Issue 7 - 12.21.12 by North Pointe

NORTH GROSSE POINTE NORTH HIGH SCHOOL

POINTE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2012

SINCE 1968

Out with the old, in with the new Nineteen minute half-day periods switch to alternating block schedule

HALF DAYS: NEW vs. OLD

= 5 STUDENTS

By Colleen Reveley

students prefer the new halF day over the old

Staff Reporter

SPORTS It’s time to hit the slopes. Some students favor snowboarding to skiing, while skiers remain faithful to their sport. Page 4

WINTER BREAK

Begins Friday, Dec. 21. School resumes on Monday, Jan. 7, 2013.

BAND-O-RAMA

Tuesday, Jan. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the gym.

STRING EXTRAVAGANZA

Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the gym.

GIRLS HOCKEY

Wednesday, Jan. 9, vs. Cranbrook 7 p.m. at GPCR.

BOYS SWIMMING

Thursday, Jan. 10 vs. Ford home at 6 p.m.

WRESTLING

Saturday, Jan. 12 vs. Liggett, 9 a.m. home.

“

People often smile at this

coincidence before telling me how awful it must be to be

forgotten

“

year after year. Page 7

huge one way or the other. Sometimes the things that are popular with students might not be what’s best for students.” Although the decision came from the school board members, administrators have talked about the change for years. Assistant Principal Tom Beach is in favor of the new schedule. “On our half-days, we have a disproportional number of kids calling in absent because they convinced their parents that ‘Oh, we don’t do anything,’” Beach said. “In the new half-days, we get more kids in the school. Kids know that the classes are going to be important for an hour. It’s more time on task. It actu-

Contributing: Anna Hopkins, Haley Reid & Sarah Shade

By Emma Ockerman Managing Editor

Sophomore Kameryn Mathewson closes the gap that divides the floor and stage at UDetroit, picking up the acoustic guitar she has been playing for a year. She positions herself in front of the venue’s microphone. Sophomore Devyn LaValley seats herself at the drums. Sophomore Will Lorenz picks up his mexican Fender jazz bass. Junior Easton Washburn wears his prized gold-top Epiphone Les Paul guitar. Red, green and white lights flicker across the wood-paneled stage. “We’re Michigan, and this first song’s called ‘Nobody’s Home,’” Mathewson says. Michigan then launches into their set, Mathewson’s voice carrying across the room. The band members describe their sound as “brooding blues-rock,” playing songs that cater to an indie soul. “Well, not indie by choice. Indie because nobody knows about us,” Washburn said. continued on page 2

Graphic design student honored at auto show By Kristen Kaled & Marie Bourke Assistant Editors

Most go to the Detroit Auto Show as observers, looking at the cars and designs of professionals. But this year, junior Tess Kolp will have her own work on display. Kolp takes Computer Graphics IV, and her design of a car made out of words won second place in a contest put on by the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). Kolp began designing when she entered Computer Graphics I her freshman year without a clue where it would lead. “I actually decided to take Computer Graphics I because I dropped gym and needed an extra half-year class,” Kolp said. “It was one of the best decisions, considering I am now in Computer Graphics IV and hope to do an independent study with it next semester, where I hope to explore new methods of creating art.” In September, Kolp entered a contest offered by the NAIAS, open to Michigan students. She spent the majority of her class periods working with a 3D design program called Blender, and an interest in typography formed the basis for her design.

Michigan performed at U-Detroit Saturday, Dec. 15 in hopes that what they call their first “legitimate” show will entail future gigs at U-Detroit. “I always liked the look of typography and had wanted to do a typography work for quite a while, but didn’t really know where to get started,” Kolp said. “Last year a typography work won in a category and while it was great, it was in black and white, which I found to be rather lackluster. With the idea of color in mind, I thought, ‘Why not make a car out of words.’ Getting started took some trial and error, but in the end it turned out exactly how I envisioned it in my head.” Kolp has been in contests in the school art show, but nothing statewide like the Detroit Auto Show. “I think I captured the point of the Auto Show in more than one way,” Kolp said. “I made sure the main message of cars was presented loud and clear, but within that I tried to include little inspirational and meaningful sentences that went a little more in-depth with meaning.” Art teacher Robert Thies only gave a viewer’s perspective for Kolp, who took initiative on the design right away. “Tess had the idea to use the typographical approach, where the car was created out of the letters,” Thies said. “When Tess and I discussed the project, I would tell her what I was seeing and what I could not see. Occasionally, I would challenge her with my observations, but she did all of the work.” Marc Harlow, spokesperson for the NAIAS, said that judges were looking for original and creative designs that tied to the automotive theme and had good taste.

“They were looking for something that was a good representation of the Auto Show and had a grasp on what our auto show is about,” he said. Out of the 645 entries from 69 high schools, Kolp’s design made an impression. Hundreds of words and short phrases were put together into the shape of a car. Each word had to be individually created and shaded a different color to make up the car’s body. “The painstaking details put into this to make sentences turn into an automobi le with depth, texture and features was surely noticed,” Kolp said. “If you stand back and look at it, it actually looks like something you would see driving down the street, something I think sets it aside from a lot of other works, even if it hadn’t won.” ashley brown

Colleen reveley

days separating the two. Jon Dean, Deputy Superintendent of Educational Services, created the new schedule. The school board considered each option and decided to try out the new half-day schedule with the longer classes, but separated dates. “I do think any time we have students not coming to school, and we’re spending as much time in the hallways as we would a 42 minute class, that concerns me. Maybe it is the best schedule. We’ve used the data to figure that out,” Dean said. “When we announced this change, we had a couple complaints and concerns, a couple staff members and a couple students, but nothing

Student band gets jump start performing in Detroit

Wednesday, Jan. 16, figure meet vs. Troy at South.

IDEAS

students prefer the old half days over the new

Emma Ockerman

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING

Junior Amanda Shenouda wants the 19-minute classes of the old half-day schedule. “When we don’t have all the classes together, I feel behind because I can’t touch base with all of my teachers,” Shenouda said. Some teachers, especially those who have their classes in lockstep, feel as if they have one class ahead or that students will forget what was taught in the prior day. “With the new half-day schedule, I was not able to see every class, and in math I find that daily reinforcement of concepts is crucial to a student’s understanding,” math teacher Jen Randall said. With the new schedule, on the first half-day morning, classes one, two and three are taught for 54 minutes each. Then on the next half-day, classes four, five, six and seven are held for 39 minutes each. For the last two half-days North has had, which were trial days, there was a duration of seven school

ally gives classes like science a little bit longer time than a normal class period, so they have longer time in the lab and stuff like that.” To make sure that the new halfday schedule is the best fit, there will be a survey sent out via email for students, staff and parents to answer for the school board to decide. “I really encourage students and staff and parents to complete the survey when it’s put online via Survey Monkey,” Dean said. “We’ll make sure to push it via email to parents and staff. We encourage everyone to fill it out.” Administration and the school board do see an upside to the new half-days, but they also understand why some teachers prefer the old half-day schedule. The main argument against it is that a lot of our classes are in lockstep with each other, such as Algebra I for instance,” Beach said. “They take tests on the same day, so you end up out of sequence.” No decision has been made concerning which schedule worked best and will be used for the upcoming half days.

news

2 – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – North Pointe

FIVE MINUTES WITH

Math teacher Julie Pappas

H.U.M.A.N. Helping Unite Man And Nutrition

By Taylor White

By Sean O’Melia

Staff reporter

This Christmas, 2-year-old Liam Pappas opened an early Christmas gift from his mom, math teacher Julie Pappas. The gift was an ornament. But it was also more: it signified a tradition of passing down Christmas ornaments through generations. “My mom ... has over 20 large boxes of ornaments. The earliest I can remember is 1972, and that’s when my oldest brother was born,” Pappas said. “I’ve collected all my life because my mom started buying me Christmas ornaments when I was a baby. I have one dated 1988, and it’s a little gingerbread girl holding a tray of cookies, and it says ‘daughter’ on it. That’s the first one I can really remember.” Each year, Pappas and her two brothers received ornaments from their parents, and while they all have their own series, only Pappas and one of her brothers continued collecting. “I like the tradition it set with my parents. Each year, my brothers and I would be excited to see our new ornament,” she said. “It was a small gift but one we always looked forward to.” Collecting ornaments has kept Pappas and her mom close. She hopes it will do the same for her son as he grows up. “Every year, my mom and I go through her ornaments to see the old ones and specifically pick which ones we want on her tree. We talk about when she got each ornament, or how one of us kids broke one or made one,” Pappas said. “I hope Liam will enjoy collecting as much as I do. I know he likes putting them on the tree, and he loves to look at them. I’m hoping this is something we can share for many years.”

Staff Reporter

Two new vending machines called H.U.M.A.N. have been installed in the cafeteria. Though the prices are higher, they’re out to make the student body a healthier place. “It’s no secret that healthier is more expensive. We see that going into a Kroger or a Nino Salvaggio’s. So it’s not a surprise to me with that healthy stuff in that machine, that you’re going to pay more money for a healthy item than a not healthy item,” food service director, Michelle Knotts said.

“I don’t like them, and they don’t have food I eat in them. I only eat them when I’m trying to be healthy.” Sarah Cherry COurtesy of the Pappas family

Math teacher Julie Pappas has given her son, Liam, ornaments every Christmas as a tradition.

Do you collect Christmas ornaments in sets? I have a Crayola set, I have my houses, I have a kitty-cat set, I have Barbie ornaments ... and then the ones I’ve collected are just random ones, like I started getting an ornament from each country I went to. Are you going to pass them on to your son? Of course I’m gonna pass them on. Now, he probably won’t like all my little houses because they’re kind of girly, so maybe someday I’ll have a daughter. What’s your favorite ornament? I really like the daughter one. I guess over the last two years Hallmark has come out with two remembrance ones. This year was a sand dollar one, and my dad loved to go sand dollaring. Which ornaments have the best memories? All of my houses. There’s not a specific one. I really, really like all of my houses and my cookie one, just because that was my series to collect, so just the fact that it’s been going on for almost 30 years, it’s really cool. How many ornaments does your son have so far? Liam probably has about 20 ornaments. The only series I’ve started him on is the “My first, second, third Christmas.” Unfortunately, I think he now has all of them ... because I don’t think they go to fourth.

While Knotts has been positively behind this change, the student body, has differing perspectives. “Well I guess I don’t like the new vending machines because the prices are higher and I don’t like the new food selection.”

“Down the road, we can partner with Health Vending to do advertising on the screen. So if North has got a dance coming up or a fundraiser, we can scroll it all over the screen. It’s another added bonus. It’s pretty much helping advertise anything we’re putting on there or a featured food lunch item.” Michelle Knotts food service director

“It’s a good idea, because the food is healthier ,and it tastes good.”

Michael Reith

Maddie Gafa

Senior

Junior

New H.U.M.A.N. options: $2: Beanitos black bean chips $1.75: Veggie Straws $1: Nature Valley Nutrition Bar 75 cents: Welch’s Fruit Snacks, Gummy Snacks

Student band performs continued from page 1

emma ockerman

Since Michigan formed nearly six months ago, they’ve only imagined this moment, performing their first legitimate show, opening for The Day’s Ride, another local band. “It’s a gigantic deal for me. You could compare it to an all-star game if you’re an athlete,” Lorenz said. “This is the first time somebody asked us to do something where we didn’t have to sign up or pay.” Before their show at U-Detroit, Michigan had more recently performed at the Rustic Cabin in Grosse Pointe Park. “We played a bar gig that was probably illegal,” LaValley, sophomore, said, as the bar catered to virtually no minors. Though the show was on a smaller scale than the one at U-Detroit, it was still a learning experience. “Playing at the Rustic Cabin was pretty nice. It was not the most glorious thing ever like you’d expect it to be. It was a real working-class kind of bar. No one cared or really wanted to hear us play, and we kind of hustled our way into it. We really didn’t fit in with the middle-aged factory workers,” Lorenz said. “The band that was playing there (we played in their intermission) was playing 80s arena-rock covers like Tom Petty. Then we came in with our alternative rock music.” Michigan placed fourth in Battle of the Bands and also played a show in Kingston. “We knew more people than we expected we did who are in the business and can help us out, and most of what we do is not people saying ‘We need a band to play, we like you guys, come do it’ because no one knows who we are. It’s us pulling favors and again, hustling our way into it,” Lorenz said. Despite Michigan forming six months ago, the members of the band have musical ties with each other dating back to middle school “Easton and me have been best friends since we were really little, and we started a band in sixth grade called ‘High Strung,’ and it was just me and Easton. Easton sang and played electric guitar, and I played my little electric drum set that I had back then,” La Valley said. “We kept playing in that band and kept adding people. All of the sudden, we picked up Kameryn, and that worked really well.” Washburn remembers the days of “High Strung” with recognition of its small-scale demeanor.

LEFT: Junior Easton Washburn plays guitar. ABOVE: Sophomore Devyn LaValley plays drums. “We were kinda serious about it, but overall it would be considered a joke. I was playing guitar and singing badly, and she was playing drums. We were writing crappy songs, but we had some parental support,” Washburn said. Meeting Mathewson meant the addition of a vocalist and another guitar player to the band, as well as changing the name to Michigan. “We met Will at school, and me and Kameryn met in 7th grade and have been best friends since,” LaValley said. Michigan has received help from Grace Community Church, where they’ve been allowed to practice. Through a youth group there called Revolution, members of Michigan have played in the church’s band while receiving help getting gigs. “They let us practice there, but mostly it’s Jon Jackson and Karl Messenger, who are the worship leader and the youth pastor, because they always scout places and find gigs for us,” Mathewson said. “They’re in a band, The Days Ride.” Jon Jackson, youth worship leader for Revolution, has created a philosophy out of combining religion with music. He estimates around 35 North students attend Revolution. “It’s an important part of what we do. We believe it’s important for young people to worship God through music,” Jackson said. “There’s a pretty decent crowd of musicians who play at Revolution. The cool thing ... that some people don’t even realize is that playing music is a great way to worship God.” Senior Danielle Mays also attends Revolution, which meets every other Wednesday and has

found solstice through worship there. “The band is amazing and so talented. The worship leader Jon Jackson does such great job, and you can tell he’s very passionate about what he’s doing,” Mays said. “It has been a life-changing experience just being surrounded by people who love and want to live for the Lord.” Revolution has provided Michigan valuable experiences they say they couldn’t have gotten elsewhere. “I kind of got good at playing because of Revolution. It gave me experience with working with other musicians,” Washburn said. However, Michigan prefers to consider themselves independent of Revolution. The band is working on getting recording time and have already done live recordings at U-Detroit. They have four original songs, all written by Mathewson.

The band’s rapid growth has left Lorenz’s father, Steve Lorenz, in awe of what music can do for youth. “You have to learn for compromise, and you have to do what you do really, really well. It’s a great opportunity to work with other people. It’s a great experience. I don’t want him just sitting at home playing video games,” Steve said. Michigan has no upcoming shows planned, but anticipates knowing that nothing but good can come from their U-Detroit show. Bringing an old-school sound to the table, Lorenz even muses over the prospect of making 45s later. But above all, a positive attitude has helped Michigan advance as quickly as it has. “There’s a lot of stuff that if it goes right, we could be playing, and it could work out in our favor,” Lorenz said.

on campus

Norsemen donate blood and time to Red Cross By Brigitte Smith & Jeffrey Valentic Staff reporter & intern

Brigitte Smith

At the direction of Ben Henri, North’s choir sings classics at their holiday concert.

North hosts annual holiday concert The choir hosted a holiday concert Dec. 14 and 15. Both concerts were at First English Lutheran Church. “We have two holiday concerts every year usually right after winter break,” choir director Ben Henri said. “The church is beautifully decorated, resonant space which enhances the great music that the students are singing.” The choir performed holiday classics such as the “Hallelujah” chorus, “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and “Merry Christmas Love.” Alumni choir students home from college joined current choir students in singing the “Hallelujah” chorus. “My favorite part would have to be the combined groups of Acafella and Counter Pointe,” senior James Spencer said. “They’re always fun, upbeat and enjoyable.” This was Spencer’s last holiday concert for choir. “It’s somewhat difficult because I won’t sing in that church as a student, but I will come (here to perform) multiple times in the holiday seasons to come,” Spencer said. The concert featured all the choirs along with select soloists. Senior Sarah Neuenfeldt had her first solo in this concert. “I think it went all right,” Neuenfeldt said. “There were a few parts I thought I could do better on, but I did the best I could.”

Distinguished employee award given to Geoffrey Young English teacher Geoffrey Young was honored as a distinguished employee bytheGPPSS Board of Education on Monday, Nov. 26. Young was one of just 10 men and women who received the honor, which is in its fifth year and recognizes superior work done by various district employees. Superintendent Tom Harwood addressed the honorees during the board’s regular meeting, thanking them for their hard work and dedication to the betterment of the GPPSS. “My feeling of gratitude for the award isn’t about the number of employees honored; it’s rooted in appreciation to the administrators that felt compelled to nominate me,” Young said. “Many of the GPPS employees could be similarly distinguished when supported as I have been by administrators and other teachers that inspire the best from me. I may have been one of ten on the stage, but I represent hundreds of distinguished teachers across the district.” Each of the recipients received a speciallymade globe to commemorate their successes, and Young says he’s keeping his at home. “I generally feel weird about hanging up accolades. With the exception of my “Young Geezy half-marathon bib,” I usually keep awards and honors at home, in a little box under a bed in my guest bedroom. It reminds me to keep the necessary humility that keeps one critiquing oneself honestly and striving to be better.”

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Sarah McGovern

Senior Sarah McGovern was forced into the world of violin in fourth grade, as her parents required she follow the tradition of her grandmother. Now, eight years later, McGovern is the orchestra president and has been first chair violin, or “concert mistress,” for two years. McGovern said that her parents lost the opportunity to play during their generation and that they didn’t want her to miss out. “I love it now. I practice all the time,” she said. But with such an important role comes struggles. “I basically have to be right all the time,” McGovern said. “If there’s a part that can’t be played they’re like, ‘You! You, play that!’” She still enjoys helping others in the class, as she knows the ropes. “You get to teach kids who aren’t doing so well. (They) can come to you and ask you questions,” McGovern said. Her advice for advancing orchestral skill? “It’s all about practicing over and over again, even though it’s kind of a pain,” she said. It’s really fulfilling when you practice something that’s so hard and you’re like, ‘I can’t do this!’ and then suddenly you hit a point where it’s like, ‘Oh, I did that!’”

Sophomore Michael Caruso rejects sport status in order to put all his time and effort into something more worthwhile. Although it is not easy to join Boy Scouts, Caruso has been a part of the organization since sixth grade. “I still participate in it because I still find it fun to do, and I have a bunch of friends in the troop,” Caruso said. Besides the social aspect, Caruso says he has gained skills that are important to his success in the future. “From being a Boy Scout, I obtained leadership values,” Caruso said. Going hiking with his fellow Boy Scouts is one of the things he looks forward to. His favorite spot to go is a well–known campground in New Mexico. “Learning and experiencing new things at the camp are worth it. One of my favorite badges I have earned is archery,” Caruso said. Caruso is currently going through the process to become an Eagle Scout. To complete the process, he must earn a physical badge and plan his own community service project. “Seeing many older scouts get (promoted), I have looked up to them, and it’s a great opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Caruso said.

TOP: Senior Jay Warren donates blood for the first time. “When getting my blood drawn, I felt fine,” Warren said. “(It) didn’t really feel like anything, and before donating, I was excited.” ABOVE: Volunteer nurse Carriece Williams labeled blood bags that were soon filled. “It’s cool because a lot of younger donors don’t donate unless we ask to go to the high school, so I think it’s good, and I’m glad that they lure all ages,” Williams said. UPPER RIGHT: Seniors Joey Gallagher and Emily Simon sign people into the blood drive. “(My job was) signing them in, registering them in the system, giving them stickers, getting them water and making sure they read the information packet,” Gallagher said. LOWER RIGHT: Junior Carrie Rakowicz waits for a nurse to take her blood. “It was really long. I missed a lot of class, but it was worth it to do something good, especially if it will help save a life,” Rakowicz said.

Nikko Leggett

Senior Nikko Leggett, along with some North alumni, conquers living room with hardcore punk music. “I am the singer, the guitar player is Jake Boyle, the drummer is my brother Marco Leggett and the bassist is Patrick Salazar,” Leggett said. Their band F.T.B.T. has been together for over a year. “We are influenced by bands such as Black Sabbath, The Misfits, Converge, The Black Dahlia Murder, Burzum and Rektom,” Leggett said. Although three of the four band members are in college, they manage to keep the band together with three practices a week and gigs whenever the opportunity presents itself. “There aren’t many local places where people would want to listen to our music,” Leggett said. “If you want to see us play, we play at the Grosse Pointe Battle of the Bands every year. The next one will be in March.” Despite lack of venues, they have not given up on their passion. “Advice for other bands at North is to just do what you like to do, and stick with it. It doesn’t matter if no one wants to listen to it, just do what makes you happy.”

BOTTOM: Seniors Andrew Remus and Devin Palmer drink water and read the blood drive information packet before giving blood. “(Before you can donate,) you have to read up about if you can donate because you might not be able to if you’ve been somewhere in the past couple of months,” Remus said.

By Melissa Healy, Jacob Barry & Rachel Cullen

Driver’s Road Skills Test

Faces in the crowd

Michael Caruso

Administration directs search for new principal Eighty to one hundred candidates will have applied to be North’s principal by the time interviews are finished, administration estimates. A committee of 20 students selected by Interim Principal Tom Tobe, parents, teachers and administrators will sort those applying down to four or five finalists. Finalists are brought in for a meet and greet. “They’re brought in for a quick cup of coffee,” Assistant Principal Tom Beach said. “Some people can look really good on paper, but really aren’t right for the job.” Of the meet-and-greet applicants, the top candidates are chosen and brought into a full committee of higher-up administrators and are asked scripted, open-ended questions such as, “What is your philosophy on teaching?” or “How do you feel about working with kids?” The process will be done by February or March of 2013, and the new principal starts on July 1.

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – 3

By Audrey Kam, Caelin Micks & Danae DiCicco

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SPORTS

4 – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – North Pointe

QUICK HITS

All-state showcase

Caroline Schulte

Showcases in A-building display trophies and photos of all-state athletes. Since 2008, a showcase has represented an incomplete number of all-state athletes from North, and the Booster Club is looking to change this. They made a decision to enhance the display to include not only firstteam all-state individuals, but all-state honorable mentions and second-team athletes. “We really wanted to include more kids. It’s really a great recognition no matter what level of all-state it is. We are a little behind in recognizing all the all-state athletes,” Booster Club president Jeanne Lizza said. “We didn’t realize how limiting it was to only include first-team all-state.” Lizza’s and the rest of the Booster Clubs stance: the more the merrier. The Booster Club has identified all-state athletes from 2008 to current, sending a letter requesting a photograph or referring them to the Portrait Place who has taken the other pictures. As for prior to 2008, they are adding a plaque to the wall with the names of all-state athletes. “We just wanted to include more, and I think it provides pride and interest in the school. It’s a big deal. We are creating some history,” Lizza said. Athletic Director Ben Bandfield agrees. “I believe any recognition of our student athletes is a positive for the students, the athletic department and North High School,” Bandfield said. There is still a decision to be made on where these pictures will be displayed. “I think the best spot for them is in Abuilding where the community enters for athletic contests,” Bandfield said. “We are currently assessing what we can do, any restrictions that we would have and what will be best for this recognition for now and in the future.” The short hallways near the gym, worries of vandalism and fire regulations are some of the difficulties they are encountering. But there is still hope to create a “whole sports hallway” near the gym and pool. This project is estimated to be complete by the end of break, and ready for students returning in January.

north vs. south boys basketball game Unlike years past, when the boys varsity basketball team squeezed past South High School’s team, (notably with the half court shot of 2010 and last year’s buzzer beater), the team came out with a 50-32 victory at South, Friday, Dec. 15. “Going in, I expected a close game because it seems like whenever we play at South it comes down to the last seconds,” senior Taiwan Wiggins said. “It felt amazing to blow them out at their house.” The speculated reason that North versus South games usually end up so close: the mind game due to crosstown rivalry. “Because it was South, it made us play better because we really wanted to beat them,” Wiggins said. “Because I’m a senior I told myself this could be the last time I could play South, so that really fueled me the entire game.” But, to his senior teammate Chris Doherty, the game was no different than any other. “My expectations for the game were to play my best and shut them down early in the game,” Doherty said. “The fact that it was South didn’t affect my play, it was just another game for me.” The North student section and band covered half of the top bleachers at South. “The boys came out strong and finished strong,” senior Breann Reveley said. “Our student section was amazing, much better than South’s.” By Kimberly Cusmano

Snowboarding vs. Skiing: the reason for the season By Izzy Ellery & Sydney Thompson Assistant Editor & Staff Reporter

Junior Joey Garvin has been hitting the slopes since he was 4 years old. He started as a skier, but when he was 10 years old he switched to snowboarding to catch up to his brother. At the time, it seemed to be a decision based on envy of his older brothers, but Garvin realized there was another reason he switched. “I just didn’t like it anymore, to be honest. It was too boring and I didn’t really want to do it anymore, so I tried snowboarding. I felt that it was a lot of fun at first, and I loved it, and I still do,” Garvin said. “I forgot skiing and stuck to snowboarding.” Garvin has snowboarded at Pine Knob and Mount Holly as well as in Colorado and Canada. Now that his brothers attend Michigan State University, he snowboards there while visiting. He tries to hit the slopes every other weekend. “There isn’t a lot of thinking with snowboarding. All you have to really do is keep your balance, but skiing, you always have to change weights from one side of your body to another and it’s a lot more effort, I find, than snowboarding, and it’s easier to relax with snowboarding than with skiing.” But there is another view. Like Garvin, junior Mary Lynn Hryciuk was introduced to skiing by her parents, who have been skiing since before she was born. Although snowboarding intrigues her, she prefers skiing because of its longevity. It’s a sport she can stick with when she’s older, like her parents. “I would actually try snowboarding. I mean, everyone says it’s a lot of fun once you get the hang of it,” Hryciuk said. “But I would still ski. You don’t usually see an older woman snowboarding, you usually see it with younger people. Skiing is more for older people and snowboarding is more for teenagers.” Hryciuk also prefers the ease she finds when skiing, something she doesn’t think she would find snowboarding. “Snowboarders have to unclip some of their gear while they’re going up the lift,” Hryciuk said. “Skiers don’t have to do that, so we can go right on.” Junior Sarah Rustmann agrees with Garvin. She fell out of skiing because it no longer entertained her. “With skiing it’s hard to progress, and with snowboarding it’s easier. It’s easier to let go when you’re on a snowboard than on skis, because on skis it’s harder

to control,” Rustmann said. “It’s just more of a rush, and you can do more with it, and you can learn more tricks. With skiing, you can just, like, go back and forth, and that’s pretty much it.” Senior Julia Guest agrees snowboarding is more versatile. “The most interesting thing that happens is learning new tricks, doing boxes and rails,” Guest said. “Some people like skiing better, I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because they haven’t tried (snowboarding) yet. They don’t really know what they’re missing,” Rustmann said. Senior Evelynne Smith finds skiing to be more her style, which she says is slow and controlled. “It’s just easier on the body. Like every time that you stop snowboarding you have to get down and unstrap your boot,” Smith said. “When you’re a beginner you fall on your wrists a lot, and I feel like that would hurt, and ... because you sit on it a lot ... your butt gets a lot wetter. (Skiing) is more my style. Snowboarding is more boyish.” Snowboarding also creates a dilemna for Smith, something she doesn’t find in skiing. “I feel like snowboarders have to concentrate more on your control of your snowboard, you have to make sure that you’re going back and forth and stuff. (On skiis) you’re more balanced because your feet are separated,” Smith said. Freshman Lauren Beach sprained her wrist last year while snowboarding, but because she loves the sport, she plans to return to the slopes after the first big snowfall. “Snowboarding is more fun because you can do tricks and are more free,” Beach said. “I like the rush. It’s exciting.” Skiing versus snowboarding will remain to be the argument but Garvin and the others agree on the main reason they love either so profoundly – it’s an activity to spend time with friends and family and to relax and clear their minds. “It’s more like a vacation with my family and bonding with my family on the car rides there. It really depends on what type of mood I’m in though,” Garvin said. “I love hanging out with friends and joking around with them, but if there’s days that I just wanna be by myself and not be bothered every five minutes, then I love to go by myself.” Contributing: Anu Subramaniam & Chris Elliott Courtesy of the Garvin Family

Boys varsity swimming and diving keeps it in the family By Andrea Scapini assistant editor

Duncan & Danny MacAskill Growing up every summer poolside at the Lakefront Park watching their mom repeatedly dive off the boards, it was only a matter of time before sophomore Duncan MacAskill and junior Danny MacAskill took their try in the water. Despite the fact that parents Annie and Doug MacAskill dove in college, the sport didn’t stick with Danny. “There’s an inclination for us to be divers, like them, but I took a separate pathway,” he said. The love for a water sport did not leave though, and Danny pursued swimming instead. He practices twice a day, with an optional practice at 5:30 a.m. and again after school. “Swimming can be very difficult at times especially if you’re working really hard,” Danny said. “(Double practices) are pretty arduous and tiring but it’s really worth it when you drop a time for an event at an actual meet, and it really pays off.” “Swimming can be really repetitive but you really have to concentrate on your pace and a lot of other different factors but you’re always busy thinking.” Duncan continued with the family sport and is a third-generation diver. “I’ve done swimming but I always thought it was kind of boring, so I didn’t really get into it. I like the fact that it’s something different every day and that you can learn something new,” Duncan said. “It’s a lot of fun hanging out with the other divers.” The social aspect is one their mom prefers about diving as well. “The scenery is always better than the bottom of the pool and it’s a lot more social,” she said. “You talk to your friends, then you go do your dive, then you talk to your friends again.” Their mom is a former diving coach at South High School, and says she’s always prepared to help the boys improve in their water sports. “The expectations are a little higher for them. They feel a little more pressured probably,” she said. “Just because of that, which is probably hard on them, but I think it’s also kind of an exciting thing to feel like you have family that really appreciate what you’re doing.”

Will McNelis

courtesy of the macaskill family

Emily Huguenin

From top: Sophomore Duncan MacAskill, junior Danny MacAskill & freshman Will McNelis.

Freshman Will McNelis is more concerned about carving his own path as a diver rather than trailing in the shadow of his brother. Class of 2012 graduate James McNelis had a lengthy diving resumé, including a captain position junior and senior year and being awarded All-American in diving. “I have goals to set and he’s already achieved some goals, so it’s kind of like you get to one up your brother,” Will said. “With all of the goals he set, it would be nice to beat some of them. My coach sometimes compares us from the stage of diving that he was at where I am right now.” Though Will started off mainly by following his brother, his love for the sport was not forced. “I don’t coach him,” James said “I think the fact that I dove in high school might have influenced him a little.” “I’m definitely more motivated to dive because James did it, but it’s not like I feel like I need to,” Will said. “It’s not just James, I want to accomplish goals to become a better diver. I don’t think people have that much higher expectations of me just because James was so successful with diving. There are some people who might think like that, but I don’t let it get to me.” Will hopes to continue diving in high school and aspires to dive in college as his brother does now. “If I could dive at an elite level in college that would be cool,” Will said. “Diving is a pretty relaxed sport but you need determination if you want to be really good.” The McNelis brothers are drawn to the relaxed atmosphere of diving. “Usually the good divers are really relaxed, really fun guys,” James said. “It seems like the more outgoing ... kind of kids are normally the type of kids that do well with diving.” The personal drive that Will has for himself is already pushing him past the standards that may already be set for him. “As far as diving goes, he’s a lot farther along as I was at his age, like a lot farther on,” James said. “If he doesn’t burn out on it I think he’ll do well for himself.”

Life

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – 5

Twenty-four hours, 1,369 students, one man By Lauren Semack, Rachel Cullen, Audrey Kam & Patricia Bajis editor & staff reporters

If Santa ate one Union cookie per student at North...

If Santa drank one 8 oz serving of milk per student at North...

One Union cookie is 150 calories each. So if he inhaled one per student, that would be 205,350 calories.

If the average caloric intake for an adult is 2,000 calories a day, Santa would be eating enough for 106 men.

One cow can produce 8-9 gallons of milk per day, so that means you’d need about 11 cows.

How fast will it take Santa to deliver to our entire district?

If every student got a Go North, Beat South t-shirt from Santa.... One medium, Hanes t-shirt weighs 6.5 ounces, so if every student got one that would weigh 556.16 pounds.

Santa would gulp 85.5 gallons of milk

If a reindeer can pull 330.7 pounds, then he would need one and a half reindeer to deliver the shirts.

cost: $13,690

STO P!

! GO

Clausometer So Santa would only be in the Grosse Pointe school district for .0000004090909091 hours.

To travel around the entire earth, Santa must travel 175 million miles, Meaning he must travel at 5-6 million mph.

300 words: A series

A Christmas rooted in tradition and family : Mariah Herfi

By Jordan Radke

Editor

The grape leaves take hours for them – junior Mariah Herfi, her sisters, aunt, mother and grandmother – to fold. The Herfi family has been preparing for Christmas since Thanksgiving. If “we called (family) like the day before Christmas and were like, ‘we need you to make a turkey!’ they’d be like ‘Ok, I’m making it right now. I’m in my car, I’m on my way to the store.’” This is Christmas for a village. Six hundred from her mother’s village in Syria immigrated to the U.S. in the 1970s, and Herfi calls “people aunts and uncles who I’ve never even met. That’s the part they play,

in my mom’s life and in mine.” New faces still wander in sometimes. They trickle in, half a dozen on a regular day (60 on Christmas), and Herfi puts out seeds and tea. The family has stories to tell. Her mother was bathed in a tub of water in Syria. Her father slept on the roof in the hot nights of Iraq. Her mother’s family dyed chicks, not eggs, for Easter, because that was what they had. “How the old country changed them is changing me. Those little pieces of their lives, I’ll never forget, and they make me appreciate my life so much more, to know what I have and how privileged I am to have it.” When Herfi’s great-grandmother

Caroline Schulte

IstockPhoto.com

passed away, the family mourned together at her house, and her grandfather brought prayer and stories for the grieving family. Her great-grandmother used to make grape leaves with them, too. Herfi sees, she says, closeness and life appreciated. Her grandmother still grows the leaves in her yard. After an hour in the pressure cooker, the grape leaves will emerge, the meat and rice sticking together in the boiled leaves. Editor’s note: 300 Words presents glimpses of everyday life that often go unnoticed. There are exactly 300 words. You can count them if you want.

Junior Mariah Herfi and her family spend the Christmas season with extended family. “To have my family that present in my life is a priviledge,” Herfi said.

LIFE

6 – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – North Pointe

A reason to give

By the numbers By Patricia Bajis & Andrea Scapini

Seventy-five pints and a potential 225 lives later, blood donor Barry Mulso reflects on the experience

By Patricia Bajis staff reporter

Armed with what he calls a “high threshold for pain,” social studies teacher Barry Mulso stretches out his arm and breathes deeply. The needle breaks skin, reaching his seasoned veins. Freshly pricked from North’s annual Red Cross visit, Mulso has donated blood 75 times. He started his tradition at age 19 at Western Michigan University. “My fraternity was sponsoring a blood drive with a couple of sororities on campus, and I couldn’t bear running it and not donating, so I donated the blood. It was easy to do. Being in my fraternity, having that group of people to draw from, it was easy to say ‘Guys, I’m going to donate blood, how many of you are in with me?’ and they were always in,” Mulso said. Though just starting as a way to support his school, donating blood for those who needed it soon adopted a personal meaning. “My best friend was killed in a car accident, and that was the same year I started doing the donations,” Mulso said. “He was a cadet down at Virginia Military Institute and was off post for the day. He and his friends were late getting back to post, and they were obviously driving at high rate of speed, and the car flipped over, and five people were killed. He was my best pal all the way through junior high school. It was a pretty formative moment in my life.” Able to put a face to his donations, Mulso gives blood in memory of his childhood friend. “This is the sort of stuff my friend would have needed. At that point in time, he didn’t make it, but that’s the sort of stuff that would be used.” With new motivation, Mulso continued to give when-

Green day: ¡Tre!

100

ever he could. “I donated a few times in college, and then for a while I didn’t. My life didn’t let me do that. And then I started picking up when I was working on my teaching certification down at Wayne State. They had frequent blood drives down there.” Along with the loss of his friend, Mulso’s family inspired him to continue donating. “My dad always donated blood, and it was a big deal in my family to make sure those things were out there because one pint saves three lives potentially.” During the 13 years Mulso was Student Association adviser, he increased his donations to twice a year. “I’ve given half of what I’ve donated (in total) here at North alone.” Mulso has donated since 1982 and is exasperated with how the Red Cross handles drives today. “I don’t know what changed, but back in the day, they were always up and running before school started and wouldn’t stop taking donations until 3:30. Now, they don’t start until 7:45, and they quit at 2:15. And just... their scheduling alone is a loss of about 12 donors – good, healthy, young blood,” Mulso said. “We used to collect 75 pints of blood. Now we’re collecting between 40 and 50. To me, that’s fairly egregious. They turn away people, but all you see on the news is that they need blood. But that’s my own personal frustration, I guess.” As a veteran donor, Mulso says that the countless piercing needles in his arm aren’t the hardest part. “The worst thing about it is the finger prick. They prick your finger to test your hemoglobin to make sure your iron levels are appropriate, or otherwise they won’t take your blood, and literally it’s the worst part for me. So if you can put up with that kind of pain, the rest is easy.”

study blue App

REVIEWS

Once upon a time, Green Day wrote good music. Their pseudo-political lyrics were edgy enough to capture a trendy anarchist audience, and greenday.com hold on to their hearts like a hand grenade. I suppose the fuse on a hand grenade can only last so long, until an album like ¡Tre! triggers a dead, disappointed audience. Their work up to, and including American Idiot was exactly what a punk pop band should be. It was angsty, fast and occasionally slowed down and reached out for an emotional connection. But their new album ¡Tre! doesn’t do any of that. It’s like they decided punk/pop doesn’t need punk anymore, and they became exactly what they complained about on the first album in their trio, ¡Uno!: shadows of their former selves. But, give credit where credit is due. It may not be very punk rock for front-man Billie Joe Armstrong to have two children, but artists should be commended for capturing aspects of their lives. On the song “Drama Queen” the band writes about having kids, which may not be well-done, but it’s definitely better listening to an artist sing about their life experience than failed attempts to recreate their old sound on tracks such as “Dirty Rotten Bastards” and “X-Kid.”

ganizing. On Study Blue, all the features are simple. You can make individual folders for each of your classes, and then make flash cards under each of those, to study on a phone or tablet, rather than making your parents angry for wasting ink. This app is helpful because you can type in certain things that you need to study. For example, in English class, you could type in the definition of the word and then the answer would be the word that the definition is describing. Through this app, you can quiz yourself automatically. However, there is one catch to this. You can’t save or edit the flash cards if you realize that you needed to add more cards, or if you realize that you misspelled a word. If you lose Internet connection, or if you leave your device off for some time, you may lose your flashcards and have to start from scratch. Otherwise, Study Blue is good for class and could help improve your grades. That way, you won’t feel blue when taking a test or expecting one back.

By Jacob Barry

By Anna Hopkins

itunes.apple.com

pints of blood are in the average adult body

44,000

of one’s body weight is blood

43,000

lincoln

Study Blue is an easy-to-use app and can be utilized for any class. You can make flashcards to study without dealing with the trouble of printing, cutting, pasting and or-

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Americans need blood transfusions each year

Ke$ha: Warrior

Lincoln is the story of President Abraham Lincoln’s determination to end slavery through the 13th Amendment. Focusing on the political conflict surthelincolnmovie.com rounding the amendment instead of the military conflict, it was suprising to see more of the House of Representatives and less of the battle grounds. Suspense over the passage of the 13th Amendment kept the story interesting. Government processes didn’t stall because of war, they kept going in a furious attempt to keep the splintered Union together. Also, the insight into President Lincoln’s personal life portrayed him as a person, rather than a historical figure. His loving interactions with his youngest son Tad show him as a caring father. He and his wife Mary struggle with intense grief over the recent death of their other son Willie, and both try to help each other deal with the sadness. This movie isn’t a stale rendition of political fights, and it’s an apt characterization of Lincoln the person. Humor helps the movie from being boring. Wellplaced jokes and political satire from Lincoln and the three bumbling lobbyists keep the movie from being overwhelming.

By Sarah Schade

blood donations are needed every day

4.5 million

pints of blood are donated daily

A-

B+

pints of blood can be needed by a single car accident victim

K e $ h a’s usual bad-girl disposition has taken a turn in her new album Warrior, released on Nov. 30. Her partygirl attitude is revealed in her keshaparty.com new songs, but some of them sound more like they belong on an explicit Taylor Swift album. In her new album, the song “Crazy Kids” brings out the typical Ke$ha. It talks about not caring about what other people think, dancing and partying, just like every other one of her songs. The album consists of mostly classic Ke$ha, but there are a few slower, more meaningful songs, like on her first album Animal. “Love into the Light” stands out the most because it’s not like most Ke$ha songs heard on the radio. Here, she talks about imperfections and learning to forget about hatred. It may seem odd to Ke$ha fans that she is not singing about partying and living in the moment, instead this song has some meaning behind it. Even though the ratings for this song may not back it up, it’s one of the better songs on the album that hasn’t been recognized. For the most part, most songs seem the same as the ones on her previous album, Ke$ha: Warrior will definitely be a mainstream hit. By Melissa Healy

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IDEAS The television: life-long friend

“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.” Board of Education Policy

Maria Liddane Editor-in-Chief

Dayle Maas NEws editor

Jordan Radke Editor

Emma Ockerman Managing EDITOR

Our editorial represents the opinion of the North Pointe Editorial Board consisting of the editors above and staff members Melina Glusac, Audrey Kam and Jacob Barry.

OUR EDITORIAl

Old half-day schedule is superior “Lecture in class for a minute, and it seems like 19. Make a period 19 minutes, and it seems like one. That’s relativity,” Albert Einstein may have said, in a less wellknown explanation of his famous theory (we admit, maybe somewhat apocryphally). Half-day schedules have changed largely, it seems, in accordance with Einstein’s thoughts. The old schedule bred in students the idea that 19-minute classes are fleeting and insignificant. Though the change to shift this culture makes good sense and addresses these problems, the structural flaws and actual application of the new schedule render superior the old. Sending students to half of their classes for longer periods does emphasize the importance of class time for them. It should dwindle the number who are absent on 19-minute-class days, because there’s more opportunity for one single period to be crucial or significant. Also, the new schedule caters to the students; it tells them that their learning doesn’t need to be cut short so that multiple sections of the same course can stay on pace in lockstep with one another. Practically, though, this only devalues the worth of an even longer class as teachers ignore the extra period of instruction to keep their sections synchronized. Rushing through material for some kids and meandering through it for others with an extra hour leaves some confused, others disengaged. Conversely, the new schedule may create headaches for teachers who do use the longer period and must manage several classes that no longer are in sync – having students take a test on different days means having to worry about cheating or making different versions of the same test. Not only is instruction problematic, but the lack of it – students must go a day missing half of their classes. Especially in classes like math, constant exposure to concepts and practice with skills are necessary. If every so often the school day must let out before noon, then, a shorter, seven-period day is the better way to do it: students don’t miss out in the classroom, and teachers’ planning is made easier. Still, to make this the best option requires a fostering a certain culture – one that treats every minute in class equally and that can work to eliminate the common perception of the half-day, that it is trivial and unproductive. This may mean an assessment, a project or a class discussion – any meaningful use of classroom time, really. For teachers that work toward this goal, they’re rewarded, in the engagement, attentiveness (and attendance) of students who aren’t just throwing the half-day away. Teaching is always a matter of providing opportunities for students who can choose to take them or not. The new half-day schedule may not work best, but 19-minute periods can, provided the right climate. And the things that make a 49-minute class productive and successful are many of the same that make a 19-minute class feel longer – relatively speaking.

TV sitcoms are looked upon as the lowest form of acting. They’re the fast food alternative to the “real” art of movies. Even Chevy Chase, who had his own sitcom at one point, quit the Community stating that “TV sitcoms are the lowest form of acting.” I disagree. I’ve grown up with TV. As a child, as soon as I got home from school, I turned on the TV, knowing each cartoon’s time on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Only my parents promising an episode of Pokémon could entice me to finish my home- Guest Writer work. Kamala Kanneganti In middle school, I went through an embarrassing, regrettable anime phase. I powered through over 200 episodes of Naruto and finished multiple shorter series (most which would only be broadcasted in Japan). Other middle schoolers would hang out at Ghesquiere Park or ask for rides to The Village. My dad was concerned and banned me from watching anime. I watched streams of episodes after he went to bed. This was becoming more than just a hobby – it had crossed to an obsession. As I grew, so did my tastes. I threw aside the cartoons for live-action TV. My dad introduced me to his favorite series, which we watched together when he was home (a rare occurrence; he traveled for work). I nerded out. I watched all of Star Trek TNG, Wolverine and the X-men and The Twilight Zone. When he was gone, my mom and I watched TV together, preferring older sitcoms like Frasier, Seinfeld and News Radio. We weren’t into going outside or sports at the Neighborhood Club, so the we watched TV. It’s one of the things we can talk about, despite our difference in generation. In high school, my tastes shifted away from my parents’; I preferred modern

shows. Netflix instant queue and the Internet helped me finish Parks and Recreation, Chuck, Community and others. These shows are reliable. They are there for me every week. Movie characters only grow for two hours, while TV characters have years. I followed Michael Scott grow from an inappropriate, selfish boss to a funny, caring friend by the end of The Office. Kenneth from 30 Rock sums it up: “Nothing ever really changes; the people you care about never leave; and the bad guy always gets what she deserves.” It’s an idealized version of life: problems are solved in a halfhour, or, at the most, last a whole season. Even the actors on a TV show are dedicated like a family. Unlike having a movie “project,” these actors devote their lives to their shows. They usually have a lot of input for the show, which lets their own personalities shine through in the show. Even when a show is cancelled, the actors are still invested in it. Nathan Fillion, the lead in Firefly, still replies to tweets about Firefly, which was cancelled over a decade ago. He misses the show as much as I do, and he shares the drive we Browncoats (Firefly fans) have to get the show back on the air. I’m attached to these characters, adopting their sayings, from Abed’s “Cool. Cool, cool, cool,” To Liz Lemon’s “Nerds!” Whatever series I watch, I end up identifying with the characters, taking their obstacles almost personally and metaphorically attaching them to myself. I’ve mourned the departure of a friend (like Michael Scott in The Office or Tasha Yar from Star Trek), just as I would the departure of a friend in real life. These shows have lasted longer than most of my friendships have. No matter how much I’ve changed over the years, no matter who is new in my life, no matter who has left, my shows are always there: same bat time, same bat channel.

“I just kind of want to be with my family. I don’t want stuff. Stuff you can get any time, but family is only there once.”

“Money, because I can buy things with it and nobody can mess up my Christmas list because I can buy my own stuff.”

“I want a new lunch box. That’s what I asked my mom for, so I can save the environment.”

Nassif Daher

Thomas Goffas

Analisa Guido

Freshman

Junior

Sophomore

YOUR TURN: What’s on the top of your Christmas list?

By Andrea Scapini & Libby Sumnik

“I want a watch, like a nice watch. I have had a watch before, but not nice ones. I like them; they’re pretty.”

“I haven’t even thought about it. I’d like an air compressor so I can do more work around my house.”

“Seeing my granddaughter because they live in Utah. I won’t get to see her, but that would be on the top of my list.”

Michelle Miotto

Michael Spears

Kathy Byron

senior

Foreign language teacher

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Maria Liddane SECTION EDITORS: Dayle Maas, Kim Cusmano, Lauren Semack, Gabby Burchett ASSISTANT EDITORS: Kristen Kaled, Andrea Scapini, Libby Sumnik, Amanda Berry, Marie Bourke, Izzy Ellery STAFF REPORTERS: Patricia Bajis, Colleen Reveley, Melissa Healy, Natalie Skorupski, Sara Villani, Rachel Cullen, Jacob Barry, Danae DiCicco, Sydney Thompson, Taylor White, Audrey Kam, Brigitte Smith, Melina Glusac PHOTOGRAPHERS: Caroline Schulte (Photo Editor), Emily Huguenin (Assistant Photo Editor), Sean O’Melia, Kaylee Dall INTERNS: Ashley Brown, Haley Reid, Sarah Schade, Anna Hopkins, Jenna Belote EDITOR: Jordan Radke MANAGING EDITOR: Emma Ockerman ILLUSTRATOR: Jordan Jackson

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – 7

secretary

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 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 myGPN.org. The North Pointe is printed on 100 percent recycled paper. CONTACT US 707 Vernier Road Grosse Pointe Woods MI, 48236 Phone: 313.432.3248 Email: northpointe@gpschools.org Website: myGPN.org Twitter: myGPN FACULTY ADVISER: Shari Adwers, CJE

editor’s desk EMma Ockerman

Confessions of a Christmas baby

Imagine sitting on your back porch on a warm summer evening, half-eaten birthday cake on a plate beside you as your family ladles you with presents, their “happy birthday”’s echoing into the night. Then that aunt staggers toward you, the one you never liked much, carrying a haphazardly wrapped gift. Setting it on your lap, she whispers, “Make this one count, it’s for Christmas and your birthday, dear.” Riots would ensue. Chairs would be thrown. Grandma would weep softly to herself. What kind of twisted soul would deem this sort of hybrid present acceptable? But if you’re me, this is a reality. In fact, you smile and graciously say thank you when someone gives you a gift, wrapped in holiday paper that’s for two different celebrations. And all while they are forgetting to wish you a happy birthday. You see, I’m a Christmas baby. My kind is rare, but we deserve recognition. Not only are they unfortunate, a Harvard University study offers that Christmas babies are incredibly uncommon. Besides Feb. 29, which only occurs every four years, Dec. 25 is the rarest date to be born on. Lucky me. In exchange for my uniqueness, it’s almost my eighteenth year of being forgotten on my special day. Interestingly, nobody ever forgets to remind me how much of a burden it must be to have been born on Christmas. Often, the mention of me being my parent’s favorite Christmas present and a miracle from heaven only occurs seconds before the “Wow, that must suck though!” You’re right, kind friend. Excuse me while I go fling myself off the tallest tower. Merry Christmas to you! And of course, everyone sympathizes with me. “You poor thing, I bet nobody says happy birthday to you, I bet everyone gives you one present for your Christmas AND birthday.” But they may as well add “Don’t worry, I’ll forget to say happy birthday, too.” Still, there is one thing wonderful about being born on Christmas – the fact that I was born at all. I was a meager five pounds when I was removed from my mother by cesarean section Christmas morning, six weeks premature. The doctors delivering me cried as they witnessed my first shallow breaths. My mother had been told by various doctors that my chance of survival was low. With a stubbornness that I inherited, my mom refused to give up her daughter. The cliché of me being the best Christmas gift she can remember? Yeah, she says it too. She named me Emma in an attempt for me to have a normal life (she considered Holly and Destiny, all in good spirit) but christened me with the middle name Noel. People smile at this coincidence before telling me how awful it must be to be forgotten year after year. But my parents remember their joyous miracle. So do me a favor, and throw a happy birthday my way. Forget the Merry Christmas.

North Pointe – Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 – 8

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