those around you has turned into a battleground for politics. Timelines are flooded with arguments and insults. Shots are fired, and a simple disagreement between two people escalates into an all-encasing brawl. Political opinions quickly turn into personal attacks, which diverges from the original point a student was trying to convey. Not only do political arguments over social media lack value, but they also cause unintentional arguments among other people. There will be Twitter fights that first start between two people but then abruptly blow up into a combat zone. People will get themselves involved in things that have nothing to do with them for the sake of protecting their beliefs. Why do these meaningless Twitter fights become such a problem? Simple: opinions are just that. Opinions. They are completely subjective and individual. Persuading someone else to agree with your viewpoint is difficult, especially when there are no facts to legitimize it. Remember that far-right Republicans aren’t going to suddenly swing left after reading a tweet that Hilary Clinton is better suited to be president than Marco Rubio. If no one changes perspective, these disagreements only succeed in cluttering timelines and fostering unnecessary hatred. These alterations go from attacking each other’s beliefs to cyberbullying. Once someone crosses the line, ceasefire. The social media posts need to stop.
YENA BERHANE
There is a huge difference between harassment and freedom of speech. Since political social media fights accomplish nothing and can harm others, why are they still happening? Most of us won’t be able to vote in November. It’s great to have an opinion about our country’s politics, but it’s also possible to get involved without attacking others. Social media platforms aren’t the places to prove your point in an argument, and 140 characters aren’t enough to get your views across. It’s certainly not enough to convey an opinion in a mature, effective manner. It’s best to conduct a conversation in person to save ourselves from starting a social network feud through our phone screens. The solution to ending all of these pointless Twitter skirmishes isn’t rocket science. As horrendous as face-to-face interactions may be in the world of iPhones and social media profiles, try to look past short tweets and find the deeper meaning in them. Feel free to tweet #MakeAmericaGreatAgain, but also make sure to scroll past #FeelTheBern tweets if you don’t agree with them. Nothing is wrong with showing your favorite candidates some love on social media, just don’t hate on others for doing the same. America is renowned for its different political philosophies. We don’t need to celebrate all views, but we don’t need to condemn them either. We urge you to set down your phone and to think before you post. You don’t have fire back insults whenever you disagree. Save yourself from the wreckage and don’t pay the consequences later. Insults are what everyone remembers.
“Hip-hop because I like how it translates to the world.”
“I listen to rap because it’s cool, sounds nice and amuses me.”
“I listen to country because my best friend, Jenny, showed it to me and I really love it now.”
Mikal Dunlid
Michael Mullens
Rachel Stander
FRESHMAN
SOPHOMORE
JUNIOR
Instant Norseman YOUR TURN: What kind of music Instant Norsemen do you listen to and why? Updates Updates
FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, MJE
Rape and sexual assaults are two issues at the forefront of the media’s attention. Most recently, the singer Kesha has rocketed to the front pages with her lawsuit against her producer Dr. Luke, who she claims sexually assaulted her and emotionally abused her for several years. The #FreeKesha hashtag has been used ubiquitously across platforms, with seemingly the entire world standing behind the artist. Kesha is bound to Dr. Luke contractually to produce several more albums, and her attempts to leave the contract in light of her accusations were denied in a court of law due to lack of evidence supporting her claims. The judge cited previous statements where she denied any assaults against herself and a general lack of evidence against her producer. The internet and social media spheres have since rallied around the star, with celebrities like Adele and Lady Gaga making high profile statements of allegiance to the star. Dr. Luke’s name and reputation have been thoroughly destroyed in the process, forever associated with Kesha’s claims of prolonged abuse. Our society is at an ethical crossroads. Too often, our instant horror overrides our logic and legal system. It is easy to forget that men and women can be victims in the root of these claims, which is why the legal system was founded on the basis of the claim “innocent until proven guilty.” Rape, murder, assault— all horrible crimes committed by horrible people. But our society isn’t perfect, and false accusations have ruined lives. The repercussions of such false accusations are far-reaching and equally devastating. 17-year-old Jay Chesire committed suicide after being acquitted of false rape accusations. The University of Virginia is still reeling from a Rolling Stone article on an alleged rape on campus that was proven to be entirely false. Steven Avery, the focus of Netflix’s documentary series Making a Murderer, served 18 years on a false rape conviction that was later overturned. Whether we try the accused in the courts of law or merely of public opinion, any man can be given a life sentence for a rape he did not commit. Many women who have been raped fail to see their attacker convicted. In the ultimate he-said-she-said situation, justice can be fleeting. I am not saying that people without physical evidence of assault are not victims, but that the justice system is established to protect all victims-those on both sides of the courtroom. In the brewing situation facing Kesha and Dr. Luke, I encourage everyone to educate themselves. Too many men have had their lives ruined by false accusations of crimes, and too many women have not seen their attacker put away for their crimes. It is not the responsibility of the public to serve as judge, jury and executioner. The power of conviction lies in our courts and constitution, not our Twitter handles and hashtags. It can be easy to forget that the word “alleged” carries meaning beyond a mere formality attached to the word “rapist” and “murderer.” Innocent until proven guilty has morphed into guilty until proven innocent, and a new generation of men may be a new generation of victims unless we that understand our role in the judicial process is mere bystander, not prosecutor.
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“Everything, I listen to anything that has emotion with it. I like the way that the lyrics speak to you because they are important. “ Jazzmine Spindler SENIOR
“I listen to every type of music...My favorite is probably indie folk but I also listen to a lot of musicals.”
“I listen to a lot of indie rock like the Flaming Lips and Radiohead. I like music that gives a wash of sound and where the artists like to experiment with sound...”
Shontasia Bass SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
Ben Henri CHOIR TEACHER
SPORTS
10 – North Pointe – Wednesday, March 16, 2016
North and South compete in charity dodgeball tournament For the first time, North and South joined together in efforts to raise money for Jacob Michael Davis Foundation and Muscular Dsytrophy Assosciation. The overall champions were North’s Dodge Dynasty, winning their second tournament
By Olivia Asimakis, Anna Post & Kennedy Williams MANAGING EDITOR, ASSISTANT EDITOR & PHOTO EDITOR
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5 CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: 1. Dodge Dynasty member senior Andrew Bunch races toward the line against sophomores Matthew Tibaudo and Will Carlsen. 2. Junior Trent Lacroix shakes hands with South senior Andrew Trost before their game. Dirtbag member junior Alex VanDoorne was disappointed his team lost to Dodge Dynasty in the finals “How does Ricky Bobby say it? ‘If you’re not first, you’re last’,” VanDoorne said. 3. Senior and freshmen student council members gather with South Student Association members. 4. Winning team Dodge Dynasty (Mitchell Zacharias, Alex Kracht, Jack Kennedy, Andrew Bunch, Henry Burghardt, Tristin Richardson) poses with the tournament trophy and past dodgeball trophy. “It was more fun, a little more competitive,” Kennedy said. “It felt great to win.” 5. Math teacher Lauren Nixon celebrates after beating South’s teacher team. 6. Dirtbag member junior Steven Levick winds up to throw. “I liked the camaraderie, and it was fun getting all intense and wanting to win,” Levick said.
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SPORTS
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Listening to music while exercising affects athletes’ perception of exertion PIXABAY
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After she laces up her teal Asics, senior Alaina Streberger immediately pops in her earbuds in preparation for her three-mile run. Justin Bieber’s new album, Purpose, is set on repeat for her entire run, with “Love Yourself” ranking as her current favorite song to run to. Streberger believes the music helps distract her and makes the run more enjoyable. “I think it definitely helps me when I’m running by myself,” Streberger said. “I’ll just put that playlist on repeat my whole run, and that just makes it easier.” According to an article by London’s Brunel University, carefully selected music can actually make running seem easier by altering one’s perception of how much effort he or she is exerting. Listening to the right music can decrease one’s rate of perceived exertion by twelve percent and improve exercise’s benefits by up to 15 percent. It can also raise movement efficiency by seven percent and increase voluntary endurance up to 15 percent. With spring sport tryouts approaching, junior Brad Despelder has been working out at Pointe Fitness and attending off-season conditioning to prepare for lacrosse. Despelder primarily listens to rap music during his workouts because he feels it helps distract him. “I like the beat to it,” Despelder said. “It gives you a lot more confidence in yourself.” The Brunel University article also confirms that fast-paced and upbeat music (125-140 beats per minute) works best with high intensity exercises like running. However, a song’s effectiveness isn’t only determined by its tempo. Based off a 1997 study conducted by Drs. Costas Karageorghis, Peter C. Terry and A.M. Lane, there are thought to be four factors that decide the makeup of a motivational song. In addition to its tempo, a song’s harmony, relevance to one’s culture and association (whatever themes it brings to mind) can all affect how motivational the song is. In turn, the motivation a song provides will excite exercisers, reduce their rated perceived exertion (RPE) and improve their overall mood. Although music can occupy a runner, track and cross country coach Elizabeth Michaels prefers to run without it. She recognizes the benefit of music while exercising, but she personally enjoys running without the distraction. “In college sometimes, when I found myself rea lly out of shape, I would listen to music to help motivate me to get in shape, but now I just f ind it a nnoy ing,” Michaels sa id. “I like to r un to clea r my t houghts, a nd I feel like t he music gets away from t hat.”
Track and cross country runners are not allowed to listen to music during their runs because of safety reasons. Streberger enjoys the company of others during her runs. “It’s sometimes better to run with people because you get to talk to them,” Streberger said. “It kind of goes by faster.” In Karageorghis’ study, he along with a team of researchers had participants walk on treadmills, beginning at 75 percent of their maximum heart rate, until they reached exhaustion. This was performed three times, once with no music, once with motivational music and once with oudeterous (non-motivational) music. Compared to the control attempt, the oudeterous music extended participants’ time of exertion by 6 percent. Motivational music pr ov ide d e v e n mor e s u pp or t a nd le d t o a 15 p e r c e nt i nc r e a s e i n w a l k i n g t i me . Track and cross country coach Diane Montgomery runs year-round and used to listen to music during her treadmill runs. She recently transitioned to watching TV instead, but she still appreciates the impact of a good song during a workout. “I definitely think that when you get a song that’s a good running song coming on it definitely peps you up,” Montgomery said. “‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem is one of my favorite running songs.” There are some high-cardio workouts that prevent music of any kind, like swimming. However, sophomore Angelina Cavaliere has found a musical way to occupy herself during swim practice. “I sing in my head, that’s what I usually do,” Cavaliere said. “It just makes the sets seem shorter and just wastes time for me, makes time go by.” But the benefits of music do have a limit. In a collective review of scientific progress by Karageorghis and Dr. David-Lee Priest, the two acknowledge that music stops lowering one’s RPE for aerobic exercise after a cert a i n poi nt , a lt houg h t he y do a l s o note ot her ef fe c t s it c a n h ave be yond t h at t h re shold . A 2011 study by Karageorghis, Terry, Lane, Dr. D. T. Bishop and Priest also recognized that music can distract exercisers from complex and demanding workouts that require their full attention. As a track coach, Michaels feels it is important for students to be capable of running without their music because it helps them get closer as a team. “They need each other for support, and if they’re listening to music they can’t support each other,” Michaels said. “It doesn’t seem like it, but running really is a team sport and once you put headphones in, you isolate yourself from the team.”
HOW YOUR BEATS BETTER YOU
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MANAGING EDITOR & EDITOR
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12 – Wednesday, March 16, 2016– North Pointe
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With scholarship due dates nearing , we’re bringing you information on select performing arts camps from coast to coast
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By Lauren Sexton MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
broaden their vocal range. “Disney is such a major company and such a major company in the entertainment industr y,” sophomore Caitlin Mayernik said. “You really get to see what it’s like and ever y thing.” Kids all across the globe have the opportunity to take the workshops, but they are normally kept under lock and key unless referred by a teacher. However, there is a process for getting into the program. Students must fill out applications and audition for the specific workshop they want to participate in. Classes are offered year-around. Disney Youth Performing Arts
By Asia Simmons INTERN
Rhythm, tone and harmony. The conductor’s baton goes up, the band takes a gulp of air and begins to play the first note. After a week of rehearsal, occasional instrument squeaks and frantic page turns, there’s a moment of peace before the tune comes together. For people who enjoy summer music camps, specif ica lly band camps, but do not want to go too far away from home, Avanti is t he place t he go. Band teacher Dav id Cleveland is one of t he supporters of t he camp. “It is close to home and students don’t have to stay in a cabin overnight. The price ma kes it ver y attractive,” he said. Avanti is a week-long band camp t hat includes t wo different k inds of music groups: a reg ular band and an orchestra. Campers must pay $ 375, plus a $ 30 application fee for
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Located on 1,400 acres in Michigan’s Manistee Nationa l Forest, Blue La ke Fine A rts Camp cultivates grow t h w it hin t he arts. In a secluded env ironment, students of a ll ages train in diverse programs of music, art, dance and drama. Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a summer program open to students in grades five through 12. By requiring a major and a minor, Blue La ke prov ides yout hs w it h an experience similar to a college program in t he arts. There are nine options for a major: art, ja zz, band, orchestra, choir, piano, dance, t heater and harp. Students are accepted for t heir major at whatever prof iciency level t hey may be at. The major w ill be t he focus of t he camp experience, while t he minor a llows campers to experience a subject t hat does not have to relate to t heir major. “It k ind of gives you a glimpse of what t hat major
would be like if you were to ta ke it in college, because t he whole training process t hat we do t here is what you would ultimately do if you majored in voca l performance (for example),” senior Ky nadi Echols said. “It k ind of was like, ‘oh t his would be cool but it’s not what I want to do w it h an actua l major,’ so t hat’s when I rea lized t hat voca l performance is probably not for me.” Centra l camp, t he high school div ision, has 27 minors available. The majorit y of students enroll in a minor course t hat pertains to t heir major, but courses outside of t he arts are offered, such as yoga, hik ing and camp crafts. A minor is optiona l, and if one is not chosen, t hen t hat time may be used for indiv idua l practice or resting. Campers are intentiona lly excluded from t he inf luences of t he outside world for t wo weeks to study w it h concentrated effort since administrators place t hem in cabins w it hout phones. The program ends w it h a showcase for each major t hat students present for family and friends.
seven hours of core activities and an hour of singing ever y day. It offers high school musicians the opportunity to work with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) players and a chance to become a better musical performer. W hile t he rehearsa ls are located at Wylie E. Groves High School in Beverly Hills Michigan, Avanti hosts t he f ina le at t he end of t he camp at Orchestra Ha ll in dow ntow n Detroit. W hile any summer camp may be t y pica lly seen as routine-heav y, at Avanti, t here are ot her optiona l classes for students to do, offered for free. There are a lso sectiona ls for instruments, which are sma ll groups of people work ing on t he music w it hout a conductor. Students t hat attend get a free pass to a ll t he Avanti music festiva ls and a celebration of a ll t he new accomplishments t hat were made. Registration for t his camp is now open.
Sophomore A lex Dean joined Blue La ke Fine A r ts ca mp last sum mer for voca l music a nd ja z z ba nd. “To go t here you should love what you’re doing and rea lly be into it,” Dean said. “I t hink t hat’s part of t he f un is t hat I love singing and I love music in genera l, and I love being around people t hat share t he same interests as me and ever y t hing, which ma kes it f un because you’re w it h a whole group of k ids t hat you share your passion w it h.” Genera l scholarships are awarded based on t he following criteria: audition or portfolio and an arts instructor’s w ritten recommendation. Students may audition in front of a Blue La ke representative at school or mail in an audition C.D. or portfolio. Auditions prior to camp are essentia l for a scholarship consideration, but are not required to enroll. Tuition per t wo-week session runs bet ween $1200 and $1400, depending on t he major, w it h additiona l fees depending on t he minor.
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workshops are highly recommended by musicians and celebrities, even w ith the expensive participation fee. Students can have a greater chance at making it in the performing arts industr y by attending these classes. “If you go out of state, you get different experiences and you get to meet new people that might help you later in life if you would like to go into theater,,” Mayernik said. “Especially with a program like this, you get to work somewhere that not close to home and is different. You just get more experiences.”
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Over 60 years ago, Walt Disney said “A ll our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” Now, his company is follow ing their motto and helping artist’s pursue their dreams by offering performing arts workshops from coast to coast. Disney offers over 25 workshops to high school students in both Disneyland and Disney World Resorts. Students can learn from award-w inning composers and celebrity acting coaches. Participants can develop skills that allow them to think on their feet as improv isational actors, challenge musicians to feel the music and
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